Lu Ying Shan, likely inexperienced in the ways of the world, dared to come to such a remote place alone. Anyone else might have harbored ill intentions. The temptation, coupled with the desolate wilderness, provided the perfect setting.
"Secretary Lu, rest assured, I will keep my word."
Li Hao Chen withdrew his arm and stepped back, making space.
"I was a bit too eager, I apologize, Mr. Li."
As they walked and talked, Li Hao Chen learned that Lu Ying Shan had just graduated from university and, against her parents' wishes, returned to her remote hometown with the determination to develop it.
She had returned with passion to accomplish great things, but fate had been unkind. Even the advertisement outside was funded by her university part-time job earnings, and it was due to expire next month. Had she not managed to attract Li Hao Chen, she wouldn't know how many tears she would have shed next month.
Soon, they returned to Niu Wei Village. The contract signing was to take place at Lu Ying Shan's home. It seemed the village lacked an office building, but it was understandable. This village was poorer than Liang Min Feng's, and the village certainly had no surplus funds for such things.
If Lu Ying Shan hadn't volunteered to be the village secretary, who would have even considered such a meager position? It wasn't a large village with thousands of residents. If there had been any chance of extracting benefits, this young lass wouldn't have landed this role. This was also the main reason she could become the village secretary at such a young age.
"Mr. Li, this is the contract. Please review it and let me know if there are any issues."
Li Hao Chen took the contract and began to read it with great seriousness. It was identical to the one from Da Long Village, with only the village name differing. After reviewing it and finding no problems, he reached for his pen to sign, but paused. "Secretary Lu, I'd like to ask if there's a way to sign for 30 years. I can increase the rent."
"Oh, is that so? And how much would you be willing to increase it by, Mr. Li?"
"Double!"
"One hundred per mu?"
This made Lu Ying Shan's heart pound. This was over eleven hundred mu, which would mean eleven thousand annually in rent. Niu Wei Village only had 45 people; this would allow each person to receive several thousand yuan in dividends each year. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel excited and clench her fists, but then she hesitated.
"The rent will increase by 50% every five years."
Seeing Lu Ying Shan's indecision, Li Hao Chen immediately added fuel to the fire. This time, she could no longer remain calm. Ten years later, the rent would double! Even if her village hadn't become prosperous, they would be lifted out of poverty.
"Alright, and one more condition: I will help you complete this matter no matter what."
"You name it!"
"From now on, if you need labor, you will prioritize the villagers of Niu Wei Village."
Lu Ying Shan's words surprised Li Hao Chen. He looked at her intently. She was a respectable person, just like Li De Jun, serving the people wholeheartedly.
"No problem."
Receiving Li Hao Chen's affirmation, Lu Ying Shan smiled, her smile as bright as the stars. What a beautiful woman.
"Please wait here for a moment."
With that, Lu Ying Shan ran into her room, grabbed a stack of papers, and hurried out.
After waiting for about half an hour with no sign of her, Li Hao Chen became restless. He stood up and paced around the room, looking at the old award certificates on the wall. He had to admit that Lu Ying Shan was an excellent woman.
"Oh, I didn't realize you were also a senior!"
Just then, Lu Ying Shan ran in, panting. Beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her white shirt was soaked. The fabric clung to her skin, and her ample chest rose and fell with her hurried breaths. Combined with the striking visual impact of the black lace trim, Li Hao Chen found himself staring, lost in thought.
Sensing the unusual gaze from Li Hao Chen, Lu Ying Shan instinctively followed his line of sight.
Her face instantly flushed with a blush. She bit her lip, covered her chest with her hands, and ran into her room. From inside, rustling sounds could be heard. The scene must have been truly beautiful.
When Lu Ying Shan emerged after changing her clothes, her face was still a delicate pink. To ease the embarrassment of the previous moment, both of them avoided making eye contact.
"Mr. Li, all the villagers have signed, and I have redrafted the contract. Please take a look."
Li Hao Chen took the new contract and carefully examined it for about ten minutes. Then, he picked up his pen, scribbled his name, and extended his hand, smiling. "Senior Sister Lu, I'll need your protection from now on, hehe!"
Lu Ying Shan, not understanding, extended her hand and shook Li Hao Chen's. "Senior Sister?"
"Here, I'm also from Bin University. Your junior, hahaha!" Li Hao Chen's gaze fell upon a graduation photo on the wall as he spoke.
"Ah, so that's how it is. Then junior brother must take good care of our village from now on,嘻嘻!"
"Absolutely, hehe! By the way, Senior Sister, can this be postponed for a while?"
Li Hao Chen's words made Lu Ying Shan confused. What would she tell the villagers if he changed his mind? If she didn't postpone it, she feared he might be displeased, which would be detrimental to future cooperation.
Lu Ying Shan's mind raced. After about ten seconds, she said, "Postponed? It's possible, but not for too long, a maximum of two months. And you'll need to pay a 30% deposit first. If the full payment isn't received within two months, the deposit will not be refunded."
"No problem."
The deposit should have been just over thirty thousand, but to allay Lu Ying Shan's concerns, Li Hao Chen paid fifty thousand as a deposit.
Indeed, after paying the larger deposit, Lu Ying Shan's previous enthusiasm returned. She likely felt secure now, as who would be foolish enough to voluntarily pay an extra deposit?
They chatted for a while longer, and then Li Hao Chen got into his car and left Niu Wei Village.
In the car, Li Hao Chen found his sudden change of plans somewhat incredible, as if his heart were urging him to do so. In his opinion, delaying it was better, as he didn't have the funds for this project yet, and he still needed to secure permits and construction licenses.
As for the issue of the oyster rafts from Niu Tou Village blocking the way, it was simple. Problems that could be solved with money were not problems at all. Moreover, he was interested in acquiring the sea area of Niu Tou Village. However, it was still too early to talk about that; he would negotiate in a while.
The journey back was still arduous, as the road was simply too bad. As for repairing the road, that could wait. It wasn't something he intended to do himself, though if Niu Tou Village and Niu Wei Village eventually brought him immense profits, he might consider it.
Upon returning to the entrance of Da Long Village, Li Hao Chen paid the driver the chartered car fee. The agreed amount was eight hundred yuan, which, though seemingly a lot, barely covered fuel and highway tolls, leaving only hard-earned money.
Seeing that it was still early, Li Hao Chen walked towards Butterfly Bay. His tasks for the day were not yet complete, and he also needed to retrieve the fish traps he had set yesterday.
He entered and brought the more than ten fish traps into his spatial dimension. The harvest was quite good. Although there weren't many large fish, there were plenty of small ones, especially rabbitfish, which were abundant this season. There were also gobies, mullets, and sea bass. He even caught two large mud crabs, weighing nearly two pounds each, which was excellent.