Indeed, within an hour, the villagers had all agreed on the condition that the million be transferred immediately.
Yang Yu rolled his eyes and said little, "Chairman, I will return to the village at nine o’clock tomorrow to sign the lease contract. The money will be given once the contract is signed."
Yang Sheng chuckled, "Alright, Ah Yu, I’ll be waiting for you to come back!"
After a long day’s hassle, Yang Yu was just about to rest when a visitor showed up.
To Yang Yu’s surprise, the visitor was Lin Yang, the official secretary from Tianhai City!
Since the end of the bidding at the Mountain and Sea Viewing Tower, Yang Yu had not had any contact with this promising young official secretary, and he truly didn’t know why Lin Yang had come to see him.
"Secretary Lin, hello," Yang Yu greeted Lin Yang with great courtesy, "Please have a seat."
"Thank you, Chairman Yang," Lin Yang sat down with a gentle smile on his face, "Chairman Yang, I am here on official business this time to discuss a major project with you."
Yang Yu casually brewed a pot of tea, "Secretary Lin, what project? Do tell. As long as it’s beneficial for everyone, I’m all in."
"Then let me thank you in advance, Chairman Yang," Lin Yang smiled, "The thing is, the officials plan to build a large industrial park in the suburbs to dissipate the city’s population and increase employment. Chairman Yang’s industries are numerous, and the officials would like to cooperate with you. Here is the proposal. Please take a look first, Chairman Yang."
Yang Yu quickly went through the cooperation proposal, his brow slightly furrowed, "Secretary Lin, do the officials want me to invest in building this industrial park? Just provide a piece of land; that’s it?"
"That’s roughly the idea," Lin Yang admitted somewhat awkwardly, "The land is very large. Chairman Yang can build as much as you are able, we absolutely won’t force you; we’ll develop the rest ourselves."
"I’ll consider it for a couple of days," Yang Yu said, "I’ll give you an answer in two days, Secretary Lin."
"No problem, we’re not in a hurry," Lin Yang smiled, "Whenever Chairman Yang is ready, just contact me. I won’t hold you up any longer. Goodbye."
"Alright, Secretary Lin, goodbye." Yang Yu personally escorted Lin Yang to the door and then returned.
He immediately reported this matter to Xia Yu and Shen Silin, asking them to help him decide.
After a detailed discussion, both partners quickly made a decision, "Yang Yu, anyway, the official project must be supported, of course, without harming our own interests."
"We both think it’s best to build something casually to show support for now. As for whatever else we want to build once we have grown and expanded, that can be discussed later."
"I understand," Yang Yu nodded, "An answer in two days. To reply now would seem rather hasty, heh heh!"
The next day, Yang Yu returned to Yang Village on time, ready to sign the land lease contract with the villagers.
Yang Yu distributed the contracts to the villagers, but none reached out to take them; instead, they stood still, giving Yang Yu meaningful looks.
Village Chief Yang Sheng was instantly stunned and urged the others with urgency, "What are you all doing? It’s not easy for Ah Yu to take time out of his busy schedule to come back; what exactly do you want to do?"
Seeing the expressions of the villagers, Yang Yu instantly understood that something had changed and couldn’t help but scoff, "Everyone, if you have something to say, speak plainly. Let’s be straightforward."
The representatives of the villagers glanced at each other before a rather shrewd-looking middle-aged man stepped forward, "Ah Yu, we are all villagers and if mutual benefit can be achieved, we are, of course, willing to sign the contract with you."
"But, while we treat you as one of our own, you seem to take us for fools, don’t you think you’re being excessive?"
Yang Sheng was furious, "Ah Gui, the decision to sign is yours to make, and so is the decision not to. What do you all really want to do?"
Yang Yu stopped Yang Sheng, "Uncle Sheng, let him finish speaking."
"Alright, let me just spell it out!" Ah Gui put on an air of self-righteousness, "Ah Yu plans to lease our land to grow Chinese Herbal Medicine, right?"
"I have heard that the profits from cultivating Chinese Herbal Medicine are shockingly high, that even the cheapest medicinal herbs can earn a profit of millions per acre in a year."
"Now Ah Yu, you don’t even want to give us an annual rent of three hundred thousand; you’re vehemently pushing it down to one hundred thousand. Isn’t that tantamount to taking advantage of our ignorance about the market?"
Yang Yu countered, "Brother Gui, who told you that an acre can earn a profit of millions a year?"
"You don’t need to worry about that; the source of that information is absolutely reliable," Ah Gui retorted, "Ah Yu, if you are willing to rent for two hundred thousand a year, paid up for ten years, and we can write off the remaining hundred thousand, we’ll just consider it as supporting one of our own."
"But if you’re still thinking about a hundred thousand a year, I’m sorry, we may not be educated, but we are not fools."
"That’s right, don’t treat us like fools!"
"Two hundred thousand a year, not a penny less!"
"Heh, still saying you’re not fools?" Yang Yu glanced at them coldly, "If you don’t farm it yourselves, will anyone rent your fields? Won’t they just lie fallow?"
"Go ask around the country, how much does leasing an acre of land cost a year? I’m offering a hundred thousand, which is already quite high. How many families in Xia Country still don’t make a hundred thousand a year? Besides, each of your families owns more than one acre; you’ll be getting close to two hundred thousand a year. What more could you want?"
"As for what I plant on the leased land and how much I make in a year, that’s my business. What’s it to you? If I lose money, will you not take the rent from me?"
"Don’t talk about whether I can make a million per acre. Even if I did make ten million, your rent would still only be a hundred thousand!"
"Then there’s nothing to discuss," Ah Gui shrugged, "Everyone, look closely. Isn’t this the so-called rich man who keeps saying he supports hometown construction? Hypocrite, isn’t he?"
The villagers each spit in Yang Yu’s direction, showing utter contempt.
Yang Sheng suddenly understood something and roared loudly, "Is it because someone promised you three hundred thousand a year, that’s why you’re going back on your word?"
"So what if it is?" the villagers looked at Yang Sheng with disdain, "It’s beyond us how much Yang Yu has given you to make you so eager to work for him. We guarded against you, the insider, which is why we didn’t tell you in advance. Just keep leasing your own land to Yang Yu for a hundred thousand a year!"
"Although I come from a rural background myself, I have to say, there’s a reason why many rural people are poor," Yang Yu said coldly, "You forget your morals at the sight of profit, chase after petty gains, short-sighted, it’s no wonder you don’t achieve wealth. If you don’t want to lease here, I’ll go lease from Tree Village."
"You don’t have to go," Gu Kanghua came over, smiling, "Chairman Yang, all the cultivable land around here has been signed up on behalf of Second Young Master Li."