Chapter 200

Chapter 200 - A Good Deed of Giving away Money for Free

Zhang Xiaolong had initially planned to progressively develop an orchard on the underutilized land of Clear River Village. However, as events rapidly unfolded, he found himself fully invested in the Strong Dragon auction.

With the auction now behind him, and the Strong Dragon not in his possession, he naturally redirected his focus back to the affairs of Clear River Village.

This was his stronghold. As long as he maintained everything here, there was nothing else to fear.

Having renewed his commitment to the village, Zhang Xiaolong upgraded the simple plastic greenhouses to state-of-the-art glass ones.

These improved structures now spanned twenty acres and primarily supplied the East Light Supermarket.

Despite this, the vegetable supply still fell short of demand, prompting Lee Donghua to often remark how selling quality goods made business much easier.

Given these circumstances, Zhang Xiaolong decided it was time to engage the Clear River Village residents.

“Xiaolong, are you sure about this? Do you really want to get the villagers into vegetable farming?” Lee Xiulian expressed her concern. “I know you mean well, but business has its ups and downs. If there's profit, everyone's happy, and they might not all praise you, but at least they won't cause trouble. However, if there's a loss, they might just band together and come after you.”

Most farmers are decent and straightforward, but when interests are at stake, personal feelings are set aside.

Even if only one in a hundred acted out, it would be enough to cause significant distress.

“In the end, I can't outtalk you. But maybe you're onto something. It takes a push to get people moving forward. Fine, we'll do it your way. I'll have Mr. Zhuzi announce it over the loudspeaker and see who bites,” Lee Xiulian finally conceded.

But Zhang Xiaolong gestured dismissively, “No, not this time. Easy come, easy go—people won't value what they haven't worked for. Here's what we'll do: we'll let the word out just to our current staff at the vegetable market and orchard. If there's an opportunity, our own people get first dibs. Of course, others can join in if they wish, but they'll have to come to us through connections. It'll give our workers a sense of prestige, won't it?”

Lee Xiulian laughed and gave him a playful slap on the back, “You sly kid, you're getting sharper by the day. I like this strategy.”

?If you lay out a great opportunity directly before someone, their first thought is often skepticism—wondering if there's a catch. But if you shroud the opportunity in a bit of mystery, making it seem exclusive and only shared among insiders, it piques others' curiosity and they'll come chasing after you.

As Zhang Xiaolong suggested, those not employed at the market would need an employee's referral to get in on the deal. Suddenly, the market staff would find themselves held in higher regard by the rest of the village, which would surely boost morale.

Moreover, in the future, if we wanted to hire more people, they'd be clamoring to get in, eager to get a piece of the action first.

Lee Xiulian pondered over the situation, carefully crafting her words before she called everyone together to share the exciting news.

She explained the opportunity with even more detail than Zhang Xiaolong had, making it crystal clear that this was a lucrative chance to make money.

Those working at the vegetable market, watching trucks haul away produce daily, were well aware of the money-making potential. Once Lee Xiulian broke down the specifics, they were all instantly interested.

The key incentive was the guarantee from Zhang Xiaolong—it was practically like handing out free money. If they missed out on this, there wouldn't be another chance. They hurried to discuss with their families about planting vegetables on their own land, deciding that even starting with just a few acres was an opportunity not to be missed.

However, not everyone had such smooth sailing. Take Zheng Hong, for instance, who, despite already working at the market, not only failed to gain support when she went back home but also ended up causing a major problem.