The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Major Move

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Uncle Liu, Uncle Yang, you see, here in Jinshan Bay, we have almost no other industries besides fishing and aquaculture.”

”Most people who aren’t in these fields have to find work at private companies elsewhere. The money is decent, but it’s nothing to write home about.”

”As fishing bans, conservation policies, and new development regulations are introduced, Jinshan Bay’s traditional industries are bound to be impacted.”

”Let’s start by building an elementary and middle school. Later, when we have the resources, we can add a high school. If we build a quality, bilingual school, it will definitely attract more and more students to apply.”

”Where there are people, there’s potential for growth. By building a good school and attracting more students, we can also boost the local economy.”

Village Chief Liu thought it over and agreed. ”That makes sense! A larger plot of land is better anyway; we can keep some in reserve for future expansion. The ground is low-lying, so we can excavate soil from one area to raise the foundation for the elementary and middle schools. We’ll build those first and worry about the high school later.”

”We can use the resulting pit for a fish pond or to grow lotuses, which can also help develop tourism. On weekends, people from the city can come for recreation. We’ll develop the entire area by the entrance into three-story commercial properties. Villagers will get priority to purchase one unit each. This will do the most to spur Jinshan Bay’s development.”

Yang Zhigang chimed in, ”With so many benefits, Brother Liu, we’ll be counting on you to put in the work and get all the necessary approvals.”

”Alright, I’m on it.” Village Chief Liu was fired up and full of energy, ready to make it all happen.

For greater credibility, he went straight to the state-owned construction company that had built Han Xiaorui’s new aquaculture farm.

Director Xu had grown to love doing business with private enterprises. They never delayed payment, and the collection cycle was much faster than with state-owned clients.

When he heard they planned to build an elementary and middle school, with land reserved for a high school, a park, and a pond, he recognized it as a major project and immediately brought a team to survey the site.

Director Xu led his team in surveying and designing, producing a complete project proposal and cost estimate.

When it was submitted to the higher-ups, the district leaders were also very fond of the design.

According to the plan, once completed, the site would not only host an excellent bilingual school but also be a beautiful seaside recreational area.

Everything was perfect, but the district didn’t have the funds.

The district could provide the land and handle supporting infrastructure like road construction, but it couldn’t afford to build the project to these specifications.

This was where Han Xiaorui stepped in.

She would fund the entire project—the school, the park, the new fish pond, and everything else—in exchange for the rights to develop and operate the commercial street.

The district leaders studied the proposal carefully and agreed to the terms.

As long as the project got built, it would stimulate the economy and create jobs for local residents. Furthermore, the school, as a public-private partnership, would pioneer a new model.

Based on this, Director Xu estimated that the first phase of the project—breaking ground and constructing the school—would cost eight million RMB.

The classroom buildings would be no more than three stories high, though the administration building could be larger.

The gymnasium had to be built to competition standards, with a capacity for two thousand people.

The gymnasium and swimming pool would be shared by the elementary and middle schools.

It would also have a cafeteria and dormitories, allowing students from farther away to board.

Yang Zhigang was worried. He found Han Xiaorui in private and said, ”The first phase alone requires an eight million RMB investment, and that’s just for the elementary and middle school. The follow-up investments will be even greater. Are you sure you want to commit to this?”

Han Xiaorui nodded, her gaze fixed on the blueprints. She pointed to a spot near the school. ”Uncle Yang, the initial investment is certainly huge. The school will be on the west side, with a dedicated road here for students to come and go.”

”The shops near the entrance will primarily cater to the students. Of course, I’m only talking about the ones right at the school gate. This is also for the students’ safety, to keep them separate from the more varied crowds of tourists.”

”To the east of the school, this whole strip will be developed into a scenic area—an artificial one, of course. It will be surrounded by restaurants, hotels, a movie theater, and other entertainment venues. And naturally, since we’re on the coast, we have to focus on developing the coastal economy.”

”The stretch of beach over there is excellent, and the water is shallow and clear, making it a perfect spot for seaside recreation. Later, we can bring in some yachts and fishing boats for island tours or fishing charters. Those are all profitable ventures.”

”It looks like a huge investment, but it will bring us a steady stream of revenue down the line. That revenue won’t just enrich me; everyone in Jinshan Bay, young and old, will benefit. Once the tourists start coming, our villagers can earn a decent living just by selling water and ice pops on the beach.”

It dawned on Yang Zhigang as he listened to Han Xiaorui’s explanation. ”If you get to run all of this, you’ll make a fortune just from collecting rent each year.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Exactly! And if I can see that, so can the district leaders. They’re happy to let it happen. Private investment saves the government money. But once it’s developed, it creates jobs, increases local income, and stimulates the economy.”

”Most importantly, once this whole plan is set in motion, it will drive the growth of upstream and downstream industries. Plus, as our area develops, it will generate more tax revenue. When the local government has more money, it can invest in better infrastructure, which in turn attracts even more investment.”

Yang Zhigang’s eyes filled with admiration. ”Xiao Rui, it really shows you went to college; you have a sharp mind. When the time comes, I could make a good living just by buying a couple of large tour boats or fishing charters.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”It’s not really about being sharp. I just did a lot of research when I traveled abroad. As much as I dislike Japan, their tourism and sightseeing industry is worth learning from.”

”Director Xu is busy with the school construction right now, but I’ll be discussing the land development with him soon. We need to optimize the use of this land and build something modern and appealing.”

”Besides, the investment isn’t a one-time lump sum. We can build it slowly, in phases—one, two, three, four! And since this land is in Jinshan Bay, I suggest we establish a Jinshan Bay Investment Company.”

”Villagers can also invest and own shares. The village itself can contribute land as its equity. When there are profits, we’ll distribute dividends to every resident of Jinshan Bay on a per-capita basis. That way, even as we profit, we’ll be helping everyone in Jinshan Bay earn money. By distributing the benefits evenly, we tie everyone’s interests together, and no one will have a reason to cause trouble.”

Yang Zhigang agreed wholeheartedly upon hearing this. ”Xiao Rui, that’s exactly the right way to think. If we tried to hog all the profits for ourselves, our friends might not make trouble, but people who don’t like us, or those with a grudge, would definitely try to sabotage things.”

”I’ll go discuss the next phase of development with Brother Liu. The village committee contributing land as equity will represent all the villagers of Jinshan Bay. We’ll have everyone vote and put their thumbprints on the agreement to get it all down on paper and avoid any disputes later.”

And with that, Yang Zhigang took the most difficult and time-consuming part of the job upon himself.