The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 467: Chapter 467: The Business District Gradually Takes Shape

The business district in Jinshan Bay was getting better and better.

This was mainly due to the museum, which was very effective at drawing in visitors.

From Monday to Friday, schools would organize trips for students to visit the museum in Jinshan Bay.

The teachers would also take them on a stroll around the area, where they discovered many new and interesting places.

However, aside from buying a few snacks and drinks, most students couldn’t stray from the group.

Come the weekend, these students would bring their parents back to Jinshan Bay to explore it all over again.

Not only were there all the recovered artifacts in the museum, but there was also other scenery to enjoy.

They could also take a boat to the island to pay their respects to the martyrs who had protected the treasures.

Additionally, a Daoist Temple had been built on the island, as well as a memorial at the place where Yuan Cheng had passed away in meditation, which featured many beautiful murals.

After being reinforced and confirmed safe, these secret passages were also opened to the public.

It wasn’t just locals who came to see this place of cultivation; artists also came looking for inspiration.

To better protect the murals, they were all covered with transparent glass panels.

This was partly to prevent tourists from touching and damaging them and partly to prevent excessive exposure to air, which would accelerate oxidation.

These were all precious attractions that had to be protected, not overdeveloped.

There was also a boardwalk that circled the island.

Some nice spots were available for sea fishing.

Some fishing spots were free, while others required payment. In short, money could get you a better spot where you were more likely to catch better seafood.

At the free spots, you could sometimes get a bite, but it was mostly just common sea fish.

Sometimes, you could even see dolphins chasing each other in the waters around the island.

Because Han Xiaorui had invested in a movie, she knew a news producer at the local television station.

After some public relations efforts, news about Jinshan Bay frequently appeared on local broadcasts.

For example, on Arbor Day, there was a news story showing hundreds of people planting trees on the island.

For the Qingming Festival, Jinshan Bay Primary School and the local middle school were shown paying their respects to the martyrs who died recovering the treasure, laying wreaths at the island’s martyrs’ cemetery.

「...」

Because these stories frequently appeared in the local news and radio broadcasts reported on the situation in Jinshan Bay, many people were drawn to the area.

They could spend the day sightseeing and then buy some inexpensive seafood to take home in the afternoon—it was a great deal.

Through this kind of subtle, persistent publicity, foot traffic gradually increased.

Not only was Zhang Guangnan’s seafood restaurant packed with customers, but even the smaller seafood eateries were full.

The pastry shop that Granny Cai and Sun Yuzhu opened together sold both Chinese and Western-style pastries.

They were not only beautifully shaped but also exceptionally delicious.

Many people who came to Jinshan Bay would buy some pastries to take home.

To that end, Granny Cai even advertised on television and the radio.

Business at the neighboring craft shop was absolutely booming. Pendants made from Conch Jade in all different shapes were sold for less than ten yuan each.

They were expensive, but this was jade, after all!

People who had the spare cash to come here for sightseeing and food were willing to spend the money when they saw the uniquely shaped Conch Jade.

The women saw the coral jade—twenty yuan a pair. It was a bit pricey, but they looked quite lovely on the wrist.

The chrysanthemum-like patterns on them were very appealing.

What really made it impossible for people to look away was Sun Dayong making them on the spot for everyone to see—genuine materials, with absolutely no deception or trickery.

Cao Fanghua was the salesperson. Her throat was parched after a long day, but the moment she looked at her commission, all her fatigue vanished.

As a Jade Worker, Sun Dayong was also incredibly busy. He was the only one, and he couldn’t keep up.

”Master Sun, do you know anyone else? Business is so good, we can’t keep up with demand. We should tell President Han to hire a few more people so our business can be even better.”

Sun Dayong stood up and stretched his back. He was exhausted today. To rush the orders, the customers kept hurrying him, and he hadn’t even had time to stand up and stretch his stiff muscles.

”Alright, let’s talk to President Han when we see her. We don’t just need to hire more jade craftsmen; we need more salespeople too. You should do a quick inventory. I have a feeling with the crowd today, it’s very likely someone took something without paying.”

Hearing this, Cao Fanghua froze for a moment, then began to count the inventory and the money, comparing them to the morning’s numbers.

Cao Fanghua’s face went pale. ”Dayong, I... I am indeed missing two pieces of Conch Jade, and the... the money doesn’t add up. I thought I could keep an eye on everything, but I didn’t expect someone to take advantage of the chaos.”

Sun Dayong smiled. ”It was crowded today. Look at me, I’m exhausted too. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to President Han about hiring more people.”

”In a few days, that beach over there will be opened to the public for free. A lot of people will come, and it’ll be even more crowded. There’s no way we’ll be able to manage.”

Hearing Sun Dayong stand up for her, Cao Fanghua breathed a sigh of relief. ”Thank you, Dayong.”

Just as they were speaking, Han Xiaorui came in from outside to check on the situation.

Sun Dayong and Cao Fanghua told her that it had been crowded that day and they had been overwhelmed.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Alright, I’ll hire another salesperson tomorrow. As for a jade craftsman, Dayong, do you know anyone from Antique Street? If you can recruit someone, you’ll be the supervisor with a base salary of seventy yuan. As for their commission, I’ll have to see their skill level.”

”If their skills are as good as yours, their commission will be the same as yours. If they aren’t as good, their commission won’t be as high. Of course, this isn’t set in stone. When their skills improve, I’ll give them a raise.”

Sun Dayong thought of his senior apprentice-brother, who had always looked out for him. But his senior was a very traditional and humble person; he’d probably feel too awkward to switch jobs and wouldn’t come.

”I’ll make a call tomorrow and ask someone I know to come and try out,” Sun Dayong said, accepting the task.

Han Xiaorui nodded. After counting the money, she deposited it in the bank.

With the development of Jinshan Bay, the Agricultural Bank, flush with cash, had rented a three-story building with a six-shop-wide storefront to open a new branch.

The salaries for all of Han Xiaorui’s employees were processed here.

In addition, all her companies’ accounts were run through this branch, mainly for the convenience and speed.

Coming out of the bank, Han Xiaorui made a special trip to the pastry shop to buy a few treats for Cao Fanghua and Sun Dayong as a reward for their hard work.

Not far from the craft shop, she saw a young man with a furrowed brow squatting nearby, smoking a cigarette.

The man kept turning his head to look toward the craft shop.

Han Xiaorui was curious and asked, ”Excuse me, sir. Are you looking for someone? Or are you hoping to buy some crafts?”

When the man, Wang Danian, heard someone speaking to him, he immediately stood up, looking flustered. ”I... My name is Wang Danian. I’m Sun Dayong’s senior apprentice-brother. I have some business with him, so I’m waiting for him to get off work.”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui smiled. ”If you’re his senior, then you’re no stranger. Don’t wait outside, come on in and sit for a while.”

Hearing Han Xiaorui say this, Wang Danian followed her inside, still looking awkward.

Sun Dayong was cleaning up when he saw the person behind Han Xiaorui. His eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. ”Senior! What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?”

Wang Danian looked a little embarrassed. ”Let me help you clean up quickly. We can talk later.”