Chapter 156 Investing in the Village
The next day.
When Zhang Chi woke up, the sun had already set outside the hotel's floor-to-ceiling window.
I drank a little too much last night, and played cards with a few airport bosses who liked to play cards all night. At the end, I went upstairs to take a sauna and have a fast food meal.
After all this operation, it was already morning.
Zhang Chi didn’t know where these old men, who were nearly fifty years old, got the energy from. He heard that they went to the company for a meeting in the morning.
Zhang Chi couldn't do that, so he got a room with a big bed and fell into sleep right away.
I picked up my phone and saw a lot of missed calls and WeChat messages.
Zhang Chi gave a brief reply.
I saw one of the voice messages on WeChat and clicked on it.
"Chizi, someone from the German Racing Club wants to see you."
"Please reply when you see it."
"No way, what time is it? Are you still not awake?"
"What did you do last night?"
Zhang Chi touched his nose awkwardly, clicked on the reply voice message, and said, "Boss Chi, I'm sorry, I just saw the message, and the person from the club disappeared."
The message was sent not long ago.
Zhang Chi had just finished washing up when he received a video request from Chi Qingxuan.
Zhang Chi took a look at the hotel environment, slipped into the bathroom with a guilty conscience, and then clicked it.
"Uh, you're in the bathroom. I'll call you later."
Chi Qingxuan saw the background behind Zhang Chi and said a little embarrassedly.
Zhang Chi smiled nonchalantly, "It's not like I haven't seen it before. Tell me, what's the matter?"
Chi Qingxuan spat, and then said: "I think you can meet him. Even if the deal doesn't go through, there is still friendship. Besides, he came with sincerity. Even if you don't join their club, you can still participate in their club's joint tryout."
Zhang Chi thought about it, then shook his head and said, "No need. We have already made an appointment to go to the trial training venue in France, and our schedule for the next period of time is quite tight."
"Is this true? Who is so good that he can even get an application for a field tryout?"
Chi Qingxuan is in charge of a racing team, so he naturally knows how difficult it is to qualify for the field trial next year.
In this regard, Zhang Chi did not want to hide it, and directly revealed a little about the background of Qiao Linlin, the wealthy woman.
When Chi Qingxuan heard that it was someone from the Qiao family of Ludao, he instantly understood.
After all, the Qiao family also ran a racing club, but it was not of a high level, and it was said that it was sold to a direct descendant of the family as a birthday present.
Chi Qingxuan had some understanding of the power of the Qiao family, but he did not expect that Zhang Chi's navigator was actually from the Qiao family.
Chi Qingxuan didn’t know that person was Qiao Linlin, otherwise he would have been even more shocked.
"Okay then. I'll just reject your offer. By the way, when are you going to have a tryout? I want to go and take a look too."
Zhang Chi nodded and replied, "Next February, after the Spring Festival, on the seventh, eighth and ninth days of the first lunar month."
Chi Qingxuan nodded slightly.
The two chatted for a while and then hung up the video.
After all, Zhang Chi was still in the bathroom.
After dealing with Chi Qingxuan.
Zhang Chi checked out directly and drove back to Xiasha Village.
As soon as he arrived at the store, he saw his mother Fu Li staring at him with a gloomy face.
Zhang Chi was a little afraid to look him in the eye.
"Come here, where did you go fooling around last night? Are you being worthy of Xiaoyun?"
Fu Li came up and pulled Zhang Chi's ears. It looked like she was pulling very hard, but in fact her movements were very gentle.
Zhang Chi had already tried his best to resist his mother's Flower-Picking Finger, but to his surprise, nothing came of it.
It doesn't hurt.
How does Lao Zhang usually pretend to have a heartbroken expression?
Lao Zhang: Your mother really wanted to kill me!
Which mother would really be harsh on her child?
Fu Li dragged Zhang Chi into the store and interrogated him like a torture.
Zhang Chi had already thought of an excuse.
"I went to Old Man Chen's place yesterday. Daguang became his disciple, so I had to go over and take a look. I got drunk accidentally. If you don't believe me, call Daguang and ask him."
Fu Li raised her eyebrows.
He even came over to smell it.
Zhang Chi was startled.
However, I felt relieved when I remembered that I changed into a bathrobe when I went to the sauna last night.
Sure enough, Fu Li only smelled smoke and nothing else.
"Humph, you're already an adult, so you should calm down and finish the job with Xiaoyun."
Fu Li looked very disappointed with Zhang Chi and scolded him a few more times before letting him leave.
Zhang Chi returned to the auto repair shop dejectedly.
Gangzi walked in with an account book.
"You didn't come in the morning, and those Wranglers had already been rented out. The other party also asked for two Tank 300s as follow-up vehicles, and we were out of stock of Tank 300s."
Zhang Chi took the account book, looked at it, and nodded slightly.
Gangzi has become more and more adept at his job, and there is basically no problem in handing over the car rental business to him.
It's the Tank 300.
I sold seven or eight units to Chen Bin’s friend before, and now the inventory is really running out.
As the domestic car with the strongest off-road capabilities among the new domestic brands, the Tank 300 still has a large market.
Zhang Chi nodded and said, "I understand. I'll go get a few more Tank 300s later. If someone wants to rent a car recently, you can just push the Pajero."
"I want to, too, but the post-00s generation doesn't like the Japanese cars. Everyone wants to support our domestically made cars."
Gangzi smiled bitterly.
Zhang Chi did not expect that the most patriotic people turned out to be those born after 00. I heard that recently those born after 00 all buy domestic electric cars, and BYD and Geely have been the sales champions for several months.
Of course, in the off-road vehicle field, gasoline vehicles are still king.
After all, new energy off-road vehicles have too limited driving capabilities. No one dares to drive new energy vehicles for self-driving tours in some mountain valleys and deserts.
This has also boosted the rental market for fuel-powered off-road vehicles.
Many people born after 00 usually buy a domestic new energy electric car for commuting.
When traveling or driving, you will choose to rent a car from a car rental company.
The rental prices at car rental companies are much cheaper now, and you can usually rent a Tank 300 for just a few hundred dollars.
This car is big and handsome. If you can’t find a hotel at night, you can use it as a room to stay for one night.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry about fuel problems when driving a fuel vehicle. Just carry a fuel barrel with you and traveling 700 to 800 kilometers a day is no problem.
Seven or eight hundred kilometers, what deep mountains and old forests are not accessible?
Trams can't do that.
"Also, Chizi, can we rent out a few fishing boats? Recently, many fishermen have come to ask if we have boats to go out to sea. I calculated that if we rent out a few sea fishing boats, the monthly income will not be small. When there is no business, we can rent them to our villagers. It is quite cost-effective."
After Gangzi finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Chi who had a dazed look on his face.
Zhang Chi asked in confusion, "Isn't there anyone doing the sea fishing boat business at our fishing port?"
Gangzi nodded, then shook his head and said, "There were some before, but the tourism industry in our village didn't develop, so the villagers sold their sea fishing boats. Now our business is good again, but there has been no response from the village. I think we can do it ourselves, since there are plenty of people in the village who can drive boats."
Zhang Chi nodded slightly, as if thinking about something.
After thinking for a while.
He frowned and said, "We still need to discuss this matter with the villagers. We can't let us do everything that can make money. Otherwise, we will be humiliated by the villagers."
Gangzi was not ignorant of the ways of the world. After thinking for a while, he said, "That's fine. I was originally thinking that we should hire villagers as the boat drivers. They should have no objection. Now I think I was too simplistic. If there is no business, there is still business. If the business is booming, some people in the village will inevitably be jealous."
"Yes."
Zhang Chi smiled and said, "We should talk to the old village chief about this matter. If the village still has no money, we can sponsor some shares."
Gangzi hummed and said, "Then I'll find time to talk to my second uncle and see what he has to say."
The old village chief is also a member of the Long family and Gangzi’s second uncle.
Although Gangzi is young, he has a very high seniority in the village.
When Zhang Chi was a child, he always called the old village chief "Second Grandpa", and other people would just call him "Second Uncle" when they met him.
Of course, this is also because Gangzi was born in old age. His eldest brother Long Jingshan was already 18 years old when his mother gave birth to him.
Within two years, Long Xiaoyun was born, and the little kid who was still wearing open-crotch pants became the third uncle.
It would be most appropriate to entrust this task to Gangzi, after all, most people in the village have the surname Long.
Zhang Chi and his family moved in later and actually had little say in the village.
It’s also thanks to the fact that clan concepts are not so strong nowadays.
If it were twenty or thirty years ago, even if Zhang Chi had a golden finger, it would be difficult for him to develop in Xiasha Village because the Long family would not allow it.
How can I allow others to snore on the side of the couch?
Zhang Chi’s grandfather was an educated youth who went to the countryside. Even if he married a girl from the Long family, he was still an outsider.
It was already a great favor not to let him marry into the family.
If Zhang Chi's grandmother's family had taken a tougher stance at the time, Old Zhang would not be called Old Zhang but Old Long, and Zhang Chi would have been called Long Chi.
And according to the concept that people with the same surname cannot marry each other, he and Long Xiaoyun are not destined to be together...
Of course, this is all old news.
People nowadays don’t care so much. Some orthopedics practitioners are even getting married and having children.
·
That night.
Xiasha Village is quite lively now.
I don't know what Gangzi said.
Just at dinner time, I saw some uncles and aunts who were influential in the village carrying their own stools and a pot of delicious food.
One by one, buffets were set up in front of Zhangchi’s store.
"Chi, are you done with your work? Come and have dinner."
"Yeah, let's talk about it while we eat and drink. You won't leave until you have a few more drinks with me tonight."
Zhang Chi had just finished a video call with Shen Feifei and when he came out he saw three tables at the door.
Old Zhang and his mother Fu Li were both serving with confused looks on their faces.
Everyone here is an elder.
Especially the old great-grandfather in the middle. Yes, when Old Zhang sees him, he will also call him great-grandfather.
Because this is his biological mother, and also Grandma Zhang Chi’s biological grandfather.
"Hey, what's the happy event today? Why are you all here?"
Fu Li looked at Zhang Chi with some confusion and uneasiness.
Zhang Chi frowned and looked at Gangzi.
Gangzi lowered his head guiltily and explained, "When I went to look for my second uncle, several uncles were there. When they heard that you wanted to sponsor a sea fishing boat for the village, they all came."
Zhang Chi glanced at him unhappily, then hurried over to pass out cigarettes.
When it was the great grandfather's turn, Zhang Chi said with a smile: "Why did you come to join in the fun? Stop smoking. I'll ask my mother to make you a pot of tea, the best Anxi Tieguanyin."
My great-grandfather is already over 90 years old.
Now he is still a man with sharp eyes and sharp ears.
He waved his hand, took the cigarette from Zhang Chi's hand and lit it up directly.
"Your grandmother is gone, and no one is taking care of me now. Don't be reluctant to give up this good cigarette."
Zhang Chi smiled bitterly when he heard this.
Not to mention a Zhenlong Haiyun, if my great grandfather said he wanted to smoke, it would be no big deal for Zhang Chi to give him a Zhenlong Bama Tiancheng every day.
Zhang Chi looked back at the old village chief and others, and seeing that they did not stop him, he did not stop his great-grandfather from smoking.
Come to think of it, my great-grandfather has lived to this age already, so he should enjoy himself for as many years as he can, and the days to come will be earned.
"Okay, you can smoke, just smoke less and try not to overdo it."
"What's the point of that?"
Great grandfather said stubbornly.
Zhang Chi smiled bitterly and stopped trying to persuade him.
After everyone is seated.
The old village chief then asked, "Chizi, what Gangzi told me is true. Do you really plan to invest in our village?"
"invest?"
Zhang Chi looked at Gangzi curiously.
Didn’t you say you would sponsor a few sea fishing boats?
Gangzi stuck out his tongue.
"Well, you also built a racing track in Qingzhu Mountain. The total investment must be at least several million."
Zhang Chi glanced at him speechlessly, then nodded to the old village chief and said, "It is a small investment. Don't worry, Village Chief. When I hire people in my field, I will give priority to people from our village."
"Haha, okay, okay, I feel relieved with your words."
The old village chief smiled and said, "You have invested so much money, so we can't be stingy. I have discussed with everyone and will lease this beach to you. The first three years will be free of rent, and then only 20 yuan per year. What do you think?"
Zhang Chi was stunned.
Lao Zhang and Fu Li's expressions also changed.
It’s not that the price is too high, but that it’s too cheap.
You know, the beach behind is one of the few attractions in the village.
The old village chief continued, "Of course, no matter what entertainment project you want to create, I hope you will try your best to consider people from our own village when hiring people."
Zhang Chi looked at his great-grandfather and saw him looking at him with a smile.
I had a rough guess in my mind that it must be the benefit that my great-grandfather had obtained for my family.
Gave great grandfather a smile.
Zhang Chi nodded and said, "Okay, then I will accept it respectfully. However, the business on the beach is only good for a few months from May to October every year. If I want to hire someone, I can only use them during these few months. Please explain this to the villagers. I can't afford to keep someone idle the rest of the time."
"Don't worry about this."
The old village chief said confidently: "We old guys have considered it. We will let them farm and fish in the rest of the time. After all, it is also an income, and it is enough to support the family."
Zhang Chi nodded.
Some uneducated people in the village earn less than 20,000 or 30,000 yuan a year. After spending on daily necessities, they can hardly save any money at the end of the year.
Working for his family, he could earn at least three to four thousand a month. Even if it was only for five months, it would still be a considerable income.
Besides, the workers in my own family provide three meals a day.
It is difficult to find a job with this kind of salary even in a county town, let alone right at your doorstep.
Zhang Chi did not hesitate and reached a verbal agreement with the old village chief.
(End of this chapter)
