Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing looked at each other, and a barely perceptible sneer appeared at the corners of their mouths.

Wang Ermaizi from the next village, is he here to copy homework?

Humph, wishful thinking!

"Let's go and meet him!" Shen Qiqi waved her hand and headed straight for the village entrance with Lu Qing and a few clever villagers.

Wang Ermaizi was looking around with a sly look in his eyes, holding a small notebook in his hand, and it was unknown what he was writing down.

As soon as Shen Qiqi and the others appeared, he immediately scurried to the corner like a cat whose tail was stepped on.

"Hey, isn't this Wang Ermaizi? Are you here to visit and study in our village?" Shen Qiqi crossed her arms, her tone containing three parts of teasing and seven parts of provocation.

Wang Ermazi laughed dryly, his eyes darting around: "How could that be? I just came... came... to look around and see the scenery!"

Shen Qiqi didn't believe his nonsense. She stepped on a stone by the roadside and struck a domineering pose. "Wang Ermazi, stop pretending. We all know that you guys from the neighboring village are jealous of our tourism project and want to steal our skills! Go back and tell your village chief, don't bother with it, this is our exclusive secret recipe!"

Seeing that he was exposed, Wang Ermaizi stopped pretending and ran away in shame after saying "just wait and see".

Shen Qiqi looked at his receding back, knowing clearly in her heart that a war without the smoke of gunpowder had already begun.

That afternoon, Shen Qiqi called together the backbone members of the village for a meeting.

She spread out a hand-drawn map and pointed at several surrounding villages with a serious expression. "Brothers and sisters, the situation is not optimistic! The neighboring villages have seen our booming tourism industry and are already getting ready to make a move. We have to find a way to protect our 'cake'!"

When she brought up the story of Wang Ermaizi, everyone immediately went wild.

Some people were clamoring to fight back, while others looked worried.

Shen Qiqi calmly analyzed: "Our biggest advantage now is that we are the first to take the initiative, but our disadvantages are also obvious. For example, our tourism projects are not rich enough, and our service facilities need to be upgraded. We must innovate to stay ahead!"

In the next few days, Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing began to visit and investigate non-stop, gaining a deep understanding of tourists' needs and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors.

They worked in the fields during the day and worked late into the night, working around the clock. The atmosphere in the whole village became tense.

Shen Qiqi proposed a series of innovative improvement measures, such as adding parent-child travel projects, upgrading homestay services, and developing specialty agricultural products.

However, the older generation of villagers shook their heads stubbornly, thinking that the current situation is fine and there is no need to make any more trouble.

"Oh, what are you fussing about? It's fine the way it is now, why change it?"

"That is to say, the rules passed down by our ancestors cannot be changed arbitrarily!"

The villagers gathered at the entrance of the village, talking to each other like a group of old repeaters, making Shen Qiqi anxious like an ant on a hot pot.

Looking at those stubborn faces, Shen Qiqi felt a sense of powerlessness welling up in her heart.

"Everyone, listen to me. The tourism market is booming right now!" Shen Qiqi tried to convince everyone, a hint of anxiety in her voice. "If we don't innovate and change, we'll be eliminated sooner or later! We can't just rest on our laurels!"

The villagers looked at each other, and finally shook their heads stubbornly, as if to say, "I don't want to listen, you are just a turtle chanting sutras."

Shen Qiqi looked at them, a trace of worry flashed in her eyes. She took a deep breath and was about to speak when Lu Qing pulled her back, "Let's go, let's talk when we get back."

Lu Qing looked at Shen Qiqi with heartache. In order to persuade the villagers, her throat was almost smoking, and she was so tired these days that she could not even touch the ground.

Her tired figure shuttled through the village like a tireless little top, but the atmosphere in the village was like a thick quilt, making it hard to breathe.

The villagers were not heartless. Seeing Shen Qiqi's appearance, their faces were somewhat moved, but when it came to change, their heads shook faster than rattles.

"Qiqi, don't worry. It's normal that they can't change their mind for a while." Lu Qing comforted her softly, rubbing her temples gently with his big hands.

Shen Qiqi sighed and leaned on Lu Qing's shoulder, feeling as if her body had been drained of energy.

"I just can't accept it. There's clearly a better way to go, so why are they so stubborn?"

"That's because they haven't seen the outside world and think the current situation is the best it can be." Lu Qing's eyes were calm, as if he had already made up his mind. "Why not let them experience it for themselves? Maybe they will understand your painstaking efforts."

"Experience?" Shen Qiqi raised her head and looked at Lu Qing doubtfully.

"That's right, aren't there several villages near our village that also engage in tourism? Why not let them go and have a look, and feel the pressure of competition." Lu Qing raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and a cunning gleam flashed in his eyes.

This proposal surprised the villagers. They looked at each other, and an atmosphere of surprise spread instantly.

After all, they have always stayed in the village and know little about the outside world, let alone experience any tourism competition.

"Will this...will this work?" an older villager asked hesitantly.

"Of course, seeing is believing!" Lu Qing said firmly, "Instead of us just talking here, why not let them go and see it for themselves and experience it for themselves."

With Lu Qing's insistence, the villagers finally agreed to go to the surrounding villages to experience it.

They gathered in groups of three or five, talking among themselves, feeling both curious and nervous.

Shen Qiqi looked at the backs of the villagers leaving, with an indescribable feeling in her heart, as if she was waiting for an unknown storm.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!