Chapter 180 Step by Step
Although Lin Ruoyan talked a lot about overseas things in front of the city leaders, when she arrived at the county, she was not so high-profile. She did not talk about the distant future, but only talked about how to improve the current economic problems.
She had previously communicated with Wang Min and Li Li that they couldn't just keep talking big. The ski resort's construction, from design and planning to completion, would take at least a year and a half, and could take years at most. The accompanying hotel couldn't be built all at once either. From survey and design to construction, Chongl County's winter snowstorms closed off the mountains, making construction conditions far worse than those in southern Hebei Province. Results wouldn't be seen in just one or two years.
How long will the county leader be in office? What are his priorities? What's the county's stance on the city's push for a ski town? We need to find out. What if they're just looking to build vegetable greenhouses and are just hoping for a road construction project?
Poverty blocks people from information. The leaders have good intentions, but when it comes to the actual implementation, the cadres or the masses involved don’t understand and feel that their territory has been taken over and a bunch of things that only foreigners play with have been used. If they don’t see any benefits in the short term, they will suffer a loss?
These words forced Wang Min and Li Li to reflect.
Li Li felt this deeply. Initially, he traveled to numerous mountainous counties, his thinking being that he'd see the beauty of the mountains and then figure out who would manage them. Upon arriving at the township and county level, he directly announced his investment plans. Initially, they greeted him with gracious hospitality, but when they asked him specifically, he asked if he was planning to build a ski resort, not a food factory. What exactly is a ski resort?
No one here can afford those high-end products. How many jobs can that create? People here have never skied in their lives, don't even know what skiing is, and don't understand the vast industries that could be brought in. They're more focused on the present. Vegetables grown in greenhouses can be harvested in a quarter, providing employment for every villager. If you want to invest, it's better to develop greenhouses and food processing.
Li Li made his fortune in the food industry, but not in vegetable and grain processing. However, there are ways to do it. Unfortunately, he is tired of those things. He is determined to build the largest and best ski resort in the country, so the conversation often breaks down.
Of course, he had also talked to Chongl County. He had dealt with several departments in the county office building and tried to lobby them, but he was deceived into opening a food processing factory in the local area.
This time, someone from the city followed them. When they arrived at the county, Li Li hid behind, waiting to see how Wang Min and Lin Ruoyan would convince the county.
So what if the city has people? The actual construction still has to be handled by the county. In 2003, as described in the book, the policies of closing mountains and banning grazing and returning farmland to forest and grassland were implemented. Chongl County, located upwind of Beijing, was tasked with controlling sandstorm sources and implementing ecological afforestation. Animal husbandry, the primary source of income, was also restricted.
County leaders really hope to do something to change the current poverty situation, but the benefits of the ski resort and the snow economy seem too far away.
As Li Li had predicted, even if the city sent someone to accompany them and explain the city's intentions, they would be treated normally, and then the matter of lobbying for investment and setting up a factory would return. It was like talking at cross purposes, and after a long while, the two sides couldn't reach a consensus.
That night they stayed at the county guesthouse, which was also the best hotel in the county.
Lin Ruoyan was reminded of a small southern county town. The facilities in the county guesthouse there were similar to this one, decorated in the style of the 1980s, and not every room had a television. The phone was an internal line, so there was no way to get online.
At that time, most mobile phones still had 2G signals, and the signal was pretty good.
Lin Ruoyan knew that the country had been continuously investing in infrastructure. Building bridges and roads was the norm. After every village had electricity, telecommunications facilities were also everywhere in the mountains and plains. Mobile phone signals could be seen from the sky and underground. You might think that the signal was full in the desolate mountains and wilderness.
However, smartphones are still extremely rare in China at the moment. People just use their phones to make calls and send text messages, and there are few phones that can use Penguin numbers.
Therefore, even though Lin Ruoyan brought a computer, she couldn't check any data online. At most, she could play the minesweeper and card games that came with the system.
After playing a few games and getting bored, Wang Min and his friends called her and asked her to join them for dinner. There wasn't much new at the guesthouse, so they had found a local, time-honored restaurant known for its roasted whole lamb.
Li Li has been to the county several times. This time he will treat everyone to a good meal.
Eating and other things are the best way to build closer relationships. Although the project has not yet been finalized and the county is becoming less and less enthusiastic, whether it is done or not, we still have to push it forward. Everyone must have an explanation.
Lin Ruoyan listened and suddenly realized it: the initial investment was too huge. The county had no money, and the city was just talking, but no money to help. The road construction plan was still unclear. If the road wasn't built, who would come to enjoy the ski resort once it was completed? Would people from Beijing drive over four hours across mountains and hills to come to this place just to ski?
The more they hype about this uncontrollable future, the less likely the county will believe it. They still need to explain the tangible benefits and the investment plan, and how to monetize the county's various resources.
Lin Ruoyan discussed with them, "If we invest tens of millions to build the first phase of the ski resort and a hotel here, what do you think the county's attitude will be?"
Li Li said, "I said this last year. They said they would invest tens of millions of yuan to build a large food processing plant in the county. The factory buildings and roads would be very well built. It would be put into production in half a year and provide employment for a thousand people. This would produce results even faster."
"Then we'll build a ski resort, a hotel, and a vegetable testing base," Lin Ruoyan said. "We privately know where the priorities lie, but when we talk to the county, we'll start with building a vegetable testing base, roads, and hotels. At least the local area has a tourism development plan, so a hotel is definitely going to be built."
Li Li glared. "What about the ski resort? What if they get a taste of the sweetness of food processing and continue to develop greenhouse processing? Will our ski resort still have a future? If we don't develop it now, how can we expect it to be successful in the future?"
"With so many food companies wanting to come here, they need your permission." Lin Ruoyan smiled and soothed, "Boss Li is in this business. He came here first to take the lead and build a vegetable testing base. He planned out a large area, and you just did the proofing. Newcomers will need your permission to come in. Your position will be secure. Although Boss Li is no longer interested in the food industry, his influence and prestige in the industry remain. We must make full use of this position."
Wang Min seemed to have figured something out: "What about the hotel?"
"The hotel is the highlight. Mr. Wang's existing hotel and the one under construction are both proven success stories. Invite the relevant departments in Chongl County to visit and share your hotel experience. Invest in a similar hotel in their county. A location at the foot of the mountain is definitely feasible. The road from the county to the mountainside needs infrastructure and construction, and Mr. Wang, your team has considerable experience in this area."
Lin Ruoyan paused. "As for the ski resort, it's just a supporting facility for the hotel. When staying overnight here, there must be some new consumption activities. Is it just a visit to the vegetable experimental base? There must also be some sports that can't be replicated elsewhere. Only then will people come here with a purpose."
Li Li suddenly realized, "I understand. We should provide whatever the locals need. If they ignore our talk of building vast ski resorts all over the mountains, we can just say they understand. Ski resorts need to be built bit by bit anyway. A hotel with a simple ski resort with beginner slopes won't require a huge initial investment."
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