Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 325 - 260: Suggestion

After hanging up the phone, Feng Shan just stood there, still completely bewildered.

He had no idea what kind of VIP could get Frank so worked up.

Judging by Frank’s particular tastes, this VIP was either a beautiful woman or a handsome man.

In any case, it definitely wouldn’t be some sorry-looking guy like Tom.

Unable to figure it out, he could only shake his head and put the matter aside for the time being.

He had just walked into the camp when he saw four old men storming toward him. They looked like a gang of bandits coming down from the mountains; one glance was enough to know they meant trouble.

Before Feng Shan could even speak, the man in the lead, Old Liu, started bellowing at the top of his lungs.

"Feng the kid, your people are useless! The four of us registered and are ready to pay for our land plots, but your guy just hems and haws. You couldn’t beat a fart out of him with a stick! The efficiency here is just awful."

As soon as Old Liu fired the opening salvo, the other three old men chimed in to fan the flames.

"Exactly! I said I wanted to see the plots of land first, and that... what’s-his-name, David, just kept rambling. He gave us a whole song and dance but never gave a straight answer."

"If I had someone like that working for me, I’d have fired him a hundred times over by now."

Every one of them was in his sixties or seventies, and each man’s voice was louder than the last, like rolling thunder.

The racket from the four old men was giving Feng Shan a throbbing headache. He quickly waved his hands to pacify them. "Gentlemen, let’s discuss this by the river so we don’t disturb the others, all right?"

"Go!"

Afraid Feng Shan might try to slip away again, the four old men surrounded him on all sides as they walked to the rest area by the Ice River and sat down.

Seeing this, Feng Shan gave a wry smile. ’This is so hopeless,’ he thought. Still, he patiently began to explain, mixing truths with half-truths.

"The camp is still in the early stages of development, and much of the infrastructure isn’t in place yet. That’s why we can’t map out the residential area just yet. The four of you can get started on your visa applications first. In a few days, once the residential zone is planned, you’ll have first pick."

After listening to Feng Shan’s explanation, the four old men exchanged glances, seeming to weigh the credibility of his words.

Just then, Old Liu bent down, plucked a berry from the mossy ground, and with a flick of his arm, tossed it into the river.

The moment the berry hit the water, it broke the river’s calm surface. Fish, both large and small, swarmed to fight over it, and the water erupted in a flurry of ripples. It was quite a lively scene.

Old Liu watched the scene on the water, then turned to face Feng Shan with a look of utter disdain and cleared his throat.

"Xiaofeng, if I may. There’s something I want to say, but I’m not sure if I should."

"Please, go ahead," Feng Shan replied politely.

"This land is yours, isn’t it?" Old Liu asked, making a grand, sweeping gesture with his hand that took in the vast surrounding area. His meaning was clear: he was talking about the land the camp was on.

"Yes, it is. Why?" Feng Shan nodded again, his eyes filled with confusion. He had no idea what the old man was getting at.

"Kid, your whole approach is wrong. Seriously wrong. This is no way to handle development. It’s a complete mess." Old Liu frowned and pointed a finger at Feng Shan, criticizing him without holding back. "And selling off building plots was just a spur-of-the-moment idea, wasn’t it? The thought had never even crossed your mind before this, am I right?"

"That David fellow was just beating around the bush, obviously following your instructions. You don’t have a coherent plan at all. You have no clue how to develop this camp."

Er!

Feng Shan’s face instantly burned with shame.

’These old guys really are sharp as tacks!’

’They figured out the gist of the situation after just a few sentences.’

Since they had seen right through him, Feng Shan figured he might as well come clean. He scratched his head.

"You’re right. Initially, the plan was just tourism. I never thought about selling land. But as you can see, with my current staff, we’re already struggling to handle a single tour group of fifty people, let alone trying to expand the business."

"That settles it, then. So, why don’t you hire us to help?" The moment Feng Shan admitted it, Old Liu broke into a wide, knowing grin.

His smile was tinged with smug satisfaction. He pointed to the other three old men and began the introductions. "Don’t let the fact that we’re all retired fool you. We used to manage large corporations with thousands of employees."

"This is Old Li. He was the chief engineer for the provincial construction company. When it comes to architectural planning, he’s a true expert. Give him any project, no matter how complex, and he’ll get it sorted out for you perfectly."

At this, the goateed Old Li straightened his back proudly.

"That’s right. Your camp’s layout is a complete disaster. This is a perfectly good piece of land, and you’re wasting it."

Old Liu clapped Old Li on the shoulder, his face beaming with pride, then pointed to an old man wearing a hat with rabbit ears.

"And this here is Old Zhang. He was the executive chef at a major state-owned hotel that specialized in hosting foreign dignitaries."

SQUEAK!!

Old Zhang squeezed a small bulb on his rabbit-ear hat. With a sharp squeak, the two ears on his hat shot straight up.

"Then there’s Old Zhao. Before he retired, he was a dispatcher for the provincial logistics company. The little messes you’re dealing with at this camp? You call those problems?"

As he spoke, Old Liu jutted his chin toward Old Zhao, his eyes showing complete confidence in the man’s abilities.

Hearing this, the balding Old Zhao cracked a sly grin, revealing a few gaps where teeth used to be. His smile was all cunning.

"As for me, I’m nothing special. Just the owner of some small local factory. Nothing to get excited about."

When Old Liu finally introduced himself, he was extremely modest. His words were a study in understatement, as if his own experiences and accomplishments weren’t worth mentioning at all.