Chapter 42

Once back at his place, Xiaohai handed the sausages and pig liver he had just bought to Xiao Qilin, then turned on his computer.

He typed "Xinan, farm, transfer" into the search engine, but not much useful information came up. Instead, there were a bunch of irrelevant ads. No wonder, who in the city still has a farm? Especially in a major international city like Xinan, where could you find a farm?

After searching for a long time without finding anything useful, Xiaohai felt a bit helpless. He sat there, lost in thought, and picked up a newspaper that had been lying around, flipping through it idly.

It was the "Xinan Daily." As he flipped through, Xiaohai's eyes suddenly stopped at an advertisement:

"Suburban farm for sale, near Yuechang, reasonable price, contact number..."

Xiaohai's eyes lit up. It was like finding a needle in a haystack! He hadn't found anything online, but he found it in traditional media. Checking the date of the newspaper, it was from a month and a half ago. He wondered if it had already been sold.

Yuechang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Xinan. The economy there is not well-developed, and it's a world apart from Xinan, but it's only about 50 kilometers away, a short drive. The ad mentioned it was near Yuechang, which was even closer.

He quickly called the number. A smooth voice answered. Xiaohai asked about the farm and was quite satisfied. The farm was 35 acres, not very large. According to the seller, he had leased the farm for 30 years, paying all the fees upfront. He had planned to develop it into a tourist farm, but due to recent issues, he needed to transfer it, and the development was put on hold.

That was perfect; Xiaohai didn't want the farm to be turned into a tourist attraction. The less developed, the better.

He asked about the price. The seller told him that he had leased the land, which was suitable for farming and animal husbandry, at 300 yuan per acre, totaling 315,000 yuan for 30 years. Adding various taxes and initial investments, the transfer fee was now 350,000 yuan.

350,000 yuan? Xiaohai calculated that he only had 180,000 yuan available, and he needed some for tuition and living expenses. There was a significant gap in funds. But the place really was good, especially since it was suitable for animal husbandry.

Regardless, he decided to go and see it first, hoping there might be a chance to pay part of the lease fee upfront.

He arranged to meet the seller at the farm the next day and asked for his name, which was Zhou Weiwu.

Zhou Weiwu? That name sounded familiar. Xiaohai hung up the phone and typed "Xinan, Zhou Weiwu" into the search engine. A series of links appeared.

"Unscrupulous boss, indifferent to workers' lives."

"Worker Kong XX injured at XX Garment Factory, Factory Manager Zhou Weiwu ignores the situation."

"XX Garment Factory goes bankrupt, Factory Manager Zhou Weiwu refuses to pay workers, Labor Arbitration Committee intervenes."

All these were related to Zhou Weiwu. Xiaohai remembered seeing these posts online before and even commented on them, condemning the unscrupulous boss. He also remembered that in one post, someone revealed that Zhou Weiwu had leased a farm in the suburbs but used the bankruptcy as an excuse to avoid paying workers.

Could it be that this Zhou Weiwu is the same person he was going to meet tomorrow?

If it is the same person, he wouldn't need to be polite...

The next morning, Xiaohai got on a minibus to Yuechang. On the bus, he thought about whether he should get a driver's license and buy a cheap car.

He got off at the agreed location, where a white "Passat" was already waiting. A fat man walked over, looking puzzled. "Are you Xiaohai?"

"Yes, are you Manager Zhou?"

"Ah, yes, yes," Zhou Weiwu said, feeling even more puzzled. How could he be so young?

But who knows, maybe he's a rich second generation, like his distant nephew. But that doesn't make sense; a rich second generation wouldn't take a minibus. Whatever, as long as the farm can be transferred.

With that thought, he put on a smile. "Please get in, please get in, it's still a short distance."

As he drove, Zhou Weiwu chatted with Xiaohai, trying to gauge his intentions. Xiaohai responded casually, "Manager Zhou, what did you do before? Always leasing farms?"

"Not really," Zhou Weiwu replied. "I used to run a garment factory, but it went bankrupt due to poor performance. I'm short on money, so I have to transfer this farm. I plan to start another factory to make a living."

It's really him. Xiaohai sneered. Fatso, you won't have an easy time with me.

After about ten minutes, they arrived. The place was desolate, with no houses in sight. If you wanted to buy something, you'd have to walk a long way.

The 35-acre farm had some small woods with wild peach and willow trees. It was overgrown with weeds. There were about seven or eight houses made from shipping containers. The farm was surrounded by a bamboo fence, with scattered bricks and cement, indicating that Zhou Weiwu had planned to build a wall around the farm.

Two people came forward. "Boss Zhou."

"Ah, these are my workers, taking care of the farm. They are brothers from the countryside," Zhou Weiwu introduced. "Their father named them according to the seasons when they were born. The older one, 24, was born on Start of Summer, so he's called Wei Lixia. The younger one, 23, was born on Winter Solstice, so he's called Wei Dongzhi. They are honest people. If you take over the farm, you can use them. By the way, this is Mr. Ai... Manager Ai..."

"Hello, Manager Ai," the Wei brothers said timidly.

Lixia, born around Start of Summer, is called Wei Lixia? Dongzhi, born around Winter Solstice, is called Wei Dongzhi? What if they were born around Qingming?

While Xiaohai was lost in thought, Zhou Weiwu leaned in and whispered, "They are cheap. Just give them a little money each month to get by."

He then led Xiaohai into the office made from a shipping container.

The office was very simple, with just a desk, a few chairs, and a broken sofa.

Zhou Weiwu introduced the situation, exaggerating the farm's potential. Then he got to the point, "Manager Ai, what do you think? Are you interested?"

The title "Manager Ai" sounded awkward to Xiaohai. "Manager Zhou, I am interested, but the price is a bit high."

Zhou Weiwu's face darkened slightly, but he forced a smile. "It's not high. I leased it last year at this price. Don't look at the desolation now, but what if it gets developed one day? It won't be just this price, and you'll make a fortune. Besides, see those bricks and cement outside? They're free for you. Where else can you find such a good deal?"

Technically, that was true, but Xiaohai was puzzled. Given Zhou Weiwu's character, he wouldn't transfer the farm without making a profit. Also, Zhou Weiwu had done many bad things when running the garment factory. Why would he let him off so easily?

Xiaohai said, "Manager Zhou, can you give me a better price? Also, you require the 30-year lease fee to be paid upfront. It's been a year, so there are 29 years left. I can't pay the full 30 years upfront. Can I pay part of it first?"

Zhou Weiwu's face turned completely dark.

Little brat, I thought you were a rich second generation, but you're just a poor guy. Why come to me if you can't afford it? Do you think I'll drive you for free?

Wei Lixia came in with a hot water bottle, ready to pour some water for Xiaohai, but Zhou Weiwu shouted, "Get out."

His attitude changed completely. He coldly said to Xiaohai, "The price is 300 yuan per acre, not a cent less. The payment must be made in full for 30 years, not a year less. Yes, the contract has 29 years left, but I want it for 30 years."

Xiaohai smiled and stood up. "It seems there's no room for negotiation. Manager Zhou, if you change your mind, remember to call me."

"Impossible," Zhou Weiwu said angrily.

Xiaohai walked out, and Zhou Weiwu stood up, slamming the door shut as soon as Xiaohai left, showing no intention of seeing him off.

His phone rang, and Zhou Weiwu answered. Hearing the voice on the other end, he immediately changed. "Old Yan, hello, hello. Don't be angry, I'm trying to raise the money. I know, I know, it's been a long time, but I have no choice. Please don't be angry. I promise to pay you by the end of this month, or at the latest, the beginning of next month. I'm selling the farm now."

He spoke softly, and the door was closed, so no one outside could hear.

But Zhou Weiwu didn't realize that Xiaohai, with his incredible hearing, was standing outside and heard every word.

Ha, so that's it. He's being forced to sell the farm to pay off a debt. No wonder he's in such a hurry. And the person forcing him isn't someone to mess with.

Xiaohai smiled. This made things even easier for him.