Chapter 20

While chatting with the village chief, Ye Yuan expressed that if he were to take over the island, all villagers under the age of 50 could come to work there.

Ye Yuan would pay for a small ferry to serve as a commuting boat for everyone, and he would build some staff dormitories to provide convenience for those on night duty. The village chief was overjoyed and wanted to thank Ye Yuan on behalf of the entire village.

"Village chief, you're making it sound too formal. This is everyone helping our family."

Ye Yuan's father, seeing his son's success and his ability to help the villagers find jobs, felt very proud. Before leaving, the village chief made an appointment with Ye Yuan to finalize the matter in the county the next morning.

After seeing off the village chief, Ye Yuan's father asked, "Do you think you can arrange something for your Uncle Two?"

After hearing this, Ye Yuan said to his father, "I thought it was something else. How about this, you tell Uncle Two first. Whether or not I can take over Fish Bay Island, I will definitely take over an island for aquaculture. When the time comes, Uncle Two's family can manage it for me, and I will provide food and lodging. What do you think?"

Ye Yuan thought his father would be happy, but unexpectedly, his father glared at him, "You want Uncle Two to manage it, what about me? Do you want your old man to work as a laborer?"

"Son, now that you can earn money, why do you need to work? You can take your mother on trips around the country, and when you're bored, help your sister take care of Niuniu. Isn't that great?"

"No, I will definitely oversee the aquaculture first. Once everything is stable, we can talk about it. My body is still strong, and I can help you. When your business is better, we can talk about other things. Niuniu hasn't started school yet, and we have a boat, so it's convenient to go to the county. When there's nothing to do, Niuniu can also stay on the island."

Ye Yuan couldn't argue with his father, so he had to let him have his way.

Father is the type who can't keep things to himself, so he told Uncle Two about it right away. Uncle Two expressed his gratitude. Originally, his family wanted to use the money to buy a cheap house in another village, but now with Ye Yuan's promise, they not only saved on housing costs but also got a stable job.

...

It was not yet fully light when the village chief came to Ye Yuan's house. Ye Yuan got up groggily, greeted the village chief, and after a quick wash, went out with him.

Father insisted on going along, saying he wanted to visit his daughter, and Ye Yuan couldn't stop him.

At the dock, Ye Yuan asked Ding Yi to start the boat, and Ding Er prepared a simple breakfast. The three of them ate on the boat.

The village chief and father were both riding a high-end yacht for the first time and were amazed by its luxury. "This yacht is different. Look how fast it is and yet so stable. Our sampans can't compare," the village chief said while eating.

Father felt very proud. "Of course, how much does a sampan cost? This boat, I heard from my son, costs over ten million."

The village chief praised Ye Yuan for his success.

Ye Yuan corrected him, "Over ten million is for a new boat. This is a used one, so it's not that expensive."

The old village chief added, "How new is this boat? It doesn't look used at all. You, Ye Yuan, are the most successful person in our Ye Family Village."

Well, that was a waste of explanation.

In Pinghai County, they drove Father to his sister's house. Then, Ye Yuan and the village chief went to the county government, where a vice-county chief received them.

After negotiations, Ye Yuan's contract to take over Fish Bay Island was quickly and efficiently finalized.

Ye Yuan would pay 200,000 yuan per year for a 40-year lease, with payments every five years. He took over Fish Bay Island.

Ye Yuan wanted to lease more of the surrounding sea. After a meeting, the county decided to allow Ye Yuan to lease 500 acres of sea at 1,000 yuan per acre, which would be 500,000 yuan per year, also paid every five years.

The county government was very happy, not expecting the most troublesome Fish Bay Island to be the first to be leased.

Both sides reached an agreement, and a lawyer was quickly brought in to draft the contract. Because the government was giving Ye Yuan a discount, the contract included a clause that Ye Yuan must provide jobs for at least 20 local people. Ye Yuan agreed without hesitation, and even without this clause, he would have hired villagers for the aquaculture.

After the contract was signed, Ye Yuan immediately transferred 35 million yuan to the government's designated account. The county, surprised by the young man's efficiency, praised Ye Yuan for his return to develop his hometown and promised to expedite the relocation work for Ye Family Village.

The village chief had some business in the county and didn't return with Ye Yuan. Ye Yuan drove to the new house and found his father, sister, and brother-in-law there. At that moment, his sister and brother-in-law were discussing something with the interior design company, and his father was watching Niuniu.

Ye Yuan came over to his father and said, "Fish Bay Island is now ours."

Father was overjoyed.

Seeing his father's happiness, Ye Yuan shared his thoughts, "This house can go to your sister. I will build a villa on the island. If you and Mother like the county, I can buy another house for you. What do you think?"

Father didn't even look at Ye Yuan and said directly, "Do you even need to ask? Your mother and I discussed it last night. This house is for Huihui. We've already changed the name to hers. It's a bit of compensation for her. Before, we were worried you wouldn't amount to much, so we kept some money for your marriage. Now that you've succeeded, we have nothing to worry about."

In the room, his sister and brother-in-law were discussing changes to the interior design with the designer. Initially, it was for the elders, but now that they weren't staying, the design needed to be changed.

Seeing Ye Yuan, his brother-in-law said enthusiastically, "Xiao Yuan, I didn't expect you to be so successful. In just a few days, you've earned so much, more than me."

Ye Yuan didn't respond to this but directly asked his brother-in-law, "Brother-in-law, would it be convenient for you to quit your job and start your own company?"

His brother-in-law was taken aback, then realized his brother-in-law was trying to help him. He smiled bitterly and said, "Xiao Yuan, I appreciate your kindness, but our county has been lagging in development recently, with no major construction projects. Starting a construction company won't be profitable."

Ye Yuan smiled and pulled his brother-in-law aside, showing him the contract. "Are you confident now? I don't plan to open the island to the public, but there are many construction projects. Staff dormitories, villas, cold storage, factories, roads on the island, and some constructions in the sea will all be given to your new company."

His brother-in-law looked at the contract and listened to Ye Yuan. His father-in-law had only told them that Xiao Yuan had gone to the capital to sell stones and made a lot of money, but he didn't know how much. He didn't expect Xiao Yuan to have leased an island so quickly.

According to Ye Yuan, the total cost of all these constructions would be in the tens of millions. As long as these projects were given to him, even if he made less profit, it would still be a significant income.

His brother-in-law nodded vigorously at Ye Yuan. "Xiao Yuan, rest assured. I will definitely get the cheapest materials and labor for you."

"That won't do. I don't need cheap. I want the best quality. My only requirement is to start as soon as possible and ensure the best quality," Ye Yuan said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

"Alright, no problem. I'll quit my job right away," his brother-in-law said and hurried off.

PS: Thank you to 08A and Fa Ze Zhi Sheng for your donations, and to those who voted for me. Your encouragement is the driving force for me to keep writing.