Chapter 48

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Without a doubt, Ji Feng's decision immediately added fuel to the tourism off-season, making Jeju Island the best tourist destination in the northern off-season.

The most obvious reaction came from Lin Enliang's phone call: "Third Brother, you're not a biologist, let alone a cloning expert. Where did you get the real Teddy Bear? Don't tell me you researched it; I don't believe it."

Ji Feng laughed with a hint of self-satisfaction, but the real facts could never be told to anyone. He smiled and said, "Can't I have some hobbies? I wish I could say I made it, but even you don't believe it, let alone others. But I won't tell you the details behind it. Just know that I have this pet."

Lin Enliang sighed on the other end, "Your money-making skills are truly amazing. Big Brother admires you so much. Just by casually creating a Teddy Bear, you can earn countless tourism fees. You don't know that travel groups to Jeju Island are already booked up until after the Lantern Festival. Damn, I'm just puzzled—how can that thing be so attractive?"

Ji Feng chuckled to himself. He originally intended to create it to boost tourism. If he didn't increase the income, how could he justify spending so many dragon coins?

After Lin Enliang's call, the other two also called to scold Ji Feng for being shameless, saying that he didn't show them when they were there, and now that they had just left, he had created these two things, which would force them to come back.

The Teddy Bear Museum in Jeju Island became a sensation, not just in Asia but worldwide. At the same time, Ji Feng, the island owner, also became a sensation.

However, up to this point, no media outlet had been able to publish Ji Feng's photo. Even for such an important event as the transfer of his private island, he never appeared in public. Ji Feng's low profile drove some people crazy, and some were getting impatient with his lack of response.

Mou Gaoming found Ji Feng again. Although Ji Feng almost never appeared in the media, Mou Gaoming could still contact him.

"Island Owner Ji, when do you plan to return to the country? The leaders at home are almost going gray waiting for you," Mou Gaoming said with a bitter smile as soon as they met.

It was no wonder he felt this way. The country was truly anxious this time. With a few billion dollars in orders about to be tendered, Ji Feng seemed to have no intention of getting involved, leaving everything to the original Jeju administrative department. Although there were many domestic investors in Jeju Island, the situation had changed with the new owner. Despite the domestic confidence in their competitiveness, they felt more secure with a direct connection to Ji Feng.

Especially after the recent news that Jeju Island had ordered over $2.5 billion in military equipment from the United States, everyone saw a blank market. The United States had taken the lead, and the domestic market was not about to be left behind, especially since Jeju Island was right under their nose.

Ji Feng rubbed his nose, thinking that he didn't have much to do in the next few days. Xu Xian had gone to various Asian countries with the group for promotions, and the companies he had designated were all making plans, which would take at least until the end of the month. He didn't plan to get involved in anything else.

"Secretary Mou, how about we leave now?" Seeing Mou Gaoming finally smile, Ji Feng couldn't help but smirk. It was a good time to go back and seek some support.

Ji Feng and Mou Gaoming arrived in the capital by commercial airliner. When the group left, Ji Feng had lent them his private jet, and they were now in Tokyo. It would be troublesome to recall it, and he didn't want to overwork the crew.

A military-licensed car took Ji Feng to Zhongnanhai. As the heart of the country, the security measures impressed Ji Feng, rivaling the White House but even stricter, with more security personnel.

Ji Feng followed Mou Gaoming into a meeting room, where he poured him a cup of tea and then left. His task was to invite Ji Feng back, and now that it was accomplished, he had nothing else to do.

A few minutes later, the Prime Minister, whom Ji Feng often saw on TV, walked in with a group of people. Seeing Ji Feng leisurely drinking tea, he smiled and said, "Should I call you Xiao Ji or Island Owner Ji?"

Ji Feng quickly stood up and shook the Prime Minister's extended hand. Honestly, Ji Feng was a bit excited. In the country's official hierarchy, meeting the Prime Minister was almost like meeting the emperor. The highest official Ji Feng had met before was his company's president, and even then, it was only because he knew the person, not the other way around.

"Prime Minister, just call me Xiao Ji. People older than me usually call me that," Ji Feng smiled, speaking with neither humility nor arrogance. He had even watched Obama's bedroom activities live, so there was no need to be nervous.

The Prime Minister nodded with a smile and pointed to a seat. "Come, let's sit down. I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you."

Ji Feng sat down and started chatting with the Prime Minister. A few others, who seemed to be his secretaries and other government officials, occasionally chimed in with questions, trying to gauge Ji Feng's true thoughts, given Jeju Island's unique position.

Ji Feng stuck to the same story he had used to convince South Korea and the United States: his island needed no protection, and he had no plans to develop a military presence. He just wanted to be a laid-back island owner.

On the first day of his tenure as island owner, he had been challenged by Kim Jong-un, but Ji Feng didn't even bother to respond. "First, you need to get past South Korea's territory. You're still a long way from me."

"Xiao Ji, we all know that your island's resources are limited. Our country's overall strength is considerable, so I hope you will consider domestic finished products, raw materials, and construction companies. Although some companies have had issues in the past, the large state-owned enterprises are still reliable, and they are eager to cooperate with you in various areas. Only through cooperation can we achieve mutual benefits," the Prime Minister said with a smile, not hiding the country's past problems, as Ji Feng had grown up in the country and knew many things.

Ji Feng felt a bit helpless. If it were anyone else, he might have declined, but with the Prime Minister personally asking, he had to give some face. Not to mention, the country's 1.3 billion people could easily boost Jeju Island's tourism.

"I will try to recommend domestic companies to the administrative department. I believe they will win a significant share of the bids. The country's strength is still quite reliable. If possible, I would like to introduce high-speed rail from the country. My island isn't large, so a loop around the island would take at most an hour."

Ji Feng was quite optimistic about the high-speed rail that had been developed in recent years. In terms of comfort and speed, it was unmatched by most other countries' railways. Although he hadn't ridden on other countries' trains, he had taken domestic trains many times.

Hearing Ji Feng mention high-speed rail, the Prime Minister was quite pleased. Although Ji Feng didn't explicitly say he would introduce it from the country, his words made it clear that it was likely.

"Actually, our country has more than just high-speed rail. Some shipyards along the coast build reliable civilian vessels at competitive prices. It seems that the demand for civilian vessels announced by Jeju's administrative chief, Kim Byung-ryul, is also significant."

Ji Feng smiled. "I can't guarantee that, as shipbuilding is a long process, and I'm quite impatient. I might purchase some ready-made vessels and place some orders. Of course, the main reason for ordering so many passenger and cargo ships is to open more international routes to neighboring countries, including the country, to allow more middle- and low-income people to enjoy Jeju Island's beauty."

"We welcome this very much. Although you are now the island owner of Jeju Island, you are still one of us, so we won't make things difficult for you. If you want to open routes, I can talk to the customs people to reduce the tariffs on goods from Jeju Island, making it more affordable for the public," the Prime Minister said with a smile. He was impressed by Ji Feng's young age and lack of political experience, yet he could still respond so well.

Ji Feng's ability to face him with neither humility nor arrogance and to make his own requests showed that he had matured. Although he still had a long way to go to be a qualified politician, his foundation was solid. However, if the Prime Minister knew about Ji Feng's laziness, he might not have this assessment.

Ji Feng smiled. "Thank you, Prime Minister, for supporting my island. I have another request. Although my defense minister prefers American equipment, they don't have much to offer in terms of frigates, and their new coastal combat ships haven't been sold to me. I hope the country can sell me three missile frigates, the kind exported to Pakistan. Even old ones would be fine. I just want to use them for show, of course, and it would be great if you could also train the new recruits to prevent them from damaging my warships."

The Prime Minister's eyes lit up. They had been discussing ways to make a breakthrough in Jeju Island's military presence. He hadn't expected that after agreeing to increase the number of routes, Ji Feng would immediately offer such a significant return. Although three frigates didn't seem worth much, once this gap was opened, it would mean two types of military equipment on Jeju Island. In the long run, especially in terms of maintenance and training, it would be a continuous flow of benefits. After all, once you buy frigates, you can't avoid training, and training involves shooting, which costs money.