Volume One, Chapter 17: Seizing Time to Strategize

After hearing Li Yan’s request, the two city officials were both momentarily taken aback.

“You’re so young and already want to start a business? And a farm at that?” Director Luo was the first to speak, his tone full of surprise.

Li Yan nodded in response. “Yes, I believe that under the leadership of all of you, Linyi will undoubtedly continue to develop and thrive. Near our school, every weekend, many parents bring their children out to eat and relax, but as you know, the area around the school is just an ordinary village with limited facilities. If we could open a farm there, the business would surely do well.”

His words were logically sound and displayed a business insight beyond his years. Yet coming from a high school student, it inevitably sounded somewhat out of place.

Director Luo nodded slightly upon hearing this. “I see, I didn’t expect someone so young to have such forward-thinking ideas.” Despite his words, he knew that opening a farm in that area would involve considerable administrative hurdles. Not being very familiar with such matters, he naturally turned his gaze to Secretary Liu.

Secretary Liu had not anticipated Li Yan’s request either. As a core aide to the municipal committee, he was well acquainted with the planning for the land around Linyi No.1 High School.

Several years ago, the city quietly changed the land’s designation, tacitly allowing the Lijiang Group to develop real estate there. This was a closely guarded secret known only to a few. After all, the city still owed the Lijiang Group a substantial debt from the previous administration—a mess left behind that only the current leadership could clean up.

What unsettled Secretary Liu even more was the sharp acumen of this young man. According to the plan, a vast commercial and residential complex was to rise near No.1 High School. Making a move there now would be a surefire, profitable venture. He looked at Li Yan with a complex expression, feeling as if he had fallen into the youth’s trap, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what felt wrong. It was that fresh, just-graduated-from-high-school appearance that was so misleading.

But the words were already spoken. As a secretary of the municipal committee, he could not go back on his word. Clearing his throat, Secretary Liu said, “You really have vision and courage. Have you discussed this with your family?”

Li Yan immediately nodded. “Yes, I told them. They think since I’m an adult, having my own ideas is a good thing, and they support me.”

In truth, he hadn’t mentioned it to his family at all, confident Secretary Liu wouldn’t verify.

“Is my request too much?” Li Yan suddenly changed his tone, a hint of timidity creeping in. “If it’s inconvenient, just pretend I never said anything. I really don’t want to cause you any trouble.”

The more polite he sounded, the more it felt like a soft blade cutting deep. Secretary Liu’s mouth twitched slightly; he was perfectly aware of the game at play.

This wasn’t a difficult matter for him—just a word to the right department, and at worst, the Lijiang Group could be asked to pay a bit more to Li Yan. The real trouble was the timing, so precise it seemed as if Li Yan already knew the real estate development plans.

But on second thought, how could a freshly graduated high schooler have access to the city’s core planning? Collecting himself, Secretary Liu reminded himself that as a municipal secretary, once his word was given, it was irrevocable. At worst, the Lijiang Group would lose a little money, though it wouldn’t be a huge sum.

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“This won’t be difficult,” he said slowly. “Since I’ve agreed, just go ahead. I’ll notify the relevant departments. As long as you follow the regulations and procedures, there will be no problem.”

“Really?” Li Yan’s eyes lit up, his face brimming with delight.

“Yes, follow the proper channels and it will surely be fine,” Secretary Liu confirmed again.

Li Yan sprang to his feet and bowed deeply to Secretary Liu. “I knew the leaders of Linyi were people who get things done! With you all here, Linyi will definitely become more prosperous!”

His flattering praise was loud and clear, yet Secretary Liu felt uneasy, as if he had been outmaneuvered by this boy.

After the city bureau signed off, the 500,000-yuan reward was transferred to Li Yan’s account that very afternoon. With this hefty sum in hand, Li Yan’s confidence soared, especially bolstered by Secretary Liu’s promise.

With such backing, his chances of carving out a piece of the Lijiang Group’s lucrative land were at least ninety-nine percent. How much he could secure remained to be seen, but he sensed it wouldn’t be small.

Walking down the street, Li Yan felt refreshed and invigorated.

Though the sky was overcast with clouds, to him it seemed brighter than a clear day.

He immediately called Chen Qing’an to arrange payment of the remaining balance. Speed was of the essence; he was racing against time.

According to his memories from a previous life, the Lijiang Group’s massive land acquisitions around No.1 High School had occurred in the last month or two. He had to get the farm structure up before then, at least build a few houses, so that when demolition came, he could squeeze out more compensation.

Chen Qing’an, playing cards with friends at home, was both surprised and delighted to receive the call. He hadn’t expected Li Yan to settle the balance so quickly. The thought of the 310,000 yuan soon arriving made him grin from ear to ear. Before Li Yan’s arrival, Chen had cleaned his home meticulously, eager to treat this young boss who brought money at his doorstep as a distinguished guest.

Upon meeting, Li Yan kept the conversation brief, simply discussing some follow-up matters. Seeing the neatly stacked red bills on the table, Chen Qing’an’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Boss Li, there are still several families in our village wanting to sell. If you’re interested, I can connect you with them.” His way of addressing Li Yan had shifted—from “young Li” to “Boss Li.” After all, with real money on the table, saying “boss” was more than willing.

Li Yan smiled faintly. “I’ll think about it. If I need anything, I’ll contact you.”

With the ten acres fully in hand, Li Yan immediately set about the next step—building the farm as quickly as possible, focusing on constructing houses. After paying the 310,000 yuan balance, he still had 195,000 yuan left, planning to invest 150,000 yuan into construction.

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In reality, a decent farm would require at least half a million yuan as a starting point, and a themed specialty farm might not suffice with even a million. But Li Yan never intended to truly operate a farm; he only needed to erect a framework before the Lijiang Group’s acquisition, so he could demand a high price and negotiate gradually.

That afternoon, Li Yan rented the Audi A4 again and drove straight to Linyi Building Materials Market.

Many vendors there handled both building materials and renovation services. Li Yan circled around several times, inquiring with various renovation companies.

With only 190,000 yuan remaining and wanting to keep 40,000 yuan in reserve, he gave these companies a clear requirement: produce design plans as quickly as possible and build the farm’s framework with maximum efficiency. He offered a 150,000 yuan advance payment, with the remainder to be paid upon project completion.

Under normal circumstances, the main structure could be erected in a little over a month, but finishing the interior was definitely impossible in that time. Of course, Li Yan had no intention of completing the renovation; what he wanted was to have these assets in place to leverage more money from the Lijiang Group.

All he needed was to arrange everything properly and wait for the other party to come knocking.

Ultimately, he chose a renovation company that seemed reliable. After finalizing details, Li Yan immediately transferred a 50,000 yuan deposit, agreeing to pay the remaining 100,000 after design confirmation and commencement.

With all that done, night had fallen. Li Yan glanced at the time—it was just past seven in the evening. Just as he was about to relax, his phone rang—it was Luo Jiashuang. She had sent several messages earlier that day, but he had been too busy to reply properly.

“Hello, Li Yan, what have you been busy with?” Luo Jiashuang’s voice came through, tinged with an unmistakable hint of playful complaint.

Li Yan smiled. “I’ve been tied up all afternoon with some things, but it’s finally over now.”

“Li Yan,” her voice softened suddenly, carrying a touch of coquettish grievance, “it’s been eight hours and forty-seven minutes since we last saw each other. I miss you.”