The village chief readily agreed after Chen Feng's serious questioning.
Chen Feng was not one to prevaricate and immediately used money to acquire all the houses in Li Hongling's village, including the village chief's house, at a low price.
The village chief, very unwillingly, used the money from selling his house, added his savings, and bought a house in town.
Seeing the villagers receive their houses for free while his own family had to pay for theirs with hard-earned cash, he felt incredibly frustrated.
He truly felt like he had bad luck.
Before the influential figure behind Chen Feng appeared, he was a carefree village boss.
However, after Chen Feng and the influential figure behind him emerged, his situation grew progressively worse.
"Chen Feng, why did you acquire all those derelict houses in our village at such a low price?" Li Hongling asked Chen Feng with astonishment.
"Who told you those houses in your village were derelict?" Chen Feng replied with a smile.
"There isn't a single living person in our village now, so what else could they be but derelict houses?" Li Hongling retorted earnestly.
"They could also be agritainment resorts," Chen Feng continued with a faint smile.
"What? Agritainment resorts? Brother Feng, do you mean to turn our village into a hub for agritainment resorts?" Li Hongling asked with a confused expression.
"Is that not possible?"
"It's very doubtful! Agritainment resorts require many nearby tourist attractions. When tourists finish visiting these attractions, they instinctively look for agritainment resorts to eat. We are not a tourist attraction, so how can we develop agritainment resorts?" Li Hongling asked, still bewildered.
"Think about it some more." Chen Feng did not immediately answer Li Hongling's confusion.
Li Hongling needed to develop a broad and active mindset for her future large-scale business endeavors.
"Brother Feng, I understand the logic now. You mean that once the lakefront tourism project on the outskirts of town is completed, a large number of tourists will come to our town. Our village is not far from the town, so we can set up a dedicated shuttle service in town to take tourists to our village for free meals." Li Hongling speculated excitedly.
"Your deduction is perfectly correct, Xiaoling. Your business acumen is becoming increasingly impressive," Chen Feng praised Li Hongling.
"Brother Feng, you flatter me. Even if my business talent is extraordinary, it pales in comparison to yours. You are the most capable; I've thought about it carefully, and there's no field you aren't proficient in." Li Hongling said excitedly.
"Alright, Xiaoling, there's no need for us to keep praising each other. After we finish one last thing, we'll head back to Mingshan District." Chen Feng said seriously.
"Finish one last thing? Brother Feng, haven't we already finished everything? What else needs to be done?" Li Hongling asked, confused.
"We still need to give the village chief a bit of a sweetener. After giving the village chief this incentive, we can leave here with peace of mind," Chen Feng stated word by word.
"Brother Feng, did I hear you correctly? Haven't we been suppressing the village chief all along? Now that we've finally managed to curb the village boss's arrogance, giving him a sweetener now, is that necessary?" Li Hongling continued to ask, puzzled.
"It's absolutely necessary! Xiaoling, you're not involved in politics, so you might not understand. In the political arena, suppressing someone is not the ultimate goal. The true objective is to make that person obedient. Obedience is the most important objective," Chen Feng explained.
"Yes, that makes a lot of sense. Brother Feng, please continue." Li Hongling said earnestly.
"Although the village chief is a village boss and quite detestable, completely defeating him and making him disappear isn't necessarily a good thing. In any place, the person in charge cannot be weak. The reason we suppressed the village chief was to force him to abandon his troublesome, insidious, and money-driven flaws. Once these negative aspects are corrected, it's still most appropriate to let the village chief manage village affairs. Firstly, the village chief is a local. Secondly, the village chief has a decisive and efficient personality. With these two advantages, the village chief will surely be able to make the agritainment resort project a resounding success." Chen Feng continued to explain.
"Brother Feng, I'm increasingly impressed by you now. Truly, you've mastered the art of employing people to its peak. Others retaliate for every grievance; anyone who offends them is purged. You are different; even if someone has offended you, as long as they possess talent, you are magnanimous and know how to utilize them." Li Hongling gazed at Chen Feng with admiration.
"Mere admiration isn't enough; you need to learn. Whether in politics or business, the principles are the same. You can use overwhelming force against opponents, but you shouldn't treat anyone who doesn't completely align with your wishes as an irreconcilable enemy. Only those who are stubborn and ruthless should be dealt with decisively. For most opponents, you need to be tolerant and guide them with benefits. Think about it, if you eliminate every opponent you encounter, it's a typical case of escalating conflict, which only narrows your path forward." Chen Feng instructed patiently.
"Brother Feng, after you put it that way, I understand. It's like a great leader in China often said, 'unite all forces that can be united.'" Li Hongling replied excitedly.
"Yes, that's exactly the meaning. To achieve great success in politics or business, you must unite all forces that can be united. Being unforgiving when you are in the right shows a narrow vision and will prevent you from going far." Chen Feng continued to explain.
"Brother Feng, I know what I need to do. I will give my large house in town to the village chief as a gift, and I will take out a loan to buy a smaller one for myself. This way, the village chief will be completely won over by us, and he will diligently develop our village's agritainment economy." Li Hongling said earnestly.
"Xiaoling, let me ask you one last question. The development of the agritainment resort is not just your personal matter. Is it worthwhile for you to contribute so much?" Chen Feng asked deliberately.
"Of course, it's worthwhile. I came from our village, and if I have the ability to help the village, I definitely should. Besides, if our village prospers, my parents and my brother will also benefit. Once they are well-off, I will have no worries when I work hard elsewhere." Li Hongling replied truthfully.
"Very well, your perspective has broadened. Here, this is the money for a house. Go and help the village chief buy one." After speaking, Chen Feng handed the card to Li Hongling.
"Brother Feng, why aren't you taking this opportunity to win over the village chief yourself? Why are you giving it to me?" Li Hongling was taken aback.
"Xiaoling, after I return to Mingshan District, I will have many important matters to attend to and won't have much time to focus on the village chief. You are different; you are already familiar with the village chief and need to maintain contact with your hometown regularly. Having you win over the village chief is killing two birds with one stone." Chen Feng explained truthfully.
Li Hongling was impressed.
Chen Feng's thoughts transcended those of ordinary people.
Most people, when donating or doing good deeds, wish the whole world knew it was them.
Chen Feng, however, wasn't concerned with that; he was focused on how to ensure the sustained success of the endeavor.
Whoever can accomplish the task well, he would let that person take the credit; he didn't care at all if his achievements were taken away!
This level of understanding was the realm of those who achieve great things.
Considering that Li Hongling's village's development of agritainment resorts was no small matter, Chen Feng decided that he would return to Mingshan District first, while Li Hongling would personally manage affairs in her hometown for a period. Once everything was on the right track, she would return to Mingshan District to resume her business of reselling new energy vehicle parts.
The next morning, Chen Feng returned to his office in Mingshan District.
Before he could even settle in, Cheng Lu walked in with a worried expression.
"What's wrong?" Chen Feng asked tentatively.
"Tomorrow, superiors are coming to inspect the work of the Mingshan District Development and Reform Commission. I'm unsure how to receive them, which is causing me great distress." Cheng Lu continued to say with anxiety.
"Xiaolu, if I recall correctly, haven't you hosted several inspection visits to the Mingshan District Development and Reform Commission before? You should have plenty of experience, so why are you so flustered?" Chen Feng asked, puzzled.