Chapter 103: What Kind of Profit Is That?

“Big Sister, the people of Fish Head Village really did break those boys’ legs!” Yajing took the phone and hurried over to Jiang Xiuzhi’s side, blinking as she spoke.

They indeed had informants in Fish Head Village. Even without them, such a major incident couldn’t have gone unnoticed.

“Just as expected,” Jiang Xiuzhi nodded. She had spoken with Tang Long by phone, and through these two encounters, she had gained a rough understanding of the man.

He had a domineering nature—how to put it—there was a certain outlaw aura about him, unlike the typical villagers from a remote mountain valley.

You couldn’t view him through an ordinary person’s lens! No wonder that woman, Wen Nuan Chun, valued him so highly.

He was truly something special.

“The video has been sent over. Do you want to watch it?” Yajing lifted her phone.

Looking at the footage, Jiang Xiuzhi saw no sign of Tang Long. Instead, it was other villagers from Fish Head Village handling the matter.

“Who’s the one doing the beating?” Jiang Xiuzhi asked, curious as she watched Zhang Guang in the video.

Yajing shook her head. “Don’t know who he is. Seems to be just an ordinary villager from Fish Head Village.”

Jiang Xiuzhi nodded and muttered softly, “They’re really putting on quite the show.”

“You mean the people of Fish Head Village are acting?” Yajing was a little taken aback.

Jiang Xiuzhi smiled. “If it’s not acting, then what is it? Fish Head Village used to be a poor mountain village where they barely had enough to eat—no faith to speak of. The so-called Ghost King Cave was only recently discovered after a severe thunderstorm; before that, none of them even knew there was a cave there.”

She paused, then continued, “If it weren’t for Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e being clear-headed, they’d have dug out all the stalactites inside and sold them off themselves without needing outsiders.”

There weren’t many clear-headed people in Fish Head Village. In Jiang Xiuzhi’s view, only two: the village boss Tang Long and the Party Secretary Zhang Xiu’e. She had interacted with both, and both had their own ideas and ways.

“Then why put on a show?” Yajing frowned in confusion. The contract was clear—if you break the rules, you get beaten. Why bother pretending?

Jiang Xiuzhi laughed. “There are many benefits to the act. This play isn’t just for the tourists around or the online audience; it’s also performed for the law enforcement. The people of Fish Head Village don’t beat others without reason—they’re responding to outsiders who first broke the rules and violated the village’s taboos.”

Yajing blinked, still not quite understanding. “Does that really make a difference?”

“Of course it does, and it’s a big difference,” Jiang Xiuzhi said with a smile. “Do you think the villagers are fools?”

With this story, the performance first wins public sympathy. Fish Head Village isn’t unruly or thuggish; they’re not the aggressors. The outsiders came in first, breaking the rules. And that’s exactly how it is.

After the villagers made a fuss, at least seventy percent of the online audience would side with Fish Head Village and support its people.

When Jiang Xiuzhi saw the segment where Zhang Guang was beating someone, she frowned slightly. It was a bit too violent for her.

How could civilized people tolerate that?

“So tragic!” Yajing couldn’t help but mutter. It was her first time seeing the video.

Jiang Xiuzhi said calmly, “Those who are pitiable often deserve their fate. Their suffering is self-inflicted.”

That was the truth. Fish Head Village had long ago set rules for the Ghost King Cave to prevent anyone from damaging its stalactites.

But these outsiders insisted on testing whether they dared to break their legs. Now, none of them escaped unscathed. It was estimated they’d be bedridden for half a year. As for permanent disability, given current medical technology, that was unlikely—but half a year in bed was still harsh.

Jiang Xiuzhi couldn’t help but think of that brat Wen Rui, who seemed to have had his leg broken by Tang Long and was still lying in the hospital.

Did the people of Fish Head Village have a penchant for breaking legs? Or was this just the strange quirk of the rule-makers?

The video showed not only Zhang Guang’s beating but also Lian Sheng speaking to the tourists afterward.

After watching, Jiang Xiuzhi smiled and said, “Both the enforcer and the man speaking later are quite remarkable.”

It was surprising that Fish Head Village could produce such people. In the big city, such talents were common, but here? Having even a few clear-headed individuals was a blessing.

Maybe Jiang Xiuzhi had underestimated the mountain folk, or perhaps overestimated herself. In her mind, she barely regarded mountain villagers as anything special.

Jiang Xiuzhi was confident in her own talents, believing few in the world could match her. And in truth, that was largely the case.

“What do you think will happen next?” Jiang Xiuzhi asked Yajing. The matter had just begun; it wasn’t over. She didn’t believe those three young men with broken legs had no backers.

Fish Head Village had just become a viral sensation. Naturally, some would try to ride its wave for their own gain.

Yajing shook her head. “I don’t know, but I think more troublemakers will come to Fish Head Village.”

“That’s certain—there won’t be few such people!” Jiang Xiuzhi smiled.

“Put the phone away,” Jiang Xiuzhi said, motioning for Yajing to stow it. There was nothing more to watch for now. The Ghost King Cave situation was under the villagers’ control. What would happen next—whether there would be online smear campaigns against Fish Head Village or official demands to severely punish the assailants—only time would tell.

From the perspective of Taoyuan County, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Although Fish Head Village had only recently become famous, it had already demonstrated its ability to boost the wider area’s tourism economy.

Every day, thousands of people streamed into Taoyuan County from all directions. Not everyone stayed in Fish Head Village or camped there. Before reaching the village, many would stay in the county town, visit other famous spots, and buy local specialties before leaving.

This benefitted Taoyuan County’s tourism and economy overall.

Furthermore, from a local perspective, Fish Head Village was quite reasonable for a squatters’ settlement.

Before entering the cave, there was ample publicity and a signed “Cave Entry Agreement,” clearly listing all the rules. If people still insisted on “testing” those rules, who could they blame?

Understanding or not, that was another matter. How to resolve the issue, or from where any smear attempts against Fish Head Village might arise, Jiang Xiuzhi couldn’t yet say.

Yajing thought for a moment, then whispered, “Big Sister, do you think today’s news will harm Fish Head Village’s reputation?”

If Fish Head Village’s online reputation declined, visitor numbers would drop sharply, which would hurt not only the village but also the Flower Fish Head Resort.

Jiang Xiuzhi said calmly, “Actually, letting Fish Head Village’s popularity cool off a bit might not be a bad thing.”

“Not a bad thing?” Yajing blinked. “Why not? If neither Fish Head Village nor us make money, how is that good?”

“Making money doesn’t have to be rushed,” Jiang Xiuzhi smiled, looking toward the chaotic crowd of tourists. There were so many people it felt disorderly.

“Are we ready?” she asked.

“Huh?” Yajing was caught off guard.

Jiang Xiuzhi withdrew her gaze and said calmly, “No, we’re not ready. Fish Head Village isn’t ready either. We don’t even have a proper place to accommodate the tourists yet. Everyone is flocking here all at once—I don’t think that’s a good thing.”

Yajing murmured, “Maybe once our hotel and all the supporting facilities are built, these tourists won’t even come anymore?”

That possibility couldn’t be ruled out—and it would be the worst-case scenario. If so, the tens of millions invested in the Flower Fish Head Resort in Donghe Town would be wasted.

Jiang Xiuzhi didn’t want to see that happen. She believed the villagers didn’t either.

Making money was good, but if you only think about profit before you’re ready, that’s not wise.

Jiang Xiuzhi didn’t explain this to Yajing; she assumed Yajing could understand. How much money could one make from a single tourist right now?

But would the tourists feel happy? Would they feel it was worth it?

That would determine whether they’d come back for vacations in the future.

If it was just a booming year for Fish Head Village, maybe they’d make some money. But the Flower Fish Head Resort? They’d earn nothing.

The land purchase alone cost thirty million yuan, not counting current labor and materials or future building investments.

It wasn’t something that could recoup costs in a year or two.

That’s why Jiang Xiuzhi hadn’t approved of Wen Nuan Chun investing here.

The land was cheap but too remote. Building a complete resort would require nearly a hundred million yuan. How long to multiply that return was anyone’s guess.

High risk, low returns—if Jiang Xiuzhi had to decide, the project wouldn’t pass risk control.

But for Wen Nuan Chun, these didn’t matter. She was the boss and could invest her money wherever she pleased. No one could say no.

Fish Head Village had a weak foundation, Donghe Town too, even Taoyuan County as a whole lacked anything remarkable culturally or geographically.

To develop here, everyone had to be united and work together. Any scheming would kill the chances—if it developed despite that, it would be a miracle.

“Later, have our people keep an eye out for any streamers or influencers secretly smearing us or Fish Head Village,” Jiang Xiuzhi whispered to Yajing.

Yajing paused, then quickly caught on, her eyes sparkling as she asked, “Got it. Are we going to take them down?”

Jiang Xiuzhi chuckled softly, “We’ll see. Even if we do, it should be Tang Long and the folks in Fish Head Village who handle it—not us.”