Chapter 127: A Good Official

"How much money do you currently have on the books in Yutou Village?" Wu Zhengyao asked suddenly. He was convinced that if Yutou Village could leverage its "Guardian Beast" to develop a monster-themed economy, the potential would be limitless, and the village would inevitably attract a steady stream of tourists.

The problem was, with the village aiming for such a massive scale, could their funding keep up?

Setting everything else aside, the initial budget for the village's redevelopment was six million; now, it had surged tenfold to sixty million. Where would that money come from? Wu Zhengyao did not oppose the development, but one had to act according to their means.

Zhang Xiu'e’s expression flickered, and she couldn't help but turn to look at Tang Long. She, too, had doubts regarding the funding. Seeing her gaze, Tang Long chuckled and replied, "As for the funding, on one hand, we need the county to help us out—hopefully by assisting us in securing some bank loans. As for the remaining shortfall, we will find ways to resolve it ourselves!"

"How?" Wu Zhengyao stared at Tang Long, showing no intention of being brushed off. Based on Zhang Xiu'e’s earlier description of the village's plans, the required capital was not a small sum; it would take at least a hundred million.

Taoyuan County could offer policy support and help facilitate loans, but the county’s own finances were extremely tight; there was little they could directly provide. Furthermore, banks might not necessarily heed the requests of Taoyuan County’s officials—after all, the county was poor. This had been the reality for quite some time.

"Investment attraction!" Tang Long said. Seeing the look in Wu Zhengyao’s eyes, he knew he had to clarify exactly whose capital he intended to bring in.

He gave a cheeky grin. "Huayutou Resort is already here, whether by coincidence or luck. It wouldn't be right to drive them away now. Since they’ve staked their claim, they are sure to profit in the future. But before they can 'eat meat,' they need to help us build up the village. If Yutou Village isn't developed, we’ll all just be staring at each other on empty stomachs!"

"Huayutou Resort?" Wu Zhengyao was taken aback. He looked at Tang Long in surprise and asked, "You want the Wen family to put up the money to build your infrastructure?"

The entire village needed to be rebuilt from scratch, which was a massive undertaking. According to the plans Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e had in mind, it would be impossible to achieve without hundreds of millions in backing. It was effectively building a whole new tourist resort.

Tang Long shook his head with a smile. "Not the Wen family. We have no relationship with them and won’t take a cent of their money." He paused, then said solemnly, "We are simply introducing capital from 'Huayutou Resort,' because only they qualify as a true partner to Yutou Village."

Wu Zhengyao was almost amused by the young man's audacity. Was there really any difference between taking money from Huayutou Resort and taking it from the Wen family?

Tang Long didn't care what others thought. In his view, he was merely securing investment from the resort. At most, he had a personal connection with Wen Nuanchun; it had nothing to do with anyone else. As for where Wen Nuanchun sourced her funds, that was none of his business.

"Is Huayutou Resort really willing to put up so much money to help you for free?" Wu Zhengyao asked curiously.

Tang Long laughed. "Whether they are willing or not is up to them. Besides, this isn't free help. Once the village is built, it will be the strongest bargaining chip in their favor as well. To put it bluntly, without Yutou Village, it doesn't matter if it's 'Huayutou' or 'Heiyutou'—it’s just a dead fish head; it won't have a shred of vitality!"

This was no exaggeration. While the village's viral fame had a large element of luck, it was inseparable from the village's own efforts.

"Have you talked to the people at Huayutou Resort yet?" Wu Zhengyao asked after a moment of thought.

Tang Long shook his head. "Not yet. I suspect President Wen of Huayutou Resort is already on her way from the capital to Taoyuan County. She should arrive tonight; we’ll meet by tomorrow at the latest."

Wu Zhengyao knew that persuading the Wens wouldn't be difficult—just showing them the "Guardian Beast" would likely suffice. The concern was that the Wens might use the connection to demand unreasonable conditions.

"I’ve met that girl, Nuanchun, a few times. Young as she is, she has the spirit of a heroine—resourceful, calculating, and courageous!" Wu Zhengyao paused, then added, "All in all, you are all young people. You should be able to spark some friction and synergy. The future of Taoyuan County’s economy might just rest on your shoulders. Come, enough talk. Let’s substitute tea for wine. I toast you young heroes on behalf of the 300,000 people of Taoyuan County!"

Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e exchanged glances. "Young heroes"? That was a title they couldn't afford to take. Once that label was attached, there would be no going back.

"County Magistrate Wu, you flatter us too much. The burden of the entire county still rests on your shoulders; our shoulders are too soft to carry that. Developing Yutou Village is our duty, so it shouldn't be you toasting us—we should be the ones toasting you!"

Wu Zhengyao couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, silently cursing the clever little fox—he wouldn't let anyone get the upper hand!

As they ate and chatted, the tension from seeing the Black-Scaled Jiao gradually dissipated, though the conversation inevitably returned to "Big Black," the village guardian.

Wang Feiyue asked curiously, "With such a massive physique, how did you discover it? And how do you communicate with it?"

Leaving aside everything else, just the sheer size of the beast was enough to scare someone to death, let alone communicate with it.

"I’ve always had a strong intuition," Tang Long said with a smile. He glanced at Zhang Xiu'e, wondering how to spin this tale. If he didn't lie, the story would be too long, and some things simply couldn't be explained.

The simplest and most logical approach was a well-crafted "big lie." He needed to use it to fool Wu Zhengyao and the others, and he would likely need to use it again for others later. Of course, Tang Long didn't consider it a trick; it was just a narrative that made the truth easier for them to accept.

"When I was a kid, I got kicked by a donkey, and I ended up with a special ability: I can roughly understand what animals are trying to express. For example, if a dog is wagging its tail at you, I know it's hungry and wants you to throw it something.

"Actually, the person who discovered Big Black was our village girl, Zhao Xiaoyue, and some college student tourists from the city. Xiaoyue took them to the back mountain to catch fireflies, and somehow, this Big Black—er, the Black Dragon King—crawled out of its cave.

"When I arrived, I found it wasn't harming the students or the villagers. It was trying to express that it was hungry. That’s how the 'trust' between us and the Black-Scaled Jiao was established.

"As the saying goes, 'familiarity breeds comfort.' We treated it like a friend, and naturally, it treated us like one. It seems to understand what we say, so it became our 'Guardian Beast,' and we provide its food and drink. That’s about it!" Tang Long paused, then continued, "Big Black did come from the Ghost King Cave. The recent storms and lightning collapsed the back mountain, not only revealing the cave but also destroying the Jiao's habitat. It had no choice but to come out to forage.

"Yutou Village happened to be lacking something to attract long-term tourist interest, and this 'monster' fits the bill perfectly."

The story was half-true and half-false. It might not be entirely convincing, but what choice was there? The "Black-Scaled Jiao," a prehistoric-like beast, was standing right there in front of their eyes.

Whether they believed it or not, this was Tang Long’s story for everyone. Of course, if he were dealing with someone on the level of Zhen Nantian, this story would be useless, but he wouldn't need to hide anything from those high-level figures anyway. They were different from ordinary people; they understood things normal people couldn't reach, so they wouldn't find it too strange. Otherwise, if he told Wu Zhengyao and Wang Feiyue that he could communicate with animals and control beasts, they would think he was a monster!

As they chatted, the sky turned completely dark. Seeing that it was getting late and everyone had eaten their fill, Tang Long tentatively asked, "Magistrate Wu, why not stay the night in our village and experience our special tents?"

Wu Zhengyao smiled and shook his head. "No, I have a meeting tomorrow morning that I must attend. Besides, if I don't go back, my wife will be worried."

Wu Zhengyao, Wang Feiyue, and their driver hadn't touched the alcohol, as they had to drive back, even if the night roads were difficult.

Before leaving, Tang Long took a burlap sack from Li Ergou and said with a grin, "A small token from Yutou Village. If you don't take it, Magistrate Wu, you won't be able to leave tonight—that’s not me talking, that’s what the villagers said, I’m just passing on the message!"

The sack contained several fish, freshly caught by Baozi and the other boys from the creek, still wriggling.

"You rascal!" Wu Zhengyao laughed, bid farewell to Zhang Xiu'e and the villagers, and climbed into the car.

Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e stood in the night breeze, watching the taillights fade into the distance. Zhang Xiu'e said softly with a smile, "Magistrate Wu is a good official."

"Yeah, a good official," Tang Long agreed.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. When it comes to whether someone is actually doing their job, everyone has a scale in their heart—no one is blind. That’s why people say the eyes of the masses are sharp.