Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Intricacies of a Woman's Heart

Jiang Xue and Tang Long arrived together at the Flower Fish Head Resort, their eyes reflecting a curious wonder. This place was even more picturesque than she had imagined. Compared to Fish Head Village, well, both had their unique charms.

No wonder someone was willing to invest tens of millions to acquire land here.

Jiang Xiuzhi had long been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Tang Long and his companions.

When she saw Tang Long, there was no surprise on her face. She smiled and said, “When I saw you the day before yesterday, I already felt something was different about you. It really is you!”

Though they hadn’t spoken when they met that morning, they had exchanged glances, and Tang Long had left an impression on her, just as she had on him.

Some people are like stones that glow in the dark; no matter where they are placed, they shine brightly.

“General Manager Jiang, you really know how to flatter!” Tang Long laughed and shook her hand.

Glancing around the Flower Fish Head Resort, he smiled and said, “It looks even better than it did a few days ago!”

Not far off, construction crews were already hard at work. Unlike Fish Head Village, where everything had to be done by the villagers themselves, here things were being professionally managed.

The Flower Fish Head Resort was bustling with people, clearly showing that both Fish Head Village and ‘Little Moon Girl’ continued to enjoy growing popularity online.

Of course, much of this sustained attention was thanks to Yao Handong’s behind-the-scenes efforts to keep the buzz alive.

“Please, come inside!” Jiang Xiuzhi smiled and gestured politely to Tang Long and Jiang Xue.

This young lady was not unattractive—perhaps not a rare beauty, but certainly a standout in her own right. Coupled with her demeanor, talents, and charisma, she could easily be considered one of a kind.

The office of Flower Fish Head Resort was a quickly assembled steel-frame building, serving as staff quarters—certainly better than living in tents every day.

Inside the simple office, Jiang Xiuzhi’s assistant was busy brewing tea for their guests.

Once seated, Jiang Xiuzhi looked at Tang Long with a smile and got straight to the point: “Boss Tang, how do you propose we collaborate?”

Tang Long returned her smile. “It’s simple—mutual benefit and support. The reception capacity at Fish Head Village is nearly maxed out. Your side here isn’t far behind either. If we can facilitate the flow of tourists between the two places—your visitors coming to Fish Head Village, and ours going to Flower Fish Head Resort—it could create a win-win scenario.”

“Yes!” Jiang Xiuzhi nodded eagerly, though a hint of confusion crossed her face. “But wouldn’t that put Fish Head Village at a disadvantage?”

Most visitors to Flower Fish Head Resort choose to visit Fish Head Village again, but a good portion of those who have been to Fish Head Village never return to Flower Fish Head Resort.

That’s because Flower Fish Head Resort lacked the two main attractions that gave Fish Head Village its fame: the legendary Ghost King Cave and the internet sensation, Little Moon Girl. This was the resort’s weakness.

Ghost King Cave needed no introduction—it was a natural wonder sculpted by nature over hundreds of millions of years.

Perhaps Flower Fish Head Resort could cultivate its own internet celebrities, but many such phenomena happen by chance; deliberately creating one might not succeed.

Tang Long chuckled: “Yes, Fish Head Village might lose out in the short term, but we believe that sometimes losing is a blessing. We must keep our eyes open and think long term, not just focus on immediate gains. Since you’re willing to invest here, it means you want to help local villagers prosper. Our philosophies align.”

After a brief pause, Tang Long spoke earnestly: “We’re not enemies. We should unite our efforts to establish and promote the Fish Head Village brand!”

After all, Flower Fish Head Resort also had ‘Fish Head’ in its name.

Jiang Xiuzhi was momentarily stunned. She had not expected the village chief of such a small mountain village to speak so openly in front of her.

“Oh, I almost forgot to introduce this beautiful lady—Jiang Xue, Manager Jiang, founder of the 326 Campus Travel Agency!” Tang Long smiled as he introduced her.

Founder of the 326 Campus Travel Agency?

Jiang Xiuzhi’s eyes lit up, and she smiled warmly: “We’ve heard much about this 326 Campus Travel Agency. I didn’t expect its founder to be so young and beautiful!”

Jiang Xue blushed slightly and smiled: “Manager Jiang is too kind. In the future, 326 Campus Travel Agency will rely heavily on the support of Flower Fish Head Resort—it’s a matter of survival!”

Since she controlled the campus end, as long as she had the capacity, she could organize large groups of students to vacation and have fun. Fish Head Village was the destination, creating a symbiotic ecosystem benefiting both sides.

Unless Fish Head Village resented paying commissions to 326 Campus Travel Agency and tried to form its own travel agency, or the agency sought to expand beyond just recruiting groups and into managing attractions, conflicts were unlikely in the short term.

Moreover, Jiang Xue and Xu Shiyun had already agreed that 326 Campus Travel Agency should focus solely on campus tourism, which held great promise since large-scale campus travel companies were almost nonexistent in the country.

Xu Shiyun’s advice was to never step outside the campus economy.

Universities, youth organizations, and entrepreneurial alliances were all supportive of this.

The 326 Campus Travel Agency had already established a foothold at its home university. The next step was to expand and seize market share.

Xu Shiyun had already taken charge, assembling a team to pursue this goal.

The target was to establish branches of the 326 Campus Travel Agency in ten well-known universities within the city.

Their own travel platform was also under construction.

Tang Long knew nothing of their efforts, and even if he did, he wouldn’t interfere.

The 326 Campus Travel Agency was essentially Fish Head Village’s ‘favorite child,’ nurtured by them. Why would they ever restrict its growth?

The better Jiang Xue and Xu Shiyun did, the more beneficial it would be for Fish Head Village.

Imagine when the online popularity of Fish Head Village and Little Moon Girl waned, the 326 Campus Travel Agency might become the village’s lifeline.

The discussion with Jiang Xiuzhi lasted quite some time, with Jiang Xue participating as well. The focus was on how to improve the experience for visitors to both locations. When one place became overcrowded, tourists could be diverted to the other.

This way, Jiang Xue wouldn’t have to break promises by leaving students behind, and if Fish Head Village couldn’t accommodate more visitors, they could stay at Flower Fish Head Resort, which had better camping facilities.

“A successful collaboration!” Tang Long and Jiang Xiuzhi smiled and shook hands in congratulations.

During the handshake, Jiang Xiuzhi smiled at Tang Long and subtly curled her fingers in his palm like a kitten.

Tang Long couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself. Had young women become so bold nowadays?

Everyone knew what that gesture meant.

“Boss Tang, I’m yours from now on. Please take good care of me!” Jiang Xiuzhi said with a mischievous smile.

Tang Long was not one to lose face. He chuckled and replied, “I’ll definitely take care of my own. I have a bad temper but I’m fiercely protective of my people, especially those I consider ‘my own.’”

He then lowered his voice: “If Manager Jiang ever feels uncomfortable staying at Flower Fish Head Resort, consider coming over to Fish Head Village. Someone as capable as you can earn a good salary there!”

Jiang Xiuzhi blushed at the unexpected compliment and teasingly shot him a coquettish glance. “Alright then. If I can’t handle things here, I’ll come to Fish Head Village to join Boss Tang. You better keep your promise!”

“Ha ha, it’s a deal!”

After wrapping up with Jiang Xiuzhi, Tang Long and Jiang Xue set off toward Fish Head Village. On the way, Tang Long noticed Jiang Xue’s sullen expression and asked, “What’s wrong? You look troubled.”

Before she could respond, he teased with a smile, “Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?”

Jiang Xue glared at him angrily. “Who told you I have a boyfriend, huh?”

Tang Long was taken aback and laughed awkwardly. “No boyfriend, no problem. Why get so upset?”

“Hmph, you’re ruining my reputation. Getting mad at you is nothing!” Jiang Xue puffed her cheeks and turned away, still annoyed.

She was angry because she had seen the subtle flirting between Tang Long and that Jiang woman at Flower Fish Head Resort. She wasn’t naïve.

Her anger was clear—Tang Long’s insinuation about her boyfriend only made it worse.

So, even upon arriving at Fish Head Village, Jiang Xue kept a sour face, giving Tang Long a hard time, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

Girls’ moods were often unpredictable; it was best not to provoke them when they were upset.

“Village Chief, both planned parking lots are full, and many private cars are parked along the roadside!” a villager ran up to Tang Long as he stepped out of the car, sounding helpless.

Both parking lots full?

Tang Long frowned slightly and tossed his car keys to the villager, signaling he knew where to park.

He led Jiang Xue toward the Lian Gouwa area.