189: Chapter 189 Business Opportunities in the Deep Mountains, Joy in the World

"One hundred thousand mu." Zhao Yang extended his index finger, his tone flat.

The teacup in General Manager Xu Tianyu's hand paused in mid-air, and his eyes widened slightly.

"They grow naturally along the hillsides. Because of the difference in altitude, the fruit ripens in stages from the foot of the mountain to the summit. The harvest season lasts from August all the way to November, a full four months."

Zhao Yang paused, then added, "Purely wild, no pesticides, no fertilizers, completely natural and green."

General Manager Xu Tianyu leaned forward, his gaze burning as he stared at Zhao Yang.

One hundred thousand mu of wild kiwifruit, ripening in stages, with a harvest season lasting four months.

This was practically a natural raw material supply base, and the kind that Heaven itself had gifted.

He had been in food processing for twenty years and knew all too well what this meant.

Stable raw material supply, low procurement costs, an ultra-long processing window... Each and every one of these was a condition that food enterprises dreamed of.

"County Magistrate Zhao, you aren't just dangling a carrot in front of me, are you?" General Manager Xu Tianyu said half-jokingly, but the initial skepticism was gone from his eyes.

Zhao Yang smiled. "Seeing is believing."

General Manager Xu Tianyu made an immediate decision: "Good. I'll make arrangements and go to Cangyun County myself for an inspection."

Two weeks later, in Cangyun County.

The October mountains were still lush and green, bathed in bright sunlight.

Zhao Yang took General Manager Xu Tianyu and three technicians from Tianyu Industrial, driving a jeep toward Yunqi Town.

Yunqi Town was hidden in the folds of the deep mountains, and the paved road only reached the town itself.

From the town to the valley where the kiwifruit grew, the road was bumpy.

General Manager Xu Tianyu sat in the jeep, his brows furrowed deeply.

"County Magistrate Zhao, this road is not easy to travel."

Zhao Yang laughed. "I have motion sickness medicine in the car. Would you like some?"

General Manager Xu Tianyu smiled. "I can still hold on."

After crossing a small hill, the view suddenly opened up.

Everyone was stunned.

Across the mountains and plains, layer upon layer, everything within sight was kiwifruit vines.

Thick vines wrapped around the trees, and dense clusters of fruit hung heavy on the branches, glistening with a brownish-green luster under the sunlight.

When the wind blew, the scent of fruit wafted toward them.

"This... how many mu is this?" General Manager Xu Tianyu's voice sounded a bit dry.

"This valley plus the slopes on the opposite side—Yunqi Town alone has over thirty thousand mu."

Zhao Yang pointed to the distant ridge. "Cross that mountain, and it connects to several other townships. All together, there's only more than one hundred thousand mu, not less."

The three technicians could hardly wait to dive into the thicket of vines to pick kiwifruit with appropriate ripeness and test their components.

A dozen minutes later, General Manager Xu Tianyu asked, "How are the test results?"

The technician's voice was filled with surprise. "The sugar content is 17.8, and the solid-to-acid ratio is between twelve and fourteen. Everything is above the premium standard."

General Manager Xu Tianyu took a kiwifruit, broke it open, and took a bite.

The flesh was delicate, the juice abundant, and the balance of sweet and sour was perfect. Upon tasting it, there was a unique, fresh fragrance characteristic of wild fruit.

He savored it for a moment, then let out a long breath.

"Good stuff. This is really good stuff."

Zhao Yang stood to the side with a smile on his face.

"General Manager Xu, if you were to invest here, would you have confidence?"

The product was indeed good, but the transportation was indeed inconvenient. General Manager Xu Tianyu still had reservations about the investment.

"After I go back, I will discuss it in depth with the board of directors."

Zhao Yang knew what General Manager Xu Tianyu was worried about and immediately explained, "General Manager Xu, you saw it when you came. Cangyun County is currently building roads, and it will be open to traffic by the end of next year."

"Furthermore, the county has a logistics transfer center. Once the roads are built, many merchants will come to inspect."

He was clearly hinting that it was best to act early.

"County Magistrate Zhao, do you mean that if I hesitate, I'll miss the boat?" General Manager Xu Tianyu chuckled.

"General Manager Xu, that is not what I meant." Zhao Yang also laughed. "I am simply stating facts. The resources of Cangyun County are right there; whoever comes first will have the advantage."

General Manager Xu Tianyu nodded. "After the specific investment plan is drawn up, we will talk about signing the contract."

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was December.

Zhao Yang had been so busy he barely had time to touch the ground, helping to invite experts from the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences to provide on-site guidance.

The mushroom and wood ear fungus logs were being placed on the ground, and the fish fry in the reservoir had also been stocked.

But in Zhao Yang's life, there was one thing more important than all these projects: Jiang Nan was about to give birth.

The due date was in mid-December, so Zhao Yang took leave in advance and rushed back to Jiangzhou City.

Lin Xuecen had arranged everything long ago. In the VIP delivery room of Jiangzhou City First People's Hospital, the best obstetrician in the province would personally deliver the baby, and nannies and nursing staff were all provided.

In December, the temperature in Jiangzhou City had dropped below ten degrees, but the sun was shining brightly.

The leaves of the ginkgo trees in the hospital garden had all fallen, and the bare branches outlined sparse lines against the blue sky.

Jiang Nan was wearing a loose maternity dress with Zhao Yang's jacket over it. One hand was held by Zhao Yang, while her other hand supported her waist as she walked slowly along the path covered with fallen leaves.

"You'll be on maternity leave for a few months. Will the construction of the DNA sample library be affected?" Zhao Yang asked.

Jiang Nan turned her head to look at him, the corners of her mouth slightly raised with a hint of teasing. "Are you really concerned about me? The sample library was built long ago. Now we just need to input data and provide network sharing within the system. Several people in the technical center can do it."

Zhao Yang laughed. "Oh, it's different once you become a leader."

"That's for sure." Jiang Nan tilted her head. "Do you think you're the only one who knows how to be a hands-off boss?"

Zhao Yang leaned close to her ear and lowered his voice. "By the way, I have some good news for you."

"What good news?"

"I spent over 3.4 million from your account and used it all to buy stocks."

Jiang Nan's footsteps faltered. She turned her head to look at Zhao Yang, her eyes full of shock. "You really went all out. Are you sure this is good news? The money is all spent; what will we do after our baby is born? Milk powder money, diapers, early education classes... We can't just ask Mom for money, can we?"

Jiang Nan had always been independent and refused to rely on her parents by nature. Except for the bank card from her marriage and dowry, Jiang Nan had never asked Lin Xuecen for a single cent.

Now that Zhao Yang had spent almost all the money in the card, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Zhao Yang stopped, held Jiang Nan's shoulders with both hands, and looked into her eyes, his tone firm. "Trust me, I won't be wrong. Eighteen years from now, that will be a huge sum of money."

Jiang Nan stared at his face for a few seconds. Zhao Yang's expression was so serious it didn't seem like a joke, and there was even a light in his eyes she had never seen before.

It wasn't blind confidence, but a certainty, a clear prediction of the future.

Jiang Nan's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and her voice trembled slightly. "Honey, is everything you said true?"

Zhao Yang laughed and reached out to flick her nose. "You're a capitalist's daughter; is it really worth getting so worked up over money?"

Jiang Nan chuckled and raised her hand to punch him lightly. "I am excited because this is money my husband earned himself!"

Just as her voice trailed off, Jiang Nan's smile suddenly froze. She let out an "Ah," her expression changing drastically. One hand gripped Zhao Yang's arm tightly, while the other instinctively covered her stomach.

Zhao Yang's heart tightened. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Nan's voice carried a hint of panic. "Honey... I think... my water broke..."