Chapter 37 Population Potential

"During the summer break, they have a full two months to work full-time. Even if they take summer courses, they can still work part-time."

"In the United States, many college students work while studying; you know this better than I do."

"Restaurant server, supermarket cashier, tutor, food delivery—they do all kinds of jobs."

"If they could find a decent job right here in Oxford Town with a good income and a nice environment, how do you think they would choose?"

Jessica and Victoria exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

This plan far exceeded anything they had previously imagined.

"Mr. Mu." Jessica put down her pen and looked at Mu Xin seriously. "I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"What is the return on investment period for this hotel?"

Mu Xin looked at her and smiled.

"I said it's not about making money. But if you want to calculate it, I can give you a number."

"Normally, a luxury hotel takes 16 to 17 years to break even. Considering our location, it will take at least 17 years."

"Alright." Jessica took a deep breath. "I'll go check the legal documents for Hueston Woods right now."

"I'll get you a complete report by tomorrow."

"Victoria, come with me." Mu Xin looked at Victoria. "Tomorrow morning, we'll go to Hueston Woods for a site visit."

"I need to see the land, the lake, and the old lodge with my own eyes."

"Then, we'll make the next step of the plan."

Victoria nodded, a flash of excitement in her light gray eyes.

She had resigned from Wall Street and returned to Oxford Town intending to live a quiet life.

But now, she found she couldn't live without this kind of thrill.

This feeling of doing something big.

"One more thing." Mu Xin turned to Jessica. "Help me schedule a meeting with Robert Williams for the day after tomorrow morning at his construction company."

"Bring the engineering records from the Water Plant renovation; I want to see if he has the capability to take on this project."

"If he doesn't, we'll hire someone more professional from outside."

Jessica nodded and quickly jotted it down in her notebook.

Outside the window, the sun was still scorching.

Students were still leaving one after another.

But Mu Xin knew this was only temporary.

By this time next year, everything would be different.

At 8:00 PM the next evening, Mu Xin sat alone by the window on the third floor of the Morris Building, looking at the night view of Oxford Town.

There were few pedestrians on the street, most shops were already closed, and only the bars and McDonalds were still lit.

He opened the system and looked at the population number on the system panel, which was slowly decreasing every day.

[Current Population of Oxford Town: 22,958]

[USD Distributed Today: 22,958,000]

It had dropped by another dozen or so people since the morning.

Mu Xin took a deep breath and closed the system; seeing it too much affected his mood.

He turned on his computer and searched for the official introduction to Hueston Woods State Park.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources website stated:

The park covers nearly 3,600 acres and features the man-made Acton Lake. With a surface area of 625 acres, it is an ideal place for water sports, fishing, and swimming.

The park boasts over 12 miles of hiking trails, a beech-maple old-growth forest designated as a National Natural Landmark, an 18-hole golf course, a 96-room lodge, and multiple campgrounds.

It attracts over one million visitors annually.

Mu Xin stared at the line "one million visitors" for a long time.

One million.

Ohio only has a population of over 11 million. If this state park can attract over one million visitors annually, it shows that it has enough appeal on its own.

The problem is that the existing facilities are too poor.

A 96-room lodge wouldn't even qualify as a three-star hotel in a big city.

The facilities are old, the service is mediocre, and the price isn't cheap either.

Most tourists who come here do so as day trips and don't stay overnight in the park.

Why?

Because there are no good accommodation options.

The campgrounds are only suitable for young people or families with children, and the lodge's conditions are too mediocre. People who are willing to spend money to enjoy life simply can't find a place worth spending it on.

The more Mu Xin thought about it, the more he felt the high feasibility of this project.

He took a sheet of white paper from the drawer and began to draw.

First is the hotel's location. The ideal spot is by the lake, preferably on high ground with a panoramic view of Acton Lake.

There should be plenty of plots in the park suitable for development; the key is whether government permits can be obtained.

Second is the scale of the hotel. It needs at least 200 guest rooms to achieve economies of scale.

There must be at least two restaurants: one formal restaurant and one casual restaurant.

A spa is a must. A gym, indoor pool, outdoor pool, business center, and meeting rooms are standard features of a five-star hotel.

Third is outdoor activity facilities.

The park already has hiking trails and lake activities, but some items can be added, such as mountain bike rentals, kayaking lessons, nature tours, stargazing, and so on.

These activities can employ students as guides and instructors, which provides jobs and increases the hotel's added value.

Fourth, and most crucially, the construction period.

Mu Xin drew two heavy lines under the words "construction period." It must be completed before next summer break.

That is to say, starting from today, there are only eleven months in total.

Eleven months to build a five-star resort hotel from scratch.

The normal construction period is two years.

But Mu Xin never does "normal" things.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to Tobias. Hotel water usage was also a big problem that needed preparation in advance:

"Are you free next week? I want to talk to you about Hueston Woods."

A few seconds later, Tobias replied:

"Hueston Woods? You want to buy it?"

Mu Xin smiled and replied:

"Not buy. I just want to build a hotel inside it."

Tobias sent a string of question marks and exclamation points, then added:

"Mr. Mu, do you always have to make big news every time?"

Mu Xin didn't reply and put the phone back on the desk.

Outside the window, Oxford Town was as quiet as a painting in the night.

The Water Plant in the distance was brightly lit, and the newly replaced police cars were slowly patrolling the streets; everything was proceeding according to plan.

But Mu Xin knew that the project that would truly change the face of Oxford Town had only just begun.

He brought up the system panel again and looked at the line at the very bottom:

[Hint: When the population of Oxford Town exceeds 100,000, a special reward will be triggered.]

100,000 people.

A luxury resort hotel in a state park is just the first step.

He needs more people to come here to live, work, and spend.

He needs to turn Oxford Town from a small town into a city.

And the starting point for all of this is this hotel that hasn't even started construction yet.

Mu Xin turned off his phone and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, go to Hueston Woods.

The day after tomorrow, meet Robert Williams.

And then, push this project forward with thunderous momentum.