Chapter 41 More Money!

"Mr. Mu." Jessica set down her coffee cup, her voice softening slightly. "There is one more thing—some extra good news."

"Go on."

"The election preparations for Richard Miller are complete."

"Campaign manager Michael OBrien sent word that all documents have been submitted and the Secretary of State's office has approved them. He will begin official voter canvassing next week."

Mu Xin paused for a moment. These past few days, his mind had been entirely focused on the hotel, and he had almost forgotten that Richard's campaign was also moving forward simultaneously.

"Very good," he said. "Tell him I will meet with him before the end of the month, and have him prepare to sync all progress with me."

Jessica closed her laptop and stood up.

"Do you want to hear some bad news as well?"

"Go ahead."

"Regarding Jimmy's case, Old Williams may be preparing to pay for bail." Jessica's voice lowered.

"I heard he mortgaged Williams Manor and his bank shares to scrape together a large sum of money, though I haven't heard the specific amount yet."

Mu Xin frowned.

"What does Tom Carter say about it?"

"He says that bail is something he cannot control, but the key witnesses of the case are under the control of our legal team, so Jimmy won't be able to escape."

"But once he is released on bail, the unpredictability of this person will increase."

Mu Xin leaned against the desk, looking down at the handwriting on the whiteboard.

"Call that law firm in Cincinnati and tell them to keep a close watch on this case. Don't let Jimmy find any loopholes."

"Richard's campaign still needs the heat from Jimmy's case to build momentum. What we need to focus on isn't just whether a single hotel can be built within a year, but whether the entirety of Oxford Town can break out of its current vicious cycle."

...

Jessica's report was like a bucket of cold water, drenching Mu Xin from head to toe.

It wasn't that the project couldn't be done, but following normal procedures, the approval process alone would take six months.

After six months, everything would be too late.

A thick stack of legal documents was spread out before Mu Xin, and he had been staring at the risk assessment table on the last page for nearly half an hour.

Jessica pushed the door open, carrying two cups of coffee. She placed one in front of Mu Xin and sat on the sofa, remaining silent.

She could tell Mu Xin was deep in thought; he wouldn't be happy if she disturbed him now.

Victoria also arrived, carrying a stack of printed financial data. Seeing Mu Xin's expression, she set the items on the table and asked Jessica in a low voice:

"How long has he been like this?"

Jessica held up a finger and shushed her.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before Mu Xin finally moved.

He picked up a marker, walked to the whiteboard, and recopied the major obstacles listed in Jessica's report:

ODNR letter of intent approval delays, environmental reviews and nature reserve restrictions, State Department of Commerce building approvals, and inter-county approval coordination.

He looked at these words, then made a decision that no one expected: he drew a large question mark after each item.

"Mr. Mu, what are you…" Jessica couldn't help but speak up.

"I'm wondering which of these obstacles are truly unavoidable, and which are ones we've imagined ourselves."

Mu Xin turned around, leaned against the whiteboard, crossed his arms, and looked out at Oxford Town.

The sun was blazing, and there were almost no pedestrians on the streets. Many students had already left, and the entire town seemed to have been pressed on a pause button.

"Jessica, you said the ODNR must issue a public notice, and only after receiving proposals can they enter the negotiation stage for lease and construction contracts."

"Correct. It's a legally mandated process; it can't be bypassed."

"What if the ODNR doesn't want to issue a public notice? I mean, what if they have the motivation and reason not to issue this notice?"

Jessica paused, stunned: "You mean…"

"I mean, why must we go through the ODNR's public notice process? Why can't it be that the ODNR comes to us proactively?"

Mu Xin's speaking pace was slow, but every word carried an undeniable certainty.

"Their renovation budget for Hueston Woods is only a little over two million. With seventy-five parks across the state sharing a twenty-million budget, they have no money and no plans."

"Tell me, if a stranger suddenly walked up to you and said they wanted to give you a five-star hotel, would you refuse?"

Victoria frowned. Her calculator was on her lap; the screen was still lit, but she wasn't pressing any buttons.

She just looked at Mu Xin, her light gray eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of curiosity.

"But this isn't a gift," Jessica said. "This is a business proposal."

"So they need a reason." Mu Xin's fingers tapped lightly on the desk. "A reason they cannot refuse."

The office was quiet for a few seconds.

"Jobs," Mu Xin said. "Four hundred direct employment positions, and at least five hundred indirect employment positions."

"Most of them targeting Miami University students—full-time during summer break, part-time during the semester."

"If the ODNR cares about economic impact—and they must, as it's one of their performance metrics—this number is enough to make them seriously consider it."

"Not enough," Victoria shook her head. "Four hundred positions sounds like a lot, but for the ODNR, it's just 'not bad'."

"Then add more money," Mu Xin said. "A total investment of 120 million dollars."

Victoria's fingers froze on the calculator. Jessica was also stunned. "Mr. Mu, the budget you mentioned to me earlier was…"

"That was just off the top of my head. Now, I need a number the ODNR cannot refuse."

"120 million—not loans, not financing, but solid, hard cash investment."

Mu Xin's tone was as calm as if he were talking about eating at McDonalds for lunch. "This money will enter the economic cycle of Ohio."

"Equipment procurement, construction materials, furniture, appliances, operational supplies—most of this will be completed within Ohio. What does that mean?"

"It means the ODNR's superiors, the Governors Office, will see this number." Victoria's eyes brightened.

"An investment of 120 million is not a small sum in Ohio. If the Governors Office gets involved, the ODNR's approval process won't be an approval; it will be an execution."

"Correct," Mu Xin nodded. "But the prerequisite is that we must let the Governors Office know about this."

Jessica's fingers typed rapidly on her laptop, her expression changing from confusion to excitement, and then from excitement to seriousness.

"There is still one more issue: environmental review." Jessica looked up. "Even if the ODNR cooperates and the Governors Office supports us, that beech-maple old-growth forest is unavoidable."

"If environmental organizations sue, the federal court could order a suspension of the project. By then, let alone one year, we won't be able to get it done in three."

Mu Xin fell silent. Jessica was right.

Doing large-scale projects in the United States, environmental litigation is the most uncontrollable risk.

You can settle everything at the State Government level, but a single environmental organization can drag the project out for years through the courts.

"Don't touch that forest," Mu Xin said. "The hotel will be built on the other side of the current lodge, at least a mile away from the nature reserve."

"Hire the best consulting firm in the country to do the environmental plan. If the environmental organizations' lawyers really want to sue, then let them."

"Lawsuits take time," Jessica reminded him.