Chapter 92 - 81: Almost Kowtowed

Chapter 92: Chapter 81: Almost Kowtowed

Hearing the young women’s comments, Zhang Lin smiled. "Alright, for the items made by these masters, let’s price them at 100 yuan. They used to sell them for 40 yuan. The farm will provide the space, equipment, and customers, so our cut will be 60 yuan. The craftsmen will have to cover the cost of the bamboo themselves. As for the other craftsmen, we’ll sell their work for 80 yuan and take a 40% commission. They’ll also have to buy their own bamboo."

"As for the other bamboo products, the prices will vary. I’ll have someone compile a price list for the craftsmen later to make it easier for tourists to choose."

Hearing this, the bamboo craftsmen couldn’t suppress the smiles spreading across their faces.

Old Guo immediately started doing the math. ’Before, with a 20-yuan commission, I could make 18,000 a month. So now...’

His knees suddenly felt weak.

If there weren’t so many people around, he really wanted to kneel and kowtow to Boss Zhang.

’With this kind of income,’ he thought, ’wouldn’t those two bratty sons of mine come crawling back to serve me tea and learn the trade? Hmm... maybe I could even try for another kid!’

The other bamboo craftsmen felt much the same, their excitement impossible to hide. If what the young women said was true, then they had really hit the jackpot.

Otherwise, how could such a wonderful opportunity have fallen into their laps?

In that moment, their gazes toward Zhang Lin were filled with a heartfelt respect.

’He’s the God of Wealth incarnate!’

"Boss Zhang, when do you plan to open this Bamboo Culture Park?" Zhao Han asked, his face full of anticipation. He was even trembling slightly.

If this venture succeeded, the Bamboo Culture Park would create a new class of high-income earners. Not only that, but Li Yuan Farm’s bamboo products would surely go viral online.

More importantly, the fans would be engraved with "You City’s Traditional Bamboo Craftsmanship."

Once word got out, a rising tide would lift all boats for You City’s entire bamboo industry.

Then, when people needed everyday items like bamboo chopsticks or toothpicks, they would subconsciously choose products from You City, even if those items weren’t related to traditional art.

Such are the benefits of a good reputation.

For a region known as the "Hometown of Bamboo," this was a dream come true.

This would all reflect well on their tourism bureau. After all, Boss Zhang was easy to work with, and both the Bamboo Culture Park and the Bamboo Maze were considered projects supported by the bureau.

But for now, this was all just speculation. They had to wait for the Bamboo Culture Park to open and be tested by the tourists to know if it would be as successful as they hoped.

Zhang Lin naturally saw the anticipation in Zhao Han’s eyes. He smiled and said, "We can have a soft opening right now. Let some tourists in to experience it. Senior Sister Lin, if any tourists make a purchase, you should also gather some footage of the craftsmen at work. See if we can use it for promotional material!"

"Yes, no problem!" Lin Muxue nodded. This was what they excelled at. Plus, the girl in charge of photography happened to have her camera with her and could start filming on the spot.

Zhang Lin then turned to Liu De. "Go make a few simple signs to let tourists know they can buy souvenirs here. Also, have someone cut and bring over some more bamboo."

"Right away, boss." Liu De received his orders and immediately went to handle it.

After giving orders to Liu De, Zhang Lin also instructed Zhao Lin to go to the ticket office and print out some QR payment codes. Otherwise, tourists who wanted to buy something wouldn’t be able to pay.

...

Not long after, near the service center, some tourists spotted a new, handmade wooden sign with an arrow pointing in a specific direction.

He Rou saw the sign as she was coming out of the service center.

She had already finished the live broadcast for Super Brain, but she hadn’t left. In fact, none of the Super Brain contestants, like Zhang Qiang, had left. They were all determined to keep trying to conquer the Bamboo Maze. Even if they couldn’t clear the whole thing for now, they at least wanted to speed up their time on the earlier stages and set a new record, right?

Besides, they had prepared themselves for a long struggle, unwilling to leave until they had completely solved the Bamboo Maze.

"I think it says you can buy souvenirs over there!" a tourist said in surprise.

Another tourist added, "I was just wondering what to buy to take home. It’s not every day we get to come here, so having souvenirs is perfect!"

He Rou’s interest was piqued. She followed the arrow’s direction and soon arrived at the Bamboo Culture Park. Judging by the name alone, it seemed the souvenirs were related to bamboo.

She was somewhat interested in bamboo products, but she wondered about the quality. She had bought a custom bamboo fan at another scenic spot before, and the experience had been... less than ideal.

She walked inside and saw a series of workstations, each with someone sitting behind it. They must be the craftsmen who made the bamboo products.

"Wow, these fan designs are beautiful!"

"Yeah! Sir, can you make all of these?"

The voices of two tourists rang out, drawing He Rou’s attention. She walked over and saw a craftsman showing a grid of photos on his phone for them to choose a fan design.

He Rou had to admit, the fan designs were very nice!

"Sir, how much is this one?" a tourist asked.

Old Guo immediately recited what Boss Zhang had told him to say. "Welcome, valued tourist. This is the Li Yuan Farm Bamboo Culture Park, featuring the traditional bamboo craftsmanship of You City. Everything is purely handmade, so the price is a bit higher. A bamboo fan is 100 yuan. Of course, other bamboo products have different prices!"

Hearing the 100-yuan price tag, the two tourists who had asked hesitated slightly. He Rou, however, was very interested. She immediately said to Mr. Guo, "Sir, I’d like you to make a fan for me! This design right here!"

Mr. Guo nodded, immediately picked up a piece of bamboo, and began to work.

He Rou watched from the side. For some reason, the more she watched, the more fascinated she became with the process of making the fan. She even started asking questions, chatting with him as she watched the bamboo transform step by step.

The two tourists who had asked earlier were also very interested and stayed to watch Mr. Guo work.

Soon, the fan began to take shape. Finally, it was coated with a protective oil and dried.

When a brand-new, exquisite bamboo fan was placed in front of He Rou, her eyes widened in surprise.

’It’s so beautiful.’

’It even feels like a piece of art.’

’Worthy of its "traditional craftsmanship" name. It’s absolutely nothing like the fan I bought at that other scenic spot.’

To her, 100 yuan for this fan was absolutely worth it.

But it wasn’t over yet. Mr. Guo gestured to He Rou. "This way, please. Now for the final step: the engraving."

Once the park officially opened, there would be proper signs for this step, but for now, this would have to do.

"Li Yuan Farm Tourist Souvenir!"

"A Product of You City’s Traditional Bamboo Culture!"

"2024..."

"Exclusively for He Rou!"

When the fan was engraved with these words, He Rou was even more delighted. This made it an incredibly meaningful souvenir.

’Li Yuan Farm’s bamboo souvenirs are definitely going to be a huge hit.’

The two tourists who had been watching nearby now had stars in their eyes.

One of them bit her lip, finally making up her mind. "Sir, make one for me, too!"

The other one liked it, but ultimately sighed and decided against it. After all, her salary wasn’t very high.

"Of course! This way, please!" Mr. Guo invited her over enthusiastically, his face flushed with excitement.

’What an auspicious start!’

’And things are developing just like Boss Zhang said they would.’

Truly, he was now filled with hope for the future. He could even picture his two sons scampering back home to him.

He Rou held her new fan, admiring it from all angles. She even took out her phone to take a picture. This was definitely going on her Friends Circle.

Zhao Han had been watching from the side the whole time. It wasn’t just Mr. Guo; the other craftsmen were also getting customers. While not every tourist chose to buy, a decent percentage did. In Mr. Guo’s case, two out of three onlookers had made a purchase.

The conversion rate seemed quite high.

He trembled with excitement.

’It’s a success!’

’Boss Zhang is incredible. None of his projects ever fail.’

"Boss Zhang, it seems a new problem is about to emerge," Zhao Han said suddenly to Zhang Lin, who was standing beside him, after observing for a while.