Chapter 732 - 462: Placing an Order (Part 2)

Chapter 732: Chapter 462: Placing an Order (Part 2)

Looking at the two sweet, simple girls worrying about him, Feng Mountain couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh before speaking.

"Jenny, do you remember when we first came to the Crown Territory? The conditions were even worse than they are now, right?"

Mhm!

Jenny nodded, deeply moved.

Her thoughts were instantly pulled back to those first days in the Crown Territory.

When they first arrived at the Crown Territory, the conditions were truly harsh.

Everyone was squeezed onto the bus, the space so tight it was hard to even turn around.

Even Feng Mountain himself slept on the floor, giving up his room for the girls.

Later, they built a bunk bed in the warehouse, which slightly eased the tight living quarters.

Though the space was still cramped, living together felt exceptionally warm.

Everyone looked after each other and provided mutual support. She still fondly remembered that warm atmosphere.

Later, Feng Mountain led everyone to develop the land in River Beach Valley.

Back then, the ground of River Beach Valley was a rocky floodplain, with snow and ice everywhere. It was nothing like the beautiful, vibrant place it was now.

Everyone cleared the land bit by bit.

Through their hard work, River Beach Valley gradually transformed, slowly coming to life.

Feng Mountain leaned forward slightly, his eyes filled with confidence, and continued.

"Remember when I bought all those vegetable seeds? You all thought they wouldn’t grow. But what happened? The plantation got so big we couldn’t even finish all the vegetables and strawberries we grew each day. The pickled cucumbers in the restaurant and bar? That idea only came about because things grew too fast in the plantation for us to eat."

"So, Boss, what are you trying to say?"

Tessa looked confused, not understanding Feng Mountain’s intention behind this trip down memory lane.

’It’s not that I’m against buying vegetable and fruit seedlings.’

’I just think it’s completely unnecessary to spend so much on ones from Giant Vegetable Valley.’

’After all, the outside world has tried countless times.’

’And the facts prove that once they leave the unique environment of Giant Vegetable Valley, you can’t grow the giant vegetables.’

’That being the case, why not choose ordinary seedlings that are more reasonably priced?’

Feng Mountain slowly took a sip of his coffee.

The aroma of coffee filled the air.

Then, unhurriedly, he gave his prepared answer, his eyes revealing a certainty as if everything was under his control.

"What I’m trying to say is, I can grow the giant vegetables."

Seeing Tessa open her mouth slightly, as if she still wanted to say something, Feng Mountain calmly set down his coffee cup. His expression was full of confidence as he looked directly into Tessa’s eyes.

"I can make a bet with you, just this once. If the live giant vegetable plants we buy from Giant Vegetable Valley fail to grow, or if what grows isn’t giant vegetables, then all future investment projects will be yours to decide. Of course, you can also resign if you want."

"I..." Tessa got one word out and stopped.

Her mind was in turmoil, a thousand thoughts racing.

On one hand, the Crown Territory wasn’t her property. Even if she gave it her all, if the boss insisted on pushing forward with a project that had a zero percent chance of success, there was nothing she could do.

On the other hand, his resolute and confident attitude made her hesitate.

The office fell silent.

The atmosphere grew a bit tense, with only the occasional sound of wind from outside the window.

"Then it’s happily decided." Feng Mountain made the decision for Tessa without waiting for her clear response. Then, he turned to Jenny. "Dear, help me call Gordon in."

Jenny nodded lightly and got up to walk to the door.

Opening the door, she saw Gordon standing awkwardly outside, unconsciously wringing the hem of his clothes.

Gordon walked in apprehensively. He first glanced cautiously at the frosty-faced Tessa, then came before Feng Mountain and said respectfully,

"Boss!"

"Are you sure the live vegetable and fruit plants the supplier is providing are from Giant Vegetable Valley? They won’t try to pass off ordinary vegetables?" Feng Mountain asked, lightly shaking the price list in his hand to emphasize the importance of the question.

Hearing the boss ask this, Gordon shook his head vigorously and quickly offered a sworn explanation, trying to dispel his boss’s doubts.

"No way, Boss. Every live plant sold by Giant Vegetable Valley has a unique serial number. You can use that number to trace the entire growth history of the plant."

"If they’re caught selling fake live plants not from Giant Vegetable Valley, they not only face a hefty fine, but in serious cases, they can even have their sales license revoked."

After hearing Gordon’s explanation, Feng Mountain finally felt a sense of relief.

He then signaled to get ready to record the purchase quantities.

"Since that’s the case, let’s finalize the purchase quantities. Then you can go have a good talk with them about the price."

Just then, Tessa, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, her tone serious. "Boss, regarding the price negotiation with the supplier, I hope you’ll let me handle it."

Feng Mountain looked with some surprise at his earnest and serious private advisor, noticing Tessa’s gaze was firm and showed no sign of backing down.

After a moment of thought, he nodded. "Alright then, I’ll give you full authority over the pricing. Be sure to get the most reasonable price possible. Every little bit saved helps."

After speaking, Feng Mountain called Jenny to his side and began discussing the specific types and quantities of vegetables and fruits to buy in a low voice.

After all, Jenny was more meticulous when it came to daily life, and as a former Michelin chef, she had a better understanding of how to use vegetables and what customers liked.

Meanwhile, Gordon stood to the side, responsible for recording the quantities they decided on.

For a while, the only sound in the office was the two of them discussing.

Feng Mountain’s finger tapped lightly on the entry for cabbage on the price list. "How about we buy 1,000 cabbage plants? The restaurant goes through a lot of cabbage, and we can work on breeding them later."

"We can start with 500 pumpkin plants. If the camp can’t eat them all, we can store them for winter to feed the cattle and sheep," Jenny said, tilting her head in serious thought.

"For red and white radishes, let’s get 2,000 plants of each for now. That should be enough for the time being."

Feng Mountain nodded, his gaze lingering on the variety descriptions for the red and white radishes for a moment as he estimated their consumption rate.

Radishes were a staple in the restaurant for stews and other dishes. They also stored well, and any leftovers could be made into pickled radishes.

"We can also buy more potatoes, tomatoes, peas, green onions, onions, and garlic," Jenny said, pointing to each variety with her finger.

"Then let’s get 1,000 plants of each to start." Feng Mountain’s gaze shifted to the fruit section of the price list. "Next up are the live fruit plants."

"We can get more strawberries. Let’s start with 5,000 plants; the plantation is big enough anyway." Jenny’s eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly at the thought of those luscious, ripe strawberries, as if she could already taste their sweetness.

"A single Cherry Tomato plant can produce a lot of fruit. Let’s tentatively set it at 2,000 plants. If we succeed in growing them, we can even sell them to others."

Feng Mountain stroked his chin. ’If I use the Fire Seed to modify them, the yield will definitely increase.’ A glimmer of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

"Melons, watermelons, strawberries, blueberries..."

The two continued their discussion, sharing a smile each time they finalized the quantity for a variety.

It was as if they could already see the beautiful future of the Crown Territory, filled with the fragrance of fruit and gardens of vegetables.

Gordon diligently recorded the finalized quantities, occasionally chiming in with a few words of his own advice.

When Feng Mountain and Jenny finally finished confirming the quantities for all the varieties, Gordon quickly handed the completed list to Tessa.

Tessa took the list with a calm expression. She then took out a pen and paper and began to calculate carefully, cross-referencing the prices on the quote.

The tip of the pen slid quickly across the paper, making a faint scratching sound that was especially clear in the quiet office.

After a while, Tessa finally finished her calculations and, expressionless, handed the paper with the final total to Feng Mountain.

Feng Mountain took it and looked, his brow furrowed slightly.

Jenny leaned over curiously. When she saw the amount on the paper, she couldn’t help but gasp, unable to believe her eyes.

Based on the per-plant price quoted by the Giant Vegetable Valley farm owner, the Crown Territory would need to spend 1,400,000 US dollars for this single purchase of live vegetable and fruit plants.

This was no small sum.

It was enough to fund several small investment projects elsewhere.

Jenny couldn’t help but look at Feng Mountain with worry, her expression troubled.

"Dear, maybe we should reconsider."

...