Leaving the space, it took another ten minutes to get out of Butterfly Bay. Of course, the safety rope had to be removed; it couldn't be left for others to benefit from.
Back home, Murong Yanran had already returned to school for classes. A sticky note was left on the dining table, which read, "Breakfast is kept warm in the pot. Don't overwork yourself; there's no rush to buy a car."
He tidied up the note, washed up, and contentedly ate breakfast.
He had no classes in the morning and wasn't in a hurry to go to the shop. The branch had been properly briefed, and Xiaonian and the other two were seasoned veterans, skillfully and smoothly making coconut water. Their coordination was flawless.
Li Haochen's mind drifted back to the few people he encountered picking shells at the entrance of Butterfly Bay. The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he felt, so he decided to visit the village chief for an inquiry.
Walking on the village's cement road, he encountered several villagers returning from sea. Although not well-acquainted, he recognized them and exchanged greetings before parting ways. Da Long Village, built along the sea, had ancestors who were all fishermen, living off the ocean. However, now, those who still went out to sea were mostly in their forties and fifties. The younger generation couldn't bear it, preferring to earn less money in the city in low-income jobs rather than this high-income profession. It was possible that in a few more years, the fishing industry would disappear into the long river of history.
He arrived at Huang Haiyuan's house and found him smiling broadly as he cleaned sea snail shells and garbage from his fishing nets.
"Uncle Yuan, why so happy? Your catch must have been very good today?"
"Haochen, it's been a while since you've visited Uncle Yuan's place. It's alright, my luck was good today. I ran into a school of fish and caught about ten sea bass, hehe!" His wrinkled face and large yellow teeth expressed his immense joy.
"Uncle Yuan, let me help you."
"Oh... Haochen, you know how?" Huang Haiyuan seemed skeptical.
"Uncle Yuan, I was born by the sea. My ancestors were all fishermen who lived by the ocean. This is a piece of cake. I even know how to mend nets; I'll help you fix them later."
Watching Li Haochen's skilled movements, Huang Haiyuan couldn't help but sigh, "It's rare to find a young person like you who knows these things nowadays. My good-for-nothing son would rather watch a warehouse in a factory than come back. Sigh!"
"Uncle Yuan, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Uh... it's just, can Butterfly Bay be leased out?"
"What? Lease Butterfly Bay?"
Huang Haiyuan stopped his work and looked at Li Haochen somewhat seriously. "Haochen, you should have seen that place. Don't be impulsive; your life is more important."
"Don't worry, Uncle Yuan, I value my life very much. It's not an impulsive decision; I've thought it through thoroughly. Can it be leased?"
Seeing Li Haochen's firm resolve, Huang Haiyuan didn't say much more. It would be good if Butterfly Bay could be rented out; it would bring additional income to the village, and the year-end dividends would increase.
"The sea area is about 23 mu, plus the reef area by the bay, it's about 26 mu. 50,000 a year, for a 5-year term."
Li Haochen fell silent. After a moment, he said, "Uncle Yuan, can the term be extended?"
"Extended?"
Huang Haiyuan pretended to be hesitant and pondered for a moment. "Since it's you, I wouldn't bother with others. However, you'll have to pay the rent for the first three years upfront. The maximum term is 10 years."
Li Haochen rolled his eyes inwardly. He knew this village chief had the final say on such matters, especially for a place like Butterfly Bay that no one wanted. It was a golden opportunity he wouldn't find even with a lantern.
"That would be greatly appreciated."
Huang Haiyuan came over, patted Li Haochen with a smile, "Since we're so familiar, and you're renting for 10 years, Uncle will give you a little discount, 45,000 a year."
Seeing Huang Haiyuan's sly expression, Li Haochen twitched the corner of his mouth, suspecting he was being heavily overcharged.
"Then thank you, Uncle Yuan."
This lease couldn't be signed immediately; it required the consent of over 80% of the village members.
Huang Haiyuan was tech-savvy and had learned to work online. He opened the village group chat and sent a big announcement: Butterfly Bay is being leased out for 45,000 a year. Come back quickly to sign and confirm.
This news caused an uproar; the entire village group chat exploded. Signing and confirming was a must.
Shortly after the message was sent, many elderly people started arriving at Huang Haiyuan's house to leave their thumbprints. Some, with muddy feet, clearly just came from the fields, also rushed over. Those who couldn't make it delegated their relatives to sign on their behalf.
One old man, after signing, almost burst into laughter. "Heh, I wonder what kind of idiot would lease that place. If it were me, I'd find it too expensive even at 500 a year."
Li Haochen, standing nearby, had a darkened expression. "Hmph, when I start making big money, don't get so angry that you have a stroke and blame me."
In less than two hours, all 126 villagers had signed the confirmation, a speed that Li Haochen could hardly imagine.
The reason for Huang Haiyuan's swift action was twofold: firstly, he feared Li Haochen would go back on his word, and the opportunity would slip away. Secondly, Li Haochen had paid a 10,000 yuan deposit, without which he wouldn't have dared to post the notice in the village group chat, fearing the villagers would tear him apart if the deal fell through.
After carefully reviewing the contract and finding no issues, Li Haochen nodded in satisfaction. He dipped his thumb in the ink pad and firmly pressed it on the designated spot. The contract was in triplicate.
The contract was signed, but the money hadn't been transferred yet, so Butterfly Bay wasn't officially Li Haochen's.
"Alright, transfer the money into the village's public account. Make it quick; we can't delay too long."
Li Haochen checked the time; it was getting late. He pulled Huang Haiyuan outside. "Uncle, let's go. Don't stay home for lunch. Let's go out for a drink."
Unable to refuse Li Haochen, he went out with him to a restaurant.
Li Haochen remembered Huang Haiyuan's discount of 5,000 yuan a year. He was not a stingy person and treated him to good food and wine. As they were leaving, he also handed him two packs of "Hard Fu" cigarettes and an envelope containing 3,000 yuan.
This was human courtesy. Even sworn brothers would settle their accounts clearly. Moreover, they were not related by blood. Why would Huang Haiyuan give him a discount of 5,000 yuan a year? This was also a testament to Li Haochen's social skills.
Huang Haiyuan, slightly tipsy, slung an arm around Li Haochen's shoulders. "Hic... Haochen, hic... if you need anything in the future, just tell Uncle. I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly. In this Da Long Village, hic... Uncle still has some reputation."
Li Haochen forced a wry smile. "Alright, I still have to send you back."
Fortunately, Li Haochen had brought his three-wheeled vehicle. He put Huang Haiyuan into the carriage. The latter lay there like a dead pig, mumbling incoherently, still clutching the envelope and cigarettes tightly.
The journey back made Li Haochen extremely nervous. He kept looking around, fearing that some traffic police might suddenly appear and blow a tube into his mouth. Even though it was a three-wheeled vehicle, it was still drunk driving. It was a serious offense. From now on, he must adhere to the principle of not drinking and driving, and not driving after drinking.
He drove back nervously, but fortunately, he safely delivered Huang Haiyuan home.