Zhou You had actually considered this as well—one online, one offline. But in the early stages, it had to be offline because the online side hadn't been cultivated yet.
"Professor Li, here's my idea. I have several swimming pools in Luzhou, all partnered with five-star luxury hotels, and every member has spending power." Zhou You laid out his initial thoughts.
After listening, Li Baoyin's brow relaxed, and he rubbed his head. "Organic farming needs high-end customers and high-end consumption. After all, the breeding cycle is more than three times longer than factory farming, so costs go up accordingly. White-feathered chickens can be ready in 42 days now. For our farming, pure free-range takes eight to nine months, even with mixed feed it's six to seven months. Labor and feed costs are high, so the cost per chicken is high too." When it came to costs, Li Baoyin scratched his head.
"In a couple of days, bring a few sample chickens and come back to Luzhou with me. We'll visit these hotels together and see what feedback we get." Zhou You figured if they could gain a foothold in hotels, it would be a selling point for broader promotion. He didn't expect huge volumes from the hotels—just adoption would be enough.
"Second, I'll promote the product at each swimming pool using a pre-sale model. Have someone make some promotional materials—make them polished, capture the free-range conditions—and see how it goes. Once the volume reaches a certain level, we'll ship directly to cut costs."
"Mr. Zhou, this is a great approach. Control the high-end customer base, and you control the sales channel for premium ingredients." Li Baoyin felt this method was viable, far better than his own channels.
"Don't think about making money in the early stages. Build the reputation first." Zhou You didn't want Professor Li to feel pressured.
"Alright, with you saying that, I'm reassured. I was worried you might be after quick gains—farming isn't that easy." Li Baoyin had also been concerned that Zhou You, being young, might be impatient for results.
The two chatted for a while, finalized the plan, and Zhou You went home.
When Li Fengying saw Zhou You had switched cars again, she couldn't help saying, "What happened to your car? Why did you change it again? You just bought it."
"Yeah, that one wasn't comfortable to drive. Long trips were tiring, so I got this one." Zhou You said nonchalantly.
Li Fengying was about to continue, but then thought, her son was earning so much money, changing cars wasn't a big deal. After all, they'd invested a lot in the family, and her own parents' house was already built.
"Fine, change it if you want. It's your money anyway. Your grandma's house is finished—you should go see it."
"That's great, pretty fast. Was it Brother Peng who built it?" Zhou You hadn't expected it to be done so quickly; he thought it would take at least until after summer break.
"Yes, your Brother Peng has a few construction crews now. The small yard for our farming, that three-story building, was also built by him." Li Fengying was happy too—her family's improved situation gave her face, even if it was all thanks to her son's help.
This trip back was a bit rushed, so he hadn't bought gifts. He just picked up a few things from the market to bring along.
The homestead at his grandparents' place was a bit larger, so the house was more impressive, but it was still a two-story building. Going higher would be pointless, just a waste. The bathroom and shower were fully equipped. Since his grandparents were older, they lived on the first floor, while his uncle and aunt lived on the second. It was far more comfortable and pleasant than the old, rundown house.
His grandparents were delighted. In their eyes, they'd never imagined they'd get to enjoy blessings from their grandson. They'd treated all the kids well when they were young, not just Zhou You.
"You know, this house is really something. It's like a city villa, isn't it? A villa like this in our county would cost at least one or two million." His uncle was beaming too. Though it might sound a bit awkward to say, others were mostly envious.
"Plenty of sunlight, good ventilation, warm in winter and cool in summer. You can plant whatever you want in the yard—fruit trees or vegetables, it's all fine. Water's convenient too, and it's easier for you to take care of Grandpa and Grandma." This was also why Zhou You wanted to buy a villa—living close to the ground was comfortable.
"Oh, by the way, Uncle, you need to sell off your Moutai stock in batches. It's probably going to adjust for a long time, at least a year." If he hadn't come back, Zhou You would have almost forgotten—the alcohol ban was coming soon, and Moutai stock would head straight down. The lowest point would go back to where it was two years ago. Now was the time to free up the capital and put it into Tencent stock, then buy back in at the low point next year. A rise and fall like that would mean two to three times the profit.
"Alright, I'll listen to you. I'm not greedy. I'll sell it right now." His uncle truly wasn't greedy anymore. He knew from stock trading that buying at the lowest and selling at the highest was something you could only hope for, not count on.
Hearing that Zhou You was back, Sun Peng quickly drove over.
Sun Peng was now riding high, a well-known figure in the surrounding villages. Having built two rural villas in a row, he'd caught the eye of wealthy locals, who all came asking him to build similar houses. After all, cities had complete sewer systems, but most of the countryside still relied on open drainage. Occasionally, a few particular people would build a toilet, but without a sewer system, there was no real difference. Sun Peng had initially planned to focus on home decoration, but unexpectedly, he'd stumbled into this blue ocean.
Now he had three construction crews working simultaneously, and bookings were already lined up until the end of the year. At the same time, he'd sent a decoration team to the county and city to drum up business, keeping both paths going without conflict. Many migrant workers had joined him—the pay was similar, but they could go home regularly, didn't have to leave their hometowns, and could take care of their elderly and children. It was much more convenient.
"Xiao You, why didn't you say you were coming back?" Sun Peng's cheerful laugh rang out before he even entered the door.
"I came back on a whim. I'll stay a few days and then leave. Brother Peng, you're pretty skilled—the houses for Grandpa and Grandma and the farm are all built really well." Zhou You was genuinely a bit impressed. The construction business might seem simple, but it could be quite challenging.
"Ah, rural houses are easy to build. The foundations are simple, not like city high-rises where you spend ages just on the foundation." Sun Peng spoke honestly.
"Brother Peng, make sure you keep up the quality. These are all locals from the area, and you'll still be living here. If you cut corners and ruin your reputation over time, that'll be trouble." Zhou You couldn't help but remind him. Some developers in the past—were those even buildings? They were like brittle towers, specifically designed to cheat buyers.
"Don't worry about that. I care about my reputation even more than you do. You can at least run away—where would I go?" Sun Peng wanted to build a long-term business; he couldn't afford to trash his name. In the countryside, passing off shoddy work, especially on houses, would get you cursed behind your back. Not only would the younger generation lose face, but the elders would also be gossiped about, accused of lax discipline.
Prosperity thrives in bustle, peace dwells in stillness. Coming like wind and rain, leaving like dust.