Within less than two hours, they arrived home. Having informed the family in advance, everyone was waiting at the village entrance.
"Professor Zhou, this location is quite suitable. It's close to the provincial capital, so it can cover the city in the future. For now, the provincial capital still has a larger high-consumption demographic," Professor Li remarked.
Zhou You knew that in many cases, the teacher guides while the students do the work, so these students were crucial. Along the way, Zhou You boasted about his investments in films and a swimming pool.
This drew exclamations of surprise from the students, who cast admiring glances his way. Zhou You then grabbed a stack of swimming vouchers from the car and handed them out to Professor Li and the students, telling them to come swim whenever they had time.
This was something Zhou You always kept in the car—partly to boost visibility, partly to offer small favors.
It was just that *A Bite of China* hadn't aired yet. Once it did, the area's fame would grow, making it easier for him to introduce things. Not to mention, that documentary was practically known by everyone in the country.
After getting out of the car, Zhou You introduced both sides, focusing on introducing his eldest and second cousins to Professor Li, as they would be the ones handling future coordination.
After a brief chat, Professor Li led the students to the site. Everyone followed behind.
As they walked, Professor Li observed, "This place is great—mountains, water, and plains. It allows for diverse farming methods. Chickens, ducks, geese, and fish can all be raised, complementing each other. We could also grow some fruits and vegetables."
Zhou You accompanied him, adding, "Right now, rural land is cheap, and hilly terrain is even cheaper. We've leased it for 70 years, including the fish ponds and some abandoned land. We plan to lease all of it."
Professor Li had spent decades in this field. Having a blank canvas to realize his ambitions filled him with passion. Previously, he'd only been patching up others' foundations, which was frustrating.
As they walked, he pointed out where to build sheds, where to store feed, where to dig a well, and where to leave space for rotation. His students, along with the eldest and second cousins, jotted everything down.
After surveying for half a day, Professor Li felt confident. With financial support, there was great potential. His years of connections, knowledge, and resources could finally be put to the test here.
At noon, everyone was arranged to eat at Zhou You's house, where his sisters-in-law had already prepared the meal.
When Professor Li and the students arrived at Zhou You's home, they were envious of its countryside-villa-style decor.
"Professor Zhou, this is what I call living—so comfortable. I've never seen a countryside villa like this before," one remarked.
"You're too kind, Professor Li. This was my first build, and it's not perfect. The land is limited. For now, please make do at my place. Once everything's set up, I'll build a bigger countryside villa specifically for you and the students to stay in temporarily."
Zhou You genuinely meant it. If the business grew and clients came without proper lodging, it would be awkward.
After the meal, with everyone present, Zhou You brought out the investment agreement. Everyone reviewed it, found no issues, and signed.
Once signed, Zhou You said, "With Professor Li on board, we're sure to succeed. To make it last, we need standardized operations. Daily management and organic farming will rely on Professor Li's oversight. Logistics and support will mainly fall to my eldest and second cousins."
Seeing no objections, Zhou You continued, "Though we're all shareholders, we're in the startup phase with no income yet—pure investment. Salaries will be based on the average wage for migrant workers: 4,000 yuan a month. Professor Li gets 8,000 yuan a month. Since the students aren't permanent, we'll pay 150 yuan per day as a stipend."
Li Baoyin was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected Zhou You to be so generous. The salary exceeded his university professor's pay, and the students would get stipends too, saving him from subsidizing them. Yet he felt undeserving, given there were no results yet.
He couldn't help interjecting, "My salary is too high. I should be the same as everyone else—no need for special treatment."
"You're too modest, Professor Li. Your skills and expertise deserve this pay. Once their abilities improve, their salaries will rise too. Besides, we're all bosses here, relying on dividends. This money is just for daily expenses."
The students were delighted. They'd expected to work for free again, but now there were stipends, likely paid directly to them.
Zhou You had his reasons. To build something lasting, he needed professionals. Offering better pay might attract a student to stay after graduation, which would greatly benefit their farming operation.
Finally, Zhou You added, "After this, I won't be involved anymore. I'm busy with other things. You all can discuss and decide among yourselves."
Zhou You had no desire to micromanage. Dealing with a mess of trivial issues was exhausting, and even if it turned a profit, how much could it be?
If it truly took off, annual net profits could reach millions.
No one objected. After all, Zhou You had made this clear from the start. Bringing in an expert professor was already enough.
If they couldn't handle the rest, it was on them. No one else to blame.
"Professor Li, do you have a car? If so, we'll reimburse your travel expenses. If not, we'll buy a few vehicles later for daily use," Zhou You said, wanting to cover all bases so he wouldn't have to worry later.
"I have a car—I'm often out and about. Later on, we'll need vehicles for the farm, both for people and goods. But that can wait," Professor Li replied without pretense.
Seeing that a professor from the provincial capital's university had joined, Zhou You's parents felt reassured. Otherwise, a makeshift team would have been unsettling.
As long as his parents held the financial reins, Zhou You wasn't worried about major issues.
Li Fengying was doing the math for Zhou You: "Rural land is cheap—a few hundred acres of hills and abandoned land costs just 50,000 yuan a year. But hearing Professor Li talk, my head aches. It's going to take so much more money."
"And I have to pay them salaries every month? How can I manage that?" Li Fengying looked distressed.
Zhou You thought it over. With Professor Li on board, they couldn't stay too makeshift. His mother, a rural woman with little education, truly couldn't handle this.
But for a newly founded rural enterprise, where could they find an accountant?