Chapter 16: Chapter 16

C16 – I’m Really Rich!

“I grew them myself.”

“The seeds are a family heirloom.”

“I have no parents…”

“Single…”

“Height: 180cm; weight: not sure.”

“I’ve never been in a relationship…”

As Zhao Yuegu continued to respond, he sensed that the interview was taking an odd turn.

Why would a professional journalist ask such off-topic questions?

“What does my being single have to do with watermelons?”

“The audience enjoys this kind of thing, but if you’re not comfortable with it, I can edit it out later.”

There was a sly glint in Ma Yabei’s eyes.

Zhao Yuegu felt the onset of a headache.

Was this really the renowned national reporter?

Had the program team not verified Ma Yabei’s credentials, Zhao Yuegu might have doubted her intentions behind the guise of journalism.

Nevertheless, Zhao Yuegu faced the camera and solemnly voiced the collective aspiration of his village.

“If we had a road connecting us to the outside world, Walden Village would surely escape poverty!”

Ma Yabei expressed her support.

The thought of a mountain without a road was indeed frightening.

Even with a road, she could still get lost.

But Ma Yabei considered leveraging her family’s influence to build that road for Zhao Yuegu.

It was all in the name of rural revitalization!

Certainly not to make her watermelon visits more convenient.

Zhao Yuegu recognized Ma Yabei’s ulterior motive and let out a sigh.

“Don’t underestimate the challenge of constructing this road.”

“The nearest existing road is just 30 miles away in a straight line.”

“But navigating the mountain terrain could stretch the journey to a hundred miles.”

“In some areas, frequent landslides wreak havoc on the paths.”

“The optimal solution would be to carve through the mountain and create a tunnel.”

At this point, Zhao Yuegu couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened.

Tunneling would require a massive shield machine.

The cost per meter could range from 4,000 to 8,000 yuan.

For a ten-kilometer tunnel, just the initial costs could soar to 40 to 80 million yuan!

And that doesn’t even factor in the expenses for paving the road and ongoing tunnel maintenance!

It seemed that Zhao Yuegu would have to pour his entire fortune, possibly over a hundred million yuan, into this project to make the road a reality.

The prohibitive cost and complexity were precisely why the county had abandoned the idea of building this road.

Relocating the entire village was deemed the most cost-effective poverty alleviation strategy!

Yet…

Zhao Yuegu’s family land had been enhanced by the system!

He was determined not to abandon it, no matter the cost.

He was prepared to invest his entire fortune to repair the road.

Only with the road completed could he leverage the system to increase his agricultural yield and, consequently, his income.

Upon hearing this, Ma Yabei’s expression turned gravely serious.

“The cost is exorbitant.”

“For just a handful of families in the village, no one would take on such a burden!”

“There must be a better solution.”

Ma Yabei pondered the possibilities.

“Don’t worry. As long as a shield machine construction crew is willing to take on the project, I can pay for it,” Zhao Yuegu assured, adding his piece.

The cameraman couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

Wealthy?

How many overpriced watermelons would he have to sell to afford the road repairs?

For the average entrepreneur, the expense of road construction was sky-high.

And here was a farmer, suggesting such a feat.

Even with his newfound fame and the generous donations from legions of fans, it was improbable that Zhao Yuegu could amass such a fortune!

Ma Yabei thought his approach was overly simplistic.

“I really am quite wealthy,” Zhao Yuegu insisted.

“Sure, sure, I get it—you’re loaded,” Ma Yabei responded, his tone dripping with condescension, as if humoring a child.

Zhao Yuegu could only shake his head in resignation.

Clearly, no matter how much he tried to explain, Ma Yabei and the rest remained skeptical.

“If anyone is willing to undertake the construction, please reach out to me.”

“Alright, shall we exchange WeChat info?” Ma Yabei suggested, waggling his phone with a twinkle in his eye, clearly implying more than he said.

“I don’t use WeChat.”

“What about a phone?”

“Don’t have one.”

“There’s got to be a public phone, right?”

“We don’t even have electricity in the village.”

“…”

Ma Yabei was on the verge of tears.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He felt as though he and Zhao Yuegu were from entirely different eras!

Yet, despite the potential for a cultural disconnect, their conversation flowed surprisingly well.

It was just Zhao Yuegu’s perception of wealth that seemed a bit skewed.

But what can you expect? A villager from a remote mountain hollow, untouched by urban splendor, could only have a limited understanding of money.

Ma Yabei and her colleagues stopped discussing the issue with Zhao Yuegu.

They were skeptical that even with the exposure from the program team and journalists, and despite Mr. Watermelon’s significant online presence, the project’s success seemed unlikely.

The road was a tough one to pave, literally and figuratively.

Ultimately, it boiled down to finances.

The cost of road construction was vastly disproportionate to the benefits.

Nonetheless, driven by their professional integrity, they made sure to publicize the villagers’ hopes.

Once back at the courtyard, Ma Yabei uploaded the edited video using the equipment she had brought along.

Zhao Yuegu reflected for a moment and grasped the workings of the communication device.

Unlike standard devices that depend on signal towers for transmission, Ma Yabei and the program team’s equipment operated via satellite.

Satellites could reach any corner of the globe.

Their only flaw was the potential for signal loss during heavy rain, fog, or similar weather conditions.

Despite this, Zhao Yuegu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

“I should get a couple of these for my place.”

The footage Ma Yabei captured was swiftly delivered to the media office.

Once approved, it was uploaded to various short video platforms.

Short-form content had profoundly impacted traditional media, prompting them to adopt these platforms and amass a substantial following.

This particular story created an uproar!

“Watermelons with astronomical price tags? Are they truly worth it?”

“Yabei, the goddess, doesn’t lie. Could they be that tasty?”

“Is the villagers’ sole wish really to have a road leading out of the mountains?”

“No road, no electricity, no internet – life in Walden is unbearably hard!”

“It’s no surprise the route to the village is elusive!”

The video quickly went viral, drawing more attention to the impoverished mountain village.

Suggestions to start a donation fund to build the road began to circulate.

The backlash against Zhao Yuegu online began to subside.

As a reputable traditional media outlet, fabricating such a story was out of the question.

The plight of this secluded, impoverished village garnered immense sympathy from netizens.

Even the exorbitantly priced watermelons were now seen in a new light.

Wealthy philanthropists were ready to open their wallets to help Zhao Yuegu pave the way forward.

No one understood the challenges of repairing that road!

The Oakroe Group stood among the nation’s elite in tourism development!

Its market valuation soared past ten billion.

Yang Guang, seated in the chairman’s office, stumbled upon a short video during a dull moment.

His gaze lingered on the lush greenery and pristine waters behind, excitement growing in his eyes.

After delving into the details, Yang Guang rose to his feet, invigorated.

“Such an untouched natural habitat!”

“A Ming Dynasty ancient town with distinctive fruits!”

“It’s the perfect site for a new tourist hotspot!”

“This road, the Oakroe Group will definitely take on the task!”