My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 518 The Extreme of Using Every Means
This means that Wei Dong would definitely not get involved in the construction, real estate, or highway development of the counties and districts under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city.

These are all notorious infrastructure disasters.

If you don't involve locals, you'll definitely face a lot of reports, complaints, and obstruction. If you do get involved with locals, then you'll be eating the big fish.

However, investments in tourism projects are much more discreet and independent.

For example, the Shangzhou tax authorities must know some of the advantages and disadvantages of this cableway project.

Anyway, those who have visited the site and come into contact with the relevant operating costs have all talked about how it might be better if it were simpler.

In short, the idea is to avoid making it too high-end, lower costs at each stage, and cheaper ticket prices, which might lead to better business.

Given this historical juncture, Weidong was instructed to directly utilize his own elevator factory to solve this problem.

I called this morning and asked. It's a single-line circulating fixed-grip chairlift passenger cableway, which is the kind where you sit in a long chair for two people and sway and climb in the air. The technical difficulty is very simple.

You can find relevant information at factories that manufacture cable elevators, and the cost is low.

Later, those gondola-like structures were mainly for safety, and the thrill of climbing steel cable bridges was lost.

We're out having fun, and we're already here, why not do something exciting?
Therefore, Wei Dong is confident that by following this project, he can drive the development of a large number of similar tourist attractions.

The final contract signed with Shangzhou City for the Shangzhou Tourism Development Corporation is more like a commitment to tourism development in the Shangzhou area.

He was not required to pay the contract fee to Shangzhou City, but promised to invest 10 million yuan in tourism resource development projects within ten years and no less than 100 million yuan within fifty years.

This includes, but is not limited to, the Three Gorges Scenic Area. As long as it is within the administrative region of Shangzhou City, it can be coordinated with local tourist attractions for development.

They do not monopolize scenic areas or market, but they have the right to reject suggestions on the planning and design of scenic areas involving investment, and can propose to hold hearings.

For example, Wei Dong cited West Second Street in Shangzhou City as an example. It has a very strong European style and is a hodgepodge of various styles brought together by foreign cultures and religions over the past hundred years, making it particularly charming.

But this one street, like the Bund's collection of international buildings, is used in a chaotic and disorganized manner.

It has absolutely no effect on tourism consumption.

Therefore, it is certain that no more modern buildings will be allowed to be built on this street, and efforts will be made to repair and maintain this distinctive street.

We strive to create a collection of international architectural styles in Shangzhou.

The simplest solution is to build a new building in the new city area and then exchange it with the West Second Street area.

The residents and businesses here are gradually being relocated to the new city. West Second Street is now part of the tourism development company's landscape project.

As for how to manage the new West Second Street, develop it into a popular tourist attraction, or attract more film and television production fees, that's all the responsibility of the tourism development company.

It will definitely boost the income of residents in the surrounding area.

It's purely extra income.

The senior leaders could all sense that Wei Dong was learning and making rapid progress.

Because even if his own glass food factory building is a one-time exception, at least he didn't demolish any historical buildings.

He admitted that it was only when a TV drama crew came to film that he realized the street had preserved historical significance.

Of course, the national quality accumulated over three or four decades can easily change people's thinking. After having enough to eat and wear, people do start to think about having good taste.

The problem with Shangzhou is that its tourism resources are too scattered and sparse. There is a West Second Street here and a Kuimen Pass there, separated by tens or hundreds of kilometers, and they do not have a cohesive overall effect.

It makes it difficult for tourists to experience a single location intensively for several days, which makes it harder for them to spend money in one go.

If there's no ghost town or the Bridge of Helplessness, I'll throw a few dollars to buy a path for little ghosts, give Meng Po some sweet soup (not too strong), establish a connection with the King of Hell, or at least get acquainted with the eighteen levels of hell so they won't be too ruthless. In the end, I can buy some local specialty spicy chicken nuggets to take home—a happy ending for everyone.

Therefore, it will take a lot of effort to connect the tourism themes of the Three Gorges and the Three Kingdoms.

However, road construction can begin after the Spring Festival, with a pedestrian path being built towards the mountain peak opposite the Qutang Gorge.

This is all small change; it can be easily accomplished by mobilizing the labor force of an entire township.

Then, following the pedestrian walkway, they began constructing the first cable car route, which required an investment of millions.

If these two relatively low-investment projects work well together, then we can begin large-scale preservation, renovation, and relocation work in the "ancient city and town".

This disguised real estate project is the core of Wei Dong's entire strategy.

It not only helped preserve many old buildings and streets in Shangzhou that later became valuable for tourism, but also stimulated a large influx of labor into the surrounding areas. It's definitely not as eye-catching as road construction or building new residential complexes.

They quietly accumulated assets under the guise of tourism investment.

Furthermore, the fact that assets in inconspicuous urban and rural areas are excluded from the total asset calculation clearly involves a significant social impact on improving people's livelihoods.

Xiaodie is a witness to the agreement. At this time, there is no tourism bureau or related department in the prefecture-level city. Just two years ago, it belonged to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!
It's not even a tourism company. The Urban Construction Bureau manages landscape architecture, the Forestry Bureau has jurisdiction over cutting down trees to build viewing platforms, and the Culture Bureau approves temples and historical sites involved.

Many domestic scenic spots are embroiled in disputes over this issue, with the most famous ones arguing the most fiercely.

Therefore, the local government should take charge and, before things take off, make the decision directly to the newly established tourism development corporation to have a say, while cultural relics units, forestry units, and urban construction units play a supervisory role.

After getting Wei Dong to sign such a huge agreement, they didn't invite the relevant departments to a feast. Instead, they took the kids to the nearby city center park to climb the mountain and visit the eccentric Taoist priest.

Instead, they brought two jugs of wine, a bag of New Year's goods, and vacuum-packed snacks.

The old Taoist priest could tell something was wrong with the child as soon as he saw him, so he led him to his dilapidated Taoist temple at the foot of the cliff to perform a ritual.

In their jargon, it means that something unclean has clouded the child's senses and spirit.

Wei Dong was persuaded to cooperate in accordance with the professionalism of the martial arts world. In the end, the Taoist priest drew a talisman and placed it in the baby's swaddling clothes, instructing him not to lose it.

When asked how much he charged for his sweat-drenched sword dance and chanting performance of intangible cultural heritage, the old Taoist priest replied that he had wine with him.

On that wooden, open platform on the cliff, we poured wine and enjoyed tea with spiced and salted offal.

After Wei Dong had tested the waters, he revealed his true purpose: "The scenic area where Baidi entrusted his son to the emperor already has some attractions, but that's not enough. It's not enough for tourists to experience and spend two or three days or even longer. Besides my plan to open a walking path to the top of the mountain and build a cable car up there, how about you build the path there, or anywhere nearby?"

The old Taoist priest understood the ins and outs of his investment and laughed heartily: "You are a really interesting and daring fellow. Anyway, everything can be used for your own purposes. As long as it can boost profits and allow more ordinary people to live a better life, you will stop at nothing."

Wei Dong was given a bottom line: "I won't break the law, nor will I flaunt my wealth and become a scapegoat. Rather than showing off in big cities, I'd rather use my earnings to improve these places. I'll start with the easier places to improve, and then move on to the remote mountains and forests. Actually, the poorest and most remote mountainous area in eastern Shangzhou is right next to Shennongjia, which is a good place to make a living. You can go and pretend to be a wild man, and I'll take a blurry picture from afar, hahaha..."

The old Taoist priest had already told Wei Dong to use any means necessary, but he never expected him to be this extreme.

He laughed so hard he could barely hold his wine glass: "You've shattered the mental state I've cultivated for so many years."

Let Wei Dong relax here. He held the child, chewed up some spiced pork intestines and fed them to her, then wiped his mouth: "Even if I avoid the big money-makers like those in county town construction and highway building, tourist attractions will still encounter all sorts of competition for interests. Religious places like Taoist temples can stand firm. I also believe in the Taoist priest's character. In the end, he only wants to boost the economic benefits of the surrounding towns and villages, rather than a tourist attraction with such a big name, stingily protecting itself to make a little money, without changing the surrounding villagers."

Even though it's close to the Spring Festival, there are still devout men and women coming to worship gods and burn incense.

Wei Dong couldn't understand what was so special about the rather shabby Taoist temple at the foot of this cliff.

The old Taoist priest didn't go to serve customers, but watched from afar and murmured: "People burn incense for wealth, but they don't know that wealth comes from good deeds. You are doing great good."

Wei Dong didn't hide anything: "Indeed, this is a huge fortune. I have the ability to make the whole country aware of this magnificent scenic spot, and to make it the most famous viewing platform in the country. In ten or twenty years, this place will be rolling in money, and I will have more money to improve more places, such as West Second Street..."

This is a typical demolition and relocation scheme.

Even if Wei Dong didn't tell the old Taoist priest that West Second Street, as a major street in Shangzhou City, is now worth much more than the elevator buildings in the new city.

Not to mention that after housing prices become more standardized in 20 or 30 years, the price difference due to location will be even more astonishing.

Based solely on the characteristics of West Second Street, he could explain the secret: "As long as the people who exchanged their houses for free accept the new houses over there, it means that I have obtained the property rights of these houses. These old houses have cultural relic attributes and basically cannot be demolished. In fact, the land is mine. In the future, I will develop this place into a themed street for tourism and catering, and the commercial value will increase many times over, at least ten times."

The old Taoist priest stroked his beard: "Impressive, you've seen right through my business acumen."

Wei Dong thought he had grasped the pulse of the times. Twenty years later, such a transaction would definitely involve land. Now, it was only because all parties were unwilling to talk about land sales for the next few years that he discovered the clues in his work.

Then let's seize this opportunity to expand.

"I don't have any business acumen. Since I'm already here, my way of repaying this era is to help more people live better lives."

The old Taoist priest looked at Rang Weidong as if he could see through the world and reach the depths of his heart: "Alright, I promise you, allow me to travel around these days to see the wonders of the world, and then decide where to build the Taoist temple."

Wei Dong followed the usual business approach: "I'll pay you this amount upfront."

The old Taoist priest leisurely turned his head and pointed to the hastily built "Taoist temple" at the foot of the cliff: "The place chosen by the True Martial Emperor will naturally be prosperous with incense offerings."

Wei Dong laughed and pointed to the wooden platform under his feet: "I want to make a beautiful viewing platform with glass, but that will cost money. In the end, the Taoist temple will be developed into a supporting facility where people can live and eat. It can't be bad. I'll leave you 20,000 yuan as start-up capital."

Jin Zhuoqun said he was going to ask a leader to write an inscription, and asked Wei Dong to give him only five hundred yuan.

This is about getting an autograph from the True Martial Emperor; what's 20,000 yuan?

(End of this chapter)