Returning to the small mountain village of '86, intelligence updated daily.

Zhou Rui's method for acquiring tea trees was to rent them first and then buy them; it was simple and effective.

But when these words reached Zhang Chengyun's ears, they exploded like firecrackers. Not only him, but even Zhang Sheng, who had been sitting on the sidelines watching from the sidelines, was shocked.

What's he trying to do? Become the real boss? Just because of Zhou Rui? Just because of the Zhou family?

Not to mention that these saplings have all grown into mature trees now, even the seedlings from a few years ago, Zhang Chengyun had to get several friends to help him grow them.

It took countless hours of persuasion to convince these people to invest together.

But now, Zhou Rui says he wants to rent first and then buy...

Zhang Chengyun felt that Zhou Rui had gone mad, completely mad.

"Zhou Rui, do you know what you're saying? These saplings represent years of my hard work; they're not the seedlings they used to be. You want to devour them? Aren't you afraid of overeating?"

"With your family's current assets? You're not here to cause trouble, are you?"

Zhang Chengyun's tone became less polite. He felt that Zhou Rui was daydreaming, or that he planned to buy the seedlings at a low price from a few years ago. Wasn't that treating Zhang Chengyun like a fool?

Of course, there is another possibility, but if that possibility is true, then Zhou Rui has gone mad.

Another possibility is that Zhou Rui knew the value of these saplings and was prepared to buy them at the current price.

What was making Zhang Chengyun's head buzz was this: he couldn't figure out what this young man was thinking.

Zhou Rui had anticipated the tea farmer's reaction; he knew that his words would cause a huge uproar.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Sheng, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but interject.

"Such a big deal? Zhou Rui, you're not kidding Zhang Chengyun, are you? I heard your family couldn't even afford meat two months ago, and now you have so much money to do this?"

"Even if we sell the water deer, it won't be enough to buy the tea trees. You know, these are a full twenty acres of mature tea trees."

"Or... does your Zhou family have some trump card?"

Zhang Sheng was really curious; he now really wanted to see just how much trouble Zhou Rui could stir up.

At the same time, he was glad he hadn't left, otherwise there would have been nowhere to watch this good show.

Faced with their questions, Zhou Rui finally found an opportunity. He first addressed Zhang Chengyun:

"Boss Zhang, could you please refill my tea? It's almost empty."

Zhou Rui tapped his teacup slowly and then asked for tea with a warm expression.

Zhang Chengyun was speechless at his appearance, but he still got up, picked up the kettle, and poured Zhou Rui a full cup of tea.

Zhang Chengyun deliberately filled Zhou Rui's teacup to the brim, which was a very impolite act.

As the saying goes, "A full glass of wine is a sign of respect, a full glass of tea is an insult," so Zhang Chengyun's attitude towards Zhou Rui changed again. He felt that Zhou Rui had no intention of properly discussing business today.

Faced with this action, Zhou Rui remained expressionless, did not pick up the tea again, and then, without showing any emotion, spoke in the same tone:

"It's really not easy to get a cup of tea from you, Boss Zhang. But please don't be angry, Boss Zhang. Let me finish. I've come here with sincerity today."

"Go ahead and tell me. I don't have that much patience. I'll listen to you while I'm still willing to."

Zhang Chengyun stared at Zhou Rui, his impatience already beginning to show.

Zhou Rui spoke at a moderate pace, engaging in a leisurely and eloquent manner.

"Boss Zhang, please note that I said rent first, then buy. Right now, the tea plantation's profits are almost negative, right? If I rent your tea trees, it will definitely bring you positive returns."

"You should have no objection to that. So let's talk about the purchase. I just want to try it out and see if this batch of trees can bring me any profit in the future."

"As you said, I don't have that much capital right now, so I plan to buy three to five acres of tea trees first, and I will try to buy the rest next year."

"This is good for you and the people behind you. It will relieve your stress and allow you to save some money for retirement."

"Your only concerns are that I might change my mind or that I don't have the ability to do so. You can rest assured about this matter. We will have a written agreement and invite people from the village and town to witness it."

After speaking, Zhou Rui quietly looked at Zhang Chengyun sitting opposite him, who began to think.

What Zhou Rui said was all true and achievable. The only thing Zhang Chengyun was unsure about was one thing.

What makes Zhou Rui so optimistic about the future price of tea? He's been holding onto his tea for so many years with no results. Does he have some connections, inside information, or...?

Zhang Chengyun finally realized the most important point, and he felt that Zhou Rui's idea and actions of buying tea trees were absurd because of this.

However, no matter how hard Zhang Chengyun racked his brains, he couldn't figure out the specific reason. He was scared by the market conditions of the past few years and dared not gamble.

But Zhou Rui dared to take the gamble because he was still young.

This is the explanation Zhang Chengyun came up with for himself.

His vision never extends beyond the next few years. If it were Zhou Rui from his previous life, who was daring and enterprising, he would most likely have chosen to take on this project if he had the same amount of funds.

In short, fate played a cruel trick on Zhang Chengyun. He stood at the forefront of the times. If he had been in a different place, such as the coastal area, he might have taken off from there.

Unfortunately, this is in the southwest, where there is no sea.

As it stands, the right time, the wrong place, the wrong people, coupled with the lack of external support, led to Zhang Chengyun's failure.

He himself was clearly unaware of it, but Zhou Rui knew it perfectly well.

The tide of the times is sweeping across the land, and each of us is but a drop of water in it.

Whether it will ride the crest of a wave and forge ahead, or be swallowed by the sea and return to ordinariness, no one can say for sure.

Zhang Chengyun, Zhou Rui, Zhou Yong'an, Zhou Jian, and Zhou Shiwei—the lives of these individuals each represent an era, and the interconnectedness of their life trajectories forms history.

Zhang Chengyun admitted to it and prepared to apologize for his behavior.

Because he knew he was already out of the game, he didn't dare to gamble, and he didn't have the capital to gamble anymore.

"I'm sorry, Zhou Rui, since that's the case, let's do it your way. But to be honest, regarding the price of the tea trees, I've watched them grow over the years, so I don't want to sell them cheaply..."

"I hope you can understand, it's fine if you offer a lower rental fee..."

Zhang Chengyun was trying to negotiate a better price, since he now knew Zhou Rui was serious about buying and wanted to secure a better deal.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Rui's eyes sharpened, and his mind raced with calculations.

After a long while, Zhou Rui slowly stood up, propped himself up on the table with one hand, and looked down at Zhang Chengyun sitting across from him.

Zhou Rui was already one of the tallest people in the village. He was standing while the other was sitting, creating a height difference. A heavy and dignified aura was directed at Zhang Chengyun's face.

"The annual rent for one acre of tea garden is 25 yuan."

"120 yuan per mu of tea trees."