Chapter Thirty-Four: I Want to Buy Shiniu Mountain

Although Fan Tiantian had always been polite, the sense of control she exuded created a significant distance. Still, her visit reminded Wu You that he should begin implementing his Mount of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor plan as soon as possible.

His project involved land contracting, afforestation, ecological maintenance, wildlife protection, estate construction, and some open tours. Wu You searched online to see which departments he’d need to get approvals from, only to find that he’d have to run to a whole slew of different bureaus.

He decided to start by filing his case at the District Municipal Construction Bureau and then find a reliable agency to help him navigate the government offices.

Putting thought into action, Wu You drove his Maybach straight to the district construction bureau. After parking, he walked toward the service window.

By the time he arrived, it was already four o’clock, and to his dismay, a long line had formed at the counter. It took five minutes just to process a single person.

He moved to the consultation desk, where a civil servant was typing away at a computer.

“Hello, I’d like to ask how long it usually takes to approve a land contract plan or land purchase and development?” Wu You inquired.

The staffer glanced at him and replied slowly, “You should go to the Land and Resources Department for that. Why ask me?”

“But my project involves urban planning, so I figured the Municipal Construction Bureau would also need to approve it.”

“What kind of project is it?” the staffer asked indifferently.

Though Wu You disliked the clerk’s evasive attitude, he didn’t hide anything. “I’m planning to purchase the land use rights for the entire Shiniu Mountain next to XS District to develop an ecological reserve and build a manor.”

“The entire Shiniu Mountain?” The clerk was stunned, then said, “You still need to go to the Land and Resources Department for a mountain land contract. You’ll also have to negotiate with the surrounding residents.”

“Wait a second!”

“You said you’re building an ecological reserve?” The staffer’s tone suddenly grew animated.

Wu You found this odd. Was his project forbidden?

“That’s right,” he replied.

“Does that mean you’ll be planting trees and greening the area?” the clerk asked eagerly.

Wu You almost laughed. “The mountains around Xiaoshan have been almost entirely deforested. Only a few trees and dead grass remain. Of course I’ll reforest if I’m building an ecological reserve.”

“Are you an individual or a company?”

“An individual.”

“Are you serious? We’re talking about two thousand hectares—nearly thirty thousand mu of vegetation. Falsifying funding for approval is illegal!” the staffer cautioned.

Wu You thought today was truly odd. Usually, service windows would answer questions perfunctorily and push off responsibility. But today, it was the opposite.

“Of course they’ll verify funding during the approval process. If it’s not real, I can’t fake it. Since I can’t handle it today, I’ll just come back tomorrow and check with the Land and Resources Department,” Wu You said, planning to head home.

“Please wait, comrade. I need to report to my supervisor!” The clerk sprang from his seat and dashed away.

Clerk Xiao Li hurried straight to his supervisor, Section Chief Wu, blurting out before the chief could speak, “Chief, there’s someone outside wanting to develop a two-thousand-hectare ecological greening project!”

“What!?” Wu Dan shot up from his seat.

…

After several minutes with no one attending to him, Wu You was considering heading home when a thin, middle-aged man swept energetically out, followed by the same clerk from before.

“I’m Wu Dan, section chief. You’re the one planning to develop two thousand hectares of mountain for ecology?” Chief Wu realized halfway through he didn’t know what to call Wu You.

Seeing how young Wu You was, a look of doubt crossed his face.

Wu You thought that now an official was involved, things might take a different turn. “Hello, Chief Wu. My name is Wu You. Yes, I do have such a plan.”

“Are you able to verify your funding? A project of this scale would require at least one or two billion yuan,” Chief Wu said with hope, fearing Wu You was just joking.

“What do you need for verification?” Wu You wasn’t worried; he had enough funds in his bank account, and such projects could even apply for loans. All the documents were his.

“Bank account and identification,” Chief Wu replied.

Without hesitation, Wu You handed over his documents. Following Chief Wu’s gesture, he went with them into the inner office.

The district bureau had a direct verification channel with major banks, connecting straight to Wu You’s dedicated private banking service.

By now, Chief Wu was half convinced. Only truly wealthy clients had round-the-clock private banking service.

In fact, Wu You himself didn’t even know he had a private banker; since receiving his deposit, he’d never visited the bank or answered any calls, and he habitually ignored anything resembling sales or insurance calls.

Once Wu You agreed to the verification, the bank confirmed his funds were solid.

Chief Wu could hardly contain himself. Shiniu Mountain wasn’t just a solitary peak; it was a cluster of hills around Qiantang. The exact area was unclear, but it definitely approached thirty thousand mu—almost twenty million square meters. That amount of greening would more than fulfill not just the XS District’s quota, but all of Qiantang’s.

Turning to Wu You, Chief Wu said, “Comrade Wu, please wait here. I’ll report to my superiors. Your application will be given top priority.”

“But it’s already four-thirty. Won’t you be off work soon? Maybe I should come back tomorrow?” Wu You glanced at his watch.

Chief Wu, fearing Wu You might not return, was determined to settle matters today. “No, no, Mr. Wu. Your project supports ecological protection for all of Qiantang and is a key priority. The city bureau has repeatedly emphasized making things convenient for outstanding entrepreneurs like you. Please wait a moment. Xiao Li, make some tea for Mr. Wu.”

Before Wu You could reply, Chief Wu sped upstairs.

…

Liu Ming was reviewing the overall development plan for XS District. The existing greening projects were marked by a few pitifully small red circles.

A sudden burst of knocking came at his door.

“Director Liu, it’s me, Xiao Wu. I have urgent news to report!” Wu Dan’s impatient voice came through.

Liu Ming frowned, thinking how flustered Wu Dan sounded. “Come in.”

Wu Dan entered and, without waiting for Liu Ming’s question, blurted out, “Director Liu, two thousand hectares! Two thousand hectares! There’s hope for our quota!”

“What two thousand hectares? Speak clearly,” Liu Ming snapped. Wu Dan was usually steady, but today he could barely form a sentence.

“Director Liu, it’s the greening quota. Someone surnamed Wu wants to invest over a billion yuan in an ecological manor and nature reserve. His funds have already been verified by the bank, and he’s downstairs!” Wu Dan took a deep breath and explained everything at once.

“What!? Take me to him immediately!” Even Liu Ming could not remain seated. The upcoming World Expo bid depended on fulfilling these targets. If they succeeded, Director Shi would qualify for promotion, and Liu himself might also move up.

Wu You was puzzled. With Qiantang’s economy, projects over a billion yuan shouldn’t be uncommon—so why were these officials so enthusiastic?

What he didn’t know was that while billion-yuan industrial and municipal projects were commonplace, few people “burned money” on ecological conservation, especially at such a crucial moment.

That day, Wu You became an honored guest at the municipal construction bureau. The entire application process and related procedures were handled overtime, and the bureau even listed all the necessary steps for him, promising to notify relevant departments in advance.

If any companies or individuals struggling with bureaucratic difficulties ever learned of this treatment, their jaws would surely drop.