C7 Madness

Everyone present was on edge, knowing that if anyone made a move, the group would split into two factions ready to fight.

Yang Chenxuan, however, remained calm and said, "We all rely on the Big Bay River for our livelihood, digging sand from it. We need to set some rules because without them, chaos will keep happening."

Wu Daxiang retorted sarcastically, "And who are you, a youngster, to be making rules?"

Zhou Jun immediately stood up, "Wu Daxiang, in terms of age, you and Xuan are peers! And Xuan is right. Without rules, people will keep blocking trucks, and one day, a truck heading to your place will get hijacked. Will you have the nerve to ask for it back then? You were the first to pull such a stunt!"

Wu Daxiang was too angry to respond.

Yang Chenxuan continued, "Everyone involved in sand digging is here. Let's establish rules that everyone finds fair. Any objections?"

Silence.

"Since none of you are speaking up, I'll take that as agreement," Yang Chenxuan went on. "First, we'll set up a designated entrance at the riverbank for everyone to use. Each family will register their scheduled trucks, and we'll have someone at the entrance to verify the records. Trucks with reservations will be marked, and no one is allowed to stop them."

"If anyone does stop a marked truck and charges for loading sand, all the money must be returned to the truck's owner, and they won't get the river sand back."

Zhou Jun was a bit confused and asked, "Xuan, are you saying that if I book a car and your dad takes it, I can just ask him for the money and not worry about returning the sand?"

"Exactly!" Chenxuan replied. "And from now on, don't try to flag down cars in the middle of the road. Just wait at the entrance. There are too many cars on the road, and if something happens, our families will have to deal with the consequences."

"Who's going to pay the manager?" Wu Daxiang asked bluntly. "I'm not paying, that's for sure."

"Our family will cover it, two bucks a day," Chenxuan said, looking at Wu Daxiang. "Mr. Daxiang, you don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Wu Daxiang shrugged. "Why would I have a problem? Your family is paying, not me!"

Zhang Yuehua and Yang Xiuyuan were getting anxious.

"The kid's just talking, don't take it seriously!" Zhang Yuehua quickly interjected. Two dollars a day, sixty a month, isn't a small amount!

In the past, everyone would have dismissed it as just a kid talking, but Chenxuan's demeanor today made everyone see him as a real adult.

Everyone looked at Chenxuan, curious about his response.

Chenxuan knew this was something his parents wouldn't agree with, so he hadn't discussed it with them. Now that his mom was opposing it, he wasn't surprised and stood firm. "Mom, our family should pay for this!"

Zhang Yuehua glared at her son, frustrated. "Don't you know our situation? Even those with more money than us aren't stepping up, so why are you trying to show off?"

Yang Chenxuan, in his previous life, didn't learn much else but was quite good at making speeches: "Our family started the sand-digging business, so we kind of set the trend. Without proper management, situations like today will keep happening. Whether it's for our family's sake or for all the neighbors here, we can't skimp on that sixty dollars a month!"

"But if there's a management fee, everyone should chip in! Our family is struggling too," Zhang Yuehua thought her son was being foolish. So much money, just thrown away like that?

Yang Chenxuan didn't want everyone to contribute. If everyone paid the management fee, who would the manager listen to? Everyone who paid would want a say.

He wanted the manager to listen to him. By covering the two dollars himself now, he could ensure the sand-digging by the river was regulated, and the villagers would remember his kindness.

Yang Chenxuan had his own plans but spoke with conviction: "Times are tough for everyone, and every cent is hard-earned. Paying a few bucks every month for management isn't easy. I made some money writing this month, so I'll cover it myself as a contribution to everyone!"

His words were so gracious that they made everyone present feel a bit guilty. After all, having someone manage the road benefited everyone, yet it was Yang Chenxuan's family footing the bill.

"How much can you really make? Writing those silly articles, and you even took five dollars from me!" Zhang Yuehua thought her son was being ridiculous and spoke with some urgency.

Yang Chenxuan estimated and said, "It's about five or six hundred!"

"Whoa..."

Everyone gasped in surprise.

Earning five or six hundred a month means making about twenty a day, right? While they were struggling to make five or six bucks a day, Yang Chenxuan could make twenty just by writing at home. How could they not be amazed?

Zhang Yuehua was also taken aback, looking at her son in disbelief. "Don't talk nonsense!"

Yang Chenxuan didn't even know if his submissions had been accepted yet, but he had to proceed with confidence regardless.

"Mom, don't worry," Yang Chenxuan assured with certainty. "The magazine has already replied to me. The money will be here by next month at the latest."

Next month, once the machines are bought, he's confident he can expand and succeed. Whether he gets that five or six hundred isn't crucial!

The villagers were buzzing with excitement. If he could earn so much from writing now, the future seemed limitless!

While Yang Chenxuan's academic achievements might seem uncertain, his ability to make money from writing was a clear demonstration of his talent. To the villagers, if he could make a living writing books, he was bound for success!

Suddenly, everyone had their own little plans.

"Yuehua, you're right, we should all chip in for this!"

"Xuan's idea is great, I'll contribute too!"

"This is money well spent."

Everyone expressed their willingness to contribute to the management fee. They figured it was a good time to show support, just in case Yang Chenxuan became successful and they could benefit from it in the future.

Everyone benefits from this situation anyway.

Yang Chenxuan firmly rejected the idea, saying, "Uncles, I know making money isn't easy for you right now. I'll cover the management fees for now. Once everyone starts earning more steadily, we can split the costs together."

Zhang Yuehua couldn't understand why her son insisted on paying this expense. Frustrated, she sat down heavily and stayed silent.

Wu Daxiang gave Yang Chenxuan a thoughtful look, wondering if he should temper his own attitude. If Yang Chenxuan truly became successful, it wouldn't be wise to have been on bad terms with him. After all, Yang Chenxuan was already making a decent income from writing, which seemed like a remarkable achievement to someone like Wu Daxiang.

After confirming he'd handle the management fees, Yang Chenxuan continued, "As for the sand excavation area, it's about six or seven acres. We should lease the whole thing and then sublease it out. It'll make management easier. Otherwise, if it turns into a full sand field with a few patches of farmland in between, it'll be a hassle."

"Lease the whole thing?" Everyone was shocked. "Are we all going in together?"

They hesitated, knowing that leasing such a large area would cost a lot annually.

"No, going in together would complicate management. We should recommend one person to take on the lease, and we can all support them in negotiations." Yang Chenxuan glanced at Wu Daxiang. "Mr. Daxiang, how about you take the lead and lease it?"

Wu Daxiang immediately shook his head, almost letting a curse slip out. After stammering a bit, he said, "I'm not interested. I just need a small plot to store sand. Why would I want to take on such a big area?"

Yang Chenxuan knew Wu Daxiang wouldn't be interested in taking on the lease, and he figured no one else present would be either. He asked a few more people, but none were willing, though they were more tactful in their refusals than Wu Daxiang.

However, Yang Chenxuan wanted to lease the land. If he planned to expand in the future, he needed enough space to store sand. Owning the lease meant he could manage it his way, without worrying about others hiking up the price later on.

After asking around and getting no takers, Yang Chenxuan finally said, "Since no one else is interested, I'll take the lead and lease it myself. I'll lease all the land from you, and if you need any, I'll sublease it back to you at the same rate."

That didn't change anything!

Wu Daxiang couldn't help but ask, "I have about 0.2 acres. If I lease it all to you, and I only need 0.125 acres for sand storage, you'll pay me rent for the remaining 0.075 acres?"

"Exactly!" Yang Chenxuan nodded.

Crazy!

Everyone thought Yang Chenxuan had lost his mind!