"They are from the Winthrop Town Government. You have no right to yell at them." Hearing the man's words, Mayor Wallis Gock stood up, glared at him with an unhappy expression, and then said seriously.
"You..." The man faltered when his words were pushed back by Mayor Wallis. He looked at him angrily, but Mayor Wallis ignored him and walked toward Jiang Hai's side.
"Hey, Jiang, I'm sorry..." Mayor Wallis said helplessly, looking at Jiang Hai.
"It doesn't matter. It's just 250 million. I don't care much. Besides, we may not lose this easily." Jiang Hai patted Mayor Wallis on the shoulder. The 250 million was indeed a bit distressing, but in front of others, it was important to maintain his composure. Sure enough, after hearing Jiang Hai's words, six of the seven people lit up.
"Oh, this is Mr. Jiang! Hello, Mr. Jiang, my name is John Troup. You can call me Uncle John. I'm the director of our Tourism Bureau. We can discuss your Winthrop matters, but we don't have enough funds for the development of Cambridge. We'll need to exchange more resources for support. You know, we're not doing well." Seeing Jiang Hai enter, the previously arrogant white elderly man who had been sitting in the center of the group immediately stood up, walked toward Jiang Hai, and said with a smile.
He couldn't afford to be impolite. In the United States, it's really a world of the rich. If Jiang Hai decided to ease the pressure, let alone 250 million, even 18 million could be enough to secure the resources they needed.
"Sorry, I don't know you well, and my money isn't just for you to take. I'm not donating it to you." Jiang Hai, however, wasn't polite. He said it directly.
After hearing Jiang Hai's words, the faces of the seven people changed. It seemed that this rich man, Jiang Hai, wasn't easy to deal with.
"Well, it seems like we have nothing to discuss. The tourism resources in this state have always been in short supply, so, sorry..." The elderly white man shrugged and said with a smile, though it was clear his politeness had a strained edge.
"In fact, I don't care about your local resources at all. Don't forget, I'm Chinese. Do you think I lack tourism resources? Don't come begging me later." Jiang Hai smiled disdainfully as he stood in front of Mayor Wallis. He spoke lightly, and his words left the group with unpleasant expressions.
Truthfully, they had forgotten Jiang Hai was Chinese. At this point, everyone knew that Chinese people were the richest and the most willing to spend. If Jiang Hai were to organize a tourist group to China, they would be in big trouble.
"Well, Mr. Jiang, we're thinking that Winthrop is a place in Massachusetts after all. If we want to develop tourism here..." The woman who had spoken sarcastically earlier finally spoke up.
"That has nothing to do with you, just like your resources have nothing to do with us. We'll do what we want. If it's illegal, we'll follow the law and pay the taxes we should pay. Yes, the Tourism Bureau is a separate entity, but I don't need your resources. What can you do about it?" Jiang Hai cut her off before she could finish. He wasn't going to listen to her nonsense, especially from someone who wielded little authority.
They exchanged glances. It seemed they had no other options. What could they do without the advantage of resources? If no one supported the Tourism Bureau, they'd have no way of joining forces. Besides, Winthrop was a town with independent agencies.
Whether it was the town government, judicial court, or police station, they were self-sufficient. They didn't need the state's help. So, what could these people do?
"Let's go. I've already made the necessary contacts. There should be some news soon. What's the point of talking to these people if we're not discussing such a big issue?" Jiang Hai patted Mayor Wallis on the shoulder and then looked at the group with disdain. These people really thought they could hold power by relying on old, outdated resources. Did Jiang Hai care?
"But..." Mayor Wallis hesitated after hearing Jiang Hai's words. He was still old-fashioned in his thinking and wondered if the main customers should be local ones.
For example, would Chinese tourists really come all the way here? He felt uncertain as he thought about it.
However, Jiang Hai smiled knowingly. He understood better than anyone what would attract domestic tourists to the United States. Distance didn't matter—prices for things like ginseng, clothing, and lobsters here were enough to excite people. How much did lobster cost in China? People already knew the price there, but here... the difference was huge. How many food lovers could be drawn by that alone? And how much does American ginseng cost in China? Maple syrup? How sure are you that the maple syrup you bought is real? How much does it cost to play in the sea in China? Here, the price is something else entirely. And there's no comparison to the experience of shooting in a range with M16A3 rifles.
After years of staying in China, Jiang Hai knew how much the United States appealed to ordinary wealthy Chinese people.
So, he wasn't worried. Mayor Wallis could tell that Jiang Hai's confidence came from something more reliable than what he had considered. He decided to trust Jiang Hai for now.
The three of them walked out of the Massachusetts Tourism Bureau while Jiang Hai dismissed the seven people behind him.
After getting into Jiang Hai's car, Mayor Wallis still looked troubled. Jiang Hai knew there was little use in discussing it further.
It would be better to bring over a domestic group sooner. That was the key thing.
Starting the engine, Jiang Hai first drove Mayor Wallis home, then dropped off Cindy Clive.
"Jiang, I really trouble you this time," Cindy Clive said, stopping before getting out of the car. She bit her lip and looked at him. Her trouble wasn't because of what Mayor Wallis had said—she and Wallis were only acquaintances. She was speaking for the town, though. If tourism succeeded, the biggest beneficiaries would be the residents of Winthrop, as well as Jiang Hai.
"Don't worry. Have I ever let you down?" Jiang Hai laughed. This wasn't even a problem.
"Well, I believe you," Cindy Clive said seriously, nodding. She smiled, got out of the car, and waved to Jiang Hai as she ran into the villa.
Jiang Hai smiled back, watching her go inside before driving off toward home.
At home, he immediately dialed Minister Qin's number. Despite his earlier arrogance, he wasn't entirely sure about the situation, so it was better to confirm things first.
Fortunately, Minister Qin was helpful and assured him that the contact had been made. A national travel agency was already organizing the first batch of tourists. The group should be leaving soon.
Jiang Hai then called the person in charge, who was polite and explained the situation. Though Minister Qin had arranged everything before Jiang Hai left China, the place wasn't well-known, and there were no photos to show. It was hard to believe that people could go shooting or take a boat trip without any evidence. But even with that challenge, the agency had still managed to gather a group of 47 people in a little over a month. Among them were three individual tourists and a leadership team from a national enterprise who wanted a quiet vacation.
After confirming the details, Jiang Hai felt relieved. He was confident about both himself and Winthrop. The first batch of tourists had been secured, and more would follow. He knew that once these tourists returned, others would come as well.
With everything confirmed, Jiang Hai called Mayor Wallis, who was still at home, sighing. He told him the first batch of 47 tourists would be arriving the day after tomorrow.
When Mayor Wallis heard how quickly Jiang Hai had arranged everything, he was stunned, then laughed. He hadn't expected Jiang Hai's influence to be so far-reaching. Just that morning, he had doubted anyone would come, but now he learned that Jiang Hai had already secured the first batch of tourists.
If Jiang Hai knew what Mayor Wallis was thinking, he'd probably just laugh. After all, it wasn't really Jiang Hai who did it; he had just happened to catch the opportunity. If he really had that much power, he wouldn't still be buying oil futures.