Chapter 319
“How much did 50 km cost?” Stephen asked.
“15 billion,” George answered.
Stephen was surprised. “Just 15 billion?”
“This is just the money used to purchase the required lands. The construction will be the most money–consuming part,” Julius explained.
A quick thought later, he said, “Julius, can you give us the room?”
Julius nodded and went out, leaving George and Stephen alone.
“Is he clean? Did he oppress the people and not pay them what it was worth?” Stephen asked anxiously.
George shook his head. “No. I have been following him and was there whenever Julius negotiated the price. The villagers seemed to be happy with the price he offered.”
Stephen felt relieved. He was afraid that the villagers were being oppressed.
Hill City had been chaotic back then. In addition to its steep mountainous roads, it became a hot spot for conflicts and battles, ranking top across the entire Riveria. If either one of the villages had a heroic tale of someone rising up against evil, then things would be difficult.
Stephen asked, “Then, what about him? What do you think?”
“We can’t jump to conclusions right now. We have to keep observing,” George said. He did not completely trust Julius yet. He was afraid that this might be a trick again. They simply could not afford another loss.
“Okay. Keep an eye out for him. If he’s acting strange, just do what you have to.”
George went out and informed Julius that the road construction could begin.
Stephen was busy with the survey results that he collected. The survey that Julius and he released was split into two stacks, and he had to go through them. He asked the staff to separate and categorize the surveys.
In the evening, he got a summary of the results.
The survey that he did was not much different from Julius’s. The only difference was that Julius’s survey was a lot more detailed. It even listed out the species options of trees and tea leaves.
After going through the summary, Stephen found out that only 40% of the people agreed with changing the tree species, 30% did not answer, and the remaining 30% disagreed
with it.
Chapter 319
+25 BONUS
“The rate isn’t that high. Thankfully, I did a survey this time, or else I might have caused trouble again by simply giving the order.”
As for the tree species, the survey also provided an answer. Julius’s survey pointed out that more than 70% of the surveyees chose pine trees and cypress trees.
In the survey question ‘If you were willing to change the tree species, what kind of tree would it be?‘, the most common answers were pine trees, cypress trees, and camphor trees. Stephen already had an idea in his mind, but to be on the safe side, he summoned a few wood specialists to consult them about the value of planting pine trees, cypress trees, and camphor trees. He also asked what kind of effect it would have on the environment.
In the end, after he confirmed everything, he called a meeting to set up some rules and announced that those who agreed to change the tree species would receive a little incentive. This would greatly encourage their willingness to change the tree species.
He did not force them to agree with the change and targeted those who agreed first instead while trying to persuade those who were uncertain of the change.
If he could push the percentage to 50%, then he believed it would be a successful policy. More than half of the population of the city would reduce the eucalyptus plantation, and it would alleviate the stress on the environment.
Once everything was set, he sent the proposal to Simon for checking.
Simon went through it and was happy with the research Stephen did. “You did well this time. You are prepared and your proposal seems good. It’s going to work this time.” He was pleased and relieved that Stephen had gotten more mature and reliable this time. Since his father gave him the green light, Stephen breathed a sigh of relief as well. He then contacted the companies selling the trees and made sure they were of good quality and condition before he helped them set up sales points across the city.
As he connected more people to the sales companies, the operation of changing the tree species officially began.
Today’s Bonus Offer
