Chapter 29: Shrewd Tactics

“Honey, keep an eye on things at home. I’m going to the town’s Rural Commercial Bank to see Manager Ma,” Cao Shujie said to his wife, Cheng Xiaolin.

“Drive carefully,” Cheng Xiaolin reminded him.

All the application materials for the “Interest-Free Loan for Promoting Agricultural Development” had been prepared. Cao Shujie took the documents and drove straight to see the loan officer, Ma Changrong.

Ma Changrong was a middle-aged man in his 40s. Possibly due to work stress, the top of his head was already bald, and he was thin and wiry.

Seeing Cao Shujie arrive, Ma Changrong welcomed him in directly. “Mr. Cao, all the documents are ready?”

“Manager Ma, everything’s ready. There were a few certificates I needed from the government side, which caused a slight delay,” Cao Shujie explained.

Ma Changrong understood that government procedures were often tedious and time-consuming, so he didn’t mind. He took Cao Shujie to the credit office, brewed a pot of tea, and the two of them sat sipping slowly.

Ma Changrong asked for the documents. “Mr. Cao, have some tea while I go through the materials.”

“Sure, take your time, Manager Ma,” said Cao Shujie, now unhurried.

After sitting for a while, Cao Shujie noticed how quiet it was—besides himself, there wasn’t another soul in sight.

The Rural Commercial Bank mainly handled cash withdrawals, and little else.

Perhaps due to the rural setting, the demand for capital wasn’t as strong as in the cities.

Cao Shujie considered this observation, and overall, he saw it as an advantage.

Ma Changrong carefully reviewed each document, taking about 20 minutes before looking up, pleased. “Mr. Cao, I’ve gone through the documents—they’re all in good order. Next, we’ll bring in a third-party evaluator. Based on their assessment, we’ll submit for review and then disburse the funds.”

“Manager Ma, how much do you think I can borrow?” Cao Shujie asked.

Ma Changrong shook his head. “Mr. Cao, it’s hard to say—it really depends on the third-party evaluation.”

There was a lot of nuance involved. Cao Shujie wasn’t naïve about how the world worked, so he asked directly which third-party evaluation firm would be best.

“Manager Ma, you’ve seen my documents. This time, I’ve contracted 78 mu of mountain fields, plus the 7 mu I had before, for a total of 85 mu. My plans are all outlined—I’ll install a unified barbed-wire fence, dig a well in the mountain, rebuild the irrigation system, and cover other expenses that add up.”

“Assuming an additional cost of 4,000 yuan per mu, I’ll need at least 300,000 yuan in extra capital,” Cao Shujie laid it out in detail, intentionally inflating the cost projections.

He wasn’t foolish—since the opportunity was there, he intended to make the most of it.

He pulled supporting documents from his file folder as he spoke. “And that’s just the first year of initial investment.”

“Manager Ma, you know that when it comes to fruit farming, the first three years are all investment with little return. I have some capital of my own, but if I keep pouring money in long-term, I can’t sustain it.”

“Mr. Cao, you’re looking to borrow 900,000 yuan? That’s no small amount. Even if we find a suitable third-party evaluator, it won’t be easy,” Ma Changrong said, clearly troubled.

—

Seeing a stack of A4 paper and a pen in front of Ma Changrong, Cao Shujie picked them up, wrote “1,000,000” on the paper, and slid it over.

“I only need 900,000 to cover all the initial expenses. Once the yield comes in, repayment won’t be an issue.”

Ma Changrong looked at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected this young man—who still looked a bit green—to be so shrewd.

“Mr. Cao, that’s a significant sum…”

“I’ve already signed the contract and paid the first 100,000 yuan installment for the lease. It’s too late to back out—I might as well go all in,” Cao Shujie said calmly. “I can’t speak to other fields, but when it comes to farming, I’m confident.”

“Mr. Cao, I noticed you’re a graduate in agricultural science. There aren’t many young people nowadays willing to come back to the countryside to start a business,” said Ma Changrong, clearly moved.

Cao Shujie didn’t respond, and Ma Changrong continued, “This ‘supporting agricultural development’ loan was made precisely to help entrepreneurs in rural areas who lack capital. Your plan is sound and well-documented. It also has the potential to create jobs. I think it aligns perfectly with our long-term rural development policy.”

Hearing this, Cao Shujie smiled.

He knew the matter was pretty much settled.

As for the behind-the-scenes process, he wasn’t concerned. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. “Manager Ma, when are you free? Let’s grab a drink sometime.”

Instead of refusing outright, Ma Changrong replied, “Let’s wait until this matter is settled. I’m the kind of person who can’t enjoy anything until I finish my work.”

“Haha, alright. I’ll be waiting for your call,” said Cao Shujie, then left.

Watching him drive off in a Buick LaCrosse, Ma Changrong didn’t know which trim it was, but he knew the base model cost over 240,000 yuan.

Anyone who could afford that kind of car had to have something special. Ma Changrong was genuinely interested in forming a connection.

When Cao Shujie got home, it was mealtime. His father, Cao Jianguo, and eight others including Cao Zhenggang were already eating.

His mother, Wang Yuelan, wife Cheng Xiaolin, and daughter Mengmeng were there too. Mengmeng was chewing a piece of fatty meat, her mouth glistening with oil.

When she saw Cao Shujie enter, Mengmeng dropped her bowl and ran toward him. “Daddy!”

“Whoa there, Mengmeng! Slow down and swallow that meat first,” said Cao Shujie.

But Mengmeng ignored him and threw herself into his arms, smearing grease all over his pants.

“-_-||” Cao Shujie’s face darkened. He seriously suspected Mengmeng had done it on purpose.

Cheng Xiaolin doubled over with laughter at the sight.

Cao Zhenggang turned and saw him, chuckling. “Shujie, good timing. I was just about to talk to you.”

“Grandpa Zhenggang, what’s up?” asked Cao Shujie.

Grinning, Cao Zhenggang said, “Your house will be finished in about a week.”

“That fast?” Cao Shujie was a bit surprised.

But from across the table, Cao Jianguo said, “Shujie, it’s almost been a month. Your grandpa didn’t want to delay your move-in, so they never stopped working.”

Understanding what his father meant, Cao Shujie responded seriously, “Grandpa Zhenggang, once it’s done, let’s go have a drink at the ‘Fuxing Grand Hotel’ in town.”

“No need. Your family already treats us to good food and drink all the time. If we dragged our feet on the job, we’d be too embarrassed,” said Cao Zhenggang.

But Cao Shujie shook his head. “Grandpa Zhenggang, actually I have another favor to ask.”

“Go ahead,” said Cao Zhenggang, curious.

Then he heard Cao Shujie say, “You know I’ve contracted that whole mountain. I’m planning to raise some pigs later. I won’t be able to manage everything on my own, so I want to fence the area with barbed wire to keep the pigs from running off.”

“When you’re done here and have time, could you help me install the fencing? I’ll pay whatever the going rate is.”

(End of Chapter)