Chapter Sixty-Nine: Desert Villa (3)
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The Prodigal Son Without Ads – Chapter Sixty-Nine: Desert Villa (3)
Everyone’s eyes turned to Xiao Tianci, his face filled with disbelief—impossible, surely he was boasting. After all, the consensus among so many was unanimous: building a villa in the center of a desert, let alone the world’s largest shifting desert—how could such a venture possibly turn a profit?
How could his guess be wrong? Was Xiao Tianci truly resolved to undertake this absurd desert villa project? Was he out of his mind? Zhou Ao didn’t dare claim to be a business genius, but his ability to secure the second chair at Meihua, the world’s top Fortune 500 company, spoke for itself. Yet even he couldn’t fathom how this so-called desert villa could ever be profitable.
The investment would be enormous. As a technological powerhouse, Meihua had dabbled in real estate, but the profits there paled in comparison to those in their core business. In truth, if Meihua wished to make money, it would be simple—just launch a new product, raise the price from one-fifth the cost of similar products in developed countries, and the profits would be astronomical. But Xiao Lin had long ago handed over management, setting strict rules in this regard.
Seeing the crowd’s reactions, Xiao Tianci smiled, “Is it possible none of you can imagine it? You are all top talents—think about it.”
Everyone thought, if we could imagine it, that would be the abnormal thing. Who would buy a luxury villa in the heart of the world’s greatest shifting desert? What wealthy person would be willing to go there? The investment would be massive and violate all commercial logic. Could such a place even be built? Isn’t it like throwing money into the sea?
Seeing heads shake, eyes drop, faces blank or expressionless, Xiao Tianci turned to Zhou Ao. Zhou Ao gave a wry smile, apologetic. Xiao Tianci finally sighed, “Very well, let me explain. From space, our Earth displays four main colors: white, green, ochre, and deep blue. White is snow and glaciers; green is forest; ochre is desert, mountains, and plateaus; deep blue is ocean. Current satellite images clearly show the poles are blanketed in white, the Western Hemisphere—North and South America—almost entirely lush and green. But when we look to the Eastern Hemisphere, an utterly different scene unfolds. From west to east, more than half of Africa is buried beneath desert and barren hills; only a few central countries—Nigeria, Central Africa, Zaire, Tanzania, Madagascar—retain forested areas. Moving east, aside from the small continent of Europe, Malaysia and Indonesia on the Indian Ocean, a few provinces in Australia and China with concentrated forests, the entire Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Mongolia, most of Russia—all appear ochre. What does this signify? It shows that desert areas on Earth are expanding day by day, encroaching upon the African and Asian continents.”
Someone seemed to understand, “Boss, you mean to tackle desertification? If we succeed in combating it, that would be a leap forward. If we can reclaim land in the desert’s heart and build…”
Zhou Ao cut off the imaginative speaker, “Combating desertification isn’t a short-term project. Listen carefully to the boss.”
Rebuked, the man lowered his head, silent. Others, who had thought of relevant ideas, refrained from speaking. Xiao Tianci praised, “Good, to think of this so quickly. This is indeed part of our future scope, but such matters won’t need us to act—there will be others, just as there are for technology products.”
“I said all that to show how vast the desert’s proportion is, and its countless possibilities. I won’t list them all today; let me mention a few. Electric vehicles now command a large market, especially Meihua’s, which has broad prospects. But the energy problem remains unsolved. Desertified lands are mostly dry and flat. Harnessing the desert’s abundant sunlight, we can build solar power plants; wind energy can be used for wind power stations. These inexhaustible resources can replace non-renewable ones like oil and coal. For Meihua’s development chain, this is immensely important. If we seize the market in new energy, the future prospects…”
“Let’s talk about tourism. For this land of death—deserts—countless tourists around the world are fascinated. Desert tourism, especially in the heart of the desert, hasn’t really been developed. Tourism is about experience, not suffering or risking life, so we must provide the best service and enjoyment, while letting visitors witness the true majesty and allure of the desert. If we can achieve this, imagine how vast that market is. The desert villa project is the key—the treasure key—to unlocking this grand plan.”
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When Xiao Tianci spoke with Qinglong, he’d mixed truth and falsehood, much of it offhand. But discussing business operations and profit with these people was different. They were not ordinary, yet Xiao Tianci was confident he could persuade them.
He’d dreamed of these ideas with many friends, even studied them carefully—only lacking one crucial component. Now, in his current position, he could supply that missing piece.
Over ninety percent of what he said was absolutely correct, with any issues so subtle no one would suspect. That is a true lie.
Zhou Ao asked, “Boss, the key is this desert villa project. How exactly do we implement it?”
Xiao Tianci raised his hand and the chief steward handed him a cigar. Repetition shapes perception—Xiao Tianci needed people to hold the image of him he required.
He exhaled a plume of smoke, “Now, the wealthy crave novelty and excitement. They’ve played almost everything; even lunar travel is passé, a game for mere millionaires. If we launch something more fashionable, more extreme, wouldn’t it be appealing?”
Zhou Ao nodded; he was beginning to accept the desert villa project, once deemed impossible. Perhaps this wild idea could really…
“So, our desert villa initially targets this segment—not only wealthy individuals, but major corporations and even nations. We’ll have them all buying our villas.”
Seeing the crowd’s mocking disbelief turn to anticipation, Xiao Tianci felt a surge of satisfaction. He doubted the fish would resist the bait.
After tempting them, Xiao Tianci revealed the crucial point, “Currently, desalinated water suitable for human use is fairly expensive, but for ordinary purposes, it’s much cheaper. To survive in the desert, first solve the water issue. We can create lakes at each mansion. Imagine—surrounded by endless mountains of sand, yet living amid flowers, trees, birds, and fragrance. The wealthy can buy such a mansion; Meihua itself can operate these places. Aren’t such locations ideal for tourism?”
The audience was baffled, but after Will’s earlier incident, they were wary of their young boss. Zhou Ao, less confused, asked, “By your logic, it’s wonderful, but surely impossible to realize, unless—”
“Oh…” Xiao Tianci slapped his forehead, “How did I forget the most crucial part! After all that chatter, I never got to the point. Let the staff handle the other details; let’s talk key. The reason it’s possible is because we now have an energy shield. As described in old science fiction, a shield powered by magnetism and electricity—so we can build large power stations in the desert, supplying not only our needs but also selling externally. Now, reconsider my desert villa plan.”
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Everyone was stunned, their minds conjuring vivid images: within a protective shield rising from the desert, one could enjoy every luxury—breathe the freshest air, bask in sunlight, and simultaneously witness the swirling sands. Such a scene…
After this revelation, excitement stirred. They knew Xiao’s family possessed an advanced research lab, the foundation of Meihua’s establishment, so no one questioned the feasibility. As for other issues, Xiao Tianci’s answer was simple: If I’ve thought of everything, what’s left for you? If you could do it all, why would Meihua need so many employees?
Glancing around, he finally looked to Zhou Ao, “Now tell me—does this project have value?”
Everyone rushed to declare its absolute worth; this project was immensely valuable.
Zhou Ao was dumbfounded. Never mind the plan itself—even just the energy shield technology would elevate Meihua by several tiers. So many world powers were researching this; its prospects were limitless. In that case, the desert villa was certainly worth investing in—it almost felt like overkill, this…
While Xiao Tianci spoke, two people elsewhere were equally stunned. One, holding two jumbo shrimp—now only half-eaten—was delighted; the other, brooding, sulking in silence.
Together, they exclaimed, “Ah… Impossible…”
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Book number: 59897
Title: The Roaring Beasts. The world is mired in endless conflict: Alliance of Beastmen; Alliance of Sea Folk; Alliance of Humanity—three alliances define the world. Stepping through blood, striving for supremacy. Brilliant beast battles, a world of wonders, dazzling magic—await your reading!
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