Rebirth of Hong Kong Island, leading the technology war

Chapter 641 Money is still a big problem; the resort is actually having a carnival.

Because the sea conditions around Tenglong Island are indeed quite complex, even though the major geological structures on the seabed are relatively stable, details such as determining the specific boundaries of land reclamation, calculating the volume of earth and stone, and assessing the impact of different schemes on water flow require careful checking and adjustment, leaving no room for carelessness.

Although Hu Jiangshan did not have a formal background in marine engineering or civil engineering, he was still able to clearly see various potential risks in the planning scheme thanks to the powerful visualization function and risk assessment module provided by the central computer.

For example, if the location of the land reclamation is slightly off, or the design angle of the dike is not reasonable enough, the newly created land may become unstable or even partially collapse under the long-term erosion of the waves.

This is somewhat similar to an international airport built on reclaimed land by an island nation, which reportedly requires huge sums of money for maintenance every year due to ground subsidence. Hu Jiangshan doesn't want the land he created at such a high cost to face the same exorbitant maintenance costs in the future.

"Finally done!"

Hu Jiangshan let out a long sigh of relief and muttered to himself. He checked the entire plan one last time, and after confirming that it was correct, he solemnly pressed the "OK" button on the system, clearly marking the finalized reclamation area on the global planning map of the central computer.

The sea area he chose is right next to the east side of the existing space launch site. It is an open sea area with a relatively suitable water depth and a certain buffer distance from the main island, so it will not affect the ecological environment of the core scenic area of ​​Tenglong Bay and the ecologically sensitive area.

If this area of ​​sea is successfully reclaimed, the actual usable area of ​​Tenglong Island will increase by a full five square kilometers!
This is definitely a very worthwhile land investment!

Next comes the most crucial step: activating the system's built-in land reclamation project evaluation program.

Hu Jiangshan set the evaluation parameters on the interface, took a deep breath, and pressed the Enter key.

The progress bar on the screen scrolled rapidly, and almost instantly, the evaluation results popped up and appeared in a new window.

Hu Jiangshan held his breath, his eyes quickly scanning the key information displayed on the screen:
[Infrastructure Project Name]: Land Reclamation (Eastern District Expansion)
[Project location in the sea area]: Confirmed (coordinate range)

[Area of ​​reclaimed land]: 5 square kilometers
[Estimated construction time]: 30 calendar days
[Estimated Funding Needs]: HKD 500 million
When Hu Jiangshan's gaze fell on the long string of numbers in the last line, he felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but gasp!
Five hundred million!
Although he was mentally prepared for the enormous cost of land reclamation, seeing the astronomical figure in person still put him under immense pressure.

For him right now, this is truly an astronomical figure that could make anyone's heart stop!

Hu Jiangshan is indeed having a terrible headache right now, and his temples are throbbing.

A funding gap of 500 million is not a small amount to be taken lightly; it is a real astronomical figure that can make people feel suffocated.

Hu Jiangshan quickly opened the mobile banking app and carefully checked the total available funds in all his accounts again.

The readily available working capital is only a little over 400 million yuan, which is tens of millions of yuan short of the estimated 500 million yuan funding requirement for the land reclamation project.

Not long ago, Hu Jiangshan had just received an advance payment from his long-term partner Wang Chengdong for a considerable amount of money due to some early infrastructure investments in Tenglong Island.

Now that the project is facing another funding shortfall, he's too embarrassed to shamelessly ask Wang Chengdong for a loan again. After all, owing too many favors is hard to repay later.

Of course, if he were truly forced into a corner and had no other choice, Hu Jiangshan wouldn't necessarily be unable to swallow his pride and beg Wang Chengdong again.

At worst, I'll just have to swallow my pride, say a few nice things, and make some promises about future cooperation.

The problem is that Hu Jiangshan feels it's far from that point yet, and he still has other cards to play.

Hu Jiangshan frowned and pondered for a moment.

He could actually go to his grandfather Hu Xiang or ask his father Hu Wenxin for help right now.

Recently, he has performed exceptionally well in the family business. Whether it is the steady development of Jiangshan Group or his outstanding performance at the board meeting of Hezhong Group, his grandfather and father have been impressed and full of praise for him.

Both of them have stated on different occasions that if he encounters any difficulties outside, he can consult them at any time, and the family will do its best to support him.

Hu Jiangshan believes this is not just polite talk, but a heartfelt expression of approval.

Given their close, blood-related relationship, there's really no need for them to say those empty, polite words.

But the key issue is that this time it's not a matter of a few hundred thousand or a few million, but a huge sum of tens of millions! Asking his elders to lend him such a large sum of money made Hu Jiangshan somewhat uneasy, and he didn't feel entirely confident.

Just as Hu Jiangshan was staring at the string of headache-inducing numbers on the computer screen, internally struggling and weighing the pros and cons, his cell phone on the table suddenly started vibrating and the screen lit up.

Hu Jiangshan picked up his phone and was surprised to see that the caller ID showed it was Kathryn Gates calling.

Why would she call me at this time?

Hu Jiangshan muttered to himself, subconsciously pondering the matter.

Has Catherine not left Tenglong Island yet?

She should have returned to the United States long ago according to the plan.

She's been on the island for quite a while now, surely she doesn't really consider Tenglong Island her home and have forgotten all about it?

Mr. Gus, Catherine's doting father, must be going crazy with worry after not seeing his beloved daughter for so long.

While these random thoughts swirled in his mind, Hu Jiangshan's hands didn't stop moving. He swiped across the screen, answered the phone, and greeted her in a relaxed tone, "Hello, Catherine?"

Catherine's pleasant, rhythmic English voice immediately came through the phone, though she spoke fluent Mandarin: "Good afternoon, Mr. Hu. Where are you now?"

Hu Jiangshan truthfully replied, "Coincidentally, I'm currently on Tenglong Island, having just finished dealing with some matters."

"That's great!"

Catherine's voice sounded pleasant: "I just received a tin of top-quality tea from a friend, and I'd like to invite you over to taste it. Would you do me the honor, Mr. Hu?"

"It would be too impolite of me to refuse a beautiful lady's invitation to tea," Hu Jiangshan said with a smile.

Catherine chuckled on the other end of the phone, her tone very easygoing: "It's not as serious as you think. If you're busy right now, or don't have time, we can reschedule for another day."

“No rush, no rush, I happen to have some free time right now,” Hu Jiangshan said immediately. “I’ll come find you right away. Are you in the resort office now?” “Yes, I’m in the office. Okay, I’ll wait for you to come over,” Catherine confirmed.

After hanging up the phone, Hu Jiangshan temporarily put aside his worries about raising funds, got up and left the infrastructure planning center, driving his electric commuter vehicle towards the core area of ​​Tenglong Island Resort.

A moment later, Hu Jiangshan arrived at the resort's brightly lit main entrance.

Hu Jiangshan parked his electric scooter in the designated parking area, and as soon as he got off, he was stunned by the scene in front of him.

Good heavens! It's only been a few days since I last came, and the resort is absolutely packed with people, more lively than I ever imagined!

Looking around, there are bustling tourists everywhere. Roughly estimated, there are at least two or three hundred tourists active in the resort at this moment!

The meticulously designed pedestrian shopping street was especially crowded, with people thronging the area. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and laughter filled the air, making it feel like a mini market. It was incredibly popular!

The most exaggerated sight was the huge central swimming pool area, which was packed with people like dumplings being boiled in a pot, with almost no empty water surface to be found.

Of course, most of the people splashing and playing inside were children, having a great time.

The adults, on the other hand, seemed to have more boundaries. Most of them chose to rest on the poolside lounge chairs or have a drink at the nearby bar, showing more restraint and not crowding with the children.

As Hu Jiangshan marveled at the bustling scene, he weaved through the crowd and walked up the commercial street.

Soon, he arrived at the entrance of the familiar Wolong Ice Room.

He peeked inside and saw the owner, Feng Chao, busy behind the counter.

Feng Chao, with his sharp eyes, spotted Hu Jiangshan standing at the door at a glance, and a surprised smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Oh! Young Master Hu! We've been waiting for you! It's been so long since we've seen you, we've missed you so much!" Feng Chao greeted him enthusiastically as he quickly walked around from behind the counter and warmly pulled Hu Jiangshan's arm to invite him into the store.

Hu Jiangshan was both amused and exasperated by his overly enthusiastic actions, and quickly said, "Chaozi, Chaozi! Don't pull me, don't pull me, I have something to do here, I'll come back to talk to you later."

Feng Chao, however, held onto his arm tightly, half-jokingly and half-seriously saying, "Young Master Hu, that's not very nice of you! You've come all this way, why are you thinking of running around? What could be more important than catching up with old friends?"

Hu Jiangshan had no choice but to explain, "I really have something to do. I have an appointment and I need to go up and meet with Catherine."

Upon hearing this, Feng Chao immediately gave a knowing smile, as if to say, "Oh! So you have an appointment with Ms. Catherine! You two aren't on a date, are you?"

"Get lost! That's nonsense! Don't make wild guesses!"

Hu Jiangshan quickly denied it: "It's just that we have some serious business to discuss."

In truth, Hu Jiangshan knew that there was nothing particularly important between him and Catherine that they absolutely had to discuss. This meeting was largely just a whim of Catherine's; she simply wanted to have a cup of tea and chat with him.

Just as Hu Jiangshan was about to turn around and continue walking towards the main building of the resort, Feng Chao grabbed him again: "Wait, wait! Young Master Hu, what's the rush? It's still early before the agreed time, isn't it?"

"I can't keep them waiting too long, can I?" Hu Jiangshan said helplessly.

"Hey! That's easy!" Feng Chao's eyes lit up as he came up with an idea. "How about this, why don't you invite Ms. Catherine to my little shop? I have some nice private rooms! You can talk business in peace, and order whatever tea or snacks you like—I have everything! The key is that we have a great atmosphere here, much better than sitting in the office!"

Hu Jiangshan listened, thought about it for a moment, and felt that Feng Chao's suggestion was not bad. Looking at the sea from Catherine's spacious, bright, but somewhat deserted office, although the view was expansive, it did lack a sense of human warmth.

In Feng Chao's bustling ice room, finding a quiet private room allows you to avoid outside disturbances while still enjoying the lively atmosphere outside. It's a unique experience to find tranquility amidst the noise.

"Hmm... your idea sounds alright." Hu Jiangshan nodded.

"Absolutely! I guarantee you and Ms. Catherine will be satisfied!" Feng Chao patted his chest and assured her.

So, Hu Jiangshan took out his phone, found Catherine's number, and dialed it. The call was answered almost instantly, and Catherine's pleasant voice came through the receiver: "Hello, Mr. Hu? Have you arrived yet?"

"That's right, Catherine,"

Hu Jiangshan said, "I have a suggestion. We're currently at Boss Feng Chao's Wolong Ice Room downstairs. He has some nice private rooms with a private atmosphere and a full range of tea and snacks. How about we meet and chat here? What do you think?"

After listening to the call, Catherine chuckled softly and readily agreed, "Sure, no problem. It's Mr. Feng's shop, right? I know it; it's not far from my office. I'll come find you now."

"Okay, then we'll wait for you at Wolong Ice Room."

Hu Jiangshan hung up the phone and said to Feng Chao, "She agreed and will be here right away."

"That's great!" Feng Chao's face lit up with joy.

He and Catherine are now close business partners, and creating opportunities for them to communicate regularly is very beneficial for maintaining their relationship.

Moreover, Kathryn Guise's background is extraordinary, and many people want to get in touch with her. Such an opportunity to meet her privately is extremely rare.

While waiting for Catherine, Hu Jiangshan and Feng Chao found a window seat in the store and sat down to chat.

Looking out the window at the bustling, almost overflowing crowd, Hu Jiangshan couldn't help but ask Feng Chao curiously, "Chaozi, why are there so many people at this resort today? Judging by the crowd, there must be over a thousand tourists, right? Can our resort's current guest rooms accommodate so many people?"

Feng Chao chuckled and explained, "There's definitely not enough room! But today's situation is special, so it's normal for there to be more people."

"Special circumstances? What circumstances?" Hu Jiangshan was even more puzzled; how could he, the island lord, not know?

"Our resort is having an island carnival today! There's also a big bonfire party and a swimsuit fashion show tonight! It's going to be a lot of fun!" Feng Chao explained.

(End of this chapter)