Fifty million a day, trapped in the county town, can't spend it all.

The third day after the dinner.

All the approval procedures for the renovation of Moore Department Store were successfully completed, and Zhang Yang notified Ye Mei immediately.

Ye Mei was very efficient. She notified the renovation team to fly over from Hong Kong that same day, and the construction team started work early the next morning.

Zhang Yang stood at the entrance of Moore Department Store, watching truckloads of demolition equipment being transported inside.

From the outside, the building looks unchanged, but inside it has undergone a complete transformation. All the display cases on the first floor have been removed, revealing the previously hidden high-ceilinged space; the partitions on the second and third floors are being opened up, and the sound of workers using electric picks to chisel walls can be heard from inside the building, echoing in the open square.

Chen Rou ran out of the building with a folder in her hand: "Brother, the first floor is all demolished. Boss Ye said he'll start rerouting the water and electricity this afternoon and wants you to take a look."

Zhang Yang nodded and followed her inside.

The atrium on the first floor has been cleared out, and sunlight streams down from the glass skylight in the roof, illuminating the ground and making the entire space feel bright and airy.

Ye Mei was standing in the center of the atrium, holding a tablet computer and directing several workers to adjust their positions. Seeing Zhang Yang approaching, she turned her head and asked, "Mr. Zhang, how are you feeling?"

Zhang Yang looked around and nodded: "Open and spacious."

Ye Mei smiled and said, "This is just the first step. Once the floor is finished, the lights are installed, and the shelves are put in, the effect will be ten times better than it is now."

Zhang Yang nodded; he trusted Ye Mei's expertise.

thought for a moment.

He pulled Chen Rou aside: "Once the dismantling is finished, we'll start setting up the shelves. You need to coordinate with Sun Xiaomin's team. We need to sign the contracts for the first batch of suppliers as soon as possible."

Chen Rou nodded: "We're already in the process of connecting with suppliers. We started by contacting local vegetable and fruit suppliers. We talked to a few, and they were all very friendly when they heard that we were paying cash on delivery."

"Cash on delivery is the bottom line," Zhang Yang said. "Tell them that as long as the quality is up to standard and we cooperate long-term, we will add five percent to the market price."

"A five percent increase? Everyone else is trying to lower prices, and you're proactively raising them?"

"You can't get good products at low prices. What I want is a stable supply and stable quality. The difference is worth it. If I'm going to do something, I want to do it the best so that ordinary people feel they can get good value for their money and use it with peace of mind."

After leaving Moore Department Store, Zhang Yang asked Xiao Li to drive to the tea factory.

The tea factory is also making progress at the same time.

Li Yanting's recruitment is complete. More than 20 people have been recruited, including workers, warehouse managers, sales staff, and administrative staff, and they are currently undergoing training.

When Zhang Yang entered the workshop, a group of people wearing new work clothes were gathered around a drying machine, listening to an experienced worker explain the operating procedures.

The master craftsman's surname is Liu. He is over sixty years old and was recruited from a neighboring county by Cheng Kainian at Zhang Yang's request. He has worked at the tea factory for over thirty years and has excellent skills. He is responsible for leading some young people to make ordinary tea.

Zhang Yang didn't disturb them and stood by watching for a while.

Master Liu is explaining the temperature control of the drying machine: "Drying tea leaves is not about heating it up as much as possible. It has to be done in stages. The initial drying temperature is higher, and the final drying temperature is lower. If the temperature is not controlled properly, the whole batch of tea will be ruined."

Several young workers were taking notes diligently, nodding occasionally.

Zhang Yang stood aside, watching intently.

Li Yanting came out of the office at this moment, saw Zhang Yang, and quickly went to greet him: "President Zhang, the training is progressing normally, and we can officially start work next week."

"What about the raw materials?"

"We've already contacted several tea farmers and signed contracts. Fresh leaves can be supplied on time, but the quantity isn't large. Initially, we might only be able to use about 60-70% of our production capacity."

"It's alright, let's get started first, and expand later. By the way, have the workers' wages been paid according to our standards?"

Li Yanting nodded: "It was all clearly stated when the contract was signed that the probationary period would be paid at full salary. Some workers said they had never received such a high base salary before and asked if it was written incorrectly."

Zhang Yang chuckled: "What's wrong with it? This is our standard."

"I've already told them to focus on their work."

"Once they receive their wages, our workforce will only continue to grow, and we need to expedite the acquisition of raw materials."

"clear!"

Zhang Yang had just returned to his office from the workshop when Cheng Kainian called.

"Mr. Zhang, the meeting is set. It'll be this Friday morning at 9:00 AM in the conference room on the third floor of the county cultural center. All the experienced workers from various townships who were contacted will be there; there are thirteen of them in total." Cheng Kainian's tone was excited. "How are your preparations going?"

"No problem, I'll be there on time."

"Oh, right," Cheng Kainian lowered his voice, "this time there's a successor named Lin Qiao, who is Zhou Mingyuan's last disciple. The old man is too old to come, so he sent her on his behalf."

Zhang Yang was stunned for a moment. Zhou Mingyuan's last disciple.

"Okay, got it."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yang sent Chen Rou a message: "I have a meeting at the Cultural Center on Friday. Keep an eye on Moore Department Store."

"clear!"

Two days later, on Friday.

Zhang Yang arrived at the county cultural center ahead of schedule.

The county cultural center is a small three-story building with white ceramic tiles on the exterior walls. The sign at the entrance reads "Mu County Cultural Center," but the lettering has faded over the years.

Zhang Yang walked into the conference room on the third floor. Cheng Kainian had already arrived and was setting up name cards with several staff members.

"Mr. Zhang, you're here early." Cheng Kainian greeted him.

"It's our first meeting, so I shouldn't be late."

Cheng Kainian handed him a list: "These are the thirteen masters who will be coming today. Take a look."

Zhang Yang took the list and glanced at it. It listed tea masters from various towns and villages, with their ages and specialties noted after their names. Most of them were elderly.

Last on the list is a young name: Lin Qiao, 26 years old, specializing in Sichuan red tea making techniques.

Zhang Yang glanced at the list a couple more times before returning it to Cheng Kainian.

People arrived one after another. First came two elderly people with gray hair, wearing dark blue jackets and carrying cloth bags. They were a little reserved when they entered and stood at the door for a while before coming in and sitting down.

Then came a few middle-aged men, dressed in ordinary jackets. They nodded to each other as they entered and found a corner to sit down.

Zhang Yang stood by the window, watching people come in one by one. When most of them had arrived, Zhang Yang noticed a young woman walking in through the door.

She wore a white cotton-linen shirt, jeans, flat shoes, and a low ponytail. Her skin was fair, and she looked neat and tidy, unlike the other masters who were reserved.

After entering the meeting room, she glanced around without looking at anyone, then went straight to an empty seat in the corner, took out a small notebook and a pen from her bag, and placed them on the table.

Zhang Yang glanced at her; this must be Lin Qiao.

Cheng Kainian glanced at his watch, walked to the head of the table, and cleared his throat: "Masters, it's time. Let's begin."

The meeting room fell silent.

"I've invited everyone here today because I have an important matter to discuss with you," Cheng Kainian said, turning to look at Zhang Yang. "This is Mr. Zhang from our county's Dawn Investment Company. He wants to talk to you about Sichuan Black Tea, an intangible cultural heritage."

Zhang Yang stood up, nodded slightly to everyone, then sat down and began in a calm tone: "Masters, my name is Zhang Yang. Some of you may have heard of me, and some may not. That's alright. I'm here today to talk to you about something."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across every face in the room:

"I want to make Sichuan-style black tea."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

An elderly craftsman with graying hair raised his eyelids slightly, his voice a little hoarse: "Sichuan-style black tea? Do you know how many steps are involved in making Sichuan-style black tea?"

"Twelve," Zhang Yang said with a smile. He had done his homework on these materials long before he even had these ideas.

"Withering, kneading, fermentation, and drying are the four initial processing steps; sieving, sorting, blending, and re-firing are the eight refining steps, for a total of twelve steps."

The old craftsman paused for a moment, then gave a thumbs up.

Zhang Yang continued, "I know that some of you here have spent your whole lives making tea, and some of you have inherited your skills from your fathers. You know more about tea than I do, so I won't talk to you about how to make tea. That would be like showing off my limited skills in front of an expert. What I want to talk about is something else."

"Sichuan black tea is a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage, and those of you here know more about it than I do. But how many people still know about Sichuan black tea these days? Most of the teas available on the market are from other regions, and no one is making authentic local Sichuan black tea anymore."

"I came back to open a tea factory not just to sell tea. I want to rebuild the Sichuan Black Tea brand and make it a calling card for Mu County. Tea is the root of Mu County. If this craft is lost, it will be impossible to get it back in ten or twenty years."

"I hope you can stay and work with me to make this happen. I'm not here to have you all work for me; I'm here to collaborate with you."