Rich and Arrogant

The land contract fee was relatively cheap, but in Huaguo, there was no private land; all land belonged to the state. Therefore, Chen Mo still needed to clarify the duration for which the land could be contracted.

"Uncle Delin, what's the maximum contract duration?" Chen Mo asked.

"The maximum contract duration for cultivated land is 30 years, which is the stipulated maximum. For hillside land, it might be negotiable, with lease terms ranging from 30 to 70 years," said Village Chief Chen Delin.

"Alright, I'll contract these fields for 30 years. For the hillside land, please give me the maximum duration possible, is that okay?"

"No problem, but a maximum of 70 years might require an increase in the fee, otherwise the town won't approve such a long term. Also, you can pay the contract fee annually," the Village Chief said.

"No need, I'll pay it all at once. That way, no one can find fault. How about this: for the 220 mu of fields and wasteland, I'll estimate 30,000 yuan per year, for a 30-year contract term, totaling 900,000 yuan. For the 860 mu of hillside land, I'll estimate 50,000 yuan per year, for a 70-year lease, totaling 3.5 million yuan. The total cost for all this land will be 4.5 million yuan!" Chen Mo said.

He paid the contract fee in one go, not because he was foolish and had nowhere to spend his money, but because he thought about the villagers. If he used the land well and generated economic benefits, it wouldn't be good if the village gossiped. So, Chen Mo offered a significantly higher price from the start, which would have no downsides. Ultimately, it was to save trouble and avoid future complications. He would pay more now to shut some people up; he was rich and could afford to be willful, there was no other way.

"4.5 million?"

"4.5 million, paid in full!"

"Are there any financial difficulties?"

"No, I had the land prepared when I returned, and I borrowed some from friends, so there are no problems."

"That's good! As long as you've made up your mind, do as you planned. If you encounter any difficulties, tell me. While Uncle Delin can't help with much else, he can help you with things like running for loans," Uncle Delin said. If it were someone else, he would never say such a thing. Loans required endorsement; it was only because they had a good relationship and he was his junior that he offered this, otherwise, don't even think about such a good deal.

"Okay! It's settled then. The contracts are ready, and we can sign them now. After you pay the contract fee, I'll go to town to file it, and then there will be no issues," Uncle Delin was also straightforward. Hearing Chen Mo's promptness and his seemingly inexhaustible wealth, although he had some doubts, he didn't show them. After all, if Chen Mo couldn't afford the contract fee, the village wouldn't sign the contract with him.

He opened the filing cabinet, searched for a few minutes, and then took out the land contract. After filling in the village committee's information according to the format, he handed it to Chen Mo, asking him to fill in some parts of the contract. These were standard contracts, but besides the duration and contract fee, there were also clauses that could be added at the end.

Chen Mo thought for a moment and wrote down the breach of contract conditions in the additional clauses. Unless there were force majeure circumstances, neither party could violate the agreed-upon content of the contract. Otherwise, the breaching party would have to compensate the other party with two hundred times the total contract fee as liquidated damages.

After Chen Mo wrote this clause, Uncle Delin looked at him speechlessly. After a few minutes of silence, Uncle Delin sighed.

"You'll need personnel to manage these lands, so prioritize people from the village," Uncle Delin said.

"That's not a problem, but the prerequisite is that they are willing to work and endure hardship. I won't keep idle people, and let's prioritize families in difficulty first," Chen Mo said.

Uncle Delin nodded, put the contract into the desk drawer, and said, "That's it for the contract! As soon as you pay the money to the village committee, I'll go to town to get it stamped, and it will be done."

"Thank you, Uncle Delin!" Chen Mo smiled. The clause he had added was a bit excessive. If Uncle Delin hadn't approved it, he definitely wouldn't have agreed.

"Regarding the homesteads of the other households near your old house, I can call them over, and you can negotiate amongst yourselves. The village committee will notarize it and sign a transfer agreement," Village Chief Uncle Delin said.

"Okay!" Chen Mo replied.

"Currently, the homesteads in the village are two rooms wide, but the old house area is four rooms wide. However, there's not much to say about the buildings on the old house site; it's about transferring the homesteads. Nowadays, it's usually around 30,000 yuan per household," Village Chief Uncle Delin continued.

Chen Mo nodded, taking note of Uncle Delin's words. This was to inform him of the transaction price for the homesteads, and he needed to remember this favor.

"Uncle Delin, I also wanted to ask you about another matter," Chen Mo said.

"Speak!" Uncle Delin said.

"I want to ask you, if I contract Gourd Valley, how is the contract fee calculated?" Chen Mo asked.

"You're capable, kid! Not only do you have 4.5 million for the contract fee, but you also want to contract Gourd Valley. You know that's a huge sum of money!" Uncle Delin said with some surprise, not expecting that Jianguo's son could have so much money after studying for a few years.

"Heh! Uncle Delin, actually, I'll have to borrow some money to make up the 4.5 million contract fee. As for contracting Gourd Valley, someone else is funding it and cooperating with me. I'm just contributing technology and effort." Chen Mo explained with a smile. The contract fee for Gourd Valley would definitely not be low, so it was better to keep a low profile.

"Is that so? Do you know what kind of person you're cooperating with?" Uncle Delin asked.

"Don't worry about that, Uncle! He's my classmate. We went to university together for several years, and his family is in the chain catering business. That's why I thought of doing something in agriculture when I came back," Chen Mo said.

Upon hearing Chen Mo's explanation, Uncle Delin felt relieved. In the past few years, many people in the countryside had been deceived, so they were now more cautious. However, hearing Chen Mo's words, he nodded and didn't ask further. Besides, nowadays, contracting land and such requires real money. If you can't afford it, don't even think about getting something for nothing.

Don't expect to get away with trickery or loans like in the past. People nowadays are not as easily fooled as they were back then.

"I still need to inquire about the contract price for Gourd Valley. A few years ago, someone came to the village wanting to rent Gourd Valley, but for various reasons, they couldn't secure it. However, I do know the price the town offered back then," Uncle Delin said, hiding nothing from Chen Mo. They were relatives, and he had watched the kid grow up.

"Gourd Valley has two valleys, front and back, along with the surrounding mountainous land, totaling 14,000 mu. At that time, the town's offered contract fee was 20 yuan per mu, which amounts to 280,000 yuan annually," Uncle Delin said.

"What about the lease term?" Chen Mo cared about this. He didn't have a significant reaction to the 280,000 yuan contract fee. For over ten thousand mu, it was only 280,000 yuan, which was already incredibly cheap. In coastal areas, forest land contracts had already risen to over a hundred yuan per year, so this price was truly not expensive, especially for Chen Mo, who had tens of millions in capital. A contract fee of 280,000 yuan per year was definitely a small matter.

"The maximum term is 70 years," Uncle Delin said.

"Then Uncle Delin, please help me inquire and finalize the contract fee. If it's suitable, I plan to contract Gourd Valley as well. Also, Uncle Delin, you need to help me get some benefits. Although my classmate is paying, I also have shares. Moreover, we are in the startup phase, and there's a lot of land. If we have to pay upfront, it might be difficult. I need your help and effort!" Chen Mo said.

"No problem. This is also for the village's revenue. The town doesn't have much authority; they only have the right to suggest and supervise. So, it's mainly up to the village. Don't worry, you'll definitely get the benefits you deserve. But you also need to take care of the village. When personnel are needed, consider the village more," Uncle Delin said.

"Uncle, what are you saying? Taking care of the village is only right. As long as they are willing to work hard and endure hardship, we will definitely consider the villagers when we need personnel. However, as I said, we prioritize those who are most in need, capable, and hardworking. I don't want any slackers," Chen Mo felt it was necessary to be clear from the start, otherwise, it would be bad if Uncle Delin held a grudge later.

"You're trying to play mind games with me, kid? Be careful, or I'll beat you. You've been to school for a few years and started playing mind games!" Uncle Delin glared, showing some imposing presence.

"Heh heh! Uncle Delin, I'm just taking precautions. We all live in the same village and see each other often. It's better to set the rules from the beginning, don't you think, Uncle Delin!" Chen Mo said with a smile.

"You kid! Fine, I can't argue with you!" Uncle Delin also said with a smile. It wasn't that he couldn't argue with Chen Mo, but he didn't want to bicker with a junior. He understood Chen Mo's intentions and could empathize, so a word was enough.

"I will coordinate and handle this matter for you as soon as possible, within these two days. Just wait for the news," Uncle Delin said.

"Alright! Thank you for your trouble, Uncle," Chen Mo said gratefully.

Readers are welcome to vote for the elementary school student. Thank you again!