Traveling back to 1966, starting by living in a cowshed.

Chapter 60 The Initial Formation of the Industrial Park

The next morning, Lin Zhou got up early, shaking off the fatigue of the previous day's journey. He changed into a neat pair of khaki cargo pants and a white shirt, casually rolling up the sleeves to his forearms, revealing his strong wrists. After a quick wash, he took a few slices of toast and a carton of milk from the refrigerator, ate them in a few bites, grabbed his car keys, walked out of the dormitory building, and started his car.

The car drove away from the factory area and headed straight along the main street of Yuen Long. There weren't many pedestrians on the street yet; occasionally, workers in blue overalls could be seen hurrying along. The tea restaurants along the street were already packed, and steaming heat wafted out of the windows, carrying the aroma of char siu buns and herbal tea. Lin Zhou gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed firmly ahead, repeatedly sketching the outline of that piece of land in his mind—it was located next to the Zhonghua Home Appliance Factory, separated only by a small dock. The terrain was flat, and the area was about the size of three football fields; it was the core piece of his planned industrial park.

More than half an hour later, the car stopped in front of "Henderson Property Agency". This agency is not considered top-tier in Hong Kong, but it excels in industrial land transactions. When Lin Zhou bought the land of Zhonghua Home Appliance Factory, it was Li Wangcai from the newspaper who connected him with government officials through this agency.

Pushing open the door, the wind chimes tinkled. Manager Zhang was sitting behind his desk checking documents. Seeing Lin Zhou enter, he immediately stood up with a smile: "Mr. Lin, so early? Looks like everything's ready!"

"Good morning, Mr. Zhang," Lin Zhou walked over and sat down, taking the tea offered by the other party. He got straight to the point, "Have all the procedures for that land been completed? I'm here today to sign the contract and make the payment."

"Everything's ready!" Manager Zhang took out a stack of documents from the drawer and spread them on the table. "I've checked the land use certificate and planning permit for you beforehand, and they're all fine. Take a look at the contract, and if there are no problems, just sign it."

Lin Zhou picked up the contract and carefully reviewed it page by page. The terms on the document were clear and concise, specifying the location, area, and term of the land use, as well as the timeframe for completing the transfer procedures. He focused on the land's nature, confirming that it was industrial land with no ownership disputes. Only then did he feel relieved, picked up a pen, and signed his name at the end with strong, bold handwriting.

"Straightforward!" Manager Zhang couldn't help but praise him after watching him sign the document. "Mr. Lin, you're so decisive. Unlike some people who drag their feet and ask questions for ages before finally making a decision."

Lin Zhou smiled and said, "Good land doesn't wait for anyone. I won't hesitate if I know what I'm doing." He took out a checkbook from his briefcase, filled in the amount, tore off a check, and handed it to Manager Zhang. "This is the deposit. I'll pay the rest in one lump sum after the transfer of ownership is completed."

Manager Zhang took the check, glanced at the amount, and nodded in satisfaction: "No problem, I'll go and process the transfer today. It will take at most three days. I can get all the renewals done for you, and then I'll notify you to come and pick up the certificate."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Zhang." Lin Zhou stood up. "I'll take my leave now. If anything comes up, please feel free to contact me."

"Take care, Mr. Lin!" Manager Zhang saw him to the door, watching the car merge into the traffic, and couldn't help but sigh, "Such courage at such a young age, he's bound to achieve great things in the future!"

After leaving the agency, Lin Zhou didn't stop and drove straight to the "Construction Engineering Company." This was a company he had worked with before when building the Zhonghua Home Appliance Factory. The manager, Zhou Jianhua, was a boss with extensive experience in construction engineering. He was meticulous and responsible in his work, and Lin Zhou was very satisfied with the quality and progress of the factory back then. Therefore, when it came to building several large factory buildings this time, he immediately thought of the other party.

The car drove into the construction company. Piles of building materials lined both sides of the road, and rented tower cranes were visible. Several workers sat at the entrance of their sheds, smoking and chatting, their faces showing a hint of laziness and helplessness. Lin Zhou knew this was all due to the impact of the strike; the chain reaction had spread, many factories had shut down, logistics were disrupted, and the construction industry was also severely affected, with many projects in a semi-stagnant state.

The construction company's office was located in an inconspicuous two-story building on this site. Pushing open the door, the air was thick with the smell of blueprints and ink. Zhou Jianhua was hunched over his desk, frowning in thought as he studied an architectural drawing. Seeing Lin Zhou enter, he quickly put down his pen and greeted him warmly, "Mr. Lin? A rare guest indeed! Please, have a seat!"

"Manager Zhou, sorry to bother you." After sitting down, Lin Zhou went straight to the point. "I just bought the land next to Zhonghua Home Appliance Factory yesterday. I plan to build a few more factory buildings and dormitory buildings. I'd like to entrust the project to your company again."

Zhou Jianhua's eyes lit up, and the weariness on his face instantly disappeared: "Really? That's great! Mr. Lin, you're our benefactor! The industry has been sluggish lately, and we're almost running out of work." He sighed, "As you can see, the strike has had a huge impact. There's a lot of imported materials piled up at the docks that can't be transported in, and many construction sites have stopped work. Our company is also operating at half capacity, and the workers are almost going crazy with boredom."

Lin Zhou nodded, having anticipated this: "I know the current situation, so I won't rush you. As long as it's completed by the end of the year, that's fine." He took out a folded drawing from his briefcase and handed it over. "This is a rendering of the park I drew. Take a look at it; this is roughly the layout, as long as it's close to the original."

Zhou Jianhua took the blueprints and carefully unfolded them. On the blueprints, several steel-structured factory buildings were arranged in a staggered pattern, with wide passageways in between. An area was marked as the living quarters, dormitories, and office buildings. The overall layout was simple, rational, and highly functional. He nodded as he looked at them, unable to resist praising, "Lin Sheng, your layout is very professional! Steel-structured factory buildings have short construction periods, low costs, and are durable; they are very suitable for industrial production."

"I've also consulted a lot of materials," Lin Zhou smiled. "The specific construction details still need to be handled by Manager Zhou. You can go to the site for on-site inspection at any time. Just give me a detailed quotation as to how much funding is needed. The payment method will remain the same as before—30% upon commencement of construction, 50% upon completion of the main structure, and the remaining 20% ​​after all the work is completed and passes inspection."

"No problem!" Zhou Jianhua readily agreed. "We trust the payment method, Mr. Lin, you've always been trustworthy. However, there's something I need to clarify with you," he said, his tone becoming somewhat serious. "The situation in Hong Kong is indeed not good right now. Most of the main building materials, such as steel and cement, are imported from the mainland or overseas. Due to the strike, transportation channels are not smooth, and the materials may have to wait for a while to arrive, which will affect the start date of construction."

Lin Zhou pondered for a moment; he had already considered this issue. The impact of the strike couldn't be eliminated immediately, and material shortages were inevitable. He looked up at Zhou Jianhua and said calmly, "I understand. It's alright. I'm not in a hurry to start work. You should first complete the preliminary preparations, such as site surveying, construction plan design, and worker allocation. Once the materials arrive, we'll start work immediately."

"Alright!" Zhou Jianhua breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm relieved to hear that. I'll take the team to conduct a site visit tomorrow and get the construction plan and quotation ready for you as soon as possible." He picked up the blueprints and looked at them carefully again. "Mr. Lin, are you planning to build an industrial park? It's quite large."

"I guess so," Lin Zhou smiled slightly, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. "Zhonghua Home Appliances Factory's current production capacity can no longer keep up with market demand. After the new factory is built, I plan to expand the production line and introduce some supporting upstream and downstream enterprises to form a complete industrial chain. This will not only reduce costs but also improve efficiency."

Zhou Jianhua nodded repeatedly, his admiration for Lin Zhou growing even stronger. It's not difficult for a young person to have drive, but it's rare to have such a long-term vision and clear planning. He patted his chest confidently: "Mr. Lin, don't worry, we will go all out for this project, guarantee quality, and deliver a satisfactory result to you by the end of the year!"

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Manager Zhou." Lin Zhou stood up. "We'll keep in touch if anything comes up."

"Of course, of course!" Zhou Jianhua saw Lin Zhou to the door, watching his car disappear at the end of the industrial zone. He turned back to his office, picked up the rendering, and the more he looked at it, the more hopeful he felt. He immediately gathered his team members and instructed, "Everyone, perk up! We have a big project! Tomorrow morning, come with me to the site for a site visit and come up with a proposal as soon as possible!"