After the convoy arrived at Lanling County, Xiao Yun Hai did not accompany the exploration team to the sea, instead arranging for a dozen royal guards to accompany them.
He, with the remaining guards, rented two boats and planned to visit the surrounding islands to see which ones were suitable for developing tourism.
As for the oil field, there was no need for him to personally go there.
No one knew better than him whether there was an oil field in Jida Bay.
The county magistrate of Lanling County, along with the government officials, were all eager to accompany Xiao Yun Hai when they heard he was going to visit the islands.
“Wang County Magistrate, you must have many islands under the jurisdiction of Lanling County. Which one do you think is suitable for developing tourism?"
“Or, which island has clear waters suitable for diving? If you know of one, take me there to have a look.”
Wang County Magistrate replied, “Your Highness, there are quite a few islands that meet these conditions.”
“Really? Then let's go to the one you think is the best.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
It took about an hour to reach the destination by boat from the port.
From afar, the island looked large.
The coastline was all white sandy beach.
“What is this island called? What is its area?”
Xiao Yun Hai asked.
“Your Highness, this island is called Bangji Island. It is the largest island under our county’s jurisdiction, covering an area of 440.7 square kilometers. The island is densely forested and has many animals living there.”
“Oh? So big?”
Xiao Yun Hai was somewhat surprised.
A 440 square kilometer island was not small.
After all, Malacca Lion City State, even after reclamation, was only a little over 700 square kilometers.
Before reclamation, it was only about 500 square kilometers.
“Are there any people living on the island?”
“Yes, but not many. It’s mainly some nearby fishermen living on the island. There is also a hydrological observation station and forestry staff. There are still quite a few people, about 10,000.”
Seemingly noticing Xiao Yun Hai's interest in the island, Wang County Magistrate continued, “This island, besides being large and having clear waters and several places suitable for snorkeling, also has more than ten small islands nearby. They are very close together, which would be perfect for developing tourism. It’s just that no one has come here to invest.”
Lowering his binoculars and looking at the vast sea in front of him, Xiao Yun Hai smiled, “There wasn’t before, but there will be now.”
Wang County Magistrate was not stupid and immediately understood his meaning.
His expression became one of delight, “Your Highness, you mean someone is willing to invest here and develop tourism?”
“Yes! I intend to invest 1 billion US dollars here to build a resort and a resort hotel. When the time comes, you will need to communicate well with the island’s residents.”
The 1 billion US dollars would definitely not be used solely for building hotels; it would also be used for constructing supporting infrastructure.
For example, expanding the dock and building supporting airports.
Yes.
To develop tourism on this island, an airport had to be built.
Otherwise, it would take 45 minutes to an hour to travel from Lanling County by boat, which would be a waste of time.
And this island was over 440 square kilometers; building an airport would be more than sufficient.
Hiss!
Hearing that 1 billion US dollars would be invested on the island.
After carefully converting the currency.
Wouldn't that be 3.5 billion Han Yuan?
Wang County Magistrate couldn’t help but gasp.
Wait a minute.
Just now, His Royal Highness said “I.” Could it be...
Wang County Magistrate’s face lit up with excitement.
What did it mean that His Royal Highness was investing heavily in developing tourism here?
An opportunity!
An opportunity for promotion!
Investing so much money here for development would certainly lead to frequent visits for inspections, even His Majesty might come. With more visits, perhaps he would become familiar with Wang County Magistrate, and if he saw that he did a good job, he might promote him!
Thinking about this, Wang County Magistrate felt that his future was bright.
Of course, the premise was to achieve good results.
No wonder he thought that way, as there were 60 to 70 counties in the country, and the competition was naturally fierce.
Moreover, Xiao Hong Jing did not like to go on inspections.
County magistrates naturally wouldn’t see him often.
In this regard, Xiao Yun Hai was quite different from his father.
Perhaps in his past life, he was an ordinary person at the bottom of society, so he knew the thoughts of the ordinary people better than anyone.
As the saying goes, “Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.”
Only by frequent visits and going deep into the grassroots could one understand the people’s thoughts and know the people’s suffering.
Walking barefoot on the sandy beach, feeling the clear waters and fine sand, Xiao Yun Hai nodded, “The sand here is indeed good, very fine. The seawater is also clear, perfect for developing tourism.”
“By the way, what is that island on the other side?”
Looking in the direction Xiao Yun Hai pointed, Wang County Magistrate carefully observed it and replied, “That is Balang Island. It is also under the jurisdiction of our county, and its area is about half the size of Bangji Island. I remember it is about 160 square kilometers. The sand beach on the South China Sea side of the island is even better than Bangji Island, but the water there is deeper and not suitable for snorkeling.”
“The southern part of the island is better. It has a large area of shallow beaches, but the quality of the sand is not as good as that of the outer sea.”
“Okay, it's great!” Xiao Yun Hai pointed to the nearest part between the two islands, “These two islands are close together. At the closest point, it looks like only three or four kilometers away. If Bangji Island can be developed, it can be extended outwards.”
“Your Highness is right!” Wang County Magistrate quickly echoed.
Xiao Yun Hai withdrew his gaze.
He told Wang County Magistrate beside him, “You should make preparations, especially for the expansion of Lanling County’s dock. After all, a lot of building materials will be shipped from Lanling to the island.”
“Understood, Your Highness. Please rest assured, Lanling County will fully cooperate.”
“Very good!”
Xiao Yun Hai showed a satisfied expression.
“You should communicate with the island residents as soon as possible. There are two options: relocation or compensation! No matter which one they choose, we will respect their decision.”
Although most of the land on the island belonged to the state, or the royal family, private property, such as residents’ houses, were private property. In the new Han Dynasty, private property was sacred and inviolable.
Whether they moved or not, it made no difference to Xiao Yun Hai.
Moreover, he had plenty of money now.
There was no need to alienate the residents and damage the royal family’s image and reputation among the people.
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