C15 The Sunset in the Desert

After purchasing the Desert Reed, Everett set out toward the valley, trekking northwest along Stratdwell Mountain. Within less than three miles, he reached a low-lying sand valley.

Standing atop a sand dune, he felt the intense heat of the sun beating down on the desert, the air around him dry and hot.

The valley before Everett was crescent-shaped. In his memory, it didn't seem very large, but upon closer inspection, he realized the valley was quite expansive!

"This valley stretches over two miles in length and is more than 300 meters wide. That's an area of at least 300,000 square meters. Surely, these 200 square meters of reeds won't be enough!"

But it wasn't just the reeds; he also needed to plant an oasis around the perimeter. Bellhand Lawn was going for 100 yuan per square meter, and for Crescent Bay, which spanned over 300,000 square meters, he would need at least 100,000 square meters of lawn. That alone would cost 10 million yuan!

And that's before considering the additional oases he planned to create around Crescent Valley, which would require at least another few tens of thousands of square meters of grass, totaling at least 130 million yuan.

Then there were the desert pillar cacti. Oh, my goodness! The desert pillar cacti, with each 100-meter-tall cactus costing 1,000 yuan!

He couldn't just buy the cheapest; after all, reeds are vulnerable to wind and sand. So, he compromised and opted for 50-meter-tall desert pillar cacti at 500 yuan each. Planting one cactus every ten meters around Crescent Bay meant he needed 260 cacti!

That's 130,000 yuan for 260 desert pillar cacti!

"Ah, it's true that poor people can't accomplish much. Just for Crescent Bay, the desert pillar cacti cost 130,000 yuan, the lawn is 12 million, and the reeds are 7.5 million—and that's just for the three-meter-tall ones. Oh my god! That totals 19.63 million yuan. Oh my gosh, I've never even seen that much money!"

Just to develop a small scenic area costs so much, and that's not even the highest quality. The top-tier would start at at least 30 million yuan. Everett looked at the 130,000 yuan in his hands, utterly overwhelmed.

"No way, at this rate of making money, I'll be dead before I even get to the heart of the desert."

*Ring ring ring*

"The vast horizon is my love..."

"Who could that be?"

Everett was puzzled when his phone rang again. He was about to decline the call, but then he saw it was from Sara and decided to answer.

"Maybe there's a chance for a breakthrough!"

With that thought, Everett picked up the call.

"Hello, is this Everett? It's Sara."

This time, Sara didn't even bother to mention Cat's Tooth.

"Yeah, it's me. Have you guys come to a decision?"

"We've had a preliminary discussion. Our CEO, Mr. Mintz, would like to have a word with you."

The phone was swiftly passed to a man, whose slightly raspy voice came through.

"Hello, I'm Meyer from Cat's Tooth. I was wondering if there's anything else in the desert that you can broadcast besides the green lawns?"

Everett understood their concern. They probably feared that viewers would grow tired of watching grass grow every day. They were eager to see what else he could offer, as it would determine whether they'd switch to the Chili Pepper platform, considering Cat's Tooth is currently the largest live broadcast platform in Shaoland.

"Yes, I've got a more impressive project in the works. I'm planning to develop Crescent Bay in the desert, spanning nearly five hundred acres. The area will feature green spaces, water, and reed marshes. Just imagine how stunning the scenery will be when the reeds sway in the wind, especially during sunset."

Everett could sense Meyer's excitement on the other end. Indeed, planting reeds in the desert and the water source at Crescent Bay could easily outshine Money Nightingale's gimmicks!

"Could you send us a photo to have a look?"

Meyer, though thrilled, was still a department head and no fool. He needed to be sure Everett wasn't just bluffing.

Everett replied confidently, "Certainly, I can do that. But just so you know upfront, my signing fee is quite steep. Without twenty million, don't even think about getting me on board. Plus, I'm already in talks with several other companies."

Meyer laughed in response, "Don't worry. If you can deliver what you've promised, consider the twenty million yours as a baseline guarantee."

Live streaming has become incredibly lucrative, with contract fees reaching astronomical sums. Many well-known broadcasters easily secure contracts worth hundreds of millions, and the top outdoor live broadcaster, Money Nightingale, has even landed a contract worth a billion!

Everett breathed a sigh of relief when Meyer agreed to his proposal. It meant there was a good chance he could secure the funding for Crescent Bay.

With this in mind, Everett hung up the phone and got ready to take some photos. But to capture the perfect shot, he needed reeds!

"Let's start with twenty square meters," he decided.

Everett had recently bought 50,000 yuan worth of desert reeds, perfect for planting. He opened the desert farming app, navigated to 'My Seeds,' and found a new seed slot unlocked, revealing a few reeds.

He tapped on the desert reeds and dragged them to the bottom right corner of the screen. With a 'ding dong,' a square meter of desert reeds appeared at the tail end of Crescent Spring. The reeds quickly took root, sprouting and growing at an astonishing rate. Before long, slender leaves unfurled, and branches emerged from the sheaths. Everett watched the reeds grow, his excitement almost making him leap for joy.

"They're growing, they're growing, and soon I'll be making money!" he exclaimed, unable to contain his elation.

The three-meter-tall reeds swayed in the breeze, rustling in a way that was music to Everett's ears—the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

"No, I can't just plant them haphazardly. I need to add a creative touch!" he thought.

With that, Everett accessed the one-click planting feature and chose a small pentagram shape. After making the purchase for a thousand yuan, he planted a twenty-square-meter patch of desert reeds in the shape of a pentagram.

The reeds, now planted, swayed gracefully in the wind across Crescent Bay. It was springtime, and the lush green reeds, their slender leaves interlacing, filled the air with the scent of freshness.

"Excellent, now for some grass," he mused.

Everett knew that to secure a 20 million yuan contract, he had to invest accordingly. So, he planted a five-centimeter-tall Bellhand Lawn along the riverbank, completing his vision.

With this in mind, Everett used the remaining 60,000 yuan to purchase 120 square meters of grass that was five centimeters tall. Once the purchase was complete, he spent an additional 2,000 yuan to have it instantly planted along the riverbank next to the reed marshes.

The installation of the lawn transformed the desert into an even more inviting oasis of green. Everett flopped onto the grass with a thud. The five-centimeter tall Bellhand Lawn was unbelievably soft!

Lying there, Everett inhaled the fresh scent of the grass mingled with the earthy aroma of the wet soil.

*Ring ring ring!*

"The boundless sky is my love..."

"Hello?"

"This is Sara. Could you send me a picture of Crescent Bay?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

Everett had been so enchanted by the reeds that he had completely forgotten to take a photo!

"I actually have you on WeChat. Why don't we just do a video call?"