My Manor

"Can you tell me in detail about the plan for our town?" In Mayor Wallis's study, Jiang Hai looked at the respectable old man before him and spoke seriously.

This was the first time Cindy Clive had seen Jiang Hai so serious since they met. For a moment, she almost seemed like his girlfriend, sitting silently beside him.

"The plan for the town is very simple. As you know, we don't develop industry here, nor do we intend to sell land to foreign factories that might destroy our environment. While this approach may protect the environment, it doesn't improve the living standards of the residents. So, I'm thinking about how to generate more income for the town's people without harming the area." After taking another sip of coffee, Mayor Wallis spoke slowly. As the town's highest authority, he felt it was his duty to consider the well-being of the residents.

From Mayor Wallis's words, Jiang Hai quickly grasped his thoughts. The mayor believed that if the town's residents wanted to make money, saving wasn't an option. Americans rarely save money; they tend to spend freely, and it's enough for them not to overspend.

Saving on clothing, food, housing, and transportation is simply impossible.

Since saving wasn't an option, the only solution was to open up new opportunities. The primary way people made money in the town was through small businesses—supermarkets, small restaurants, and so on. Most of the residents earned income through two means: fishing and small enterprises.

Being a seaside town, many people worked as fishermen. Some joined Boston's ocean fishing companies, while others owned their own boats and fished in the open sea. Fishing could be quite profitable, but in recent years, the catch had been steadily decreasing. Although fishing moratoriums were in place, the fish stocks kept dwindling.

This directly impacted the fishermen's income, leading many to change careers or move to Boston for better opportunities.

If this trend continued, Winthrop might soon face the same decline as Newfoundland.

After all, without people, how can there be development? The thought of such a future pained Mayor Wallis, which is why he had been working tirelessly to improve the lives of the town's residents.

They had tried raising fish fry themselves, but the cost was too high, and the returns were minimal. Their efforts were quickly defeated by overfishing. They had also attempted to attract investment, hoping to recruit people to build structures—not factories—but to be honest, despite Winthrop's proximity to Boston, why would anyone choose to settle here when they had better opportunities in the city?

Massachusetts is not California, and not every piece of land holds value. This plan was doomed before it even began.

Over the years, Mayor Wallis had tried various methods and had eventually focused his attention on tourism.

To be more precise, it was the Massachusetts government that set its sights on tourism, not just him.

He had heard about it. Although Winthrop's current situation didn't reflect the whole of Massachusetts, the state itself wasn't in great financial shape either. They, too, were looking for ways to generate extra revenue.

That's why tourism had become the focus, although not domestic tourism. Americans found little appeal in Boston compared to other U.S. destinations. For fun, they flocked to California, where you could visit Hollywood, Las Vegas, and Silicon Valley, or enjoy beaches and sunshine. Why would they come to Boston?

Even if they didn't go to Los Angeles, they could go to Miami for sunshine, beaches, and bikinis, and it would still be cheaper. Miami is close to Orlando, home to the world's largest Disneyland.

If someone wanted to experience grasslands, they could go to Montana, where the sky is bluer and the grass greener, or they could visit Texas, the land of cowboys. Winthrop had no beaches, mountains, or water features to offer, which made it harder to attract visitors. Every tourist spot needs something distinctive.

The United States lacks much history, and unfortunately, Massachusetts has no unique selling points either.

It's rare to hear of anyone traveling to Boston for vacation—at least, not in the United States.

If someone wanted to visit a big city, New York would be the choice. Boston simply wasn't an attractive option.

So, if Winthrop wanted to develop tourism, their target couldn't be domestic tourists.

Their focus was on foreign tourists, particularly those from Europe and Asia.

Asian tourists, in particular, found Boston's reputation as a hub for education quite appealing, despite their own countries having sunshine and beaches.

It was this insight that led the Massachusetts government to decide to develop tourism in this region. They planned to work with domestic travel agencies to promote the area to potential visitors from distant countries, using quick visa processing and limited-time discounts to attract tourists.

This was the reason Mayor Wallis had approached his brother, who was a middle-level official at the Tourism Bureau. He was hoping to help Winthrop get included in the tourism development plans. It was also why the man named Hutley had been drawn in by Cindy Clive's tactics.

Jiang Hai now understood Mayor Wallis's intentions.

"You mean you want to be included in Boston's development plan?" Jiang Hai asked after a brief pause, tapping the table.

"Yes, but it seems unlikely right now," Mayor Wallis replied, first nodding, then shaking his head.

"Uh, is this because of me?" Jiang Hai asked, confused by the mayor's mixed response.

"No, no, no, it has nothing to do with you. I should have realized it earlier. As I said, Winthrop simply doesn't have any distinctive features. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the U.S., with historical landmarks and sports teams that attract people. Cambridge and Newton have universities, which add to their appeal. Chelsea is home to the wealthy, and Quincy has a large market. But here? Not much to speak of..." Mayor Wallis explained, shaking his head.

The town's biggest feature was its seafront, but Boston already had its own seaport, along with a ship museum. Winthrop had just a small, run-down pier. What was there to attract tourists?

If you want to draw people in, you need a unique feature. But what did Winthrop have?

"Specialties! If there are no natural features, we can create our own." Jiang Hai chuckled, looking at the somewhat defeated Mayor Wallis.

"Create?" Mayor Wallis raised an eyebrow. "How would we do that?"

"In this world, any problem that can be solved with money isn't really a problem," Jiang Hai replied. "Our dock is small, but it can be expanded. Our streets are narrow, but they can be widened. Just because we lack traditional features doesn't mean we can't create new ones. We live by the sea—why not build a row of small villa hotels by the water and rent them to guests? Our ocean is cleaner than Boston's, and it makes for a great natural swimming spot."

Mayor Wallis's eyes lit up. Jiang Hai's simple idea sparked hope.

"At the same time, we can build a larger dock, attract more cruise ships, and even offer small fishing tours. We don't need fancy boats—just enough to catch some fish. We can charge tourists a fee, and they can enjoy the catch right there on the boat. If they want to take some home, we can sell it at a low price. Even if it's not cheaper than the wholesale price, people love the experience of catching it themselves."

Jiang Hai smiled at the idea. This concept was common in China, where many coastal areas offered tourists fishing trips. The fish was often eaten on the boat, and tourists could buy their catch at a discount.

"Also, our freshwater fish resources are abundant. We could create fishing spots along the town's rivers for tourists. This would attract tourists from my country—middle-aged and elderly people in particular. If they come here, they'll need to rent villas and eat at restaurants. We could even stock our supermarkets with Chinese sauces, promoting more consumption."