vncnus Chapter 191 Su Wanqing's Anxiety
Chapter 191 Su Wanqing's Anxiety
In the sweltering heat of midsummer in Beijing, the evening breeze still carried a hint of muggy heat. A small park had been built in the middle of the factory's residential compound, specifically for the retired workers to relax and enjoy themselves. At this time, the open space in the park was filled with people sitting in twos and threes, coming out to cool off.
After all, living in such a tenement building is really hot in the summer, and many people don't want to turn on the fan because it's too wasteful of electricity. It's better to go outside to cool off. After eight or nine o'clock in the evening, the temperature inside the house will drop, which is just right for sleeping and resting.
The conversation they had tonight was all about how a wealthy relative of Technician Wang Jianjun had come to visit, arriving in an imported car.
"Aunt Li, I heard that your son and that Technician Wang are colleagues in the same department. Haven't you heard anything about it?" the wife of a deputy director in the workshop asked an older woman.
"What news are you listening to? My son said that his department deals with all the factory's secrets, and he's never talked to us about work at home. I don't know anything about it," Aunt Li said irritably.
Upon hearing this answer, the people gathered around immediately stopped trying to get more information from her. She was a tight-lipped person, and everything she said was watertight.
Other people who came out to cool off were also talking about Wang Jianjun's family, from Wang Jianjun farming in the countryside to being recommended to go to university, and then to coming here to work. They all spoke about it in great detail.
They even knew Wang Jianjun better than he did himself, and Wang Jianjun's wife, Su Wanrong, was not spared either, and was also the subject of much discussion.
In Wang Jianjun's home, his son Wang Guoqing was playing with the foreign toys Lin Zhou had brought in his room. The couple sat in the small living room. Su Wanrong, still wearing the joyful smile from the daytime reunion with her family, looked at the clothes Su Wanqing had brought and couldn't help but turn to her husband, Wang Jianjun, and say:
"Is the brother-in-law that my cousin Wanqing found really a big boss in Hong Kong? I haven't seen my second uncle for many years. I always thought that I was the only one left in our family. I never thought that I would see my second uncle and the others again. And I didn't feel any awkwardness when I saw them."
Wang Jianjun laughed and said, "Whether he is the big boss or not, I don't know. Anyway, we are all family now. Blood is thicker than water. Before, we just didn't know each other's whereabouts. In addition, our two families live far apart. Now that you have recognized your only relative, the two families will visit each other more often and the relationship will naturally become warmer."
As he spoke, he glanced at his watch, "Wife, it's getting late, we...!!!"
"What are you saying? Our son isn't asleep yet! Go take a shower in the bathroom outside! I'll go tidy up the things your second uncle brought." After saying that, he picked up his clothes and went to the bedroom.
Wang Jianjun shook his head helplessly, then picked up the basin, towel, and soap and went outside.
The next morning, Lin Zhou drove to the Zhonghua Building project site to deliver the car to Liu Yaolong. The car gradually approached the construction area.
From afar, towering cranes can be seen standing under the clear sky, their huge booms slowly rotating to transport truckloads of building materials to designated floors.
The construction site is surrounded by blue protective netting, with the red slogan "Safety First, Zhonghua Building" prominently displayed.
The car stopped in front of the temporary office building set up by the project department. As soon as Lin Zhou got out of the car, Liu Yaolong, the project manager, came up to greet him with several deputies.
"Boss, you're here!" Zhao Jianjun said with a simple and honest smile.
"We've made significant progress these past few days. The formwork for the top floor has been completely laid, and the rebar tying is basically finished. We're just waiting to pour the last batch of concrete tomorrow. The site for the topping-out ceremony has also been preliminarily arranged. Please go in and take a look at the blueprints and give us your feedback."
Lin Zhou followed Liu Yaolong into the project office, which was filled with a faint smell of ink and dust. Several desks were pushed together and piled with blueprints, documents and safety helmets.
A huge construction progress chart hangs on the wall, with red markers densely marking the completion status of each process.
Liu Yaolong pointed to the progress chart and said excitedly:
"Boss, look, at this pace, all the pouring will be completed by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, and there will be no problem holding the topping-out celebration banquet on Sunday."
Furthermore, we have already contacted several leaders from the Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau and the Planning Bureau, and they have all indicated that they will make time to attend. In addition, several officials from the district have also confirmed their attendance.
Lin Zhou leaned over to look at the blueprints, pointing to the structural diagram of the top floor, and asked:
"What is the quality of the concrete used for pouring? Has it been tested? Also, are the safety measures for the construction workers in place?"
Safety is paramount, both before and after the roof is completed.
Liu Yaolong nodded quickly, took a stack of test reports from the drawer, and handed them over:
"Boss, rest assured, the concrete is all transported from the mixing plant according to our specified grade. Each batch has undergone compressive strength testing, and the reports are all here. All of them meet the standards."
Regarding safety, we conduct safety briefings every day before work begins. Safety helmets and safety belts are uniformly distributed and mandatory to wear. Dedicated safety officers patrol the construction site around the clock, ensuring there will be absolutely no problems.
Lin Zhou looked out the window at the construction site and said:
"It looks quite professional. I trust Manager Liu with his work."
Lin Zhou took the test report, quickly flipped through it, and nodded in satisfaction after confirming that all the data met the standards.
"That's good, Manager Liu. The preparations for the topping-out celebration banquet need to be made even more meticulous."
For the government staff, double-check the time and number of people with their secretary. For the restaurant, make sure the menu is ordered in advance, catering to various tastes. Also, make sure there's a sufficient supply of drinks, so we don't run out.
"Don't worry, everything has been arranged!" Zhao Jianjun replied quickly.
"I've already confirmed with the government officials' secretary three times. They've noted down the number of people and dietary restrictions. The hotel they booked is the XX Hotel in the city center (I'll omit the hotel name).
Private rooms and the main hall have been reserved. The menu features fusion cuisine, catering to both northern and southern tastes. The drinks selection includes renowned domestic wines, as well as juices and teas, ensuring everyone has something to choose from.
Lin Zhou nodded and then added, "Although the construction workers are getting extra meals at the construction site canteen, we can't be careless about them."
The ingredients should include meat, and the portions should be generous. Make plenty of hearty dishes so the workers can eat and drink well. They've worked so hard for so long; the topping-out ceremony is a big event, and they deserve a proper celebration.
"Understood!" Zhao Jianjun laughed. "I've already given instructions to the canteen. On Sunday noon, slaughter two pigs, buy some beef, mutton, and fish, and cook more than a dozen hearty dishes, along with Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). I guarantee the workers will be satisfied with their meals."
Lin Zhou was relieved and patted Liu Yaolong on the shoulder: "Thank you for your hard work, Manager Liu. You deserve a lot of credit for the smooth progress of Zhonghua Building."
"After the topping-out ceremony, I'll give all the guys in the project team a red envelope as a small token of my appreciation." A grateful look appeared on Liu Yaolong's face.
"Thank you, boss! We will definitely continue our efforts to ensure the smooth completion of the remaining projects!"
When Lin Zhou returned to the courtyard, Su Wanqing was sitting in a chair in the living room, holding a stack of documents in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed, and her face showing some anxiety.
Seeing Lin Zhou return, she quickly stood up, placed the documents on the coffee table, and asked:
"You're back? How's things going at the project site? Has everything been arranged for the topping-out ceremony?"
Lin Zhou walked over, sat down beside her, and reached out to rub her temples.
"Everything's arranged. The final pour will be completed the day after tomorrow, and a celebration banquet will be held on Sunday. Everything is going according to plan. What's wrong? You look so worried."
Su Wanqing sighed, picked up the documents from the coffee table, and handed them to Lin Zhou, saying:
"Look at this, these are all documents faxed from Hong Kong Zhonghua Group that need our signatures. It's already a thick stack."
Lin Zhou took the documents and flipped through them. There were investment agreements for subsidiaries of the group, letters of intent for new projects, and approval documents for several major decisions, totaling twenty or thirty documents.
"So many?" Lin Zhou was a little surprised. He remembered that he had processed a batch of documents before leaving, but he did not expect that so many documents would accumulate in just half a month.
Su Wanqing sat to the side, her tone tinged with helplessness: "That's right. After we left, the group finalized several new projects, and there are still a few old projects that require additional investment. All of these need our signatures to be effective."
"My secretary has called me several times, urging us to go back and deal with this." She raised her hand to look at the calendar. "We've been back in Beijing for over a week now, and we can only delay for another week at most. If we don't go back soon, it might affect the group's normal operations."