Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 49 Yang Qingyue's Visit

What is engineering quota settlement?

There is a price adjustment factor, and the pricing part is measured by "actual quantity".

In other words, the total amount of work is not fixed; there is room for flexibility.

This "actual quantity" is often greater than the contract quantity. As long as the "excess quantity" is explained by the data clerk on the visa form and signed by the supervisor, it is considered the actual quantity of work.

Of course, it's not as simple as the construction company and the supervisor agreeing on a price. There's an audit when settling the final payment. The audit has a "limit" for exceeding the estimated value (contract price). There's a certain margin of error on top of the original estimated value (contract price). Once this percentage is exceeded, the audit may not accept it, the settlement work will stop, the client may intervene, and the entire project may even be re-examined from the design stage. In the end, it might even have to be resolved through litigation.

This "excessive premium line" has been clearly defined since 2010, at 10%.

Currently, this line is in the minds of the auditors and the owners (Party A). 8% is possible, 13% is also possible, but it is impossible to be too exaggerated.

This part represents the hidden profits of fixed-quota settlement projects. For project owners, the most important function of the data clerk is to ensure that this part is done reasonably and in compliance with regulations.

Those who work in construction must prevent shoddy workmanship and material cutting.

Chen Xuebing never does shoddy work. He uses the correct concrete grade, hardens the concrete where it needs to be, and uses the correct grade of waterproofing and sealing materials. At most, he sometimes compares brands.

He never treats his "engineering quality" as something to boast about, nor does he include it in company meetings or sound the alarm, because it's something that should be there all along. Once a problem is discovered, it's dealt with directly at a meeting. Those who work with him know that this is an unspoken red line.

But honest people who don't do anything dishonest are sure to live a long life.

Now, using this amount to subsidize Chen Xuebing, regardless of how they discussed it, is equivalent to blocking a portion of Chen Xuebing's profit margin. If he then adds fictitious quantities on this basis, his bill of quantities will be particularly conspicuous during the audit and settlement process.

"Didn't I have Xiao Liu talk to someone about this when one of your people came to inspect the scene last time? Didn't you know?"

Ren Kaiping gave them this explanation and then walked ahead on his own.

Chen Xuebing kept a sullen face and didn't say anything, but he cursed inwardly.

Damn it, no wonder Luo An wanted to change projects without even knowing the specifics of the Peach Blossom Creek Third Section.

We suffered a setback right from the start!
Everyone walked down in silence. After the slope turned a corner, they could see the bottom of the mountain.

There was a wide, bare area with a three-dimensional project sign in front of it, displaying the project name and a couplet on both sides: "Golden spears and iron horses build a masterpiece in the Wujiang Gallery; Waterworks men set a benchmark in the Jiuli Ancient City."

Further inside, there is a steel shed about 10 meters high, which is probably used for storing materials and processing steel bars. Next to it is a bridge pier, and there is a road under the bridge. Five or six meters below the road is a river. The river is wide but not very fast.

Once everyone entered the area, Yu Chunyin looked around and suddenly remarked, "This is a great place for fishing."

Chen Xuebing chuckled at this and said, "Don't bother fishing from so far away. If you want to eat fish, I'll have someone deliver some to you."

That's the only good thing about working in water conservancy: it's a paradise for anglers, and you don't have to be like He Qiang.

"That shed is going to be demolished, and the price will be calculated."

Ren Kaiping did not participate in the topic, but pointed to the corrugated steel shed and said:

"Be careful not to let waste soil and slag enter the river. Environmental protection authorities will check, and construction should avoid the area under the bridge. If the bridge foundation is disturbed, it will be a big problem."

Chen Xuebing looked around, calculating in his mind.

The factory area is about 100 meters long and about 50 meters wide, and there is a lot to dig out here.

The leveling work should involve more than 10,000 cubic meters.

We also need to deal with the ground leveling, slope protection, retaining walls, digging ponds, and site access roads.

The workload of an excavator is not small, so a monthly subscription should be worthwhile.

However, the site is not large, and can only accommodate two excavators working at the same time at most. To save some money, a 220 excavator with an oversized bucket and a drill bit should be sufficient if there are many rocks.

There's a spot on the hillside where we just came in that's a good place to dump soil; you could ask who owns it.

There's also a fleet of trucks; 6-10 trucks, each around 12 cubic meters, should be enough. Double-axle trucks are not an option, as the roads here are difficult to access.

路…

"Mr. Ren, can't we discuss this road issue with the town government? We can help by contributing some money."

Chen Xuebing has already accepted the loss, thinking that if they pay 10,000 or 20,000 yuan, the town government can repair the road before the end of the year.

This project is actually profitable. If managed well, even if my uncle takes five percent, he should still make a profit of three or four hundred thousand.

Once the site is ready, give 5,000 yuan for excavator fuel, buy a set of equipment, arrange living arrangements for the personnel, and prepare 30,000 yuan for initial expenses for the construction worker. That should be about it.

With 80% of the progress payments covered, as long as he negotiates the payment deadlines for materials and equipment and controls the progress reporting schedule, he can complete the project without needing to use up 200,000 yuan in upfront investment. Once all the progress payments are received, he will break even, and the rest will be pure profit.

That's why they say you can make money doing construction these days.

But if you come in, you need to build a road first, and the amount of upfront investment will increase immediately.

Besides, this is his first project, and he wants to set a benchmark. Does he really intend to just lay down a ten-centimeter-thick layer of gravel and make do?

He could guess that if he laid a stone base layer, no matter how badly the road was worn when he left, he could use that base layer to lay cement directly on top when the town repaired the road, saving costs.

If the road breaks down during repairs, the blame will likely fall on the subgrade itself.

No, it must be a permanent highway, C20.

If possible, go for C25.

Just as Chen Xuebing was thinking, a bucket of cold water was poured on him.

“They’re even harder to negotiate with than the county government. We went twice and didn’t even get to see the town mayor. We did get to see the deputy mayor, but before we could even say anything, they started asking about our project. They asked if we had any suitable contracts that would give preference to local contractors. They’ve already asked about your contract several times. The Lunar New Year is when migrant workers return home, and there will be plenty of people looking for opportunities. You should arrange for people to come to the site as soon as possible after the New Year… You should also give preference to the local workers who are willing to be taken care of.”

Ren Kaiping spoke with his brows furrowed deeply.

The young man next to him said indignantly, "That's right, a few of them came last time and even caused trouble. They said they wouldn't let us do any work and wouldn't let our pipes pass through the fields. We've already paid compensation, but they still went and planted more crops, saying they need to pay compensation for the seedlings!"

This kind of thing didn't put any pressure on Chen Xuebing. He'd been an engineer for twenty years and had seen all sorts of situations. He'd not only dealt with those who came to snatch projects, but he'd also confronted many earthwork bosses head-on. None of his men were afraid of trouble.

Back then, he had no choice; a bunch of barefoot people, desperate and only capable of violence. In this life, he didn't want to solve problems that way again.

He simply nodded and said, "I understand."

After that, they continued to work on the road.

"Mr. Ren, regarding the road construction... I'd like to coordinate with the government after I arrive. If a suitable plan is found, could the water construction company directly provide me with a special subsidy?"

Ren Kaiping chuckled, considering the town government's attitude. He glanced at Chen Xuebing's young face, feeling utterly unreliable, and didn't answer. Turning to Yu Chunyin, he said:

"President Yu, this is an area inhabited by ethnic minorities, and the local relations are complicated. I think you should be cautious and send an experienced person to oversee things."

Yu Chunyin has seen many project managers; how could he possibly be bossed around by a manager of a small project?
Hearing this, he simply smiled and said, "Did you hear that? Young man, Mr. Ren is afraid you can't shoulder this heavy responsibility. You're just trying to prove yourself."

A warm welcome was met with a cold shoulder, creating a vicious cycle.

For the rest of the time, Ren Kaiping's tone remained cold.

……

It rained in Chongqing today, and after the cold snap, the night was a bit damp and chilly.

A female thief appeared at the entrance of the Chen family's convenience store.

Wrapped in a cotton coat, shivering, looking around, he stood by the roadside, peering into the small window from two or three meters away for several minutes, but didn't go over, like a thief scouting the place.

Yang Qingyue clutched an envelope, her expression anxious.

Chen Xuebing did not come to evening self-study.

During the first class, the homeroom teacher, Ms. Guo, came in and found that he was not there. He left while making a phone call, and it seemed that he had not asked for leave.

The phone is also switched off.

She went home and stayed for a few minutes, then, almost without thinking, took her bank card, wrote down the PIN on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, told her parents she was going downstairs to buy something, and then took a taxi to the police station. There she found the small shop that had sprung up in the residential building that Chen Xuebing had mentioned to her once. It was quite conspicuous.

She observed from the window for a few minutes and saw a woman holding a book standing under the light. She also heard a child's voice, but she didn't see Chen Xuebing.

At this moment, the woman inside was also secretly observing the outside.

Yu Chunyan is a policeman's wife. How could she not know that a young girl had been loitering outside for several minutes?

Even while she was reading a captivating romance novel, "Springtime Sorrow," and was in the middle of a dramatic scene where the male protagonist shielded the female protagonist, a member of the underground Communist Party, from a bullet like a mountain, she could still spare a moment to observe the situation outside.

Noticing the pretty girl outside who kept glancing in their direction, Yu Chunyan's heart stirred. She opened the door and softly called out towards her home:
"Xuejin, Xuejin?"

"Coming!" Chen Xuejin jogged over.

Yu Chunyan pulled Chen Xuejin closer, casually lifting him into her arms to elevate him slightly, without turning her head, and whispered:

"Quickly, can you check if the woman outside is the one who gave you the MP3 player?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuejin immediately craned his neck to look outside, then shook his head: "No."

"Really?"

"Certainly not."

Chen Xuejin lost interest, jumped out of the embrace, got out of the car and left.

"I'm going to study now. My brother said he'd spend money to hire a tutor for me."

"Go to bed early! You're not allowed to stay up this late for school!" Yu Chunyan reminded her.

"Okay, I'll go to sleep after you close the door!"

The sound of her youngest son warmed Yu Chunyan's heart, but when she looked out the window, she felt disappointed again.

What a beautiful girl! She's tall and slender, and looks kind; she must have a good personality.

If the Chen family had a daughter-in-law like that, she'd be laughing in her sleep!
Unexpectedly, the girl opposite her made eye contact with her, then immediately took two steps back, turned her head to look at the street outside, as if she wanted to leave.

Yu Chunyan quickly called out, "Hey! Girl!"

Yang Qingyue, who was outside, heard the shout and her heart pounded at 180 beats per minute.

This must be Chen Xuebing's mother!

She's nervous, what should I do?
I don't know how to say it! Coming to see Chen Xuebing so late at night, his mother will definitely think she...

She didn't know what she would think, but it definitely wasn't good!

But she couldn't leave. Yang Qingyue's face was already flushed, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go over.

If all else fails, buy something.

"Oh? Auntie, hello Auntie..."

Using the lamplight, Yu Chunyan could clearly see Yang Qingyue's flushed face and shy expression, confirming her guess. She then smiled kindly and said:
"Miss, are you looking to buy...that?"

"Huh?" Yang Qingyue was stunned.

Yu Chunyan was quick; she took out a packet of "Hao Shu Shuang" (a type of herbal remedy) from a cardboard box under her, waved it at Yang Qingyue, and then put it down.

"this?"

Yang Qingyue's face turned even redder.

"It's normal, don't be shy! We give away black bags with every purchase, so it's not visible from the outside." Yu Chunyan noticed Yang Qingyue's hesitation, stood up to check her pants, and asked with concern, "Is it dirty? It's okay, you can come in and change! There's a restroom here!"

These days, buying sanitary napkins is still a shameful thing. Advertisements always use the word "that." Back when she was young, she used menstrual paper instead of buying it on the street. When a young girl is shy, she naturally thinks in that direction.

Yang Qingyue's eyes were practically brimming with tears.

"No...no...Auntie."

After pacing for a while, he finally spoke up: "I...I'm Chen Xuebing!...Is this Chen Xuebing's house?"

"Ok?"

Yu Chunyan raised an eyebrow.

"Are you looking for Xuebing?"

"Um... I asked to borrow his notes! No, he asked to borrow my notes!"

Yang Qingyue's first sentence almost made Yu Chunyan question her life, but thankfully she changed her mind and quickly asked, "Auntie... is Chen Xuebing here?"

Now, Yang Qingyue wasn't the only one who was nervous.

"No, he's here! No, he shouldn't be far from here! Wait a moment, I'll call him back for you right away!"

Empress Dowager Yu was overjoyed!
His old face turned red!
He grabbed his phone and called his son!
As soon as the woman's voice came on the other end of the phone, she shouted into the phone, "Xuebing! Your classmate is looking for you, hurry up..."

"Ok?"

Yu Chunyan glanced at the phone: "Why is that brat's phone off?"

After saying that, he immediately smiled and said, "Miss, what do you need Xuebing for? Come in and sit down! Just turn the corner from the iron gate of the residential area next door! It's the first building, on the first floor! I'll open the door for you!"

With Chen Xuebing not around, how could Yang Qingyue dare to enter Chen Xuebing's house?
"Oh, no, no, no! Auntie! I, I have something to do! Could you please give this to him for me?"

She quickly took out the envelope and placed it on the windowsill.

Upon seeing the envelope, Yu Chunyan was eager to open it and see what was inside, so of course she accepted it.

And it kept waving.

"Sit down! Come in and sit down!"

"No, Auntie, really, I have something to do..."

When two people are being overly polite to each other, they're like two broken record players repeating the same thing over and over.

Yang Qingyue was in a daze, only knowing that she had already handed over the envelope. As she backed away, she said politely, "Auntie, thank you. I... I'm going home now."

"Eh? Eh?" Yu Chunyan kept waving, but as Yang Qingyue gradually retreated into the distance, she could only wave her hand and say, "Eh! Eh!"

"Come over to my house next time!"

"hold head high!"

Yang Qingyue ran away as fast as she could.

Yu Chunyan watched her daughter's back, which resembled a little lamb, and a smile spread across her face.

Her smile only fully blossomed after his figure disappeared from sight.

"Hey! This girl... she's even writing letters!"

Yu Chunyan was delighted, but her hands moved quickly.

The envelope has been opened and is oval in shape.

She looked inside, and her smile froze.

"Ok?"

He reached inside and found a bank card, along with a slip of paper with six numbers written on it.