Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

Old Zhou knows about these things.

Song Chao never complained on the construction site. He was always the first to get up and the last to leave. He would take on any dirty or tiring work. His wages were never delayed, and he never had any conflicts with his fellow workers.

Logically speaking, Lao Zhou should like this kind of worker.

But tonight, he really couldn't be happy.

He simply couldn't bring himself to ask the matter that Mr. Zhang's secretary had just instructed him to do.

Zhang Jinshan came over tonight specifically for the foundation inspection.

Yesterday, the quality inspection station came down to check and said that the grade of this batch of steel bars was not high enough and the strength did not meet the standards. If it fails to pass the inspection, the entire project will have to be suspended for rectification, resulting in a loss of at least several million yuan.

This matter has absolutely nothing to do with the Song Dynasty.

The steel bars were purchased by Zhang Jinshan's purchasing department. The fact that the grade was not high enough meant that the purchasing department had taken kickbacks and bought cheaper steel bars to make up the difference.

Song Chao was just a steel bar worker. When the steel bars were brought to the construction site, he would tie them up according to the blueprints, but he couldn't understand the markings printed on the steel bars.

Even if he understood it, how could a worker dare to question whether the materials purchased by the developer were up to standard?

But Zhang Jinshan didn't care about any of that.

His meaning was simple: find a scapegoat and shift all the blame onto the "workers who replaced the steel bars".

The kickbacks in procurement cannot be brought up, because if they are, a whole bunch of people will be in trouble, and Zhang Jinshan himself won't be clean either.

We need to find an outsider to fill in.

The most suitable person is someone with no family background, who is honest and obedient, and who wouldn't dare to make a fuss even if they were wronged.

These kinds of people are easy to manipulate. A few scare words and they'll behave. Give them a little something sweet and they'll obediently confess. After a few years in jail, they'll come out and have to thank you.

Of all the places on the construction site, the Song Dynasty was the most suitable.

He has a wife and children to support, and he usually keeps a low profile and doesn't interact much with the outside world. Even if he's framed, he won't cause any trouble.

Zhang Jinshan had even thought of the "compensation" in advance.

Give him 30,000 yuan, make him admit to the crime, let him go to jail for two or three years, and he can still work on the construction site when he comes out.

For these big bosses, buying a worker's freedom for three years for 30,000 yuan is an incredibly good deal.

Old Zhou stubbed out the last puff of his cigarette and stomped on the muddy ground.

The cigarette butt sank into the mud, making a slight sizzling sound, and a burnt smell mixed with the stench of the mud entered my nose.

He walked over and kicked the pile of steel bars next to Song Chao's feet.

"Stop pricking me, take a break."

Song Chao raised his head, his face red from the cold but still smiling.

That smile was so innocent it made your heart ache.

"Brother Zhou, there are only a dozen or so left, it won't make a difference. You go back to sleep, I can manage on my own."

"Just take a break." Old Zhou's voice was a little muffled. He squatted down, took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to him. "I have something to tell you."

Song Chao took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear.

He usually doesn't like to smoke good cigarettes, but the one Lao Zhou gave him is a brand that costs more than ten yuan a pack. He plans to take it home and give it to his father-in-law to smoke during the Chinese New Year.

"What's up, Brother Zhou? Is it about the wages? I'm not in a rush, don't worry, I'll definitely finish on time. I guarantee every single steel bar will be there by six o'clock tomorrow morning."

Looking at his honest and simple face, Old Zhou hesitated for a while before finally just patting him on the shoulder.

The hand was a bit too strong, and Song Chao's shoulder slumped.

"It's nothing. It's just that General Manager Zhang came by earlier and said that these steel bars were tied well. He said he'll give you a 500 yuan bonus after the inspection."

Song Chao's eyes lit up immediately.

The light was particularly dazzling in the darkness, like finding a treasure.

"Really? Thank you, Brother Zhou! Thank you, General Manager Zhang!" He said thank you twice, his voice full of gratitude, as if Zhang Jinshan had done him a great favor. "Please tell General Manager Zhang for me that I will definitely work hard and never let him down!"

He already felt hopeful about the future, and now he was filled with even more energy.

A 500 yuan red envelope, plus double pay tonight, plus next month's pay, will be enough to get me home.

I'll buy two cartons of milk for Niu Niu, that wool scarf for Yuan Qiao, and I can also enroll Niu Niu in another semester of art classes.

He became happier and happier as he thought about it, and he picked up the hook and worked even faster, his movements becoming even more nimble than before.

Old Zhou sighed, turned around and left.

The sigh was carried away by the wind, and Song Chao never heard it.

In the darkness, Zhang Jinshan sat in the car, watching Song Chao's back as he worked with his head down, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

The car was well-heated, and he had taken off his suit jacket, leaving him in only a cashmere sweater. The jade ring on his finger gleamed with a soft green light under the watch face.

"Is that the one?" he asked the secretary in the passenger seat.

"Yes, his name is Song Chao, he's 27, has been working for 5 years, his wife doesn't work, his daughter is three and a half, and both sets of parents are still alive, so he's the sole breadwinner."

The secretary flipped through the documents on her phone, reading quickly, "He's usually quiet, doesn't have any conflicts with his coworkers, and doesn't associate with outsiders. Two years ago, when some people at the construction site caused trouble to demand unpaid wages, he didn't participate."

"Great." Zhang Jinshan flicked his cigarette ash, which fell into the crack of the car window and was blown by the wind onto the leather seats in the back. "Honest people are the easiest to deal with. Thirty thousand yuan will be enough to make him grateful."

He paused, as if remembering something interesting, and the smile on his lips deepened.

"I think I vaguely remember this person. The Tang family mentioned him before, saying that his wife is interested in him."

The secretary turned her head, a puzzled look on her face.

"Mr. Zhang, what's interesting?"

Zhang Jinshan waved his hand without saying anything more.

But that smile remained on his face, carrying a smugness of knowing a secret that others didn't.

He looked out the window at Song Chao's shivering figure, curled up in a ball from the cold, and shook his head.

He's such a fool; he's been sold out and he's still helping the seller count the money.

He didn't even know about his wife's affairs, yet he was happily thinking about going home for a family reunion.

Zhang Jinshan stubbed out his cigarette in the car's ashtray and rolled up the window.

"Have the quality inspection station come over tomorrow and match the substandard steel bar samples with the Song Dynasty work numbers. Remember, it must be done cleanly; no one can tell that the steel bars we purchased ourselves are the problem."

"Understood." The secretary quickly jotted it down in her notebook. "When do I give him the 30,000 yuan?"

"Give it to him after the inspection is complete. Let him be happy for a few days first."

The black sedan drove silently out of the construction site, its taillights leaving two dark red streaks on the muddy road.

In the latter half of the night, Song Chao finally finished reinforcing all the steel bars.

When he stood up, his legs were so numb that he almost fell. His knee cracked, and he winced in pain. He held onto the steel cage for a long time before he could walk again.

My back hurts too.

I have a chronic problem with lumbar disc herniation. After squatting in the cold wind for four or five hours, it feels like a needle is twisting in my bones when I straighten up.

He supported his back and slowly walked towards the workers' shed, each step very slow, like an old man.