After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

Gong Yuelong didn't say anything, but simply took out his cigarette case and handed one to each person.

He leaned against the cold tile wall, his mind perfectly clear.

Old Nian is right, the knot is already tied, it can't be untied, it can only be cut.

Today's kick not only struck Wang Biao's leg, but also shattered Wu Jinshui's absolute authority in the High-tech Zone.

The news must have spread by now, reaching the ears of his cronies and those he exploited who dared not speak out.

The news also reached the ears of General Manager Li, Jiang Yan, Yang Ruyan, and even those in higher positions.

His reputation spread.

This reputation is partly due to his hotheadedness, ruthlessness, and recklessness.

The other half might be someone who dares to stand out, can handle things, and might even achieve something significant.

The former will attract more probing, and Wu Jinshui's counterattack will definitely not be as simple as just coming to cause trouble again.

Even more insidious framing and slander may follow.

The latter... is just a tiny, faint spark.

Those who have also suffered from Wu for a long time will begin to observe, and may even quietly gravitate towards him.

Risk and opportunity are always two sides of the same coin.

He has completely muddied up this pool of water.

Next, you'll either catch a big fish in murky waters or be swallowed up by the undercurrents.

He exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes calm.

Afraid? There's nothing to be afraid of.

He never left himself a way out after the divorce, burdened with debt.

Coming to the High-tech Zone is about carving out a piece of land from this seemingly monolithic area and establishing a foothold for ourselves.

Today, we've only torn open the first wound, and blood has been drawn.

Next, we'll see how big this mess gets, how many wolves it attracts, and how many companions it gathers who want to eat meat and drink soup.

The doctor called out a number, and Cao Dayong came out.

Gong Yuelong stubbed out his cigarette and went to meet him.

"How is it?"

"The bones are fine, Brother Long." Cao Dayong handed him the X-ray, his face showing some relief.

"Okay." Gong Yuelong took the film, glanced at it, folded it neatly, and stuffed it into the medicine bag. "Go back and take your medicine on time, and get some rest."

He turned to Shunzi and the others and said, "Be on your guard these next few days. Have two extra people on night watch at the construction site. Wu Jinshui won't let this go so easily."

Several people nodded emphatically.

Stepping out of the hospital, the night breeze carried a chill.

Gong Yuelong started the car and glanced at the gradually shrinking lights of the hospital in the rearview mirror.

It's good that their reputation has spread.

Let whatever is meant to come, come.

He wanted to see just how deep the waters of this high-tech zone were, and how big a dragon it could breed.

……

The pickup truck was driving back home, and the cargo bed was very quiet.

Cao Dayong, clutching the bag of medicine, huddled in the passenger seat, his head turned towards the window.

After a long while, he finally spoke in a muffled voice, "Brother Long... I'm sorry. Today... I caused you a lot of trouble and cost you so much money."

His head hung down, as if he had done something wrong.

"If I hadn't been so impulsive, maybe..."

Gong Yuelong interrupted him, "Dayong, today's matter isn't about whether you're willing to step forward or not. They're determined to establish their authority and humiliate us. You were right to step in and take the hit."

Cao Dayong's lips moved, but he didn't speak.

"Do you remember back at the labor market?" Gong Yuelong suddenly asked, his voice softening.

"I just got divorced, I'm in debt, and I was squatting on the curb waiting for work, but I didn't get a single customer for two days. You gave me a small job."

Cao Dayong was taken aback for a moment. "That was so long ago... We were all from the same hometown, it was just a small favor, not worth remembering."

"It's worth it," Gong Yuelong said with certainty.

"Offering help in times of need is a matter of kindness. Later, when I started looking for work, you were the first to come with me. Others complained that the jobs were too small and the pay too low, but you didn't say a word. I remember all of that."

He paused, then tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel.

"What are we all hoping to achieve by leaving our hometown? Isn't it just to earn a living through our own hard work, make some money, and improve the lives of our elderly parents and children?"

But relying solely on physical labor, working odd jobs or as a lone soldier, means you'll always be at someone else's mercy. You might have work today, but who knows where you'll be starving tomorrow?

Cao Dayong listened quietly, the light from the window flickering on his face.

"The new project is a stepping stone."

If we take it down and do it well, we won't just be a team of casual laborers hanging around the labor market.

My plan is that once the project funding is in place, I'll buy full work injury insurance for all my core colleagues who have worked with me, and then start paying into their pension plans.

Cao Dayong suddenly turned his head, and the sudden movement aggravated his injury, causing him to hiss in pain.

"Pension... pension insurance? Brother Long, that's... that's only for formal employees, right? Ours..."

"Why can't we have it?" Gong Yuelong glanced at him.

"We've done the work, we've made the money, and we should also have the necessary benefits."

Putting aside other things, like today, if you have workers' compensation insurance, most of your medical expenses can be reimbursed, so you don't have to pay so much out of pocket, and you won't feel anxious.

His tone was calm, yet it stirred up waves of emotion in Cao Dayong's heart.

Pension insurance... this term is too distant and too luxurious for those of them who spend most of their time on construction sites.

That means that even when they get old and can't work anymore, they can still get a fixed amount of money every month, which means a kind of stability and security that they almost dare not even imagine.

"Brother Long..." Cao Dayong didn't know what to say.

"Don't think too much, focus on healing your injury first." Gong Yuelong didn't say anything more.

"There are still many tough battles ahead. Wu Jinshui won't give up, and he'll keep a close eye on the project. The best help you can give me is to take care of yourselves and hone your skills."

Cao Dayong leaned back in his chair, gazing at the familiar chaotic scene outside the window, and for the first time felt that there was something to look forward to in life.

Once you gain a reputation, you also need to win people's hearts.

You can't go far by relying on loyalty and fists alone.

You need to show people tangible benefits, so that working with you isn't just about working yourself to the bone, but also about having a decent future to look forward to.

Insurance, pensions... these things that city dwellers may take for granted are the best reassurance for Cao Dayong and his colleagues.

This move must be played carefully. Wu Jinshui is the wolf before us, and the team is the knife in our hands.

A knife must be sharp, but hearts must be united.

"Dayong," he suddenly said, "once your injury heals, you'll have a new responsibility to shoulder."

Cao Dayong turned his head, looking somewhat bewildered: "Brother Long, what do you want to say?"

"Once the new project starts, the inflow and outflow of materials will be the biggest expense. Sand, gravel, cement, steel bars... everything costs money, and everything can be manipulated."

Gong Yuelong turned his head to look at Cao Dayong, "I'm handing over this materials clerk position to you."

Cao Dayong was stunned. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.

Materials clerk? That's not a job that just requires strength!

We need to count the items, reconcile accounts, monitor quality, and prevent the use of inferior goods...

That was a coveted position that almost everyone on the construction site with a bit of cunning wanted to get their hands on, but it was also the position where mistakes were most likely to happen and people would end up taking the blame.

"Brother Long, I... I can't do this!" Cao Dayong was anxious, ignoring the pain in his wounds. "I can barely read or write, all I know is physical labor, I can't even do basic accounting..."

"Zhou Xiaobin is helping to look after the accounts; you mainly need to manage the materials," Gong Yuelong interrupted him.

"Keep your eyes wide open when things are coming in and out of the site. If any truckload of sand contains too much soil, or if any batch of steel bars is rusted improperly, confiscate them immediately. No amount of pleading will change anything."

He paused for a moment, then said, "This job needs to be kept in the sights of your own people. They have to be either your closest relatives or brothers who would risk their lives for you. You've come this far with me from the labor market, I trust you."

Cao Dayong's eyes welled up with tears. What did being a materials clerk mean? It meant that Brother Long had entrusted him with a part of the project's lifeline.

It signifies trust, a trust that carries a much greater weight than money or pension insurance.

"I...I'm afraid I won't do a good job and will cause you trouble..." Cao Dayong's voice choked.

"Nobody's born knowing how," Gong Yuelong said, holding a cigarette in his mouth but not lighting it.

Learn slowly. The important thing is to have a righteous heart, steady hands, and no tolerance for mistakes.

"If anything goes wrong, I'll take care of it, but don't you dare get involved in any embezzlement or substandard work."

Cao Dayong, clutching the bag of medicine, sat in the passenger seat for several more seconds.

His chest ached, but a fire burned in his heart. Materials clerk… could a rough guy like him really do this? Brother Long trusted him; he couldn't back down.

Gong Yuelong took out a lighter and lit the cigarette with a click.

Pension insurance binds people's hearts, and key positions keep core members in check.

Cao Dayong is straightforward and stubborn, lacking in cleverness, but it is precisely because of this that he dares to entrust the materials to him.