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

"To put it bluntly, seventy or eighty thousand," Gong Yuelong said calmly. "If things go well, it could even be turned into one hundred thousand."

"Ten...ten thousand?!" Shunzi almost jumped up from the stool, but was stopped by a look from Gong Yuelong.

He covered his mouth, his eyes wide open, looking at Gong Yuelong and then at Cao Dayong, very excited.

Cao Dayong was stunned, and after a long while, he managed to stammer, "They...they're really willing to spend so much!"

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Gong Yuelong took another sip of his drink. "They want to use these few bundles of steel bars to trap our entire project and ruin me."

He put down his cup. "It's a pity the trap was set well, but the rope wasn't tightened enough."

Shunzi finally processed the information, his face lighting up with excitement: "Brother Long, then... then aren't we... turned misfortune into blessing? We got... no, they practically forced such a huge sum of money on us..."

He wanted to say "windfall," but then felt the word was wrong and got stuck.

He looked at Cao Dayong, "Dayong, Shunzi, keep your mouths shut, don't tell anyone."

"Understood!" The two nodded emphatically.

As Cao Dayong ate his meat skewers, the frustration he felt due to his injury gradually dissipated.

Looking at Gong Yuelong calmly eating his noodles across from him, and then thinking of the heavy steel bars in the warehouse, he suddenly felt that the pain in his chest was not so bad anymore.

Shunzi, on the other hand, ate his bowl of noodles with great enthusiasm, as if he were eating the finest delicacies.

"It feels pretty good to receive gifts," Gong Yuelong suddenly said.

He picked up the bottle and refilled all three of their glasses.

"Especially," he raised his glass to his two brothers, "the delivery was so thoughtful and timely."

Cao Dayong and Shunzi quickly picked up their cups as well.

"Respectfully," Gong Yuelong said, his gaze sweeping over the two men. "They are here to give gifts."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

It feels pretty good.

I took a big gulp of ice-cold beer, the coolness rushing down my throat.

Thinking of Wang Biao dragging his broken leg and setting traps in the dark at the construction site, Wu Jinshui plotted to strangle him with a steel bar.

Now that the casing is empty and the steel bars have changed hands, those two people will probably be furious when they find out.

Wang Biao's injured leg will be in pain for at least half a month, and Wu Jinshui will have to squeeze the walnuts in his hands until they crack.

The new director has secured this major job.

Money is tight, but this unexpected gift is a blessing.

"Once the factory is built smoothly and the project payment is settled," Gong Yuelong thought to himself.

"We can easily leave behind a dozen or twenty. The stronger the company's foundation, the more work we can take on."

"Da Yong and Shun Zi fought this hard, so they deserve a bigger share. Their dilapidated house needs repairing, and they should provide for the elderly and children."

A sliver of light seemed to seep into the pitch-black road ahead.

Although it was still narrow and bumpy, the road was now visible.

Shunzi smacked his lips and grinned, "Brother Long, this beer...it's great!"

……

As soon as it was light, Gong Yuelong drove his old pickup truck out the door.

The cool morning breeze of summer blew in through the half-rolled-down car window.

He slept soundly last night and woke up this morning full of energy, looking refreshed and energetic.

The pickup truck stopped in front of a row of old warehouses.

Cao Dayong was already waiting at the door of the agreed warehouse.

"Good morning, Brother Long," Cao Dayong greeted him.

Gong Yuelong nodded and opened the large iron gate.

The warehouse was empty, with only a few bundles of steel bars piled up in the corner.

He immediately took out his phone and dialed Zhou Jianguo's number.

The call was answered quickly.

"Master Zhou, this is Gong Yuelong. Yes, it's brand new, the signs are still on... Okay, please tell Boss Han I'll wait for him here."

After hanging up the phone, he took out a cigarette, handed one to Cao Dayong, and lit one for himself.

About an hour later, a black Audi pulled up in front of the warehouse.

A man in his fifties, slightly overweight, with a round, smiling face, stepped down, holding two walnuts in his hand. It was Boss Han.

"Boss Gong? I've heard so much about you. Old Zhou praised you a lot on the phone." Boss Han extended his hand proactively.

Gong Yuelong, with a sincere demeanor, said, "Boss Han, thank you for making this trip. I trust the person Master Zhou recommended. The goods are over there; would you like to inspect them?"

"Yes, it needs to be checked." Boss Han smiled and, without any formalities, walked to the steel bars and looked at the sign.

"Goods from the provincial steel mill, genuine products." Boss Han straightened up and clapped his hands.

"The quality is impeccable. Old Zhou said you need to sell quickly, so I won't beat around the bush."

The market price is 3,300, but I'll buy your batch for 3,100, cash on delivery.

I estimate the weight to be around 32.5 tons, which is 90,750. Let's round it up to 90,000.

The truck is right outside; the goods can be taken away. Is that okay?

Straightforward and bright.

Gong Yuelong knew in his heart that the price was fair.

He nodded: "Boss Han is very straightforward. But could you please transfer the money directly to our company account? It'll be easier to process the payments later, as it's a business-to-business transaction."

Boss Han raised an eyebrow, glanced at him again, and his smile became more genuine:

"Great, you're young and on the right track."

Okay, send the account information to Lao Zhou, I'll have him pass it on to finance, let's get it done now.

He continued, "Old Zhou said you took on the work at Xinke Factory? If you urgently need building materials or lack large equipment in the future, come to me."

I can't speak for other things, but the prices are definitely more reasonable than those from middlemen in the market.

Gong Yuelong thanked him earnestly: "Thank you in advance, Boss Han. We're just starting out, and we'll need your guidance a lot in the future."

"We help each other out. It's hard to go it alone in this line of work."

You're honest and reliable, and Old Zhou is willing to speak up for you. I think you're capable.

The steel bars were quickly loaded onto a truck and driven away by the workers brought by Boss Han.

Before leaving, Boss Han asked for Gong Yuelong's phone number: "Boss Gong, here's your number, let's keep in touch."

The pickup truck restarted and drove away from the warehouse.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Cao Dayong watched the warehouse disappear into the distance in the rearview mirror and let out a long sigh of relief:

"Ninety thousand... I really got it. Brother Long, this Boss Han is pretty righteous."

Gong Yuelong grunted in agreement, held the steering wheel with one hand, and took out a cigarette with the other to light it.

The car window was open, and the summer breeze was blowing in. It felt so good.

The most difficult problem in my hand was plugged, and I also unexpectedly made a solid connection with someone.

……

In Jiang Yan's office, the window overlooking the water was half-open, and several koi fish lazily swayed their tails in the pond.

Jiang Yan wasn't brewing tea; she was pruning the branches and leaves of a potted Podocarpus macrophyllus.

Hearing footsteps, she didn't turn around, but said calmly, "You've come at the right time. Help me steady that leaning branch."

Gong Yuelong stepped forward and, as instructed, pinched the thin twig.

Jiang Yan's hand was steady; the scissors grazed his fingers, and the excess branches and leaves fell to the ground.

"Alright." She put down the scissors, brushed the broken leaves off her hands, then turned around and glanced at him. "You look good."

Gong Yuelong took out a kraft paper envelope from his pocket and placed it on the stone table next to him.

"Mr. Jiang, please return 90,000 first."

Jiang Yan glanced at the envelope, didn't touch it, walked to the basin to wash her hands, and slowly dried them.

"I told you the money wasn't urgent." She sat back in the wicker chair. "Judging from your demeanor, you're not just here to return the money, but more like... to deliver good news?"

Gong Yuelong sat down opposite her. "I wouldn't call it a happy occasion. It's just that a hole that was being plugged was unexpectedly filled with a good brick."

"Hmm?" Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Wu Jinshui gave me 90,000 yuan worth of steel bars," Gong Yuelong said calmly.

Jiang Yan paused, holding her teacup, and looked up at him, a half-smile gradually curving her lips.

"Oh...oh! Ninety thousand...Wu Jinshui really went all out this time."