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

The tall, thin man nodded: "What he's missing is this bridge, so we'll play that bridge."

"Yes. For such a large project, the initial operating costs, bribery fees, and security deposits are not excessive, are they?"

"We won't ask for much the first time, three or five hundred thousand. It won't be a financial blow to a rich kid like him, but it'll be a good test to see if he's serious about it, and it'll show that we're not after his money, but rather our sincerity."

"What if he gives it to me?"

"If you give it to them, it means the fish has taken the bait." Old Liu's smile turned cold.

"Then things will be much easier. Project progress requires new favors, competitors need more leverage, visiting leaders require arranging receptions… each time there's a pretext, each time a little more than the last. Once he starts to feel the pinch and starts asking about the specific progress…"

"Just drag it out," the tall, thin man continued. "Planning adjustments, leadership changes, complicated processes... there are plenty of reasons. We'll drag it out until he loses patience, or until he realizes something's wrong."

"Even if he realizes something's wrong, what can he do?" Old Liu leaned back on the sofa.

"Call the police? Say he was scammed trying to bribe his way into a project? His dad would be the first to break his legs. If this blows up, will he and his father look good? They're the most likely to swallow this bitter pill."

The tall, thin man thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid he might have someone knowledgeable who can offer him advice."

"So you have to get the timing right." Old Liu's eyes were shrewd. "Don't rush it. First, make friends with him, make him feel like we're one of your own."

Occasionally revealing other inside information makes us seem unconventional.

Once he's completely overwhelmed and asks to be taken on, we can then subtly offer him the project. We need to make him feel that it's an opportunity he begged for, not something we force upon him.

The two smoked in silence for a while.

The tall, thin man finally asked, "When did you first contact him?"

"No rush." ​​Old Liu looked out the window. "Let's first find out what he's been up to lately and see just how thirsty he is. We'll find a suitable place and bump into him."

The more proactive you are with this kind of person, the more suspicious they become; the more aloof you are, the more unfathomable they think you are.

He stubbed out his cigarette: "This game is prepared for spoiled brats like him who live in their fathers' shadows and think they're so great."

In their eyes, the world is a web of relationships, and they believe that grasping a single thread can unearth a mountain of gold. We'll sell them that thread; whether it leads to a mountain of gold or a precipice is up to their own fate.

……

……

After several days of overcast skies, the clouds over the High-tech Zone finally cleared up.

The morning sun was bright and shining on the streets that had just been washed by the rain.

Gong Yuelong stood at the entrance of the High-tech Zone Public Resources Trading Center, carrying a worn-out black file box in his hand.

Cao Dayong and Shunzi followed behind, both wearing shirts they rarely wore, their faces tense, their eyes involuntarily glancing into the hall.

The lobby was quite crowded, with people speaking in hushed tones and the hum of the air conditioner creating a tense atmosphere.

Gong Yuelong's gaze swept across the hall.

The electronic screen displayed the projects that were tendered today, with the first phase of the Xinke Sensing plant in the High-tech Zone listed third.

Just as he was about to go inside, there was a commotion at the door.

A black sedan stopped, and Zheng Tao got out of the car, dressed in a suit and tie, his hair slicked back.

He wasn't alone; he was accompanied by two people carrying briefcases.

Zheng Tao smiled as soon as he got out of the car, his voice just loud enough for those around him to hear: "President Wang, President Li, what a coincidence! You've all come to show your support?"

Several middle-aged men who were talking in the lobby immediately turned around, their faces beaming with familiar smiles as they greeted them:

"Young Master Zheng! You're here too? Looks like you're determined to win this project!"

"I wouldn't say I'm determined to win," Zheng Tao waved his hand. "I'm just learning from them. But then again, projects like Xinke may seem small, but there's a lot to it. I know General Manager Li well; he has high standards, and most teams can't handle him."

As he spoke, he walked inside. When he saw Gong Yuelong, he paused for a moment, nodded, and that was his way of greeting him.

Gong Yuelong glanced back at him calmly, without saying a word.

Zheng Tao had already turned his head and continued his long-winded conversation with the two General Managers, Wang and Li, "...I'm very familiar with the bidding process. Qualifications and performance are just the threshold; the key is what's in it."

He tapped his temple. "The plan is well-designed, and the price is cleverly quoted, but those are all aboveboard."

Some relationships need to be smoothed out beforehand, and the judges' preferences need to be figured out... Of course, the most important thing is still ability.

He smiled and said, "To be honest, I put a lot of effort into this bid. Otherwise, if I made a mistake at any stage and someone who shouldn't have won ended up winning, wouldn't that be a laughing stock?"

The two bosses nodded in agreement.

"That's right, that's right, Young Master Zheng is very thorough!"

"With your involvement, this project seems to be a sure thing."

Zheng Tao seemed pleased and patted one of them on the shoulder:

"Mr. Wang, you're too kind. Let's compete fairly, haha, fair competition."

Despite saying that, his determined spirit was undeniable.

He glanced at the silent Gong Yuelong again, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes, then ignored him and, surrounded by a group of people, headed towards the bidding room, as if he were the main character of the day.

Cao Dayong gritted his teeth and muttered, "Damn it, look at how smug he is!"

Shunzi was also holding back her anger: "It's like this project already belongs to him."

Gong Yuelong's face remained expressionless; he simply said, "His mouth is his own. Let's go."

For the past two weeks, it felt like I was being pushed around without stopping for a moment.

The real trouble began after Mr. Li relented.

Gathering qualifications, building up performance records, finding a company to affiliate with, preparing thick tender documents... every step is like walking through mud. You have to be fast, steady, and leave no loose ends.

The wit and connections Zheng Tao had just made Gong Yuelong realize even more clearly that this contest was far more than just the numbers and words on the tender documents.

"I'm 90% confident," he thought as he sealed the bid.

But Zheng Tao's appearance and his seemingly casual conversation made that one percent chance of change more concrete.

"Bidding units for the new project, please proceed to the third bidding room." The announcement came over the loudspeaker.

Gong Yuelong picked up the document box, nodded to the two people behind him, and walked towards the bidding room.

Several groups of people were already seated in the bidding room, clearly divided into different groups.

Zheng Tao was indeed sitting in a seat near the front, leaning to the side and talking quietly to a bespectacled man next to him, occasionally tapping his fingers on the open documents, looking like he was giving orders.

When he saw Gong Yuelong enter, he raised his eyelids slightly as a greeting, then turned back as if Gong Yuelong were just an insignificant background figure.

There were representatives from large construction companies, dressed in uniform and exuding composure, as well as small business owners like Gong Yuelong who worked alone or with only one or two people.

The air was filled with the smells of smoke, perfume, and paper ink, all mixed together to create a competitive atmosphere.

The occasional low laughter coming from Zheng Tao's side sounded particularly jarring.

Gong Yuelong sat down in the back row, put the file box on his lap, folded his hands on it, and looked at the table in front of him.

A middle-aged man he didn't recognize glanced at him a few times, then looked at Zheng Tao chatting and laughing in front of him, and whispered to his companion:

"See that? Zheng Shu's son is here too, and he brought people from the construction group. Looks like they've joined forces. And us, well, there's that unfamiliar face over there too."

He gestured with his chin towards Gong Yuelong, "I'm afraid he's really just here to make up the numbers."

Gong Yuelong pretended not to hear.