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

At 9:00 sharp, the host, supervisor, and representatives from the client were seated.

The procedure begins with checking the seal of the tender documents, opening them in front of everyone, and announcing the bids.

One, two, three... the quotes were displayed on the large electronic screen.

Some were extremely expensive, some had obvious technical flaws that were questioned on the spot, and some were so cheap that people whispered about them.

The construction group that Zheng Tao was affiliated with quoted a price that was moderately high, but the technical specifications were very comprehensive and impressive.

Each time a business was reported, Zheng Tao would nod slightly or shake his head gently, behaving like a judge, which made the faces of the small business owners next to him even more tense.

When it was Gong Yuelong's turn to read out the tender document, he clearly stated his company name.

The total price quoted is a very competitive figure after calculation, placing it in the mid-to-lower tier.

At this point in the song, Zheng Tao, sitting in the front row, finally turned back to look at Gong Yuelong again, raising an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by the price. He then pursed his lips, turned back, and whispered to the person next to him:

"With prices so low, how much profit margin is left? I doubt you've ever run a factory like this before and don't understand the costs involved."

After the bidding process is completed, the judging will begin.

The judges went to the next room, while the bidders waited in the rest area.

Time seemed to slow down, and every minute felt unbearable.

All the quotes are displayed on the electronic screen, with the numbers arranged in ascending and descending order, making them easy to see at a glance.

Zheng Tao glanced at it, and couldn't help but smile.

The situation unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

On the screen, in the middle, was the construction group he was affiliated with, offering a reasonable price.

The other three or four companies closely listed above and below it quoted prices that were almost identical to those of the Construction Group.

Some are slightly higher, and some are slightly lower.

This was a carefully orchestrated bid-rigging scheme, with several companies submitting joint bids and supporting each other to keep the target company's price in the most competitive position.

Gong Yuelong's company's offer, although lower than the bottom price in this clustered price range, stood out conspicuously, appearing particularly isolated.

Zheng Tao was in high spirits. He stood in front of the electronic screen with several bosses who were obviously accomplices, pointing and chatting happily.

Seeing Gong Yuelong walk alone to the end of the corridor for some fresh air, he immediately followed with his men and intercepted him at the window.

"Boss Gong, do you understand now?"

Zheng Tao tapped the distant electronic screen with his chin, his smile brimming with smugness and superiority.

"That's what you call professionalism. See? Those companies with similar prices are all friends. They all sat down and discussed it together; there's a strategy involved in who quotes which price."

A tall, thin man next to him chimed in, his tone equally flippant:

"Young Master Zheng has put a lot of thought into securing our bids. The range we quoted has been precisely calculated to ensure that it won't be suspected of malicious competition if it's too low, nor will it lose points if it's too high."

He glanced at Gong Yuelong's low price and sneered.

"Boss Gong, you're quoting an extremely low price all by yourself. It may seem cheap, but is it really useful?"

In the judges' eyes, this is deviating from market norms; it's either malicious disruption or a failure to calculate costs properly, leading to extremely high risks later on.

"You might not get the better deal on the price, and as for the other business and technical aspects..." He shook his head, the rest of his meaning self-evident.

Another bald boss chimed in: "Yeah, these days, who can really win a bid just by offering a low price? Especially for projects with a bit of technical content like this."

"Boss Gong, your price is quite bold, but unfortunately, you don't understand the rules, so you've wasted your effort."

Zheng Tao enjoyed his accomplices' interpretation, finding it more authentic and compelling than his own boasting.

He took two steps closer and looked at Gong Yuelong: "Did you hear that? Bidding rigging is all about controlling the price range and the rating bias."

Lowering your price won't help; it will only make you a target.

A score higher than that is even worse; it'll mean elimination. Our current formation allows us to attack or defend effectively.

Even if the judges wanted to choose, they'd have to pick from among us. They'd have to calculate the weighted average based on price, technology, and business acumen; the companies with the highest chance of winning would be the core units we'd already arranged.

He paused, then said in an almost condescending tone, "So, you lost from the very first step."

It's not that you lost because of the price; it's that you lost because nobody was there to guide you through the game. You were just blindly wandering around in the wrong place.

Several of his accomplices chuckled softly, looking at Gong Yuelong as if he were an outsider who had stumbled into a high-level poker game but didn't even understand the basic rules.

Cao Dayong and Shunzi, who were not far away, heard it clearly, and their faces turned bright red.

Gong Yuelong withdrew his gaze from the electronic screen, slowly scanning Zheng Tao's face, and then looked at his several allies beside him, whose faces were full of mockery.

The bright sunlight outside the window fell on his expressionless face.

He was silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"I've learned the rules of the game."

After saying that, he stopped looking at anyone, turned around and walked to the other side of the lounge chair, sat down peacefully, and closed his eyes to rest.

Seeing his unyielding attitude, Zheng Tao's initial sense of accomplishment faded, replaced by a strange annoyance at being ignored.

He snorted and said to his companions, "Stubborn to the end. Come on, let's go wait over there; the results should be out soon."

After an unknown amount of time, the door to the bid evaluation room opened.

The host returned to the stage with the final results.

The people in the rest area all rushed back to the bidding room, crowding into the back half, and didn't make a sound.

Zheng Tao also sat up straight.

All eyes were fixed on the piece of paper.

"Based on the judges' overall scores..." the host announced the winning candidates in a steady voice.

The first name is not one of those well-known large companies, nor is it a construction group.

Zheng Tao's fingers, which were tapping the armrest, stopped.

The second one isn't it either.

The ease on his face vanished, his brows furrowed, and he stared intently at the host's mouth.

When the third, and final, winning name was read, the bidding room fell silent for a moment, then a low hum resounded.

It was Gong Yuelong's company, which not many people had heard of.

Zheng Tao stared intently at the host's mouth, as if trying to confirm whether he had just imagined it.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at the electronic screen, where Gong Yuelong's lonely low bid was still displayed.

Zheng Tao suddenly turned his head, his eyes wide, staring incredulously at Gong Yuelong, who was slowly standing up in the back row.

How could it be him?!

What about bid rigging? What about the price range?

What about the carefully calculated scores? What about those relationships that were established through prior arrangement?

How did this guy, who seems to have the least understanding of the rules, manage to win?

And he was the first candidate, and won the bid directly?!

His accomplices had even more interesting expressions than he did.

Amidst the frozen shock, Gong Yuelong stood up, his movements slow and even composed.

His face remained expressionless, devoid of elation or triumph, only displaying a natural calm.

He met Zheng Tao's complex gaze and walked step by step toward the front of the stage.

Walk to the front of the stage and stand still.

The host's face had long since lost its previous businesslike demeanor, replaced by a very polite smile, even with a hint of deference, as he handed over a pen with both hands.

Please sign here.

Gong Yuelong took the pen but did not use it immediately.

He leaned slightly closer to the bid award notice and asked:

"Should we sign here?"

"Yes, yes, right here, where Party B stamps and signs." The host quickly pointed again, his attitude becoming increasingly friendly.