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

Many images flashed through Gong Yuelong's mind in an instant:

Once, a concrete mixer truck's outriggers sank into the soft, wet roadbed, almost causing it to overturn into the work pit... Every time, it leaves one terrified and sweating profusely.

"Especially for large foundation pits like those in sports centers, which are deep, any slight imperfection in the slope treatment can lead to hidden dangers once the rain soaks in."

Zhao and his team will certainly emphasize this, but those executing the work, fatigued and rushing to meet deadlines, are most prone to oversights.

He silently made a note of it, already starting to consider candidates in his mind.

Then he got up, pushed open the door, and bumped into the old ox that was trying to drive it out.

When Lao Niu saw Gong Yuelong, his eyes lit up:

"I was just looking for you! You know about the municipal pipeline project on Changmin Road? They announced today that they urgently need a lot of laborers to meet the deadline for the civilized city inspection!"

They provide a boxed lunch for lunch, paid daily, and the price is a full twenty yuan higher than usual!

He held up two fingers, gesturing with his name, his eyes gleaming.

For someone like him who relies on day-wage odd jobs to support his family, a difference of twenty yuan is a rare and good opportunity!

Are you going or not?

Remembering the earlier reminder, Gong Yuelong spoke up, saying, "It just rained. Changmin Road is a rushed project, and it involves digging trenches... If the foundation pit support isn't done properly in a rush, or if the road surface has already been eroded by water, the possibility of a collapse is... higher than usual."

He paused, then looked at Lao Niu: "It's true that you get twenty more yuan. But be careful not to just bury your head in your work."

Before going down into the trench, take a good look at the soil color of the slope and listen for any seepage sounds. If something seems wrong, don't hesitate, stop immediately.

It's a sad situation, really. Finding work in the labor market is tough, and manual labor is cheap. Some people are actually hoping for more work and more money.

I'll work myself to the bone to grab that extra twenty yuan, just to catch my breath;

But some people, after working in this industry for a long time and seeing a lot, realize that some of the money in this industry looks like a lot, but in reality, there are hidden traps, and you are earning money by risking your life.

This gives rise to the concept of risk premium.

A normal laborer works ten hours a day and earns between 120 and 180 yuan a day, which is considered the going rate.

Even if you work hard every month, you can still barely make ends meet and cover your family's expenses.

However, while prices may be higher for such urgent municipal projects that rush to meet deadlines, they often mean poor management, harsh conditions, and a host of hidden dangers.

That extra twenty yuan might be for your negligence or someone else's carelessness.

"The work is inanimate, but the person is alive."

Old Niu listened, scratching his head:

"Old Gong, what you said... makes sense. We do need to be careful."

He hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help asking, "So... you're really not going? It's twenty extra yuan a day!"

I told you to be careful, why are you still thinking about that twenty yuan?

The hard-earned money plus risk deposit from Changmin Road is nothing compared to the tricks of the trade you've figured out now!

Old Niu was stunned for a moment, thinking that Old Gong had indeed changed recently. He was much more composed in his speech and actions, no wonder he could talk to the people in the project department.

He shook his head, ultimately unable to resist the temptation of those twenty yuan.

"Then... I'll go check it out first. I'll listen to you and be careful! You go ahead with your work!"

After saying that, the old ox hurriedly trotted off towards the labor market.

Old Niu's family has big expenses this month. If they rush into this high-paying, last-minute job today, they might regret it tomorrow for that little bit of money.

Watching the old ox disappear at the alley entrance.

He certainly didn't care about the extra twenty yuan.

With Chen's phone in his pocket, the opportunity to get 5,000 cubic meters of concrete for the sports center weighed on his mind, while Jiang Yan's ambiguous situation loomed ahead.

His battlefield is no longer by the dusty ditch, but in the network of human relationships and information.

The battles there are no longer about physical strength, but about vision, courage, and calculation; the gains and risks are also magnified exponentially.

He turned and went back into the house, preparing to change into the clean clothes he would wear when meeting people.

Gong Yuelong went out the door and headed straight for the North City Labor Market.

He had something on his mind; he wasn't looking for odd jobs, he was looking for someone.

The labor market may look like a bustling place full of laborers looking for work, but it's actually a complex and shady place.

As a newcomer, he could only wander around on the periphery, leaving his fate to be decided by his employer.

If you really want to find a good, stable job, especially one like the one at the sports center that requires experienced teams, you need to have some foundation or be sure of a good fit.

These storefronts are often used by hometown associations or groups from the same county.

Zibo has many construction sites, attracting people from all over the country to make a living, which has inadvertently led to the city being divided into different areas based on geographical location.

Those from Nanshan County mostly stick together in the bricklaying and concrete pouring business; people from neighboring counties almost monopolize high-rise scaffolding; as for fine carpentry, just by listening to their accents, nine out of ten come from the coastal counties to the east.

When you go out to do manual labor, it's easy to be bullied if you go it alone. If you stick close to your fellow villagers, at least you can get a share of the spoils, and if you're bullied, someone will stand up for you.

Over time, it became common for the various county groups to compete openly and covertly for good construction sites and wages, resulting in verbal sparring, arguments, and even small-scale frictions. This was the most basic survival alliance among those living away from home.

Gong Yuelong was looking for Cao Dayong, a fellow villager from Nanshan County.

Cao Dayong was one of the few people he could talk to and who knew him well in the labor market.

They are distant relatives, a branch descended from a great-grandmother. By their generation, they were already beyond the fifth degree of kinship, but in this foreign land, this faint blood relation could still be considered as one of their own.

Cao Dayong had been working in the labor market longer than Gong Yuelong, and he knew many people, especially among the local workers. He had a bit of prestige and was good at gathering people.

Gong Yuelong knew the way well, bypassing several groups of people haggling around the foreman, and headed straight for the relatively fixed area in the southeast corner of the market where people from Nanshan County were clustered together.

There was a group of people squatting or standing there, speaking similar accents, and smoking in a way that carried a touch of the lazy charm of their hometown.

Soon, he saw Cao Dayong at the base of a wall.

Cao Dayong was chatting idly with a few fellow villagers, a cigarette between his fingers, his smile revealing teeth stained yellow from smoking.

He was a few years older than Gong Yuelong, with a stocky build, dark skin, and shiny hair.

"Brother Dayong," Gong Yuelong called out as he approached.

Cao Dayong turned his head when he heard the sound, still smiling, but when his gaze fell on Gong Yuelong, his smile obviously paused for a moment, and then he looked him up and down.

"Yo! Yuelong?" Cao Dayong took the cigarette out of his mouth, stood up, circled Gong Yuelong halfway around, and clicked his tongue twice.

"My goodness... It's only been a few days! You little rascal... Did you find a gold ingot? Or did you get it blessed at some temple?"

No wonder Cao Dayong was surprised.

The Gong Yuelong before me was completely different from the disheveled and disheveled man I had seen just half a month ago.

Although he was still wearing the same clothes, he was now clean and neat, and his spirit and demeanor had completely changed.

At first glance, he looked several years younger and more energetic than before, exuding a calm and composed demeanor.