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

Several fellow villagers from Nanshan nearby also looked over curiously and whispered among themselves.

"Is it really a dragon?"

"It looks like it, but it doesn't quite..."

"You look much better!"

Cao Dayong slapped Gong Yuelong on the shoulder:

"Wow, you're something else! Tell me, what connections did you make? Did you hook up with some big boss?"

In this labor market, a person's sudden appearance of success often means that they may have escaped this sea of ​​hardship and found a more lucrative path.

Gong Yuelong smiled, took out the newly opened box of Taishan cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Cao Dayong first, and then distributed them to several familiar fellow villagers next to him.

It's a good cigarette, more expensive than Baijiang.

"Brother Dayong, fellow uncles and brothers,"

Gong Yuelong lit a cigarette for himself, exhaled a puff of smoke, and got straight to the point.

"I'm not here today looking for odd jobs. There's a proper group task, and I'd like to ask if any of our colleagues are willing to lend a hand."

He briefly described the concrete pouring for the foundation slab of the sports center.

There was a moment of silence at the base of the wall.

The villagers looked at each other, then at Cao Dayong, and finally their gazes fell on Gong Yuelong.

He smoked silently, and no one responded immediately.

Cao Dayong took a couple of puffs of his cigarette, squinted, and adopted the expression of a seasoned veteran of the labor market:

"The sports center...that's a huge project. Yuelong, it's not that I don't believe in you, but I'm happy for you that you've managed to get in touch with them."

He changed the subject, "But you know, what we fear most in this line of work is doing the job and not getting paid, or being dragged out for three months or half a year."

"You...we've all heard about your situation to some extent."

He didn't say it explicitly, but everyone present understood.

Gong Yuelong's millions of yuan in debt is no secret in this close-knit community.

A person who can barely support himself, with creditors constantly harassing his door, suddenly claims to have a great project that can help everyone make money.

My first reaction wasn't surprise, but doubt—is this job reliable?

Could it be that they're using us as pawns, or is it just another trap?

What if, when all the work is done, Gong Yuelong's own creditors intercept the money before it's time to settle the payment, leaving everyone with nothing to show for their efforts?

"Yes, Rilong, it's not that I don't trust your skills and character."

An older villager sighed and chimed in, "It's just... these days, there are so many contractors running away and project management companies defaulting on payments. We have families to support, we can't afford to gamble."

"Daily wages, who guarantees that?" another asked bluntly.

Gong Yuelong had anticipated this question.

He patiently explained, emphasizing that it was through a legitimate friend's introduction, that the project was a key municipal priority, that funding was guaranteed, and even mentioned that he could try to negotiate an advance on living expenses.

But he himself knew that these words seemed pale and powerless under the shadow of Gong Yuelong's bankruptcy and huge debts.

Trust can crumble in an instant, but rebuilding it requires real, repeated fulfillment.

The cigarette was almost finished, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense.

Cao Dayong patted Gong Yuelong's arm, as if to say, "Brother understands, but this is a difficult matter."

It seems that without solid connections and guarantees, trying to build a reliable team based solely on empty words is nothing short of wishful thinking.

No wonder those big foremen and small contractors all need to have some power or stake their own wealth and reputation in order to keep people in line.

Without a real guarantee, even if there is a way, people will be hesitant and timid if they ask others to follow suit.

Huh?

intelligence!

That reminded me!

He composed himself.

"Brother Dayong," Gong Yuelong looked up, his face regaining its usual calm.

"Okay, I'll go and check on this again. I'll give you a definite answer by this afternoon at the latest."

Cao Dayong's expression softened, and he nodded: "Alright, Yuelong, that's good. We're on the same side, so we'll definitely help if we can. I'll also try to find someone for you."

"Indeed, it's wishful thinking to think that you can rebuild your reputation in this industry by relying on your past reputation and empty promises."

A look of realization dawned on Gong Yuelong's face.

He needs stronger leverage, or a more opportune moment.

In short, his so-called bargaining chips and timing are—

Information and requirements helped me break through the impasse!

……

It was not yet three o'clock in the afternoon.

The sun was scorching.

Gong Yuelong parked his pickup truck in a temporary parking space outside the project department and didn't get out of the car immediately.

He rolled down the car window and his gaze fell on the row of blue prefabricated houses in front of the project site.

A little after three o'clock, a slightly overweight middle-aged man came out of the project department entrance.

He sat on a small stool at the table, ordered a bottle of chilled mineral water, and used his safety helmet as a fan in his other hand, vigorously fanning his neck.

It was Engineer Zhao, Fatty Zhao. The image he conjured up in Engineer Chen's words was exactly the same.

Gong Yuelong waited quietly for another two minutes, watching as Engineer Zhao slammed his fist heavily on the table. The time had come.

He got out of the car, holding several printed documents and a pen in his hand.

He stopped three steps away from the table.

"Hello, are you Manager Zhao?" Gong Yuelong asked.

"Excuse me for a moment. I am Gong Yuelong. Chen Yongnian asked me to come to you. He said that we urgently need a skilled team for the foundation slab pouring of our project."

Zhao Gong paused his fanning motion, lifted his eyelids, and glanced at Gong Yuelong—clean and efficient.

Then he simply grunted through his nose, a short, dry hum, which was his way of acknowledging Engineer Chen as his introducer.

Chen Yongnian mentioned it briefly.

Where are you? What's your background? This is a key project for me, with strict requirements, not child's play.

Gong Yuelong was well-prepared and gave the same direct answer:

"The core team consists of six or seven veteran concrete workers from Nanshan County, each with at least ten years of experience in large-volume pouring. They work well together and have solid skills."

We guarantee that they are all experienced workers who have worked on major projects, will follow instructions, and will spare no effort in their work.

"The Nanshan Gang?" Engineer Zhao's eyebrows twitched slightly.

On construction sites, a good reputation is an invisible signboard; people from Nanshan County do indeed have a reputation for being solid and hardworking when it comes to concrete pouring. But that's not enough.

"Whether the person is reliable is one thing. How much per cubic meter?"

Gong Yuelong quoted a price directly: "8 yuan per cubic meter, market price."

Before the other person could answer, he changed the subject, "I have a favor to ask—"

He handed over the printed A4 paper with both hands.

"To put the brothers I called in at ease, and to clarify the responsibilities and rights of both parties, could we sign something simple regarding this team's pouring work?"

He gestured for Engineer Zhao to look at the contents of the paper, "It mainly writes down the scope of work, quality requirements, safety responsibilities, unit price, and methods in black and white."

In particular, I listed all the key quality control points, such as flatness and density, according to the specifications. This was a way of putting pressure on my guys, letting them know what level of quality is required to finish this job.

Zhao Gong was clearly taken aback for a moment, then took the two pages and quickly scanned them up and down.