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

"It's all arranged. Cao Dayong is with him. Those old buddies know what they're doing, so I'm at ease."

Gong Yuelong spoke casually, his tone conveying a sense of ease that he only needed to oversee the overall situation while others handled the specific tasks.

He sat down without hesitation, neither acting like an outsider nor like a foreman who had come to report.

Just then, Xiao Liu came in, his forehead sweating and a few strands of hair sticking to his face.

Seeing Gong Yuelong sitting there so calmly, she paused for a moment, then pursed her lips:

"Hey, Master Gong seems pretty relaxed?"

Gong Yuelong smiled but didn't get up.

"Everything that needed to be arranged has been arranged, and the rules have been set. My presence below is actually making them feel constrained. You should trust those you employ, and not employ those you don't trust."

That makes some sense; it subtly positions the speaker as someone who uses people, distinguishing them from those who actually do the work.

Xiao Liu snorted, didn't reply, and picked up the popsicle on the table to eat.

Zhao Gong seemed to have taken a liking to what Gong Yuelong had just said, and casually asked:

"From what you're saying, you're quite adept at leading people to work? Besides large-volume concrete foundations, what else?"

Gong Yuelong's heart skipped a beat; he knew this was a clue to a conversation.

He didn't make any definitive statements, nor did he belittle his own people: "Concrete, masonry, steel reinforcement, carpentry—we're all good."

He didn't mention that he was the boss back then.

Engineer Zhao grunted and said nothing more.

Xiao Liu also glanced at Gong Yuelong curiously, seemingly reassessing the man in clean work clothes.

A few popsicles, a few casual words.

Gong Yuelong wasn't in a hurry to promote anything. He simply sat down in the project office on this sweltering morning, making the two key figures feel:

This Gong Yuelong seems quite different from those workers who toil under the scorching sun.

He has his own people, his own methods, and perhaps... he can also take on some different kinds of collaborations.

You can't rely on popsicles to make a living.

You need to make people feel that you have the right to sit down and have a conversation.

Gong Yuelong and Engineer Zhao were chatting casually about the possibility of doing work later when the office door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.

A faint, cool fragrance wafted in first.

Without turning around, Gong Yuelong felt a slight shiver run down the back of his neck – the scent was all too familiar.

Jiang Yan walked straight in, wearing high heels.

Her hair was neatly pulled back, revealing her fair neck and the signature thin gold chain.

Her makeup was exquisite, and when her gaze fell on Gong Yuelong, her eyebrows were slightly raised and her red lips were slightly parted.

"Oh, who do we have here? Isn't this our General Manager Gong?"

"Haven't seen you for a few days. So... you've found a new way in with Manager Zhao? No wonder you've been sitting so straight lately."

Her gaze shifted between Gong Yuelong's clean work clothes and Engineer Zhao, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

The last time we met, Gong Yuelong was a down-on-his-luck debtor, overwhelmed with debts of more than 800,000 yuan.

It's only been a few days? How come he can be sitting in the project production manager's office, chatting so casually?

Engineer Zhao clearly recognized Jiang Yan. He stood up and put on a polite smile: "Boss Jiang, what brings you here? Please have a seat."

Jiang Yan gracefully sat down on another chair, crossed her legs, ignored Zhao Gong, but her gaze remained fixed on Gong Yuelong's face with great interest.

"Looks like I've arrived at the right time. Has President Gong... taken on the work at the sports center?"

Gong Yuelong quickly calculated in his mind, but a smile appeared on his face:

"Sister Jiang is joking. She's just helping the villagers make a living by taking on odd jobs like pouring foundation slabs."

"Part-time job?" Jiang Yan raised her delicate eyebrows even higher, a clear look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

The foundation slab of the sports center was poured with a large volume of material; this was no ordinary piece of work.

Being able to take on this kind of work, even if it's just a labor subcontracting, shows that Gong Yuelong has not only figured out the ropes in a short period of time, but has also demonstrated the ability to make people feel at ease entrusting them with the work.

She took another look at Gong Yuelong—he was still the same person, but he seemed much calmer and more composed, like a man.

"Haven't seen him for a few days, this kid... his skills have improved quite a bit," Jiang Yan muttered to herself.

His smile deepened: "Great, Mr. Gong, congratulations!"

Gong Yuelong waved his hand: "We're just starting out. We're relying entirely on Manager Zhao and our friends to feed us. It's still a long way off."

Jiang Yan stopped looking at him and turned to Zhao Gongshi, her smile fading.

Without any pleasantries, she got straight to the point:

"Manager Zhao, the batch of rebar we discussed with Director Wang last time has all the specifications and quantities we need. I've coordinated everything, and we can ship it anytime."

Engineer Zhao clearly knew about this, and nodded without any surprise: "The quantity is quite large, I need to make arrangements. Also, regarding quality control..."

Jiang Yan interrupted him, "We'll use the fast track for quality inspection. I've already spoken to Director Li. The report will come with the goods, and we can take samples immediately upon arrival. It won't delay your schedule."

As she spoke, she took out two simple A4 sheets of paper from her handbag, on which were a clear list of materials and confirmation signatures for several key milestones.

"You set the time, before next Wednesday, or to meet the progress target at the beginning of next month, either is fine. I'll arrange the vehicles and personnel, you just need to provide a clear entry window, so it doesn't conflict with major pouring operations."

The conversation made no mention of price, competition, or even that it was a business deal.

She was simply confirming a delivery detail that had already been finalized and only needed to be fulfilled as agreed.

That sense of entitlement revealed the composure of someone who controls resources.

Engineer Zhao took the two pieces of paper, glanced at them, signed his name on them, and handed them back.

"Then let's set it for next Thursday morning. There'll be a break on the basic work side. We'll coordinate the specific time and location with the on-site materials clerk then."

"Understood." Jiang Yan put away the documents and stood up briskly, as if she had only come to confirm a schedule.

Just before leaving, she seemed to remember something, turned her head and smiled at Gong Yuelong, a smile with complex meaning:

"President Gong, it seems you've come to the right place. Keep up the good work."

After saying that, she turned and left, the crisp sound of her high heels clicking on the ground fading into the distance.

Gong Yuelong sat there, quietly watching this brief but information-rich exchange.

The slight sense of security that had risen in my heart because I had taken on the pouring work was shaken by this scene.

This isn't a sales pitch; this is direct communication.

Skip all the usual steps and go straight to the key people to finalize the key matters.

The way she casually mentioned Director Wang and Director Li, along with her precise grasp of project progress milestones, revealed a network that he had not yet touched, yet which truly existed.

He suddenly realized clearly that what he and his fellow villagers were earning was hard-earned money, the lowest-level labor fee in the process.

Jiang Yan was talking about resource allocation, channel access, and relationship monetization.

The difference between the two is not just money, but also a whole set of operating rules and energy levels.

Mr. Zhao rubbed his temples and muttered, "This woman is really sharp-eyed and skillful..."

I don't know if it's a sigh of relief or a sense of helplessness.

Gong Yuelong did not respond.

Looking out the window at the roaring construction site, he saw for the first time so clearly two completely different paths:

One path is solidifying every step in the mud, while the other is weaving a network in the clouds.

He stood at the boundary between the two, looking up.