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

Gong Yuelong stepped out of the prefab house, a wave of heat hitting him. He didn't go back to the pit, but lit a cigarette in the shade by the wall.

Something inside me started to churn.

"The seam has been pried open."

His mind raced: Zhao Gong's little interest, Xiao Liu's relaxed shoulder as he fetched water. And Jiang Yan.

Thinking of Jiang Yan, his fingers paused. This woman was someone special. The network behind her, the way it operated, was a completely different world from his approach of helping his fellow villagers earn money through hard work.

"She... doesn't seem bothered by me?" he wondered.

The last sentence, "Work hard," seemed to carry a hint of scrutiny. Like he was looking at... a promising talent?

Perhaps... He didn't think too deeply about it, but he had a direction.

Jiang Yan's path is fraught with danger, but it holds immense potential. She may not reach it now, but she might in the future.

The key is that he needs to have something worth watching.

Today's performance is the first piece of the puzzle.

When Engineer Zhao asked what kind of work he could do, Xiao Liu's eyes immediately showed that he was reliable.

In the next 72 hours, only by doing this job well can the seam be turned into a door.

He stubbed out the cigarette and threw it into the bucket.

The popsicles weren't a waste of money, the words weren't wasted, and my face is now half-ripe.

From being harassed by creditors at the foot of an unfinished building to being able to sit in the manager's office for a chat, to be able to see the view from up there, and even to be glanced at by the people in that view... this step may not be big, but it was the right one.

The road ahead is long, and the debts are heavy.

……

As darkness fell, the area around the foundation pit was brightly lit.

Cao Dayong turned his head to look at the project site countless times, his neck stiffening.

It's time for a shift change, but there's still no sign of General Manager Gong.

"Brother Dayong, is President Gong......?"

The young man next to him leaned closer, lowering his voice, and didn't dare to say the rest of his sentence.

Several exhausted first-shift workers also watched anxiously, their eyes filled with barely suppressed impatience and suspicion.

The boss was supposed to come and keep an eye on things, but it's completely dark now and he hasn't shown up. Could it be that he took the job and is now just a figurehead, leaving them here to fend for themselves?

Cao Dayong was also feeling uneasy, but he said stubbornly, "What are you thinking? Is President Gong that kind of person? Something must be holding him back!"

He unscrewed the kettle and took a sip, but the cold water couldn't quell the fire in his heart.

If General Manager Gong doesn't show up for this 5,000 square meter foundation, morale will collapse, and how will we proceed?

Old Cao can't handle this huge undertaking.

Just as I was panicking, a figure slowly emerged from the lights of the project office on the upper edge of the foundation pit.

Cao Dayong narrowed his eyes, his heart skipped a beat.

When he saw the clean clothes and the black handbag in his hand, he almost couldn't breathe—it was President Gong! He's here!

They didn't come from the dusty construction site, but from the area of ​​prefabricated houses that represented the area above.

"General Manager Gong!" Cao Dayong called out.

Gong Yuelong walked to the edge of the pit, his face clean and spotless, without a speck of mud on it.

He glanced at everyone and nodded: "Brothers, you've worked hard."

After saying that, under countless gazes, he unzipped his handbag. A light shone in, illuminating the red banknotes inside.

The scene fell silent.

Gong Yuelong said, "It was agreed that we would settle the payment after the work was done."

The work isn't finished yet, but the efforts of the first shift workers can't be wasted. Let's finish part of it today as a good start and to give the rest of the shifts a boost.

Cao Dayong stared blankly at the stack of money, mouth agape, then looked up at Gong Yuelong's calm face, his mind buzzing.

"List." Gong Yuelong turned to Cao Dayong.

Cao Dayong was startled and pulled a small notebook out of his inner pocket.

Under the lamplight, Gong Yuelong consulted his notes and began distributing money.

Each time I picked up a stack, I would read out a name, look up to confirm, and then hand it over.

"Old Chen, this is for you."

Old Chen, a stern-faced man, accepted it. "Thank you... thank you, General Manager Gong!"

I felt much lighter after getting the money.

"Xiao Bin, here you go."

The amount of money wasn't much; it was just paid out in advance, but the effect was amazing.

Those who hadn't received their turn craned their necks to watch, swallowing hard, but their hearts were at ease—General Manager Gong meant what he said!

"The remaining half, once the base plate is finished, will be settled in one lump sum, with absolutely no delays."

Cao Dayong said emphatically, "President Gong! No doubt about it! We'll work ourselves to the bone to get the job done perfectly!"

He paused, then casually added, "I've ordered some chilled beer. Not much, two bottles each, to help the guys cool off and refresh themselves."

Cao Dayong was stunned, and the men next to him were also taken aback.

Beer? On this huge construction site, after finishing work, being able to drink a bellyful of cold water is already a relief; who would even think about having ice-cold beer to drink?

Even though it's only two bottles, the thought behind it...

"President Gong, this..." Cao Dayong's throat tightened.

"You've had a long day, you deserve it." Gong Yuelong didn't say much, just patted him again, "Go on."

Cao Dayong nodded emphatically, turned around and shouted, "Did you hear that! Boss Gong prepared ice-cold beer!!"

A joyful commotion immediately arose from the crowd.

On several faces whose original skin color was obscured by cement dust, eyes lit up.

On a sweltering night, the words "ice-cold beer" are more appealing than anything else.

That chilled beer doesn't cost much, but the thought and willingness to spend it is more effective at winning people over than money itself.

Gong Yuelong didn't linger any longer. Clutching his lighter handbag, he turned and walked back towards the light at the project site.

His figure blended seamlessly into the area above, as if he were always meant to be there.

Cao Dayong glanced in the direction where Gong Yuelong had disappeared.

"My fellow villager... no, my General Manager Gong... how did he suddenly become so capable?"

……

In the evening, Xiao Liu went to report to Engineer Zhao.

She let out a long breath, smiled sweetly, and said, "Manager Zhao, you're really great. Those people from Nanshan do a great job, and they're more obedient and easier to manage."

Engineer Zhao looked up: "What do you mean?"

"The elevation control is accurate, the steel bars are repaired as needed, and the response to instructions is quick and efficient, without any disputes." Xiao Liu flipped through the records. "The most valuable thing is the stability; the shift changes are smooth and timely."

"Where's Gong Yuelong? I haven't seen him go down into the pit much all day."

"It wasn't very good." Xiao Liu nodded, his tone thoughtful. "...I also heard that he gave the first shift workers some cash and even prepared ice-cold beer."

She concluded, "This person has a knack for managing their subordinates. They know when to be strict and when to be caring. It's so reassuring to have a team like this."

Engineer Zhao tapped the table: "That's good. Tell them to keep at this pace. If this job is done well, there will be more work to come."

"Understood," Xiao Liu replied.

As she walked out of the prefab house, she went through the following in her mind:

Where did this person learn all this? She manages people, wins their hearts, and even has a say in things with Engineer Zhao... She's quite different from the foremen she's dealt with before.

Outside, the pump truck was still roaring. Xiao Liu glanced in the direction of the foundation pit, and the little bit of curiosity in his heart, like a newly sprouted grass, quietly emerged.

The construction of the 5,000-cubic-meter continuous pouring of the sports center's foundation slab was like a piece of fatty pork belly, and as soon as a rumor started to circulate, the labor market in the north of the city was in an uproar.