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

Gong Yuelong delivered the approval document to Jiang Yan.

She was frowning at the computer screen, with an official document in front of her.

"Sister Jiang, the paperwork is complete." He put down the file bag.

Jiang Yan hummed in agreement and casually pushed a meeting notice on the table aside, her movements revealing her annoyance.

Gong Yuelong glanced at the title: "Changmin Road Accident Report and Citywide Safety Month Mobilization Meeting." It was organized by the city government and held at the Municipal Government Conference Center.

"This will be long and empty, and we'll have to take attendance." Jiang Yan rubbed her temples.

Gong Yuelong's heart skipped a beat.

These meetings are attended by project managers and security officers from major companies. It's a good opportunity to network.

"If Sister Jiang is busy, I'll go listen in?" he said casually. "I also want to see what the higher-ups are focusing on lately, so I can avoid pitfalls later on."

Jiang Yan looked up at him, her eyes understanding, and nodded: "Okay. The seat might be towards the back, so come back and give me a summary of the key points."

"Understood," Gong Yuelong said.

……

In the afternoon, at the conference center.

Gong Yuelong parked his slightly worn pickup truck and walked over.

Among a crowd of Audis, Buicks, and a few luxury cars, his car stood out.

But he was different from the other pot-bellied men. His sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing strong, well-defined muscles, making him stand out in the crowd.

Sign in and collect your materials.

The staff member glanced at him, probably wondering why such a young face would be attending this kind of informal meeting.

Inside the venue, Gong Yuelong found a seat in the middle to back row near the aisle.

Some people around had already spread out their materials and started to doze off in preparation, while others were busy replying to WeChat messages, muttering complaints that they would waste another half a day's work.

The accident briefing began with the leader reading from a prepared statement.

Many people had blank stares.

In the back row, a man in his forties glanced at the back several times, his gaze lingering on Gong Yuelong.

This young man doesn't look like he's just killing time.

During the break, the crowd surged.

Gong Yuelong didn't rush to grab the tea; instead, he went to the window for some fresh air.

The man who had been watching him earlier also came over to light a cigarette, and casually stood not far from him, asking a question as if by chance:

"Young man, which unit are you from? You look unfamiliar."

"I'll do some coordination with General Manager Jiang," Gong Yuelong replied vaguely, but he mentioned Jiang Yan.

The man gave an "oh," his eyes flickered, but he didn't ask any more questions, only taking a drag of his cigarette.

"This will only be useful at the beginning; after that, it'll all be the same old stuff. But judging by the situation this year, the safety inspections are probably going to be really serious."

"Yes, I heard that. It's a good opportunity to learn. I'll go back and review the scene again," Gong Yuelong replied naturally.

The man nodded, stubbed out his cigarette, and left. They didn't exchange phone numbers, but he left an impression.

……

After delivering the accident report, the leader on stage changed the subject:

"The root cause of this tragedy on Changmin Road lies in the general contractor's mismanagement! They allowed unqualified and untrained contractors to operate unchecked."

An unqualified and unregulated team entered the site, the briefing was merely a formality, and on-site management was practically nonexistent! The lesson is extremely profound!

This statement directly addresses a chronic problem in the industry—with layers of subcontracting, the actual workers are often unqualified individuals with unclear backgrounds, and any problems are blamed on these temporary workers.

But without subcontracting, where does the profit come from?

The leader raised his voice: "This chaotic situation of subcontracting management and scapegoating temporary workers when accidents happen must be eradicated! The core of this year's Safety Month is addressing the root causes!"

His gaze swept across the room: "It's decided to establish and strictly enforce a labor subcontracting access and dynamic verification mechanism! We will rigorously check qualifications, safety permits, special agent certifications, wage accounts, and work injury insurance! Any teams that don't meet the requirements will be dismissed! The general contractor bears primary responsibility!"

The venue became even quieter.

In the back row, Gong Yuelong's eyes were focused.

"Labor service access... dynamic verification... qualifications, insurance, special accounts..."

These words together mean that the days of makeshift teams that relied on fellow villagers to recruit others and simply gather people to work are coming to an end.

If the general contractor bears primary responsibility, then there will be no incentive to continue using those teams whose qualifications are unclear.

What they need are tangible, reliable security partners who can provide a full set of compliance documentation.

He thought of Cao Dayong and his fellow villagers from Nanshan.

Although things are still loose now, could we... go with the flow and bring them together and guide them onto a more structured path?

Even if I can't get my own qualifications right away, can I at least temporarily register with another company?

Or, could Gong Yuelong himself become that bridge connecting qualified but stagnant labor service companies with general contractors who urgently need compliant teams?

The leader was still explaining the specific inspection items, and Gong Yuelong listened even more carefully, but his mind had already wandered far away.

While others were calculating how to deal with inspections and increase costs, he was figuring out how to make money from this big wind.

When the meeting ended, the crowd was buzzing with discussion, mostly complaints.

Gong Yuelong didn't leave immediately and sat in his seat for a while longer.

The leader on the stage spoke with righteous indignation.

Gong Yuelong, however, slowly savored a different flavor.

The method sounds good, and the setup is impressive enough.

But ultimately, who does this job?

Cement won't magically flow into the formwork, and steel bars won't magically twist into a cage.

The labor force that the leaders talk about, if you peel back the skin of the qualification insurance account, aren't the people actually doing the work just fellow villagers like Cao Dayong who came from the Nanshan Mountains?

The only difference is that in the past, they might have followed a boss named Zhang or "General Manager Li" who didn't even have a company nameplate.

Now, they need a proper "XX Labor Service Company" to put them in.

"Labor service company..." he repeated the word in a low voice. It sounded like the threshold was higher, but the room for maneuver also seemed clearer.

Since the general contractor bears primary responsibility, they don't have the time to scout people out one by one in the labor market. What they need is a partner who can provide a compliant team in a package.

This partner needs to have that kind of facade.

He, Gong Yuelong, no longer has this skin.

Where will it come from? Should we do it ourselves? It would take too long, and we can't meet the funding, personnel, or performance requirements right now.

Affiliation? There are qualified labor service companies on the market that can't get any work or have rigid management.

What they lack are stable work teams that can lead the workforce and tackle tough challenges. Isn't this perfect?

My thoughts were cleared up, like a layer of fog being lifted.

Tightening policies don't mean blocking the road; they mean changing to a narrower but more paved and clearly defined path.

Before, we could just wander around in the mud, but now we have to buy tickets and find the right platform before we can get on the train.

The ticket represents qualifications, the platform represents a compliant labor service company, and the vehicle represents the general contractor's project.

He used to be an individual traveler, but now he has to find a way to infiltrate the station staff or get a platform ticket himself.

He stuffed the materials into the file bag and stood up.

The venue was mostly empty, and the lighting was rather dim.

To be fair, this meeting itself didn't have much substantial content; most of the time was spent reading from a script.

But those last few words of permission inadvertently stirred up a thought in his mind that he had been struggling to find the right key.

The lengthy meeting was worthwhile because it brought clarity to this direction.

He walked out of the venue; it was already dusk, and the building cast long shadows.

Although the policy is being closely watched, it may well be the beginning of a trend.

He was deep in thought when a clear female voice came from behind him:

"Hey handsome, you're here for the meeting too!"