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

She took a sip of tea and continued:

"That's relatively straightforward. There are some jobs that don't even reach the bidding stage. Last month, there was a small school building project in the county, which was directly awarded to Antai Construction—the boss and the section chief in charge of infrastructure are comrades-in-arms and often drink and play ball together."

Gong Yuelong listened and nodded.

Although he did not experience these things directly, he heard a lot about them.

In the construction industry, the smaller the place and the smaller the project, the more important personal relationships become.

Seeing that he was listening attentively, Lin Wei spoke even more frankly:

"Take that kindergarten expansion project in the city last year, for example. It seemed pretty legitimate, right? But then I heard from someone that the vice president of the winning company... was a classmate of the wife of a section chief from the organizing committee."

As she spoke, she shook her head:

"That's why I say that small companies like ours without strong connections need to band together even more. Share information and complement each other's networks—if you have this connection and I have that path, we can work together and maybe we can find a way in."

Gong Yuelong had been listening quietly until this moment, when suddenly something struck him.

The kindergarten expansion project that Lin Wei just mentioned... why does that sound so familiar?

His ex-wife Yu Yue's current husband seems to be a minor leader in some urban construction unit in the city. I vaguely heard someone mention last year that he had handled some education-related projects...

Is this the one?

Lin Wei didn't notice his slight lapse in concentration, and simply sighed:

"So in the end, if you want to move up in this industry, doing your job well is the foundation, but ultimately... it depends on whether you have the right connections."

Gong Yuelong snapped out of his thoughts and replied casually:

"If you don't have the right connections, you can't even get a ticket."

Lin Wei nodded in deep agreement.

As Gong Yuelong listened to Lin Wei's words, things gradually became clear to him.

Her explanations of the intricacies, relationships, and resource exchanges... are all reasonable, and each point points to a single premise:

She believed herself to be the head of a legitimate construction company, with projects, connections, and bargaining power.

But actually?

Gong Yuelong, just a few months ago, was still grabbing odd jobs at the labor market. Now, although he has built a team and taken on some small projects, he is, at best, a slightly more respectable contractor.

The qualifications were obtained through affiliation, the performance was newly accumulated, and the network of connections... apart from Jiang Yan, the rest were all earned through hard work and struggle.

He couldn't provide the kind of company-to-company cooperation that Lin Wei was looking forward to for the time being.

The qualifications and performance support she can provide are meaningful to him, but they are not a quick fix for his immediate needs.

What she truly wanted—project resource sharing and complementary networks—was something he couldn't offer.

He smiled bitterly to himself.

This Manager Lin is enthusiastic, straightforward, and honest, but unfortunately... we misjudged him.

Just then, the curtain was lifted, and two people entered, one after the other.

The man walking in front was a man in his forties with a buzz cut and a smile on his face—it was Old Zhao.

A woman followed behind, with shoulder-length curly hair and impeccable makeup—it was Sister Liu.

Lin Wei stood up and greeted, "President Zhao, President Liu!"

The two men walked over, and Old Zhao pulled out a chair while laughing, "Mr. Lin, you're quite something, you can even touch this place."

Sister Liu nodded and smiled at Gong Yuelong before sitting down, gently placing her handbag aside.

Lin Wei then introduced:

"This is General Manager Gong. We just met at the meeting today. He's clearly someone who gets things done."

Old Zhao extended his hand: "Zhao Hongyuan, from Antai Engineering. It's a pleasure to meet you, General Manager Gong."

Sister Liu smiled and extended her hand: "Liu Jing, Hongyuan Construction. Hello, General Manager Gong."

Gong Yuelong shook hands with each of them.

I knew perfectly well that these two people were people who spent their lives at various dinner parties, bidding sites, and project offices.

Lin Wei's description of the three musketeers who shamed the bidding was probably not a joke.

Lin Wei had already asked the waiter to add more tea and dishes. The atmosphere at the table seemed casual, but everyone's words were actually loaded with hidden meanings.

Old Zhao mentioned a recent road renovation project.

"We clearly offered the lowest price, and our technical specifications were fine, but the winning bid still went to that company with connections," he said, shaking his head as if talking about someone else's business.

Sister Liu then gently chimed in, "It's the same everywhere now. If you don't have the right connections, no matter how well you prepare your bid, you'll just be a runner-up."

Gong Yuelong listened quietly, nodding occasionally, but not in a hurry to interrupt.

After another round of tea, Lin Wei naturally steered the conversation back to Gong Yuelong, asking with a smile:

"By the way, Mr. Gong, after chatting for so long, I haven't yet asked you in detail where your company's main business is located?"

Sister Liu and Lao Zhao also looked at Gong Yuelong, waiting to hear what kind of background this calm and taciturn CEO Gong had.

Gong Yuelong smiled, his tone calm:

"Mr. Lin, you flatter me. I don't really have a company; I just lead a group of fellow villagers working on construction sites. Right now, we mainly take on some freelance work, so if you really want to call us... we're kind of foremen."

There was a moment of silence on the table.

Lin Wei's smile faltered.

Old Zhao raised an eyebrow, and Sister Liu's hand, which was holding a teacup, paused slightly.

Gong Yuelong, seemingly oblivious to the subtle tension, added another sentence, tinged with self-deprecation:

"If I had to say what kind of manager he is... well, he'd probably be the manager of the demolition and construction team, or the manager of Nanshan Labor Service Company."

That's a humorous remark.

Lin Wei's heart sank, and she almost lost her smile.

How could she have imagined that this seemingly calm and capable General Manager Gong, who spoke with such clarity, was actually just a construction foreman?

Normally, it's the contractors who beg to treat these company leaders to meals, but today, instead...

He actually invited a contractor to the table as if he were a boss in the same industry, and even formally introduced him to General Manager Liu and General Manager Zhao!

This situation was so awkward it made you want to dig your toes into the ground.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Having spent a lot of time on the court, Zhao Hongyuan was the first to laugh out loud.

"Boss Gong is a real man! He's straightforward!" He raised his teacup to Gong Yuelong in a gesture of respect.

"In our line of work, the real skill lies in leading a team effectively! Come, let me offer you a toast with tea instead of wine."

Although the words were polite, the way he addressed him as "Boss Gong" was exceptionally clear—no longer "General Manager Gong." The difference of just one word made the difference in their relationship and status immediately apparent.

Liu Jing's elegant smile remained unchanged as she gently stroked the tablecloth, her voice still gentle:

"Labor is the foundation. Nowadays, many projects come down to who has the most obedient people. It's not easy for Boss Gong to bring together people from Nanshan to work together."

She said it politely.

Lin Wei had recovered by now, and a smile returned to her face.

Gong Yuelong took note of the three people's reactions.

Zhao Hongyuan's shrewdness concealed contempt, Liu Jing's politeness revealed aloofness, and Lin Wei's embarrassment was tinged with annoyance.

He knew all too well the ins and outs of this world—in the eyes of these people, what was a contractor? He was a brother they couldn't do without while working, a younger brother who would laugh along at the dinner table, and a subcontractor who could delay payment.

They may call you brother, but they know exactly what's going on in their hearts.

He wasn't annoyed; he simply picked up his teacup and calmly returned Zhao Hongyuan's toast.

"You flatter me, Mr. Zhao. We're just trying to make a living, and we rely on the hard work of our brothers."

This statement was made neither servile nor arrogant; it acknowledged the current situation without losing face.

The atmosphere froze for a moment, a subtle tension.