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

A few days later, the construction site in the High-tech Zone was bustling with activity.

Every morning at six o'clock, before it is fully light, the workers begin to enter the site.

It is through these most basic manual labor tasks that those seemingly glamorous factories and office buildings can gradually transform from blueprints into reality.

"That's how the construction industry works; one layer builds upon another, and one layer supports the next."

"Now, I've finally gone from being the one squatting in the labor market waiting for work to the one assigning jobs."

Gong Yuelong stood at the edge of the substation pit, hands in his pockets, staring down.

A flash of blue light appeared in my mind, and a few lines of text popped up:

Progress: Excavation completed, foundation layer laid, and steel reinforcement being tied.

Safety: No incidents in five days

"A job worth 400,000 can yield a gross profit of around 80,000."

Gong Yuelong was racking his brains, reciting his own account:

Material costs accounted for the majority, at 180,000 yuan; equipment rental, utilities and miscellaneous expenses amounted to 50,000 yuan; wages and bonuses for twelve permanent workers totaled 60,000 yuan; and daily wages for eight temporary workers amounted to 30,000 yuan.

The remaining 80,000 is his.

But there's a trick to this 80,000 li journey.

He squatted by the foundation pit, lit a cigarette—it wasn't construction time, so he could smoke—and silently disassembled the structure.

"If I were to work as a contractor like before, taking on this kind of job, I would have to lead a team to do it myself."

Tying steel bars, setting up formwork, pouring concrete—you have to lend a hand for everything. That 80,000 yuan is hard-earned money.

"I sweated alongside my brothers, and I get a bigger share because I have responsibilities and I need to find work."

"But things are different now."

He exhaled a puff of smoke, watching Cao Dayong directing the workers below to tie the steel bars:

"I'm the boss now, and I'm qualified. Of this 80,000, 30,000 is hard-earned money—it's what I deserve for working from dawn till dusk these past few days, overseeing the site, coordinating with all parties, and resolving problems. But the remaining 50,000 is management money."

What is money management?

"It was Cao Dayong who led his team to do the work properly, so I didn't have to keep an eye on every steel bar joint; it was because the safety measures were in place, so I didn't have to worry about accidents."

"Earning this 50,000 was harder than earning the 30,000, but it was worth it."

Because Gong Yuelong understood:

Hard-earned money is a one-off deal. Once this project is finished, the next one requires all your physical strength, connections, and luck.

Even after ten years, you'll still be a senior contractor, just with a few more people under your command.

Managing money is the key to expanding your horizons.

This project was done brilliantly, we won the safety award, passed the acceptance test on the first try, and the client was satisfied—next time when Engineer Sun has an urgent task, I'll be the first person he thinks of.

Even other companies, hearing that my place is standardized and reliable, will come to me.

"More importantly, managing money can support people."

Why did Cao Dayong follow him so devotedly? It wasn't just because of their shared hometown; it was because he saw that Cao Dayong genuinely wanted to make things legitimate and had long-term plans.

Only with a stable pool of people can you take on more complex jobs and demand higher prices.

This is the most fundamental leap from contractor to boss.

"Don't be fooled by the fact that it's just a small, single-story electrical distribution room, less than 100 square meters."

"It involves quite a few types of jobs."

Gong Yuelong squatted down, picked up a pebble, and threw it into the foundation pit.

From digging the soil to pouring concrete, building walls, installing doors and windows, and waterproofing... seven or eight different jobs have to be done in this small place.

Safety is of utmost importance – any problem with the railings around the pit, temporary power supply, or working at heights would be a serious matter.

"Especially the client." Gong Yuelong recalled what Engineer Sun had said, "Companies like Xinke Polymer, which are about to go public, are most afraid of accidents. A single safety incident can ruin their entire plan."

So he's been keeping a close eye on things these past few days.

Arrive at the site earlier than the workers every day and walk around the site to check for any safety hazards.

"Brother Long, the steel reinforcement has been inspected and approved." Cao Dayong climbed out of the foundation pit, covered in sweat.

Gong Yuelong took the order and looked at it: "Okay. Before pouring concrete this afternoon, check the formwork again, especially the corners, which are prone to bulging."

"Understood!" Cao Dayong nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "A few villagers asked if there would be any more work after this is done..."

"Let's see how we did." Gong Yuelong patted him on the shoulder. "If we did a good job, Engineer Sun will naturally get another order. If we messed it up..."

Cao Dayong nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, the brothers understand. This is our first job with you, it has to be a success!"

Just then, a white sedan drove into the construction site.

Mr. Sun got out of the car, followed by a young man wearing glasses, carrying a folder and a camera.

"Boss Gong, the progress is good." Engineer Sun walked to the edge of the foundation pit and looked around. "This is Engineer Ma from the Safety and Environmental Protection Department of the head office, here for the monthly safety inspection."

Gong Yuelong's heart tightened, but his smile remained steady: "Welcome, Engineer Ma, to inspect."

Without saying much, Ma Gong started investigating.

First, I pushed on the railing at the edge of the pit to check its sturdiness. Then I opened the distribution box to check the residual current device, wiring markings, and inspection records. Next, I took photos—of the inspection cards on the fire extinguishers, the placement of gas cylinders, and the passageway signs…

It took almost an hour to check.

Engineer Sun stood to the side, expressionless.

Gong Yuelong was with him, his palms were a little damp.

Finally, Ma Gong closed the folder and looked at Gong Yuelong: "Boss Gong, your on-site work... is quite professional."

He paused, then smiled, a rare occurrence for him: "It's better than the other three projects I checked this month. Especially the safety briefing records; everyone signed and fingerprinted them, it wasn't added later."

Gong Yuelong breathed a sigh of relief: "Of course, we can't be careless when it comes to safety."

Ma nodded and said to Sun, "Sun, the team you chose is good. Keep it up, you have a good chance of winning the project safety award."

After the car drove away, Cao Dayong leaned over and smiled, "Brother Long, it's all settled!"

Gong Yuelong didn't laugh. He watched the taillights disappear before slowly exhaling.

He knew this was just the beginning.

The real test is pouring concrete in the afternoon—it requires continuous work, quality control, coordination of concrete mixer trucks and pump trucks, and at night, lighting and security are also necessary… If any link goes wrong, all the work is for nothing.

But the tension that had been building up inside me for days finally eased a bit.

"Dayong," he turned his head, "this afternoon you'll be leading the first shift of concrete pouring, and I'll be watching over it. Tonight I'll keep watch, and you can rest. We'll take turns, and neither of us can leave the other for 24 hours."

"Brother Long, you've been working non-stop for days..."

"It's alright." Gong Yuelong waved his hand, his gaze returning to the steel mesh in the foundation pit. "I have to personally oversee this first blast; it must be a success."

He took out a cigarette to smoke, but then remembered he was at a construction site and put it back.

The sun was getting hotter and hotter, and my helmet was getting a bit too hot.

Gong Yuelong squinted at the construction site—busy figures, steel bars and cement, and foundation pits.

Suddenly it occurred to me:

From foreman to small business owner, the hardest part isn't finding people to take on jobs.

It is a process of gradually transforming the old methods of relying on experience, connections, and gut feeling into rules and habits.

We can't rush it; we have to take it one step at a time.

He twisted his stiff neck and felt that he was really tired these days, but the tiredness was fulfilling.

We need to confirm the time with the batching plant again for the afternoon concrete.

We need to check the wiring for the lights at night.

More importantly, through numerous real-world applications, he verified one thing: intelligence systems are simply a game-changer in engineering project management, especially in terms of security risk early warning.

Others rely on experience, patrols, and luck to prevent accidents.

He relied on foresight.

This advantage is difficult to surpass in a short period of time.

He doesn't seek instant success.

With the qualifications secured, the first project stabilized, Jiang Yan's line maintained, and Sun Gong's side opened up a new chapter—that's enough.

Step by step.

Just like pouring concrete, you have to pour it truckload by truck, vibrate it layer by layer, and finally a solid foundation is formed.

It can't be rushed.