Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

After the job posting was put up, people started coming to the door.

The first person to arrive was a middle-aged man in his early forties, surnamed Fang, Fang Houshan. He was wearing work clothes, his trousers still stained with cement. He stood at the office door and asked, "Is this Zhongzhi Construction?"

Cang Lifeng stood up: "Yes. You are—"

"Fang Houshan. A bricklayer. I'm from QS County. I worked in Jinzhou for three years before that." He paused, then said, "Then Jinzhou went bankrupt."

Cang Lifeng asked him to sit down. Fang Houshan sat in a folding chair, his two rough hands resting on his knees, his knuckles thick.

"After Jinzhou went bankrupt, I worked for two companies. I worked at one for two months, but the boss ran away, and I didn't get a penny of my wages. I worked at the other for three months; the foreman was from Jinzhou, and he deducted money from material costs. When I went to reason with him, he fired me." He looked at Cang Lifeng. "Boss Cang, I've heard about your situation. At the police press conference, you said that you would ensure your brothers had contracts, insurance, and that someone would take care of them if anything happened. Is that true?"

"real."

Fang Houshan lowered his head, and after a while, he stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "I'll work with you."

The second person to arrive was a young man, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing glasses, and quite refined. His name was He Liang, a graduate of the Provincial Construction Engineering College, majoring in civil engineering. He had worked for two years as a construction worker at the Nancheng branch of a state-owned construction company. He was highly skilled, but had had enough of the seniority system and the complicated interpersonal relationships within the state-owned enterprise.

"Mr. Cang, I do have some technical skills. But what I really want to do is on-site management. I spent two years there, and all I saw was how to shirk responsibility. I want to change places and build two buildings steadily. 'Zhongzhi is our home, and our home is Zhongzhi'—is that really true?"

"You've joined our team; you're now a key technical member." Cang Lifeng stood up and extended his hand.

He Liang hesitated for a moment, then grasped it. His hand was that of a scholar—not rough, but strong.

The third person hadn't made an appointment. A thin young man walked straight into the office, carrying a tool bag and a measuring tape slung over his shoulder. His surname was Ma, Ma Xiaolei, twenty-two years old, and he used to be a cable setter at Jinzhou. After Jinzhou closed down, he and some coworkers did odd jobs here and there. He saw a job posting on the street and came right in to ask, "I heard you're hiring skilled workers here?"

Lu Wenyuan, who was discussing matters with Cang Lifeng in his office, chimed in, "Hmm, what are you good at?"

"I can lay out lines. I can use a level, a theodolite, and a total station." He put his toolbox on the table. "My dad was a surveyor, and he taught me for five years. When Jinzhou was here, I was in charge of all the line laying out at the South Gate construction site."

Lu Wenyuan looked up and exchanged a glance with Cang Lifeng. Cang Lifeng put down his pen, stood up, and said, "Come with me to the site. I'm going to build a makeshift warehouse on that empty lot behind the office. You can lay out the wiring for us."

Ma Xiaolei picked up his tool bag and followed Cang Lifeng outside. The sun was blazing, and the ground was scorching hot. Ma Xiaolei set up the level with deft movements, turning the knob as if he were unscrewing a ripe bottle cap, unhurried and methodical. Twenty minutes later, four gray lines were nailed to the ground, perfectly straight, with small wooden stakes at their intersections; the error was imperceptible to the naked eye.

Cang Lifeng squatted down, looked at the wires, and nodded, saying, "The technique is indeed superb. Your father was a good teacher. I wonder where he is now?"

"After Jinzhou went bankrupt, he went back to his hometown. He said it was hard to find work in the south of the city, and he wanted me to go back too. I didn't go back," Ma Xiaolei replied, putting away his measuring tape.

Cang Lifeng stood up: "You stay. Come to work tomorrow."

Ma Xiaolei slung the measuring tape back over his shoulder and grinned.

Another day passed, and Yuan Tiesheng arrived.

He looked older than Wang Lide had described. Most of his hair was white, his face was deeply lined, and he was wearing work clothes. The words "Jinzhou Construction" were still worn away on his left breast pocket, leaving only a faint outline. He stood at the door of Zhongzhi's office and gently knocked.

Wang Lide stood up and went to greet him: "Master Yuan, you're here."

Yuan Tiesheng nodded, walked in, and stood in front of Cang Lifeng. He looked at Cang Lifeng for a while before saying, "Boss Cang, Supervisor Wang told me that the safety officer here has the final say on security. Is that true?"

"real."

"Not even a project manager?"

"No. If the safety officer says stop, then stop."

Yuan Tiesheng remained silent for a moment, then slowly bent down, placed his briefcase on the ground, and unzipped it. Inside was a stack of yellowed notebooks, piled on top of each other and bound with rubber bands. He took the notebooks out, held them in both hands, and placed them in front of Cang Lifeng.

"These are my safety logs from over the years. Every single one of them. I'm giving them to you. If I ever fail in my duty, you can come to me with these logs and ask me questions."

Cang Lifeng stood up, took the book with both hands, and placed it on the table. He opened the top book, and on the title page, there was a line written in pen, the ink already tinged with blue, but still clearly visible: "Human life is of paramount importance."

"Master Yuan," Cang Lifeng looked up at him and said, "this line of text is your rule, and it is also Zhongzhi's rule. Every employee of Zhongzhi is my family, and every project that Zhongzhi takes on is my child. I will cherish them as I cherish my own life, and I will not allow any mistakes to happen to them."

Yuan Tiesheng's Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't speak, but simply extended his hand. Cang Lifeng also extended his hand. The two large hands clasped tightly together.

The recruitment process lasted for about ten days. Fang Houshan, He Liang, and Ma Xiaolei all stayed on. Several people inquired about the technical lead position, but either their experience didn't match the requirements, or they asked for salaries far exceeding the company's budget, so no one was hired. A few more workers arrived, some introduced by Da Zhou, some acquaintances of Lao Zhang, and one material clerk from Jinzhou whom Wang Lide knew. The project manager position was also vacant—several resumes were submitted, but after interviews, it was discovered that either their resumes were inflated, or they immediately asked about salary without mentioning projects.

Cang Lifeng said, "No rush, let's handle it ourselves for now."

One evening at the end of August, Cang Lifeng stood at the office door, looking at the newly hung company nameplate—the words "Nancheng Zhongzhi Construction Co., Ltd."—which gleamed warmly in the setting sun.

Wang Lide stood under the lightbox, looking up at the character "众" (zhong, meaning crowd) outlined by the light. After a moment, he whispered, "People say how to write the character '众'? Three people. Each person carries a burden, no one has an easy time, yet no one can do without the others."

He paused, turned to look at Cang Lifeng, and said, "Lifeng, before, working for Song Jinrong, all I thought about every day was scheming and maneuvering. Although I made some money, I was mentally exhausted. Now, following you, I feel at peace, and I live comfortably and with strength every day. Thank you, Lifeng!"

Cang Lifeng reached out and patted Wang Lide lightly on the shoulder, saying, "Brother Wang, we're family, so let's not be formal. Your change isn't because of me, but because you treat me like a brother, because you consider Zhongzhi your home and every employee of Zhongzhi your family."

Wang Lide suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his eyes. He took out a cigarette from his pocket, opened it, pulled one out, and put it in his mouth. He struck a match, and the flame flickered in the evening breeze before burning steadily.

Lu Wenyuan stood at the office door, a pen still in his hand. The evening breeze blew down from the tops of the sycamore trees, ruffling the stack of signed documents on the desk.

The first page displays the company's philosophy, eight characters in total: "Unity is our home, and our home is in unity." The second page contains the company's articles of association, with Cang Lifeng's signature boldly displayed at the end. The last page is the new employee roster, at the end of which Lu Wenyuan added a line of small print, neat as if printed:

"Don't rush, don't take shortcuts, take every step firmly, and warm every heart."

Outside the window, the lights of the southern city were gradually coming on. In the distance, the construction cranes on the site had finished their work and stood silently in the twilight, like a silent giant. Cang Lifeng stood there, gazing at those lights, for a long time.

Wang Lide stubbed out his cigarette and stood there as well. Lu Wenyuan came out, still holding his pen. The three of them stood at the company entrance. The evening breeze blew down from the top of the sycamore tree outside the office window, causing the lightbox, which wasn't yet firmly hung, to sway slightly before settling back down.