They surrounded me right after the breakup.

The first phase construction site of Xingyue Film and Television City.

All the pile foundations have been unearthed.

The steel structure framework rises from the ground.

The dome trusses of the seven photography studios have been hoisted into place.

Zhou Zhengguo was wearing a safety helmet.

Leading Jianghan through the newly demolded concrete corridor.

The leather boots stepped on the gravel ground.

"The No. 1 and No. 2 sheds will be capped next week."

"Shelter No. 3 was delayed for a few days."

"Building an elevated platform above the underground river will not affect the main structure."

"It's already underway; the concrete curing period is still two weeks away."

Jiang Han stood in the very center of booth number one.

Looking up, you see the steel beams overhead, which are not yet covered by the roof.

Two months ago, he brought Qiu Siyao to see this wasteland for the first time.

Now the pile foundation is in the ground, and the steel structure is taking shape.

In the distance, workers are attaching embedded parts to the curtain wall keel.

"What about the accompanying hotel?"

"The podium building has been topped out, and the main building is still being added."

Zhou Zhengguo pointed to the building in the distance.

Tower cranes are lifting prefabricated floor slabs.

The edges of the floor slab were coated with an anti-corrosion coating.

It has a dark gray matte finish in the sunlight.

Jiang Han turned and walked out.

District Planning Bureau, third-floor conference room.

Zhang Jianguo sat at the conference table near the window.

The approval form for the second phase of land use is laid out in front of me.

The tea was refilled for the third time, and the tea leaves had sunk to the bottom of the cup.

Several department heads sat around on both sides.

He held the planning adjustment proposal for Xingyue in his hand.

He turned to the page on the greening rate index.

I made dots on a few numbers with a red pen.

"You've done a good job adjusting the greening rate target."

"The budget for ecological compensation has also been allocated."

He turned to the last page of the approval form.

Pick up the pen and stop at the signature line.

"How many jobs will the film and television city create after it is built?"

Jiang Han pushed the data table over.

"Initially, there will be 3,000 direct jobs."

"This includes infrastructure construction, studio operation, and catering and accommodation."

"Once all is completed, along with the surrounding supporting industrial chain..."

"A conservative estimate is over ten thousand."

Zhang Jianguo looked down and flipped through a few pages.

He passed it to Section Chief Li, who was standing next to him.

After reading it, Section Chief Li handed it to Old Zhou.

Old Zhou didn't look at it; he just said that this data could be included in next year's work report.

Zhang Jianguo picked up the pen and signed the last two words.

The official seal is affixed to the lower right corner of the approval form.

He stood up and reached his hand across the table.

He shook Jiang Han's hand.

"President Jiang, we'll need your continued support for the district's cultural activities in the future."

"Last time you said you'd bring Mao Buyi to sing a song for everyone."

"Comrades, you all remember this!"

"no problem."

"Let him sing on the day the roof is topped out."

The Intermediate People's Court of the city.

Judicial auction hall.

Qiu Siyao sat in the third row by the window.

A number plate was placed in front of them.

She changed into a navy blue suit and put her hair up in a bun.

Two tiny pearls adorned her earlobes.

In his hand was the list of the first batch of assets of the Chiang family to be auctioned.

Each page was covered with dense annotations.

Several companies in the front row are bidding for residential land.

License plates appeared one after another.

Liheng Real Estate owns two plots of land in the north of the city.

The starting bid has already been more than three times the asking price.

People from the Lin and Xiao families took turns holding up signs.

Xiao Yuanshan himself did not come.

The group's vice president was assigned to sit in the first row.

Each price increase is a whole number.

The representatives of United Capital sat in the second row by the aisle.

He wore his hair slicked back and a dark gray suit.

The cuff buttons are custom-made metal parts.

The abbreviation of United Capital is engraved on it.

No signs were held up throughout the entire event.

But every time someone raised the price, he kept his head down and typed.

The faint light from the phone screen reflected on my face.

The expression was unclear.

The fingers moved incredibly fast, as if giving a real-time report on the bidding pace in the arena.

"Item No. 4"

"Plot B-12 in the western suburbs of Jingzhou".

"Commercial land, 107 mu."

"Starting bid: 80 million."

The auctioneer struck the gavel.

Bidding begins.

Huace's representatives were the first to raise their paddles, bidding up to 95 million.

A local company added up to 105 million.

The bidding pace has begun to slow down.

The frequency of rounds of bidding has decreased to sporadic participation.

Qiu Siyao did not rush to make a move.

She waited for the people in the front row to call out to each other several times.

As the pace slows down, the auctioneer begins the countdown.

The entire auction hall fell silent for a few seconds.

Only the sound of someone turning pages in the back row could be heard.

She mentally calculated the upper limit Jiang Han had given her.

For amounts under 180 million, no approval is required.

Then he raised the number plate in his hand.

"One hundred and twenty million."

Someone in the front row turned around.

The people from Huace whispered a few words to their colleagues and then didn't raise their hands again.

Another company raised a sign.

"One hundred and thirty million."

Qiu Siyao did not put down the number plate.

"One hundred and fifty million."

That company also withdrew.

Huace's people raised it again.

"One hundred and sixty million."

Qiu Siyao turned a page of the document in her hand, then turned it back.

For a few seconds, her shoulder lifted slightly by half an inch.

Others might not notice, but she knew it herself.

She held up the sign again.

"One hundred and sixty million."

Huace did not follow up.

The man with his hair slicked back turned upside down and placed his phone face down on his knee.

He got up and left his seat.

Leather shoes stepped onto the aisle carpet.

He stopped as he pushed open the side door and turned to look at Qiu Siyao.

Qiu Siyao was putting the number plate back on the table without looking up.

The auctioneer counted down for the third time.

The gavel fell.

"make a deal!"

Qiu Siyao came out of the auction hall and walked out along the corridor.

The man with the slicked-back hair was still standing at the door making a phone call.

He had his back to her.

She overheard a few words as she passed by the other person.

"They didn't pursue it to the end; they're testing the waters."

Qiu Siyao's high heels tapped out a steady rhythm on the stone steps.

There was no pause, no acceleration.

The same frequency as when we entered.

Old Zheng opened the car door for her.

Qiu Siyao sat down and dialed Jiang Han's number.

"We've acquired the land."

"People from United Capital were also present."

"I raised my paddle several times, but ultimately didn't go all the way."

She paused, then rolled down the car window.

"I observed him throughout the entire match."

"He was typing away every time someone raised the price."

"It's like giving a real-time report to someone."

"Given the size of United Capital's funds."

"If they really wanted to take the lead, they wouldn't just raise their signs a few times."

"He's testing us," Jiang Han's voice came through the receiver.

"That's what I think too."

"Their usual methods."

"It's about firing the first shot on a battlefield where the opponent is unfamiliar with it."

"See which direction the bullet flies."

"There's one more thing."

"There are another batch of film and television agency contracts to be filmed next week."

"I've received the list."

Qiu Siyao flipped through the documents in her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing the surface of the paper.

Stop at a name circled in highlighter.

"Several producers under Universal Music who have been sidelined."

"The contract hasn't expired yet."

"Add the recording equipment procurement agreement."

"These people were involved in arranging music that won the Golden Melody Award back then."

"It seems that United Capital is not interested in these contracts."

"Take back the things they're not interested in first."

"Send me the resumes of those producers."

Qiu Siyao hung up the phone.

Fold the auction confirmation letter and put it in your pocket.

The street scene of Jingzhou outside the car window is receding.

Sunlight fell on the list on her lap.

Qiu Siyao gazed into the distance, her thoughts racing.

Finally, I can do something for Jianghan.