The Xichuan, Baoping Power Plant construction site.
Concrete pouring for the basement of the building project was being rushed. Due to favorable weather with no rain or snow, workers were putting in overtime, and the project was progressing rapidly. Originally scheduled to be topped off on the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, it was now estimated that all concrete pouring would be completed by the thirteenth, and today was only the thirteenth.
In the project office, Liu Yong sat opposite Manager Chen, his expression dejected. His face was swollen, with bloodstains below his nose and at the corners of his mouth. His left hand was wrapped in white gauze and hung in a sling around his neck. He had clearly been beaten, and quite severely, as his left hand appeared to be fractured.
Standing in groups of two or three by the office door were seven or eight tall, fierce-looking young men, chatting and occasionally glancing inside.
"Manager Chen, please save me. Allocate some funds so I can send these people away. I can't stand them following me around all day."
Liu Yong pleaded with a mournful face.
Manager Chen looked at him with pity. "Little Liu, how many times have I advised you not to gamble? But you wouldn't listen. Now look, the debt collectors are at the door. You owe Brother Hu over a million. They want to deduct it directly from the client. I thought you'd stop then, but who knew you'd owe these people money too."
"Manager Chen, I had no choice. Because I owed Brother Hu so much, I wanted to win some money back at the casino to settle the debt, but the more I gambled, the more I lost, and the hole just got bigger."
"How much do you owe these people?"
"Not much, 150,000. They're in three shifts, all loan sharks. They've been following me for two days."
"150,000 isn't much? Do you think you'll still get the project funds? Besides, the concrete hasn't been poured yet, and the client won't disburse funds. Where am I supposed to get 150,000 for you? You should try to get it from home. The project department really has no money."
"I called home, but I really couldn't borrow any. Not only did I not send any money home this year, but I also borrowed 100,000 to 200,000 from relatives. I have nowhere else to borrow from."
"Isn't Yang Jian partnering with you? He should have money. He bought a car worth hundreds of thousands without batting an eye. It shouldn't be a problem for you to ask him for over a hundred thousand."
Liu Yong sighed. "Manager Chen, to be honest, I don't dare ask him for money anymore. He's given me nearly a million, including meal tickets. If I ask him for money again, he definitely won't give it. Last time I asked him for 100,000, he only gave me 30,000. After buying the car, he might really be out of money."
Manager Chen shook his head. "I really can't help you here. Try asking him again. He's both your apprentice and your cousin. He can't just watch you suffer. Moreover, he has a big reputation in Chengguan. It shouldn't be a problem for him to help you borrow a million or so."
Liu Yong despondently laid his head on the conference desk. He felt too ashamed to call Yang Jian. He knew the financial situation of the construction site clearly; his debts already exceeded two million. Not only had he not recovered any investment this year, but he couldn't even pay the workers' wages.
Construction site warehouse.
Jing Yongli was on the phone with Yang Jian. After Yang Jian arrived at his uncle's house, his cousin's wife mentioned that Liu Yong had been beaten there and was being followed by loan sharks. They had been tailing him for two days, shadowing his every move, with someone watching him twenty-four hours a day.
They didn't dare go to the construction site for fear of arousing the workers' suspicion. They were currently rushing the schedule and needed to complete the concrete pouring before applying for funds, so no accidents could occur.
"Yongli, what exactly is going on? Do you know about cousin being beaten?"
Yang Jian hadn't called in front of his cousin's wife because he knew his cousin was a drug addict, and some things couldn't be revealed to family members for the time being.
"Brother Jian, Brother Yong owes a lot of money outside. I asked Manager Chen's driver, and it's estimated that even paying off all the project funds wouldn't be enough."
Yang Jian gasped on the other end. "Owe so much? What about the workers' wages?"
"I don't know what to do either. Brother Yong is being followed by loan sharks now, and they are only minor creditors. I heard he only owes them 150,000. The real trouble will start after the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month. Once the concrete is poured, those workers will demand their money. If the client withholds the project, won't the more than a hundred workers revolt?"
"Why would the client withhold project funds? Shouldn't they disburse funds according to progress? At least the labor wages should be paid, that's stipulated by policy."
"Brother, I've already found out. Brother Yong owes money to Brother Hu in Baoping Town. Brother Hu is the nephew of the deputy general manager in charge of infrastructure at the power plant. He can directly have Brother Yong's project funds transferred."
"How is that possible? The power plant is a state-owned enterprise. Even the general manager of the power plant wouldn't dare abuse his power to use public funds to repay private debts."
Jing Yongli gave a wry smile. "Brother, you don't know yet. The IOUs Brother Yong wrote to Brother Hu are for materials and labor, with complete paperwork, including purchase contracts, invoices, and receipts. With these documents, they can directly transfer the money. Brother Yong and Manager Chen both have to sign and acknowledge it."
Hearing this, Yang Jian suddenly felt a chill run through him, and he almost dropped his phone. "How could this happen? What about the labor wages? Not to mention the outsiders, but the thirty workers from Xinhe alone are owed over a million in wages. They've worked for your cousin for a whole year, and even their wages from the Hancheng construction site haven't been paid."
"Brother, don't worry too much about the wages. The country is very strict about farmers' wages now, and the power plant is a key project. No matter how much Brother Yong owes outside, as long as the workers make a fuss, the power plant will prioritize paying labor wages. However, you'll definitely lose money on this project. It's estimated you won't even get your initial investment back."
Yang Jian angrily kicked a poplar tree in the yard. What the hell was this? He had invested over a million, only to get nothing back, and might even incur huge debts.
Hearing Yang Jian remain silent for a long time, Jing Yongli anxiously asked, "Brother, when am I coming back? I'm a bit scared here. Once the workers start making trouble, Brother Yong definitely won't be able to handle it, and I might get caught up in it too."
Yang Jian calmed down at this moment. "Yongli, don't rush back yet, and don't be scared. No matter what happens, don't step forward. Even if people try to steal the steel pipes, just endure it. Don't get into conflicts with anyone. Just keep track of the progress and call me anytime."
"Okay, I'm just worried someone might get their hands on the steel pipes and fittings."
"Yongli, analyze this for me. Brother Yong is being followed now. Should we raise money for him at home?"
Jing Yongli immediately objected. "No. We don't know how much Brother Yong owes outside. Raising money for him is like pouring water into a leaky bucket. According to Manager Chen's driver, Brother Yong is keeping a mistress in Baoping, and that woman has taken a lot of his money. Maybe she'll save him. Plus, he's a drug addict. He's a bottomless pit. No matter how much money you give him, you won't get it back, and it won't solve his problems."
"But we can't just abandon him."
"Don't worry, he won't die. Someone is watching him twenty-four hours a day. Just ignore him. The project department and Manager Chen won't let him die. At worst, they'll let him leave with nothing, just buy him a bus ticket back."
Although Jing Yongli's personality was a bit timid and not suited for fighting, having followed his parents in business since childhood, his mind was sharp enough. He perhaps saw things more clearly than Yang Jian and the others.