Accidental Leverage
Li Jiefu, as Cao Yongguo's driver, naturally had keen eyesight. Although he wasn't entirely clear about Xia Xiang's relationship with the Cao family, since Director Cao was willing to let his precious daughter accompany Xia Xiang, their relationship must be extraordinary. Moreover, Xia Xiang was very polite, which made him feel quite good. How could he accept his cigarettes? So, he tried to decline.
But Xia Xiang didn't give him a chance. Smiling, he waved at him and turned to leave.
Xia Xiang quickened his pace and whispered, "Shuli, can I ask you for a favor? Pretend to be my girlfriend in front of others, okay?"
Cao Shuli held her notebook to her chest, her red lips slightly pouting. She asked, puzzled, "Why do I feel like there's a big bad wolf standing in front of me? I want to know what you're up to!"
Xia Xiang had to make up a lie, "An old college classmate is working here as a technician. He always teases me about being dumped by my girlfriend. Men have their pride too. If I bring another girlfriend, it might shut his mouth."
Cao Shuli's face lit up, "So, you mean I'm prettier than your ex-girlfriend?"
"Maybe a bit prettier..." To get Cao Shuli to agree, Xia Xiang had to exaggerate. In reality, he thought that even if Cao Shuli was a bit prettier than Yang Bei, it was only by a small margin, as Yang Bei was also a rare beauty. "It's not for me to say. If we see my classmate, it would be more convincing if he says it."
"That sounds fun. I'll do it," Cao Shuli quickly got into character. As soon as she finished speaking, she reached out and took Xia Xiang's arm. Xia Xiang nervously looked back, but thankfully, Li Jiefu was nowhere to be seen. He knew that if Li Jiefu saw them, it would definitely reach Cao Yongguo's ears.
The project manager in charge of the Jiagjia Supermarket construction was Li Hongjiang, the manager of the First Branch of the Second Construction Company. Early this morning, when Li Hongjiang arrived at the construction site and found out that the payment from the client had not been received, he became angry. He gathered all the foremen for a brief on-site meeting. The meeting had two points: one, to halt all work; two, no one should start work without his orders, and anyone who disobeyed would be fired.
In 1998, the construction market was not yet a complete buyer's market as it would become later. Construction companies could still stand tall in front of clients and demand timely payments, or they would threaten to stop work. But in just a few years, to compete for limited markets, construction companies resorted to various tactics, eventually leading to a situation where they would even fund the foundation and the first three floors of a building. This led to vicious competition in the construction industry, causing many construction companies to go bankrupt and resulting in a large number of substandard projects.
This also indirectly contributed to the later boom in the real estate industry. With the right connections, one could secure land and find a construction company to fund the initial construction, then pre-sell the properties, use the cash to continue developing new projects, and so on. A single land approval could create a real estate tycoon!
As the branch manager of the Second Construction Company, Li Hongjiang was a leader, albeit a small one. After urging Feng Xuguang three times without receiving the payment, he felt humiliated. To show his authority and make Feng Xuguang understand who was in charge, he put on a show of power in front of his subordinates. He knew that his attitude would soon be conveyed to Feng Xuguang.
After scolding his subordinates, Li Hongjiang left his office and, from a distance, saw that Feng Xuguang's office was still closed, with no signs of activity. He sneered inwardly. Could Feng Xuguang still remain calm when the project was halted and the supermarket's opening date was delayed? Who would be more anxious, and who would suffer more?
The entire Jiagjia Supermarket site covered about 60 acres, with the main building occupying about 15 acres. The rest were ancillary facilities such as central air conditioning, parking lots, and warehouses. The entire construction site was surrounded by a brick wall. The client, Jiagjia Supermarket, also had a temporary office on the site, as did the contractor, the Second Construction Company. Their offices were located on opposite sides of the site, facing each other.
Frustrated by Feng Xuguang's repeated delays, Li Hongjiang decided to give him an ultimatum: halt all work and see if he would still try to delay. Li Hongjiang didn't care whether Feng Xuguang really had no money. If he didn't have the money, he shouldn't start the project. If he didn't have the money, he shouldn't play in the real estate market!
Suddenly, Li Hongjiang's gaze fell on the Audi parked in front of Feng Xuguang's office. From a distance, he couldn't see the license plate clearly, but he could faintly see 'Yan A' followed by two zeros and then three digits. He squinted, trying to see if the first digit of the three was a 1, but he couldn't be sure. His heart was filled with unease, like a field overgrown with weeds.
Having an Audi wasn't unusual; there were plenty of rich people. But a license plate starting with 'Yan A00XXX' was rare, as such plates usually belonged to important figures, often heads of provincial departments.
Could Feng Xuguang have invited someone important?
Li Hongjiang wanted to ignore it, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty. What if a powerful figure had come, and he, a mere branch manager, couldn't afford to offend them? His future could be ruined with a single word. As he approached the Audi, he finally saw the license plate clearly and almost jumped in shock: it was Director Cao's car!
Why was Director Cao's car parked in front of Feng Xuguang's office? Did Feng Xuguang know Director Cao? No, if he had a connection with Director Cao, why would he be at the mercy of a small branch manager?
If the mayor or another provincial leader had come, Feng Xuguang wouldn't be so nervous. He had seen his share of high-level officials. If a leader spoke on Feng Xuguang's behalf, he could make excuses, like a lack of funds, inability to pay workers, or a shortage of materials. He was good at listing difficulties and explaining the situation, which was how he had become a branch manager.
But if it was Director Cao, he wouldn't dare lie. Not only was Director Cao from the construction industry, but the general manager of the Second Construction Company, Du Tongchun, was promoted by Director Cao. He was considered part of Director Cao's inner circle, and so was Li Hongjiang. If Director Cao gave an order, even if they had the money, they would pretend not to, create difficulties, and then overcome them, assuring the director of quality work.
If Director Cao remembered him, he might have a chance at becoming a vice-general manager. Excited, Li Hongjiang rubbed his hands and ran to the Audi, ready to ask the driver, Li Jiefu, for inside information.
Unlike Li Hongjiang's confident mindset, Feng Xuguang was in a panic. He had called everyone, but the result was the same: no money. He knew that many friends weren't short of money, but they didn't believe in the prospects of his supermarket. Yan City was a new city, and although it was the provincial capital, the residents' income and consumption capacity were low. Many people thought his large supermarket was doomed, and no one wanted to lend money to a failing project.
When Feng Xuguang was at a loss, he thought of Xia Xiang, but he believed Xia Xiang's suggestion was just a clever trick to impress him. Asking a recent graduate to solve a 100 million yuan funding gap was unrealistic. Even if he was desperate, he couldn't bring himself to ask a recent graduate for help.
Putting down the phone, Feng Xuguang, feeling frustrated, decided to go to the construction site to try to persuade Li Hongjiang to give him another month to raise the funds. One friend had offered 100 million yuan, but at the cost of 20% of the shares, which he angrily rejected, calling it opportunistic.
Opening the door, he saw an Audi parked outside, which surprised him. Seeing the license plate, he wondered, which leader was suddenly inspecting the Jiagjia Supermarket project, and why hadn't anyone informed him?
Just then, he heard Li Hongjiang's enthusiastic voice, "Director Feng, when did you get to know Director Cao? You really aren't a good friend. If you knew Director Cao, why didn't you tell me? Afraid I wouldn't ensure the quality of the work, or were you deliberately keeping it a secret?"
Feng Xuguang scratched his head, wondering what was happening today.