"Sister-in-law, isn't this price a bit too high?"
At this price, even the smallest shops, a few square meters, would cost several thousand yuan.
Chen Lishu looked up, "It seems expensive now, but in a few years, it might not be bought for tens of thousands."
That was a prime commercial street, especially since the wet market would continue to attract customers for the next decade or two. A shop, let alone tens of thousands, would have countless people scrambling to buy it for hundreds of thousands. Although the rent was only a few hundred yuan per year now, in the future, the annual rent alone would be tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands.
"Has the money from the Provincial Construction Engineering arrived?"
All her money was tied up here. To buy shops, she had to wait for the Provincial Construction Engineering to transfer the funds before proceeding.
"I went to check the day after it ended. Li Guojun's attitude was good, but the money hasn't arrived these past few days. Tomorrow is the agreed-upon deadline, and I plan to go again the day after."
Chen Lishu nodded, "It's the end of the year, and all construction sites are settling payments. Keep a close eye on it."
This was very common when she was on construction sites before. Contractors would pressure developers, subcontractors would pressure contractors, all the way down to the workers at the lowest level. If you didn't keep a close eye, who knew where they might use the money. Some even disappeared for two or three years without a trace.
Gu Xingye nodded. He knew this was not a small sum and would definitely keep a close watch.
At noon, Chen Lishu kept Gu Xingye at her home for lunch.
After lunch, Gu Xingye left. Chen Lishu felt a bit sleepy. Seeing that there was still some time before class, she told Zhao Qiuyue and Rui Rui that she was going back to her room for a nap.
After leaving Chen Lishu's place, Gu Xingye went to the bank again the next day to check his account. Finding that the money had still not arrived, his brows unconsciously furrowed into a Sichuan character.
He had a slight premonition of something bad.
After waiting for a day, he went to the Provincial Construction Engineering early the next morning, but this time he couldn't see Li Guojun.
"Our manager is busy these two days and has gone to a branch company below," the staff member explained with a good attitude.
He wasn't here?
"Do you know when he will be back?"
The staff member shook his head, "I really don't know. It's the end of the year, and all the companies below have a lot of things to do. I don't know when he'll be free."
The Provincial Construction Engineering had several engineering teams and a precast slab factory below it, so it was quite large in scale.
Gu Xingye was a bit disappointed, but he couldn't do anything if the person wasn't there, so he had to choose to go back for the time being.
In the afternoon, he came over again. The staff member's explanation was essentially the same.
"He hasn't returned yet. He probably won't be back before the end of work today. If you have anything, you can tell me first, and I'll inform Manager Li when he returns."
Gu Xingye nodded, "Tell him I'm from Hongyuan Construction Company. Your Manager Li will know what it's about."
Seeing the staff member diligently recording it in his notebook, Gu Xingye could only choose to leave for the time being.
He thought the staff member would tell Li Guojun, and the next day he would wait for him at the company. However, when Gu Xingye went there early the next morning, the person was still not there.
"Our leader didn't come back yesterday, and today he might have gone directly to a company below. Why don't you wait another couple of days? He might have time after this busy period."
Gu Xingye frowned, "Do you know when he will finish being busy?"
The staff member shook his head, "I really don't know. I can only try to remember to remind him when he returns."
Another fruitless trip, always the same excuse, and he hadn't seen the person for several days. Gu Xingye was becoming anxious.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Li Guojun almost punctually entered from outside. He had just finished dinner with someone and still had the smell of alcohol on him.
It was already December, and the raw material suppliers and branch companies below had been urging him to settle payments these past few days. Rather than being cornered at the office every day, it was better to go out and escape for some peace.
"Manager, the Comrade Gu from Hongyuan Construction Company came again today. As you instructed, I sent him away directly."
Li Guojun nodded with satisfaction, "You did the right thing. Do it again next time."
It was just a small construction company, why the rush for tens of thousands of yuan? So many others were waiting behind. Let them queue up slowly.
Li Guojun showed his face in the office and left shortly after, before work ended.
Gu Xingye lay on the bed in the guesthouse, tossing and turning all night. Although he wasn't very smart, he realized that the other party was deliberately delaying him.
If he couldn't see the person, the money would have to be further postponed.
After thinking for a long time, he made a decision. Since he didn't know when the person would be in the office, and he had nothing else to do but time, he might as well wait at the company.
With that decision made, Gu Xingye went to the Provincial Construction Engineering after breakfast the next day.
The staff member still gave the same excuse. Gu Xingye smiled, "It's okay, I'll just sit here and wait for him to come back. You can do your work, I promise not to disturb your office."
Saying that, he sat down on the long bench in the corridor.
He had seen such situations before. The staff member didn't say anything and went back to their work.
He sat there for the entire morning. Seeing that it was already noon, Gu Xingye was about to get up to get something to eat outside when he saw Li Guojun's figure appear at the entrance. His eyes immediately lit up.
"Manager Li."
Li Guojun didn't expect to run into him at this time of day. He cursed inwardly but kept his expression unchanged, smiling and saying, "Comrade Gu, why are you here today?"
Knowing that he was asking a rhetorical question, Gu Xingye got straight to the point, "I came to ask about the project payment..."
"I'm truly sorry, but I have an urgent meeting right now. Shall we discuss your matter later?"
Before Gu Xingye could finish speaking, Li Guojun interrupted him.
"Then, then Manager Li, you go ahead. It's fine if I wait here for a while." Since he said that, Gu Xingye had to agree.
Li Guojun nodded and walked upstairs.
He waited until almost closing time when he saw Li Guojun coming down from upstairs, accompanied by two other people, talking about something.
Seeing him come out, Gu Xingye quickly stood up from his seat. When Li Guojun walked up to him, he said, "I still have some things to do. It's already this late. Why don't you go back first?"
Gu Xingye opened his mouth, but Li Guojun had already walked away quickly with the other two.
Not counting the agreed-upon week, Li Guojun had been delaying him for a full week.
Watching the backs of the three as they left, Gu Xingye thought for a moment, then quickly hurried to catch up and asked, "Manager Li, New Year's Day is approaching. Can you give me a specific time for our company's project payment?"
A hint of impatience flashed in Li Guojun's eyes, "Didn't I tell you to talk about it tomorrow? Can't you see I'm talking to someone? It's only a few tens of thousands of yuan. Can our large company be short of your small amount of money?"