Du Runhai exchanged a look with the subordinate beside him. The latter understood and interjected, "From what I understand, although Pengcheng Construction Company was just registered, it is actually a branch company under Dongsheng Real Estate. Its strength should not be underestimated. This project requires upfront capital, and only with sufficient funds can we consider the subsequent stages."
The Dongsheng Real Estate he mentioned was precisely He Zinian's company, which was investing in the Jiangpan Garden project.
So that was it. The others stopped fixating on the registration date of Pengcheng Company.
Although it was a newly registered company, everyone was aware of Dongsheng Real Estate's capabilities.
When the meeting concluded, after comprehensive evaluation, five companies were shortlisted to proceed to the next round of bidding in a week.
The only two private enterprises among them were Pengcheng Construction Company and Hongyuan Construction Company.
After returning to his office, Du Runhai sat at his desk and meticulously replayed the meeting. He was almost certain that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Yu Guofeng intended to award this project to Hongyuan Construction Company.
His initial agreement to Gao Mingyuan's request was based on the assumption that the matter would be a sure thing once it passed through his hands. Who would have thought that Hongyuan Construction Company would suddenly appear on the scene?
After pondering for a while, Du Runhai stood up and left his office.
"This is the reserve price for this tender. Please revise the previously prepared bid documents. I will need them in a week. Remember not to leak a single word," Gao Mingyuan said, handing the documents to his assistant, Xiao Zhang.
"Understood. I'll get started on it right away." Xiao Zhang was surprised that Gao Mingyuan had even obtained this information. It seemed that the city's west side planning project was destined for their Pengcheng Company.
As soon as Xiao Zhang left the office, the phone on the desk suddenly rang.
Gao Mingyuan casually picked it up. Upon hearing Zhu Shasha's voice on the other end, his body instinctively straightened.
"How is the project progressing? Is it going smoothly?"
Gao Mingyuan replied, "Your earlier suggestion was excellent. By leveraging the name of He's Dongsheng, we indeed managed to stay in contention quite easily. However, what I didn't expect was for Hongyuan Construction Company to be among them, and it seems they are inclined to award the project to them."
Hearing Gao Mingyuan's report, Zhu Shasha's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.
"I don't care what method you use, but you absolutely cannot let Hongyuan Construction Company win."
She had not yet settled the score with Gu Xingdong regarding the processing plant incident. Now, this city west planning project was also something that Gu wanted to get involved in. No matter what, she would not let the person surnamed Gu succeed.
"Don't worry, I've already handled everything on this end. I have obtained the reserve price, so the project is practically in the bag. There's absolutely no way for the Gu surnamed person to compete with us."
Hearing him say this, a smile finally appeared on Zhu Shasha's face. "That's great. Then I'll be waiting for your good news."
…
Wang Aixiang personally visited Jiangpan Garden. Following Chen Lishu's advice, she not only inspected the apartments themselves but also the surrounding area. Finally, she made up her mind and bought a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor with an internal area of thirty-eight square meters.
After completing all the procedures, she excitedly shared the news with her mother-in-law and son, Xiaopeng, upon returning home.
"I've finalized the house today. It's a bit more spacious than where we live now and has two rooms. Xiaopeng is growing up; he'll have his own room. Mom, we'll share a room. I specifically chose a lower floor, the second floor, so it'll be convenient for you with your leg trouble."
"Mom, really? I'll finally have my own room?"
Seeing Wang Aixiang nod, Wang Xiaopeng excitedly jumped up, "That's great! Mom, when are we moving?"
"If you want to move, you can go by yourselves. I'm not going," Wang Aixiang's mother-in-law turned around and sat by the kang.
Knowing that she had an emotional attachment to the house, Wang Aixiang couldn't help but persuade her, "Mom, this house belongs to the factory. Rather than being forced out later, it's better for us to move early. It will leave a good impression on everyone."
"I'm not moving, no matter what. I'm putting it out there, the only way I'll move is if this old woman kicks the bucket."
Wang Aixiang was displeased. "Kick the bucket? Why are you always saying such gloomy things? What's the point of clinging on stubbornly? If you don't find it embarrassing, I still have my dignity. In any case, the house has already been bought. I'll find someone to renovate the place in the next couple of days and then move. You can stay here alone in the empty house."
After speaking, Wang Aixiang ignored whether her mother-in-law was happy or not and turned to the kitchen to wash rice and cook.
The next day, as usual, she went to work. Tian Lin hadn't arrived yet, but Wang Dazhu had already opened the door and was cleaning.
Seeing Wang Aixiang arrive, Wang Dazhu was momentarily surprised before asking, "Did you finalize the house?"
"Yes," Wang Aixiang nodded. "I've already bought it. I'll find someone to renovate the doors and windows in the next few days, and a coat of white paint should do the trick."
Wang Dazhu added, "Do you need to hire someone to install doors and windows? I can help you with it when I have some free time. It'll save quite a bit of money."
Wang Aixiang was a little surprised. "You know how to install doors and windows?"
Wang Dazhu scratched his head and grinned. "I helped some logistics comrades when I was in the army. It shouldn't be a problem. Since you're buying the paint anyway, I'll paint the house for you as well."
Wang Aixiang replied, "That would be too much trouble."
Wang Dazhu scratched his head and grinned. "We're colleagues, and besides, you always bring me food."
When Chen Lishu entered, she overheard them discussing renovations and curiously asked, "Sister Aixiang, have you finalized the house?"
Wang Aixiang nodded. "We were just talking about it with Dazhu."
As they were talking, Tian Lin, Zhao Xingwang, and Li Qiang gradually entered the store.
Chen Lishu gathered everyone together and announced an important decision.
"The store is developing well right now, so I want to open another branch. I'm thinking of opening it near the Fourth Department Store."
Besides the department store on the commercial street, the city had four numbered department stores. However, as the economy developed, only the area around the Fourth Department Store evolved into a well-known commercial district, while the other three were merely historical names.
The Fourth Department Store was not far from Zhao Xingwang's home, and he had extensive connections, so Chen Lishu entrusted him with the matter of finding a storefront.
Zhao Xingwang was capable, and within a few days, he had identified two potential locations.
"One is next to the Fourth Department Store, right on the street, but it's small, less than thirty square meters. The other is larger, about sixty to seventy square meters, but it's a bit further from the Fourth Department Store, about four to five hundred meters away."
In the past two years, there had been an increasing number of individual businesses. Prime locations were almost all rented out, so encountering a place available for rent was considered good luck.
Chen Lishu inspected both locations. The first one was indeed in a good spot, but the area was admittedly small, and the asking price was quite high. Chen Lishu was more inclined towards the latter.
Although it was a bit further away, it was on the same street, and in the future, four to five hundred meters wouldn't seem far when development picked up.
Ultimately, Chen Lishu signed a three-year lease agreement with the landlord, with an option for priority renewal upon the contract's expiration.