So much rebar, it's better to sell it as scrap metal than use it for building houses. The drive and determination were unmatched by most companies, yet they were still considerate in such difficult circumstances, which was truly rare.
Besides, the mayor himself had spoken, so this matter couldn't be false.
"Young man, this old man respects you. Your company, Hong what."
Lin Qi: "Hongyuan Construction Company."
The old man nodded, "Yes, Hongyuan Construction Company. Based on what you've done today, I'll tell my children and neighbors when I get back that if we're buying houses, we'll buy ones built by your company!"
Soon, everyone expressed their support: "Yes, your company is truly great. You'd rather lose money than deceive us. With such an honest company, we feel safe living in your buildings."
Liu Qiang quietly put away his broken camera, seeing this scene.
Zhu Shasha felt a bit unwilling. Who would have thought Gu Xingdong would act so unpredictably, selling nearly a hundred thousand yuan worth of materials without batting an eye, on such a golden opportunity?
"I was only acting in a hurry because someone reported it. I didn't expect it to be a misunderstanding."
Zhu Shasha, assessing the situation, immediately steered the conversation back, looking at Gu Xingdong and smiling as she explained, "I believe Mr. Gu can understand my feelings, right?"
Gu Xingdong nodded, "Everyone is doing this to ensure the project is completed well."
Soon, the gathered crowd dispersed, and the steel bars were loaded onto trucks by the workers. Mayor Yu had specifically instructed the subordinates to ensure that this batch of steel bars could only be sold for scrap recycling and would absolutely not be resold.
After Gu Xingdong supervised the workers in transporting all the steel bars away, it was completely dark by the time he got home.
"How was the matter resolved?" Chen Lishu, holding Bai Li, asked urgently as soon as she saw him return.
Gu Xingdong approached and, looking at his daughter's plump, fair face, couldn't help but tap her little cheek with his finger. The little one responded with two "ah ah" sounds.
Xiao Chengzi, lying nearby, also quickly responded with two sounds.
"It's all unusable and can only be sold as scrap."
"The matter is of great importance, selling it was the right thing to do." Chen Lishu looked up, "What do you plan to do next?"
A cold glint appeared in Gu Xingdong's eyes, "I've already sent people to track down Zhu Changgui's whereabouts. Since he dared to do something like this, I will find him no matter where he hides."
Chen Lishu gently patted Bai Li's back as she held her on her shoulder, saying, "And after you find him? Will you hand him over to the authorities or make him return all the money?"
"Both are indispensable." Not only must the money be repaid, but he must also face the appropriate punishment.
Finally, hearing Bai Li burp twice, Chen Lishu gently placed her back on the bed.
"What if he'd rather go to jail than return the money?"
Gu Xingdong's eyes narrowed, and he sneered, "I have plenty of ways to make him spit out the money first."
Chen Lishu shook her head, "You're just saying that in anger. If he bites back at you, you won't be able to clear your name."
"How dare he!" The muscles in Gu Xingdong's jaw twitched, and a chill unconsciously emanated from him.
"He would sell substandard steel bars. This kind of person has no bottom line. Now, it's not just our personal vendetta against Zhu Changgui; we have to consider the dozens of employees in the company, as well as the urgently needed steel bars. You need to oversee the overall situation. Therefore, Zhu Changgui's matter cannot be delayed, and simply letting him return the money is too lenient!"
Gu Xingdong raised an eyebrow, "What do you want to do?"
Chen Lishu said word by word, "An eye for an eye. Since he dared to provoke us, we'll make him pay back tenfold or a hundredfold."
...
Zhu Changgui stayed at home for a few days, and seeing no developments, he thought the matter had passed, feeling a sense of smugness.
His name was originally Zhu Changgui, but the receipt signed with Gu Xingdong was written as Zhu Changgui. Even if the other party found him, he had no connection to it.
Moreover, with his influence in the local area, he doubted they would dare to act rashly.
One morning, after breakfast, he drove his small car to the factory.
"Brother Gui." Er Lai, his subordinate, immediately greeted him upon seeing him arrive.
"Has there been any situation these past few days?"
Er Lai thought for a moment after hearing his question and said, "Brother Gui, there actually is a situation."
As they spoke, they walked towards the office.
"A big boss from Pengcheng has arrived and is reportedly looking everywhere for steel to buy. As long as there's stock, the price is definitely negotiable. I heard from the person who went to inquire that he gives tips of five or ten yuan to the runners, definitely foolish and rich."
Zhu Changgui frowned, "Making such a big fuss, is it true or false?"
Er Lai quickly replied, "It's true! I heard that Pengcheng is establishing a special economic zone, and buildings are being constructed everywhere. The prices of all raw materials have soared, and even then, it's uncertain if there will be stock. Forced to the limit, he wants to try his luck in the Northeast. It's said that steel in their southern region can't even be bought for a thousand yuan privately."
Zhu Changgui's spirits immediately lifted.
He sold it to Gu Xingdong for only nine hundred and sixty yuan. If he took on this deal, wouldn't he be making a fortune?
"Go and arrange a meeting with that big boss. Tell him I'm inviting him to dinner at the Swan Hotel."
"Certainly." Er Lai happily agreed and immediately turned to handle it.
Not long after, Er Lai returned, excitedly reporting, "Brother Gui, you don't know, no one responded to the message sent out for two days. They were originally planning to check out of their hotel and leave. When they heard we had steel, they were so happy that they immediately gave me twenty yuan as a reward and told me I worked hard."
Er Lai took out the twenty yuan to show Zhu Changgui. Spending twenty yuan at a go without blinking an eye, he would get rich if he made a few more trips like this.
Zhu Changgui did not take the money Er Lai offered, "Keep the money they gave you."
Er Lai happily stuffed the money into his pocket upon hearing this.
Soon, at the appointed time the next day, Zhu Changgui drove with Er Lai to the Swan Hotel.
"Hello there, Boss Zhu. Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
The man immediately shook hands with them, speaking in broken Mandarin, as soon as he saw them arrive.
Zhu Changgui was quite experienced and, judging by the man's accent, knew he was definitely from the south. His attitude became even more cordial, and he quickly reached out to shake his hand.
"I've booked a private room, let's go in and chat."
Soon, the group arrived in the private room. After ordering food, they exchanged pleasantries for a while before getting down to business.
"... That's generally the situation. We're really in a hurry to get the goods. You know, the developers are big bosses from Xiangjiang. The contracts are signed, and they've paid the money. If we can't complete the work on time, our company will suffer huge losses. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come all this way. As long as you have enough steel, the price is absolutely negotiable."
The man spoke sincerely, and Zhu Changgui could see his anxious expression.
"How much steel do you need?"
The man directly held up a hand: "Five hundred tons."
Er Lai, who was drinking water nearby, almost choked on the amount he quoted.