Chapter 11

On their way back to Beijing, Wu Di and his companions had a little guest. Perhaps due to shyness, or perhaps because of the instructions from Principal Lu and his wife, Lu Xingfu was especially attached to Wu Di. Wu Di explained to everyone that the little guy had a special connection with him and that he also respected Principal Lu. Since the holiday was approaching, he decided to bring him out to broaden his horizons and would send him back to continue his studies when they returned. Although everyone was puzzled, they didn't ask too many questions.

Images of the farewell kept flashing in Wu Di's mind. The three of them, old and young, hugged and cried, making the whole village cry along. Wu Di almost fled in panic. The elderly couple firmly refused to go with them, only hoping that the child would visit them if he had the chance in the future. Wu Di left the ten thousand yuan he earned on the train, which could buy a lot of books for the children in the mountains. He secretly resolved that if Minister Ou and his colleagues didn't allow the child to return, he would take the elderly couple away to live with his parents.

By the time they returned to Beijing, it was already evening. Wu Di took Lu Xingfu to the mall to buy a few sets of clothes, then had a hotpot meal, and finally put the child to bed. He needed to think about how to communicate with Minister Ou and how to resolve the matter perfectly.

While Wu Di was deep in thought, Lu Xingfu came over and stared into his eyes, stubbornly asking:

"Are you all lying to me? You're not really bringing me to Beijing to play, are you? Are my parents not dead? If so, why don't they want me? When I was little, they used to say I was adopted when they couldn't beat me. Uncle, am I really adopted?"

Wu Di had a hard time explaining everything to the little guy, which also made him resolve to resolve the matter as soon as possible the next morning. Regardless of whether Lu Xingfu returned or not, after handling the order for the Second Machine Factory, he would go back to Kaoshan Village.

The voice on the phone was authoritative, and Wu Di smiled wryly, asking:

"Minister Ou, do you have a child named Dou Dou who went missing five years ago?"

The voice on the phone became urgent and sharp, a series of questions firing at Wu Di like a machine gun. Wu Di took a deep breath and calmly said:

"I think I may have found him."

Minister Ou arrived even faster than Wu Di expected, accompanied by a middle-aged woman who looked disheveled and exhausted, with red, swollen eyes from crying. When Wu Di opened the door, she stepped forward and then stopped, her whole body trembling:

"Mr. Wu Di? Is Dou Dou here?"

Wu Di nodded and stepped aside. The woman almost rushed into the room, still managing to say thank you. Minister Ou nodded at Wu Di and also went in.

Lu Xingfu stood nervously in the room, his body trembling as he saw the two people rush in. The moment he saw the face that resembled Minister Ou and the red mole on his right elbow, the woman broke down and rushed over to hug Lu Xingfu, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dou Dou, Dou Dou, is it really you? Dou Dou, is it you? Dou Dou..."

Lu Xingfu was clearly frightened, standing there expressionless, muttering unconsciously:

"Nuan Nuan, Nuan Nuan..."

The woman screamed in delight:

"Old Ou, he called me Nuan Nuan, he called me..."

She fainted from the shock.

Minister Ou panicked, laying his wife down and pinching her nose bridge, asking Wu Di to quickly find some menthol oil. Tears streamed down his face, and Lu Xingfu cried even more.

The woman soon woke up, saying nothing, just hugging the child and crying. Minister Ou held both of them, tears streaming down his face. Wu Di left a roll of toilet paper and went to the balcony. After finishing his third cigarette, he felt someone approach. It was Minister Ou, holding a pack of Xiao Xiongmao cigarettes, offering one to Wu Di and sighing:

"I call you Zhong Jie and Nuan Nuan at home. Dou Dou is a strange child; after the age of three, he stopped calling his mother and started calling me Nuan Nuan. Your Zhong Jie and I had a few arguments over this."

He took a deep drag, and at least half the cigarette was gone. Minister Ou shook his head:

"I didn't smoke before, but I learned five years ago. Now I can't stop, smoking two packs a day. With the child back, I need to quit."

"Minister Ou, I work in construction equipment. I saw your photo when I was helping a colleague with a project at the ministry. Later, my company donated to Yang County..."

Wu Di explained the whole story, and Minister Ou remained silent, his eyes redder.

"Let's do a DNA test. You contact the hospital; it should take half a day to get the results. Oh, I almost forgot, the clothes the child was wearing when he was found, Uncle Lu gave them to me. The name 'Ou Dou Dou' is embroidered on the leg of the pants."

Zhong Jie had stopped crying, holding Lu Xingfu tightly, who was also clinging to her. When she saw the clothes Wu Di took out and the name 'Ou Dou Dou' she had embroidered, her tears flowed like a flood, wetting herself and Ou Dou Dou.

Wu Di changed Lu Xingfu's clothes and went downstairs. A black Passat was parked below, and a man in his thirties, looking like a scholar, hurried over to greet them.

"Call the hospital and prepare for the DNA test. I want to know the results as soon as possible. Xiao Wu, you can squeeze in the back with us."

Five hours later, the results came back: Lu Xingfu was indeed Ou Dou Dou, the child who had gone missing five years ago! Although Minister Ou and his wife had expected this result, they still cried and laughed for a while, then started making phone calls. When they parted, Ou Dou Dou held Wu Di's hand tightly, and Wu Di reassured him:

"You have my phone number. Call me if you need anything."

He leaned in and whispered in his ear:

"If your parents go to Kaoshan Village, call me, and I'll go too. Remember, keep it a secret."

Still in the hospital corridor, Wu Di called Kaoshan Village. The village secretary answered and asked Wu Di to call back in ten minutes. Ten minutes later, Aunt Song answered, but Uncle Lu was definitely nearby, and Wu Di could hear his heavy breathing.

He asked about the health of the elderly couple and then said:

"The DNA test results are in. It's the child of Minister Ou from the Ministry of Construction. They've already taken him away. It's a big family, so it might take some time for them to settle down and contact me. I'll call you as soon as I have news."

Aunt Song sobbed and hung up. Wu Di had just lit a cigarette when a passing nurse scolded him, realizing he was still in the hospital building. Apologizing, he put out the cigarette and ran outside. His phone rang; it was Zhao Haoran. As soon as he answered, a warm and enthusiastic voice greeted him:

"Brother, you're back. Have you lost weight? Come over tonight, and I'll throw you a welcome party!"

Wu Di flipped through the tender documents. The technical requirements were from the public, and the payment terms were proposed by Wu Di. The tender was due by 10:00 AM next Friday, with results announced within a week. The notice of award would be issued, and the contract could be signed upon receiving the advance payment, with delivery within a month. Everything was in order.

"How's the tender document? No problems, right? When Manager Le arrives, we'll discuss the details. Oh, by the way, the boss said he'll give you 680,000 yuan for the certification, with the other conditions as I mentioned. If you're not comfortable, we can sign an agreement."

"I trust you, brother. Thanks."

Ten minutes later, Manager Le arrived, and the three of them started calculating the prices. The two manufacturers, Jiangchuan and Meiquan, were out of their control. Wu Di pondered:

"The budget price is 2.2 million yuan. Our three manufacturers are all bidding close to it, with a difference of no more than 30,000 yuan. We'll bid at 2.2 million. Jiangchuan and Meiquan haven't even visited the client; they're just here for a chance. However, their prices won't be too far off. I estimate Jiangchuan will bid between 1.4 and 1.6 million, and Meiquan might go as high as 1.8 million. On average, they'll be around 3.2 million. What do you think?"

"You're ruthless! I've been thinking for days and haven't figured it out as clearly as you."

"Brother, save the flattery for the right place. There's a lady here."

"I think Meiquan might not dare to go as high as 1.8 million, maybe 1.7 million at most, but Jiangchuan will be a bit higher. However, 3.2 million is reasonable."

"Let's calculate the average. If they bid at 2.19 million, the difference is 6,000 yuan. The other bid is 30,000 yuan lower. We'll bid at 1.98 million, and the other two will be around 3.2 million. The average will be 1.95 million, which is reasonable."

"Sounds good, but what if the other two also bid close to the budget?"

"Possible. In that case, the average will be 2.13 million. If one bids normally and the other close to the budget, the average will be around 2.05 million. 1.98 million is still a safe bet."

"Damn, another bunch of amateurs messing with the tender documents. A pile of useless forms that we still have to fill out. Four tender documents! One original and five copies, plus an electronic version. What a hassle! Luckily, the inspection is after the award. If it were before, it would be even more troublesome."

"The emperor doesn't send hungry soldiers. The brothers will work hard, and I'll give a 5,000 yuan bonus. But Zhao, you'll have to front the money. I've invested all my money in the project and only have a few hundred yuan left for living expenses."

"Damn, you're in such a bad state. Do you need some help from your sister?"

"Ha ha, Xiao Wu, our Manager Le is a lonely flower, a beautiful flower without a master. How about you two team up from today?"

Wu Di was skilled at teasing Li Qinglong, but he was no match for Zhao Haoran, the big thug, especially with Manager Le winking and making faces. He was immediately out of his depth.