Chapter 2

Just a simple bowl of noodles, and it was already nine o'clock. Wu Di lay on the bed, pondering the project at hand. The project at the Second Machine Factory sounded like a good one, a state-owned unit with no shortage of funds undertaking infrastructure construction. It was the factory's first project in a decade, possibly the last, and there was a lot of room for maneuver. However, this was also where Wu Di's company fell short.

Wu Di's company could rank among the top three in the industry, known by many peers as a miracle team. From its inception to its current market position, it had taken only three short years. The company did not advocate relying on fees for projects, so when faced with a potentially high-fee project like this, its competitiveness was somewhat lacking.

Wu Di hummed a tune, picked up the blank book, and flipped through it. The project's flowchart was very clear, showing that Li Qinglong had put in a lot of effort. However, the relationships in a state-owned factory were the most complex. Bypassing Director Yuan and going directly to higher-ups was a double-edged sword; if mishandled, it could lead to a quicker demise. Wu Di's eyes focused on the name "Yuan Jianguo," gradually losing focus as a scene slowly appeared in his mind.

An elderly man with white hair and a lean build sat in a small office, drinking tea and reading a newspaper. Wu Di shivered, and the scene shattered and disappeared. He sat up abruptly, had he fallen asleep? Was he dreaming?

Wu Di stretched his shoulders; everything about the company was good, except it was too busy. Business people had to clock in and out, leaving home at six in the morning and returning after eight at night. Saturdays were for meetings and group activities, leaving Wu Di no time to date. He had been out of college for two years and had saved a hundred thousand yuan, which was not bad compared to his peers, but this was the capital city! If things remained the same after another two years of hard work, he would have to consider returning to his hometown. His mother's recent calls hinted that if he didn't find a girlfriend soon, she would come to the capital herself.

Throwing the notebook onto the bed, Wu Di prepared to go online. Suddenly, he felt something was off and grabbed the notebook back.

Indeed, something was wrong. Wu Di remembered clearly that he had drawn a big question mark after Yuan Jianguo's name, but now the question mark was gone, replaced by two lines of tiny script:

"Acceptable price: 2 million yuan, fee: 400,000 yuan."

Wu Di's hand trembled, almost dropping the book. What was going on? Who was playing a joke on him? He carefully examined the small print, confirming it was not in any handwriting he recognized, and fell into a daze. After the meeting, he had taken the notebook back to his seat, gone to the bathroom, and then returned home. If someone was playing a trick, it must have been during his bathroom break. Who would be so bored? No, the lines weren't there when he last looked!

Wu Di patted his head; there were definitely no such lines before he fell asleep! He also recalled the strange scene of the elderly man that appeared in his mind. Was it not a dream? What was the connection between the two?

A paranormal event? No way, Wu Di was a firm materialist. Even believers in ghosts and spirits wouldn't easily believe that a book could display text on its own. How could this happen? Most likely, he was too tired and didn't notice someone tampering with it. Damn, he had scared himself. Tomorrow, he would find the culprit and take it out on them.

After some thought, Wu Di concluded that he had been in a daze when he went to bed, not only dreaming but also missing the two lines of small print. Once he figured it out, he stopped worrying and went to sleep after browsing the internet for a while.

The next day was Thursday, and as usual, the department meeting started at 7:50, with Wu Di in charge. After a brief discussion of the day's schedule for the business department, Wu Di began asking who had touched his notebook during the meeting and bathroom break yesterday. Unexpectedly, this led to a verbal attack from the other two business departments.

The manager of the second business department, Wang Jun, shouted:

"Hey, Xiao Wu, you're being selfish. Everyone is happy for you signing a big deal, but you secretly buy notebooks for your own department. Tell me, do you still consider the branch office? Do you still respect General Manager Wang?"

Wang Siqi slapped Wang Jun on the back of the head,

"You're so stingy, and you have the nerve to criticize Xiao Wu? Today, you buy a notebook for everyone in the branch office, including the assistants. I want the Nine Yin Manual, got it?"

"Not a chance! Wu Di's contract exceeds our department's quarterly volume. If anyone should buy, it should be Old Zhao, whose team signed the contract..."

"Buy it or not, I already have mine."

Confirming that someone had gone through his notebook, finding the prankster was no longer important. Wu Di sighed in relief; even a materialist could become more resolute through constant progress.

Li Qinglong quietly tugged at Wu Di's sleeve,

"Brother Wu, do you have any urgent plans today? Can you help me out?"

"What's up?"

"Hehe, change the manufacturer's name and go check out Old Yuan today. If not, we really need to change our strategy."

"Have your manager and our manager talk. It will make my report easier to write."

"Sure thing! No problem! I'll treat you to lunch!"

Wu Di and Li Qinglong rode the bus, which stopped frequently, and after more than an hour, they finally arrived at the construction site at 9:30.

"Old Yuan has offices both at the construction site and in the factory. Let's check the site first. He's a good person, gets along well with any salesperson, and is very polite, but it's hard to get through. This is up to you, Brother Wu. Yes, that's the second floor of the temporary building, the one marked 'Client Office.'"

Wu Di waved and walked to the construction site alone. He planned to talk to Director Yuan under the guise of another manufacturer, trying to gauge his stance and, if the opportunity arose, offer a fee to see his appetite.

Unfortunately, Director Yuan was not at the construction site, so they headed to a row of houses outside the factory. Li Qinglong explained:

"After the project started, too many people came, so the engineering, infrastructure, and procurement departments were moved out of the factory. Now it's easier to get in, but we can't see the factory manager."

Wu Di patted Li Qinglong's shoulder in silence. This young man, who had been in the company for only half a year and was only three days younger than him, was full of energy but a bit emotional and too easily excited.

Wu Di registered and, guided by the receptionist, knocked on the wooden door marked "Infrastructure Department." As soon as he pushed it open, Wu Di, with what he thought was his most harmless smile, froze in place. White hair, lean build, an old man, holding a cup in one hand and a newspaper in the other, sitting in front of a computer. This! This was exactly the scene from his dream last night!

Yuan Jianguo stood up, looking at himself strangely, finding nothing wrong. Why did this young man look like he had seen a ghost?

Wu Di regained his composure, walked in, and shook Yuan Jianguo's right hand vigorously, saying:

"Uncle Yuan, hello. You look so much like my father's comrade-in-arms, I..."

"Really? I don't buy that."

"Uncle Yuan, I don't rely on that to make a living. Let me introduce myself. Wu Di, from Shuanghe Technology, originally from Yudu, Henan Province. My father was a veteran of the 75412 unit, and his comrade-in-arms is named Liang Shilong. I'm not lying to you."

Yuan Jianguo smiled at Wu Di. After years in infrastructure, he had seen it all. This young man had a tiger's spirit, which was interesting.

"Alright, Xiao Wu, right? Sit down. You didn't come to recognize family, did you? Ha, what are you selling? Speak up, I'm eager to learn from your company."

An hour later, Wu Di found Li Qinglong squatting on the street, took a Red Pagoda Mountain cigarette, and took a deep breath, sighing:

"High-level, really. How come the people in state-owned factories are all so capable? I should have listened to my father and joined a factory after graduation."

"Brother Wu, what do you mean?"

"Talking to anyone won't help. Prepare to go head-to-head with this old man. I estimate the fee will be at least 15%. What's their budget?"

"1.8 million to 2.2 million yuan."

"Right, they're spreading the word to keep the price high. Qinglong, if it doesn't work, find someone else to probe. I feel that if the fee is right, there's room for negotiation, but don't approach the factory manager or his family, it's a dead end!"

"Alright, Brother Wu, let's go eat. We can talk while we eat."