Chapter 7

Wu Di took a sip of beer and started coughing, overwhelmed by the strong taste. "Too strong, it's even stronger than a cockroach!" Ignoring the burning in his throat, he raised his glass in a toast to Li Qinglong.

Li Qinglong took a big gulp of beer and sighed contentedly. "Do you know how our manager usually instructs us?"

"How does he instruct you?"

"He requires us to know whether every mosquito in the client's house is male or female!"

This time, Wu Di didn't choke; he sprayed the beer out directly.

"Damn! That's too much! We sit together every day, how come I've never heard of this? When did Old Wang teach you this secret weapon?"

"Secret weapon? I thought about it for two nights and figured it out."

Li Qinglong looked calm and collected.

"Really?"

"Think about it, only female mosquitoes bite people. Male mosquitoes don't drink blood; do they need to risk their lives to fly into your house? Wouldn't it be better for them to stay by the water and take care of their young?"

Wu Di was speechless, clasping his hands together in a bow.

"Actually, Brother Wu, what we do is all the same. We wander around construction sites every day. Is there anything you can't hear? There aren't many gossipy things in the world, but there are always gossipy people."

Wu Di was drunk, even though he had only had half a bottle of beer. He felt drunk and finally understood Zhao Haoran's sigh: the company is full of strong people! Like this one, he's only been here for half a year, right?

Back at the rental apartment, Wu Di threw himself onto the bed and dozed off. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly woke up, feeling the light was particularly glaring. He glanced at his phone; it was only a little past ten. He turned off the light, took off his clothes, and tried to sleep again, but he couldn't. After tossing and turning for a while, he sat up and took out the blank book to look at it.

It seemed there was no change. Why does this thing work sometimes and not others? No, there were two small characters next to the name of the Deputy District Chief: "Zhuanyan"!

Zhuanyan! Is it a type of inkstone? Wu Di jumped out of bed. Could sending a brick inkstone solve the problem? No way! It's said the budget is over six million, which is more than sixty thousand per set. How expensive would a brick inkstone have to be?

Sitting in front of the computer, he started a Baidu search.

A brick inkstone is an inkstone made from ancient bricks.

Ancient bricks mostly refer to construction bricks from the Han and Jin dynasties, which can be roughly divided into two categories: dated inscribed bricks and pictorial bricks.

Dated inscribed bricks are architectural bricks made by the Han and Jin people using diverse calligraphy forms, through prefabricated molds, pressing mud, and firing. The calligraphy content is divided into two types: one is the date, recording the time, place, and people involved in the construction. The other is auspicious inscriptions, using various auspicious phrases to wish for the well-being of future generations.

Due to the traditional artistic expression of calligraphy and engraving on ancient bricks, literati and scholars throughout history have developed a fondness for using ancient bricks to make inkstones. Brick inkstones first appeared during the Tang and Song dynasties, became popular during the Qing Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, and have continued to the present day without interruption.

Most are carved by literati and scholars, some for practical use, others for appreciation, but any brick inkstone from before the Qing dynasty has extremely high collection value.

The inscriptions on ancient bricks share a similar charm with inscriptions on other bronze and stone artifacts. Many literati and scholars in Chinese history have collected and recorded various ancient bricks.

Especially during the late Qing dynasty, the trend of epigraphy and textual research was prevalent. Many scholars and researchers had a particular interest in the inscriptions on broken and eroded bricks and tiles, spending large sums to collect them and studying them meticulously.

"Qin bricks and Han tiles" thus became famous in the world.

Wu Di looked at the approximate auction prices: some were over a million, others just a few thousand, and most Qing dynasty brick inkstones were under ten thousand. He breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he would have to visit Liulichang and Panjiayuan. However, he could only buy from well-known old shops or at auctions; otherwise, sending a fake would be disastrous. As for the price, he would check the budget for the shantytown project the next day.

Sitting back on the bed, Wu Di realized when these two characters had appeared. If they could appear, it meant the conditions were met. But he had checked in the internet cafe before work, and they weren't there. Could it be that the book is a shy girl? A mischievous smile appeared on Wu Di's lips, but he shivered and clasped his hands together, muttering:

"Great Heavenly Book, you are magnanimous and broad-minded. Please forgive my wild thoughts. I understand you want to increase the confidentiality, only showing in secret places. Please be magnanimous..."

After a while, he checked the time and picked up the phone, calling Du Qifang, whom he had met at noon. The guy was clearly not asleep; from his voice, he was probably out having a good time.

"Hello, Xiao Du, it's Wu. Which Wu? Damn, you didn't even remember me? I was thinking of giving you a couple of sets of equipment, but forget it, I'll go to Shuanghe Company."

Wu Di pretended to hang up, but Du Qifang's anxious voice came through the receiver:

"Brother Wu, Uncle Wu, you're the boss of Liting Apartment? No, no, I'm not guessing. Look at my memory, a little drink and I forget everything. I'll definitely come to apologize in person."

Wu Di couldn't help but laugh and said:

"Alright, I won't tease you. The Dahei Mountain shantytown project, remember it from noon?"

"Damn! Brother, you scared me to death! My heart can't take this. Brother Wu, you're not playing fair, you're from Shuanghe Company, just teasing me."

"Hey, seriously, is the shantytown project really off? I heard the budget is over six million!"

"Ha ha ha, I suddenly feel much better. So, you can be fooled too."

"What's going on?"

"The six million is for the entire system, including pipelines and construction. If it's just for the equipment, maybe two million at most. Interested?"

"What can I do? I was assigned to this project by my boss. Even if I don't do it, I need to understand the situation, or I'll be in a bad spot."

"Brother Wu, government projects aren't too risky. They are for the people and are a district priority, so everyone is watching. This project isn't very profitable. Brother Wu, introduce me to some better ones, let's work together."

"Alright, I'll find you a project."

After hanging up, Wu Di thought, that's better. It seems a brick inkstone under ten thousand will do. He would find a time to look around.

Tuesday was the day for project reviews. In the morning, he visited two projects and then rushed back to the company. On the way, Wu Di thought about the shantytown project. Ten sets of equipment, bidding ten thousand each isn't much, but sending a brick inkstone, the company definitely wouldn't approve. Unlike bidding, if the project fails, the money can be refunded, but sending a gift, whether it can be returned is another matter. Even if it is returned, it would be stuck in his hands. The contract price isn't high, and if he wanted to do it, he would have to go through Shuanghe. The Construction Department was different. Wu Di didn't want to make money from it. Thinking of Minister Ou's son being kidnapped and his wife unable to have more children, he felt uncomfortable. Forget it, if he couldn't come up with a good idea, he would buy a card and send an anonymous text message, leaving the rest to fate.

Before the project review, President Wang announced a notice.

"Hey, everyone, quiet down. I have an announcement. Our company has recently reached a sponsorship agreement with Yang County's Shantun Township in southwestern Sichuan Province. We will sponsor the nutrition breakfast and lunch for five primary schools in Shantun Township for five years, with a donation of two million. We hope everyone will donate, and the company will make up any shortfall. Outstanding employees will have the opportunity to represent the company on-site..."

Yang County's Shantun Township! President Wang's words were like a bolt of lightning, striking Wu Di. He didn't need to think of an excuse; he just needed to figure out how to convince President Wang to let him go on this trip!