Chapter 10

The meeting room, which had already dispersed, was now filled with a lively discussion akin to a bustling market.

They all found it hard to believe that these artistic curb stones, which resembled works of art, were only being sold for sixty yuan.

Every item has its psychological price point. If the price is far below this point, there is only one possibility.

"Those twenty-four relief carvings of ladies on the Caiyi Bridge were led by our department."

"A single stone slab, just the carving alone, costs twenty thousand yuan, twenty thousand, comrades."

"The carvings on the Caiyi Bridge were originally hand-carved by artisans, so it's understandable that they are expensive," another deputy director said, "But these images, every detail of the ladies' carvings is perfectly identical, they must have been machine-carved."

"The price of sixty yuan is ridiculously low. But with the rapid advancement in technology, could there be some high-tech carving machine we don't know about?"

"Why don't we just call and ask?" Director Liu Fengjin, who had a good relationship with Sang Qing, signaled everyone to calm down and then dialed Sang Qing's phone.

The call was quickly answered, and Liu Fengjin turned on the speaker: "Mr. Sang, I have a question for you."

On the other end, Sang Qing's voice was overly flattering: "Director Liu, ask away. Even if you ask for my bank password, I won't hesitate."

Liu Fengjin got straight to the point: "If we were to use a carving machine to carve a lady's relief on a curb stone, similar to those on the Caiyi Bridge, how much would it cost?"

"Director Liu, that's simply impossible. Machine carving can only handle large-sized stone slabs."

Sang Qing, thinking it might be a business opportunity, sounded excited: "For curb stones, only simple carvings like flowers are possible. If you want flowers carved on curb stones, I can charge you two hundred yuan per piece, but you can't order too many. With five carving machines in the factory, working non-stop, and with two shifts of workers for loading, moving, and polishing, we can only produce about ten thousand pieces in two months."

"Is there any high-tech carving machine that can carve such detailed lady reliefs?"

Sang Qing thought for a moment and slowly said, "Large advertising and art companies might have high-precision carving machines that can do it, but the cost and time required would be astronomical. I estimate it would cost over a thousand yuan per piece."

Having obtained the information he needed, Liu Fengjin hung up without saying goodbye.

Then, his gaze locked onto Han Youpeng, his eyes full of "You wait and see."

"Little Han, are you sure you didn't hear wrong? Sixty, not six hundred?"

At this moment, Director Le Zhengdong's expression was more dramatic than a lottery winner who, after all the numbers matched, was told by the staff that the ticket was from the previous draw.

Just yesterday, a city-wide leaders' meeting was held, where the mayor repeatedly emphasized the importance of the city's cultural characteristics and how technology can improve life.

When the well-preserved Qiu Ying's scroll of ladies was discovered on Caiyi Street, wasn't it a unique cultural feature of Zhongyun?

This previously unseen and unexposed original work caused a huge stir in society and the archaeological community, making Zhongyun City the headline of major newspapers and popular websites for a week.

The number of tourists to Caiyi Street increased by more than ten times, and the city's leadership basked in the glory.

Now, there were carvings of ladies as exquisite as those on Caiyi Street, to be laid on several main roads in Zhongyun.

Wasn't this a unique cultural feature of Zhongyun City?

Using a large quantity of these artistic curb stones, which were only slightly more expensive than ordinary ones, to pave the roads.

Wasn't this an example of how technology can change life?

A unique road landscape, not just in the country, but in the world.

If this project could be completed under his leadership, what would his future prospects be?

Now, the largest stone processing manufacturer in Zhongyun City had clearly told him:

No, it's impossible!

This beautiful dream burst like a soap bubble.

How could Director Le Zhengdong not be furious?

"Should I invite the owner of the carvings upstairs?" Han Youpeng asked quietly.

"Immediately, right now!!" Director Le Zhengdong firmly ordered.

By the time Ye Qing arrived at the meeting room, more than ten minutes had passed, as he had been panting and carrying a marble slab from the minivan.

Before Ye Qing could even put down the stone slab, several directors and department heads swarmed over like sharks smelling blood.

The physical object was always more impactful than pictures.

Seeing the lifelike, almost ethereal carvings, Director Le Zhengdong felt an urge to lay them on the main roads no matter what.

Sixty yuan per piece, this was the price Ye Qing had repeated countless times.

This price was so low that it made one doubt their hearing. Le Zhengdong was eager to verify if this beautiful dream could come true.

"Do you run a stone factory?" Liu Fengjin, who claimed to have extensive experience with stone factories, asked first.

"Not exactly," Ye Qing patiently explained, "My family runs a cutting machinery manufacturing plant, specializing in various types of cutting machines."

Ye Qing handed out business cards to everyone, which listed the factory address and types of machines.

This included several types of stone cutting machines, which helped alleviate some of the leaders' doubts.

However, they still found it hard to believe that a curb stone of such artistic quality could be bought for just sixty yuan.

"Leaders, how about this," Ye Qing, aware of their doubts, said honestly that if he hadn't made these himself, he wouldn't have believed such a good deal either.

"My factory is in the industrial park, and it's registered with the local business administration."

Ye Qing offered a very favorable condition: "I can send a batch of curb stones for inspection. Once they are approved, we can settle the payment."

"That's fine..."

Director Le Zhengdong still found it hard to believe that the Urban Construction Bureau could get such a great deal: "Comrade Ye, I believe you came here to sell these carved curb stones because you heard about the Urban Construction Bureau's plan to replace the curb stones on several main roads in the city."

Ye Qing nodded.

"We don't have much time. The inspection team will arrive in three months, so all the curb stones must be delivered within two months. How come I heard from the Jiangshan Stone Factory that even if they work around the clock, they can only produce ten thousand pieces in two months?"

"They have five CNC carving machines. How many do you have?"

"Director, I'm carving detailed lady reliefs, not simple flower patterns."

Ye Qing smiled confidently: "If we calculate based on the efficiency of the most outdated machines at the Jiangshan Stone Factory, I have about four hundred and eighty carving machines."

"However, Director, the technical gap between simple flower patterns and detailed lady reliefs is not something that can be bridged by quantity alone."

"Don't let us down." Director Le Zhengdong laughed heartily; Ye Qing's analogy made him feel very comfortable.

When the inspection team arrives in Zhongyun, he could proudly point to the rows of exquisitely carved curb stones and introduce them.

This is technology, this is how technology changes life and transforms the city's appearance!

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