Secretary Wang didn't take the call, only glanced at it, but his expression softened considerably. He said, "It's still unclear. The matter has blown up too much, and the higher-ups are very unhappy. This time, it has to be transparent, fair, and open. But it's probably only the Construction Group that can handle this. Don't even think about causing any more trouble. There can't be any more problems in the old street area."

"Damn it, that bastard Gao Qiqiang made me lose tens of millions, and I just let it go like that? I really can't swallow this. Isn't he just relying on his sugar daddy? Damn it, I won't touch the old street area, but I can take action in other parts of the Construction Group, right? Otherwise, my underlings will have no work for the first half of the year, and I can't control them."

Tiger cursed.

It's really painful to have to spit out the fat meat that's already in your mouth.

The key point is that he spent a lot of money bribing people at all levels to secure the Old Street project.

"Other places are not under the leadership's jurisdiction. You should handle them carefully. Minor incidents are fine, but don't cause any major trouble. Don't cause problems for the leadership, and don't become the next Xu Jiang, understand?"

"Understood, understood. I definitely won't cause trouble for the boss. Here, boss, have some food."

...

After Wanshi Group withdrew, Jinghai, with the deepest qualifications and the strongest capital, was left with only Jian Gong Group.

Therefore, the Old Street project basically fell to Gao Qiqiang.

He did a great job, and Uncle Tai rarely praised him.

Gao Qiqiang was also very satisfied. Taking advantage of Bai Jinhan's resumption of business, he invited Gao Qisheng, Tang Xiaohu and a group of brothers to a celebration banquet.

"Thanks to Xiao Sheng's idea this time, we dealt with the Wanshi Group without firing a single shot. Next, our main target is the Old Street project. Everyone must listen carefully: we will carry out the demolition in a civilized manner and we must not have any conflicts with the residents of Old Street. The higher-ups have given instructions that the Old Street project must be done well and that we will make our Construction Group's reputation shine!"

Gao Qiqiang, holding his wine glass, said with a smile, "Once the project is completed, I'll give everyone a bonus!"

"good!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and jubilation.

Tang Ping wasn't idle either; he was actively recruiting soldiers.

Internet cafes and audio-visual stores are doing stable business, and Wanzihong KTV is now the most popular entertainment venue in Jinghai. Many people secretly speculate that the owner behind the KTV has a powerful backer.

Because of the incidents involving Bai Jinhan and Wanshi KTV, only Wanziqianhong has become a place that never sleeps. There are no fights or disturbances, and police inspections are infrequent, so customers can enjoy themselves without worry.

The only downside is that it's too green amidst all the vibrant colors.

However, as long as customers are willing to spend money and feel at ease taking them out to play, they gradually get used to it.

During his free time, Tang Ping went to an internet cafe again.

It's been a long time since I last went there. Now the internet cafe has expanded to its third location, and several more audio-visual stores have been added. These are all managed by the brothers Li Qiang and Li Hui.

Tang Ping basically didn't manage it. The two brothers would send the daily turnover to their cousin Song Lijun, and then deposit it into the bank.

"Brother Ping!"

"Ping-ge is here!"

Li Qiang and Li Hui were both excited to see Tang Ping arrive.

Tang Ping asked, "How's your driving lesson going?"

"I'm going to the driving school for my road test in a couple of days. I heard I have to stay for two more days, so I'm a little nervous," Li Hui said.

"Don't be nervous, the car is just a toy, you'll get used to it."

Tang Ping smiled and said, "Now that the internet cafe is on the right track, it's fine to let Jiang Jun take charge. You two can see what you can learn."

Li Qiang thought for a moment and said, "Brother Ping, Jiang Jun is alright, but he's unreliable. He's always slacking off. I think I should keep an eye on the internet cafe, otherwise I won't feel at ease."

Tang Ping nodded: "Yes, I've started a construction company. You can go and learn from them when you have time. You still need to read more books and be able to read blueprints. That way, you'll have a promising future in construction sites."

"I'll listen to Ping-ge."

Where is Ahui?

"I'll do whatever Brother Ping tells me to do, I'm good at it."

Tang Ping had always taken good care of these two neighbors. They were all the same age, and now that he had become successful, Tang Ping wanted to help them out. As for how far they could go, that depended on their own efforts.

After wandering around the internet cafe for a while, Tang Ping went home.

Tang Ping has been staying at Fenglin Yayuan for the past few days. Chen Shuting calls him every day at the same time, urging him to come home for dinner. She hasn't seen her son for several days, and the "old hen" is getting anxious, giving him a good scolding on the phone.

When they got home for dinner, Tang Ping's bowl was stuffed full, and she couldn't help but complain, "Mom, if you have nothing better to do, why don't you go do some square dancing or something?"

"What is square dancing?" the elderly mother asked, puzzled.

Tang Ping slapped his forehead, realizing he'd almost forgotten that square dancing wasn't popular yet.

"Mom, how about I open a convenience store for you?" Tang Ping didn't know how to explain, so he could only change the subject.

The old mother said unhappily, "I don't have time. What if I lose money? You should hurry up and get married. Once you have children, I can help you take care of them while I'm still young."

Aunt Tang Shuyun said, "Opening a convenience store is a good idea. I think it's quite stable, and we can save money when we buy things ourselves."

"Look at my aunt, how farsighted she is! Aunt, you wait, I'll arrange this in a couple of days, and then I'll hand it over to you to manage. Make some money and make the old lady envious," Tang Ping said with a smile.

The elderly mother, Zhou Xiaofeng, immediately retorted, "You're just trying to annoy me! No way, you're really opening a convenience store? Then count me in, I'll invest!"

Tang Ping and his aunt Tang Shuyun exchanged a smile.

The three were eating when suddenly they heard the sound of a car outside.

"Hello, is this Tang Ping's house?"

A woman's voice came from inside.

Tang Ping felt a chill run down his spine.

Chen Shuting is here!

His mother was urging him so urgently at noon that he forgot to call Chen Shuting. But he just didn't go over for lunch, so Chen Shuting wouldn't come knocking on his door, would she?

Could it be...?

Tang Ping roughly guessed what Chen Shuting was thinking, and quickly put down his chopsticks and went out the door.

Sure enough, Chen Shuting arrived.

She was clearly dressed up specially; she wore a plain white shirt and jeans, and her overall demeanor was more like that of a stay-at-home housewife.

Carrying a large pile of gifts, Chen Shuting smiled and said to Tang Ping, "Oh, so this is where you live! Come and help me, I have more in my car."

Tang Ping was taken aback for a moment, then casually accepted the gift. Chen Shuting opened the trunk, which was filled with various kinds of milk and nutritional supplements.

"What is this?" The old mother also chased after them, her face showing a mixture of surprise and joy as she asked.

"Oh, friend."

Tang Ping really couldn't explain it. He didn't mind, but Chen Shuting was divorced and had a son. If his mother found out, she would probably strangle him.

"Look at you, not even saying a word before not coming home for dinner. You have to eat on time, otherwise it's bad for your stomach, and you'll suffer when you're old."

Chen Shuting brought over a few more gifts, complaining about Tang Ping while smiling at her elderly mother, Zhou Xiaofeng, "Is this Auntie? Hello, Auntie, Tang Ping, this is..."