The deputy general manager from the Eighth Bureau was named Li Changfeng, and he had a very good relationship with Xie Yingying's second uncle, Xie Guangqing.

Since the restructuring of the Eighth Institution, this person has been transferred from the capital to Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province.

Li Changfeng learned that Da Mi was planning something big from Xie Guangqing. Since they were so close and Xie Guangqing had a niece who held an important position in Da Mi, it was a perfect opportunity for Da Mi to secure projects.

To secure the project, the Eighth Engineering Bureau sent a professional team, including the chief engineer and technicians, at least four of whom were heavy drinkers.

With Xie Yingying's connection, it was incredibly easy for Li Changfeng and Xing Baohua to meet. Xing Baohua met with Li Changfeng, but not everyone else.

"Hello, Mr. Li."

"Hello, Mr. Xing!"

After the two met, they shook hands and sat down. Xie Yingying brought over tea and casually called out, "Li Changfeng, Uncle Li."

Li Changfeng smiled and said to Xie Yingying, "Yingying has grown up and become more beautiful. You were only this big when you were little, and now you've been working for several years."

"I didn't realize you looked so old. You and Mr. Xing can continue your conversation. I'll head out now." With that, Xie Yingying turned and left; this kind of occasion wasn't suitable for her.

Xing Baohua had originally instructed her to notify the Shanghai authorities, which meant she was already involved in the construction there. Now that the Eighth Engineering Bureau is involved, she can only take on projects in Shandong.

She just didn't know about Lu Zhong's arrangements. If she got too close to him, her family's connections would also be involved, which might disrupt Xing Baohua's plans in Lu Zhong.

"President Xing, please don't mind! Lao Xie and I are comrades-in-arms, and we have a very close relationship. Lao Xie told me about this, and when I heard about it, I was so excited that I slapped my thigh. Such a good thing, the Central Eighth Bureau can't miss it!"

"Look, we're close by and have a strong relationship. For a project as large as rice, it wouldn't be right not to find a reliable company to build it. Of course, connections are another matter, but we're known for our quality. Military-grade products, Mr. Xing, you can rest assured."

Xing Baohua observed that Li Changfeng was a burly man. Although he didn't know where Li Changfeng was from, he looked rough but was very meticulous in his work.

Xing Baohua said with a smile, "I have a good relationship with President Xie, so I'll give him face. The Luzhong Building hasn't even finished its drawings yet. I don't know who spread the rumor that I'm going to build it. It's the third tallest building in the world, only about three or four hundred meters tall. Do you want to bid for it? Get ready and we'll put up a tender."

"No problem, with President Xing here, it's just a matter of bidding, no big deal," Li Changfeng said with a smile, clearly understanding Xing Baohua's meaning.

A building with a floor area of ​​300-400 is a major project, and the Eighth Engineering Bureau is fully capable of winning it. Since the news has been released, many high-quality units are vying for it. There are connections everywhere, and no one is happy with a pre-arranged deal. Bidding is just for show.

Whether it's an open tender or a closed tender, once the blueprints are completed and a rough budget is calculated to know the cost, then through Xie Yingying, the chief secretary, we can find out the bottom price of the rice.

The Eighth Bureau of China is a centrally-administered state-owned enterprise; they have a lot of influence. No one in the entire central Shandong province would dare compete with them in terms of quality. Moreover, their connections go directly to the top management, making other units practically mere figureheads.

“I have a small project here, not very big. It was originally supposed to be put out to tender, but since your Eighth Engineering Bureau has shown up, let’s skip the bidding. Once the drawings are ready, you can start construction directly. I’ll give you a contact person so you can communicate directly with him.”

"Okay, so you're looking for quality work from the Eighth Bureau, right? Don't worry, you'll definitely be satisfied. Can I ask about any small projects?"

"A stadium, the kind that can seat fifty or sixty thousand people."

"You're really funny. This is nothing compared to what you call a small project," Li Changfeng said with a laugh, waving his hand.

He found Xing Baohua quite amusing. A stadium with a capacity of 50,000 to 60,000 people cost hundreds of millions to build. Even without skyscrapers hundreds of meters tall, this kind of project is still considered large, and many companies would fight tooth and nail to get it. Of course, this included the China Eighth Engineering Bureau.

"This project is challenging, requires speed, and demands extremely high quality. After all, it's a grandstand worth 50,000 to 60,000 yuan. If there's a quality problem, it would be a major accident, and none of us can afford to take responsibility. The responsibility is immense."

"That's right. As long as it's not a design flaw, I guarantee you here that there will be absolutely no quality problems during construction."

"Mr. Li, I believe you will do a good job. I'm just worried that after you subcontract, some units may not be strict enough. Also, I will hire a third-party quality supervision unit to monitor the quality and progress."

Li Changfeng nodded and said, "That's only right."

"We will invite three companies, but because their quality is inconsistent, they will not sign off on the acceptance. So it will really test the on-site technical skills of the construction company."

Li Changfeng laughed heartily and said, "President Xing, you must have encountered a lot of regulatory agencies while building the rice factory, otherwise you wouldn't have hired three regulatory agencies. China Eighth Engineering Bureau isn't afraid. Even if you hire ten, we will still meet the quality standards required by the blueprints."

“Okay, ask Xie Yingying for Wei Laisong’s phone number later, or you two can have a meal together and chat.” Xing Baohua said, glancing at his watch. “Excuse me, Mr. Li, I have to go to the technical department for a meeting.”

"Then I won't disturb Mr. Xing's work. If you're not busy, have Yingying give me a call, and we can have a drink together. I've heard that you can hold your liquor quite well."

"Who told you that? I really can't hold my liquor, I can only drink about 1.5 jin."

Li Changfeng was speechless. He wouldn't know what Versailles was. What small project? He couldn't even hold his liquor.

All I can say is that Mr. Xing is truly modest.

Two days later, Jin Xin, whom we hadn't seen for a long time, arrived. She didn't come alone; she brought a young girl with her, who was about the same age as Xie Yingying.

The Shanghai Municipal Government has already seconded one of Xing Baohua's secretaries to be a liaison officer; Shenzhen should follow suit!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!