Chapter 71

"Ah? Sister Yoda, you're back!" Liu Si exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Yoda.

Yoda and Shiki had originally planned to visit the newly opened train station today. As a tourist city, the train station was designed in a very modern style. The entire ceiling was circular, like unfolding flower petals.

Although we contacted other construction teams with similar experience, they were located in another city, making communication difficult. Finding a nearby building that could serve as a reference might be helpful in realizing the design.

Liu Si thought it would take a whole day, but unexpectedly Yoda returned at that moment. If Yoda was back, then Xing must have returned too.

Liu Si couldn't help but glance at Shi Xing's office, somewhat absentmindedly.

Yoda didn't notice Liu Si's subtle expression; returning empty-handed was somewhat disheartening. Shaking his head and smiling wryly, he sighed and said, "We went to see it. Although the outside is an arched roof, it's supported by many columns inside. It's just that the roof design is similar to current trends; it's actually still a traditional architectural framework."

Since they had no reference value, Yoda and Shixing returned.

After saying that, Yoda saw Liu Si's back, which he had been hiding, and exclaimed in surprise, "Master Liu, what are you doing here? You have time today?"

Originally intending to sneak away, Master Liu didn't expect that Yoda and Liu Si could spot him while they were talking. He could only slowly straighten up and turn around, saying, "Ha, I just happened to come in and take a look."

Yoda hurried over; it was truly a rare opportunity to meet him. The design for Aunt Wu's house had already been finalized, but lately, for some reason, Mr. Liu had been incredibly busy, and they hadn't been able to see him at all.

After all, other designers in the firm were also waiting for construction, and considering that Yoda had blindly taken on projects before, it was only through everyone's concerted efforts that all the projects were completed. Yoda felt embarrassed to keep nagging Master Liu, but Aunt Wu's project was small, and no construction team outside was willing to take it on.

Having finally managed to meet with her today, Yoda quickly set a construction schedule for Aunt Wu's project.

"I have a project that only involves modifying the bathrooms. If you have time, could you bring someone to do it?"

Upon hearing this, Master Liu thought it was very simple and could do it: "This? No problem." He agreed to Yoda and then stepped out.

Wang Mian walked over happily: "Uncle Liu, I've thought of several plans, what do you think?"

"What plan?" Yoda and Shi Xing's voices rang out at the same time.

Wang Mian then noticed that there were many people here. He scratched his head and continued, "Boss, didn't you want to create an open space to reflect a futuristic, sci-fi feel? Master Liu is having difficulty with the construction, so I've come up with a few compromise solutions."

Shi Xing nodded: "Tell me about it."

"The first option is to hide the pillars. Since we disagree with the construction without any pillars, we can still use pillars for support and just hide them. We can surround all the frames in the hall with glass, so they won't be visible."

Yoda touched his forehead, thinking, "What a self-deceiving act!"

Seeing that no one spoke, Wang Mian knew that the plan had failed, so he quickly suggested another one: "The second option is to disguise cement. Cement is heavy, and it can't be used for the top surface without a frame support. So let's use a lighter material. I found a 3D cement flexible board, which is also easy to install."

Shi Xing patted Wang Mian on the shoulder; it was clear that Wang Mian had studied the plan carefully. Shi Xing had also considered these options, but his initial idea was to use cement as the main material for the entire building.

Yoda knew that although Shi Xing seemed gentle on the surface, he was a very determined person at heart. Once he made up his mind, he wouldn't easily change it because of external reasons.

Without a doubt, neither of Wang Mian's two proposals were approved.

Shi Xing looked at Master Liu and said, "I've come up with a new method. Let's try it later."

Blocked by Shi Xing, Master Liu, still unable to escape the difficult task, could only resign himself to his fate: "Sigh!" he said, glaring at Wang Mian.

If this kid hadn't patted his chest and guaranteed he could come up with a solution to get him out of trouble, he wouldn't have come to the firm, and he wouldn't have gotten caught. Master Liu thought about how he'd been working himself to the bone at the construction site every day to avoid the authorities, afraid of being called back if he had even a moment's rest. And now, it was all for nothing.

Why······

Wang Mian's mind raced when Liu Shifu looked at him. Seeing Shi Xing's retreating figure, he quickly shouted, "How about we try 3D projection? We can project the scene behind the pillar onto the pillar, making it look like there's no pillar at all."

"Or, or, let me think about it some more?"

Shi Xing was very touched by Wang Mian's dedication to his project, but still politely declined his wild ideas. He decided to continue researching how to make it even better.

Seeing that Shi Xing had left, Wang Mian looked at Master Liu with a mournful face. Master Liu's expression was unfriendly. Wang Mian began, "Uncle Liu, I..."

Wang Mian suddenly realized what was happening and tentatively asked, "Master Liu?"

"Hmph!" Realizing he had distanced himself from the situation, Master Liu, no longer so angry, simply left. After all, he had worked so many days for nothing and still couldn't escape the fate of continuing to rack his brains with Shi Xing. He might as well take this opportunity to go back and rest.

As someone who was once again deemed useless, Wang Mian leisurely looked at Liu Si beside him: "Did I mess this up?"

Liu Si shrugged: "Maybe, probably, maybe."

Yoda smiled to himself, knowing that while the future was bright, the road ahead was temporarily winding. Zhou Ying suddenly called. Ignoring the two comforting each other, Yoda went to his office and answered the call.

Zhou Ying's voice was full of energy: "Sister Yoda, I saw the news that your firm designed a coal mine site, and the results are great. A lot of people are going to visit and take photos."

Shixing's design was indeed a success, revitalizing a previously quiet commercial area. The client, who had only completed the initial phase and was still observing, now completely trusts Shixing to take full responsibility for all subsequent design work.

However, it was unexpected that Zhou Ying would also pay attention to these things. Yoda asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly interested in this?"

A little embarrassed, Zhou Ying still spoke her mind frankly: "My hometown also has abandoned coal mines, and there is a tourist attraction nearby. I saw the news online and thought I might ask you to design one, to ride the wave of popularity and boost local tourism."

"However, we don't have a large budget. We can't afford that much for design fees." Zhou Ying felt embarrassed as she said it, and quickly added, "The place isn't very big, so it doesn't need to be as good as that big project. Just give us some suggestions."

This tone of saving on design fees immediately reminded Yoda of Zhou Liu. Yoda instinctively wanted to make a joke, but suddenly realized that there was no point in bringing it up now. He changed the subject: "I didn't do the design. Shi Xing did it. He's currently preparing for a new project and hasn't had time lately."

"I see." Zhou Ying was a little disappointed, but she had originally wanted to use her relationship with Yoda to ask for help. It was understandable if he came, but normal if he couldn't. Zhou Ying cheered herself up, not wanting to put Yoda in a difficult position.

But then Yoda's voice came through: "I'll go ask him. If he's willing, he can come after he finishes his current project. But we'll have to wait a bit, okay?"

"Yes, yes." Zhou Ying's happy voice could be heard through the phone, and Yoda could feel her excitement just by listening to her voice: "When you all come together, I will definitely prepare the best hospitality."

Yoda hung up the phone and got up to ask Shixing's opinion. Although the two were very close, Yoda always felt that everyone was an independent individual at work. Shixing's thoughts should be respected. Moreover, Yoda also had some concerns.

Put those thoughts aside for now; perhaps I'm just overthinking it.

"What's wrong? Is the project not going well?" As soon as I entered the office, I saw Shi Xing leaning back in his office chair, deep in thought. He only looked like this when he was very unhappy; I hadn't seen Shi Xing look frustrated since Yoda woke up.

"The construction team I contacted before has replied to me," Shi Xing answered.

Yoda asked, puzzled, "Is there something wrong with it?"

Shi Xing took a deep breath and sighed slowly: "Their construction techniques and procedures are kept secret. They will only start construction if you sign a contract with them."

To achieve the desired effect, the construction team must be highly skilled. At the very least, they must be very familiar with the building's structure and the properties of the materials, and be able to perform consistently well in different regions. It's understandable that such a capable team wouldn't want to share their techniques publicly.

However, this conflicts with the current design competition requirements.

The competition requires skilled workers to ensure successful construction, while the construction team needs to guarantee a contract. Neither of these requirements are met.

"Should we discuss this with them again, or perhaps we could co-sign the design proposal with them? Winning the competition would be good for them too; then we could sign a contract and have them responsible for the construction," Yoda suggested after some thought.

Shi Xing knew in his heart that it wasn't that simple. This construction team had completed many projects even internationally, and they no longer needed to rely on design competitions to enhance their reputation.

Seeing Yoda's worried expression, Shi Xing stood up and helped Yoda up, saying, "Alright, I'll figure something out. Don't worry, okay?"

Yoda forced a smile, knowing that the matter couldn't be resolved with just a few words. Seeing Shi Xing's determination to take full responsibility, Yoda didn't say anything more. Some things, even the closest people can only offer help from the sidelines, not make decisions for the person.

After being coaxed and persuaded by Shi Xing, Yoda promised not to worry about Shi Xing's affairs anymore and to take care of herself with peace of mind, she went out and realized: Oh no, she hadn't even asked Zhou Ying about what she was talking about.

Turning around to go back and speak, she saw that Shi Xing had already started working at his desk.

His mouth opened, but suddenly he couldn't speak. Never mind, I'll ask him when he's less busy and less tired.

Yoda looked at Liu Si, who insisted on coming out with him to hand over the house, and said with amusement, "Didn't you say you had too many projects lately and were exhausted, and needed to rest? Why are you following me?"

Liu Si stuck out her tongue: "It's too depressing in the firm these days. Coming out here is a good way to get some fresh air."

This isn't just Liu Si's feeling, because the issue of how to implement the current design remains unresolved.

With the design competition judging time fast approaching, Shih-hsing is spending more and more time at the firm every day. The others see this but can't help, so they can only remain silent and hope that Shih-hsing will finish soon.

Yoda also felt sorry for Shi Xing staying up all night, but she also knew that Shi Xing couldn't give up on this project in order to bring the painstakingly designed project to fruition.

Suddenly, a voice from the side interrupted Yoda's thoughts.

Wow, you look even better than in the video.