Chapter 227 The project was won

When she was about to leave, Lin Ruoyan received news from Bowa that the project had been won.

Mr. Yuan, representing a large state-owned enterprise, officially signed the contract. Lin Ruoyan's earlier work on the new city plan, combining industry and housing, had impressed local management. Locals hoped the new city would be built quickly to accommodate those displaced by agricultural and infrastructure development.

Mr. Yuan remained in Bolivia to settle the major players there. As the crucial second party in the housing construction project, Lin Ruoyan would definitely fly to Bolivia again to express her sincerity and sign the "subcontracting" agreement. She entrusted her son to Hao Heshan to take back to China. While her Bolivia visa was still valid, she decided not to return home and flew directly there.

There happened to be many flights from the oil-producing countries to European countries F and D, both of which had flights to Bolivia the next day. She immediately booked tickets, and at the same time, the people from the domestic design department and Hua Mengmeng also rushed over.

This time, Zhao Xingxing, director of the design department, persuaded the state-owned enterprise design institute to form a luxurious expert group to go to Bowa on site.

They brought multiple design proposals and even a local translator specializing in architecture. Their proposals included more than just drawings; they also included measures for long-term on-site support. This group of people was well aware of their work. Besides collaborating with local design professionals, most of them planned to stay in the area for at least six months.

The visas for those flying over have been prepared, and they can stay for one year with official passports.

The design institute's ability to invest this much was largely due to Lin Ruoyan's prior design contract. Zhao Xingxing discovered this problem while searching for design institutes in China, having interviewed several. State-owned enterprises require contracts before they can truly proceed. Even if it's just a preliminary consulting service contract, signing a smaller one first allows for easier follow-up arrangements.

While the system is well-established and the management is strict, flexibility is somewhat lacking. If Mr. Yuan's large state-owned enterprise were to seek a partnership with a state-owned enterprise, the contract negotiation and signing process between the two parties would likely take a long time. Lin Ruoyan's private company, acting as a bridge, could, in turn, facilitate this process in a more flexible manner.

Her company makes the decision on its own and the contract can be signed directly, but an agreement must be made that once Mr. Yuan's contract is terminated, or if there are uncontrollable forces such as war, natural disasters, etc. in the local area, the corresponding design work must also be terminated. The terms of the contract constrain both parties to stop losses in a timely manner.

Thanks to Lin Ruoyan's efforts and concessions, the design contract was signed in advance for 100 million yuan.

It has been many years since the state-owned enterprise compound signed such a large order. The annual contract amount is only 1 billion yuan, and this project accounts for one-tenth of it. Naturally, it is given top priority.

Lin Ruoyan didn't care when Mr. Yuan would receive the funds or whether the housing construction company would receive the funds. She had already made sure the design institute's staff arrived on site and that the remaining staff were confirmed before making the 30% down payment. Progress payments would be tied to construction progress. After the design institute's staff finished drawing the blueprints, they would remain on site to coordinate with the construction team, effectively acting as the "real estate company's" design department.

Lin Ruoyan would only need to leave Chen Jun and his established support team here to assist the design institute. This would eliminate the need for Lin's Real Estate Design Department to maintain a permanent presence in the region. After all, Lin's Real Estate's domestic projects still require human resources and cannot be fully managed in Bolivia. Overall, considering the high risk of overseas projects, it would be more cost-effective to utilize Lin's Real Estate Design Department's personnel on low-risk, high-profit projects in China.

The design institute had rarely seen such a generous client. As long as they arrived and stayed on site, they would receive 30% of the design fee, which amounted to over 30 million yuan. Most domestic projects take two to three years, and the final bill is only 30 million yuan. The design institute was naturally delighted, and veteran experts rushed over with a group of young people in their twenties and thirties.

Several veteran experts had previously worked on aid projects in Africa and were prepared to endure hardships. After all, while Latin America might have a better climate than Africa, poverty was a common problem.

While some of the younger generation of designers may have visited North America, none have yet set foot in South America. They are filled with curiosity and determined to leave their designs on this continent. At the same time, they are also apprehensive, fearing the harsh conditions will suffice, and they might return home within six months, betraying the trust of their organizations.

When we arrived in Bolivia, we were met at the airport by several newly purchased off-road vehicles, all with the air conditioning blasting. As we drove from the airport to the city, we saw modern urban areas dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, much more prosperous than those parts of Africa where high-rise buildings are rare.

Especially with cheap gas, there are tons of cars on the road. There are all sorts of gas-guzzling North American cars. I heard they're all scrapped over there and brought here to be sold as used cars. Anyway, as long as the car works, there's someone to buy it.

Although Bolivia is a tropical country, it has a mild climate, and the capital boasts abundant greenery. Most homes don't use air conditioning. This is partly because imported air conditioning equipment is expensive, and partly because it rains regularly and the breeze keeps the heat at bay. These climatic conditions alone are far superior to those in Africa.

Several veteran experts couldn't help but sigh that this trip to work on an overseas project was probably much more comfortable than they had imagined.

Chen Jun naturally booked them into the capital's finest InterContinental Hotel. It was said to be designed by a renowned North American architect and was no less stylish than any other original North American metropolitan-style hotel.

The design institute's experts' desire to provide local assistance has dissipated, forcing a serious review of existing architectural design standards. While local construction technology and speed may be limited, the design landscape, long influenced by European and American influences, is still aesthetically pleasing and modern. The urban hotel and office buildings, in particular, boast design styles comparable to those in developed countries. Even buildings dating back thirty or forty years still possess a unique, modern charm.

Fortunately, this time we hired a domestic design team to design high-rise residential complexes. These aren't luxury high-rises, but rather social housing for ordinary people. Domestic design experts are confident in this area.

Lin Ruoyan's first stop after arriving in Bolivia was in the capital, not the confirmed project site, Province B. Because President Yuan was also in the capital, in addition to meeting with domestic partners, he was also reportedly awaiting a meeting with President Chase.

In the same hotel, both the normal guest rooms and the hotel apartment building are full of Chinese people. In addition to the upstream and downstream companies that came to check out Mr. Yuan’s project, there are also various cooperation units that have already reached an agreement with Mr. Yuan. Everyone came together specifically to sign an agreement with each other.

Mr. Yuan found a special time to meet with Lin Ruoyan alone. The meeting place was chosen to be the living room of Mr. Yuan's hotel suite. Bodyguards were stationed outside the door, and a very detailed security check was also carried out inside.

After Lu Wei inspected the scene, she was also asked to leave, leaving only Mr. Yuan and Lin Ruoyan in the room.

Seeing this big scene, Lin Ruoyan already had a premonition that what Mr. Yuan was going to tell her next might involve some confidential information.