Reeves leaned against the window, a faint, almost invisible smile on his lips. "Of course I understand, Mayor Jefferson. As for the pressure of public opinion...Politics is like sailing in the wind and waves. Ups and downs are normal."
This sentence was like a needle, accurately piercing Jefferson's embarrassment.
The mayor's face twitched slightly, but he immediately adjusted his posture and said:
"Mr. Speaker, I'm here today to officially inform you that the mayor's order is completely null and void! Furthermore," he emphasized, his eyes flashing with an eager, courteous glint, "Chicago City Hall will fully support the Blue Roof Project! Funding, a fast-track approval process, land coordination... nothing will be a problem! Our common goal is to make Chicago the safest and most livable metropolis in the United States!"
Ribs finally moved.
He slowly took out a cigarette from the exquisite cigarette case, but did not light it. Instead, he slowly twisted it with his slender fingers.
His eyes fell with a half-smile on Jefferson's face, which was full of the expression of "a man of insight is a hero".
"Mr. Mayor, let the past be the past." He paused briefly on the word "past," his gaze sweeping across Jefferson's reddened ears. "What's important is the future. The Blue Roof Project...does require the Mayor's strong support."
He tilted his head slightly and looked at the city through the gaps in the blinds. It was the chessboard that he had regained control of at a terrible cost.
"But..." Reeves changed the subject, his voice filled with coldness, "The prerequisite for building a new Chicago is to completely clean up the 'old garbage', right?" His deep gaze didn't look at anyone, but it made Jefferson feel a chill on his back.
Jefferson looked at Reeves's cold smile, forced his expression, and nodded rapidly, "Of course... of course! The Speaker is absolutely right! Clean it up before we can start over!"
Ribbs's cigarette still hadn't been lit. The light from Chicago outside the window slanted down on half of Ribbs's face, outlining a hard, cold outline.
With the support of Mayor Jefferson, there was no one or any force in Chicago that could stop Ribbs.
The Blue Roof Project was immediately reactivated.
When Mayor Jefferson personally handed the tender for the Blue Roof Project to Ribbs, the fate of the city was already branded with the emblem of the Black Rabbit.
A few days later, the largest conference room in Chicago City Hall was carefully decorated as the bidding site for the Blue Roof Project in the main urban area.
A huge project rendering stood next to the rostrum, overlooking the venue - it symbolized power, and today, the real power sat in the VIP seats.
Mayor Jefferson, the final decision-maker for the project, sat in the center of the podium with a solemn and serious expression typical of a politician.
On his left are the director of the Municipal Planning Bureau and the financial director; on his right are several carefully selected "industry experts".
There was a tacit sense of dullness in the air.
Reporters were holding cameras and flashes were occasionally on, but the focus was almost all on Ribbs in the guest of honor seat - he was wearing a well-tailored dark suit and leaning back in a wide chair.
Alfred represented Black Rabbit Engineering and sat in the meeting room, surrounded by representatives from seven or eight other companies participating in the bidding.
Including "Keystone Construction", "Chicago Urban Renewal Alliance", "Lake Shore Engineering Group", and... "Walker Green Infrastructure".
The representative of Walker Company, an old man with gray hair and a slightly hunched back, seemed a bit out of place. He flipped through the proposal in his hand, his eyes not showing the sharpness of competition, but a complex confusion.
A subdued silence permeated the venue. Most people lowered their heads or deliberately avoided making eye contact with Ribbs and his team in the VIP seats. The occasional glances they made were filled with helplessness and unspoken bitterness.
The bidding process began. The host read out the rules and procedures in a rigid and gentle voice, as if conducting a sacred and fair ceremony.
The project manager for Cornerstone Construction was the first to take the stage, his steps brisk and his eyes darting. He placed the heavy proposal before Mayor Jefferson with mechanical movements, barely daring to meet his gaze. Their logo, emblazoned on the cover, was ornate but empty.
The proposal of Lakeshore Group was submitted by a young female manager with a professional smile, but the moment she put down the document, her fingers trembled slightly and her eyes subconsciously glanced in the direction of the Black Rabbit Engineering Team.
It was the turn of the elderly man from Walker Company. He walked onto the stage with a heavy step. As he submitted his proposal, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he simply bowed slightly to the mayor and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Mr. Mayor, please review Walker's proposal." His proposal was the thinnest, the paper even slightly yellowed.
Finally, Alfred walked onto the stage with confidence, and the atmosphere of the meeting changed subtly.
His proposal cover was a luxurious black and gold color scheme, with a large black rabbit emblem taking up almost half the page. He handed the proposal to the mayor with both hands, his voice loud and clear: "Black Rabbit Engineering Group, with its 'Light of Renewal' proposal, is bidding for the Blue Roof Project. We believe it will be the best choice for rebuilding Chicago and will live up to the high expectations of the mayor and all the citizens!"
Mayor Jefferson took the plan, forced a smile on his face, and nodded vigorously.
After a whole day of careful research by the experts, in the evening, the leader of the evaluation team appeared in front of everyone with the final winning result.
"The cornerstone construction plan... has some conceptual ideas, but has significant flaws in its budget feasibility... Overall score: 65."
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