Chapter 152: I’m Here (Part 2)

Chapter 152: I’m Here (Part 2)

Hou Weidong sat on the bed, his mind racing with random thoughts. He glanced at the mobile phone on the bedside table and, unable to resist, picked it up and turned it on again.

He was part of the trendy new generation who owned mobile phones, but since acquiring one, his whereabouts had been dictated by the device. No matter which corner he hid in, he could always be found; there was no place to escape. The piercing ringtone of the phone in the early morning or late night had deeply tormented his nerves.

When he had entered the grain station earlier that day, he had turned the phone off. Yet, while sitting by the bed watching TV, he felt uneasy. After watching an episode of Liu Luoguo—a show whose lines he had already memorized—he couldn’t help but turn the phone back on. Within minutes of switching it on, the phone began to vibrate and ring, behaving like a stripper, twisting and calling out attention.

Hou Weidong hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone. He saw a string of numbers on the screen. Although he didn’t look closely to identify the caller, his heart settled halfway. In the Qinglin township government, apart from Zhao Yongsheng, Su Ming, and himself, no one else had a mobile phone. Seeing the number, he realized it wasn’t Su Yajun or any of the village cadres calling.

“This is Hou Weidong.”

“Weidong, it’s Li Jing.”

Hearing Li Jing’s slightly soft voice, Hou Weidong let out a long sigh of relief. “You really scared me. I’ve been so tired of answering calls these days that my heart jumps out of my chest every time the phone rings.”

Li Jing chuckled softly on the other end. “No wonder you haven’t contacted me these past few days. What have you been up to to be so tense?”

Hou Weidong teased, “State affairs and the trivial matters of the township government—let’s not talk about them. By the way, what instructions does President Li have?”

“I’m here.”

“Where are you? In Yiyang? Are you coming to see the quarry?”

“My car is parked right at the gate of the grain station. Come down quickly and pick me up.”

Li Jing had come to the Yiyang Transportation Bureau to handle some business. After finishing her errands, she tried calling Hou Weidong, but his mobile was off, and there was no answer at the landline. She then called the Qinglin township government office. When Yang Feng heard a woman asking for Hou Weidong, her enthusiasm waned. She simply gave him the number for the Social Affairs Office and considered the matter closed.

“A female colleague from the Social Affairs Office said you’ve returned to your new home at the grain station. Weidong, I’ve come at just the right time today to congratulate you on your housewarming.”

By the time Hou Weidong reached the gate of the grain station, the staff had already let Li Jing in. She was wearing a purple dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure. A female employee in the grain station’s uniform was chatting with her. Whatever Li Jing had said, the two were laughing heartily. In contrast to the grain station workers, Li Jing appeared even more noble in demeanor and beautiful as a flower.

Such a stunning woman had never visited the grain station before. Station Master Liang even came out of his office, looking around curiously.

Seeing Hou Weidong’s inquiring gaze, Li Jing smiled gently. “Weidong, you moved into a new home and didn’t even notify me so I could cook the first pot of rice for you.”

The two walked toward the back of the grain station. Upon reaching the single-story house, Li Jing’s eyes lit up at the sight of the courtyard filled with flowers and bonsai. She paused to admire them for a long while. Entering the room, she furrowed her brow. “This room is too damp. Living here for long will make you sick.”

Hou Weidong thought to himself, She is clearly pretending to be relaxed today. She is beating around the bush and delaying the main topic; she certainly didn’t come just for the quarry. Out loud, he said, “In Qinglin township, having a place to live is already a luxury. How can we be so particular? I’ve taken precautions. There’s quicklime in the corners, and I keep the windows open usually. It should be fine.”

Li Jing sat casually on the edge of the bed. Seeing a copy of Ordinary World on the bedside table, she picked it up and flipped through it. Her purple dress had a V-neck, revealing a patch of snow-white skin, with her cleavage subtly visible. She appeared to be reading seriously but said nothing.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Hou Weidong quickly averted his gaze from her white skin and made small talk. “The project in Xingping Village is progressing smoothly. The Xingping Bridge will be completed by July, and the quarry should start production in about ten days. Would you like to go see it today?”

Li Jing shook her head. “With you looking after the quarry, I’m at ease.” She smiled and took a business card from her handbag. “Here is my card.”

The card read: Jinggong Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., General Manager: Wu Xingbin.

“Jinggong Group is a company currently being formed. I am the Chairman,” Li Jing explained. “Being a vice president at Shadaosi was essentially working for others, which was meaningless. Once the construction of the Shayi section of the highway is nearly complete, I will officially go independent, probably around October. For now, I am still the vice president at Shadaosi, so printing this card was premature.”

“I deal in raw materials and rely on companies like yours for business. I should be the one asking for President Li’s support.”

“The title of Chairman sounds impressive, but it’s actually a small company. Weidong, I’ll need your support in the future.” She called him Weidong repeatedly, her tone even more intimate than that of Xiaojia.

She continued, “I’ve already secured a county road project in Yiyang County. It’s part of the Transportation Construction Year initiative. Although the road is only twelve kilometers long, it is a crucial link connecting the north and south of Yiyang. County Mayor Zeng personally serves as the commander-in-chief, and construction will begin in October. Although bidding hasn’t started, Mayor Zeng has already agreed to award the Xinhe Road project to Jinggong Group.”

The Xinhe Road was one of the key public welfare projects in Yiyang County for 1996. Several construction units within the county were competing fiercely for it. Unexpectedly, the previously unknown Jinggong Group had seized the opportunity. Hou Weidong knew that Li Jing had a close relationship with Deputy County Mayor Zeng Zhaoqiang. He thought, Li Jing and Zeng Zhaoqiang’s relationship is truly special. For Li Jing to win this project, Zeng Zhaoqiang must have exerted significant effort.

As the saying goes, one does not visit the Three Treasures Temple without a cause. Li Jing had traveled from Shazhou to the Qinglin township grain station, likely not just to inspect a quarry. Hou Weidong stopped beating around the bush. “President Li, is there something you need my help with?”

Li Jing’s smile faded. “To be honest, I’m asking Weidong for help. The Xinhe Road project will start in a few months, and the company has no cash left. I want to invite you to become a shareholder.”

Hou Weidong pulled the only chair and sat opposite Li Jing. “How would I become a shareholder?”

Li Jing said, “I plan to offer you 10% of the shares. If you’re willing, we can discuss the specific details at the company in Shazhou this afternoon.”

After speaking, she stared into Hou Weidong’s eyes. Her gaze was as clear as water, and a small mole on the left side of her nose bridge only added to her charm.

Hou Weidong dared not meet her gaze directly. “This…”

Seeing his hesitation, Li Jing clarified, “Let me explain. Based on the share ratio, 10% equals one million yuan. All relevant documentation is in Shazhou, and you can verify it this afternoon.”

Hou Weidong could afford this amount, but he couldn’t make a decision immediately.

A flash of urgency passed through Li Jing’s eyes. “Shazhou City is heavily investing in transportation infrastructure, so the business volume is huge. Honestly, with my connections, I don’t worry about getting projects. Investing in Jinggong Group is definitely a highly profitable venture.”

Hou Weidong rubbed his nose. He thought, The Xinhe Road is twelve kilometers long—not too long, not too short. Li Jing’s newly formed Jinggong Group must be facing financial difficulties, otherwise, she wouldn’t have come to me.

He was fairly confident in Li Jing’s abilities. After rubbing his nose for a while, he said, “I need to review the relevant documents first. If everything complies with legal procedures, I can consider becoming a shareholder.”

Li Jing had invested all her savings and leveraged various connections to borrow five million yuan. She had also brought in two trusted friends, barely scraping together ten million yuan. However, transportation construction projects were massive, with costs calculated in hundreds of millions. This ten million seemed like a lot but was actually negligible. Recently, expenses for buying equipment, recruiting staff, paying deposits, creating blueprints, and renting space had piled up like a snowball, growing larger and larger. Li Jing was constantly anxious about money.

By inviting Hou Weidong to invest, she not only solved her immediate cash flow problem but also addressed another critical factor: Hou Weidong owned two crushed stone plants. Once he became a shareholder, the crushed stone needed for the Xinhe Road could be fully advanced by him. When the Transportation Bureau paid the construction funds, Jinggong Group could then pay for the crushed stone, thereby reducing financial pressure.

Hou Weidong’s mind worked quickly. He had already thought of the crushed stone issue and stated bluntly, “Jinggong Group’s finances are so tight that doing business will be difficult. Just the cost of crushed stone is a huge burden. Currently, the Shangqinglin Crushed Stone Association has regulations: no credit purchases, regardless of whether the buyer is public or private.”

Seeing that Hou Weidong had already considered this issue, Li Jing said, “As a shareholder of Jinggong Group, you will naturally handle these matters. Weidong, regarding the Shangqinglin quarry, I leave it entirely in your hands.”

Hou Weidong calculated: This year, with the highway construction, the crushed stone business could earn several million. Li Jing is capable and a skilled businesswoman. Riding the wave of road construction, this investment should be fine. If it fails, it will be like throwing water into a pond—no serious damage.

Having made up his mind, he said, “Let’s go to the company immediately. If the relevant documents are in order, I will become a shareholder of Jinggong Group.”

Li Jing stood up happily. “This is our second cooperation. From today on, we are comrades on the same boat, working together to get rich.” She extended her hand for an exaggerated handshake with Hou Weidong, then quickly kissed his cheek.