Chapter 161: I Am That Construction Worker

"Sorry, that's our team's collective decision."

Cai Dazhi felt somewhat conflicted, but they had no other choice and could only respond with such cold indifference.

Chen Ni knew this was no longer a matter that could be resolved with a single phone call.

Sighing, she said, "Alright, I respect your choice."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ni immediately called Chai Jin.

Chai Jin had just finished a meeting, tidied up, and gotten into bed.

Lying in bed with the brick-sized mobile phone in hand, after listening to Chen Ni's account, he said, "Could it be that they received some misleading information, which caused their attitude to shift so drastically?"

On the other end, Chen Ni looked worried. "That's the exact problem. I really can't figure out what went wrong."

Chai Jin was silent for a moment before saying, "Can I understand it this way? When all is said and done, does it still come down to a matter of money?"

Chen Ni nodded. "Yes, judging from the phone call, that seemed to be the implication. They mentioned things like having no choice and feeling pressured..."

"Things are changing... Chai Jin, you know, I heard that many electronics industry bosses in Shenzhen are interested in them..."

"Don't take it too seriously." Chai Jin interrupted Chen Ni. "Rest easy, I'll go over and meet them tomorrow."

"What about the other bosses...?"

"We treat them like a precious asset, but other bosses might not see it that way. Rest assured."

Seeing how resolute Chai Jin's attitude was, Chen Ni's anxiety inexplicably subsided.

She let out a breath. "Alright then, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Chai Jin smiled and hung up the phone.

As for Cai Dazhi's team, Chai Jin had zero worries about anyone else poaching them.

Mainly because Chai Jin didn't believe there was any private entrepreneur at present who could sustain their dream.

This was a money-burning endeavor; apart from bosses of the caliber of Feng Haodong and Mou Qizhong, practically no one else possessed the broad vision required to burn money on research and development.

Therefore, he didn't take it to heart.

He slept very well that night.

He rarely dreamed, but this time he dreamed of Wang Xiaoli.

Scenes of them playing house together in their childhood.

Accompanied by the chirping of birds in the mountain breeze outside the window, Chai Jin was awakened.

After getting up, he gave Wang Xiaoli a call.

Today, Wang Xiaoli was returning to Daohua Village; her grandfather was about to celebrate his eightieth birthday. She needed to go back early to help prepare.

Over the phone, Chai Jin asked her to pass along his regards and told her to pick up some gifts on his behalf.

Making small talk.

Wang Xiaoli responded drowsily in bed; a girl who has just woken up is the most charming.

There was always a fragile, endearing gentleness about her, and her voice sounded exceptionally cute.

A morning breeze, a hundred birds singing, and your voice—this was the finest way to start a day.

Although Jiyuan had been expelled from the monastery, his daily routine remained just as it was within the temple walls.

He rose with the rooster every day and practiced martial arts in the courtyard past five in the morning.

Bare-chested at the moment, he was tossing around a heavy stone millstone he had picked up from somewhere, sending it flying through the air with a whoosh.

Old Huang was wiping his face with a towel on the side, remarking, "It's great to be young."

"Look at those muscles."

At that moment, Liu Shan walked out of the room, letting out a yawn.

He glanced at Jiyuan. "Monk, that woman we called over for you last night—did you really chase her away?"

"She just called, saying her panties are still in your room. You should go deliver them to her later."

"Really, I'm not saying this to mock you, but if you don't break your virginity, how can you ever reach the realm of Invincible East?"

"Lord Duan of Dali was romantic all his life before mastering the Six Meridians Divine Sword; you've got to sharpen your own sword first before you can reach your peak, understand?"

Jiyuan was no longer in the mood to practice. Dropping the stone disc, he looked quite aggrieved. "Brother Shan, I'm a man of the Buddha. Can you please stop smuggling women into my room? It's a sin."

Jiyuan had now become the target of relentless teasing by Old Huang and the others.

The four of them had placed a bet: whoever could first make the monk break his vows would be rewarded by the other three with ten thousand yuan each.

Thus, whenever the four of them went out to indulge themselves, they would always arrange something for the monk on the side.

Jiyuan's suffering was beyond description.

Whenever they teased him, he could only stand in the courtyard chanting Amitabha over and over again.

Finally, driven to complete embarrassment by Old Huang and the gang, he hurried back to his room to repent before the Buddha.

The men in the courtyard roared with laughter.

Chai Jin pushed open the door, grabbed a towel, and walked over to the water well.

They were all men from the countryside. Having lived here for such a long time, washing their faces, bathing, and washing their hair were all taken care of right beside this water well.

There was a uniquely refreshing feeling to this kind of life.

After splashing some water on his face, Chai Jin felt much more awake.

He looked up and said, "Everyone has a lot of things to do today. Remember to follow the plan we discussed yesterday."

"Hurry to the company and sort out the status of our goods. Don't leave any loopholes for anyone to exploit. Understood?"

The expressions of the men turned much more serious.

Liu Qingwen returned from outside carrying a large bag of breakfast.

Taking advantage of the breakfast break, the men consulted once more before heading off to their respective tasks.

Chai Jin went to the bank to withdraw a checkbook, and accompanied by Jiyuan, arrived at the entrance of a hotel.

Outside, Chen Ni was already waiting.

It was October. Although it lacked the bleakness and autumn chill of the northern provinces, people walking on the streets of Shenzhen no longer broke into a sweat.

Chen Ni was dressed very fashionably today.

Her loose, well-tailored skirt ended just above her knees, her slender and delicate calves were encased in a thin layer of flesh-colored silk stockings, and on her feet were Cinderella-like high heels.

Her overall aura made her stand out like a crane among chickens.

Seeing Chai Jin appear at the entrance, she hurried over. "A lot of people have already gone inside."

"Just now, I even saw Shi Yuzhu from Zhucheng and Wang Shi from Vanke."

"Especially Shi Yuzhu. I heard his talks with their team went very well. What should we do?"

After getting out of the car, Chai Jin opened the back door.

He pulled a kraft paper file bag from inside, waved it, and said, "I'm a prepared person, too."

"Let's go inside."

With that, he walked ahead with his hands clasped behind his back, while Chen Ni followed anxiously behind him.

The hotel was not a high-end establishment.

Its interior furnishing was simple, but very clean.

Chai Jin walked up to the second floor.

A crowd of people was standing outside the entrance of a meeting room.

They had all come well-prepared, and Chai Jin even recognized several of them.

For instance, Duan Yongping, the founder of Subor, was present.

Another person caught sight of Chai Jin, paused for a moment, and walked over with a curious expression.

"Aren't you the guy from President Feng's construction site...?"

"A cement worker." Chai Jin smiled and extended a hand. "Hello, Manager Wang, we meet again."

This person was Wang Shi. He felt quite curious about Chai Jin's appearance.

Hesitatingly, he shook hands with Chai Jin. "What brings you here?"

Chai Jin smiled. "They're hiring inside. I came for an interview."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shi felt like withdrawing his hand.

He gave a dry laugh. "Is that so?"

Seeing this attitude, Chai Jin lost all interest in continuing the conversation.

He walked up to Duan Yongping and extended his hand. "Hello, President Duan."

Duan Yongping looked at Chai Jin with deep puzzlement. "You know me?"