Liu Yong received a call from Xia Xiaolan, laughing until he gasped for air:
“What a coincidence, Mayor Tang said the same thing to me.”
Tang Hongen had encouraged him to bid for the golf course’s construction and decoration project. Liu Yong was already working on it, and with Xia Xiaolan’s call, he felt even more confident.
What could be done? It was George’s fault for not knowing how to handle relationships. When an uncle wants to deal with his nephew, it’s truly unpredictable.
Neither Xia Xiaolan nor Liu Yong harbored hatred toward George.
But both Liu Yong and George had decoration companies in Pengcheng, so business conflicts were inevitable.
If Liu Yong didn’t compete for George’s business, George would try to take Liu Yong’s instead!
“Uncle Tang said that too? That’s great. This time the golf course decoration project won’t go to Yuan Hui, and it definitely won’t go to George… How’s that Hong Kong decoration company he bought doing in Pengcheng?”
Well, how to put this?
Buildings were going up everywhere in Pengcheng, and Liu Yong’s company alone couldn’t handle all the business.
‘Yuan Hui’ was ahead of its domestic competitors but hadn’t surpassed its international peers. Due to Hong Kong’s proximity to Pengcheng, Yuan Hui’s competitors were mainly Hong Kong companies, not just George’s acquisition but also Cheng Rong Group’s subsidiaries.
There were also state-owned enterprises like Hua Jian that could handle everything from infrastructure to decoration.
However, Yuan Hui only competed with these peers on major projects, as companies like Hua Jian weren’t interested in regular residential decoration.
Hong Kong decoration companies also looked down on residential projects, though they’d consider villas. In Pengcheng, decorating one or two apartments was either too expensive for homeowners at high prices or unprofitable at low prices, so most Hong Kong companies sought larger projects.
Only George’s company specifically targeted Yuan Hui’s main business of residential decoration, creating direct competition.
Liu Yong had to take this seriously. Whether George meant it or not, how could a businessman happily welcome competitors trying to take his business?
Since George’s company started competing for Jin Sha Chi projects, Liu Yong thoroughly investigated their situation:
“They’re doing alright, leveraging the golf course project to secure quite a bit of business in Pengcheng.”
Foreign businesses still had advantages.
Of course, George couldn’t get government-related projects. Last year’s wedding at Xiang Mi Lake was still unforgettable for many.
Tang Hongen’s harsh words were meant for Ji Ya, but George got caught in the crossfire.
Marrying the mayor’s ex-wife was one thing, but inviting Mayor Tang to the wedding… In Chinese culture, this was provocative. Most people understood why Tang Hongen needed to make his stance clear at the wedding.
Liu Yong now avoided government projects too. After Liu Fen married Tang Hongen, Liu Yong became increasingly cautious about taking on business that might bring criticism to Tang Hongen.
Previously, it was out of gratitude to Mayor Tang, not wanting to put him in a difficult position.
Now that they were family, Liu Yong valued their relationship even more. His sister Liu Fen’s happiness was paramount, so he became even more careful in his business dealings.
After some thought, Xia Xiaolan still encouraged Liu Yong to compete for the golf course project:
“Even if not compete with George, it would help Yuan Hui’s development. Since Yuan Hui won’t handle government-related projects anymore, you need to explore new areas. The residential decoration at Jin Sha Chi and Luna’s store renovations can earn you good money, Uncle, but such opportunities aren’t always available.”
Relying solely on business connected to Xia Xiaolan, Liu Yong’s company wouldn’t starve and could live quite comfortably.
But the scale would remain limited, neither advancing nor declining.
Xia Xiaolan felt her uncle’s ambitions weren’t just that.
Liu Yong chuckled: “You don’t need to tell me that. Taking on all kinds of projects builds Yuan Hui’s credentials. By the way, Ge Jian told me yesterday, that since Jin Sha Chi is completed ahead of schedule, could we hand over the units early?”
The original handover date was set for June 30, 1986, still about 10 days away. Liu Yong was eager to start work.
“Early handover is fine as long as all infrastructure is complete. I trust you’ll help supervise, Uncle. Let Ge Jian and Manager Ying take a break – Qi Hang will have new projects soon!”
With Xia Xiaolan’s words, what else was there to say? Time to notify the owners to prepare for moving in.
Qi Hang’s procedures were standardized, with rules established from the start, and the management staff had adapted.
They couldn’t be reckless just because the mainland real estate market was disorganized – the more disorganized others were, wouldn’t that highlight Qi Hang’s professionalism? Except for Ying Jinchuan, all of Xia Xiaolan’s subordinates were devoted followers of ‘Director Xia,’ so naturally, her word was law.
The property owners had been hovering around the area.
Watching the buildings complete, the exterior decoration finish, and trees being transported into the complex for landscaping, they could hardly contain their excitement.
Some Hong Kong owners came every weekend, just waiting to receive their units!
Since the buildings were finished, why not give them the keys earlier?
Finally, Qi Hang announced an early handover… The eagerly waiting owners swarmed in.
This complex had been more expensive than others from the start.
Today, everyone would see the value of that premium, beyond just the auspicious feng shui of “ground sprouting gold.”
“I’m from Unit 301 in Building 2!”
“502 in Building 3…”
The sales office was crowded again with people anxiously collecting keys, noisy as a marketplace. Luo Yaozong, wearing his security uniform, got his feet stepped on several times. He wanted to curse but remembered these were all owners – as Manager Ge would say, they were the source of their livelihood – so Luo Yaozong held his tongue.
Before Jin Sha Chi’s launch, Luo Yaozong had been thrown from the roof, suffering multiple fractures and spending three whole months in the hospital.
After confirming he wasn’t in mortal danger, the Luo family had wanted to make trouble, but they couldn’t find the busy Xia Xiaolan.
Even after all units at Jin Sha Chi were sold and the Luo family no longer posed a threat, Qi Hang didn’t ignore Luo Yaozong – they continued paying his medical expenses throughout his hospitalization.
At first, Luo Yaozong felt bitter about lying in the hospital for three months, unable to hang out with his questionable friends, but that resentment gradually dissipated.
Later, Ke Yixiong, who had harmed him, was arrested. The day Luo Yaozong was discharged, he went to find Ge Jian himself:
“Manager Ge, can I still work at Qi Hang?”
“So you can continue working against us from the inside, letting thieves in?”
Luo Yaozong’s face reddened, “No, no, I want to stay at Qi Hang. I won’t associate with those friends anymore – who knows if some of them still want me dead.”
Jin Sha Chi’s land was 23 mu, and according to Futian’s compensation standards at the time, the Luo family had paid over 200,000 yuan in compensation at once.
This sum was enough to make people envious, and Luo Yaozong wasn’t a good person – some might want him to become worse.
How else could they empty the Luo family’s coffers if not by leading him astray?
Ge Jian stared at him for a while, “Forget about being a manager. With your current abilities, you can only be a security guard. Will you do it?”
Security guard, it was then.
Luo Yaozong reluctantly accepted.
His family wasn’t short of money, and even he couldn’t understand why he wanted to return to Qi Hang.
Ouch, someone stepped on his foot again!
Luo Yaozong glared, but just then Ge Jian appeared with Mao Kangshan and others headed for the unit inspections. Seeing Manager Ge, Luo Yaozong immediately became docile:
“Don’t push, don’t push… ouch… don’t step on me…”