On My Way - Chapter 62

Chapter 62 - The Carp Has Already Crossed Ten Thousand Mountains

The design draft for the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate was finally approved. That library, divided by a central axis and utilizing both metal and glass, created an interplay of light and shadow that would, many, many years later, remain the calling card of our city.

That, however, is a story for another time. Once the meeting ended, I was chatting excitedly with Yu Shixuan while simultaneously turning on my phone.

—Forty-seven missed calls.

They were all from Boss Wang and other colleagues from our company. There was only one reason for this: something had gone wrong at the construction site.

I felt the blood in my body rush to my head. I immediately ran out to hail a taxi, but Cheng Xia told me not to panic and offered to drive me there himself.

There was no point in being coy. Once in the car, I kept trying to call back, but no one answered.

“Don’t be in such a hurry. They will definitely call back,” Cheng Xia said from the front seat, trying to comfort me.

“Why did I even turn my phone off!” I sighed heavily.

A construction site is like a machine; it doesn’t have problems when it runs normally. When something goes wrong, it is a major incident.

“Aren’t you planning on starting your own business anyway? Why bother with them anymore?” Cheng Xia asked from the front.

“What business am I starting? I’ve already told you, I’m just helping Yu Shixuan.”

Cheng Xia smiled and said, “Don’t lie to yourself. You already made your decision the moment you chose to turn your phone off.”

At the same time, he pressed down on the accelerator.

By the time we were almost there, I finally received a call. It was my assistant. She sobbed and stuttered for a long time, but I eventually pieced together the situation.

While the client’s supervisor was conducting an inspection that morning, he discovered non-compliant work and demanded that it be torn down and rebuilt.

However, during this demolition, the supervisor discovered that the steel bars being used were substandard, second-rate goods that didn’t meet specifications. This was a major taboo on any construction site. He demanded a comprehensive inspection and immediately reported it to the client.

At first, the site manager called me—which I hadn’t picked up—and then called Boss Wang. Boss Wang rushed to the site in a panic and tried to block the inspection. As they argued, the two sides broke into a scuffle. In the commotion, Boss Wang accidentally shoved the other man to the ground, and he cut his head.

When I arrived, the scene was already in total chaos.

Supervisor Chen was sitting on the ground, crying and shouting, “You dare hit someone! I’m calling the police!”

“Who hit you! Supervisor Chen, I just touched you, be reasonable!” Boss Wang roared, his face red and veins bulging.

“Boss Wang!” I shouted, cutting him off.

Seeing me, the crowd acted as if they had seen a savior. They swarmed me, all talking at once: “Manager Ren, you’re finally here! They are just looking for trouble!”

Most of them were the same people who had watched me being "punished" by standing around yesterday.

I could have walked away. Boss Wang himself had told me yesterday that I didn’t need to come back.

I glanced at Boss Wang, then quickly stepped forward to help Supervisor Chen up. “Are you all right? Does it still hurt? I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”

“Right! To the hospital! I want to get a medical evaluation for my injuries!” The grown man was wailing at the top of his lungs.

“Don’t you worry. This is my project, and I will certainly see that you receive justice.”

After saying that, I told a few people to take Supervisor Chen to the hospital. Then I turned back to Boss Wang, who was looking at me with hesitation, and said, “Boss Wang, these steel bars aren’t ours. Get them cleared out immediately.”

Boss Wang was stunned, but he hurriedly ordered his men to start dismantling everything.

The fact that he had left the evidence out in the open like that really left me speechless.

What is a supervisor? They are the imperial envoys sent by the client to oversee construction quality and conduct inspections.

Every phase of the project requires their signature to continue; most sites treat them like living deities.

This Supervisor Chen didn't have the best temperament. He ate and drank at the site’s expense, yet still cursed everyone like they were his grandchildren. Boss Wang hated him from the bottom of his heart, but in public, they always acted like brothers, and it had seemed harmonious enough.

Boss Wang muttered, “This batch of steel hasn’t just been used today. Damn it, he always turned a blind eye, so why is he acting like a madman now!”

“Why did you use substandard steel? And,” I asked, “why didn't I know about it?”

He took a fierce drag of his cigarette in annoyance, avoiding my eyes. “Isn't it all the same? I just wanted to save some money.”

Then he added, “Dongxue, you have to help me! If he really tells the client, I’m finished.”

I sighed, but ultimately, I went to the hospital.

Supervisor Chen was getting bandaged up, ranting all the while: “You bastard, you’re in my hands now! I’m going to skin you alive!”

I walked over and asked, “Supervisor Chen, how is it? Feeling a bit better?”

He squinted at me and waved his hand. “This has nothing to do with you!”

“I am the project manager. If it doesn’t have anything to do with me, who does it have to do with?” I sat down to look at his injury.

The injury was truly... well, let’s just say it was fortunate that we got to the hospital in time. Any longer, and it would have healed on its own.

“You don't need to say anything. I will definitely report this matter, and I must conduct a comprehensive inspection of all the steel that has been used,” he said.

“Fine,” I said.

He didn’t expect me to agree so easily and was stunned for a moment.

I continued, “But I must remind you that every previous phase of the project was carried out under your signature. You will also bear joint liability for the losses caused to the site.”

He flew into a rage. “What liability do I bear! You think you’re in the right for using substandard steel!”

“What if we didn't use it?”

He froze. I smiled and said, “If the previous work is torn down and it’s discovered that everything is perfectly normal, how will you explain yourself to the client?”

He stared at me, seemingly trying to figure out what kind of trick I was playing.

“This batch of steel did indeed arrive a while ago, and there was indeed an intention to use it,” I said with a smile. “But I swapped it out. The previous work never used it once. If you don’t believe me, you are welcome to inspect it thoroughly.”

He looked at me in shock. “You’re trying to fool a ghost! If you weren’t going to use it, why did you bring it in!”

I didn’t answer, instead saying, “We will tear down and rebuild all the non-compliant work discovered during today’s inspection, and we will also conduct random sampling of the steel used in accordance with your wishes. Is that acceptable?”

He sneered. “Why didn't you do that sooner? It’s too late.”

I sighed and said, “If you insist on the demolition, will it have a negative impact on your own career? We won’t even mention that. You know exactly what kind of man Boss Wang is. He has money, connections, and time. If he really makes a scene, it will be endless.”

His expression soured, because what I said was the truth. Boss Wang would certainly insist that Supervisor Chen was looking for bribes and causing trouble. No one can compare to a rich kid when it comes to being willful.

“Right now, Boss Wang realizes he was wrong and is waiting at the door. If you are willing to make friends, I will let him come in. You know, he is first-class when it comes to treating his friends well.”

Supervisor Chen’s expression flickered. After a long while, he said, “Manager Ren is quite a character. It’s a shame you’re working for Fatty Wang.”

“Not at all. I’m just hoping for your continued guidance.”

I got up and opened the door. Boss Wang appeared, carrying a dozen gift bags, and cried out emotionally, “Old Chen—I am the one who let you down—”

—

By the time everything was finally resolved, it was already the middle of the night.

Cheng Xia was actually still waiting for me outside. He truly was patient, reading a book inside the car.

I pulled my gaze away and looked at Boss Wang in front of me.

We hadn’t faced each other this honestly since our relationship had deteriorated.

He rasped, “When did you swap out the steel?”

I replied, “When I discovered that my assistant, Xiao Cai, had forged my signature.”

She wouldn’t have had the guts to do that on her own; it must have been under Boss Wang’s instructions. Boss Wang surely wouldn’t have done it for something as stupid as leaving work early.

It must have been for the money.

So, after I inspected the site, I quickly discovered the low-cost steel, but I didn't make a fuss about it. I simply ensured the workers continued to use the previously procured steel during construction.

I knew this landmine would explode sooner or later, but at least it wouldn’t blow up in my face.

Boss Wang hung his head. After a long while, he said, “Thank you for this time. I didn’t think you would come back to help me…”

I smiled. “When I was hitting walls everywhere, it was Boss Wang who gave me a chance. No matter what, I remember that kindness.”

And, if you were to say Boss Wang was a good boss, he couldn't distinguish between public and private matters and was pettier than anyone else.

But if you were to call him a tyrant, that wouldn’t be entirely accurate either. After all, he wasn't stingy with money and never tried to micromanage experts, which already put him ahead of eighty percent of bosses.

So, I wasn't lying. I really did thank him for giving me a place to stay and a relatively stable life for a while.

He also gave a generous laugh. “I still remember, I’ve never seen a woman who could hold her liquor like that. It was a real eye-opener!”

“It’s all in the past now. Take care of yourself in the future,” I said.

“Are you still going to leave?”

His business was rotting from the roots. If I stayed any longer, I would just be digging my own grave.

“Yes.”

He was a boss, after all. In that instant, the fleeting warmth vanished. Boss Wang leaned back and sneered, “This isn’t a place where you can just come and go as you please.”

I smiled just as brightly. “Boss Wang, if you’re going to be that way, I might have to go have a chat with your wife about what Xiao Cai has been up to.”

He looked at me, and I looked at him.

“See you in the world of the rivers and lakes.”

“Come back and visit often.”