Chapter 239 - 134: Gift
The day after New Year’s Day.
The coastal town of Magong slowly awoke in the morning twilight.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and a soft, thin mist veiled the town, lending it an air of mystery.
Several pickup trucks passed slowly down Magong’s main street.
The streets were gradually coming to life.
Steam billowed from the roadside breakfast stalls, where owners skillfully prepared local specialties like rice noodle rolls and fresh-boiled congee. The fragrant aroma filled the air, attracting the early risers.
People on electric scooters and motorcycles weaved through the crowd, their bells and greetings mingling to create a bustling street-market atmosphere.
Jiang Miao silently watched it all through the bulletproof window of his car.
A short while later, the convoy left the main area of Magong Town.
The distant mountains were faintly visible in the morning mist, hazy and captivating, like the background of an ink wash painting.
At the foot of the mountains lay neatly arranged rice paddies and vast, shimmering fish ponds. Many of the harvested paddies had already been replanted with a new soybean variety supplied by Hailufeng Company. The wild grass along the roadside, beaded with dew, sparkled in the faint morning light.
The sun gradually rose, its golden rays piercing the thin mist and spilling into every corner of the town, bringing a touch of warmth to the winter morning.
They passed the Salt Town Farm, the Yandun Mountain Breeding Farm, the Yandun Mountain Fish Ball Factory, Yandun Mountain Feed Factory One, and Yandun Mountain Feed Factory Two.
The convoy didn’t stop. Along the way, they encountered an endless stream of tricycles, either laden with Egyptian Catfish or piled high with fresh duckweed, pine needles, and the like.
"This road is already overwhelmed," Jiang Miao sighed softly. He turned and said, "Zixuan, this afternoon, tell General Manager Jiang to contact the town government. The company plans to fund the widening of Magong Avenue from two lanes to six. Specifically, the section from the town hall to the intersection for our new headquarters in Xinxiang."
"Yes." Li Zixuan nodded slightly, jotting it down.
That stretch of road was currently just two lanes, and with their business becoming increasingly busy, it was already under considerable strain.
’In truth, that stretch of road wasn’t very long, only about 3.7 kilometers. A six-lane asphalt road costs roughly 15 to 30 million per kilometer, so 3.7 kilometers would come to 100 million at most.’
They passed the Xinxiang gas station.
In the distance, Jiang Miao could see the East Field Staff District and the Little Nanshan Headquarters Building.
Construction on both projects had started in September. The two-level underground parking garage and related civil defense facilities were already complete, and work on the above-ground structures was now underway.
The Hailufeng Company Headquarters Building, or more accurately, the first phase of the project, was planned as a single 20-story office building on a 10-mu plot. The remaining nearly one hundred mu of land were being held in reserve.
Meanwhile, the eastern part of Yandun Mountain behind the Little Nanshan Headquarters was also undergoing terracing modifications. A large portion of the mountainside had been leveled, and all the excavated and blasted rock was being used as construction material for the headquarters and the staff district.
For the staff district opposite the headquarters building, the first phase was planned for 150 mu. The buildings would have a footprint of 50 mu, while pathways, greenbelts, and sports grounds would occupy the other 100 mu.
The first phase of the staff district was planned to include 50 nine-story buildings. Each building would have two elevators and six units per floor, and every apartment would be a standard 110 square meters, with no common area taking away from the listed space.
In other words, the plan was to build a total of 2,700 apartments in the first phase.
’This was already more than Hailufeng Company’s current number of employees, but they would surely be filled in the future.’
’After all, the number of employees at the Hailufeng Company headquarters and in Magong Town had already surpassed 600. Including the staff in Red Grass Town and Meilong Town, the total was already close to seven hundred.’
’The Durian Plantation in the Shanmei District, in particular, was over eight thousand mu. It required eleven people for every one hundred mu, meaning it would need about eight hundred employees in total.’
’Factoring in the company’s other expanding industries, the number of employees near the Shanmei District was estimated to surpass two thousand by next year.’
’For instance, his promise to give each of his dozen or so bodyguards their own apartment had to be fulfilled in this first phase.’
’These bodyguards were crucial for protecting him and his family, and Jiang Miao wasn’t the type to demand hard work without proper compensation.’
’Address their interests first, then appeal to their loyalty. That was usually the most effective way to win people over.’
’Just talk about loyalty without mentioning benefits and still expect someone to take a knife or a bullet for you? You must be drunk on horse piss.’
’Once their families were well taken care of, they could dedicate themselves to protecting him without reservation.’
After stopping outside the construction site for over ten minutes, Jiang Miao used his appraisal panel to inspect the work. Once he confirmed there were no quality issues, he told the driver to continue.
A month after construction had started, Jiang Miao had made a point to come and inspect the site.
The next day, the construction company received an 86-page-thick rectification notice. It scared the company’s boss so badly that he came to apologize in person. Jiang Miao’s response was simple: either fix every last issue, or pack your bags and get out.
’He had given them a more than generous profit margin on these two projects; trying to pull a fast one on him was just being insatiably greedy.’
After he pointed out all their issues, the construction company started toeing the line.
Jianfang Company, the contractor for the comprehensive project at Bamboo Mountain Reservoir, had received a similar show of force from Jiang Miao.
If he hadn’t put his foot down with those guys, they would have thought Hailufeng Company was a Xiaobai.
The pickup trucks continued north along the highway.
As the pickups drove along the roads in Red Grass Town, the first thing that caught their eyes were the lush, green trees on both sides.
A few tall eucalyptus trees stood ramrod straight, their slender leaves swaying gently in the breeze with a soft, rustling sound.