152 Expressway Construction Company

"I hope you will not interfere in the daily management of the expressway construction company; I will bring in professional managers for that. Of course, if any of you believe you have the capability in management, you are welcome to try. You may appoint representatives to audit and oversee the company's finances. As for local public relations, I will leave that entirely in your hands. I will ensure that the company allocates the annual budgets to you according to plan; how you spend those funds is your business and the company will not pry, but under no circumstances should local factions and external forces be allowed to disrupt the expressway construction. Furthermore, if you encounter any financial difficulties with the sandpits, gravel plants, or other personal investments you wish to acquire, let me know, and I can advance you the loans."

"My principle is simple: I refuse to collaborate with anyone who preys on ordinary citizens or undermines the interests of the state and the nation. I believe the few of you are good people, and your elders are honorable, upright individuals as well. That is why I chose to partner with you. While it is true that I wish to leverage your respective connections, that is not the primary reason. As you already know, I maintain a rather close relationship with the central leadership, and there are very few people daring enough to cause trouble for me regarding the expressway construction—nor would I fear them if they did. Therefore, once we enter this partnership, I expect you to sever ties with any illicit businesses you may have. Above all, never entertain the thought of turning a profit at the expense of the state and the common people," Wei Hua stated.

"Mr. Wei, you can rest assured on that point! None of us are involved in the kind of operations that violate state laws and policies. Had we been, we wouldn't have boldly approached you through Mr. Rong carrying hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars. To be honest, we've often looked at others making fortunes through shady means and felt a twinge of jealousy. In terms of connections, we are certainly no worse off than they are; it's simply because our family elders kept us on such a tight leash that we never dipped our toes into those ventures. Now that a legitimate business opportunity is on the table, we naturally have no desire to pursue illegal paths. We know that money can never be made in its entirety; peace of mind and contentment are what matter most. We can certainly fulfill the conditions Mr. Wei has set. Sourcing laborers and grassroots technicians should not pose a major problem either," Zhao Hongjun replied. Li Aihong, Zhang Zhandong, and Liu Shengkui nodded in agreement.

"It is all the better if you have no such entanglements! From now on, we are partners, and calling me 'Mr. Wei' makes us sound like strangers. Since you are all older than me, I shall address you as my older brothers and sisters, and you may call me Ah Hua or younger brother Hua. Brother Zhao, you are entirely right; money in this world is inexhaustible, and the wealth we earn should bring us peace of mind and absolute comfort. Rest assured, we will be making fortunes by the truckload together. Speaking of labor, Sister Hong, I will share a piece of insider news with you: a few days ago, while attending the National Day military parade in Beijing, Comrade Deng informed me that the state is planning a massive military downsizing next year. The labor force we need can be secured through your grandfather, and who knows, your grandfather might even praise you a couple of times for this," Wei Hua said.

"Really? How is it that we haven't heard a thing about it?" Li Aihong asked.

"Perhaps the Central Military Commission has not yet reached a final decision. However, Comrade Deng would hardly mislead me. I brought up the labor shortage for the expressway construction company with him, and he expressed the hope that I could help absorb some of the demobilized soldiers, seeing as these men also need to support their families," Wei Hua explained.

"If that's the case, I'll go straight to my grandfather and ask him as soon as I return. Even if there were no nationwide military downsizing, I don't think securing the necessary workforce would be difficult. Many military units are currently engaged in sideline businesses to alleviate their financial pressures. If we lack labor, we can simply subcontract the engineering work to the military units and pay them fair market rates. That way, we aren't taking advantage of the state, the military will be quite pleased, and it will make our management much easier," Li Aihong suggested.

"That is certainly a viable option! If we cannot resolve the labor issue immediately, it is the best alternative, and the military will undoubtedly consent. Still, I hope we can cultivate our own construction teams, at least establishing our own tier of grassroots technicians. You must realize that the domestic demand for expressway construction will only grow in the future. Having our own technical expertise will give us a massive competitive edge in securing future engineering contracts. If we build this Harbin-Dalian expressway swiftly and impeccably, our influence in the nation's expressway sector will be monumental. Combined with my ample capital, no one will be able to stand as our rival in this field," Wei Hua emphasized.

"Let me go back and probe my grandfather first. If rumors of a major downsizing are true, he must be racking his brains over it right now. Every year when the military processes retiring officers and soldiers, it gives him a massive headache. Most of the soldiers come from rural backgrounds and naturally return to the countryside afterwards. My grandfather always says it's a pity for men with a basic education to go back to farm work, yet local governments cannot absorb them all, leaving only a tiny fraction to remain in cities. That's why he finds it so vexing. If we can provide placements, he will undoubtedly be overjoyed. After all, working for us counts as being industrial workers, which has to be better than tilling the fields back home. Even if there is no massive downsizing, finding skilled and experienced personnel from the engineering corps shouldn't be too difficult," Li Aihong reasoned.

"Little sister Hong, then we are putting our hopes in you!" Zhao Hongjun said to Li Aihong.

"Just wait to hear the good news from me!" Li Aihong replied to the group.

"Brother Zhao, Sister Hong, Brother Dong, Brother Kui, I will have my lawyer fly in from Hong Kong tomorrow so we can formally sign a partnership agreement. Our expressway company will then be officially established, and the required capital will be wired to the accounts shortly. Now, we still need a corporate name—what do you think would be fitting? Furthermore, the various procedures for founding the company will require your personal presence to process. I think it would be best to set up the company headquarters in Shenyang or Harbin, and you will need to secure the office premises as well," Wei Hua instructed.