C24 – Be Realized!!
Zhao Yuegu was an early riser, a habit ingrained from his days in the village. But it wasn’t until noon that he caught sight of Sun Ying, yawning and rushing over.
“Sorry, sorry, I overslept,” Sun Ying said, clearly flustered. She knew she had broken her promise first.
Zhao Yuegu wasn’t bothered. “How many young people get up early these days? Most sleep till noon, right?” he said. “Don’t worry about it. The survey team from the second construction hasn’t shown up yet.”
He had already been in touch with Dong Qingqing; they were all staying at the same hotel, after all.
“Oh, that’s a relief,” Sun Ying replied.
“Come with me to buy some oil,” Zhao Yuegu said.
“Sure.”
Sun Ying’s mood soured when she saw Zhao Yuegu fill up an oil barrel at the gas station. “Isn’t filling the tank enough? Why do we need an extra barrel?”
“We’re heading into the mountains.”
“There’s no gas station there?”
“If there was, would I be doing this?” Zhao Yuegu retorted.
Only after storing half a truck’s worth of fuel did Zhao Yuegu leave the station, leaving the attendant bewildered by the luxury car’s unusual fueling.
Zhao Yuegu was unfazed. After picking up some other necessities, he received a message from Dong Qingqing—the survey team had arrived. He met up with the mature and poised Dong Qingqing, who managed to look stylish in her practical mountain gear, and the rest of the survey team: Chang Xin, the team’s standout member, and two men, Chen Yi and Xu Le.
As they prepared to head into the mountains, everyone hesitated when they saw Zhao Yuegu’s Lamborghini Urus. Even Dong Qingqing couldn’t hide her concern.
“Is this car really suitable for mountain roads?” she asked.
“The company that builds tractors won’t let us down,” Zhao Yuegu assured her confidently.
With Zhao Yuegu leading the way, Dong Qingqing and Chang Xin settled into the back seat, ready for the journey ahead.
The survey team’s off-road vehicle was loaded with fuel, courtesy of Zhao Yuegu’s preparation.
Dong Qingqing’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“It’s my first time riding in such an expensive car, and to think it’s for a mountain expedition.”
On paved roads, Sun Ying took the wheel with ease.
But when it came to the mountain’s rugged terrain, devoid of any roads, Zhao Yuegu was the one to drive.
In such remote areas, a driver’s license was hardly a necessity.
After all, does a lack of a license stop anyone from operating a tractor in the fields?
Moreover, Zhao Yuegu was reluctant to let anyone else drive, fearing a mishap like tumbling into a ditch.
Taking a different route from their outward journey, Zhao Yuegu opted for a nearly straight line through the mountain.
“Following a straight path makes for a tougher route. Outside our village, it’s a trail that no one else can find,” he said with a grave tone.
“It will get fixed,” Sun Ying offered, trying to be reassuring.
Zhao Yuegu nodded, watching the survey team work with their equipment. He paused to deploy a drone.
With the drone’s aerial survey, the team’s progress sped up considerably, and they soon provided their assessment.
“We can completely rebuild this road.”
“And thanks to the existing ancient path, the construction costs will be lower than expected.”
“Just 60 million yuan at a minimum.”
Zhao Yuegu was taken aback.
“That low?”
“If we tighten the budget further, it could cost even less.”
Clearly, Chang Xin was looking out for Zhao Yuegu’s finances.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’d prefer a dual-lane asphalt road, even if it means higher maintenance costs later on.”
“I can handle it.”
“If we go ahead, we’ll divide the work into ten phases, with an initial payment of ten million. We’ll pay for each subsequent phase upon completion. Is that acceptable?”
“No problem.”
“Here’s the contract for you to review.”
Zhao Yuegu scanned the document briefly and asked, “How soon can we finish?”
“Once we receive the funds, we’ll start immediately. At best, three months; at worst, six.”
“That’s acceptable.”
Without further ado, Zhao Yuegu signed on the dotted line.
However, with no cell service in the mountains, he had to return along the mountain road to a spot where he could transfer the tens of millions in funds.
The situation with the road had finally been resolved.
He could now peacefully return to his village to tend to the fields.
Yet, the task of transporting the stockpiled supplies would likely require six trips.
Sun Ying was expected to continue serving as his driver.
But returning to the village wasn’t an option for Sun Ying.
After all, if she failed to return home at night, her family might very well report her missing.
Having left his phone number and bid farewell to the others, Zhao Yuegu, laden with a hefty load of supplies, made it back to the village after a grueling two-hour drive and an additional two-hour trek on foot.
Upon arrival, he was greeted by the eager faces of Xueman and Ma Yabei, who had been anxiously awaiting his return just outside the village.