Chapter 465

Su Xinghui said, "Isn't it a good thing that it hasn't rained much? It won't delay the construction schedule, and there won't be any major flooding."

Xu Xiaoguang said, "That's true. This past year has been smooth sailing with favorable weather. The schedule hasn't been delayed much. I estimate that in another two months, the Shangmeng Highway will be fully open to traffic."

Su Xinghui said solemnly, "Xiaoguang, you've worked hard."

Xu Xiaoguang was a bit unaccustomed to this. He said, "Xinghui, why are you suddenly being so serious? What hard work? Isn't this all just what I'm supposed to do?"

Su Xinghui said, "Xiaoguang, this highway means too much to the common people in the three townships along the way from the county seat to Menghuling. The economic development of these townships relies heavily on this road. As long as you can finish on schedule, the economy along this highway will definitely develop very quickly."

Xu Xiaoguang laughed, "Hearing you say that, I actually feel that my work is very meaningful. I feel a real sense of pride!"

Su Xinghui said, "Your work is certainly meaningful. The work of every ordinary person here is meaningful. The rise of our country depends on the hard work of each and every one of us!"

Xu Xiaoguang felt stirred in his heart. He nodded and said, "Mm, I will definitely work hard!"

Su Xinghui said, "Then I'll head back to the county seat first. Are you going back today?"

Xu Xiaoguang said, "I went back a few days ago to take care of some business, so I won't be going back today. Aren't we still rushing to meet the schedule?"

Su Xinghui and Xu Xiaoguang exchanged a glance and laughed, then Su Xinghui bid him farewell, got into his jeep, and headed back to the county seat.

Upon returning to the county seat, Su Xinghui didn't go home immediately. Instead, he drove to the edge of the Triangular Pond, the site of the new agricultural trade market. The project had been underway for half a month, and Su Xinghui hadn't seen it yet, so he decided to take a look today.

The pond side, which used to be covered in trash and reeked of filth, had been cleaned up. The water had become clear, looking much more pleasant than before.

Although the Triangular Pond was just a pond, the water inside was flowing. There was a sluice gate on the north side; as long as it was opened, fresh water from the Changjiang could be let in. Once all the trash was fished out and the fresh water was let in, the pond water would clear up in just a few days.

A perimeter wall had now been built around the construction site, enclosing it, and a road seven or eight meters wide had been left between the site and the Triangular Pond.

Su Xinghui parked his car on the road between the site and the pond and walked into the construction site. The old man guarding the gate asked who he was looking for. When he asked if Manager Xu Haimin was there, the old man said that Manager Xu happened to be on-site today, but he would need to wear a safety helmet to enter.

Su Xinghui put on a safety helmet handed to him by the old man and entered the site. At a glance, he saw Xu Haimin, also wearing a helmet, talking to a few people under some scaffolding.

Su Xinghui walked over and called out, "Uncle Xu." Xu Haimin turned his head, saw him, and said happily, "Xinghui, you're back!"

Su Xinghui said, "Yes, I came specifically to take a look at the agricultural trade market site."

Xu Haimin gave a few more instructions to the people he was with, then turned and said, "Come on, Xinghui, let's go to the project office to talk."

Once in the office, Su Xinghui said, "The progress on this agricultural trade market project is very fast!"

Xu Haimin said, "This new market should be built in about three or four months. By then, we can start the commercial street project."

Su Xinghui said, "There shouldn't be any problems with funding now, right?"

Xu Haimin shook his head and said, "No problems. The Hongtu Real Estate Development Company transferred the payment for the old market land directly into our account to offset the construction costs for the new one. It's essentially paying before the work is done; how could there be a funding problem?"

Su Xinghui said, "I saw Xiaoguang on the road back. He said the Shangmeng Highway will be fully open in just over two months."

Xu Haimin said, "Yes, it will be just in time for National Day. It can be considered a gift to the county government."

Su Xinghui asked, "Won't rushing the schedule lead to any quality issues?"

Xu Haimin shook his head, "No. The original estimated schedule was about a year, but there hasn't been much rain this year, which saved a lot of time. There's no phenomenon of forced rushing. I've told Xiaoguang that no matter what, we must ensure the quality of the project, even if we don't make a profit, we have to build this road well."

Su Xinghui nodded. In fact, even if Xu Haimin didn't make a profit on this road, he had gained a lot. Over this year, his construction team had accumulated a vast amount of experience, his construction machinery had been updated, and he had absorbed workers from several other construction companies. It was truly a bountiful harvest.

The true foundation of a construction company is these things, not just the amount of capital. Without these, even with abundant capital, it wouldn't be considered an excellent construction company.

Su Xinghui asked again, "Uncle Xu, the pressure for flood control in the county this year isn't too high, right?"

Xu Haimin said, "The pressure isn't high. There hasn't been much rain this year."

Su Xinghui said, "The pressure isn't high this year, but the pressure for the next few years will definitely be very high. The quality of the main embankments in the county has been too poor in the past; I estimate they won't be able to hold up."

Xu Haimin nodded. In Hudong Province, there has never been a case where there wasn't much rain during the flood season for two consecutive years. If you can have one year out of three with low flood control pressure, you've already made a profit. With little rain this year, there is an eighty percent chance that the flood situation will be very serious next year.

The main embankments of Shangjun County were originally contracted by Qian Hongye, so the quality can be imagined. Being able to hold up through the flood season these past few years has already been quite difficult.

Xu Haimin said, "Do you mean you want me to take on the embankment reconstruction project in the second half of the year?"

Su Xinghui laughed, "If not Uncle Xu, then who else for the embankment reconstruction project?"

Xu Haimin laughed, "Xinghui, I'm telling you, don't flatter me."

Su Xinghui said solemnly, "Uncle Xu, the only construction company in our county capable of building these embankments well is yours. I don't need to tell you how important these embankments are to Shangjun County. If a major flood occurs in the next few years, these embankments will be the lifeline for hundreds of thousands of common people in Shangjun County."

Xu Haimin said, "Rest assured, I've already prepared. When the bidding for the embankment reconstruction project starts in the second half of the year, I will go all out to secure this project, and I will definitely go all out to do it well."

Su Xinghui said happily, "Then thank you, Uncle Xu!"

Xu Haimin said, "What are you thanking me for?"

Su Xinghui said, "I'm thanking you as one of the common people of Shangjun County. This embankment concerns the safety of hundreds of thousands of people in Shangjun County, and our family is among those hundreds of thousands."

In Su Xinghui's previous life, the embankments of Shangjun County were never thoroughly reconstructed; they were only subject to minor repairs every year. It was luck, perhaps, that there were no particularly large floods in the early nineties, so nothing happened. It wasn't until the once-in-a-century super flood in 1998 that the embankments finally breached, causing great losses to Shangjun County.

Xu Haimin said, "Building these embankments well is my duty. Isn't our family also from Shangjun County? Building these embankments well is also a good guarantee for our family's safety."