448: Chapter 448's progress shouldn't be this slow.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds.

Su Wan's disappointment could almost penetrate the radio waves.

But she quickly composed herself.

"Okay, then I'll arrange another time to invite you."

She understood that for someone like Shen Yan, time was even more precious than money.

"Mm."

Shen Yan responded once and then hung up the phone.

For him, the Qinghe Group matter was practically over.

Everything that followed depended on Su Wan's capabilities.

An hour later, the black phaeton drove into a massive construction site in the suburbs.

This was the former Hongfa Factory, which now had a new name—'Singularity' Science and Technology Park.

The air was filled with the smell of dust and concrete.

Giant tower cranes stood tall like steel giants, and construction vehicles moved back and forth, emitting dull roars.

The basic outline of the construction site was emerging. Foundations were deeply buried, and the steel skeletons of several buildings shot up from the ground, resembling the ribs of a dormant giant beast.

Shen Yan did not get out of the car.

He parked the vehicle in an inconspicuous corner and directed his gaze toward the depths of the construction site.

A man wearing a yellow hard hat and deeply tanned skin was holding a blueprint and shouting something loudly at several workers.

His name was Fang Jian, the site manager Shen Yan had hired with a high salary.

He was an old hand who had been wrestling in the construction industry for over twenty years.

After shouting a few times, as if feeling unsatisfied, Fang Jian casually tossed the blueprint aside and personally joined the workers to adjust a misplaced rebar.

Sweat soaked the blue work uniform on his back.

Shen Yan's brow furrowed slightly.

He knew Fang Jian was a relentless worker.

But precisely because of that, the scene before him seemed particularly strange.

According to Fang Jian's working style and the project schedule, the current progress was slow.

It wasn't just a little slow.

Although the entire site looked bustling with activity, a careful observation would reveal a bizarre inefficiency.

Several excavators were stationary, their drivers leaning against the cab doors smoking.

Cement mixer trucks were lined up at the entrance but were delayed from driving in.

The number of workers actually working was also less than what was stated in the plan.

Fang Jian was not the type of person to slack off.

That meant the problem lay elsewhere.

Just as Shen Yan was about to get out of the car.

A harsh screech of brakes at the construction site entrance interrupted his movement.

Three black Jinbei vans, without any markings, violently stopped right at the main gate, completely blocking the passage in and out.

The car doors were flung open with a clang.

Over twenty sturdy men wearing uniform black T-shirts filed out.

They all had buzz cuts, dragon and tiger tattoos on their arms, and malicious smiles on their faces.

Unlike the previous riffraff who couldn't make it to the big stage.

These people had a fierce look in their eyes, and their movements were quite methodical; they were clearly organized.

The noisy sounds at the construction site instantly quieted down.

The workers who had been working stopped what they were doing and instinctively retreated.

Their eyes showed both fear and annoyance.

Fang Jian's face darkened. He threw the wrench in his hand onto the ground and strode forward.

"It's you again!"

Fang Jian's voice was suppressed with anger.

"What do you want?"

The leader was a bald man with a thick gold chain around his neck and a scar running from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, making his entire appearance look exceptionally ferocious.

Scarface didn't even look properly at Fang Jian; he just contemptuously spat on the ground.

"Old man, this isn't a place for you to speak."

He shoved Fang Jian in the chest.

Fang Jian staggered and nearly fell to the ground.

"Tell your boss to get out here and see me!" Scarface's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable arrogance.

"Our boss isn't here!" Fang Jian stabilized himself and shouted, stiffening his neck.

"Not here?"

Scarface sneered and waved his hand behind him.

"Then the brothers will just go in and look for themselves."

"You dare!" Fang Jian spread his arms, like an old bull protecting its calf, blocking the entrance tightly.

"I'm telling you, if anyone dares to take one step forward today, I'll fight him to the death!"

Scarface acted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

He stepped forward, reached out, and patted Fang Jian's cheek, not lightly.

"Fight to the death?"

"With those old bones of yours?"

"I advise you not to mistake courtesy for weakness, or else, tomorrow your construction site might gain an extra concrete pillar."

It was an undisguised threat.

Fang Jian trembled with anger, his face flushed, yet he was helpless.

Behind him, none of the workers dared to step forward.

They were just here to earn wages; no one wanted to risk their lives for this small pay.

Just as Scarface's subordinates were preparing to force their way in.

"Bang."

A crisp sound of a car door closing was exceptionally clear amidst the noise.

Everyone's gaze was drawn over.

They saw a young man standing next to the black phaeton parked in the corner.

He was wearing a well-tailored casual suit, and his leather shoes were spotless, completely out of place in this dusty construction site.

He walked slowly, hands stuck in his pockets.

Not fast, not slow.

Every step seemed measured, carrying a steady sense of pressure.

Fang Jian's expression changed when he saw who it was.

"President Shen!"

"Why are you here? It's dangerous here, please leave quickly!"

Shen Yan ignored him and walked straight up to Scarface.

He was half a head taller than Scarface.

He slightly lowered his eyes and looked at the other man.

Scarface also squinted his eyes, sizing up Shen Yan from top to bottom.

"You're the boss?"

His tone carried a hint of scrutiny and disdain.

"You look quite tender."

Shen Yan did not answer his question.

"Who sent you here?"

His voice was calm, without the slightest ripple, as if he were asking about the weather.

This calmness, however, made Scarface feel somewhat uneasy.

"Kid, this isn't something you should be asking."

Scarface tried to overwhelm him with sheer presence.

"I'll give you one last chance. Announce a work stoppage right now and get out with your men."

"Otherwise, we won't be responsible if any of your workers end up missing limbs."

Shen Yan's face remained expressionless.

He simply raised his hand and took out his mobile phone.

The screen lit up, he opened the video recording function, and pointed the camera at Scarface's face.

Then, the lens slowly moved down, pointing at the license plates of the three Jinbei vans at the entrance.

Scarface's expression instantly darkened.

"You're fucking looking to die!"

He was enraged by Shen Yan's silent action and swung his fist toward Shen Yan's face.

Fang Jian cried out in alarm from behind.

"President Shen, watch out!"

But Shen Yan's movement was faster than his.

Just as the fist was about to hit his face, Shen Yan slightly shifted his body and easily dodged it.

Simultaneously, he struck out like lightning, precisely gripping Scarface's punching wrist.

There was a light 'crack' sound.

"Ah—!"