467: Chapter 462 feels somewhat familiar.

The air in the warehouse felt as if it had been sucked dry.

Every word from Fang Jian's mouth felt like a heavy hammer blow.

"Suddenly changing materials... the physical properties of two types of steel are different. No matter how subtle the difference, using it for core load-bearing would be a massive safety hazard."

"No one dares to joke around with the quality of this building."

"But if we don't change it, the entire project will come to a standstill."

Shen Yan fell silent.

He gripped the sample in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Standstill.

For a real estate project where every second counts, a single day of standstill meant burning through a massive amount of capital.

Furthermore, there were many businessmen behind the scenes watching this plot of land like hawks.

They wouldn't let any opportunity to kick him while he was down slip by.

"What about substitutes?" Shen Yan's voice was as cold as ice.

"I've looked," Fang Jian's face was full of bitterness.

"These past few days, I've taken the technicians to every reputable steel plant in the country."

"We've tested dozens of samples we brought back."

"Not a single one can completely meet the comprehensive standards of 'Firmament' No. 9."

"Either the strength is a bit lacking, or the toughness is a bit weak."

"A tiny discrepancy leads to a huge error. I don't dare sign off on using them for the main structure."

Fang Jian was a responsible foreman, but he wasn't a strategist capable of solving top-level problems.

Shen Yan looked at his anxiety-ridden face without a hint of blame.

His mind was racing at high speed.

"Yuanshan Heavy Industry."

He slowly uttered the name.

"An industry leader—how could it just go bankrupt like that?"

Fang Jian shook his head.

"I heard their capital chain suddenly snapped. Several Banks called back their loans simultaneously, and it collapsed overnight. People at our level can't find out the specific reasons."

A cold glint flashed in Shen Yan's eyes.

Capital chain?

Simultaneous loan withdrawals?

This didn't sound like normal business behavior.

It sounded more like... a deliberate hunt.

His fingers lightly tapped on the cold steel sample.

Tap, tap.

In the warehouse, only his rhythmic tapping and Fang Jian's nervous breathing remained.

After a long while.

Shen Yan broke the silence.

"You keep the men working for now. I'll keep an eye out for building materials over the next couple of days."

Seeing that Fang Jian still looked worried, Shen Yan patted him on the shoulder and comforted him.

"Alright, relax. There's always a way forward."

Only then did Fang Jian regain his composure and lead the men back to work.

Shen Yan didn't leave immediately.

He walked to a shaded spot, took out his phone, and skillfully opened a food delivery app.

He ordered a bottle of iced green tea for every brother on the construction site.

He himself leaned against a pile of unopened bags of cement and lit a cigarette.

The curling smoke blurred the expression on his face.

Not far away, a few workers gathered during their break, their faces full of worry.

The delivery guy rode his electric scooter through the twists and turns of the construction site before finally finding Shen Yan.

Dozens of bottles of iced drinks were emitting white mist from the cold.

Shen Yan didn't get up; he just tilted his chin toward the workers.

"Take those over to the brothers."

The workers were stunned for a moment when they saw the drinks, then let out small cheers and came over one after another to thank him.

"Thank you, President Shen!"

"President Shen is so generous!"

Shen Yan just waved his hand, signaling them to help themselves.

He remained leaning there, listening to the sound of the wind and the idle chatter of the workers nearby.

"Hey, do you guys think this can be solved?" A dark-skinned man twisted open a bottle of green tea and took a large gulp.

"Hard to say. From what Foreman Fang said, this 'Firmament' No. 9 is unique. Since that factory went under, it's basically out of print," another tall, thin man sighed.

"Then what about our building? Stop construction halfway?"

"What do we do if construction stops? This job pays by the day. If it stops, will my whole family have to live on the north wind?"

"Exactly. I'm counting on these few months for my son's tuition next semester."

"Foreman Fang is so worried his hair is turning white. I just saw him; his eyes were bloodshot."

"Our President Shen doesn't look worried at all. I wonder if he has a solution."

"Hah, he's just a big boss, not a god. What can he do? This isn't something money can solve; the materials just aren't there! Even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice!"

The sounds of discussion, worry, and sighs drifted into Shen Yan's ears intermittently.

He stubbed out his cigarette on the ground, stood up, and brushed the dust off his clothes.

He had heard all the workers' concerns.

He had also seen Fang Jian's pressure.

He didn't say anything more and turned toward the black phaeton.

The car door closed, completely shutting out the noise and heat of the construction site.

Shen Yan started the car but didn't step on the gas immediately.

He leaned back in the driver's seat and closed his eyes.

Yuanshan Heavy Industry.

The name was like a small thorn stuck in his mind.

He felt like he had heard it somewhere before.

Not from when Fang Jian mentioned it just now.

But earlier.

Where was it...

He frowned, searching through the sea of his memories.

Early morning.

Sunlight.

Youyou's smiling face.

It was as if countless images were flashing through his mind at high speed.

Suddenly.

One image froze.

It was this morning, just as he opened his eyes, while his consciousness was still between dreaming and waking.

In his mind, that cold mechanical voice had sounded right on time.

【Daily Wealth Intelligence has been refreshed.】

【Today's Intelligence: In the abandoned Third Steel Plant in the Southern Suburbs, inside the hidden compartment at the bottom of the third filing cabinet in the southwest corner of the No. 2 blast furnace control room, there is the core formula and smelting process parameters for Yuanshan Heavy Industry's 'Firmament' series steel.】

At that time, his mind was full of follow-ups for the "janus" project.

Some steel formula in an abandoned factory that sounded like it was in the middle of nowhere.

To him, that intelligence was like the 'Art of Slaying Dragons.'

Completely useless.

After all, his main business was software and Artificial Intelligence; real estate was just a convenient investment.

So, almost subconsciously, he had tossed that piece of intelligence to the back of his mind.

But now...

Shen Yan snapped his eyes open.

Deep in his eyes, a cold light flashed past.

The Art of Slaying Dragons?

No.

This was the only way out of a desperate situation!

He no longer hesitated. He slammed on the gas, and the black phaeton, like an arrow leaving a bow, turned around and sped off in the direction completely opposite to the city center.

The city's skyscrapers receded rapidly in the rearview mirror, becoming smaller and smaller.

In their place, the scenery became increasingly desolate.

The green belts on both sides of the road disappeared, replaced by overgrown weeds.

The brand-new asphalt road turned into a potholed concrete path.

The air began to be permeated with a mixture of rust and dust.

Half an hour later, an abandoned factory that looked like a graveyard for steel behemoths appeared on the horizon.

Southern Suburbs, Third Steel Plant.