10: Chapter 10: Secretly Building a Fortress

“First, the focus of this project is not on the ground, but underground!” Oriental Chen dropped a bombshell.

“Oh? What do you mean by that?” Niu Xingwang asked eagerly.

“Boss Niu, don’t you think it’s strange that we’re donating 5 billion to develop this project without asking for anything in return?” Oriental Chen asked.

“To be honest, this is also what puzzles me. Mr. Dongfang, please don’t be offended, but I’ll speak frankly. Merchants pursue profit, so where do you find someone just throwing money in? Nobody’s money grows on trees, right?” Niu Xingwang said.

Niu Xingwang dared to say such things because he was convinced that the money was definitely not donated by Oriental Chen himself. Oriental Chen heard it but didn’t expose him, thinking the misunderstanding was even better.

“Of course! 5 billion! It’s not 50 yuan. Even if you throw it into water, it would make a big splash. But right now, I can only tell you this much. Boss Niu just needs to remember a few key points, and everything will be fine.” Oriental Chen naturally incorporated the base’s construction requirements.

At this moment, Niu Xingwang really wanted to pull out a small notebook to jot things down. He quickly asked,

“What are those points?”

“First, the foundation construction must not cut corners; this is the key.” Oriental Chen finished speaking and stared at him.

“Mr. Dongfang, rest assured, if anyone dares to be lazy or cheat, I, Old Niu, will be the first to not let him off!” Niu Xingwang guaranteed solemnly.

“That’s good. Second, the sooner the foundation construction starts, the better, and the faster the construction speed, the better. You can even temporarily put aside the blueprints for the above-ground portion and focus on the foundation first.” Oriental Chen dropped another bombshell.

“Ah? This, this, this… Mr. Dongfang, isn’t the risk too great this way? What if…” Niu Xingwang was shocked. What was he trying to do? Who operates like this?

Before Niu Xingwang could finish, Oriental Chen interrupted,

“Boss Niu, I’ll give you a little more information. Actually, the foundation blueprints and the above-ground building blueprints have nothing to do with each other. You don’t need to worry about the specifics; if something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with you. You’re just constructing according to the blueprints.”

If Oriental Chen hadn't clarified this, Niu Xingwang probably wouldn’t have dared to proceed with confidence. But this half-spoken, half-hidden information completely confused Niu Xingwang.

Niu Xingwang was thoroughly stunned. This Oriental Chen must have immense power behind him; an ordinary person couldn't handle such a big project.

“Then… then alright!” Since he didn’t have to bear responsibility, then whatever he said was fine. He just had to be extra careful: the blueprints must have all seals complete, so he wouldn’t end up taking the blame.

“Third, before construction, build the surrounding walls first. The blueprints for the walls are also included, and this is also of utmost importance. You haven’t looked at the blueprints, so let me emphasize this. These walls are not decorative; they are ten meters high and entirely cast with reinforced concrete. The foundation of the walls must also be strictly done according to the blueprints,” Oriental Chen emphasized.

Under normal circumstances, the surrounding walls are temporary and will be demolished after completion. So, a simple construction would suffice. If he didn't emphasize it, Oriental Chen worried that Niu Xingwang wouldn't take it seriously. These walls would be the first line of defense against zombies in the future and absolutely could not be taken lightly.

“Ah? This, this, this… wouldn’t that turn it into a fortress?” Niu Xingwang instantly realized.

“Yes, it’s a fortress!”

Since Niu Xingwang had already guessed, he didn’t need to beat around the bush. Rather than letting him guess wildly, it was better to just tell him directly.

“Ah?” Niu Xingwang was so startled he stood up directly.

This was peacetime! And he wanted to build a fortress! This was no longer a matter of money; if things went wrong, it could be a death sentence! Who would dare to do that?!

“What’s wrong with him? Is his reaction that strong?” Oriental Chen thought as he looked at Niu Xingwang’s expression.

“What’s wrong with you? Jumping around like that, you scared me.” Oriental Chen said, feigning composure.

“No! Mr. Dongfang, building a fortress, the nature of this is completely different! Surely you’re not unaware of that?” Niu Xingwang was anxious, no longer caring what he could or couldn’t say, and quickly asked.

“Look at what you’re saying. How could I not be clear about the stakes involved? Do I want to die?” Oriental Chen rolled his eyes at him and replied calmly. He thought, ‘You’ve wasted your whole life.’

Niu Xingwang also thought so, composed himself, and sat back down.

“You don’t even think, since I dare to put out 5 billion to do this, how could there be no arrangements behind it?”

That ‘behind’ completely bluffed him. The ‘behind’ Oriental Chen referred to was the future events, and saying it this way was absolutely not lying.

But Niu Xingwang’s understanding was that it referred to the people behind him. They were completely on different wavelengths.

As for whether Oriental Chen created this misunderstanding intentionally or unintentionally, only he himself knew.

“Boss Niu, you can proceed boldly and with confidence. If something goes wrong, just push the blame to our side. It will absolutely have nothing to do with you. But if you don’t follow the requirements on the blueprints, then that has nothing to do with me.” Oriental Chen appropriately gave him a scare.

Niu Xingwang slumped in his chair, not knowing what to say anymore. Even though he had weathered many storms over the years, this was the first time he had encountered something so big. He couldn’t help but regret getting involved in this matter. But the contract was already signed, and it was too late to regret it now.

After dinner, Oriental Chen went to Brother Zhang’s shop again.

He was going to try again today to see how many people Brother Zhang could recruit for him. If it really didn’t work out, he would have to think of other methods.

Another thing was that it was too rushed during the day; after delivering the goods, the payment hadn’t been settled. This matter couldn’t be delayed; once delayed, people would get anxious.

Since he had called in advance, Brother Zhang was waiting in the shop, but he looked preoccupied.

“Brother Zhang, why do you look so preoccupied?” Oriental Chen walked in.

“Xiao Chen, you should still take the goods from the shop back!” Brother Zhang said.

“What do you mean, Brother Zhang? You run a business; there’s no logic in selling something and then taking it back, is there?” Oriental Chen feigned ignorance.

“Xiao Chen, you don’t need those things anyway. I know you want me to help, but there’s no need to do it this way. You still need to save money.” Brother Zhang said.

He had misunderstood.

Oriental Chen indeed didn’t need to buy the goods from his shop; he was indeed in a hurry during the day. But he didn’t lack that bit of goods or that bit of money. They had already been painstakingly moved to the warehouse, so could he spit them back out? Impossible! Every little bit counts.

“Brother Zhang, you’re wrong, I really do need them. As for why I need them, it’s not convenient to say right now. Think about it, if I didn’t need them, would I buy so many things online?” Oriental Chen gave him a reassuring pill.

Brother Zhang thought about it and agreed. Since he really needed them, Brother Zhang didn’t dwell on it.

“Alright then!”

“Brother Zhang, calculate the total amount, and I’ll settle it with you now.”

A few minutes later, the transaction was complete.

This matter was concluded.

Next, Oriental Chen began to discuss the recruitment.

“Brother Zhang, you’ve seen it, I really need a lot of helpers. Even if you can’t find them, I’ll definitely need to recruit through other channels. We’ve known each other for a long time, and we know each other well, which is why I hope you can help connect me.” Oriental Chen said.

“It’s precisely because we’ve known each other for a long time and know each other well that I want to advise you. Although I don’t know how you suddenly became so rich, we are just ordinary people, and ordinary people have their own ways of living. Don’t spend all the money you have at once.” Brother Zhang said earnestly.

“How could that be? Brother Zhang, this isn’t just about me. You saw Boss Niu who came this afternoon, didn’t you?” Oriental Chen changed the subject.

“I saw him, what about him?” Brother Zhang replied.

“Do you know who he is?” Oriental Chen asked.

“Who?” Brother Zhang asked.

“Do you know Dingxin Real Estate? He’s the big boss of Dingxin Real Estate.” Oriental Chen chuckled.

“My goodness! A big shot!” Brother Zhang exclaimed. Everyone in Binjiang City knew Dingxin Real Estate.

“So, you thought I was paying for it?” Oriental Chen looked at him and smiled.

There was no way around it; explaining it directly was too much effort, and he didn’t have the time right now. Perhaps a white lie would be more effective.

“I knew it; it’s been bothering me all day. So that’s what it is!” Brother Zhang immediately felt completely relaxed.

“So, the job is no problem, you just hurry up and recruit people! How about this, since your shop’s goods are cleared out anyway. Starting tomorrow, come and help me first.” Oriental Chen simply took everything at once.

“Okay!” Brother Zhang finally agreed.

“But my comrades might be a bit difficult; they all have families to support.” Brother Zhang said.

“How about this, Hui Shan is exactly 12 this year, right? Let’s pick a date and throw a twelfth birthday party for the child, what do you think? Let them bring their families along, and we’ll book all their plane and train tickets. Once they arrive, we’ll talk about work. We’ll see what everyone thinks then. For those who want to stay, we’ll pay salaries and provide food and lodging. For those who don’t want to stay, we’ll cover their return travel expenses. It’s also summer vacation, so it can be a gathering and a trip. Just tell them that your company is covering the expenses, so everyone won’t feel burdened.” Oriental Chen thought for a moment and said.

Brother Zhang pondered it and nodded in agreement.

“Good, then I’ll leave it to you, Brother Zhang. This matter must be fast; I don’t have that much time to wait. When the time comes, calculate the total number of people, and I’ll transfer the funds to you.” Oriental Chen said.

If this matter succeeded, he would have accomplished another task.