Chapter 392: Surprise Inspection

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Knock knock!”

As Zhou Chao was starting to drift into a light sleep on the couch, there came a knock at the door.

Lin Wu, who was beside him, quickly stood up and walked towards the door.

He took a look through the peephole and then opened the door. The one knocking was Zhou Jilong from the research institute.

“Boss!”

Zhou Chao sat up from the sofa, rubbed his slightly sleepy eyes, and said, “Take a seat first; I’ll freshen up.”

He got up and headed towards the bathroom.

“Lao Lin, why did the boss call me here?” Zhou Jilong asked Lin Wu in a hushed tone.

Lin Wu glared at him without patience. He wasn’t a mind reader; how was he supposed to know what the boss was thinking?

“Uh…” Zhou Jilong was taken aback.

Both of them fell silent, waiting quietly.

After a moment, Zhou Chao came out of the bathroom.

“There’s nothing important for calling you here today. I just wanted to ask about the situation in the research lab and if there’s anything I can help with, Zhou Chao said as he picked up a glass of water from the table and took a sip.

Zhou Jilong was momentarily puzzled and didn’t understand what Zhou Chao meant.

Seeing this, Lin Wu coughed softly and silently mouthed a word.

Zhou Jilong looked at Lin Wu’s expression and suddenly realized what the issue was.

“Boss, do you mean you want to know about Chai Lao and the others?” Zhou Jilong quickly came up with an answer.

After a moment of contemplation and organizing his thoughts, Zhou Jilong continued, “Boss, currently, the research institute is stable. Every research team is fully dedicated to their work, and progress is swift.”

“How is the progress on the machine tool side?”

As soon as Zhou Chao asked this question, Zhou Jilong’s heart skipped a beat, and he replied, “Boss, Chai Lao and Xiong Lao are close to completing the research on the wafer production line. It won’t be long before we can achieve independent production.”

Zhou Chao smiled lightly upon hearing this.

“You’ve been doing a great job, Lao Zhou. Now that you’ve become more discreet, no matter what comes up, deal with it on your own. You know how crucial this research institute is, and any mistakes, even if you can handle them, might spiral out of control. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Boss, I understand. You can rest assured; there won’t be a repeat of what happened last time. 1 will be extremely vigilant.”

“Well, i hope you’ll keep the research data of each research team safe and not let it be accessible to just anyone,” Zhou Chao’s words were a warning to him, not to let a situation like what happened with Chai Lao occur again.

“Don’t worry, there won’t be any problems.”

“Alright, let’s have a meal before you go back.”

“Sure, Boss!” Zhou Jilong smiled as he heard this.

In the evening, the three of them had a simple meal on the hotel’s second floor. After dinner, Zhou Jilong left the hotel.

“Boss, why didn’t you just call those guys over and have a serious talk with them?”

No, there’s no need. If we keep a close watch on Zhou Jilong, he’ll naturally become more cautious. Considering there were some indications of problems last time, I’m confident he’ll be extra careful. He’s the head of the research institute and can’t afford to step over certain lines, or else there could be ulterior motives at play. Additionally, please advise Wang Feng and Da Wu to stay alert. I want to avoid any actual mistakes at all costs!”

“Understood, Boss.”

“Alright, get some rest early. Tomorrow, let’s go check on the progress of Phase

Two!”

“Okay, Boss. You rest early too!” Lin Wu said before turning around and heading to his own room.

After pondering on the sofa for a while, Zhou Chao finally got up and walked towards his bedroom.

Early in the morning, Zhou Chao and Lin Wu got into Wang Feng’s car and headed to the industrial park.

“Let’s not go to Canghai first, but instead, let’s check on the progress of Phase Two construction.” Zhou Chao reclined in the back seat, his eyes closed.

“Sure, Boss!”

Wang Feng immediately changed course at the next intersection and headed straight to the Phase Two construction site.

Upon arriving at the construction site, they saw a bustling scene. It appeared that the underground construction was already completed, and work had commenced on the above-ground structures.

“Boss, would you like to go in and take a look?”

“Hmm, let’s go in.”

The three of them walked towards the construction site, but they were stopped at the gate.

“What are you doing here? Outsiders are not allowed inside the construction site.” A middle-aged man in security attire blocked their way.

Lin Wu, who was behind Zhou Chao, was about to step forward, but Zhou Chao’s glance stopped him.

Zhou Chao took out a box of Green Panda cigarettes and handed one over.

“Brother, what’s happening here? I’m also involved in construction projects, just coming to see if there are any good projects available. If you can provide some information or guidance, I’ll make sure you’re well compensated afterward.”

Zhou Chao’s words intrigued the security guard. He looked at the cigarette in his hand and then glanced at the Green Panda in Zhou Chao’s hand.

“Brother, I can see you’re a reasonable person, but…” The security guard hesitated, his hand motioning slightly.

Seeing this, Zhou Chao smiled inwardly and handed the Green Panda cigarette over to the security guard.

The security guard carefully examined it and joyfully placed the cigarette in his pocket.

“Brother, you seem like a wise person too. Come on, let’s have a chat in my booth. It’s pretty hot out here.” The security guard warmly led the three of them to his security booth.

Zhou Chao glanced back at the two of them and then walked into the security booth.

“Master, please tell me more. I can see that this project is quite substantial, and there are many people. If 1 want to find some work inside, do you have any suggestions?”

“I can tell you’re a young fellow just starting out, looking to make good money with a project!” The security guard took out a Golden Leaf cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

Zhou Chao remained silent, patiently waiting for the security guard to continue.

Seeing Zhou Chao’s eager look, the security guard smiled and said, “This project has invested several billion yuan and is currently on a tight schedule. It’s in need of manpower right now. If you have connections, you have a good chance. It depends on whether you have the capability.”

“1 do have people, but I don’t have a specific direction. I couldn’t find anyone, that’s why 1 took the risk to come to the construction site. Please, Master, point me in the right direction. Don’t worry; I won’t let you down once things are successful!”

“Hahaha!” The security guard burst into laughter.

“You’ve come to the right person. When it comes to this whole project, aside from me, there’s hardly anyone who dares to claim they know it well!”

After looking around, he lowered his voice and continued, “1 happen to be the cousin of the project manager. I’m very familiar with ail the ins and outs of this project.”

“I didn’t expect you to have such a connection. It seems I’ve found the right person!” Zhou Chao pretended to be delighted.

“Of course!” The security guard said proudly.

“In that case, Master, could you help me arrange a lunch meeting with the project manager? 1 don’t know if it’s possible.”

The security guard hesitated and said, “Today might not be possible. He hasn’t arrived yet, and 1 don’t know where he is.”

“Master, how about giving him a call? As his cousin, you should have his phone number, right?”

“Well…” The security guard looked hesitant.

“Honk honk!” A car horn sounded from outside.

The three of them turned their heads to see the security guard looking delighted. “All, speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Please wait for a moment; 1’11 be right back!”

He opened the gate of the booth and walked out.

Seeing the security guard leave, Lin Wu looked at Zhou Chao and asked, “Boss, are you worried that there might be some shady dealings going on inside?”

“I don’t know either, but you understand the importance of this project for us. I’m just afraid there might be one or two bad apples inside. So, let’s give it a try. Sometimes, you can find a big opportunity in murky waters!”

Lin Wu nodded in agreement as Zhou Chao shifted his gaze outside. The security guard was bending over a Mercedes-Benz car window, and he handed the Green Panda cigarettes he received from Zhou Chao to the person inside the car.

The person inside the car was not clearly visible, but the security guard’s expression became increasingly happy. In the end, the security guard nodded and straightened up, and the Mercedes-Benz car entered the site.

The security guard came back with a triumphant look on his face.

Uncle, who was that just now?”

“That was the project manager’s son, responsible for materials in this area. Initially, he didn’t want to meet with you, but after my persuasion, he reluctantly agreed. By the way, 1 haven’t asked you what kind of project you’re mainly involved in!”

“We handle a variety of projects; we can do it all!”

“Well, I’ve already told him. Now it depends on your attitude!”

At first, Zhou Chao didn’t understand what the security guard meant by “attitude,” but he quickly figured it out.

“Uncle, tell me, what did he say?”

“He didn’t say much, just mentioned that he’d like to try the kaiseki cuisine at Hua Wu Impression for lunch!”

After hearing this, Zhou Chao pretended to be hesitant and said, “I’ve heard that the kaiseki cuisine at Hua Wu Impression is quite expensive. A single meal could cost tens of thousands. This…”

“Hehe, young man, that’s your business. Its’s your choice to decide.!”

Zhou Chao pondered with a conflicted expression for a moment before saying, “Uncle, let me think it over. It’s still early before noon. I’ll make up my mind and come find you later!”

“Sure, no problem!”

Zhou Chao walked out of the security booth with a regretful expression on his face. The three of them left the gate, and Zhou Chao resumed his calm demeanor.

“Boss, you’re not really planning to take that person to eat kaiseki cuisine, are you?” Wang Feng asked with a puzzled expression.

“You’re overthinking it. I’ve never even been there myself, so how could 1 take him there?”

Lin Wu, did you see the Mercedes-Benz car that just passed by? How much is it worth?”

“Boss, that was a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Its market price is over 3 million yuan, and it’s already out of production. It’s quite rare in China.”

Zhou Chao nodded in response and didn’t say much. Instead, he opened the car door and got in.

“Boss, where are we going now?”

“To the company!”