HCB Chapter 33 Construction Engineering Company
Chapter 33 Construction Engineering Company
The environment of Yuen Long in Hong Kong has a quiet and rural charm unique to the suburbs. Beyond the sparse villages and vast farmlands, it spills over this barren land at the foot of Lam Chau. The eighty acres of land are not very regular, somewhat trapezoidal, but spacious enough. In the distance, the faint shadows of mountains can be seen, and nearby, the grass grows up to knee height, creating waves of green when the wind blows, carrying the earthy and grassy scent.
Lin Zhou walked in the middle of the wasteland, the soil beneath his feet containing many small stones, each step leaving no visible footprint. The excitement of signing the land sale agreement yesterday had not yet completely faded, and now, looking at this land that belonged to him, he felt a heavy sense of responsibility.
He took out a neat stack of A4 paper from his storage space, placed it on a cardboard box, and recorded the shape and size of the land. Then, using a sketching technique, he drew on the paper with a pencil. Soon, the lines on the paper became clear and crisp, and the outline of a modern factory, the layout of the dormitory building and the office building were clearly visible.
A steel structure with corrugated steel roofing was the solution he settled on after repeated consideration. Firstly, the cost was relatively low, and secondly, the construction period was short, allowing the factory to be put into use as soon as possible. As for aesthetics, that wasn't the primary concern at the moment; of course, such factory buildings could be made very attractive. Lin Zhou's priority now was to get the production line up and the products ready for sale as quickly as possible. However, before construction could begin, the land had to be fenced off to prevent future encroachment or unnecessary disputes.
With that in mind, Lin Zhou didn't delay any longer. He put the blueprints and pen into his spatial storage and drove straight to "Hengji Construction Engineering Company," which he had inquired about beforehand. This company wasn't top-tier in Hong Kong, but it specialized in small and medium-sized industrial buildings and factories, had a decent reputation, and its prices were relatively reasonable. Stepping into the company office, the air was filled with a faint smell of ink and tobacco. At several desks, engineers were discussing blueprints in hushed tones.
"Hello, I'm looking for the person in charge," Lin Zhou said to a young woman with a ponytail as he walked to the front desk.
The receptionist glanced at Lin Zhou and saw that he was well-dressed, spoke with neither arrogance nor servility, and had the air of a wealthy young master. She didn't think he was there to cause trouble, so she got up and dialed the internal line.
A moment later, a slightly overweight middle-aged man in a gray suit came out with a professional smile: "Sir? Sorry to keep you waiting, I am Zhou Jianhua, the person in charge of the company."
"Manager Zhou, nice to meet you. I'm Lin Zhou." Lin Zhou shook hands with him and got straight to the point. "I have a piece of land in Yuen Long that I want to build a factory, dormitories, and office buildings. I brought the renderings with me. Please take a look."
Zhou Jianhua took the blueprints and gestured for Lin Zhou to sit down in the reception area. He then asked the receptionist to bring over two cups of tea, while he carefully examined the blueprints. The design on the blueprints wasn't particularly complex, but the layout was reasonable and the functional areas were clearly defined.
The 1,000-square-meter factory building has a high ceiling, with space reserved for assembly lines and storage; the dormitory building has 20 rooms per floor, with four bunk beds in each room, which can accommodate hundreds of workers. There is a simple 200-square-meter canteen and a two-story office building. The first floor is for reception and finance, and the second floor is for offices and meeting rooms. Although small, it has everything you need.
"Mr. Lin, your renderings are quite professional." Zhou Jianhua put down the drawings and tapped the table with his fingertips. "The use of steel structure and sheet metal is indeed cost-effective, but the sound insulation and heat insulation are only so-so. Have you considered that?"
"Right now, let's address the issue of whether we have the facilities or not," Lin Zhou stated bluntly. "We'll do a second round of renovations once we have the funds. The most important thing right now is to finish as soon as possible. Manager Zhou, please give me a fair price."
Zhou Jianhua pondered for a moment, then picked up a pen and calculated on the paper: "The factory is 1,000 square meters, the canteen is 200 square meters, with a steel structure and sheet metal roof, and the ground is hardened with cement. However, the steel structure material for the canteen can be cheap; the dormitory building is three stories high with a total of 60 rooms, simply plastered and fitted with doors; the office area is two stories high, about 600 square meters, with basic decoration. In total, including labor and materials, it will cost at least HK$250,000."
"Two hundred and fifty thousand?" Lin Zhou's heart sank. He had spent a lot of money buying land yesterday, and the newspaper's account was already nearly empty. This two hundred and fifty thousand would almost wipe out the account completely. He subconsciously touched his pocket, feeling a cold, hard texture on his fingertips—it was a set of car keys. But his mind was racing, trying to figure out where to get some money.
Zhou Jianhua, sensing his predicament, softened his tone: "Mr. Lin, this is already the fair price. Transportation in Yuen Long isn't very convenient, so there will be extra charges for material transportation, and labor costs are also based on market rates. Not a penny less. If your factory were made of bricks, cement, and sand, I'm afraid this price wouldn't be possible."
Lin Zhou remained silent for a moment. He knew Zhou Jianhua wasn't asking for an exorbitant price; in Hong Kong's current construction market, it was indeed fair. The problem was, he didn't have that much cash on hand. The factory had to be built, the production line had to be established as soon as possible; missing this opportunity would disrupt all subsequent plans.
"Manager Zhou, can I pay in installments?" Lin Zhou looked up, remembering how migrant workers in his later life always got paid after working, and construction companies always advanced the money first.
"I will pay HK$100,000 upfront, another HK$100,000 when the project is halfway completed, and the remaining HK$50,000 when the project is fully completed and passes inspection."
Zhou Jianhua frowned. Installment payments were risky for construction companies. If the client couldn't keep up with the subsequent funding, the project would be abandoned, and the company would suffer huge losses. He sized up Lin Zhou. Although the young man in front of him was not old, his eyes were calm, and he spoke logically. Moreover, he could buy eighty acres of land in Yuen Long, so he must be no ordinary person.
"Mr. Lin, you have businesses in Hong Kong, so there shouldn't be any problem, right?" Zhou Jianhua asked tentatively.
"I'm the owner of the Zhonghua Daily. You can inquire about me." Lin Zhou handed over his business card, which only showed his name, job title, and office phone number.
"The newspaper is operating well right now, but we're experiencing a slight cash flow problem recently. However, payment is absolutely guaranteed. If you're concerned, we can stipulate in the contract that if I delay payment, I will pay a penalty on a daily basis."
Zhou Jianhua took the business card and glanced at it. He had always bought the *Zhonghua Daily*, but now he remembered Lin Zhou. He had heard of him; the recently popular serialized novel *A Step into the Past* was written by Lin Zhou, and his fame was growing, with good newspaper sales. He pondered for a moment, then nodded: "OK, Mr. Lin, your novel is very good. I can trust you. Let's do it as you said, paying in three installments. I'll have the contract drafted now, and we'll sign it today."
Lin Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease. The two parties quickly finalized the contract details. Lin Zhou carefully read through it, confirmed there were no problems, and then signed his name. Holding the signed contract, Lin Zhou felt both excited and anxious. The factory issue was settled, but a new problem arose: the money for purchasing equipment and production lines was still unresolved.