865: Chapter 864: Grand Gathering!
Killing Intent!
865: Chapter 864: Grand Gathering!
Killing Intent!
Truck after truck, excavator after excavator, loader after loader, they lined up in rows.
And it was as if they were celebrating a festival, each adorned with a big red flower and fluttering with little colorful flags.
Each construction unit involved had arranged for their personnel to assemble on site.
The sun blazed like fire.
The scene was extraordinarily lively.
For a long ti, Bing Province had wanted to tightly connect Tongcheng and Lucheng, these two major cities.
It could not only promote economic and trade exchanges between the two places, boosting economic developnt, but also drive the developnt of poverty-stricken areas.
However…
Though the idea was good, reality was cruel.
The distance between the two places seed short, but the complex terrain and landforms predestined a high bridge and tunnel ratio, warranting high construction costs.
As the saying goes,
Building highways, the money paves the road.
Without money, who would dare to construct a highway?
But now, things have changed.
Wu Jie, who had made his fortune, did not forget to give back to his hotown and villagers.
Liulizhou Tanglong Industrial Group, under the PPP model, was responsible for investnt, construction, and operation, with an investnt of fifty billion yuan, to build the long-anticipated Bing City West Mountain Expressway for nearly forty million people.
This expressway was designed to be 247 kiloters in length, with a dual-direction six-lane layout, a design speed of 120 kiloters per hour, with eight toll stations, six service areas, and a total investnt of 51.8 billion yuan.
Because of the high cost of resettlent compensation, high bridge and tunnel ratio, many lanes, and a multitude of high-tech equipnt…
The average cost per kiloter exceeded two hundred million, rightfully earning it the title of the most expensive dostic expressway ever built.
Especially this expressway, which had innovated the introduction of many new technologies.
When driving on the expressway, the most annoying parts for drivers are the tunnels and bridges.
Not only because they require speed limits – perhaps previously they were zooming at 120 km/h, but upon encountering a bridge or tunnel, they had to slow down to 90 or even 70, causing the journey to not be truly high-speed throughout, fluctuating speeds can easily lead to accidents.
There’s also the large contrast in lighting inside and outside the tunnels, which can easily cause visual confusion for the driver leading to accidents, and overly cautious drivers may choose to travel at a snail’s pace, causing jams without accidents, creating a ‘devilish roadblock’ phenonon.
Moreover, once an accident occurs and soone occupies the ergency lane, it leads to slow rescue and affects the efficiency of traffic recovery.
Additionally, fog, icing, landslides, and such can also easily result in accidents or road closures.
For these reasons,
the expressway will make use of a large amount of technology equipnt to ensure smooth high-speed travel throughout the entire route.
High technology ans high construction cost.
So could this astonishingly costly, highly significant expressway not attract a multitude of dia focus?
As it approached nine o’clock,
the leaders and guests attending the groundbreaking ceremony had already begun to arrive one after another.
Chu Yunxuan had been busy all this ti, checking the arrangents on the stage, verifying the entire ceremony procedure…
Today, many important figures were present, leaders from various levels and departnts of the province, city, and county had co in large numbers.
Of course, Chu Yunxuan knew that the highest-ranked was Lu Songfu, who replaced Wei Yun and had not been in office for long.
Lu Songfu was a pragmatic man who had been on the go almost every day since his appointnt.
He had surveyed every city and county in the province, gauging and investigating the local situations and understanding the current status of various industries.
As the saying goes,
If you want to be rich, build roads first.
Lu Songfu too had high hopes for this expressway.
At last night’s banquet, he emphasized
that opening up this economic lifeline would create a favorable situation where both sides could take off together, leading to a full-scale poverty alleviation.
Thirty to forty million people would be able to escape poverty and beco wealthy, enjoying convenient travel through this route.
And because it was held in such high regard, he was the most senior official yet arrived the earliest.
After arriving, he went deep into each construction unit to understand the situation.
Such diligent dedication was admirable to Chu Yunxuan.
Before long,
three black sedans slowly drove into the VIP parking area.
The atmosphere on the site instantly beca even more lively.
Many dia journalists surged forward, pointing their caras at the disembarking Wu Jie.
What puzzled Chu Yunxuan was…
Why did Wu Jie co with bodyguards today?
The four young n following him looked particularly robust and strong, each carrying a black case, very alert.
Walking along the red carpet, the group of five made their way to the dia interview area.
Many journalists, excited and ready to ask questions, but…
Wu Jie and his party didn’t stay and instead went straight to the exhibition area beside the stage.
There, they placed a large multidia screen that displayed an overview of the entire expressway, its design, construction, etc., using CG animation.
Additionally, there were a series of panels providing a rich, graphic introduction to the whole project.
At the mont, Lu Songfu and many leaders were there, listening to engineers from various units give on-site presentations.
Chu Yunxuan was watching sowhat captivated when suddenly, a man in a black suit approached.
“During the groundbreaking ceremony, the soil-turning session is canceled!”
Chu Yunxuan was taken aback and frowned slightly as she glanced at the person.
“Who are you?
Why should I listen to you?”
The other party showed his credentials right away, “To ensure safety, it’s canceled, understand?”
“Fine!
I understand!”
Chu Yunxuan nodded slightly.
Yet her heart was filled with even more confusion.
Wu Jie had never been one for pomp and circumstance, and yet today he unexpectedly had bodyguards with him.
Many large construction projects have symbolic soil-digging by leaders to signify the start of the project, yet it was to be suddenly canceled.
Isn’t this just a groundbreaking ceremony for a road construction project?
Why had the Security Bureau shown up as well?
What exactly was going on?
Although Chu Yunxuan was puzzled, she promptly went to make arrangents.
Cancelling this part was actually easier and simpler.
But…
Chu Yunxuan soon realized that the new arrivals in black suits were inspecting everything ticulously, as if searching for a rat, almost to the point of dismantling the stage.
What did this an?
Could it be suspected that soone would cause trouble at today’s ceremony?
All the residents affected by the expressway had willingly signed the agreents.
All the tendering processes had been fair, just, and open.
This road was significant and offered many benefits; which lunatic would co here to cause trouble?
“A thorough check is good, just to prevent any mishaps!”
Chu Yunxuan could only comfort herself in this way.
Changing clothes, applying makeup, rehearsing lines…
Nine o’clock on the dot.
With the uplifting music, everyone gradually took their places.
The ceremony wasn’t long, and being on a construction site, there was no possibility of setting up seats or benches.
Groups stood according to their organizations, while the leaders present stood in the VIP area.
Chu Yunxuan adjusted her breathing and then, holding the microphone, stepped onto the stage.
Today, she was the master of ceremonies.
Clad in a fiery red gown with light makeup, she was exceptionally radiant as she appeared.
The bustling scene quickly settled into silence.
Chu Yunxuan on the stage was not the least bit nervous or flustered.
After all, she had once been a top student and a sales director, familiar with such scenes.
Her fluent and clear pronunciation, along with her bright and open smile,
followed by a ticulously prepared introduction, naturally led to inviting Lu Songfu, the highest-ranking official, to speak.
In the VIP area below the stage,
Wu Jie suddenly felt as if he had returned to his student days when the headmaster would say he’d keep it brief.
And then…
Damn it, it was much more than brief!
For this event, Lu Songfu was clearly prepared.
He started by talking about how significant the highway was and how important the construction was.
Then he escalated, discussing poverty alleviation, green developnt, and energy conservation, and how the province should advance.
The sun was blazing!
Everyone was baking in the sun.
But because many were so excited, the short speech was t with enthusiastic applause several tis.
And so photographers, undeterred by the heat,
hustled around with their caras, jumping up and down to capture the event from various angles.
They probably needed to choose the best shots for the news later, so they had to take lots, and take them well.
After the thunderous applause, Lu Songfu did not leave the stage but stepped to the side instead.
Chu Yunxuan walked to the front of the stage, offered a polite smile, and extended an invitation:
“Next, let’s welco with applause, Mr.
Wu Jie, Senior Director of Liulizhou Tanglong Industrial Group, to give his speech.”
The applause was quite warm.
Wu Jie smiled as he walked up to the podium and gave a slight bow.
His gaze swept over the crowd.
There were indeed a lot of people at the event today.
Employees of the construction companies, guests, and the public stood in ordered blocks.
Being on a vast and flat expanse of land, with no high-rise buildings or mountains nearby,
Wu Jie believed it unlikely for a sniper to be in ambush.
Any assassin intent on making a move would likely be disguised among these thousands of people.
“I am delighted that the West Mountain Expressway, which I have longed for, is finally breaking ground today!”
“Looking back, to attend university in Tianyuan from my hotown in Pingle Town, it took nearly five hours by bus to reach Tongcheng!”
“With winding mountain roads, steep inclines, and narrow paths, there were sadly many casualties due to car accidents each year, and backward transportation severely limited economic growth!”
“Take the citrus and blood oranges my family used to grow—here in Tongcheng, they could sell for four or five yuan per jin, but at ho, no fruit dealer dared to buy them for even a yuan per jin.
Why?”
“Because the fruit rchants were afraid the produce would be damaged by the ti they reached Tongcheng due to the bumpy roads, or perhaps they were just looking for an excuse to drive the price down.
But the inconvenient travel really caused too much suffering for the people!”
“Thus, I solemnly promise here today that once this expressway is complete, any truck carrying fresh agricultural and livestock products will have permanent free passage, including for refrigerated and processed goods!”
“In addition, all new energy electric vehicles, whether passenger cars or trucks, will receive a 50% discount on toll fees on this expressway, and the cost of replacing batteries at the service area charging stations will also be halved!”
…
Unlike Lu Songfu’s overly official speech, Wu Jie’s speech was all about tangible benefits.
Since it’s a road for poverty alleviation and wealth creation, there must be sufficient welfare asures to promote it.
Besides, with more than 50 billion yuan spent on road construction, what’s a bit of fee reduction?
Not only would it help boost the outbound sales of agricultural products, allowing rural folks to increase their wealth, but it would also drive the sales of the group’s new energy vehicles.
Why shouldn’t one be happy about that?
Therefore…
Wu Jie’s speech clearly elicited even more enthusiasm from the public and the workers of the participating companies.
So couldn’t resist shouting and cheering.
Especially the traders dealing in agricultural products, they were imdiately thrilled.
The existing policy of waiving tolls for trucks on expressways applied to fresh products.
Fresh cabbages, for example, could pass for free, but not if they were frozen.
And so produce like potatoes and onions that stored well and weren’t perishable wasn’t eligible for free passage.
Vegetable transport must be fast, and fuel and tolls are the highest costs.
If the group could produce pure electric trucks, the savings on shipping costs would be significant!
Of course.
Wu Jie soon announced another major benefit.
Along the expressway, he planned to select a scenic location to acquire tens of thousands of mu to build a Future Science and Research City.
This research city, with an investnt of hundreds of billions, would house nurous researchers, build nurous supporting facilities, and deploy a vast array of sophisticated equipnt to beco the main base for new energy, new materials, and new technology research.
It would allow researchers to work in a pristine environnt, free from worries about retirent, healthcare, education, and other issues, and dedicate themselves entirely to scientific research.
The hundreds of billions of investnt would bring about a trendous economic effect and could result in wealth for countless people.
It was imasurable.
In an instant, applause and cheers grew even louder.
Wu Jie finished speaking, but the applause lingered on long after.
Chu Yunxuan invited Lu Songfu to step forward.
Inside the VIP area, the ceremony hostesses invited several important leaders to the stage.
The traditional ‘breaking ground’ ceremony was replaced with a ‘ribbon-cutting’.
Centered around Wu Jie and Lu Songfu, others gradually took their places on both sides.
Holding the long red ribbon, they received the scissors passed by the hostesses.
Many photographers scrambled to take pictures from below the stage.
“I declare the West Mountain Expressway officially under construction!”
In unison, they called out and cut the ribbon.
In an instant,
Drums and firecrackers resounded, booming noises filled the sky, and the site erupted with cheers from the crowd.
On the lively stage, so cheered and clapped, so whispered to each other.
And there were those who took the opportunity to inch closer to Wu Jie.
Lu Songfu handed back the scissors and smiled as he shook hands with Wu Jie.
Just then, the air was charged with a murderous intent.
A shadowy figure let out a fierce shout and lunged forward…
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