At noon the next day, Fang Bai and his father met the construction contractor, a middle-aged man in his forties named Lu Dahai, who was from Wuchuan, Guangdong Province. His masons were all from his hometown village, and they came to Wen City specifically to find work.
Upon closer thought, it was true that most locals were unwilling to do masonry work, feeling that it was not as comfortable as working in an office.
Because of this, construction labor costs in Wen City were higher than in Guangdong and Guangxi, and the final construction cost was also higher.
Fang Bai felt that this contractor was quite capable, already knowing to come to Jiangnan Province to find work.
Listening to him speak, his Mandarin had a strong local accent, and while he didn't speak fast, he could speak clearly, which was quite good.
Fang Bai and his father took Lu Dahai to see the foundation, first listening to his construction suggestions.
After walking around, the contractor Lu Dahai said, "Boss, the shallow soil quality of your foundation is good. You can see the bearing soil layer by digging two meters. If you build a five-story building, you don't need to drive piles. I think this four-meter-deep foundation is enough. It looks like it has been dug for a long time, and the foundation has settled for a sufficient period, so you can start working directly."
"If you want to build a shopping mall, the strength needs to be higher than that of a residential building. We did a similar project in the urban area last year, so we have experience. There's no problem, please rest assured."
Lu Dahai spoke of many of their advantages, trying to impress Fang Bai and his father.
This was a big project, with a relatively large workload, equivalent to building more than ten residential houses.
After going around, he realized that it was the son who made the decisions, probably because the son earned the money. Thinking of this, it made him even more respectful of Fang Bai.
"Boss, you can list your requirements, and I will explain them clearly to my subordinates, okay?"
After listening to some of the contractor's suggestions, Fang Bai felt they were acceptable, but some ideas were outdated. He put forward his requirements according to his own ideas.
"Boss Lu, I have a few points. First, our shopping mall project is on a tight schedule. The total construction area is about 1050 square meters, and currently, only the first floor is being built. If the construction is good and the quality is up to standard, the future 2nd to 5th floors can all be given to you."
Fang Bai put forward the first requirement, while also drawing a big picture. Of course, if they did a good job, he would indeed choose them again.
However, to build the second floor, it would probably take one or two years, and they might not still be in Wen City by then.
"Second, construction must follow the blueprints. I found a design firm to do the design. Do you have anyone who understands blueprints?"
Lu Dahai listened carefully, then patted his chest and guaranteed, "There's no problem with this point. I can understand them, and if there's anything I don't understand, I'll definitely ask the design firm clearly before starting construction. We won't just build haphazardly."
Fang Bai saw that his attitude was quite good, and he said calmly, "Alright then, the third requirement is that if the construction is wrong, that's your problem, and I demand rework.
If it's just a minor issue that doesn't have a big impact and can pass inspection, we won't make you rework it, but we will deduct money. These requirements must be written in the contract.
Just three requirements: construction period, quality, and construction according to drawings."
After Fang Bai finished speaking, Lu Dahai thought for a moment. The requirements were a bit strict, but still achievable. He said,
"Boss, with the preliminary foundation work already done, we save a lot of trouble. As long as the materials are ready, we can complete the rough construction in one month. After completion, we need to wait for a while before removing the formwork, about a week. Then, in another month, we can finish plastering, installing water and electricity, and tiling. All these tasks can be completed."
"Okay, I hope you can build according to my requirements. I will come to supervise whenever I have time, and I may also invite people from the design firm to supervise."
After a brief thought, Fang Bai, having probed the other party's information, felt that he could entrust them with the construction.
Otherwise, it was not easy to find a construction team these days, or they would already be busy, and he would have to wait.
The problem was that he was in a hurry to open for business.
Thinking that he didn't have time to supervise, he still had to find a way to invite people from the design firm to supervise, after all, the blueprints were designed by them.
It was already early December, and if he could get it operational before the Spring Festival, that would be even better.
He had to rush the work, so Fang Bai requested that the other party start construction tomorrow.
"Don't worry, Boss, we can enter the site this afternoon."
Lu Dahai felt a lot of pressure when he heard that there would be professional supervision, but this was also a learning opportunity to gain experience, making it much easier to take on larger projects in the future.
They also hoped to finish before the Spring Festival, receive their payment, and go home for a good New Year.
Next, it was time to discuss the price. The contractor requested payment after each completed phase.
Fang Bai had no objections. There was no need to make the other party advance funds. As long as the quality met the requirements, he would pay promptly. He would retain a 5% quality guarantee deposit, to be paid two months later. This payment requirement was a headache for the contractor, but he eventually agreed.
Both parties signed the contract. Fang Bai's father went to find materials, not opting for a full package, but rather a semi-package, responsible for purchasing bricks, rebar, and cement, with everything else contracted by Lu Dahai.
A full package would certainly yield more profit, but since Lu Dahai couldn't get a full package, he asked for a higher labor price.
Fang Bai's main concern was the quality of materials. In those days, there were many inferior products, mainly due to outdated production processes and equipment.
His father had worked as a bricklayer, though not extensively, but he still knew a lot.
The job of collecting money from selling TVs at home was given to his mother, who was actually more efficient and talkative than his father.
In the afternoon, Lu Dahai had his team enter the site to first organize the foundation.
Fang Bai told his father that he hoped to start operations before the Spring Festival. If Lu Dahai had good material channels, he could also introduce them, and it was normal for the other party to earn some intermediary fees, as sometimes what you bought yourself was not necessarily the best.
After Fang Bai finished lunch and took a short nap, he got up to review his books.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, he rode his bicycle to his father-in-law's processing plant. His father was using the family's motorcycle and had gone out to find materials.
His father-in-law was working inside the house. Seeing Fang Bai arrive on his bicycle, he stopped his work and came out, laughing as he greeted him.
"Fang Laodi, why aren't you riding your motorcycle today?"
"It's not that far, just getting some exercise," Fang Bai replied with a smile. It really wasn't far, but he had been riding a motorcycle for a while and no longer wanted to ride a bicycle.
"That's good for exercise. You came at just the right time. I have a question to ask you. I still didn't quite understand some of the things you mentioned about 5S last time."
"This 5S originated in Japan. Its content is Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. Currently, most domestic factories haven't implemented this, but some foreign companies have. This is a site management method to expand a business. Of course, one thing to note is that our goal in doing this is to improve site management efficiency and quality, not just for show..."
Fang Bai spoke eloquently. Many companies in later generations implemented this 5S, especially state-owned enterprises, mostly for show. A steel structure factory's floor would be cleaner than a worker's face, which was truly unnecessary.
However, to cope with inspections from superiors, 5S was enforced very strictly.
To truly grasp it, it wasn't that simple.
Next, Fang Bai gave his father-in-law an example, explaining how to properly arrange tools in the processing plant, where to place them for easy access and high efficiency, rather than just for aesthetics.
Being able to "improve efficiency and quality" was the essence, not just superficial appearance.
Fang Bai instilled advanced management concepts in his father-in-law, speaking little each time. From the current situation, after a month of organization, his family's processing plant was much better than most small workshops.
Qin Donghai wanted to find an opportunity to discuss a partnership with Fang Bai, seeing that Fang Bai had time today.
"Fang Laodi, do you have time to relax together?"
"What?" Fang Bai didn't understand.
"It's for a foot massage. I see you're often out on business, and it's quite tiring. When you make money, you should learn to enjoy it, right?" Qin Donghai said somewhat unnaturally. He had indeed taken clients to foot massage parlors, so how could he not have experienced it himself?
Of course, they were all 'clean' ones.
As he spoke, he also paid attention to Fang Bai's expression, seeing that he seemed indifferent, as if he didn't like it.
Fang Bai understood. How could he not understand?
However, he had to pretend not to understand: "Oh, I shower every night. I heat water at home to wash, and my body is quite clean, so there's no need to wash again."
"Oh, this is, it's just going to a massage parlor for a foot massage to relax, it's legitimate."
"But I still don't understand. I've never been. What's legitimate or not legitimate?" Fang Bai said "Oh" with a look of sudden realization, as if hearing it for the first time.
Qin Donghai felt that he had made a mistake in suggesting this, as Fang Bai didn't seem to understand.
"Old Qin, I'm leaving now. I still have some things to do at home. I'm not interested in that thing of yours." Fang Bai quickly fled. He couldn't leave a bad impression on him.
If his father-in-law took his son-in-law for a foot massage, and his mother-in-law and Qin Shuyu found out about it later, that would be interesting.
Before Qin Donghai could react, Fang Bai had already ridden off.
Looking at Fang Bai's retreating figure, Qin Donghai hesitated, scratching his head: My goodness, why did Fang Laodi run so fast!
If you don't go, if we don't deepen our relationship, and without a quiet place, how can I bring up the matter of partnering with you?