Zhao Hong slapped his chest without hesitation, "Bring it on! Young master is meant to govern the world, what could Lu Ting possibly throw at me that I can’t handle?"
"Very good, I like your ambition! I have high hopes for you!"
Yang Ge gave him a thumbs-up, showing his approval, "Have you noticed anything after the snow melted these past few days?"
Zhao Hong glanced at him and smartly kept silent.
Yang Ge gently prodded, "Do you remember why you were reluctant to go out those days?"
Zhao Hong thought for a moment and replied, "The streets of Huaxue Street were flooded with dirty water; it was filthy and slippery..."
Yang Ge: "Does this happen in the capital?"
Zhao Hong shook his head, "I’ve never seen such a situation in the capital."
Yang Ge: "Do you know why that is?"
Zhao Hong fell silent again.
Yang Ge exhaled softly, "This is because the capital has a large number of storm drains for water discharge, but Lu Ting doesn’t..."
Once Zhao Hong heard him out, he suddenly remembered and said with a bit of a headache, "The drainage system in the capital was already planned before the city was built, and although there have been some modifications afterwards, they were only minor tweaks. Lu Ting doesn’t even have the basic infrastructure for drainage, how can we just copy that directly?"
Yang Ge scoffed, "Aren’t you the one who wants to govern the world? A tiny place like Lu Ting is also difficult for you to handle?"
"Who do you think you’re looking down on?"
Zhao Hong stood up suddenly, his neck stiff with resolve, "Isn’t it just a matter of mimicking the capital’s drainage system? I’ll take on this job!"
"I’m not asking you to simply mimic the capital and casually install a drainage system and be done with it..."
Yang Ge, smiling, shook his head slowly, "I’m asking you to design and construct a drainage system for Lu Ting, tailored to its specific conditions. It should ensure that rainwater and snow melt can flow smoothly out of the city during rainy and snowy weather, and also ensure that all the wastewater generated from the daily lives of the city’s residents can be effectively discharged out of the city... Isn’t that a challenging task? Do you dare to take it on?"
If this had been before, Zhao Hong would either have refused the job without a second thought, or he would have accepted it without considering the difficulties.
But with the experience of visiting all the streets and alleys of Lu Ting to construct public toilets, just as he finished listening to Yang Ge’s description, he had already roughly outlined the entire scope of the project in his mind... and indeed, he felt somewhat intimidated!
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Without speaking, Zhao Hong waited, while Yang Ge remained relaxed, squinting his eyes to continue enjoying the spring sunshine.
Zhao Hong’s expression fluctuated as he struggled for a good while before finally slamming his fist down and saying, "After all, it’s just a drainage system, I’ll take on this job!"
"That’s the spirit!"
Yang Ge, with a smiling face, gave him another thumbs-up, "Now, I’m going to have to make some demands..."
Zhao Hong gritted his teeth, "Speak!"
Yang Ge straightened his sitting posture and slowly uttered each word deliberately, "First, this project is confined to within Lu Ting. You can recruit any talent currently in Lu Ting to help you. Listen carefully, it can only be the talents present in Lu Ting at this moment; anyone who enters the city after I finish speaking doesn’t count."
"Second, the old rules apply: you must provide the designs first, then carry out the construction. You will handle the finances yourself at the county yamen and recruit labor on your own. I will talk to the Upper Right Bureau, and they will assign you additional manpower from the Command Flag Unit, which you will manage."
"Third, plan carefully. You can’t affect Lu Ting’s normal business operations, nor disturb the regular life of your neighbors. You must also try to minimize costs and improve the quality of the work."
"Time limit: Six months!"
"If you do well, you’ll have free access in and out of Lu Ting in the future."
"If you don’t, you’ll continue to stay and behave yourself in Lu Ting, going nowhere else."
Zhao Hong listened intently to his every requirement and then murmured a complaint, "Actually, those last two sentences... you didn’t have to say them."
Yang Ge spread his hands with a smile, "You can pretend I was just joking with you!"
He laughed as if he really was joking.
But Zhao Hong understood; Yang Ge wasn’t kidding around at all. If he didn’t do well, he wouldn’t be able to step a foot outside Lu Ting!
Run away?
If he fled back to the capital, his father would immediately send him right back, maybe with a couple of Jingtiel rods tied to his back!
Zhao Hong pondered for a long time, then nodded firmly, saying seriously, "I understand, I’ll try my best!"
Yang Ge waved his hand with a touch of relief, "Go on, take your men inside for a break... Miaomiao, put their bill on me today."
Zhao Miao behind the counter reluctantly acknowledged.
Hearing this, Zhao Hong’s face also broke into a gratified smile. He tightened his belt and turned around to wave at the brocade-clad guards behind him, "Come on, today we eat like the wealthy!"
"Thank you, Shopkeeper!"
"Thank you, Shopkeeper!"
The group of brocade-clad guards laughed and bowed to Yang Ge as they followed Zhao Hong’s lead.
Zhao Hong, buoyed with enthusiasm, walked up to the counter and commanded, "Deputy Shopkeeper, bring us two copper hotpots and slice ten pounds of lamb!"
Zhao Miao expressionless, "We’re out of lamb."
Zhao Hong’s face stiffened; then he said, "Then cut us ten pounds of braised pig head meat, prepare ten pounds of ’tongue-tingling’ aroma, and fry up eight or ten small dishes."
Zhao Miao expressionless, "The ’tongue-tingling’ aroma is sold out, only loose white liquor is available."
Zhao Hong slammed the table in impotent rage, "If you don’t have this and you don’t have that, what the hell are you even selling..."
Yang Ge: "Hahaha..."
Inside the hall, the squabbling siblings, and outside, a flea hurried from the end of the street to Yang Ge’s side, whispering joyfully, "Second Master, great news! The matter of the Ming Sect’s Sect Hierarch succession has been settled. King Yang is successfully appointed as the thirty-eighth Sect Hierarch of Ming Sect, and the pass of flame ceremony will be held on Bright Summit on the sixteenth of May, followed by a feast beneath Mount Huang inviting heroes from all over!"
Yang Ge slapped his thigh, smiling from ear to ear as he replied, "Leader Yang is so awesome!"