Building houses and even constructing bridges and roads—these, Little Six could understand.
But railways… high-speed rail…
Those involved municipal planning and regional infrastructure—matters tied to economic development. These had long been monopolized by the state. No ordinary company could dream of touching them.
Jiang Fuyue said, “Primary construction rights belong to the state—we don’t touch that, and of course, I’m not asking you to. But the state can’t cover every detail. Do you really think they’re going to have their own people mixing concrete, tying rebar, and screwing in bolts?”
Little Six shook his head. That was obviously unrealistic.
“Public bidding is the norm for major projects. This opens up outsourcing opportunities. Some parts—like mixing cement—are low-skill and have no entry threshold. But others are highly technical, precise, and demanding. The former any average contractor can do well. The latter requires companies with proper qualifications.”
“If you’re only doing the former, you might as well stay at Queen. It’s better than being a glorified foreman.”
There was definitely a touch of provocation in Jiang Fuyue’s words.
But Little Six didn’t rush to answer. He thought it over before replying, “…Of course I want to do the latter. But it’s not something I can achieve alone.”
Jiang Fuyue smiled. If Little Six had agreed on the spot, she’d actually have been more worried. His current caution reassured her.
The satisfaction in her gaze deepened.
“As for money, Uncle Liu can sort that out. But how that money’s spent, who it’s spent on, and what connections it earns you—that’s all on you.”
Little Six’s eyes lit up. “Don’t worry, I get it!”
Just as Jiang Fuyue’s group left, Hu Ben’s call came through.
Little Six had barely said, “Bro,” before a storm hit him from the other end—
“Are you out of your mind? You’re giving up the bar, ditching the suits, and getting into construction?!”
Little Six coughed lightly and rubbed his nose. “So… you already know, huh?”
How could Hu Ben not know?
Liu Jinzhong had just called to tell him to take over everything at Queen ASAP. Hu Ben had been stunned.
His first thought was that Little Six had bombed the assessment.
But thinking deeper, that didn’t add up.
Little Six had clearly told him business was good, that he’d met the targets.
After pressing him, he found out the guy was off to start a construction company. Insane!
“This is great, actually.” Compared to the furious Hu Ben, Little Six was calm—his voice even held a trace of amusement.
“Great, my *ss! I asked around. That company’s brand new, has zero background. You’re walking away from a comfy life to go chew on dirt?”
“Bro, you’re overthinking it. Sister Yue won’t treat me unfairly.”
“Even so, it’s not as comfortable as running a bar. Weren’t we living pretty damn well lately? Don’t just get hyped by a few words from Sister Yue and go throwing yourself into chaos. You’ll suffer for it!”
Call it a “construction company” if you want, but let’s be real—it’s labor work.
Sun, wind, rough crews—it’s all backbreaking labor for meager pay.
“No, I’m calling Sister Yue right now. Tell her you regret it and ask her to give Queen back to you.”
“Bro, that’s pointless. It’s already decided.”
Hu Ben snapped, “Then I just won’t take over! Let’s see what they do then!”
“Don’t…” Little Six sighed, a little helpless, a little touched. “Do you believe me when I say, the moment you refuse, someone else will jump to take your place?”
Hu Ben fell silent.
He knew very well—nothing he did could threaten Jiang Fuyue.
Little Six sighed again. “You’ve seen it too these days. Sister Yue’s influence goes far beyond two bars. She’s got an army of people willing to work for her. We met her by chance—didn’t start on good terms—but now she’s entrusting King and Queen to us. It’s a sign of recognition. But at the end of the day, it’s also a kind of training and test.”
Hu Ben didn’t interrupt—just listened.
Little Six knew he was taking it seriously, so he continued, “If we can’t pass this stage, we’ll be discarded. Sure, Sister Yue is decent—she’d still find us a stable position. We wouldn’t starve. In that sense, our relationship wouldn’t have been in vain.”
“But bro… are you really content? After tasting the high life, would you go back to mediocrity and muddle through the rest of your life?”
Of course Hu Ben wasn’t. His suddenly ragged breath gave him away.
Little Six relaxed a bit, knowing he wouldn’t rashly go confront Jiang Fuyue now. His tone softened, but his words remained weighty:
“We’re just two unremarkable pawns on Sister Yue’s board. We can’t outwit Jiang Ke, can’t outmaneuver Uncle Liu, and even Liu Sisi is more useful than us.”
He continued, “If we want the player to actually notice us, we can’t stay in place on the board.”
He finished with: “You’ll take both bars for now—hold them down for me. One day, this’ll be our territory. As for me, I’m going to move—start carving out new ground. A foot soldier who crosses the river can become a chariot when the time is right.”
Hu Ben: “And what about me? I don’t need to move?”
Little Six: “No rush. We’ll go step by step. One day, in the blueprint of Sister Yue’s empire, there’ll be a piece carved out by us brothers.”
Everyone knew—Jiang Fuyue’s ambition wouldn’t stop here.
And if she was charging forward, they could only charge harder, farther…
