"I know him. He built my airport." Jiang Hai smiled as he heard Mayor Wallis' introduction.
Indeed, Jiang Hai knew this man named Hurt Charles, because it was his team that built the airport when Jiang Hai constructed it. However, since Jiang Hai built the airport on a plain, the work was relatively simple. In addition to a hangar, all he needed to do was level the land and build a runway. The amount of work was minimal, and it wasn't too troublesome. It took less than a week from the start of repairs to completion, and naturally, the cost was not significant. Jiang Hai had also met the head of the engineering team, who was Hurt Charles.
"Yes, Mr. Jiang, are you satisfied with the airport?" Hurt Charles laughed upon hearing Jiang Hai's words.
Hurt Charles' current position could be compared to what China calls a contractor, but American contractors not only manage workers but also own a range of machinery. They are often referred to as construction companies. However, despite being called companies, they typically don't have many employees or large machinery. For a big project like Winthrop Development, small companies like his can't handle it alone, so they join forces with other companies.
There are many small firms like this in the United States, and they can take on both public and private construction projects. If it were in China, such a company would clearly not be qualified for the job. Yet, in the United States, most projects are handled by these small engineering teams.
Jiang Hai had heard of Hurt Charles. He was a long-time resident of Winthrop. His parents still lived in Winthrop, but he had moved to Boston, where it was easier to secure projects. This time, when Winthrop was being developed, Hurt Charles leveraged his connections as a local to secure the construction rights for the town's commercial street.
Other companies were responsible for road construction, expanding the shooting range, and building seaside villas, including extending the pier. But despite his connections, it wasn't as though he could manipulate things. This was private construction, not government work. The officials involved were either Wallis' confidants or Moses Adams' people. If any corruption was found, the consequences wouldn't be as simple as jail time. There would be no tolerance for any dishonesty. Jiang Hai would allow them to profit if they earned it, but if they stepped out of line, he would make sure they faced legal consequences.
It was clear that the three companies involved in the project understood the stakes. They knew that Winthrop and Jiang Hai were not to be trifled with, and the quality of the work reflected that.
"Very good. Are you free now? If so, come with me to my manor and take a look." Upon hearing Hurt Charles' question, Jiang Hai nodded, excited. It was certainly a good thing to resolve this matter.
"It may not be possible right now. I still need to discuss some matters with Mayor Wallis regarding the merchants for the commercial street. The foundations for the twelve houses you requested have been laid. The areas for other merchants need to be prepared one by one, so we need to discuss it first. However, I should have time in the afternoon, and I can come by your place to take a look then." Building a house in the United States is no small task. In China, once a house is built, it's done and if you no longer want it, someone else will likely take it. But in the U.S., every house is sold before it's built, so it must be constructed to the owner's specifications. Whether they want a rectangular house, a square one, or even a trapezoidal design, it must be done exactly as requested. Once construction is nearly complete, it's too late to make changes. Jiang Hai was quite impressed by Hurt Charles' thoroughness.
"Okay, then, in the afternoon," Jiang Hai agreed. He had originally planned to take him directly to the manor, but since Hurt Charles had other commitments, Jiang Hai wasn't in a rush. Besides, he had finally arrived in town, and it would be inappropriate not to visit Cindy Clive. More importantly, he still had a gift for her. After exchanging a few words with Mayor Wallis, Jiang Hai got into his car and drove into Winthrop.
The traffic in town was still not great, and it took half an hour to drive from the commercial street to the town government. After parking the car, Jiang Hai walked into the town hall. As soon as he stepped inside, he broke into a slight sweat. It seemed incredibly busy. Town employees were running around, some even talking on the phone while in motion.
This chaotic scene was a result of the town government not allowing construction teams to contract both labor and materials. The town purchased the materials themselves, specifying the quantity and grade required for the construction sites. While this created extra work, it also ensured that no materials would be substituted or tampered with, guaranteeing the highest quality.
Such a workload kept everyone busy. Apart from the construction teams, there were also the residents of the town to consider—some families had grown, some had moved, and others were dealing with housing and environmental issues.
The town government originally had only eight employees, but now there were sixteen, including a dozen newly hired staff, yet it was still very hectic. Cindy Clive held a semi-leadership role and was in charge of overseeing the beach villa construction, so she had been particularly busy. As Jiang Hai entered, he saw her holding a stack of documents, talking on the phone, while also keeping an eye on her computer screen. He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her.
"Hi, Cindy." After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Hai greeted her when she finally put down the phone.
Upon hearing his voice, several employees looked at Jiang Hai, and when their gaze shifted to Cindy Clive, a hint of amusement appeared in their eyes. The situation between Jiang Hai and Cindy Clive was not exactly a secret in this small town.
"What are you doing here?" Cindy Clive gave him a shy glance as she hurried over with the stack of documents, then spoke to him, somewhat guilty. She knew she'd been too busy recently, and her relationship with Jiang Hai seemed to have cooled. But she had no choice; she was career-driven and couldn't ignore her job. Besides, this was a task that Mayor Wallis had personally assigned to her.
"I came to see you. If you won't come to see me, then I'll be the one to come to you," Jiang Hai replied, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture.
Cindy Clive chuckled, clearly pleased by his words.
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm also very busy here. Once I'm done with this work, I'll probably have some free time." She patted him lightly, then added, "We'll have time for that then."
"By the way, it's almost noon. How about we have lunch together?" Jiang Hai asked, hopeful. He knew there was still a chance, and though her recent busyness had left him feeling a little neglected, Cindy Clive remained the best candidate for his future wife in his heart.
"No way, sorry. I'm really too busy here. Once the town is finished, I'll treat you to a meal," Cindy Clive sighed, apologetic. She truly wanted to go, but the timing wasn't right. She knocked her head in frustration and added with a touch of annoyance, "You'll have to wait."
"That's really a pity. By the way, I brought you a gift from China. I hope you like it." Jiang Hai responded with a slight sigh, understanding that he would have to wait for a while. He then took out the Hetian jade ring he had brought back from China and handed it to Cindy Clive.
When Cindy Clive opened it and saw the ring, her face turned red. Everyone knew the significance of a ring. Cindy hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond.
"I'll take it. We'll have dinner later," she said, though she didn't put the ring on in front of Jiang Hai. Her response was ambiguous—she didn't fully accept or reject him, but she didn't refuse the gift either. She simply put it away and spoke to him.
Jiang Hai understood her hesitation. He nodded, gave her a brief hug, and then left the town government. As he walked out, he couldn't help but sigh. There were still many challenges ahead. But Cindy hadn't rejected him, and he understood that he just needed to wait for her to settle down.
With that in mind, Jiang Hai returned to his car, drove to the Mexican-style restaurant near Winthrop where Cindy had previously taken him, and picked up some food. He then headed back to the manor.
Not long after he arrived, Hurt Charles also showed up. Instead of rushing to discuss prices, he joined Jiang Hai and others for a helicopter tour of the manor. Having studied design in college, Hurt Charles had already envisioned the shape of a river that would flow around the cattle farm and forest in an S-shape. The starting point would be near the villa residential area, and the estuary would be close to the forest. The benefits of this plan were clear: it would preserve the large lawns, ensure soil integrity near the estuary, and accommodate Jiang Hai's needs.
(To be continued...)