After a pause, Jiang Si suddenly realized something.
Her original draft had already been heavily revised by Shen Dong, with numerous data points altered.
Submitting design drawings of this quality to the construction team was clearly unacceptable.
With this in mind, she turned directly to Professor Li and said, "I’ll work quickly to finalize the design drawings."
To her surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, Professor Li gave her a troubled look.
"Xiao Jiang, the previous design proposal was rejected by the higher-ups."
Jiang Si was taken aback. "Rejected?"
"Yes."
Afraid she might misunderstand, Professor Li quickly explained, "It’s not that your design had issues—it’s just that the requirements from above have changed."
Originally, the foreign-related hotel was planned to have 16 floors.
But after Jiang Si’s remarks in the meeting room that day, the project team had worked overnight to recalculate the measurements.
When they saw the final results, everyone broke out in a cold sweat.
Even though Jiang Si’s design had already accounted for window orientation and wall treatments, the construction department, prioritizing safety, reported the situation to the higher-ups.
Unsurprisingly, the design proposal was sent back.
And the higher-ups issued new directives.
Professor Li continued, "First: The building’s height must be reduced. The total number of floors cannot exceed 14, but the overall design concept and functional zoning must remain unchanged."
"Second: The number of guest rooms for hospitality purposes cannot be reduced."
Jiang Si frowned after hearing this.
Height restrictions, yet no reduction in room count—under normal circumstances, the only solution would be to expand horizontally.
But in that location, all available land had already been cleared.
The surrounding areas were now occupied by municipal offices and state-run stores, leaving no extra space for expansion.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Professor Li presented another challenge. "The footprint remains the same—there’s no way to expand outward."
Jiang Si gave him a look that said, "I knew it!"
But Professor Li wasn’t finished. "On top of that, the higher-ups have also raised the seismic resistance requirements for the building."
This didn’t surprise Jiang Si.
Last month, a powerful earthquake (magnitude 7.8) had struck Tonghai in Yun Province, and tremors were reportedly felt even in Capital City. So, it made sense for the authorities to consider this.
Professor Li listed a few more requirements, and now it was Jiang Si’s turn to look troubled.
"..."
No wonder people always said, "Money is hard to earn, and sht is hard to swallow!"
With so many demands, she was bound to lose a few brain cells over this!
But the contract was already signed—it was too late for regrets.
Fortunately, many of these challenges had already been solved in later years.
After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Si said, "I understand. I’ll work on completing this as soon as possible."
Hearing this, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.
Next, Professor Li introduced Jiang Si to several key members of the project team.
"This is Engineer Zhang, responsible for the structural safety of the entire building. You’ll be working closely with him."
"This is Engineer Wang, in charge of plumbing and drainage."
"This is Engineer Liu, handling the electrical systems."
"This is Engineer Zhao, responsible for HVAC..."
In addition to these, there were also drafting technicians, Assistant Qi, and staff handling logistics and coordination.
After exchanging greetings, Professor Li said, "The construction team’s leader is dealing with an urgent matter at the site. I’ll formally introduce you later."
Jiang Si nodded in understanding.
With everything discussed, it was already quite late.
They had a simple lunch in the cafeteria, and in the afternoon, Jiang Si accompanied Professor Li and the others to the construction site.
Though she had memorized the blueprints, being on-site gave her a different perspective.
Jiang Si took out her camera and snapped several photos of the ongoing construction.
She then walked around the vicinity, observing the surrounding roads and adjacent buildings—while also waiting for the construction team’s leader.
But after waiting over two hours, there was still no sign of him.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting so long," Professor Li apologized.
Jiang Si, unfamiliar with the situation, simply said, "Since he’s busy, we’ll head back. There’ll be plenty of chances to meet later."
Still, glancing at the lax atmosphere at the construction site, she couldn’t help but voice a reminder.
If the construction team failed to deliver quality work on time, she’d be in trouble too.
Professor Li clearly realized this as well. After Jiang Si and Huo Tingzhou left, he immediately summoned Team Leader Zheng.
"Where is he? Wasn’t there an emergency to handle here? It’s almost 4 PM—why hasn’t he shown up?"
"Well..."
Seeing Team Leader Zheng hesitate, Professor Li didn’t press further. "Tell him to meet me at the construction department first thing tomorrow morning."
Then he added, "If he’s not there by 9 AM, he needn’t bother coming at all."
Team Leader Zheng was stunned.
By the time he processed the words, Professor Li and his team were already far ahead.
On the way back, the companions walking alongside kept glancing at him with hesitant expressions.
"I know what you all want to say."
He was also aware that the other party had significant influence.
But Professor Li remained firm in his stance. "If someone can’t even uphold basic principles like punctuality and trustworthiness, what else can we expect from them?"
"Maybe... he really had something urgent?" someone ventured cautiously.
"That’s why I’ve given him the chance to explain himself tomorrow..."
Professor Li left the rest unsaid, but his meaning was clear.
If the explanation wasn’t satisfactory,
this matter wouldn’t end here.
……
Jiang Si was unaware of what happened afterward.
Winter days were short, and after the delay at the construction site, it was already dusk by the time they arrived home.
Grandma Huo and Meng Yuan were in the living room, chatting while holding Suisui and Zhaozhao.
The two little ones had been giggling happily moments ago,
but the moment they saw Jiang Si, their tiny lips puckered into pouts,
their faces the very picture of grievance.
"Ma—"
As the toddlers stretched their arms out for a hug, Jiang Si shook her head.
"Not now, darlings. Mommy’s still cold. I’ll hold you in a bit."
Grandma Huo’s heart ached at the sight, pouring her a cup of hot water.
Only after Jiang Si finished drinking did she ask, "What took so long? Did everything go smoothly?"
Jiang Si avoided mentioning the unpleasant details, simply saying she’d visited the construction site in the afternoon.
Then she added, "Grandma, it’s all settled."
As she spoke, she handed over the contract.
The Old Master’s face lit up the moment he saw it.
Honestly, he’d been miserable these past few days.
The thought of his great-grandchildren soon leaving Capital City had robbed him of his appetite.
Now, with the contract signed,
his heart was finally at ease.
Before Grandma Huo could say a word, the Old Master declared,
"Si, starting tomorrow, I’ll clear out everything in the study. You can use that room for your design work—it’s quiet and gets plenty of natural light."
"Grandpa, there’s no need for such trouble," Jiang Si replied with a smile. "I can just set up a desk in my own room."
But before she could finish, Meng Yuan interjected, "Sis, we’ll be returning to Xinjiang in a few days. If you don’t mind, you can use our room."
Their room had an inner and outer section,
with the outer space facing south, bathed in sunlight.
Jiang Si would never mind, but she truly didn’t need it.
With a laugh, she said, "Sis, my room is fine. If needed, I can always work at the courtyard house."
Meng Yuan blinked. "Courtyard house?"
It dawned on Jiang Si then that her in-laws weren’t aware she’d bought a courtyard house, so she explained.
Meng Yuan was even more stunned, exchanging a glance with Eldest Brother Huo.
"Can private properties be bought and sold now?"
Having been away from Capital City for so long, she was unfamiliar with current policies.
"Not openly, but there are ways around it," Jiang Si said.
"Oh, I see," Meng Yuan murmured thoughtfully.
Once the sisters-in-law finished talking, the Old Master turned to Jiang Si.
"The weather’s freezing—it’s too much trouble to commute between places. Listen to Grandpa and use the study..."
Mid-sentence, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh!"
Everyone turned to see Zhaozhao clutching the kraft paper envelope of the contract, gnawing on it with great relish.
"Who does this little one take after, putting everything in his mouth?" Jiang Si sighed, rubbing her forehead.
Huo Tingzhou scratched his nose, staying silent.
Who else?
The resemblance was uncanny—not just in looks but even in the habit of chewing things.
He still remembered how his wife used to nibble on his cheek when they were kids.
Amid the laughter, Father Huo, Mother Huo, and Second Brother Huo returned from work with their spouses.
They’d left early in the morning and were unaware of Jiang Si’s decision to stay in Capital City.
Seeing everyone in high spirits, they were puzzled.
