The construction site’s employee cafeteria.
It was at the very end of this corridor.
Uncle Tian had already spoken to the foreman when he pulled his son out.
So, Uncle Tian wasn’t in a hurry.
At this hour, it wasn’t the official mealtime yet.
The employee cafeteria on the construction site wasn’t very crowded; just a few people were sitting around in twos and threes.
In all of Zone C, there were only three cafeterias.
The cost of food was about the same in each one.
Whether you were a worker or a supervisor on the site, you could only eat in the cafeterias.
It was a strange sort of equality, in a way.
However, the workers mostly chose the greasy, cheap, and filling dishes.
And they liked to eat quickly.
Uncle Tian found a quiet corner.
While Uncle Tian and his son went to order food, Lin Feng smiled at Su Ruoxi and said,
"This cafeteria is pretty clean and spacious."
Su Ruoxi took the opportunity to whisper to Lin Feng, "Brother Feng, do you think what Tian Xiaowu said before, about the plans being unreasonable, is true?"
"I really did pay a high price to get these plans drawn up."
At this point, Su Ruoxi hesitated. "And Tian Xiaowu... he doesn’t have a professional background!"
A smile appeared on Lin Feng’s face. "This is something we need to ask about in detail."
As he said this, Lin Feng gave Su Ruoxi a meaningful look.
"Sometimes, a degree doesn’t mean everything. How do you know that a qualification isn’t just a fancy wrapper?"
"Earlier, in the car, I saw the plans in your hand, and I also felt something was a bit off."
"So, for this matter, I want to hear Tian Xiaowu explain his thoughts properly."
Just as they were speaking, Uncle Tian and Tian Xiaowu walked over with their trays.
"I had the head chef stir-fry a few dishes for us. His skills are great, and he’s from my hometown. Come on, try them!"
It was clear that Uncle Tian was being very sincere.
He had ordered six or seven dishes, most of them meat.
For people like them who made a living on the construction site, the cost of this single meal was probably equal to a week’s worth of their food budget.
Lin Feng could see the simple and sincere nature of a man from the mountains in Uncle Tian.
"These look great."
Lin Feng picked up his chopsticks with a smile and tried a bite.
As the company’s project lead for Joy City, Su Ruoxi often came to inspect the construction site, but this was her first time eating in the cafeteria.
Seeing these dishes, a hint of curiosity appeared in her eyes.
She picked up her chopsticks and took a taste.
She had expected the food to be heavy on oil and salt.
But to her surprise, it actually tasted quite good.
It had the unique numbing, spicy, and savory flavor of Xiang City cuisine.
Dishes with this kind of flavor profile were unexpectedly delicious.
"The chef’s skills are really quite good."
A look of faint praise appeared on Su Ruoxi’s face.
Lin Feng also picked up his chopsticks and tried some.
While it wasn’t at a level that would blow you away,
it was definitely a cut above typical home cooking.
People in the Celestial Dynasty usually chat about things while eating.
They definitely wouldn’t just eat in silence.
In the Celestial Dynasty, eating is a social activity in itself.
Under Lin Feng’s deliberate guidance,
the topic of conversation gradually shifted toward the Joy City project.
Actually, Uncle Tian was well aware.
Lin Feng and Su Ruoxi had appeared right after he finished talking with his son.
They must have overheard something.
But they were educated people, after all.
They were sparing his pride and hadn’t said anything.
But once the meal began and the conversation started flowing,
some things couldn’t be held back.
"Actually, Xiaowu is a very down-to-earth person. He’s my son; I know him well,"
Uncle Tian said with a sigh.
Ever since Tian Xiaowu had agreed to put those ideas aside,
his mood had been a little down.
He barely spoke, even during the meal.
Lin Feng said with a smile, "Xiaowu still looks young. It’s a good thing for young people to have their own ideas..."
Uncle Tian looked at Lin Feng, then at his own son.
He grinned and laughed. "How old do you think my Xiaowu is?"
Lin Feng looked at Tian Xiaowu’s baby face and guessed, "Twenty-four?"
And that was Lin Feng guessing on the high side.
However, both Uncle Tian and Tian Xiaowu laughed.
Uncle Tian said cheerfully,
"Xiaowu is already twenty-seven. The kid didn’t have much schooling; he came out to find work when he was eighteen or nineteen."
"Unfortunately, he’s too headstrong and still hasn’t settled down."
"I can only bring him along with me on the construction team. At least this way, he can earn a living."
Lin Feng hadn’t expected Tian Xiaowu to be that old.
People with baby faces really do look younger.
"I won’t hide it from you, Uncle Tian. Ruoxi and I did overhear your conversation just now."
Lin Feng stated it directly.
Uncle Tian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly. "If you heard, you heard. It’s not a big deal."
"I know you people who sit in offices and handle approvals don’t have much interaction with the foremen on site."
Lin Feng saw that Uncle Tian had mistaken him for someone from the site management and didn’t bother to explain.
He just smiled faintly.
"We’re also from the company. When we heard Xiaowu say the project plan isn’t very reasonable, I got really curious about what insights he might have."
Lin Feng’s expression was one of simple curiosity.
He asked as if they were just making small talk.
This, in turn, made Tian Xiaowu more willing to explain things to Lin Feng.
After all, when the others on the construction site asked him about this, their tone was always tinged with mockery.
Some even brought it up on purpose just to hear Tian Xiaowu explain a bunch of things they didn’t understand, only to laugh at him afterward.
Over time, Tian Xiaowu would only share his ideas with the Zone C project manager.
Unfortunately, the project manager didn’t think Tian Xiaowu’s ideas were useful either.
Among all the people who had asked him about this, only Lin Feng’s tone was one of genuine curiosity.
He seemed to truly want to know his perspective.
Perhaps it was because of the earlier conversation with his father, or perhaps because he had already chosen to compromise.
Tian Xiaowu decided that no matter what Lin Feng thought, he would explain his ideas one last time.
Tian Xiaowu took a crumpled piece of paper and a pencil sharpened down to a stub from his pocket.
Tian Xiaowu smoothed the crumpled paper out on the table.
He took the pencil and began to sketch on it.
It was obvious that Tian Xiaowu had never studied any formal drafting techniques.
But from his few simple strokes, one could make out the major project plans for the entire Joy City.
"Look, this is Zone A of our Joy City, and this is Zone C. They are both designated as entertainment areas, but they are the farthest apart."
"If you really want the visitors to have the most fun, these two zones should be the closest to each other!"
"And in my opinion, Zone A and Zone C don’t conflict at all; they actually complement each other."
"Although the people in Zone A probably wouldn’t come to Zone C to play, the thrilling attractions in Zone C are mainly aimed at young people."
"For young couples, seeking thrills might be exciting, but the gentler attractions in Zone A are also very suitable for couples on a date."
From the way he spoke, Lin Feng could tell that Xiaowu really only had a high school level of education.
Many times, his words couldn’t keep up with his thoughts.
When he got excited, Tian Xiaowu even started using his hands.
He was gesturing wildly as he spoke.
Initially, Su Ruoxi had maintained a skeptical attitude toward Tian Xiaowu.
However, when Tian Xiaowu explained himself, he always laid out the reasoning behind his thoughts.
This kind of communication was actually more comfortable and made it easier for people to understand his ’why’.
Before she knew it, Su Ruoxi had already been won over by Tian Xiaowu’s explanation.

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