Chapter 9: They are actually curb stones?

Chapter 9: They are actually curb stones?

Translated by me, edited by Kai.

Municipal administrative engineering official director Liu, Liu Fengjin, who was the one that just gave Han Youpeng a scolding, received a call from him saying that he has major news to report.

At the moment director Liu in a meeting on the top floor with several of the city’s directors and bureau chiefs. They were there to discuss the inspection in 3 months time and how they could change the face of the city by then.

If it’s just cleaning up the city, then that is a major no no and a dumb idea.

There are more than 700 cities and over 1600 counties in the country.

So how come there were only 31 cities who were rewarded with the title of the most cultural city in the country?

Sanitation practices, even kindergarten kids can do it. On a side note, they do it very well, they can clean up their school yard to be both tidy and clean.

Hence, if the title for the city can be awarded with sanitation practices only, then that is the highest and the hardest honor to achieve. It is also nonsense, because it’s practically impossible.

The 3 year inspection, is a comprehensive targeted inspection. Areas such as public safety, crime case cracking rate, employment rate, air quality, and such are all targets of this inspection. Theses areas have generally been reviewed in the first 2 years before the on site inspection.

On the third year there is an comprehensive evaluation where an inspection team will be on site to conduct the evaluation.

Having failed N times on the onsite inspection step, Zhongyun’s municipal government, using tonnes of experience, feedback from their earlier failures, and long term research of honourable cities, have finally produced a list of criteria.

There are 3 major areas to consider.

  1. Science and technology of the city.
  2. Cultural aspects of the city.
  3. Specialities of the city.

As for the cleanliness of the city, it’s pretty much a must have requirement. It’s just like not all women can be Miss World. If you have a city that is either full of cracks or trash, then you simply wouldn’t even make it past the qualifiers.

City construction office, governs all of Zhongyun city’s infrastructure and road construction plans.

Hence the pressure of this huge ordeal mainly rests upon the shoulders of the city construction office.

Under the influence of this pressure, all department heads, bureau chiefs, and vice chiefs are all united and working to their utmost abilities to come up with ideas to make the city prettier.

The discussion in the meeting room led to lots of intense bickering. Some believe that Zhongyun should play out it’s culture card as it’s specialization. The city needed to heavily promote and display it’s rich history to the public.

Others believe that relying on just culture is not enough. Even ancient cities with thousands of years of history were crossed out from the list, so clearly the culture card can’t be the main focus.

Since the culture card can’t be the main focus, then that only leaves the tech card.

Presently, science and technology sees new development everyday. If there is a possibility to introduce several highly technical parts into the city facilities, then there might actually be a possibility of getting on the good side of the inspection team.

Raising this issue is one of the department heads who previously has visited many foreign cities where the main focus is high tech facilities.

“We need both tech and culture.”

The chief of the city construction office, Le Zhengdong, stated: “Yesterday, during the city leader meeting, we have all come to an agreement. We not only need to keep the cultural heritage of our city, but also need to include projects where science and technology contribute to better living standards for the public.”

“The task assigned to use from the city leaders is very clear. We need to concentrate on both the cultural and technical aspects of the city. For the next 3 months, all of our work need to be focused around these two points.”

A cell phone ringing noise interrupted the chief’s speech. Although the ring tone wasn’t ear-piercing, but there are only directors and bureau chiefs at this small meeting.

Hence nobody turned off their cell phones. The chief stopped speaking and gave municipal administrative engineering official director Liu Fengjin a look, as if telling him to quickly answer the call.

The meeting room remained quiet as Liu Fengjin looked at the number, and angrily asked in a low voice: “Didn’t I tell you I’m in a meeting, now speak quickly.”

“Director Liu, this is an enormous matter, Enormous!” Han Youpeng yelled. In the quiet meeting room, even chief, Le Zhengdong, who is sitting at the head of the table heard it crystal clear.

“Wait for me after the meeting.” Liu Fengjin slam shut the phone.

“It might be some urgent matter for you.” Chief Le Zhengdong took a look at the time: “Alright, our meeting today ends here. Everybody go back and come up with new plans to share tomorrow.”

Just as the meeting adjourned, one of the directors who was sitting closest to the door opened it. However Han Youpeng, who was urgently waiting outside, dashed in right away.

Han Youpeng, one hand holding onto a cell phone, one hand holding a couple of pictures, with flush red complexion, just like broiled shrimp: “Only 60 director!”

Liu Fengjin is angry to the point of being flushed red. Han Youpeng is a part of his department. Now with all the city construction office’s leaders here, isn’t this just giving him a blunder to clean up?

Liu Fengjin already decided, when they get back, he is definitely going to receive a special lesson.

City construction chief Le Zhendong is already standing and somewhat unhappy: “Xiao Han what matter made you this anxious? There is not one bit of sophistication left.”

“Ah ~ Chief, let me explain.” Han Youpeng suddenly turned from red to white. Finally aware that he’s in trouble.

In the end, he is a youngster and can’t grasp the act of acting sophisticated. When running into exciting matters, everything else is thrown into the back of the mind.

Those who are able to become civil servants, aren’t lunatics. The chief and directors all understand, Han Youpeng clearly met some disturbing matter of major concern. Otherwise, he wouldn’t make this type of elementary mistake.

Angry for such, but the chief still gave Han Youpeng a bit of time to explain himself.

Having been scared out of his ecstasy, Han Youpeng understood that if he doesn’t clearly explain himself, then he’ll be benched for the rest of his life.

Hence, he needs to bring out 200% effort to explain himself.

“This picture. Chief go ahead and take a look.” Han Youpeng, while trembling, handed over the pictures in his hands to the chief and directors in the room.

In the picture is a piece of marble. On the marble is a carving.

Just as chief Le Zhengdong wanted to criticise why he would cause this much fuss for a picture, nothing came out of his mouth because he clearly forgot about it.

He is completely attracted to the graceful court lady in the picture.

Beautiful!

This is his first thought.

A work of art!

This is his second thought.

The lady’s flowing sleeves and coiled legs, slim and tender angels, were perfectly carved onto the stone slab. It also brought out the stone slab’s non-existent artistic value.

Those indolent but charming eyes, those traditional hand gestures, it’s as if it’s alive. Making people can’t help but linger, can’t help but admire.

The other directors all had the same look in their eyes. Some even narrowed their eyes till there is only a narrow slit left.

Males. Towards beautiful things, generally all have the same conduct.

Han Youpeng laughed. Laughed because he is now certain.

They all had their souls charmed by the court lady on the stone slab. So of course they wouldn’t notice that the stone slab is actually the main star here.

Hence Han Youpeng must remind everyone, the reason why he barged into the meeting.

“Chief, if these court ladies were carved onto road curbsides and they were to cover several of Zhongyun’s main streets, then what would the result?” Han Youpeng stated, elated.

“WHAT?” Chief Le Zhengdong and several other directors all jolted from their chairs.

Chief Le Zhengdong clasped the pictures with his trembling hands. Clearly even more excited when compared to when Han Youpeng bursted into the meeting room.

He grabbed Han Youpeng’s shoulders, clearly shaken and somewhat incoherent: “What did you just say? This is a road curb?”

Then, chief Le Zhongdong suddenly remembered Han Youpeng yelling something 60, 60 as he busted in.

Don’t tell me……

That he was talking about the price of this curb stone?

“Yes!” Han Youpeng answered as if he was drifting on cloud 9.

“60 yuan, 60 yuan for a piece of road curb.”

“It just exceeded our original estimate by a bit over 5,000,000. Then, Zhongyun’s several main streets will all have these works of art as curb stones.”

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9 thoughts on “Chapter 9: They are actually curb stones?”

  1. I don’t know if 60 yuan is expensive or too cheap. I can’t really feel what all the fuss about because I don’t even know how much a normal curbstone cost. This is just too detached from the normal populace, especially me, to care about or even understand. The author failed to consider his audience when this is written. I mean. Curbstones! It cost 60 yuan! Exciting… NOT!

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    1. I think the original price for just a plain old curbside would have been from 40-45 yuan, but now just for only half again the price they can have what can be considered cultural, and technological masterpieces that will most likely boost the city’s rating to pass the inspection. Which will save them money probably in the end, instead of their most likely futile, and more expensive attempts to do so.

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      1. Yeah. Maybe 40-45 yuan. Are you sure of that?

        For cultural aspect, yes, but for technological standpoint, no. They are just curbstones. No matter how beautiful it maybe, it is still a curbstone. It is no more advanced that any regular curbstone.

        I still stand to what I said, the author just doesn’t consider the readers when writing this. Details about curbstones (like price and installation) are not many people know, or care about. It is like this allover: the city rating of a city you don’t even know; the astonishment of people you don’t know or like, a project that only focus on vanity and is of little help to people. Little here is something people would care about. The author should have done something to make this something readers could actually care for. Or maybe just leave this scene from the story entirely and focus only on the main character.

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      2. Just by going over what has been shown so far, this is the general trend of what the author wants to go for, which we as readers/leechers are free to read if we find it worthy. Also this level of detail is not unknown in webnovels, you have ones such as Game market 1983, and God of Music which both go into detail in aspects on non mainstream topics. The price I referenced earlier came from how the public servant dude was trying to establish the contract with the jerk at the dig site.

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      3. 5mil plus read the last few paras. And the chapter 8 again. If a guy sells at 60 yuan the company that sells at 5 mill plus will go bankrupt….

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      4. It is not the level of detail, it is the lack of detail. I mean, it doesn’t even tell you the regular price of a curbstone.

        Game Market 1983 is about video games. Who doesn’t play even one video game? If you had access to a computer to read that, then you should have played at least 1. Also, Game Market 1983 does give backgrounds and details to what it was talking about. It sometimes devotes several paragraphs for that.

        God of Music is about Music. Again, it is almost impossible for people not to know about that. In fact, it is something that everyone, even those isolated tribal regions have. Who doesn’t know music? And again, it gives details on stuff that is not something most people know.

        Compare them to this. Video Games/Music: Curbstones? Curbstones is not inherently interesting to almost anyone but the author doesn’t even try to give you the basic details. Does the author expected us to know the basic price of curbstones? Or the author expects us to be interested about it without doing anything?

        Similar thing happens to the characters, the city and the project. There is barely any attempt to make you interested about them. The most detailed one is the project, but then, it is so technical or generic that, I think, most people would just gloss over them and forgot about them instantly.

        I was just a bit disappointed by this chapter. It has been rather fine and the previous chapter has a rather strong ending that wants you to hurry and read the next chapter… but the following chapter is just totally boring. What a disappointment.

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  2. Meatbun delivery~
    Thank you for the chapter ( ●w●)

    150% of the original price or just a measly 60 yuan for a masterpiece beauty at your feet~
    Buy now and you can pick your first beauty~
    ;D

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