Due to tight deadlines and heavy responsibilities, it wasn’t just Jiang Chengxuan and the team pulling all-nighters—Meng Suihuan was staying up all night as well. She meticulously reviewed every detail and immediately informed Zhao Chen of any issues that needed correction. During this period, everyone operated under immense pressure, unable to relax even for a moment. This grueling schedule lasted for two months.

Finally, they completed the project just in time.

On the day of completion, everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief, their exhausted faces lighting up with rare smiles of ease. For this moment, they had endured poor meals, inadequate sleep, and a constant preoccupation with their work. Thankfully, everything had gone smoothly.

Meng Suihuan clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention, her voice brimming with excitement.

“Everyone, great job. You’ve all worked hard these past two months. Leave the rest to me—go home, eat well, and sleep soundly. Don’t worry about a thing!”

The team erupted in cheers.

“Finally, a proper night’s sleep! If we kept this up, I might really end up in the hospital.”

“Ha! Lao Zhou, those dark circles under your eyes are insane! Looks like you got punched a few times.”

“Look who’s talking! Go check the mirror and count how many strands of hair you’ve got left!”

Their teasing turned into uproarious laughter, which infected Meng Suihuan as her lips curved into a smile.

But now wasn’t the time for celebrations—there was still work to report.

“You all hang out here for now. I’m off to submit the project results and wait for the inspection team.”

“Meng Jie!”

“We’re waiting for your good news!”

Waving as she walked out, Meng Suihuan replied, “Got it.”

She headed directly to the government offices, where she submitted the project results and data to Lao He, the official in charge.

Lao He, the same man who had initially discussed the project with her, couldn’t hide his excitement despite his usual stoic demeanor. His weathered face broke into a childlike grin.

When Meng Suihuan had first proposed incorporating a commercial street into the old town renovation project, Lao He hadn’t been optimistic. After all, time was tight, and building a commercial street was no easy feat.

But after reviewing her proposal, he immediately reported it to the city leadership, who praised the plan and approved her idea. However, plans on paper often differ from real-world execution. Whether the commercial street would attract citizens remained uncertain.

As Lao He thought about this, his initial joy faded into a strained smile.

“Well done.”

“You can go back for now; I’ll handle the rest.”

Meng Suihuan noticed the change in his mood. After a moment’s pause, she said, “Alright,” and left.

However, as she reached the entrance, she noticed many people looking at her with expressions of mockery or pity. Connecting this with Lao He’s odd reaction, she realized something was amiss.

She walked into the crowd with a bright smile, her voice sharp and playful.

“If you’ve got something to say, why not tell me directly? I’m curious, after all.”

The chatter ceased immediately. Meng Suihuan picked someone who seemed easier to confront and, reading his name from his badge, threatened lightly.

“Slacking off during work hours—what would your boss say if I told them? Would they dock your pay?”

The man quickly caved.

“But if you tell me what you were just discussing in detail, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

It didn’t take long for her to learn the whole story and understand Lao He’s downcast demeanor.

To summarize: Lao He had a longstanding rival who had been sabotaging him for years. The old town renovation project had initially been thrown to Lao He as a burden.

But then Lao He met Meng Suihuan, whose impressive proposal earned him the spotlight and a potential promotion. His rival, jealous and vindictive, repeatedly sabotaged him and backed a competing old town renovation project focused on promoting urban culture.

This rival’s project outperformed Lao He’s in terms of completion and revenue so far. Unsatisfied, the rival exploited a mistake Lao He made and reported it to their superiors, seeking to halt Lao He’s project altogether.

After a heated argument and intervention from senior leaders, they reached a compromise: Lao He’s promotion depended on the economic benefits of his project surpassing the rival’s within two months.

If Lao He failed, he’d not only lose the promotion but also face a reassignment to a rural position.

Hearing this, Meng Suihuan frowned. She hadn’t heard anything about this wager before, even though it had apparently been going on for a month.

Realizing the implications, her eyes darkened.

“Thanks,” she said before heading straight to find Lao He.

“Back already?” Lao He was surprised. “Is there an issue with the project?”

Looking him in the eye, Meng Suihuan said sternly, “Lao He, there’s no need to hide it from me. I know about the wager.”

Lao He forced a smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”

Instead of replying directly, she asked, “If you lose the bet, will I still get the 1 million yuan bonus?”

Lao He fell silent.

“So I have every reason to be involved. We’ve been in the same boat from the start.”

Lao He sighed, guilt evident on his face. “I underestimated the situation.”

He had thought this was only about his career, forgetting that Meng Suihuan had been aiming for the bonus from the beginning. How could this not concern her?

She didn’t blame him. People tend to overlook things when they’re stressed.

But giving up wasn’t an option. She and her team had sacrificed two months of sleep and comfort for that 1 million yuan.

“I’ll think this over and come back when I have good news,” she said before leaving.

Exhausted, Meng Suihuan returned to the office, where Jiang Chengxuan, Zhao Chen, and the rest had been waiting despite her orders to rest.

As soon as she stepped in, they swarmed around her.

“Meng Jie, how did it go?”

“Was everything smooth?”

“…”

Meng Suihuan: “Can you let me catch my breath and have a sip of water first?”

Jiang Chengxuan quickly poured her a glass of water, and Lao Zhou (Zhou Qianjin) thoughtfully pulled out a chair for her. After taking two sips, everyone looked at her expectantly.

“Meng Jie, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us what’s going on.”

It wasn’t that Meng Suihuan wanted to keep them waiting; she just hadn’t figured out the best way to break the news. After thinking it through and failing to find a more delicate way to put it, she decided to just lay it all out.

“The project has hit a snag. If we can’t resolve it, there’s a high chance we won’t get the bonus.”

The room fell silent instantly. After working so hard for so long, all of them had been aiming for that bonus. While they knew there were risks, they couldn’t help but hold on to hope. Hearing this news was a blow.

“…That’s the situation. However, if we handle this the right way, I believe we can turn things around. It just means we’ll need to tough it out for a little longer.”

Meng Suihuan succinctly explained the issue, ending with some words of encouragement.

“Phew.”

“Meng Jie, next time, can you not pause like that? When you said the bonus might be gone, my heart almost broke.”

“Exactly! We’ve already survived the toughest two months. A little more effort is nothing!”

“No one’s going to stop me from getting that bonus! Otherwise, I’ll fight them!”

When it was Zhao Chen’s turn to speak, he got straight to the point. “Do you have any solutions in mind?”

Meng Suihuan answered honestly, “I have a general idea, but I need to refine it. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.”

“We managed to over-deliver on that difficult project. This little hiccup won’t stop us!”

“Let’s do our best together!”

Everyone chimed in, “Let’s do it!”

—

Five days passed quickly. During that time, everyone worked tirelessly to brainstorm solutions but couldn’t come up with anything concrete.

Then, Jiang Chengxuan’s friend from the barbershop came looking for him.

“Big Xuan, didn’t you ask me to help sell a batch of stuff? I messed it up.”

Already frustrated, Jiang Chengxuan snapped, “What happened?”

“I accidentally listed the price five yuan too low. By the time I realized, everything was sold out. Those people were so quick to grab it…”

Jiang Chengxuan sighed, exasperated. “You’re one to talk! Whenever there’s a bargain, you’re faster than anyone else!”

The barber friend was speechless.

At that moment, Meng Suihuan suddenly stood up excitedly, her voice urgent.

“Jiang Chengxuan, repeat what you just said!”

Confused, Jiang Chengxuan obliged. “Every time there’s a bargain, Ah Dai is faster than anyone else!”

(Ah Dai was the barber friend’s nickname, given for his forgetful nature.)

“Jiang Chengxuan, you and Ah Dai have just made a big contribution! Quickly gather everyone—I’ve got an idea for the commercial street project!”

Meng Suihuan’s words came in a whirlwind, leaving no time for questions. She immediately went to the desk and started writing furiously.

Jiang Chengxuan: “?”
Ah Dai: “??”

But the phrase “got an idea” erased any doubt.

“Boss, are you saying we’ll still get the bonus?”

Without looking up, Meng Suihuan replied, “If you keep wasting time, I’ll deduct half of it.”

Hearing that, Jiang Chengxuan bolted to gather everyone, pulling Ah Dai along. “If we get the bonus, I won’t hold your mistake against you.”

Ah Dai perked up. “Thanks, bro!”

They quickly rounded up everyone from the dorms and the project site. Once assembled, Jiang Chengxuan collapsed into a chair, too tired to move.

Zhao Chen and the others couldn’t hold back their excitement. “Meng Jie, Little Jiang said you’ve come up with a solution!”

All eyes turned to Meng Suihuan, full of anticipation.

She nodded confidently. “Yes, I’ve thought of a solution.”

She proceeded to explain her plan in detail. The more they listened, the more excited they became, feeling as if the 1 million yuan was already within reach.

Meng Suihuan finished speaking and opened the floor for input.

“This is my idea. Feel free to add or suggest changes based on the situation.”

Everyone eagerly shared their thoughts. Meng Suihuan adopted the good ones and jotted them down.

After a whole afternoon of discussion, they finally wrapped up. Their efforts weren’t in vain—an overall plan had taken shape. Now, they just needed to report it to Lao He. If he could handle the rest, success was almost certain.

Holding the newly finalized plan, Meng Suihuan headed out. But after a few steps, she turned back, swapping it with another “discarded” plan before leaving, finally satisfied.