The construction team had been setting up the stage for a week, and the project opening was still two weeks away.
One day, Bai Xiaosheng was in his office, reviewing the schedule.
"Something terrible has happened, Manager Bai! Something terrible!"
A person rushed in, face slightly pale and panting heavily.
It was the head of the engineering department!
"What’s the matter?" Bai Xiaosheng stood up in astonishment.
Wasn’t the engineering department working with the construction team to set up the stage? Could it be a problem with the stage?
"You need to come and see, half of the backdrop scaffolding for the stage has collapsed!" said the engineering head, still shaken.
He was right next to it, chatting with the construction team leader, when the several-meter-tall scaffolding suddenly came crashing down, and metal pipes flew towards him—he was only a few meters away!
Thinking back on it now, he still felt unnerved by the noise. After saying as much, he couldn’t continue.
"Did anyone get hurt?" Manager Bai demanded sharply, bringing him back to his senses.
"Ah, ah! No!" The engineering head quickly shook his head but then hesitated slightly before adding, "Someone from the construction team seemed to have been hit in the waist and was taken to the hospital by their people! But it shouldn’t be serious, just their clothes got a bit dirty, no blood was seen."
"Let’s go take a look!" Bai Xiaosheng strode ahead, leading the way, "Did you inform Vice General Manager Wang Ye?"
"Vice General Manager Wang Ye is already there; he’s the one who sent me to get you!" replied the engineering head, frantic.
As Bai Xiaosheng hurried over, his mind was racing.
He had devised this plan himself and was clear on every detail, including the stage construction.
Due to customized requirements and difficulty, they did not hire an events company to handle everything but sought out a separate construction team instead.
The back panels of the stage were not built with construction steel pipes, but with force-resistant scaffolding, which is easy to assemble and disassemble, has a high bearing capacity, and is lightweight and safe.
How could it possibly have "fallen apart"?!
Doubts began to rise in Bai Xiaosheng’s mind.
By the time he arrived, the site was already crowded with many people, and he could hear loud, clamorous voices from a distance.
"There’s been an accident, someone’s been hurt, you must give me an explanation for this!" a thick, rough voice rumbled.
It was Zhou, the construction team leader.
This burly man had a steady, resonant voice.
"Don’t panic, we’re handling it," Wang Ye tried to reassure. "The person responsible for this section is on their way!"
"Anyway, this isn’t over!"
"That’s right, it’s not over!"
"You have to take responsibility, full responsibility!"
A handful of people followed behind Zhou, shouting loudly.
Although Bai Xiaosheng was in a hurry to get there, he frowned at the scene and came to a halt.
The engineering head tried to move forward, but Bai Xiaosheng pulled him back.
"Let’s observe first," Bai Xiaosheng said, composed.
The engineering head looked at Bai Xiaosheng in surprise. With the situation at hand, Manager Bai could still keep cool!
One should know that this matter could be serious!
If handled properly, they could continue with the work, but if mishandled and brought to the attention of the Supervision Department for investigation, that would be a big problem!
Bai Xiaosheng, expressionless, watched the scene unfold as if he was just a spectator.
Zhou was making a fuss, and people around him joined in the ruckus.
To Bai Xiaosheng, this scene resembled that of a medical dispute!
Normally, in the event of an accident, Zhou, as the construction team leader, should be visiting the injured colleague in the hospital straight away, rather than making a commotion here!
Bai Xiaosheng’s gaze skimmed over.
The construction team members, apart from a few who avidly joined in the uproar, were listlessly watching from the side.
"At that time, was it only one person who got hit in the waist?" Bai Xiaosheng asked the engineering head in a low voice, "Are you sure?"
"Sure." The engineering head nodded firmly.
"Were there any of our people in the group that went to the hospital?" Bai Xiaosheng asked.
"That... it was quite urgent and chaotic at the time, it was their people who took them away," the project supervisor said sheepishly.
So there weren’t any!
Bai Xiaosheng looked from afar at the collapsed scaffold,
Although this project was somewhat challenging, it shouldn’t have ended up in the hands of an experienced construction crew.
What was most unbelievable was that the scaffold had fallen, and while he could understand the injuries, how did someone get hit in the waist?!
"Bai Xiaosheng, Bai Xiaosheng hasn’t arrived yet!"
As Bai Xiaosheng pondered, Wang Ye called out sternly.
His forehead was covered in sweat, and he was completely irritable.
The Vice General Manager of Century Construction, usually the one to give out reprimands, now found himself playing the role of a mediator, being yelled at and pointed at by a construction team leader.
He couldn’t stand it.
"Bai Xiaosheng, get over here!" Wang Ye, furious as a thunderclap, spotted Bai Xiaosheng still deep in thought and immediately roared in anger.
Bai Xiaosheng was actually standing to the side, watching the commotion as if it were none of his concern, which was utterly infuriating!
If looks could kill, Bai Xiaosheng would have been stabbed to death by Wang Ye a thousand times, ten thousand times.
The surrounding supervisors fell silent like cicadas in winter!
Fearing they might get caught in the crossfire of their superior’s rage, they too were afraid.
"You’re in charge of safety, aren’t you? Give me an explanation! No, first you give them an explanation!" Wang Ye suppressed his fury, puffing his beard and glowering, pointing at Zhou before turning his back.
Without changing his expression, Bai Xiaosheng walked towards Zhou.
"You’re the person in charge!" Zhou’s face contorted fiercely, and he stepped forward, about to lay his hands on Bai Xiaosheng.
With a stern face, Bai Xiaosheng suddenly bellowed out, his demeanor fierce.
Caught off guard, Zhou was startled into pausing.
The roar also shocked everyone around them.
"What’s going on, speak up!" Bai Xiaosheng kept a taut face and nodded toward the stage.
His expression was like someone whose belongings had been damaged unwarrantedly, and he was demanding an answer.
Zhou swallowed hard, getting over the initial shock.
"What’s going on—I should be asking you that! What kind of materials are you providing, there’s a problem! Now my people are in the hospital! Tell me, how are we going to deal with this? If it really comes to it, we’ll have to go to the government and have a thorough investigation!"
"Go to the government! An investigation!"
Several people behind Zhou also started to shout.
The surrounding supervisors were uneasy, looking at Bai Xiaosheng.
Some even looked resentful, feeling Bai Xiaosheng’s approach was too confrontational, almost as if he was escalating the situation.
Wang Ye’s gaze was icy cold.
"According to the ’Tiannan City Construction Project Safety Production Management Regulations’ enacted in 2016, Chapter Six, the production safety accident investigation and handling procedures, Articles 53 and 54," Bai Xiaosheng stated emotionlessly, reciting the safety regulations eloquently.
On his way here, he had asked Red Lotus to look up the legal provisions, making him more knowledgeable about the law than anyone present—even more than the legal counsel!
This was also one of the reasons why he had been observing calmly and with confidence.
"The onsite injury situation does not meet the standard for the Supervision Department to intervene. Unless your subordinate with the waist injury has broken bones, shattered tendons, and ruptured organs—otherwise, you can go now and pierce yourself with a steel pipe... But if something really happens, you’ll be the first person responsible!"
Bai Xiaosheng snorted coldly.
Zhou’s eyes narrowed, his confidence waning, and he began to look evasive.
"I’ve already sent someone to the hospital, if your person turns out to be fine... then we will need to talk about the damages on our side, not to mention the destroyed materials. According to the contract, for causing a delay in the construction period, you are liable for compensation..."
Bai Xiaosheng bellowed fiercely.
Zhou shivered with fright.