Over thirty contenders vied for this project, participating in various forms such as families, companies, and enterprises.
However, most were merely going through the motions, serving as mere props. Only forces with sufficient influence and financial backing, like the four major families, could secure the project.
For the vast majority, their objective wasn't to genuinely compete for the project but rather to observe which party would win it and then collaborate with them afterward to share in the spoils.
Others, holding onto a sliver of hope, simply wished to try their luck. If they could snag the project, it would be an immense bonus.
Thus, as the judges loudly deliberated on the proposals, those below grew impatient.
“Hey, who do you think will get this project this time?”
“If you ask me, it’ll definitely be snagged by one of the four major families.”
“I agree. While I’m not sure which one, it’ll definitely be one of them.”
“That’s not entirely accurate! Although the four major families are highly likely, it’s not absolute, as there’s also the Jiang family and the Wang family, led by Miss Sun Manzhu.”
“Right, right, we almost forgot about them. Miss Sun is the young lady of a trillion-dollar family.”
“Indeed, and the proposals from other large companies and enterprises are also quite good; it’s not impossible…”
While everyone was in heated discussion, Ye Feng’s side, Sun Manzhu’s side, and Tang Zhiyang’s side all looked expectantly at the judges deliberating on the stage.
At this moment, none of the three parties were certain who would secure the project.
Tang Zhiyang’s proposal was named “Ocean City,” aiming to develop coastal tourism near the sea.
To win the project, they had enlisted a master to help with the design. The proposal received unanimous praise from the judges, earning a high score, making it a strong contender for the project.
Sun Manzhu’s proposal was even better, titled “Listening to the Mountain’s Whisper,” advocating a return to nature and environmental protection.
In this era of severe pollution, this proposal earned the commendation of the Deputy Director of Finance and also received a high score.
Therefore, Sun Manzhu’s proposal and Tang Zhiyang’s proposal were neck and neck, both being major favorites to win the project.
However, both sides shared a common characteristic: they had referenced many famous tourism project proposals from the past.
In other words, they were merely replicating other tourist attractions in disguise. Even if perfectly executed, they would only be replicas of those existing tourist spots.
Only Ye Feng’s proposal was unique, even bordering on fantastical and imaginative, given the sheer scale of the project—it was equivalent to seven of theirs combined.
Thus, each had its own strengths and weaknesses, and it was truly difficult to say who would win the project.
While the judges were deliberating, Ye Feng inquired from Zhou Lingyu about the proposals from Sun Manzhu and Tang Zhiyang, as well as the judges’ evaluations and reactions.
Upon learning that both proposals had received high praise and scores, he couldn’t help but be surprised. Especially upon hearing that Sun Manzhu’s proposal was commended by the Deputy Director on the spot, he instantly felt a sense of crisis.
Simultaneously, Ye Feng noticed that while the judges were deliberating, the Deputy Director kept glancing at Sun Manzhu’s side; he seemed to favor their proposal.
Other judges also frequently exchanged glances with Tang Zhiyang’s side, which made Ye Feng realize that they likely had allies within the judging panel.
Fortunately, Ye Feng’s group was not to be trifled with, having Director Song among them, so they weren’t afraid of any tricks.
However, whether it was those judges, the Deputy Director, or Director Song, they only possessed some voting power and could not entirely dictate the project’s outcome.
Therefore, to win the project, the quality and potential of the proposals still mattered most.
After half an hour of deliberation, the judges finally stopped.
Director Song, holding a document, stood up and looked at the audience below, clearing his throat twice.
Upon seeing this, the previously restless crowd immediately fell silent.
Seeing the silence, Director Song announced, “Ahem! Everyone, please be quiet. I have some announcements to make. A total of thirty-two competitors participated in this project conference. After unanimous decision by all judges, ten proposals have been selected.”
“Next, we will announce these ten proposals, allowing everyone in the hall to vote. The party that receives the most votes will win this project. I must clarify that the order in which the proposal names are read does not indicate any ranking.”
“The first is the ‘Ocean City’ proposal, a collaboration between the Tang family and the Zhao family. The second is the ‘Listening to the Mountain’s Whisper’ proposal by the Jiang family and the Wang family…”
As Director Song read out the names of the companies and enterprises one by one, the representatives of those companies and businesses below displayed eager expressions.
When they heard their company or enterprise’s name, they became instantly excited and cheered on the spot.
However, those who did not hear their company or enterprise’s name grew anxious.
Indeed, there was joy for some and sorrow for others.
“The fourth is the ‘Dongqing’ proposal by Shengxing Company.”
“The fifth is the ‘Mountaintop Paradise’ proposal by Tianshan Company…”
In a blink, half of the ten slots were filled, and some who hadn’t heard their company’s proposal began to panic.
A bald man wearing glasses couldn’t help but exclaim, “Damn, it’s more than halfway through, why haven’t we heard from our company yet?”
A man beside him chuckled, “Your company’s proposal is so terrible, it’d be a miracle if it made the list.”
Hearing this, others immediately chimed in, “Exactly. I haven’t said anything about our company not making the list, yet you’re chirping away.”
“A small company with a market value of a few hundred million also comes to join the fun. Don’t you know your company’s capabilities…”
Hearing those words, the bald man with glasses felt embarrassed and lowered his head, daring not to speak further.
As they were talking, Director Song on stage continued to read out the selected proposals and company names.
“The sixth is the ‘Jinhua’ proposal by Shengxin Family Company.”
“The seventh is the ‘Tianshui’ proposal by Jianyuan Tourism Company.”
“The eighth…”
Below the stage, as the names of the proposals and companies of the competitors were announced one by one, the audience noticed that the project by Haishén Company, in collaboration with the Xiao and Zhou families, was missing, causing widespread confusion.
“Huh? Why isn’t Ye Feng’s and the Xiao-Zhou families’ proposal mentioned?”
“Damn, I didn’t even notice until you said it. They’re almost done reading, and we still haven’t heard it!”
“No way, such a good proposal, and it wasn’t selected?”
“That shouldn’t be the case. Their proposal, among all the proposals in the hall, if not top three, is definitely in the top five…”
As the crowd was filled with confusion, Ye Feng and his group were also bewildered.
Xiao Feifei anxiously asked, “Ye Feng, what’s going on? Why hasn’t our proposal been called yet?”
Zhou Lingyu also couldn’t sit still, grabbing Ye Feng’s clothes with one hand and saying, “Ye Feng, could there be a mistake somewhere? Our proposal wasn’t selected.”
Facing their questions, Ye Feng didn’t know how to explain.
Just then, Sun Manzhu behind him said with a look of pity, “Oh! Ye Feng, it seems your proposal wasn’t selected. What a shame!”
“Hahaha! So your proposal was that garbage, making us run around for nothing!” Tang Zhiyang sneered at Ye Feng and his group without restraint.
Hearing this, Ye Feng snorted, “Why are you in such a hurry? Aren’t there still two left to be announced?”
“Stop consoling yourself. If it were selected, they would have announced it by now. Accept reality!” Tang Zhiyang said dismissively.
“What if it is selected?” Ye Feng retorted.
Hearing this, Tang Zhiyang directly replied, “If it’s selected, I’ll call you Grandpa right here on the spot!”
However, less than three seconds after saying this, Tang Zhiyang regretted it…