Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 1698 The Greatest Career (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
Many people call Chang'an the city of the future because it is filled with all kinds of high-rise buildings. Those buildings with various glass curtain walls satisfy people's fantasies about the future.

At the skyscraper construction site in the Chang'an Financial District, the sun shines on the jungle of steel and concrete, and the roar of machines and the shouts of workers are intertwined, forming a busy and orderly picture.

Pei stood at the construction site, holding a roll of design drawings in his hand, staring at the skyscraper that had already taken shape in front of him. Beside him, several engineers were concentrating on discussing the progress of the project, recording complex structural data and construction plans in their notebooks.

I.M. Pei leaned slightly to one side, pointed at the towering steel structure in the distance, and said:
"The 110 Building is the World Trade Center in the financial district. It is not only the world's first 110-story building, but also the world's tallest building at 448 meters after completion. But they will be the symbol of this place. Everyone who comes to Chang'an can see this towering building from afar before even setting foot in the city. They will become the symbol of this city, representing the strength and future of Chang'an."

His voice was particularly clear in the construction site, and the engineers nodded one after another with admiration in their eyes. One of them, a middle-aged engineer wearing a hard hat, Maximilian, stepped forward and pointed to the drawing in his hand and said:
“Mr. Bei, you are right. However, we have encountered some challenges in the construction issues…”

When Maximilian mentioned the challenges in the construction, I.M. Pei frowned in thought. He was the one who designed this building, and for him, who was already 50 years old, being able to build such a building was more of an honor.

As early as 17 years ago, I.M. Pei came here and started working at Taihe Construction. During this period, he participated in the design and construction of many buildings. He witnessed the rise of this city and the skyscrapers rising on the city skyline.

He founded his own construction company seven years ago and although he received many contracts, it was not until this building that this was what he longed for.

The world's first building!
It will once and for all end North America’s reign as the tallest building!
And more importantly, it was his design.

Pei nodded, his eyes still fixed on the building taking shape in the steel frame in the distance, and said:

"Typhoons are indeed a factor we need to focus on. John, what suggestions do you have?"

John frowned, thought for a moment and then answered:
“We can add some lateral bracing to the existing steel frame, especially in the upper levels. Although this will increase the cost, it will significantly improve the wind resistance of the building.”

Another young engineer, Zhou Dajie, chimed in:
"I agree with John. However, we also need to consider the weight of the material. If we add too much support, it may affect the overall load distribution. I suggest that we can use a lighter but stronger alloy material, which can ensure stability without adding too much burden."

Ieoh Ming Pei smiled slightly and looked at Zhou Dajie approvingly:
"That's a good suggestion, Zhou Dajie. You and John should come up with a detailed plan as soon as possible to ensure that we can solve this problem without affecting the overall design."

John nodded in agreement, and Zhou Dajie smiled confidently:
"No problem, Mr. Bei. We will give you a preliminary plan within two days."

At this time, another engineer, Robert, came over with a report in his hand:
"Mr. Bei, the results of the settlement test on the foundation are out. The data show that the current settlement rate is within the expected range, but we need to pay close attention to the next few months, especially before the rainy season arrives."

I.M. Pei took the report, flipped through a few pages carefully, then looked up and said:

"The stability of the foundation is the basis of the entire building. Although it sits directly on a solid granite base, we cannot take it lightly and must not be negligent. Robert, you are responsible for monitoring the settlement data and report to me once a week. If there is any abnormality, notify me immediately."

Robert nodded solemnly:

"Understood, Mr. Bay. I'll follow up personally."

Pei once again looked at the two towers rising from the ground, with a look of pride that was difficult to conceal. As an architect, he knew that this tower would be the pinnacle of his career.

“We not only want to build a building, but also create a legend.”

I.M. Pei muttered to himself in a low voice.

“Just like this city…”

The engineers continued to work, the sounds of discussion and the roar of machines intertwined together, while I.M. Pei stood there thinking. Almost an hour later, Pei got into the car and left the construction site.

Shortly after the car drove out, Gao Changwei, the secretary in the passenger seat, asked:
"Mr. Bei, where are we going?"

Pei thought for a moment and said:

"Let's go to Xinmao."

Xinmao is located in the suburbs, which is a residential area. It was also the first project that I.M. Pei participated in after arriving in Chang'an.

Soon, they arrived in the community.

The community, which has been built for more than ten years, still retains the freshness and vitality of its initial construction, without any signs of decay. The two-and-a-half-story buildings of different styles are arranged in an orderly manner on the green lawn, like a carefully painted scroll. The white walls sparkle in the sunlight, complementing the yellow doors and windows and the red roof, forming a colorful scroll.

There were a few pedestrians walking on the sidewalks, either in groups of three or five or alone, enjoying the rare tranquility and leisure. Most of them were women, who were either holding hands, chatting and laughing, or pushing baby strollers, whispering and teasing the children in the strollers.

Quiet and peaceful!
This is exactly how Pei felt here. Looking at everything in front of him, Pei asked:
"Changwei, do you know what the most successful thing here is?"

Gao Changwei answered without hesitation: "Public housing."

“Yes, it’s a public housing.”

As Pei walked, he said:
"Before I came here in 1950, I had seen the 'public housing program' here in the United States. At that time, many people thought it was wishful thinking - to provide housing for tens of millions of people!"

Pei smiled and pointed to the houses around him, saying, "And they are Western-style buildings like this."

"Yes, Mr. Bei, I was already 7 years old when I came here. Until now, I still remember the feeling when I moved into the house. Looking at everything, it was like a dream. When I was a child, I never thought that I would live in such a beautiful house. I felt that everything was like a fairy tale, even everything here..."

"fairy tale!"

Pei thought for a moment and said:

“It’s more of a myth than a fairy tale, and people created this myth.”

Along the sidewalk, tall trees cast mottled shadows. The breeze blew, and the leaves swayed gently, making a rustling sound.

Standing in front of the community center under the shade of the trees, Pei said:
“This is the first house I’ve helped build here.”

After saying this, Pei pondered for a while and then said
“At that time, I really didn’t believe that there would be anyone in this world who would go out of their way to provide housing for ordinary people.

How stupid is such a person? "

When talking about stupidity, Ieoh Ming Pei smiled and said:
"Later I realized that I was the real fool. In this world, many things are actually very simple, just as you said.

What we create here is not to show our greatness or miracles, but to show everyone that we can take care of each other. "

Then I.M. Pei continued.

"It all seems very normal here. But in other places, it all seems so incredible."

Such emotion came from the heart. Even though so many years have passed, I.M. Pei is still shocked when he mentions all this.

"Yes, that's why you are here, Mr. Bei, because it's so unbelievable."

"Yeah, so I came here."

Nodding, Pei said:

“That’s why I’m participating in the competition to design a new generation of national housing,”

The new generation of national housing design competition he mentioned is the competition currently being promoted by the Housing and Development Authority. In fact, what is important is not the competition, but the new generation of national housing design.

As young people grow up, they will get married and have children, and of course they will have housing needs, so it is necessary to build new public housing.

The official Housing and Development Authority, which is in charge of this matter, did not follow the old drawings, but launched this competition to develop a new generation of housing.

After the competition started, almost all firms and engineers participated in it. Even though everyone knew that it was an unpaid job, the reputation it brought was unprecedented.

After all, this is about providing housing to tens of millions of people. Compared with a decade ago, the project this time is more massive and the impact is more far-reaching.

“We are involved not just because a new generation of national housing will bring unprecedented prestige to architecture firms.

More importantly, we understand that what we are doing is going to change the world, and what we are doing here is unprecedented.”

This is a great cause!

Many people have commented on SEA's "public housing plan" in this way, because it is the world's first plan to provide housing for ordinary people. It does not just provide a house, but meets people's needs for home.

Home... In fact, for most ordinary people, what they desire throughout their lives is just a home.

In many places, many people would spend their entire lives to realize such a dream, but here their dreams will be realized in another way.

Not only them, but also their descendants will have a home of their own, and this business will continue.

That is why all the architectural firms and designers are involved in this great cause.
As Pei was speaking, he pointed to the public housing estate in front of him and said:

"This cause will continue here, and every generation will benefit from it. I wish I could have thousands of mansions to shelter all the poor people in the world, and make them happy. It will be as stable as a mountain in the wind and rain."

When he finished speaking, Ieoh Ming Pei smiled and said:

"When Du Fu wrote this poem, he probably never thought that one day his dream would come true on this land."

(End of this chapter)