The city is shrouded in night, with neon flashes and busy traffic. Beneath this bustling appearance, there is a figure standing alone on the edge of the rooftop of a high-rise building, looking down at the traffic under his feet with a distracted gaze. This person is Li Ming (pseudonym), the once glorious post-80s engineering boss.
Not long ago, Li Ming was a hot upstart in the city's construction circle. Luxury cars and beautiful houses, in and out of high-end places, spend a lot of money. Who would have thought that in just a few months, this high-spirited young entrepreneur would be reduced to such a situation? Heavily indebted, on the verge of bankruptcy, and even had the idea of committing suicide.
Li Ming's experience is not unique. In the current construction and engineering industry, stories like his abound. The glamorous engineering bosses on the surface are often under unimaginable pressure and predicament behind them. Many of them are experiencing an invisible war for survival.
Let's go back in time and see how Li Ming got into such a predicament step by step.
At the beginning of 2022, with the contacts and reputation accumulated over the years, Li Ming received a construction project for a large-scale commercial complex. With a total investment of billions of yuan, even if it is just one of the subcontracted projects, it is a huge opportunity for Li Ming's company.
"At that time, I felt like pie in the sky," Li Ming recalled, "If this project is done well, it will not only double the company's performance, but also open up a broader market for the future." "
However, there are both opportunities and challenges. In order to win this project, Li Ming paid a huge price. First of all, all kinds of dinners, entertainment, gifts, in order to please Party A and related leaders, Li Ming almost every day to carry out these seemingly inconsequential but had to do these seemingly inconsequential social activities.
"During that time, I felt like a puppet without dignity," Li Ming said with a wry smile, "for the sake of the project, I had to put down my body, look at people's faces, and endure all kinds of difficulties and exploitation." "
Finally got the project through various relationships and means, Li Ming thought that the difficulties had passed, but he did not expect that the real challenge had just begun.
According to industry practice, Li Ming needs to advance funds to start the project. At first, he didn't think it was temporary, and he could get the funds back when the progress payment was in place. So, he did not hesitate to raise nearly 50 million yuan, most of which came from bank loans.
After the start of the project, all kinds of unexpected problems followed. The first is the sharp rise in the price of raw materials, which has made the already tight capital chain even worse. Secondly, "managers" from all walks of life came one after another, taking the opportunity to ask for benefits, and these additional expenses also caused a lot of burden on Li Ming.
To make matters worse, progress payments that had been promised to be disbursed in time were delayed. Li Ming approached Party A many times to ask, but what he got was always an ambiguous answer. "Wait", "Soon", "Funds on the way", these perfunctory words became the replies that Li Ming heard day after day.
With the passage of time, Li Ming's capital chain became tighter and tighter. In order to pay the workers' wages and materials on time, he had to borrow money from everywhere and even resorted to usury. The interest expenses alone are as high as hundreds of thousands of yuan every month, which makes Li Ming, who was already stretched thin, even more breathless.
"During that time, I lived like a year," Li Ming recalled, "and I had to face all kinds of problems on the construction site during the day, and I had to rack my brains to find a way to raise money at night." I felt like I was stuck in a black hole that would never be filled. "
Just when Li Ming was about to lose his support, the project was finally completed. He waited hopefully for the final settlement, but what he was waiting for was repeated prevarication from Party A. Various reasons were moved out: quality issues, construction delays, budget overruns...... All kinds of excuses made Li Ming feel desperate.
"I feel like I've been tricked," Li Ming said bitterly, "I gave so much and got nothing." Not only did he lose all his savings, but he also took on a huge debt. "
Collection calls from creditors poured in like a tidal wave, and banks, private loans, and material suppliers ...... Every day, Li Ming has to face countless debt collection calls. Former friends avoided him for fear of being implicated. Li Ming felt as if he had become a street rat overnight, and everyone shouted and beat him.
Just when he was desperate, Li Ming had the idea of committing suicide. However, at the moment when he was about to jump off the building, his daughter's sweet voice came from his mobile phone: "Dad, when are you coming back?" I miss you. At this moment, Li Ming woke up like a dream and burst into tears.
Li Ming's story reflects many problems in the current construction industry. The first is the widespread phenomenon of capital advances in the industry, which puts many small and medium-sized enterprises at great risk. Secondly, some Party A took advantage of its dominant position to maliciously default on the project payment, causing huge losses to the construction party. In addition, problems such as gray transactions and non-standard operations in the industry also need to be solved urgently.
The reasons for these problems are manifold. First of all, the laws and regulations are not perfect, and there is a lack of effective punishment mechanisms, so that some bad behaviors cannot be properly punished. The second is the lack of industry supervision, and many illegal operations are difficult to detect and correct in time. In addition, vicious competition has led to the continuous compression of profit margins, and many enterprises have to take risks in order to survive.
We cannot sit idly by in the face of these problems. First of all, government departments should strengthen legislation and law enforcement, establish and improve relevant laws and regulations, and severely crack down on illegal activities such as malicious arrears of project funds. Secondly, industry associations should play a greater role in formulating industry standards, standardizing market order, and providing necessary support and protection for member enterprises.
For enterprises themselves, it is also necessary to strengthen the awareness of risk management. First of all, it is necessary to carefully select partners and conduct a full investigation of Party A's credit status. Secondly, it is necessary to strengthen contract management and clearly agree on payment terms and liability for breach of contract. In addition, it is necessary to establish a sound financial management system, reasonably control costs, and avoid over-reliance on a single project.
At the same time, we also call on all sectors of society to give more understanding and support to these troubled entrepreneurs. Most of them do not subjectively want to evade responsibility, but are driven into a desperate situation by various objective factors. We should provide them with the necessary legal aid, psychological counseling and other support to help them tide over the difficulties.
Back to Li Ming's story. After that phone call from his daughter, he finally mustered up the courage to face reality. He began to actively seek legal aid to defend his rights and interests through judicial channels. At the same time, he also took the initiative to communicate with creditors to seek the possibility of extension or debt restructuring.
Although the road ahead is still difficult, Li Ming has rekindled hope. He began to reflect on the problems he had in his business, learn from them, and prepare for the future. "I now understand that doing business should not only focus on short-term profits, but also focus on long-term development," Li Ming said, "I will start again and run the business in a more stable way." "
Li Ming's story may be just one of many tragedies in the construction industry. However, it reveals many of the problems and contradictions behind the industry. We expect that through the joint efforts of all parties, the construction engineering industry can embark on a healthier and more standardized development path.
For those entrepreneurs who are going through a similar dilemma, we would like to say: please don't give up hope. No matter how difficult life is, there will always be a bright day. Take care of your health, take care of your family, and actively seek support from all parties, believing that you will eventually get through this difficult time.
For the whole society, we also appeal: please give more understanding and support to these construction entrepreneurs who are struggling on the front line. They are an important force in promoting urban development and improving people's livelihood. Let's work together to create a fairer, more transparent and healthier building market.
Finally, we would like to emphasize that no matter how difficult it is, life is the most precious. Any adversity is temporary, and as long as you live, there is always hope. We look forward to seeing more entrepreneurs like Li Ming come back on their feet and continue to contribute to the development of the industry.
The reform and standardization of the construction industry is a long-term process, which requires the joint efforts of the government, enterprises and all sectors of society. We believe that as long as we persevere, we will eventually usher in the sunshine of the industry. Let us look forward to the early arrival of that day, so that every hard-working construction practitioner can get due rewards and respect.
In this era of rapid development, the construction and engineering industry plays a vital role. It not only shapes the face of the city we live in, but also creates an environment for families to live and work. However, the development of the industry cannot be done at the expense of the participants. We need to build a more equitable, transparent, and sustainable industry ecosystem.
This requires a multi-faceted approach. First of all, government departments should strengthen the guidance and supervision of the industry. Formulate more perfect laws and regulations to provide clear guidance for the development of the industry. At the same time, we will intensify law enforcement and severely crack down on violations of laws and regulations. Establish a sound credit system so that the untrustworthy pay the price they deserve.
Second, industry associations should play a greater role. Formulate industry standards and promote industry self-discipline. Provide training, consulting and other services for member companies to improve the overall business level. At the same time, as a bridge between the industry and the government, it reflects the demands of enterprises in a timely manner and promotes the formulation and improvement of relevant policies.
In addition, financial institutions should innovate financing models to provide more flexible and convenient financing channels for construction enterprises. Develop targeted financial products to help enterprises solve the problem of capital turnover. At the same time, risk management should be strengthened to prevent financial risks.
For the enterprise itself, in addition to the risk management measures mentioned above, it should also pay attention to the improvement of internal management. Strengthen cost control and improve operational efficiency. Pay attention to talent training and build a professional team. At the same time, we actively embrace new technologies, improve production efficiency and enhance market competitiveness.
Finally, we also call on all sectors of society to give more attention and support to the construction industry. The healthy development of this industry is not only related to the vital interests of many practitioners, but also related to the economic development and improvement of people's livelihood of the whole society. Let's work together to contribute to a better future for the construction industry.
Li Ming's story may be just the beginning. We look forward to seeing more entrepreneurs like him come out of this difficult situation and find hope again. At the same time, we look forward to seeing more positive changes happening in the industry. Let us work together to create a better construction engineering industry, and continue to contribute to the development of the city and the happy life of thousands of households.
Life is not easy, but hope lasts forever. For those of you who are going through a difficult situation, remember: you are not alone. The whole society is watching you and supporting you. Let us work together to welcome the spring of industry development.