Chapter 29: The Bridge

Of course, it was much easier to let their respective companies do the talking when Alexander and Giovanni could stay safely inside their own offices.

Unfortunately, partnerships didn’t quite work that way.

Sooner or later, the two people whose names were attached to nearly every development involving Vance Holdings and Mercer Group had to stand in the same place and make decisions together.

That opportunity came with a bridge.

The rehabilitation of one of the major bridges connecting the city proper to its surrounding suburbs affected thousands of people every day. Every delay meant heavier traffic and longer commutes, which naturally meant increasingly irritated motorists wondering why something involving concrete and steel apparently took long enough to build a small civilization.

The new business partners had little time to waste.

Alexander arrived for the first executive site review following the transition and found Giovanni already there.

Of course he was.

Neither Vance Holdings nor Mercer Group had much room to make things worse.

Giovanni stood near the temporary site office in full safety gear, reviewing a progress summary with the Project Manager as though being surrounded by dust, machinery, and enough noise to make normal conversation difficult was simply part of an ordinary workday.

Alex looked down at himself.

Hard hat.

Reflective vest.

Safety shoes.

All three looked suspiciously new.

Giovanni noticed too.

His gaze traveled downward before returning to Alex’s face.

"First time?"

"First time wearing these."

"I see."

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

It very clearly meant something.

Unfortunately, Giovanni had already turned back toward the Project Manager before Alex could interrogate him further.

No photographers had been invited to the review.

Someone still managed to take a picture.

By that afternoon, it was already online.

Perhaps what caught people’s attention was how remarkably ordinary the photograph looked.

No suits, no ceremonial speeches in front of strategically positioned company logos. Just two CEOs wearing protective gear and walking through an active construction site with the people actually responsible for delivering the project.

More surprisingly, neither man attempted to tell engineers how to engineer.

Alex stopped beside the progress board.

"We’re three days ahead despite the transition?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can we keep it that way?"

"The remaining structural steel arrives next Monday."

Alex waited.

The Project Manager smiled.

"So yes?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

Giovanni joined them.

"Critical risks?"

"Imported bearings. The supplier confirmed shipment, but customs clearance could still affect installation."

"Backup?"

"Second supplier identified and accredited."

Giovanni nodded.

"Good."

And they moved on.

It was surprisingly painless.

The engineers handled the technical work while the Project Manager coordinated the site. Alexander and Giovanni only stepped in when a problem required authority farther up the chain, whether that meant additional funding, a major procurement decision, or resources that couldn’t simply be approved on-site.

Alex glanced at the updated workforce figures.

"Manpower?"

"Target achieved. We’re only filling a few specialized positions now."

"Overtime?"

"Voluntary and limited to the approved recovery schedule."

"Keep it that way."

They continued walking, and somewhere between the second progress board and a discussion about material deliveries, Alexander noticed something about his new business partner.

Giovanni rarely asked the same question twice.

He listened to the answer, asked whatever follow-up actually mattered, and then moved on.

It shouldn’t have been particularly remarkable.

Unfortunately, Alex had attended enough meetings to know how many executives asked questions merely to show they could.

Giovanni apparently noticed something about him too.

Whenever an engineer explained a technical issue, Alex didn’t pretend that being a CEO had magically granted him an engineering degree overnight. He asked how much the problem would cost, whether it would affect the schedule, and what alternatives were available.

Then, once he had enough information, he made the necessary decision.

By the time they reached the other end of the site, they’d fallen into an unexpectedly efficient rhythm.

Not perfectly synchronized, because that would’ve been ridiculous after only one site inspection, but comfortable enough that neither needed to fight for control of the conversation.

Alex asked about the schedule.

Giovanni caught a possible cost implication.

Then the next issue came up, and they switched.

It was... easy.

Suspiciously easy, considering their companies had spent years competing.

By lunchtime, Alexander was hungry enough not to object when Giovanni headed toward the cafeteria instead of the temporary office.

They joined the line with everyone else.

Alex studied the available food before looking at the worker standing ahead of him.

"How’s the food?"

The poor man nearly dropped his tray.

"A lot better than what the old concessionaire served, sir. I stopped bringing packed lunches after they changed it."

"That bad before?"

The worker grimaced.

Alex chuckled.

"Understood."

They eventually found an open table and sat near several workers who suddenly looked much more conscious of how they held their forks.

Alex pretended not to notice.

"How’s work?"

"Heavy and tiring," one of them admitted after some hesitation. "But getting paid on time makes up for a lot."

That earned his attention.

Before Alex could ask anything else, Giovanni looked up from his meal.

"Any accidents?"

"None, sir."

The safety board they’d passed earlier supported the answer, but Giovanni still turned toward the Safety Manager seated nearby.

"Near misses?"

"One this week. Reported and investigated. Corrective measures are already in place."

"Good."

The worker beside Alex looked mildly surprised.

Alex understood why.

Most executives probably preferred hearing none.

Giovanni, apparently, preferred hearing the truth.

Interesting.

After lunch, Alexander stopped beside an older foreman whose name tag read Santos.

"Mr. Santos."

The man immediately straightened.

"Sir?"

"I heard your team has maintained zero rework."

Santos’s expression changed almost immediately.

"Yes, sir."

"Congratulations. Keep it that way."

The older man smiled.

"Thank you, sir."

Alex continued walking, only to notice Giovanni watching him.

"What?"

"You know everyone’s performance?"

"No."

"Could’ve fooled me."

"I read the reports."

"So do I."

Alex gave him a pointed look.

"Then start complimenting people."

Giovanni stared at him.

Alex waited.

"No."

A laugh escaped him before he could stop it.

Apparently, collaboration had limits.