Chapter 271: Protecting the Old City

When Xue Guohua saw Xu Hongbo introduce to Zhang Ke, he had done research on the construction complex in Shatin in the late Qing Dynasty for more than half a year. He looked at Zhang Ke in surprise and turned his head to ask Xu Hongbo: "Is this the financial owner who has never been willing to show up?"

"I don't know if he is a financial backer," Xu Hongbo said with a smile. "These census work was indeed entrusted by him. You have always complained that I have given you too little funds. Whether it is to add or compensate, you can directly contact him now."

Zhang Ke nodded and smiled at Xue Guohua, saying, "Thank you for this period of time, Xue has been working hard. Some time ago, the company's funds were also very tight, so the funds that can be allocated are limited, and it will be more relaxed in the future."

Complaints about the lack of funds, which is just a joke with Xu Hongbo. The survey of Shatin building complex should have been invested by the government. Xue Guohua has been seeking funds for many years, but the city is short of money everywhere. At this time, he wanted to demolish all Shatin and sell it for money. How could he allocate additional funds for this matter?

Zhang Ke allocated a total of 300,000 yuan through Xu Hongbo. Although it was a little less, he could do the census work.

Xue Guohua looked at Zhang Ke seriously: "It's hard to say that the Ancient Architecture Institute can't always be unemployed. The work during this period makes everyone think that the Ancient Architecture Institute still has some meaning. I'm just curious. Who will have the intention to do census work at this time?"

There are 1,2300 buildings in the eastern area of ​​Shatin, with more than 3,000 families living in total. Many complete houses are for three or four families. These families will divide the entire house with brick walls and open exits on the original courtyard walls. In the mid-1990s, the urban housing problem has not been well solved, especially like Zhang Ke’s parents’ generation, with more brothers and sisters. Due to the lack of housing, it is difficult to separate and stand alone. Many families live together for three or four generations. In order to live in more people, the pavilions and towers in the old-style houses were almost demolished, and replaced by simple simple houses in the courtyard.

The census mentioned by Xue Guohua, it is very impressive to find out the current situation of these buildings, and to draw structural diagrams as detailed as possible for buildings with preservation value. The workload is very large, and it is very impressive to be able to complete one-third of the census work in less than a year.

With such a large workload, it is far from enough to rely solely on the four or five people in the Institute of Ancient Architecture Protection. Zhang Ke provided a small amount of funds through Xu Hongbo, and Xue Guohua invited teachers and students from the School of Architecture of Haizhou University to participate.

Zhang Ke smiled and said, "We are a Hong Kong company. It is a good thing to think that the entire building complex in Shatin may be preserved. I thought I would like to understand the building complex first before I could entrust you to do some census work..."

When Xue Guohua heard Zhang Ke's words, he immediately got up from his seat and said to Xu Hongbo: "Are you still put your drawings in place?" Seeing Xu Hongbo nodding, he didn't say hello, and quickly rolled out and crawled out.

Xu Hongbo smiled at Zhang Ke and said, "Old Xue has devoted his life to the protection of Shatin Building Complex. At present, each of the protected buildings in Shatin is stared at by Mr. Xue. The Ancient Architecture Institute is a unit under the Cultural Relics Bureau. The Cultural Relics Bureau has also set up a demolition company. There are many controversial buildings in Shatin western area. The demolition company under the Cultural Relics Bureau started but had no scruples or mercy. For this matter, Mr. Xue pointed at the nose of the leader of the Cultural Relics Bureau's bureau and scolded. In short, for the issue of whether the Shatin building complex is demolished or kept, Mr. Xue and the officials and men of the Cultural Relics Bureau have both had a good reputation in the industry. The group of guys from the Cultural Relics Bureau have always wanted to kick him away, but they were unable to succeed."

Zhang Ke shook his head helplessly and smiled, saying, "The officials of the Cultural Relics Bureau, other people want to demolish Shatian. If they have to have such a little professional ethics, they should try their best to stop them." Zhang Ke knew better than anyone about the Cultural Relics Bureau's demolition company. Not only was it a controversial building, but this demolition company had also done a bastard demolition of municipal cultural relics protection units for the sake of interests. Although it was not clear that such bastards would happen again, it was necessary to prevent problems before they happened. "If Shatian East Piece wants to be preserved, the officials of the Cultural Relics Bureau must be adjusted first. They are the only institution that can provide open support in administrative manner..."

"Have you communicated with Tang Xueqian?" Xu Hongbo asked.

Zhang Ke shook his head and said, "I have been busy with other things. When I heard someone wanted to move the land in Sha Tin East, I remembered that I had to do some substantial work here..."

Xu Hongbo is a wise man who sees through the world. He doesn't need to speak out for many things. He recognizes everything from the details. The funds provided by Zhang Ke were initially remitted from the account of Haizhou Yuexiu Company. When Xu Si goes to Hong Kong, he will be transferred directly from the Hong Kong company.

Xu Hongbo nodded, without asking Zhang Ke what other things he was doing, and said, "I want to do some substantial work..."

Chen Feirong followed Xue Guohua and helped him bring in a lot of drawings. She saw Zhang Ke and Xu Hongbo sitting in front of the chessboard, and was a little stunned. She remembered that Zhang Ke hadn't come to play chess with Xu Hongbo for many days.

Xu Hongbo said to Xue Guohua: "There is no need to take out all the drawings, how many can you see in one go?"

"I only picked some!" Xue Guohua raised his eyebrows with a gray brow. He didn't even pick up the chess piece, and piled the drawings on the chess table. He took out a piece of it and spread it for Zhang Ke to show it. He said excitedly: "Look at it, it would be a pity to demolish all the beautiful buildings..."

It is not a formal blueprint, but a large sketch is used to directly outline the main structure of the building, Mirang Mikan.

Xu Hongbo said: "These are all the original appearance of the building after imagination. To restore the buildings destroyed by the structure in reality to this extent, it takes a lot of effort. Each building needs to be put in a lot of effort, let alone so many buildings?"

Xue Guohua glared at Xu Hongbo and said, "Which position are you talking?"

Xu Hongbo smiled and said, "I'm just talking in a realistic way." The chess table was filled with drawings. Chen Feirong held the drawings in her arms and didn't know where to put them. Xu Hongbo called someone to bring a chess table and brought them together, and asked Chen Feirong to put them down.

Chen Feirong thought Zhang Ke was here to play chess with Xu Hongbo, but she didn't expect Xue Guohua to show the drawings for him. She was very surprised. Zhang Ke nodded and smiled at her. She was surprised but didn't know how to respond, but she looked even colder on her face. Zhang Ke thought she still had a consistent misunderstanding about herself, so she didn't care too much. She took the drawings from the old man Xue Guohua and looked serious.

Chen Feirong put down the drawings and saw that everyone else in the chess courtyard was far away. She knew that she shouldn't be standing there. She looked at Zhang Ke in surprise and then returned to the side hall to continue to review her homework. But she didn't understand why the drawings Xu Hongbo had collected with great effort to show them to Zhang Ke?

Zhang Ke looked at a few pictures and said to Xu Hongbo: "My father and I are both laymen. Teacher Xu, can you and Mr. Xue meet Uncle Tang and report on the work you have done so far..."

Xue Guohua didn't know who "Uncle Tang" was in Zhang Ke's mouth, so he glanced at Xu Hongbo inquiring.

Xu Hongbo explained: "Tang Xueqian, his father is Zhang Zhixing..." He ignored the shock in Xue Guohua's eyes and turned to ask Zhang Ke, "It is okay to report our current work to Tang Xueqian, but Tang Xueqian asked us what we are going to do next, how should we answer?"

Zhang Ke smiled and said, "This is the question you asked Uncle Tang, why do you want me to answer?"

Xu Hongbo smiled and said, "You are the one who takes the lead in doing this. At this time, you have no choice but to be clever. The city has long had a unified opinion on demolishing the entire area of ​​Shatian. If Tang Xueqian wants to turn the tide, we have to make excuses for him."

Zhang Ke said, "Uncle Tang's mind is also shaking now. Teacher Xu will pull Uncle Tang into our camp first and then talk about what I can do in the future..." Zhang Ke thought for a while and asked Xue Guohua, "Old Xue, is there any buildings worth repairing and protecting in Danjing Lane?"

"Yes, how could it not be? The entire alley in Danjing Lane is worthy of repairing the original appearance..." Xue Guohua found a few pictures from the drawings and handed them to Zhang Ke, "Look at this picture, the main building, the family building, the back-shaped corridor, the courtyard stage, is a typical three-in-one building in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the old building of Yehui in the middle of the Qing Dynasty... and this one was the chess hall in the late Qing Dynasty, a very typical guild building..."

Zhang Ke picked up the restoration picture of the chess hall building and asked Xue Guohua: "How much money is needed to restore this yard to its original appearance?"

"It will cost about 170,000 or 800,000..." Xue Guohua said with some uncertainty, not because he was uncertain about the cost of the repair, but because he was uncertain about the intention of Zhang Ke's question.

A three-story square brick and wood guild hall-style building marked next to the drawings that the building area is only 800 square meters. It is not necessary to demolish and rebuild a Western-style building with a considerable area of ​​similar structures. However, it is necessary to repair and restore the original appearance, and the purchase of the old building will cost about two or three times the price. Repairing cultural relics is really a waste of money. Should the city avoid this matter? Zhang Ke's previous estimate is still small.
Chapter completed!