Finally, Vice Mayor Ma arrived. A dozen or so cars lined up and drove towards the tunnel entrance. Surprisingly, the car at the front wasn't Vice Mayor Ma's official vehicle, but rather a car from Longhai TV. But that wasn't unexpected; the media, acting as the mouthpiece of the Party and the government, naturally took the lead. Vice Mayor Ma's car was the second in line.
Three staff members, two cameramen, and a news reporter got out of the TV station's car first. Then, a woman stepped out of Vice Mayor Ma's car. This woman made Tong Daqi's eyes widen. Guess who it was? Wasn't it Zeng Xiaoli, the chief news anchor of Longhai TV? Yes, it was her, Longhai's number one beautiful anchor. Daqi saw her on TV every night! As soon as she got out of the car, she directed her colleagues at the TV station. They began setting up equipment and adjusting devices, clearly preparing for a news report. The report was about Vice Mayor Ma's inspection of the tunnel project.
Zeng Xiaoli's appearance immediately drew everyone's attention. She had an almond-shaped face, phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and a small, sensual mouth. Tall and slender, she wore a flowing, bright red dress that accentuated her elegant figure. A black leather belt with a square buckle cinched her waist, highlighting her curves and making her exceptionally alluring. Her long legs were encased in sheer stockings, and a pair of red high-heeled leather boots added a touch of cool, dignified elegance. A pearl necklace and diamond earrings further enhanced her charm. "She's so beautiful," Daqi thought. "But why isn't she riding in the TV station's car instead of the mayor's limousine?" "Oh well, who cares whose car she's in? It's an honor for all the construction workers to have such a beautiful anchorwoman come to this godforsaken place!" Daqi felt genuinely excited, after all...
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Section Reading 19
He'd only ever seen this beautiful woman on TV the day before yesterday, and now she was standing right in front of him, doing a news report. Her appearance lessened Daqi's resentment towards project manager Zhang Qingsheng for forcing an intern to accompany city leaders on their inspection tour. "Thank goodness she's here," he thought, "otherwise I might never have seen this beautiful news anchor face-to-face—the dream girl of countless men!"
Zeng Xiaoli was standing beside Daqi, holding a microphone in her left hand and smoothing her flowing hair with her right. Her hair was dyed a light red, giving her a beautiful yet elegant, dignified yet alluring appearance. What attracted Daqi most were her expressive red lips. No wonder she was a woman who made a living with her mouth; those lips were truly beautiful. Bright red, with defined lines and a slight upturn. Her red lips parted and spoke the following words: "Dear viewers, I am Zeng Xiaoli, a news anchor from Longhai City Television. I am currently at the entrance of the Kuzhishan Tunnel Project in Binhai Province..."
That voice was incredibly sweet and melodious. To Daqi, each word sounded like singing, even more beautiful than singing.
From the moment she stepped out of the car, Daqi's gaze almost never left her. From the moment she began to speak, his eyes were fixed on her cherry-like lips. Besides her stunning beauty, Zeng Xiaoli's small mouth truly sparked Daqi's imagination. That smile was so sexy, so beautiful, so alluring. Because a woman's allure is itself a kind of beauty!
Zeng Xiaoli's speech came to an end, and Vice Mayor Ma Qinglian also got out of the car. Facing the television cameras, he began his utterly tedious, bureaucratic speech: "To all the workers of the Kuzhishan Tunnel Project Department! You've all worked hard. On behalf of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Government, and the Municipal People's Congress, I've come to express my gratitude to you... We must resolutely prevent shoddy construction projects and pay close attention to construction safety..."
Having just finished listening to Zeng Xiaoli's beautiful and pleasant report, Da Qi felt nauseous listening to this deputy mayor's clichéd rhetoric. These days, officials everywhere represent the three sets of leadership (Party Committee, Government, and People's Congress), and their pronouncements to the public are all identical. The mayor's words went in one ear and out the other; he was still staring intently at Zeng Xiaoli, completely forgetting about the mayor's inspection at that moment! Da Qi looked Zeng Xiaoli up and down, finally fixing his gaze on her small mouth. When she smiled, revealing a row of pearly white teeth like diamonds, Da Qi's heart fluttered even more. In that instant of her smile, Da Qi thought this woman was like a passionate, vibrant red chrysanthemum; she was so beautiful, so radiant!
Finally, the mayor finished speaking. He emphasized construction safety at the end. As soon as he finished, he got back into his mayoral car and left the construction site; his entire speech lasted no more than three minutes. Daqi had naively assumed that the mayor, having traveled a long way, would go inside the tunnel to take a look. But he didn't. Daqi thought about it carefully: did he even have the guts to go in? No, he wasn't like him; he wasn't destined for a lowly life. He was the mayor, destined for wealth and status; how could he possibly enter a tunnel with such a high degree of danger in the eyes of ordinary people?!
But Daqi really didn't want him to leave. Because once the mayor left, the beautiful news anchor Zeng Xiaoli also left in his car. He really wanted to see her a little longer, to see her little mouth a little longer!
The following day, Binhai Provincial Television, the *Binhai Daily*, Longhai City Television, and various local radio and print media all broadcast the major news report about Vice Mayor Ma's "deep inspection of the tunnel project and warm greetings to the workers." Seeing the news footage on television, Daqi couldn't help but shake his head and curse inwardly: "Damn it, we've been in a meeting for over an hour, and we've been busy for almost two hours waiting for him to arrive. He only spoke for less than three minutes, but the news footage of him lasted a full five minutes!"
Two hours, three minutes, five minutes. What a stark contrast! People really are different! "Who told me, Tong Daqi, not to be a leader?" he chuckled to himself. "Yeah, if I were a leader, I'd make sure this TV screen lasted a full five and a half minutes!"
Through several days of observation at the tunnel construction site and his own construction records, Daqi discovered a very serious problem—the project involved blatant shoddy workmanship! Tunnel excavation is an extremely high-risk construction project. According to the construction drawings, many sections of this project required the addition of anchor bolts (a type of steel pipe, crucial for tunnel reinforcement in some sections; otherwise, tunnel collapses are likely, potentially causing major construction accidents or casualties—author's note!) ranging from 8 to 15 meters in length. However, Daqi observed that the construction teams were driving anchor bolts into the tunnel that were no longer than 8 meters, and some were even less than 5 meters long. This is no joke; it could be fatal and does not meet the requirements of the construction and design drawings!
Daqi took the construction drawings to the foreman, Wang Youcai, and asked him what was going on. Wang Youcai greeted Daqi with a smile, offering him cigarettes and tea.
Daqi: "Boss Wang, why are the anchor bolts in these sections so short? This could easily cause an accident. Can you explain this?"
Wang Youcai laughed and said, "Little Tong, you don't need to be so nervous. The anchor bolts I had the workers install are long enough. Don't worry, I can guarantee that this project is absolutely sturdy!"
He suddenly lowered his voice and said to Daqi, "Little Tong, come sit with me tonight, and let your old brother tell you all about it, okay?" Daqi nodded in agreement, and was genuinely curious to see what he had to say that night.
Back in his room, Daqi thought to himself, "Don't all those technicians and construction workers from the Sixth Construction Company of the province watch over these contractors every day? Why aren't they doing anything? They should know the tunnel's construction status better than I do. Better to mind my own business; I can't save the world!" Yes, Daqi thought, "I can't save the world. Let them be!" As for Wang Youcai's place that night, there was no need to go.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Midnight Romance
After finishing work during the day, Daqi returned to his room to watch TV. Just as he was getting bored, someone knocked on his door. He opened it to find Muping. As soon as Ping entered, she whispered to Daqi, "I'm coming to see you tonight, so don't fall asleep!" Daqi was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly in agreement. After saying this, Ping slipped out of Daqi's room and went back to her own. It seemed everyone was bored out of their minds by the desolation of the construction site; they couldn't seem to do anything but watch TV. Daqi thought to himself that Ping must have been bored to death to come looking for him.
Around 2 a.m., Ping finally knocked on Daqi's door. Daqi was in high spirits that night and was trying his best to have fun with Ping.
He first made Ping walk the catwalk, a style typical of models, on his bed in the room for his viewing pleasure, completely naked. Although Ping blushed deeply with embarrassment, she happily complied. Watching the most beautiful female model in the entire coastal city walk the catwalk naked was an absolute pleasure and thrill for Daqi. He greatly admired Ping's graceful figure and the confidence with which she walked. Ping walked back and forth for several minutes with a smile on her face before Daqi finally let her stop and rest.
As soon as she stopped, Daqi changed his methods of amusement. He himself, naked, hugged Ping and made her sit on his lap, telling her dirty jokes or adult stories. Ping laughed heartily at Daqi's antics, completely oblivious to Wen still asleep next door. Daqi told Ping this adult joke:
"There's an old joke about a doctor. It goes like this: A doctor in ancient times died of illness. He had three wives. The first wife, touching the dead doctor's head, cried out, 'My dear husband, how could you leave like this?' The second wife, seeing this, imitated her and touched the doctor's feet, crying out, 'My dear husband, how could you leave like this?' The third wife, seeing this, quickly grabbed the doctor's genitals and cried out, 'My doctor, how could you leave like this?'"
Ping, a bright and intelligent girl, laughed upon hearing this and only called Daqi "filthy." She said to Daqi, "You wretched husband, don't go to the doctor when you're sick. If you dare tell this joke to a doctor, I guarantee he won't treat you even if you die, haha! Who told you to laugh at doctors as that scary thing about men?" Daqi laughed and said, "Good wife, unless someone points a gun at my head, I'd rather die than tell this joke to a doctor."
While telling jokes to Ping, Daqi gently stroked her long, beautiful legs; he adored them! Besides her legs, Daqi didn't neglect her breasts either. He used every trick in the book to tease them until she begged him to stop. However, his release was conditional. More of an order than a condition: he wanted her to serve his "little Qi" with her lips and tongue. The woman obediently and passionately served "little Qi," sometimes lying down, sometimes sitting, sometimes standing. In short, no matter what position Daqi adopted, the woman's lips and tongue never left his body's "rule." Because he hadn't given the command for her lips and tongue to leave "little Qi." Therefore, the woman could only continuously serve "little Qi" in a specific way.
Finally, Daqi and the woman made love and enjoyed their time together. This incredibly boring construction site internship was finally not so boring anymore, finally had a little color, because Ping was with him, Daqi thought happily.
And so, Daqi and Ping would meet secretly every two or three days. As the saying goes, "If you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place," and there's also the proverb, "Walls have ears." Daqi and Muping's frequent late-night rendezvous were eventually discovered by their good friend Qiwen. This is how she found out.
One time, Mu Ping, thinking Qi Wen was asleep, secretly slipped into the next room to look for Da Qi. Qi Wen hadn't fallen asleep that day, and assumed Mu Ping had just gotten up to use the restroom, so she didn't think much of it. However, a long time passed, and Qi Wen didn't see Mu Ping return. Now Qi Wen was worried about Mu Ping; she wondered if something had happened to her. Just as she was about to go out to check, she faintly heard some noises coming from the next room. Listening carefully, Qi Wen realized it was Mu Ping's voice. The voice was plaintive, seemingly both joyful and painful. Qi Wen was a perceptive woman; she knew that her beloved Da Qi lived next door, and Ping's voice came from his room. They were a couple, and now, alone together in a room, making such noises, Qi Wen concluded that they must be engaged in sexual activity.
Qiwen became increasingly curious as she listened, and eventually found the sound too soft to listen to properly. She pressed her ear against the wall to eavesdrop on the sounds coming from next door. Only when Muping stopped making any noise did she sneak back to bed and pretend to be asleep.
From then on, whenever Mu Ping made a sound in the middle of the night, Qi Wen would eavesdrop alone. After doing this twice, Qi Wen felt unsatisfied. She simply drilled a small hole in the wall when she was alone in the room. This room was originally a temporary one, and the walls were not thick, making it easy to drill a hole. During the day, Qi Wen would plug the small hole with crumpled paper, and at night she would use the small hole to peep at Da Qi and Mu Ping doing those things.
It's true what they say, "You won't believe it until you see it." When Qiwen first peeked through a hole in the wall at the scene next door, she was stunned. She saw Muping kneeling before Daqi, diligently pleasuring him with her lips and tongue. Qiwen was shocked, thinking, "How can they do that? They're so crazy!" But to Qiwen, Daqi seemed to be enjoying it, and her best friend Muping seemed equally willing. Qiwen was completely baffled. Later, when the two were having sex, Muping screamed and yelled as if she wanted everyone on the construction site to hear her.
From then on, Qiwen would spy on Daqi and Muping every time they made love, witnessing their intimate moments clearly. However, each of Daqi and Muping's "live sex acts" made Qiwen blush and her heart race. Every time she saw them in their passion, her heart would pound like a deer's, unable to stop. Frankly, she found it quite entertaining and exciting. But she never mentioned her spying to anyone, including Muping. She often asked herself, "Does that kind of thing really bring people pleasure?" She didn't know!
Having worked on the construction site for almost a month, a major construction accident occurred that day—the tunnel roof collapsed, and the falling rocks instantly killed two migrant workers! This was a major construction accident! The cause of the accident couldn't be simpler, and Daqi knew it in his heart: four words—"shoddy workmanship"!
The construction site is in a real mess! But the contractor, Wang Youcai, is incredibly capable, and of course, the Sixth Construction Company of the province is doing everything in its power to cover it up. They, along with the owner (Longhai Municipal Government) and the supervision unit, devised a series of crisis management plans: 1. First, provide compensation to the families of the two deceased migrant workers; each family will receive 90,000 yuan, equivalent to the insurance company's compensation. 2. Hold an emergency meeting where the top leaders of the construction and supervision units instruct all site staff, including migrant workers and interns, to strictly keep the incident confidential, not revealing any information about the accident to anyone outside the site, including their families and schools. 3. Establish a special crisis management team to deal with higher-level authorities and media outlets, especially the media.
Two days later, Daqi was watching TV in his room. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. He opened it and saw it was the contractor, Wang Youcai. "How could it be him?" Daqi wondered. Wang Youcai entered, closed the door, and started chatting with Daqi.
Daqi: "Hey, Mr. Wang, what brings you here?"
Wang Youcai: "If something goes wrong, could you please help me?"
Daqi: "What is it? How can a poor scholar like me help you?"
Wang Youcai: "You know someone died on the construction site, and as the contractor, I have to pay compensation!"
Daqi: "You deserve it! You know how much work you cut corners on and how much material you skimped on. I told you last time that these anchor bolts were too short. How could something like this not happen when you used so few and short ones?"
Wang Youcai: "Xiao Tong, do you think I wanted this? I'm just trying to make a living, I had no choice!"
"I had no choice," Daqi suddenly said, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Tell me what happened?"
Wang Youcai sighed and said, "Hey! These days, construction projects are tough! Brother Tong, I know you're a talented person, and I'm short of a skilled and educated helper. I'd like you to help me with the project budget and construction, what do you say?"
Daqi: "Why are you suddenly bringing up my role as your helper again? I'm asking you why you're cutting corners and ignoring the workers' lives?"
Wang Youcai laughed and said, "Alright, alright. Brother Tong, I'll take you to the city tonight, and we can have a good talk. We'll discuss it then. This accident was very accidental. Things on the construction site are very complicated. But you have to promise to be my helper and do things for me. You'll gradually understand what's going on."
Daqi was feeling bored at the construction site, and when he heard Wang Youcai say this, he said, "Okay, Boss Wang, let's talk about it tonight."
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Two Beauties Serving Us
At six o'clock in the evening, Daqi was about to go to the cafeteria for dinner when Wang Youcai ran over and stopped him. Wang Youcai chuckled, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth, and said, "Little Tong, it's my treat tonight! Let's go eat in the city." Never mind.
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Section Reading 20
Daqi thought to himself, "If someone invites me to dinner, I'll go."
Daqi got into Wang Youcai's Toyota sedan, which Wang Youcai drove himself, heading towards Longhai city. Daqi sat in the front seat, as it was just the two of them in the car. As they drove, they chatted idly.
Wang Youcai: "Xiao Tong, I know you know about construction. Unlike me, I haven't read many books and I don't recognize many words."
Daqi was taken aback when he heard this, thinking, "No way!" He said, "Mr. Wang, you're too modest. If you didn't know anything, how could you have secured a project worth tens of millions?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Youcai burst into laughter and said, "To tell you the truth, I really only graduated from fourth grade. This project was nominally awarded to the Sixth Construction Company of the province, but in reality, I was in charge of the construction. They only provided technical guidance; I was responsible for all the profits and losses!"
Daqi: "The government has banned the subcontracting of projects now, right?"
Wang Youcai: "Of course I won't subcontract. We won't do anything illegal! But saying one thing and doing another. I'm a businessman. If I can't subcontract, I'll just sublet it. I don't care about these regulations or those rules. As long as I can make money, that's all that matters. 'Making money is the only hard truth!'"
Upon hearing this, Daqi thought to himself that although Wang Youcai was not very educated, he could speak eloquently and was a capable self-employed individual, or perhaps a nouveau riche!
Wang Youcai continued, "This project was introduced to me by a relative. You've met him; he's Mayor Ma, who came here for an inspection a couple of days ago."
"What? Mayor Ma is your relative?" Daqi finally understood. No wonder this guy could secure such a huge project.
“He’s my cousin, we grew up together,” Wang Youcai said. “He specifically asked the Sixth Construction Company of the province to carry out the construction of this project, but on one condition. The condition was that I had to subcontract the work and be responsible for the specific construction. The Sixth Construction Company of the province agreed, it was that simple, haha!” Wang Youcai finished speaking and chuckled.
“But the newspaper said that this project was won by the Sixth Construction Company of the province through bidding! Aren’t all projects handled through bidding these days?” Daqi said.
Wang Youcai: "My dear scholar, I'll just call you a bookworm. These days, what isn't predetermined? 'For every policy from above, there's a countermeasure from below.' My cousin, Mayor Ma, still has influence in Longhai, this special economic zone. He used his connections in the province to get this project to the Sixth Construction Company of the province; otherwise, how could that incompetent general manager of the Sixth Construction Company have secured such a large project? I'm not laughing at the Sixth Construction Company, but he can wait until his next life. Companies wanting this project could line up from the construction site all the way to downtown Longhai. Hehe, anyway, to make a long story short, this project is a matter of the Sixth Construction Company and me sharing the risks and profits. Understand?"
Daqi finally understood. So that's how it was! No wonder Wang Youcai was able to contract such a high-cost tunnel project. You see, based on his own professional knowledge, he'd judged this guy to be a complete "country bumpkin" who knew absolutely nothing about his field!
Daqi nodded to Wang Youcai, indicating he understood. Wang Youcai continued, "Xiaotong, I think you're talented. From now on, you'll work for me. I won't treat you badly. Anyway, I need someone who's educated and technically skilled to help me. As long as you work for me, I guarantee you'll make a fortune. I can't let those uneducated laborers under me mess things up anymore. Another person died, and I lost hundreds of thousands in one go!"
Daqi laughed and said, "Boss Wang, what are a few hundred thousand to you? The workers' compensation is essential. They risked their lives, and their families are waiting for the money!"
Wang Youcai: "Of course. I never skimp on money for the dead; it's considered unlucky. Actually, 200,000 or so in compensation for the dead isn't much. It's just that another 200,000 or so is needed to bribe officials and keep quiet, which feels like a piece of my heart. But there's no way around it; this money has to be paid. Consider it a loss to ward off bad luck!"
As they talked, the car pulled up in front of a hotel called "Yunchun Hotel." Daqi guessed it was a four-star hotel. After parking, Wang Youcai led Daqi to a small private room in the hotel, guided by a doorman.
Wang Youcai asked Daqi to order the food, and Daqi, without hesitation, ordered three seafood dishes. Wang Youcai then added four more dishes and two bottles of Guizhou Moutai liquor. Daqi thought to himself, "This nouveau riche boss really thinks highly of me. He's treating me to Moutai on our first date. Oh well, I'll drink!"
The two began to eat and drink heartily, chatting as they went. Gradually, they both became slightly tipsy.
Wang Youcai: "Little Tong! Let me tell you, as long as you start following me from now on, I guarantee I won't treat you unfairly!"
Daqi: "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Boss Wang. Come on, let's drink!"
Wang Youcai: "Although I have money, I want to make more. Let me tell you, I have plenty of government resources. Making some money is really not difficult for me. However, all the idiots under me are completely illiterate and uneducated. I often embarrass myself by taking them out. Now I need an educated person like you to help me make big money!"
Daqi: "Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Wang! I'm currently an intern and haven't graduated yet. Let's talk about everything after I graduate. Tell me, what can I do for you?"
Wang Youcai: "I've been working hard since I was 15 and I've never misjudged anyone. You're a talented person, and I hope you'll treat me like a brother, not just a boss. We're buddies, we'll make money together and share the good times! I hope you'll help me and be my assistant. I promise you'll live the high life, have fun every day!"
Daqi was a man of many social standing; he had seen all sorts of dignitaries and important figures since he was a child with his grandfather, and he knew how to speak politely in such situations. He raised his glass and said, "Since we're brothers, don't be shy! Brother, come, let me toast you!"
Wang Youcai: "Awesome! I admire your straightforwardness, let's do it!"
The two toasted each other back and forth, and soon the two bottles of Moutai were empty. Daqi felt full and couldn't drink anymore; he was also a little sleepy. He said to Wang Youcai, "Brother, I can't hold my liquor, I'm a little dizzy." Wang Youcai laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright, brother will take you to relax. Let's go to the sauna."
After speaking, Wang Youcai muttered a few words to the waiters in the private room, and two waiters immediately came in from outside. They said, "Please come with us, gentlemen!" Daqi and Wang Youcai followed the two waiters. Daqi thought that the waiters at the "Yunchun Hotel" were all of good quality. Take the two in front, for example; they were really good-looking, both tall and slender with fair skin. The two waiters were wearing green cheongsams, which made them look very upright and elegant. When they walked, their backs were ramrod straight. What intrigued Daqi was that these two waiters not only had good figures and were beautiful, but also had a scholarly air about them, unlike the other waiters in the hotel.
Soon they arrived at the sauna. Wang Youcai whispered to Daqi, "You enjoy yourself, relax! I'm going to relax by myself!" Daqi didn't quite understand at first, but since he was paying, he figured it was up to him. He muttered a few words to the sauna attendant, who nodded and led Daqi to a small, steamy sauna room. However, he was alone in the room, as the attendant who had led him there had already left.
"Ah, that feels great! A good shower followed by a sauna." Daqi was about to take off his clothes when two women walked in from outside. They both greeted him with "Hello, boss!" and then closed the sauna door. These two women looked so familiar... That's right, they were the two beautiful women in green cheongsams who had led him from the private room to the sauna. No wonder they looked so familiar. What were these two women doing here? Daqi wondered. They were tall, fair-skinned, and had very attractive figures, both wearing only bikinis. Daqi looked closely at the two women; they were indeed quite pretty, with delicate features and a scholarly air. They looked to be in their early twenties.
Were they going to bathe with him? Daqi panicked a little. This was their first time meeting! They were all strangers, unlike Meiting, Muping, Qianru, or Chunxiao, whom he had feelings for before bathing together. Oh, Daqi, Daqi, you idiot! He realized these two beauties were service girls, or more accurately, two prostitutes.
Both women smiled at Daqi. One of them said, "Boss, is this your first time here? Let us sisters help you with your washing. Please feel free to tell us what you need. We hope you'll be satisfied with our service and come back often. Let me introduce myself first, my name is Qingqing." The other woman immediately chimed in, "My name is Yanyan. Please take good care of me, boss!"
As soon as the two women finished speaking, they started to help Daqi undress. Needless to say, in no time at all, they had completely "exposed" Tong Daqi.
What should I do? Daqi thought, "This is so unfair to all the women who love me so much!" Just as Daqi was pondering this, the two women pulled him into the hot spring. Soaking in that hot spring felt so good! Daqi thought, "Since I'm already here, I might as well let them be. If I go out now, people will still say I've been here, and I'll be in deep trouble. Besides, I'm a man! And these two women are incredibly beautiful. While they may not have the pure innocence of Qiwen or Muping, nor the allure of Qianru or Chunxiao, they possess a unique charm—seductive allure! Seductive women can absolutely drive men crazy! I can't let Wang Youcai's money go to waste. I'll enjoy myself!" Daqi thought.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: One King and Two Queens