Chapter 124: There Is Only One General Direction

Many thanks to Qingwu Feiyang 11, Glory and Faith Still Endure, Book Friend 20180212155346625, Wuwei 870819, Xia Xue..., Old Evil Lord, Huangwukui, Little Child, Yuchen the Cutie, Purple Violet, Book Friend 20170423142250146, QHXZ129, Deep Cloud, Book Friend 20180102141508186, Laughing Sword, and all the other readers for your generous rewards and support.

It is a new year, so I must work even harder. Starting next week, the novel will be featured in the Sanjiang recommendation, with three chapters a day. I hope everyone who enjoys it will continue to show your support. Your support is my greatest motivation!

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By the time Zhao Guoyang returned to the hotel from the Songjiang Municipal Machinery Industry Commission, it was already close to ten o’clock at night.

During the evening’s discussions, Zhao Guoyang finally came to understand just how formidable Li Kejian, this giant of the domestic machinery industry, truly was.

The breadth of his knowledge was in no way inferior to Zhao Guoyang’s own. The only difference was that, when it came to envisioning the future development of industry, Elder Li lacked Zhao Guoyang’s foresight and wealth of experience.

Even so, a single fact casually mentioned by Elder Li was enough to leave others stunned for half a day.

It was not only Zhao Siyan who struggled to keep up. Even Wang Ziqing and Liang Xiaofeng, the two directors of the Machinery Industry Commission at bureau-chief rank, found it difficult to match Elder Li’s pace of thought.

The only people present who could truly converse with Elder Li were Ji Zhongxuan and Zhao Guoyang.

Because Ji Zhongxuan’s professional focus lay elsewhere, he could generally grasp Elder Li’s intentions only at the broadest level. When the discussion moved on to specific questions, Zhao Guoyang was the sole person capable of responding in detail.

For the entire evening, Zhao Guoyang was left dizzy and exhausted by Li Kejian’s questions. It was not that he could not answer them; rather, he had to think carefully about how to analyze each issue using the level of technology available at that time.

He had proceeded with the utmost caution and, in the end, managed to get through those five or six hours without revealing a single flaw.

Thinking that he would still have several more discussions over the next two days with major figures such as Elder Li and Director Fang, Zhao Guoyang felt almost ready to cry.

Yet there was nowhere he could complain about it. Countless people would have begged for such an opportunity and still been unable to obtain it.

After returning to his room, Zhao Guoyang hurriedly washed up and went straight to bed.

While he slept soundly, Director Wang’s room next door was bustling with activity. Wang Ziqing had summoned Jiang Hong, Liu Renhe, and Liu Yaohong to hold an emergency meeting.

In the small conference room inside Wang Ziqing’s suite, he had already given his three subordinates a general account of what had happened that day. Afterward, he lowered his head, took a puff of his cigarette, and waited for them to share their thoughts.

After hearing Wang Ziqing’s account, Jiang Hong and Liu Renhe looked at each other, both wearing expressions of utter astonishment.

Only Liu Yaohong appeared somewhat composed. After all, he knew Zhao Guoyang far better than the other two section chiefs and was vaguely aware that the young man was no ordinary person.

Seeing that Jiang Hong and Liu Renhe had yet to fully digest what he had told them, Wang Ziqing turned to Liu Yaohong.

“Yaohong, tell us what you think. As far as Comrade Zhao is concerned, how exactly should Jiangnan Province make use of this young talent going forward?”

Liu Yaohong froze when he heard this.

Director Wang had referred to Jiangnan Province, not the Machinery Industry Commission. That meant that, deep down, he had already come to regard Zhao Guoyang as a versatile and comprehensive talent, and was very likely considering recommending him to the Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government.

The fact that Director Wang was asking him this question clearly meant that there were matters troubling him, matters on which he could not yet make a final decision.

If Liu Yaohong could offer good advice and help resolve those hidden concerns, it would be a tremendous accomplishment.

At once, his spirits lifted.

After pondering for a moment, he began slowly and deliberately:

“Director Wang, speaking personally, I think we should report this matter to the province as soon as possible.”

“After all, Comrade Zhao has received such high recognition from the leaders of the National Machinery Industry Commission, and Songjiang is watching him closely as well. If we fail to explain the situation to our superiors, it would be difficult to justify.”

“Go on,” Wang Ziqing said, exhaling a smoke ring.

Liu Yaohong counted off his points on his fingers.

“Director Wang, didn’t you just say that Comrade Zhao has already been appointed a specially commissioned researcher by both the National Machinery Industry Commission and the Songjiang Machinery Industry Commission? And at the meeting, you also stated that our Jiangnan Provincial Machinery Industry Commission would make its own arrangements…”

“Why don’t we use this as an opportunity to call the provincial authorities now? With matters like this, the sooner we act, the better.”

“The auto exhibition will continue for another two days. We must not allow some unexpected complication to arise simply because our report was delayed…”

Liu Yaohong offered the suggestion cautiously.

After he finished speaking, Wang Ziqing fell silent for a moment, carefully considering the matter. Then he nodded firmly.

Liu Yaohong had indeed touched upon the very concern weighing on his mind.

Originally, Wang Ziqing had planned to report to Zhuo Qingfeng, the senior official in charge of industry, immediately after the exposition ended and they returned home.

Now that Liu Yaohong had reminded him, he made up his mind at once. He would call Senior Official Zhuo immediately.

“Yaohong, you’re right. I’ll return to my room and call Senior Official Zhuo to explain the situation. You, Jiang Hong, and Renhe discuss things here and think about what other measures we can take next. There is only one guiding principle: no matter what, Jiangnan Province cannot allow a talent like Comrade Zhao to slip away!”

After leaving them with those words, Wang Ziqing hurried back to his room to call Senior Official Zhuo.

Watching him leave, Liu Yaohong felt both astonished and delighted.

What astonished him was that Zhao Guoyang was actually capable of causing such a commotion—enough to alarm leaders of national ministries and commissions as well as the mayor of Songjiang.

What delighted him was that Zhao Guoyang and his Hongda Machinery Factory were, in any case, under his direct supervision. If Zhao achieved something, Liu Yaohong would certainly receive credit in the eyes of his superiors as well.

Judging from the implications of Director Wang’s words just now, Liu Yaohong had clearly taken the leading position among the three men present. In the past, such a thing would have been impossible.

As Liu Yaohong’s thoughts began to run wild, Jiang Hong glanced at Liu Renhe across from him and said with undisguised envy, “Director Liu, your Guangling Municipal Machinery Industry Commission has really struck gold this time. You actually managed to uncover someone as outstanding as Zhao Guoyang. Come on, teach us a few of your secret tricks, will you?”

“That’s right, Yaohong,” Liu Renhe added.

“Your Guangling Municipal Machinery Industry Commission is truly something. You casually pulled a technician out of one of the enterprises under your jurisdiction, and he went on to cause such a sensation. I’m impressed—deeply impressed!”

Jiang Hong and Liu Renhe were only half joking, but their words still gave Liu Yaohong a distinct sense of pride.

He, too, had originally come from the military and been transferred into civilian service. Within the Machinery Industry Commission system, he had always felt somewhat out of place. He had often believed that he could not really be considered a technical cadre, and that his position amounted to an outsider leading experts in their own field.

But now, with a talent like Zhao Guoyang having been discovered, everything had changed.

At the very least, people throughout the provincial Machinery Industry Commission system would certainly look at him in a new light.

“Come on, Old Jiang, Old Liu, stop teasing me. What tricks could I possibly have? I simply visit the enterprises under our jurisdiction more often, take a look around, and communicate more with their managers and technical personnel.”

Liu Yaohong spoke with no small amount of pride.

“I discovered Comrade Zhao while inspecting Hongda Machinery Factory in Ninghai. I still remember how he explained the wind-powered fire extinguisher in such a clear and thorough manner. He even knew the model numbers of comparable foreign engines like the back of his hand.”

“At the time, I thought this young man was diligent, eager to learn, and full of promise. As it turns out, I judged him correctly after all. Ha-ha…”