Chapter 249: A lucky hit

The person looking for me was Engineer Zhou from the County Mineral Bureau, a man who had spent his whole life afraid that a feather would break his skull. He had studied under Professor Xu Siguan and, upon graduation, was assigned to the Zhongnan Geological and Mineral Research Institute. However, because he was afraid of being retaliated against by his classmate Li Yong, who was assigned there at the same time, he resolutely refused to report for duty. The reason was that Li Yong's father was the director of the institute, and Li Yong was the rival from whom he had snatched his love.

At the time, the Geological Research Institute wanted three people: him, who had top-tier grades; his lover, Mei Fei; and the "connected" Li Yong. Mei Fei was originally Li Yong's lover, but during their four years of university, Zhou Zhouzhou had managed to move Mei Fei with four years of persistent love poems, causing her to leave Li Yong and turn to his embrace.

Falling in love is a very beautiful thing, and Zhou Zhouzhou was a romantic person. Compared to the crude, unromantic Li Yong, he was almost Mei Fei's Prince Charming.

When it came to the critical moment of assignment, Zhou Zhouzhou suddenly discovered that the unromantic Li Yong had a father who was a titan of Chinese geological and mineral academia standing behind him. If he went to the Geological Research Institute, wouldn't he be walking right into a trap and asking for trouble?

After hesitating for a few days, he went to find Professor Xu Siguan, hoping to send his and Mei Fei's files to another unit. However, except for the Chunshan County Geological and Mineral Bureau, which was hiring, all other spots were filled. So he went to find Mei Fei, hoping she would follow him to Chunshan County. He would rather spend his whole life holed up in the mountains than face the challenge of fighting for the happiness that was originally his. Unexpectedly, Mei Fei refused flatly and calmly followed Li Yong away, leaving him all alone to come to Chunshan County with a quilt.

Professor Xu Siguan had once encouraged him, saying that for the sake of love and career, he must go to the Geological Research Institute. But he was afraid; he was afraid of being retaliated against by Li Yong, afraid that his originally beautiful image would collapse in Mei Fei's heart. He would rather die of heat in brocade clothes than strip naked and be laughed at by others.

This is dignity! Only dignity would make a man give up everything outside of himself!

"My name is Zhou Zhouzhou, the Chief Engineer of the Mineral Bureau," he introduced himself, smiling modestly.

I shook his hand and felt that his hand was warm and thick. Only a man who cherishes himself would have such palms. A man's fleshy palms are a symbol of wealth. But Zhou Zhouzhou had no wealth in Chunshan County. He started as an engineer and only rose to Chief Engineer after three directors. His title and benefits went up, but he remained alone, which was exactly the same as his mentor, Professor Xu Siguan. Both were single, simply because of love!

"May I ask, where is my teacher?" he asked me, looking at me eagerly.

"Professor Xu is packing his things; we are preparing to set off for Suxi," I said, and introduced Guo Wei to him. Zhou Zhouzhou didn't seem interested in Guo Wei; he glanced at him lightly, shook his hand politely, and waited for me to take him to find Professor Xu.

"I have prepared the most characteristic breakfast of Chunshan County. I want to invite my teacher to taste the flavor of our Chunshan," Zhou Zhouzhou followed behind me, step by step.

"I brought five people; they are all capable people in geology, and they know the situation in Chunshan like the back of their hands," he continued, chattering endlessly.

"Chunshan has a gold mine? This is the first time I've heard of it. In Chunshan's history, there is no record of this. According to our survey, there are coal mines under Chunshan, but the quality of the coal is poor, and the reserves are not high, so there is no value in mining."

"Just because there is no record in history doesn't mean it doesn't exist, right, Engineer Zhou?" I emphasized my tone, a bit dissatisfied with his chatter. As a geological expert, he naturally had the most detailed data and information. He spoke based on science, while I relied on emotional intuition.

"Of course, of course," he replied: "There are always surprises."

Passing by Huang Weiwei's door, I saw the two of them opening the door and coming out. Both were dressed brilliantly, making one's eyes light up.

After picking up Professor Xu from his room, our group went downstairs and met with the several experts from the Mineral Bureau in the lobby. They were all men over forty, all wearing thick glasses, and all looking at us with smiles.

What Zhou Zhouzhou prepared for his teacher was the most characteristic snail rice noodles of Chunshan. In a large bowl, a few ounces of white rice noodles were covered with a large spoonful of snail meat. The red chili was bright and translucent, and green scallions were dotted in between. A fresh, spicy fragrance entered the nostrils, making one's mouth water.

On a late autumn morning, mist shrouded the mountains, and a touch of chill permeated the air, trying hard to drill into people's bodies and erode their spirits.

Everyone was breathing out hot air, which made the men wearing glasses flustered, hurriedly taking them off to wipe them carefully with a lens cloth.

Huang Weiwei couldn't handle spicy food. She asked the boss for a glass of water, taking a bite of noodles and a sip of water, looking miserable and painful.

I glanced at Xue Bing. She quietly picked up the noodles with her chopsticks, swallowed them with a slurp, and watched Huang Weiwei's misery with the corner of her eye, a faint, inscrutable smile appearing on the corners of her mouth.

After breakfast, everyone hit the road. Zhou Zhouzhou drove his own car; the five of them squeezed into a utility vehicle, with large and small survey instruments placed in the truck bed. Professor Xu got into Huang Weiwei's car. Xue Bing originally wanted to sit in Guo Wei's car but was pulled into Huang Weiwei's car by Professor Xu. I had no choice but to get into Guo Wei's car and head straight for Laoyingzui.

When the car reached Laoyingzui, the sound of pile driving could be heard in the vast mist. As soon as the car stopped, I saw Sun Demao running over, smiling and handing out cigarettes.

Guo Wei stood on a mound, illuminated by a ray of sunlight piercing through the thin mist, his whole body shining with golden light. He waved his hand and said, "Professor Xu, before long, this place will be a new city."

The people from the Mineral Bureau naturally knew about the relocation of Suxi Town, but it was also their first time at the site. They all opened their eyes wide, trying hard to find the shadow of a new city in the thick mist.

"Right here?" Professor Xu asked suspiciously, looking around. He grabbed a handful of soil from under Guo Wei's feet, rubbed it carefully for a long time, and tossed it toward the sky, scattering it in the rising morning sun like a drizzle.

"Not here," I said. "It's another half a mile. Party Secretary Guo wanted you to be a witness to history since it's your first time in Suxi."

Guo Wei took the opportunity to echo: "Yes, Professor Xu, you are a titan of the field. Having you witness Suxi Town is more culturally significant than having a Provincial Party Secretary come." He turned to Sun Demao and shouted: "Old Sun, you need to speed up. The town office building must be officially in use before the New Year."

Sun Demao had been accompanying them with a smile, but after being shouted at by Guo Wei, he immediately became miserable, baring his teeth and saying: "Party Secretary Guo, the construction site is running twenty-four hours a day. Even if I had three heads and six arms, I'm afraid it would be difficult."

"Get lost. Who are you telling about difficulties? I don't care. Let me tell you, if you don't get a building up before the Spring Festival, you'll see what happens." As soon as Guo Wei arrived at the construction site, he showed his rough-and-tumble side, but I could see his inner ecstasy. His scolding of Sun Demao was actually filled with deep concern: "Professor Xu and the rest of us will eat at your construction site canteen at noon today. Go prepare quickly; if you mess this up, you're dead."

Sun Demao received the order and left happily.

Guo Wei smiled at Professor Xu and said, "Professor Xu, let's walk over and see our Town Mayor Chen's gold mine."

There was mockery in his words; I could hear it.

"Is there no road for cars?" I asked. I remembered that before I left, a dirt road wide enough for four cars to pass side-by-side had been built between the two construction sites.

"It was dug up," Guo Wei said nonchalantly. "The construction site here needed to drive piles, and the road happened to be built on two pile foundations, so it was dug up first."

A fire suddenly rose in my heart. Guo Wei, you are not being loyal! For the sake of your new government, could you kill my construction site?

In everyone's mind, the construction of the new government and the water plant belonged to Guo Wei and me respectively. It seemed as if we had no relationship, not as colleagues, but as rivals.

The fact was that Guo Wei always intentionally or unintentionally kept them separate. For example, on the day the water plant started construction, Guo Wei found an excuse not to come to the site, leaving Qian Youyu to ponder it for a long time.

Professor Xu was very easygoing and said, "Walking is good. Let's walk; we can enjoy the scenery along the way."

So he called Zhou Zhouzhou to take his box, and the other five people carried instruments on their shoulders and in their hands, following behind Professor Xu, walking slowly in the gradually dissipating mist.

I accompanied Professor Xu, occasionally helping him with my hand to prevent him from falling.

The road was rugged and uneven, with two deep tire tracks pressing out two smooth paths.

The mist slowly dissipated, and the shadow of Laoyingzui in the distance had already entered my view.

This was a rare good day. The sun, like a newlywed bride, shyly poked half its face out from the top of Laoyingzui. The world seemed to wake up suddenly. In the village of Laoyingzui, wisps of cooking smoke and the lazy calls of women drifted. All sounds became lively. A few sparrows in the sky flew over our heads like the wind, leaving behind a few crisp chirps. Chickens crowed, pigs squealed, and dogs barked uncontrollably. Among all the sounds, the lowing of an old cow brought lively factors, and everything became vivid.

This was a moving pastoral landscape painting. People were in the painting, their hearts were in the painting, and their feelings were also in the painting.

Professor Xu's eyes moistened. He rubbed them and said, "This scene, I'm too familiar with it. This is life, the most simple life, the most moving life."

Zhou Zhouzhou said busily, "Teacher, after you retire, come to our Chunshan. I'll find you a place like this."

Professor Xu withdrew his sadness, stepped on the solid ground, and sighed with infinite emotion.

In the distance, a person was squatting on a small hill, hugging his knees. Seeing us coming, he jumped up, and just as he was about to take a step, he tripped over a stone under his feet and fell flat on his face.

Everyone laughed, but I didn't. Because I saw clearly that the one who fell was Qian Youyu. Looking at his messy hair, I guessed he had been squatting here for a while.

He ran over, his eyes bloodshot, as red as an enraged gorilla.

"You're finally back," he said, holding my hand with a sobbing tone.

"What's wrong? Old Qian?" I said, punching him: "You don't look like a big boss anymore."

"I'm almost dead. Still a boss," Qian Youyu said dissatisfiedly: "They dug up the road, and when I said three words, they wanted to beat me. Who is in charge here?"

I understood Qian Youyu's words. He wasn't a person who liked to complain; he must have suffered a grievance, and this grievance was something he couldn't vent at all.

"No matter who is in charge, I'm back!" I said, glancing at Professor Xu, who had already led his survey team forward. Standing beside me were Huang Weiwei and Xue Bing, wrapped in the coolness of the morning. The two were like two wintersweet flowers, each blooming in their own splendor.

"If you didn't come back, I would have called the police," Qian Youyu changed to a grinning expression and pointed to Professor Xu walking in front, asking: "The expert you invited?"

"Yes," I answered him: "Just you wait and see, I'll make others clear the way for us."

My words left them confused, but I knew in my heart. Guo Wei, you dug up my road, so I will cut off your water! With just that little bit of money from Sun Demao, you dreaming of building a city out of thin air is almost a pipe dream. You will always have a time when you need me, and when that time comes, we'll see whose methods are more brilliant!

Inviting the expert was actually me thinking of a lucky hit. ===== CHAPTER 250 =====