Volume One, Chapter Three: Just Consider It My Nonsense

“Maimaiti Tursun Aili, come to the factory director’s office; the director wants to see you!”

Just as Maimaiti was about to transport materials to the warehouse, he suddenly heard the workshop supervisor call out behind him. He hurriedly responded.

Yusupu, standing nearby with a worried look, leaned in and whispered, “Brother, why did you go and provoke the leaders? The director must be looking for you because of that.”

“Speak properly! The supervisor scolded me to death yesterday, and now it’s going to happen all over again today?” Maimaiti felt uneasy. After all, his only interaction with the director was at the staff’s New Year’s banquet before the holiday, where he had toasted him.

Now that the director was calling for him, it was most likely about what happened yesterday.

At this moment, Maimaiti wanted to slap himself. Why hadn’t he held back yesterday? A moment of impulse had landed him in such trouble.

The director’s office was on the third floor of the building closest to the back door in the administrative area.

Although Maimaiti had never met the director and only had a vague impression from fused memories, he was certain he wouldn’t mistake the director’s office.

The Hydraulic Machinery Factory covered a relatively large area compared to many others in Urumqi, and it took about fifteen minutes to walk from the production zone to the administrative area.

As Maimaiti entered the administrative area and passed near the personnel office, he overheard Xu Aiping’s sharp, spiteful voice: “You say Zhou Shixun is such an honest man, yet he ended up with a woman like Sheng Anning… Is that for real? Poor Zhou, he married a woman he can’t even touch, treating her like a treasure. Pathetic!”

Maimaiti had long been familiar with Aunt Xu’s penchant for gossip. To avoid becoming her next target, he had planned to quietly slip by, but unexpectedly, Xu Aiping came out carrying a basin, nearly colliding with him.

“You careless fool, not watching where you’re going. Oh, I thought who it was. I heard the director is looking for you—”

Maimaiti dared not get caught in her trap. After a hurried apology, he took off running.

A few minutes later, when he cautiously knocked on the director’s office door, Maimaiti saw inside only an elderly man with graying temples and thinning hair sitting calmly.

Maimaiti immediately recognized that this was not the director. Hesitant about whether to enter, the old man waved him in first.

“Are you Maimaiti Aili Tursun? Come in, I’m the one who called you.”

“Um, I’m Maimaiti Tursun Aili,” Maimaiti corrected him, puzzled. “May I ask why you summoned me?”

Maimaiti didn’t know who this person was but felt a strange familiarity.

He searched through the previous memories but couldn’t match the face.

“Don’t be nervous, young comrade. I’m an official from the Water Conservancy Department, surname Wang.” The old man introduced himself kindly and extended his hand.

“Oh, Teacher Wang, pleased to meet you!” Though uncertain of his exact position, Maimaiti smiled warmly and shook his hand, showing respect to the superior.

After some pleasantries, the old man’s gaze suddenly sharpened, and he got straight to the point: “Young comrade, I heard from colleagues at the Water Conservancy Department that yesterday, when you encountered a hydraulic gate malfunction, you expressed some personal opinions. I want to know why you made that judgment.”

At these words, Maimaiti’s heart sank—this was bad!

He hadn’t expected that a moment’s carelessness yesterday would cause such a commotion.

Judging by the old man’s age, he must hold a high rank in the department and was likely here to reprimand him!

Thinking this, Maimaiti grew angry. Damn it, if they think I was just talking nonsense, do I have to be punished for it?

Maimaiti had no idea that the old man’s visit was not for punishment but out of appreciation for his talent.

To rewind to yesterday.

After proposing two conditions at a closed-door meeting, Huang Jianghui, the autonomous region’s vice chairman, immediately gave Wang Xiquan his firm assurance, easing the latter’s worries.

Walking back to the Water Conservancy Department office, Wang Xiquan felt elated.

Only after entering his office and closing the iron door did he furrow his brow again—if they were to truly develop wind power, he couldn’t do it alone; the personnel choice had to be meticulous.

In fact, Wang Xiquan had been considering candidates for a long time. Besides his longtime colleague Xie Shiqi at the Water Conservancy Department, his favorite was his student, Ma Wenbin, currently seconded as a technical instructor in the hydraulic engineering department at Xinjiang Agricultural University.

Though Ma Wenbin’s personality bore the wildness of a Northwestern man, he was meticulous and thorough in technical matters, ranking among the top in technical research at the department.

Wang Xiquan believed that once invited, Ma Wenbin would accept without hesitation. But before that, he intended to consult Ma Wenbin’s willingness, as working at the wind power research base would naturally offer conditions and benefits inferior to those on campus.

Just as Wang Xiquan was about to visit Ma Wenbin’s office downstairs, the door opened first.

Ma Wenbin burst in energetically, his voice booming with excitement: “Teacher Wang, I heard the funding for promoting wind power construction has been secured. When do we set off for the research base?”

“You’re well-informed!” Wang Xiquan chuckled helplessly but was pleased. Seeing Ma Wenbin’s enthusiasm, he knew no further questions were needed.

“Although the site for the Dabancheng wind power test field has been selected, the preliminary wind resource assessment is only halfway done. Critical data like wind direction stability and speed variation still need to be collected by the meteorological survey station. The topographic survey for the test field and the power grid planning map also require further refinement.

“Moreover, and most importantly, although we currently plan to import just three turbines from abroad for basic testing, the specific procurement decisions haven’t been finalized. Selection, procurement, and transportation of key equipment like turbines, towers, cables, and transformers must be coordinated with relevant departments.”

Whenever wind power was mentioned, Wang Xiquan spoke at length.

After patiently explaining, he suddenly paused and asked, “Wait, I thought you were sent to inspect the Hydraulic Machinery Factory. Why are you back so soon?”

“Oh, Teacher Wang, don’t remind me. While showing the leaders the new hydraulic gate simulator, we encountered a minor malfunction. During the repair, one of the junior workers let out a fart!”