Volume 1, Chapter 7: Matters in the Hall

While Maimaiti was arguing with his father, on the other side, Wang Xiquan, returning to the Water Conservancy Department office, was engaged in a heated debate with Ma Wenbin about Maimaiti.

“Teacher Wang, forgive me for speaking frankly, but in terms of wind power research and development, having the support of me and the students is enough. There’s no need for you to keep holding on to that young worker,” Ma Wenbin replied respectfully.

“Wenbin, I’ve told you, that young worker made no mistake yesterday; you’re completely wronging him,” Wang Xiquan said firmly.

“Even so, from what you’ve told me, it seems he has no interest whatsoever in going to Dabancheng for wind power development. I’m afraid that if we take him there, he might quit because of the conditions and treatment,” Ma Wenbin argued.

“You’re right to have that concern, but from my interactions with him, this young man doesn’t seem like a spoiled factory kid,” Wang Xiquan said. Recalling Maimaiti’s phrase “armchair strategist,” he felt, for some reason, that this young man’s potential was yet to be unlocked and wouldn’t be limited to theoretical knowledge alone.

This was fundamentally different from people like Ma Wenbin, who had formal training.

Wang Xiquan trusted his own judgment.

After a brief silence, Wang Xiquan sighed and said, “It seems I really must visit Maimaiti’s home to have a heart-to-heart talk and persuade him to proactively request a transfer to our department.”

“A home visit?” Ma Wenbin looked surprised.

“Teacher Wang, you’re a veteran in the Water Conservancy Department. Since Director Huang has now delegated authority to you, if you want someone, you can simply submit a report to the personnel office. Besides, for someone like Maimaiti, who’s just a… well, a junior worker, you can just ask the factory directly. I don’t think the Mechanical Factory would refuse; they’d probably be eager to send him over!” Ma Wenbin said.

He wasn’t wrong. In recent years, the Water Engineering Machinery Factory had become bloated with personnel. If it weren’t for Maimaiti’s technical school background and the on-the-job training policy, he wouldn’t have had an official post.

But for the factory, having another such position didn’t generate much profit; it was more of a burden.

“Do you think I haven’t considered this?” Wang Xiquan smiled wryly. “Wenbin, have you ever thought about whether the department supports or opposes wind power development?”

Ma Wenbin paused, then confidently answered, “They definitely support it. If this project succeeds, it will benefit Xinjiang’s economy and the country’s energy development!”

“You’re thinking too simply,” Wang Xiquan shook his head. “Right now, among the Water Conservancy Department’s direct officials supporting wind power, there are only you, me, and Old Xie. Beyond that—”

At this point, Wang Xiquan glanced cautiously out the window and lowered his voice with a hint of anger: “Think about what attitude that Xiao fellow has always had on this matter!”

At the mention of that name, Ma Wenbin’s hand trembled as he held his cigarette.

“Director Xiao?” he asked.

Ma Wenbin had been in the Water Conservancy Department long enough to understand the interpersonal dynamics, though not as deeply as Wang Xiquan or Xie Shiqi.

He had heard about the discord between Director Xiao Guodong and Wang Xiquan.

Especially regarding wind power, Director Xiao’s opposition to Wang Xiquan was notorious.

For instance, at the last department meeting, when Wang Xiquan was absent, Director Xiao took the opportunity to mock him harshly, saying that developing wind power was “something only people on the moon could imagine.”

With the director’s blunt words, how could the other officials present think or act otherwise?

No wonder Teacher Wang had to be so cautious even about something as small as borrowing personnel!

Ma Wenbin was no reckless fool; he understood immediately.

“I get it, Teacher. You’re worried that forcibly transferring Maimaiti from the machinery factory will be sabotaged by someone inside the department.”

Though Wang Xiquan said nothing, the bitter smile on his face answered for him.

“Teacher Wang, you don’t have to personally handle the home visit. I happen to have nothing else this afternoon; let me do the ideological work with him. I promise not to fail you,” Ma Wenbin volunteered.

“Then… thank you,” Wang Xiquan replied.

Ma Wenbin was reliable in his work, so Wang Xiquan felt reassured.

In truth, Wang Xiquan thought he might be overthinking. With Director Huang having made the final decision, he didn’t believe Xiao would dare interfere with a state-approved project.

But while overt attacks were easy to avoid, covert sabotage was harder to guard against. He worried that some officials might side with Xiao behind the scenes and create obstacles.

Moreover, this was a critical period for the wind farm’s preparation. Even a minor setback could negatively impact future trials, leaving no room for carelessness.

Yet being overly cautious could also restrict himself. When pushing development forward required bold risks, could he always be so guarded?

With these thoughts, Wang Xiquan slapped his thigh decisively: “Wenbin, let’s split up. I’ll go to the machinery factory and find Old Ye. If that doesn’t work, we’ll bypass the Water Conservancy Department and ask Old Ye directly to lend us the man. We’ll keep Maimaiti’s official post at the machinery factory, while the welfare and guarantees are handled by our Dabancheng Wind Power Test Station. Later, we’ll find a chance to transfer him formally.”

“As for ideological work with Maimaiti and his parents, I’ll leave that to you. Be honest about his treatment—neither exaggerate nor downplay it. Considering Maimaiti’s original position, let’s designate him as a junior technician for now.”

Ma Wenbin raised no objection this time. He chose to trust his teacher’s judgment. After all, he wasn’t the jealous type.

If the man truly had talent and was willing to join the wind farm, Ma Wenbin would welcome him wholeheartedly. But if he only sought to shirk responsibility or had ulterior motives, that was unacceptable.

After chatting a while longer about family matters, Ma Wenbin took the address of Maimaiti’s home and left.

Seeing that there was still time, Wang Xiquan decided to act swiftly and contact Factory Director Ye to finalize the matter.

However, just as he was about to dial, Director Xiao Guodong’s call came through first.

On the other end, Director Xiao’s cold voice dropped a single sentence: “Come to my office. I have something to discuss with you.”