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On his third day back at the Weichang Forestry Bureau, Su Ning was ready to launch an attack at the bureau's meeting.

The conference room was filled with smoke.

Director Qu He sat in the main seat, with several deputy directors and department heads to his left and Su Ning to his right.

Several enamel mugs were placed on the table, filled with cheap tea leaves.

"Today's meeting will mainly discuss two things," Qu He cleared his throat. "First, the progress of the Saihanba Forest Farm construction. Second, personnel allocation and logistical support. Deputy Director Su just returned from the dam area; let him give us his briefing first."

Su Ning opened the blue work log and turned to the latest page: "Let me first report on the situation in Bashang. The eight college students have arrived and are currently familiarizing themselves with the environment and tidying up the nursery. The advance team, led by Zhao Tianshan, has completed the basic construction of the camp. However, based on observations over the past few days, there are quite a few problems."

"What's the problem?" Qu asked.

"The main problem is the quality of the personnel," Su Ning said bluntly. "Among the eight students, there is one named Wu Yansheng, who has a serious problem. I suggest that he be transferred away from Saihanba."

There was a commotion in the conference room.

"Transfer?" Old Chen, the head of the personnel department, pushed up his glasses. "Deputy Director Su, this is no small matter. These college graduates were directly assigned by the Ministry of Forestry. Is it appropriate for us to just transfer them like this?"

“Even if it’s not suitable, we still have to adjust it.” Su Ning pushed the log to the center of the table. “This is a record of Wu Yansheng’s performance over the past few days. Everyone can pass it around and take a look.”

The log was passed from hand to hand among the people.

It was written on it in dense layers:

"On April 18, Wu Yansheng openly confronted his superiors and questioned management decisions."

"On the evening of April 18, Wu Yansheng led the commotion and falsely accused Comrade Feng Cheng."

"On April 19, Wu Yansheng was slacking off and spreading negative remarks."

Each entry includes the time, place, and witnesses, all clearly stated.

“This…” Old Chen frowned after reading it. “It is indeed a bit excessive. But Deputy Director Su, it’s normal for a college graduate to have some flaws. We can educate him more, and he should be able to change.”

“Education?” Su Ning shook his head. “Section Chief Chen, I tried educating him in Bashang. It didn’t work. Wu Yansheng’s problem isn’t just a minor one; it’s a character issue. He fawns over female classmates, ostracizes older colleagues, argues with leaders, and seems to thrive on chaos. If someone like that stays in Bashang, he’ll get into trouble sooner or later.”

Qu He took the log, glanced at it, and put it down, saying, "Comrade Su Ning, I understand your feelings. But we need to look at the issue realistically. Wu Yansheng has shortcomings, which can be addressed through criticism and education. Isn't it too simplistic and crude to transfer him directly?"

“Director Qu,” Su Ning looked at Qu He, “I’m not being blunt; I’m taking preventative measures. Do you know what Saihanba is? It’s a battlefield. There, if one person gets into trouble, it can affect the entire team. Someone like Wu Yansheng, who stirs up trouble, is a ticking time bomb if he stays in the team.”

"Deputy Director Su, you're exaggerating," Old Li, the head of the production section, interjected. "How much damage can a young man cause? If we send more political officers up there to strengthen ideological education, the problem will be solved, won't it?"

“It can’t be solved.” Su Ning was certain. “Ideological education can only work on people who are willing to be educated. People like Wu Yansheng are two-faced; education won’t work on them. I’ve seen people like that on the Korean battlefield. They talk a lot of empty words and platitudes. They’re good at showing off in normal times, but when it comes to a critical moment, they’re the first to run away and will even drag others down with them.”

The conference room fell silent.

Qu He took a drag of his cigarette and said slowly, “Comrade Su Ning, I understand your concerns. But you have to consider the actual situation. This time, the Ministry of Forestry originally set a quota of thirty-four for selecting college students, but only eight came. Why? Because the conditions in Saihanba are too harsh, and many students backed out after hearing about it. The eight who came are already quite remarkable.”

He paused, then continued, “College students are a scarce resource. In Weichang County, we only get a few each year. Now, six college students and two vocational school graduates have come all at once. What a huge support this is! We should be inclusive and guide them, not condemn them outright.”

"Tolerance?" Su Ning raised her voice. "Director Qu, tolerance depends on the situation. Minor flaws in life can be tolerated. Issues with work attitude can be addressed through education. But can misconduct, sowing discord, and undermining unity be tolerated? If we tolerate it today, who will be responsible if they cause a major disaster tomorrow?"

"How big of a mess can he cause?" Qu He asked impatiently. "Can a recent graduate really cause any major problems?"

“I’m afraid he’ll really cause a major disaster,” Su Ning said, emphasizing each word. “What stage is Saihanba at now? It’s in the startup phase, the foundation-laying phase. At this time, the team must be pure and united. If someone like Wu Yansheng stays there, stirring up trouble today and ostracizing others tomorrow, the team will fall apart in no time. By then, the trees won’t have even been planted and the people will be in chaos. How will we explain that to our superiors?”

Old Chen hesitated and said, "Deputy Director Su, what you said makes sense. But there has to be a reasonable reason for transferring Wu Yansheng. We can't just say 'we think you're not of good character' and transfer him, can we? If that gets out, it will have a bad influence."

“The reason is simple,” Su Ning said. “Just say that his major is not suitable for the job, or that his body is not adapted to the environment in Bashang. Give him an easier job, arrange a sinecure in the bureau or a forest farm. This solves the problem and saves him face.”

"That's one way to do it," Old Chen nodded.

But Qu He still disagreed: "I don't agree. Wu Yansheng graduated from the Northeast Forestry Department with a degree in afforestation, which is a relevant major. He's also in good health. If we use this reason to transfer him, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that we're excluding him. If word gets out, which college student will dare to come to Saihanba in the future?"

"Director Qu," Su Ning said seriously, "I have a question for you. Do you think it's more important for Wu Yansheng to save face, or for the entire Saihanba project? Is it more important to take care of his feelings, or to maintain the fighting capacity of the entire team?"

Qu He was speechless for a moment.

Su Ning pressed his advantage: "Let me ask you another question. If Wu Yansheng's actions cause internal strife within the team, paralyze operations, or even lead to a safety accident, who bears more responsibility—you, the bureau chief, or me, the deputy bureau chief who suggested transferring him?"

This was a very serious question, and the meeting room fell silent.

Qu He's expression changed, and he took a few puffs of his cigarette. "Comrade Su Ning, you're exaggerating."

"Whether this is alarmist or not, we can make a bet," Su Ning said. "I'm telling you this: if Wu Yansheng isn't transferred, something big will happen in Saihanba within three months. And who will take responsibility then?"

No one answered.

After a long pause, Old Chen cautiously said, "Director Qu, Deputy Director Su's words were harsh, but not without reason. How about we... compromise? Observe for a while, and if Wu Yansheng really doesn't change, then transfer him?"

“We can observe him,” Su Ning continued, “but during the observation period, someone must keep a close eye on him. Zhao Tianshan alone can’t keep an eye on him, so I suggest sending another political officer to be specifically responsible for ideological work. At the same time, Wu Yansheng cannot be involved in core work and cannot hold any position.”

"This..." Qu He thought for a moment, and finally compromised, "Alright! Let's do it your way for now. Observe for a month, and if there is no improvement, then we'll consider transferring him. Old Chen, arrange for a political officer to go up there."

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away." Old Chen nodded.

With Wu Yansheng's matter temporarily settled, Su Ning brought up a second issue.

"Director Qu, comrades, I have something else to report." Su Ning turned to another page in the logbook. "It's about background checks on personnel."

"Background check?" Qu He frowned. "What's this all about?"

“I noticed that Zhang Fulin, a worker in the advance team of the Saihanba camp, was behaving strangely and looked flustered, as if something was on his mind,” Su Ning said directly. “I suggest that we conduct a detailed investigation into Zhang Fulin immediately.”

Another round of discussion broke out in the conference room.

"Deputy Director Su, aren't you meddling too much?" Old Wang, the head of the security department, laughed. "It's normal for a worker to behave a little strangely. Maybe he's just introverted, or maybe something's wrong at home."

“Section Chief Wang,” Su Ning looked at him, “I served in the army and know one thing: the more difficult and remote the place, the more vigilant you need to be. Places like forest farms and mines are the easiest places for filth to hide. Why? Because the emperor is far away, management is lax, and it’s easy to hide.” Old Wang scoffed, “Deputy Director Su, is this an occupational hazard of yours? You see everyone as a spy.”

“I don’t see everyone as a spy,” Su Ning said. “I’m just stating the facts. Zhang Fulin came three months ago, and he was introduced by Wang Fugui from the logistics department. Right, Section Chief Wang?”

Old Wang was taken aback: "Yes...yes, Wang Fugui told me that he is his distant cousin."

"A distant cousin?" Su Ning pressed. "How far away? Which village is he from? What's his family situation? Why did he come to Saihanba? Have you investigated all of these things?"

Old Wang was stumped by the question and stammered, "Well... Wang Fugui introduced him, so there shouldn't be any problem, right? They're all old comrades, why would they introduce bad people?"

"Won't veteran comrades make mistakes?" Su Ning shook his head. "Section Chief Wang, I'm not doubting Comrade Wang Fugui. I'm saying that when we recruit people, we have to have rules and conduct thorough investigations. We can't relax our scrutiny just because someone is introduced by an acquaintance."

Qu He interjected: "Comrade Su Ning, you said Zhang Fulin's behavior is strange. What are the specific manifestations?"

“First, he avoids eye contact and doesn’t dare to look people in the eye,” Su Ning listed. “Second, he often wakes up in the middle of the night and talks in his sleep. I heard from the workers that he shouted ‘I didn’t do it’ and ‘Don’t arrest me’ in his sleep. Third, I glanced at him before I left, and his hands were shaking badly, which was obvious that he was guilty.”

"That's all?" Old Wang laughed. "Deputy Director Su, these are all subjective judgments. Shifty eyes might be shyness, talking in one's sleep might be a nightmare, and trembling hands might be due to poor health. Is it appropriate to investigate someone based on these things?"

"It's not appropriate," Su Ning admitted. "But what if we add this?"

He took a piece of paper from the file bag and pushed it to the center of the table: "This is a report I got from the Chengde Public Security Bureau through someone. Three months ago, a robbery occurred at the Chengde Museum. A duty administrator was killed and a batch of cultural relics were stolen. The two perpetrators are still at large."

Everyone came over to look.

The report clearly states: On the night of January 15, 1962, the Chengde Museum was robbed.

Liu Jianguo (male, 52 years old), the duty administrator, died from a blunt force trauma to the head.

Seventeen cultural relics were lost, including three Han Dynasty gold horseshoe-shaped ingots.

Two suspects, their characteristics are as follows...

After reading it, Old Wang's expression changed: "Deputy Director Su, you suspect Zhang Fulin..."

“I don’t doubt it, I’m just suggesting a possibility,” Su Ning said. “Zhang Fulin came three months ago, which matches the timing. His behavior was strange, and he seemed flustered, which also matches the situation. Moreover, he was introduced by Wang Fugui, who is from Chengde, which also makes sense.”

"This..." Old Wang's forehead was covered in sweat. "If it's true, then this is a big problem."

"That's why I suggested an immediate investigation," Su Ning said. "It's always better to be safe than sorry. If Zhang Fulin is innocent, the investigation will be thorough, and everyone can rest assured. If there are problems, we'll deal with them promptly to avoid future troubles."

Qu He was decisive this time: "I agree. Old Wang, immediately arrange for someone to investigate Zhang Fulin. Don't alert him yet, investigate secretly. Investigate his background, his behavior over the past three months, and his relationship with Wang Fugui."

"Yes!" Old Wang stood up. "I'll take care of it right away."

“Also,” Su Ning added, “Zhang Fulin cannot leave Saihanba during the investigation. We need to find a way to keep him calm and prevent him from noticing.”

"clear."

The meeting discussed other matters and did not end until more than an hour later.

……

After the meeting, Qu He called Su Ning to his office.

After closing the door, Qu He lit a cigarette and looked at Su Ning: "Comrade Su Ning, you really put me in a difficult position at the meeting today."

“Director Qu, I’m doing this all for the sake of my work,” Su Ning said.

“I know you’re doing this for work,” Qu He waved his hand, “but you need to be mindful of your approach. You’re the deputy director, and I’m the director. There are some things you can discuss with me privately first, and then bring them up at the meeting after we reach a consensus. The way you brought it up so directly today puts me in a very passive position.”

"Director Qu, if I communicate with you first, would you agree to investigate Zhang Fulin?" Su Ning asked directly.

Qu He paused for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Maybe...no. I'd think you're making a mountain out of a molehill."

"That's why I said it at the meeting," Su Ning said. "So that everyone can discuss and decide together. That way, if something goes wrong, the responsibility will be shared by everyone, not just you."

Qu He gave Su Ning a deep look: "You're... a very cunning person!"

“It’s not that I’m deep-thinking, it’s that I think far ahead,” Su Ning said. “Director Qu, I fought in Korea and I know one thing: on the battlefield, the most frightening thing is not that the enemy is strong, but that there is a traitor among our own people. Saihanba is the battlefield now, and we cannot leave any hidden dangers.”

"You're right," Qu He sighed. "It was my oversight. As for Wu Yansheng, we'll do as you said. Observe him for a month, and if he doesn't improve, transfer him. As for Zhang Fulin, investigate him as soon as possible and get results quickly."

"Thank you for your support, Director Qu." Su Ning stood up.

"Wait a minute," Qu He called out to him. "Su Ning, I have a question for you. Why did you come to Saihanba? With your qualifications and abilities, you could easily work at the provincial or even ministerial level. Why did you come to this poor place to suffer?"

Su Ning thought for a moment, "Director Qu, I've witnessed too many sacrifices in Korea. Those comrades, in their teens and twenties, lost their lives in a foreign land. What were they after? Wealth and glory? Promotion and riches? None of that. They were fighting for one belief—to protect their homeland."

He paused, then continued, “After returning to China, I saw that the country was impoverished and in dire need of reconstruction. I thought to myself, the peace that my comrades had fought so hard for cannot be wasted. I have to do something practical and contribute to the country’s development. Saihanba is the most difficult place, and it is also the place that needs manpower the most. So I came here.”

Qu He remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Okay! I understand."

Su Ning walked out of the director's office and returned to his own office.

The table was piled high with documents: grain allocation orders, tool procurement plans, funding application reports...

Sit down and continue with your work.

The sun is rising over Saihanba.

And this battle for green hope has only just begun.

We must not only fight against the wind and sand, and against poverty, but also against the weaknesses of human nature and the hidden evils.

...(End of chapter)