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The day the saplings were transported to the dam, the camp was as lively as a festival.

Ten thousand saplings, wrapped in straw mats, were brought in by several trucks and piled up high.

Zhao Tianshan directed the unloading, and the students all gathered around to watch.

Most of the saplings are larch trees, and their roots are covered with mud to keep them moist.

"Everyone come and get your saplings!" Zhao Tianshan said, holding a notebook. "According to the previous distribution, Feng Cheng will get 500 saplings, Wu Yansheng will get 1,500 saplings, and the other groups will each get about 2,000 saplings. Sign up after you get yours, not a single one can be missing."

Students lined up to receive seedlings.

Feng Cheng received his five hundred coins and carefully moved them to the side.

Wu Yansheng's 1,500 pills seemed to be the most numerous, piled up into a small mountain.

"Wu Yansheng, you have so many saplings, can you manage them all by yourself?" Sui Zhichao asked. "Do you need any help?"

“No need,” Wu Yansheng said confidently. “I plant using scientific methods, which are more efficient. You plant using your own methods, and we’ll see who plants better.”

This was a bit provocative, but everyone was busy receiving seedlings and no one responded.

After receiving the saplings, the tree planting began.

Zhao Tianshan led the advance team to help dig holes, while the students were responsible for planting seedlings, adding soil, and watering.

The forestry bureau has temporarily hired many villagers to assist them, and they are to follow the arrangements and instructions of the college students in each group.

The soil in Saihanba is hard; you can only dig up a small piece with a shovel, and your hands will be covered in blisters after a short while.

The female students, Qin Xuemei and Meng Yue, had delicate hands, and their skin broke off after working for a short time.

But no one cried out in pain; they simply wrapped their hands with a strip of cloth and continued working.

Only Wu Yansheng was different.

After receiving the saplings, he rode around on horseback, directing the villagers hired by the forestry bureau on how to plant them.

That smug, petty face made everyone grit their teeth in hatred...

Once he discovered that the villagers were cultivating the land quite successfully, he mounted the old horse from the camp again and began to wander around the area.

After circling around, he returned on horseback, gesturing and directing the students who were working:

"Sui Zhichao, you dug that hole too deep! The sapling's roots can't be buried too deep, or they'll rot!"

"Ji Xiurong, you compacted the soil too much! The soil needs to be loose and breathable!"

"Da Kui, you've watered the plants too much! There's a water shortage on the dam, we need to conserve water!"

"Yan Xiangli, haven't you eaten? Why do you have no strength at all?"

At this time, Wu Yansheng was like a supervisor, riding his horse around giving orders, but he didn't plant a single tree himself.

Sui Zhichao couldn't hold back any longer and straightened up, saying, "Wu Yansheng, why don't you plant it yourself? You're just ordering others around?"

"I'm just giving you technical guidance," Wu Yansheng said confidently. "Don't forget, technical guidance is also a job. If your methods are wrong, planting will be a waste of time."

“You…” Sui Zhichao wanted to curse, but Qin Xuemei stopped him.

"Never mind, Zhichao," Qin Xuemei said softly. "Let's hurry up and plant the trees, don't argue with him."

The other students were dissatisfied, but they also realized that arguing was a waste of time, so they might as well do more work.

Zhao Tianshan saw it from a distance, his brows furrowed deeply.

He put down the shovel and strode over.

"Wu Yansheng, get down here!" Zhao Tianshan's voice was loud.

Wu Yansheng was taken aback: "Captain Zhao, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Zhao Tianshan pointed at him. "Everyone is working, what are you doing giving orders from your horse? You've already handed over your saplings to the villagers to plant. Is this how you do things?"

“They’re all acting recklessly! I’m just providing technical guidance…” Wu Yansheng argued.

"Guidance my ass!" Zhao Tianshan's temper flared up. "You haven't even dug a single pit, what right do you have to instruct others? Let me tell you, Wu Yansheng, in Saihanba, let's see what you're made of! Talk is cheap!"

Wu Yansheng's face turned red from the scolding, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Captain Zhao, you don't understand technology. This is a scientific method..."

“I may not understand technology,” Zhao Tianshan interrupted him, “but I know how to be a good person! Look at everyone here, Qin Xuemei, Meng Yue, Sui Zhichao, and Yan Xiangli are all college students, their hands are all worn out and they're drenched in sweat. And you? You’re trying to be special! Riding around on horseback, pointing fingers everywhere, what kind of behavior is that?”

"I……"

"I'm ordering you now, dismount and get to work! If you don't plant one hundred trees by hand today, you won't get dinner! Also, I will record your performance today in detail and report it to the Forestry Bureau!"

Upon hearing "report to the Forestry Bureau," Wu Yansheng panicked and quickly dismounted, saying, "Captain Zhao, I... I'll do it right away."

"Hurry up!" Zhao Tianshan said impatiently. "If I see you slacking off again, I'll give you a disciplinary warning!"

Wu Yansheng dared not try to be clever anymore and obediently picked up a shovel and began digging a hole.

But he had never done such heavy work before. He was panting heavily after digging only a few holes, and his hands were blistered.

It was the kind-hearted villagers who came to help Wu Yansheng; otherwise, he might have really been in a difficult situation.

Seeing his disheveled appearance, Zhao Tianshan shook his head and went back to his work.

……

In the afternoon, Wu Yansheng got tired and said he wanted to "inspect the planting situation," so he went for a stroll again.

This time he didn't ride a horse, but walked there.

When they reached the plot of land where Feng Cheng used to cultivate, they stopped in their tracks.

Feng Cheng planted very carefully, digging each hole perfectly square, covering the soil with just the right amount of soil, and watering just the right amount.

What's most remarkable is that the leaves of the planted saplings are all upright, clearly indicating that they have survived.

Looking at the surviving saplings, Wu Yansheng felt very uncomfortable.

He walked over, squatted down, and pretended to inspect.

“What are these things? It’s obvious there’s something wrong with the saplings!” Wu Yansheng said to himself, making a show of it.

"What's the problem?" Zhao Tianshan asked, puzzled, from not far away.

"The roots are buried too deep, the soil is too compacted, and there's too much water." Wu Yansheng casually pointed out a few flaws. "Planted like this, it won't live for more than a few days."

"Really? These have all survived?" Zhao Tianshan was clearly not convinced.

“I’m an expert in forestry! If I say it won’t grow, it won’t grow,” Wu Yansheng said.

Suddenly, he reached out and pulled out a sapling that had already stood upright.

"What are you doing?!" Zhao Tianshan immediately became agitated.

“This seedling is no good, we have to pull it out.” Wu Yansheng threw the seedling aside. “Look, the roots are starting to rot.”

However, the sapling's root system was clearly intact and still had damp soil around it.

Zhao Tianshan picked it up with a pained expression: "This...this is clearly alive!"

“I said there’s no life, so there’s no life.” Wu Yansheng went to pull up the second one.

"Stop!" Zhao Tianshan was now completely enraged.

Hearing the commotion, several students came over and saw Wu Yansheng pulling up seedlings.

"Wu Yansheng! What are you doing?!" Qin Xuemei roared.

"Xuemei, I'm checking the saplings." Wu Yansheng stood up. "Feng Cheng planted these saplings incorrectly, so I pulled them out for him."

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhao Tianshan pointed at the uprooted sapling. "This sapling was clearly alive! The leaves were all green! Why did you pull it out?!"

“Captain Zhao, you don’t understand,” Wu Yansheng said in a professional tone. “Some seedlings may look alive, but their root systems are already damaged. I’m a professional; I know which ones should be pulled up.” “You know nothing!” Zhao Tianshan trembled with anger. “Wu Yansheng, I’ve seen through you! You’re a despicable person! You can’t stand seeing others do well! Feng Cheng’s seedlings survived, and you’re unhappy about it, so you deliberately sabotage them!”

“Captain Zhao, you can’t wrong me.” Wu Yansheng still argued vehemently, “I’m really doing this for the good of Saihanba. The country sent us here to plant trees and create forests, not to grow this rotten firewood.”

"For the good of Saihanba?" Zhao Tianshan sneered. "Fine, I'll report this to the Forestry Bureau right now! I'll report your actions today in detail! Let's see how you try to deny it then!"

Then he turned to Sui Zhichao and said, "Sui Zhichao, come with me and collect the saplings that Wu Yansheng pulled up. These are all evidence!"

"Yes!" Sui Zhichao had long disliked Wu Yansheng and immediately took action.

Wu Yansheng panicked: "Captain Zhao, you...you mustn't do this. I...I admit, I was a bit impulsive in pulling up the seedlings. But I really felt those seedlings weren't good enough..."

Zhao Tianshan stared at him. "Wu Yansheng, let me tell you, in Saihanba, it's not up to you to decide! It's up to the saplings themselves! A sapling that survives is a good sapling, so what right do you have to pull it up?!"

Wu Yansheng remained silent, but his face still showed resentment.

Zhao Tianshan ignored him and said to Feng Cheng, who arrived late, "Feng Cheng, don't worry, I will definitely get justice for you. Save as many of these uprooted seedlings as possible. For those that can't be saved, I'll make Wu Yansheng compensate you!"

“Wu Yansheng, I want to ask you something.” Feng Cheng, in a fit of anger, pointed to the uprooted saplings and questioned, “Which of these saplings has ‘damaged roots’? Which one ‘won’t live for more than a few days’? Show me.”

Wu Yansheng glanced at it and said, "It's already like this, what's there to see?"

"I want to see!" Feng Cheng raised his voice. "I want you to tell me yourself, what makes you think these seedlings should be pulled up!"

Qin Xuemei couldn't bear to watch any longer. She picked up a sapling and examined it closely, her brow furrowing. "This sapling has intact roots and its leaves haven't wilted. It's clearly survived. Wu Yansheng, why did you pull up these saplings?"

“I…” Wu Yansheng stammered, “I misread it at the time.”

"You misread it?" Feng Cheng, standing to the side, trembled with anger. "You think you can ruin three years of my hard work just because you said you misread it? Wu Yansheng, do you know how difficult it was for me to grow these saplings in the dam area for three years? You just pulled them up and they're all gone!"

"Feng Cheng, don't get agitated." Wu Yansheng still maintained his composure. "I'm a professional tree planter, and only I'm qualified to judge whether a seedling is alive or dead. Your old-fashioned methods are unscientific."

Feng Cheng was furious. "How could I have grown these seedlings without scientific knowledge? You think you're scientific? How many of them did you manage to grow? Wu Yansheng, I'm going to have to argue with you today!"

As he spoke, Feng Cheng was about to step forward.

Zhao Tianshan, who was standing nearby, quickly stopped him: "Feng Cheng, don't be impulsive!"

"Captain, don't stop me!" Feng Cheng's eyes were red. "He ruined my seedlings and acted like he was in the right! I'm going to find out what he's up to today!"

Seeing that Feng Cheng was really going to make a move, Wu Yansheng became a little scared and took two steps back: "Feng Cheng, what do you want to do? Hitting someone is against the law!"

"So what if I broke the law?!" Feng Cheng roared. "You pulling up my seedlings isn't illegal?!"

"Stop it, all of you!" Zhao Tianshan shouted.

Then, with disgust, he said to Wu Yansheng, "Wu Yansheng, pack your things and come back to the station with me now. This matter must be handled by the station."

Wu Yansheng's expression changed: "Captain Zhao, isn't this a bit unnecessary? It's just a few pieces of firewood..."

Zhao Tianshan stared at him. "Wu Yansheng, you still haven't realized the seriousness of the problem. In Saihanba, every sapling is a treasure. You deliberately destroyed the fruits of our labor; this is a matter of principle, not a trivial matter."

"I didn't mean to..." Wu Yansheng tried to explain.

"Whether it was intentional or not, let the bureau decide," Zhao Tianshan said. "Let's set off now. On the way, think carefully about how to explain this to the bureau leaders."

……

Then, Zhao Tianshan took Wu Yansheng back to the Weichang Forestry Bureau immediately.

Su Ning and Qu He were both in the director's office.

Zhao Tianshan gave a detailed report on the day's events and also submitted a record of Wu Yansheng's performance over the past few days.

Qu He turned green after reading the record.

"Wu Yansheng, is what Captain Zhao said true?" Qu He asked.

Wu Yansheng lowered his head: "Director Qu, I... I did pull up a few saplings, but I felt they weren't good enough. I'm a professional, I can make my own judgment..."

"You think you're a professional?" Qu He slammed his fist on the table in anger. "Just because you're a professional, does that mean you can just pull up someone else's seedlings? Just because you're a professional, does that mean you can ride on horseback and order others around? Just because you're a professional, does that mean you can be arrogant and talk back to your superiors?!"

Wu Yansheng dared not speak.

Qu He sighed and said to Su Ning with shame, "Comrade Su Ning, I was wrong. I didn't believe you when you said Wu Yansheng had a problem. Now it seems the problem is even more serious than you said."

Su Ning didn't look at Wu Yansheng, but said to Qu He, "Director Qu, now is not the time to assign blame. The key is how to handle this."

"What's your opinion?" Qu He asked.

Su Ning thought for a moment: "Wu Yansheng's problem is no longer a simple disciplinary issue. He deliberately sabotaged the team's work and sowed discord within the team, which is a very serious offense. In principle, he should be sent back to the school directly and the incident should be recorded in his file."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yansheng's legs went weak: "Deputy Director Su, please...please don't send me back to school. I was wrong, I was really wrong. I'll change, I promise I will!"

"Director Su, what do you think?" As expected, Qu He softened his heart again.

Su Ning glanced at him: "Wu Yansheng, no matter what your purpose was in coming to the dam, I'm giving you one last chance. You're in charge of planting 1,500 saplings this time. A month later, experts from the Ministry of Forestry will come to inspect them. If the survival rate of your saplings is above 8%, you can stay, but you must write a profound self-criticism and accept punishment. If the survival rate is below 8%, or if you cause any more trouble, you'll be sent back to school immediately, and all your actions will be recorded in your file."

"8%?" Wu Yansheng was immediately overjoyed. "Deputy Director Su, an 8% survival rate is too easy. Thank you! You are such a kind person."

"Easy?" Su Ning almost laughed at Wu Yansheng's naivety. "If you say it's easy, then it's easy. Anyway, we'll judge the heroes by the results in a month."

"..." Wu Yansheng opened his mouth, then suddenly realized that there might really be a problem.

Qu He thought for a moment and then agreed with Su Ning's approach. "I agree with Comrade Su Ning's opinion. Wu Yansheng, this is your last chance. Make the most of it."

“I…I accept.” Wu Yansheng lowered his head.

“Furthermore,” Su Ning added, “from today onwards, Captain Zhao will keep a detailed record of all your actions on the dam. Any further violations will be dealt with immediately, without any room for negotiation.”

"Understood." Wu Yansheng's voice was barely audible.

"Go back," Qu He waved his hand. "Focus on planting trees and don't think about anything else."

After Wu Yansheng left, Qu He sighed, "Su Ning, what's wrong with this guy? How did a perfectly good college student turn out like this?"

“Some people read too many books and forget how to be a person,” Su Ning said. “Wu Yansheng is a typical example. He wanted to prove himself too much and wanted to be in the limelight too much, so he went astray.”

"Do you think Wu Yansheng's survival rate is less than 8%?"

"Hmph! Not even 3%."

"Huh? No way! He's a professional."

"Director Qu, haven't you ever heard of the proverb 'a person pretending to be someone else'?"

"This……"

"By the way, Director Qu, how's the investigation into Zhang Fulin going?"

"It's good that you insisted on investigating Zhang Fulin." Qu He changed the subject. "There's been progress from the security department. Zhang Fulin does have problems, and it's very likely related to the Chengde Museum case. The Public Security Bureau has been notified, and they'll arrest him in the next few days."

"We need to be quick," Su Ning said. "Don't let him get away."

"Don't worry, Zhao Tianshan is keeping an eye on things."

The two chatted about work for a while longer before Suning got up to say goodbye.

As he walked out of the office building, he looked into the distance, towards Saihanba.

Wu Yansheng's problem has been temporarily put on hold, and Zhang Fulin's matter will soon be resolved.

It wasn't that Su Ning was being overly compassionate; rather, it was imperative to make Wu Yansheng's case airtight, leaving no room for doubt from anyone.

But the battle at Saihanba is far from over.

Back in my office, I opened my work log and started writing down today's entries.

The story of Saihanba continues to be written.

And Suning was the one who wrote it.

...(End of chapter)