The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 365 Seeking Help from Above, All the Wise Men Gather

On the evening of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the old villa office building at No. 037 Kunlunshan Road was brightly lit.

Sparse snowflakes began to fall outside the window again.

The occasional sound of firecrackers drifted in from afar, the festive atmosphere of the New Year still lingering.

The "Implementation Plan (Detailed Plan) for the First Phase of the Renovation Project of Basic Living Facilities (Kitchen and Toilet) for Residents of Haibin City" was spread out in front of Qian Jin. The thin booklet was full of work content and current problems.

Currently, the plan for the old city renovation work is detailed, the objectives are clear, the list of priority households has been initially identified, and the material budget list has also been finalized.

There is now only one problem: a severe lack of technical expertise.

The main cadres of the construction team sat around the conference table, surrounded by smoke, studying the details of the implementation plan while whispering among themselves.

After reviewing the document, Qian Jin nodded: "Just ask any questions you have directly, and stop whispering among yourselves."

"Mr. Qian, let me say a few words first." Wang Xiaoyi stood up directly.

He pointed to the technical standards section of the plan regarding the renovation of independent kitchens and bathrooms, looking embarrassed: "Our team members, I dare not say anything else, but they are definitely hardworking and resilient."

“This year, everyone stayed home and studied hard. When I went to visit relatives, I found that my brothers didn’t visit relatives much, but rather ‘visited friends.’ The friends got together to discuss how to do our job.”

"To be honest, we're experts at building houses, bricklaying, and plastering. This renovation of the independent kitchen and bathroom, especially the design of the water supply and drainage pipes, the seepage prevention treatment of the septic tank and seepage well, the load-bearing reinforcement of the roof, and the installation of basic water and electricity..."

He turned the page, and there was more content related to specialized architecture.

There were some things he simply couldn't understand, and he could only shake his head helplessly: "Sigh, I never imagined that cleaning up the kitchen and outhouse would involve so many requirements and intricacies."

"In my opinion, it's difficult to do this well based solely on our existing experience. The construction risks are too high, and the efficiency is low. I'm afraid that if something goes wrong, rework is a minor issue compared to hurting the feelings of the people or causing a safety accident—that would be..."

Chen Jingdi, sitting next to Qian Jin, looked gloomy.

He was the one who proposed this job, but now he's finding that he can't do it at all.

This sense of frustration made him despair.

I have failed Qian Jin's trust and the expectations of all my subordinates.

He made a heavy "hoarse" sound in his throat, wanting to speak but not knowing where to begin.

So he could only open the "Detailed Plan" and tap his finger on several drawings marked with complex pipeline routes and structural nodes, expressing his helplessness with this simple action.

Qian Jin asked, "What's wrong? Aren't you all as passionate as when you volunteered?"

Zhu Xiaohu, the squadron leader of the third squadron, explained: "Mr. Qian, we didn't expect the business to expand so much."

"In our idea, we should partition off a kitchen or build a shed and toilet for some families with poor housing conditions, or install partitions for public toilet stalls on the street or in the community, and run electricity and install blowers for public kitchens."

"But something's not right now. It seems like the leaders are planning to have us completely renovate the city?"

Squadron leader Song Tiezhu admitted defeat, covered his face and rubbed it vigorously, saying, "I... sigh, I'm really not cut out for this!"

Fearing that Qian Jin would look down on him, he quickly added, "Mr. Qian, I, Lao Song, am known in the underworld for being ruthless and fearless."

"To be honest, I am very grateful to our construction team and I am especially honored to join us because my parents have a lot of children, a total of seven including my older brothers, sisters and younger brothers and sisters."

“My father usually looks down on me, but this year during the Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner, he asked me to sit next to him, poured me wine, and even toasted me. What’s going on? Isn’t it because of the good thing that happened during the twelfth lunar month when we were repairing our old and dilapidated house?”

“Now I have a very good reputation in our neighborhood, and my father is very proud of me. He says I’ve grown up and that I’m doing a better job than him, the neighborhood watchman…”

Recalling this unforgettable event, Song Tiezhu's eyes welled up with tears: "I'm not talking about something unrelated. I want to tell you that this urban renewal project is destined to be a more glorious undertaking than the renovation of old and dilapidated houses."

“I want to do this job well. I’m willing to risk my life, I’m good at that. But I… I have a low level of education, I can’t even understand these blueprints. How am I supposed to lead a team to work?”

These drawings are materials commissioned by the working group from urban construction experts in the coastal city. They are very professional and useful.

Unfortunately, the construction team consisted entirely of low-educated elites, and they gritted their teeth and looked at the work, only to become more and more bewildered.

Without him.

They lack professional knowledge.

Fifth Squadron Leader Zhao Beita sighed, "It's not just about these blueprints. Let me tell you, our squadron has already started working on them these past two days, and there are so many problems."

“Mr. Qian, the Fangshan Road area that our squadron is responsible for consists of old bungalows. The houses are too small, so it’s not practical to separate a kitchen for them.”

"So we were thinking of building a small shed behind the house to use as a kitchen. You see, moving the coal stove out would make the house cleaner and safer. But we can't build anything on that open space. They said they need to run some underground cables for the military..."

Ma Pengzi sniffed and spoke up, "Mr. Qian, I don't understand these blueprints very well, but it's really necessary to be able to understand some of them."

"The experts' advice is very correct. These old neighborhoods need to have new sewage pipes installed, and they must be pipes with a diameter of 800mm or more, otherwise the sewage cannot be discharged."

"Didn't they say they were going to dig septic tanks and seepage wells?" someone asked.

Ma Pengzi gave a bitter smile: "We've been thinking too simply. Cities are not like rural areas. The old city is too densely populated, and the septic tanks are dangerous."

"If any kids misbehave and throw firecrackers in there, you just wait, the whole city will look like it's been bombed..."

Qian Jin remained calm and composed.

Urban engineering projects certainly present many problems and difficulties.

Especially what Ma Pengzi said, that renovating toilets is not so easy.

The drainage system in the old city is a problem. If the pipeline layout is to be renovated, the project will be too large and the standards will be too high.

It's right that my subordinates feel powerless.

These rural craftsmen are good at repairing houses, but their skills are completely inadequate when it comes to carrying out engineering projects in cities.

Let them build kitchens and renovate public toilets, that's fine.

It's no problem to let them build new houses, pave roads and bridges.

They had never even heard of engineering planning at the street level!

Qian Jin had already considered these things; after all, compared to his current subordinates, he was considered a high-level talent.

As an undergraduate student, I still have the ability to learn; having experienced so much information bombardment in the 21st century, I still have a broad perspective; and now that I'm a leader, I still have the mindset to consider problems.

So what do we do when we encounter these difficulties?
Keep recruiting!

Why did he establish a construction brigade? Why did he allow the construction brigade to take on such a large project as urban renewal?
Just to train the people under my command, and to be able to identify and fill gaps in my skills and recruit new members in a timely manner!
Now he controls the entire working group, and his status and authority are incomparable to what they used to be.

Now he no longer needs to find craftsmen from the countryside; he can find talent from the city to join the construction team!

After everyone had vented their negative emotions, he went around pouring hot water for each of them.
"What did I tell you? Comrades, you're never too old to learn. Now you know you're not up to par? From now on, you all need to study hard."

Song Tiezhu honestly replied, "Yes, our capabilities are far inferior."

"We definitely can't do this kind of renovation that involves structural safety, public health, and hidden works without real experts overseeing, guiding, and training us. What should we do?"

"What are we going to do!" Qian Jin slammed his fist on the table and said, "We'll call in experts! What else can we do? Are we just going to sit here sighing all day? Will sighing make the project any better?"

He turned to Pang Gongbing: "Pang, let's work overtime tonight. Draft an emergency report immediately requesting the allocation of professional and technical personnel to support the special project for improving the urban living environment in Haibin City."

"The report should highlight the unique and urgent nature of our project, as well as the gaps in existing technical capabilities, especially the urgent need for professionals in urban planning, water supply and drainage, structural engineering, and building electrical systems!"

"The emphasis is on him serving as a technical consultant for the construction team, guiding design and construction, not on requesting additional staff for us—remember, we're on secondment; we're asking him to come and provide guidance!"

Pang Gongbing opened his notebook and began to take notes on the key points Qian Jin had requested.

Then Qian Jin waved his hand: "It's getting late. Go back and rest with your wife and kids. There are others who can do what we can't."

To be fair, the Labor Assault Brigade is a decent team.

Everyone's initiative and drive are undeniable.

After much effort, Pang Gongbing completed the report overnight.

The next morning, the report, personally signed by Zheng Guodong and stamped with the official seals of the relevant units, was sent to the Municipal Personnel Bureau, the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, and the Municipal Labor Bureau, and copied to the higher-level units.

This is the benefit of Qian Jin being the head of the working group.

He now has a lot of authority.

In a small conference room of the personnel department of Haibin City, leader Zhou Mingyuan personally presided over the meeting. The director of the Second Cadre Division of the Organization Department of the Municipal Party Committee, the head of the Allocation Section of the Municipal Labor Bureau, and the director of the Personnel Department of the Municipal Construction Commission were all present.

Today, the light snow stopped, and sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the emergency report spread out on the table.

"Everyone, I've read the report. In short, the situation is urgent and the mission is special," Zhou Mingyuan said, getting straight to the point as he tapped the report with his fingers.

"Comrade Qian Jin and his construction team are doing practical things that benefit the people. It is a key livelihood project personally overseen by leaders Zheng and Han. According to their players' report, they are currently stuck on a technical bottleneck."

"The report clearly states the requirements: there is an urgent need for professionals in urban planning, water supply and drainage, structure, and electrical engineering to serve as consultants. Time is of the essence; we need to provide them with the necessary personnel, because they have already started construction!"

The head of the Second Cadre Division of the Organization Department pondered for a moment and said, "Internal transfer is the first choice."

"Are there any suitable candidates available for transfer from architectural design institutes, planning institutes, or municipal engineering companies within the city?"

The head of the personnel department of the construction committee looked troubled: "Director, we've already done our internal investigation."

“The qualified key personnel all have key projects in the city on hand, such as the expansion of the new port area and the renovation of the coastal avenue, and they really can’t spare the time.”

"Moreover, the consultants needed this time should ideally be experienced young comrades who can solve practical problems..."

He shook his head: "I guess they can't control the situation. After all, I've been to Director Qian's construction team. They're all arrogant and fierce. They can get the job done, but they also have big tempers."

The head of the Labor Bureau's Allocation Section added, "Recruiting from outside the region is neither timely nor in line with policy. The most feasible option now is to transfer experts across regions or rehire retired experts."

"Cross-regional allocation?" Zhou Mingyuan frowned. "This procedure is complicated and takes a long time."

"No matter how complicated it is, we have to do it!" the leader in charge of the organization declared.

He pulled out an official document from his notebook and showed it to everyone: "This is not only a matter of people's livelihood, but also a political task."

"The priority given to the families of martyrs and military personnel in rehabilitation mentioned in the report is of great significance. Therefore, I suggest that the procedure be initiated immediately."

"First, the Personnel Bureau should take the lead in submitting a letter to the higher-level unit requesting the allocation of professional and technical personnel to support key livelihood projects in Haibin City, detailing the needs and requesting the higher-level unit to coordinate support from other cities."

"Second, we will simultaneously launch the re-employment program for retired senior experts in the city, giving priority to retired professors and senior engineers who are in good health, have relevant expertise, and are experienced."

"The re-employment procedures can be handled on a case-by-case basis!" The person in charge of the personnel department nodded.

“Good!” Zhou Mingyuan made the decision. “We will work together, with the Construction Committee and the Labor Bureau cooperating to immediately compile a list of retired experts in relevant fields in the city and their health status. As for the Personnel Bureau, I will personally report to the higher authorities.”

The matter was personally overseen by leaders Zheng and Han, so the process was naturally extremely efficient.

On the same day, a transfer request letter bearing the official seals of the Haibin Municipal Bureau of Personnel, the Organization Department, and the Labor Bureau was first delivered to Han Zhaoxin, who was then prepared to send it to the Provincial Department of Personnel through the municipal government's confidential channels.

Han Zhaoxin carefully reviewed the letter and added some details:

"...This project is a major initiative to address the basic living pain points of urban residents, involving a large number of special families such as families of martyrs, military personnel, and model workers. It is time-sensitive, demanding, and technically challenging."

"We urgently need your department to coordinate with neighboring cities such as Haiwei and Linjiang to select senior engineers with rich practical experience in urban planning, water supply and drainage engineering, structural engineering, and building electrical engineering to support our city on a short-term secondment basis..." At the same time, a "List and Suggestions for Retired Professional and Technical Personnel Urgently Needed to be Rehired in Haibin City" was also sent to the desks of relevant provincial leaders.

After receiving the report, the relevant leaders received a call from Qian Jin.

He lowered his stance and earnestly asked his superiors for their help.

The leaders dared not neglect Qian Jin, who was in charge of the introduction of foreign technology and equipment in most parts of the province and city, and immediately gave a special report to the deputy leader in charge.

There's another reason why the other two were so attentive.

They realized that the old city renovation project in Haibin City was very good, especially for the Construction Department. If this project were to be rolled out across the province, the Construction Department would be in for a big hit.

The supervisor in charge was very interested after reading it: "Hey, I must say, these people in Haibin City are quite clever. This 'Upgraded Housing and Living Conditions' project has a great concept!"

He carefully reviewed the materials, especially a list of families of martyrs and military personnel who were given priority for protection.

As a retired military officer, he particularly appreciated this point:
"Comrade Qian Jin is promising. He is young, has ideas, is energetic, and always cares about the people's suffering."

"Yes, the workers in their construction team are also very conscientious. Originally, they were supposed to do voluntary labor, but it was only at Comrade Zhaoxin's request that they were allowed to receive half a salary."

"This is good, very good. They want to solve the problems of cooking and using the toilet for ordinary people. This is a real project that wins the hearts of the people, a hundred times better than the empty gestures of welcoming foreign investment and overseas Chinese and adding foreign language propaganda materials that the provincial capital has been putting up recently!"

With the construction leaders in front of him, he pointed to the report and said, "The lack of technical expertise is an objective reality. Their proposal to transfer experts across regions and rehire retired experts is a pragmatic move."

"I think the province should help with this, it must help, and it needs to do it quickly."

The construction leader immediately said, "Okay, leader, I think the same way. We should definitely support this kind of work."

"In particular, if this work in Haibin City is done well, and a model for improving basic living facilities in old urban areas with limited economic conditions and high population density is developed, it will have a demonstrative significance for the renovation of old urban areas throughout the province and even the whole country."

"So I sent this report and application to you immediately after I received them, because I believe they are exploring the path for our province and creating an important 'experiment'!"

"Experimental subjects?" The deputy leader's eyes lit up. "That's a good word. Since they are experiments, we should support them even more and create better conditions for them."

He beckoned to his secretary: "Write an instruction in my name, let them try it boldly, but summarize the experience."

"If it succeeds, we'll promote it throughout the province; if we encounter problems, we'll find every possible way to solve them!"

He then assigned tasks to the personnel department leaders: "Immediately coordinate with the personnel departments of Haiwei City, Linjiang City, and Xilin City, as they are neighbors and sister cities with Haibin City."

"As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. I asked them to fully cooperate with the work of the neighboring city and to send politically reliable and professionally competent experts to support the coastal city."

"The procedures for secondment should be simplified and expedited, and the construction unit should cooperate to ensure professional oversight!"

"Yes!"

With clear instructions from provincial leaders and strong support from higher authorities, things progressed rapidly.

The relevant emergency coordination letter and transfer order from the province were quickly issued to Haiwei City and Linjiang City.

The organizational and personnel departments of the three cities responded positively but handled the situation passively.

The main reason is that now that reform and opening up have begun, cities are eager to develop, while college students born in 77 are just starting to prepare for internships or even have formal jobs.

This is why cities across the country are experiencing a talent shortage; otherwise, Haibin City wouldn't have needed to ask the province for assistance.

Qian Jin waited until the tenth day of the first lunar month without receiving any news, and he became somewhat annoyed.

Fortunately, he had both people and power; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to leverage the resources of the neighboring cities.

Several of the deputy directors of the approval committee were transferred from nearby cities. For example, Wang Haifeng was the former deputy director of the Foreign Economic and Trade Commission of Haiwei City and a confidant of the top leader of Haiwei City.

Qian Jin called Wang Haifeng over and immediately started slamming his fist on the table.

He wielded absolute power in the Approval Committee, mainly because he had access to a great deal of future information. Therefore, he was very effective in reviewing foreign-invested technologies and equipment.

He is indeed capable and capable of making contributions.

Otherwise, how could his half-hearted work schedule—working at the Approval Committee for three days and then taking a break for two, running around to the Labor Task Force for errands—not provoke dissatisfaction from his superiors?
Thanks to him for not neglecting his work, he led the Haibin City Approval Committee to accomplish several major tasks.

Qian Jinquan also seized control of another grassroots unit.

He adopted the same approach he had used in the Foreign Business Office of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, encouraging grassroots employees to engage in learning during their spare time.

The employees deeply resented this practice of working overtime.

But if it's about working overtime to watch excellent foreign and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan movies, listen to music, enjoy delicious food and have team building activities, then I have no objection.

In this situation, Wang Haifeng and other middle-level leaders were all excluded from the core of power by Qian Jin, who could easily manipulate them at will.

Wang Haifeng was slammed on the table and berated by Qian Jin, feeling wronged. "It's just a small problem at work, why are you making such a big deal out of it?"
When Qian Jin finally revealed his true colors, he realized that it was because his maternal family had disrespected him, and he had been caught in the crossfire.

Having no other option, he went back to his office and started calling his former boss, begging him to do everything he could to help.

Another deputy director, Yang Zhen, was from Linjiang City. He was also reprimanded by Qian Jin and then went to his family for help.

There were no connections in Xilin City, so Qian Jin had no choice but to call Hu Zailin, the second-in-command, and explain in a low voice the work that Haibin City needed to do and the need for their support in terms of personnel.

Hu Zailin readily agreed upon hearing this and immediately said he would take care of it right away.

Qian Jin listened with great suspicion.

He felt that Hu Zailin's quick agreement was just a ploy to fool him, and that he had no intention of helping at all.

However, as long as Linjiang City and Haiwei City can send talents over, it won't make a difference if Xilin City comes over.

Unbeknownst to him, Hu Zailin hung up the phone and immediately summoned the HR manager, giving him a dressing-down.

"The province asked us to provide support, why haven't you done anything? Damn it, Director Qian Jin helped us a lot in the drought relief work last year, and now that he's in trouble, you're not even going to repay the favor!"

"Damn it, you bunch of bastards, you're getting more and more perfunctory at work! Haven't I told you that? Huh?"

"Didn't we mention in the meeting that our city's successful artificial rainfall during last year's drought relief efforts was thanks to the contributions of comrades Han and Qian from Haibin City..."

The head of the personnel department said helplessly, "Sir, our city is currently working on the construction of a new urban area, and we are short-staffed ourselves!"

"The new urban area needs to be built, but is it urgent? On the contrary, we are more concerned about improving the living conditions of the people in the old urban area," Hu Zailin said seriously.

"The coastal city is now setting an example for us. They said this project will be carried out there, but they won't keep all the experiences and lessons learned to themselves; they will definitely share them with us!"

"Alright, send people over there immediately and let them learn from the experience of the old city renovation work. We also need to do this kind of work in Xilin later."

His partner wants to build a new city.

Then he'll have to renovate the old town...

Before leaving get off work that evening, the list of talents from Xilin City who would be providing support was faxed to Qian Jin's desk.

Qian Jin was surprised.

Mr. Hu is really capable; he's really good at getting things done!
Without a doubt, he unilaterally confirmed that President Hu was his godfather, godmother, and brother whom he had never met in Xilin!

Xilin sent six outstanding talents, including senior water supply and drainage engineers, structural engineering experts, urban planners, and senior building electrical engineers, which was a great help.

At the same time, the re-employment of retired experts in the city is also being carried out intensively.

Comrades from the municipal personnel department, organization department, and veteran cadre bureau, carrying the care from the province and the sincerity of the municipal government, visited several veteran experts.

The first one is Zhang Zhenhua, the former chief engineer of the Haibin City Architectural Design Institute.

The old gentleman was seventy years old, with gray hair, but he was in good spirits.

After retiring, he stayed at home to grow flowers and plants, and occasionally helped his former workplace review blueprints.

When the working group explained their purpose and handed over a copy of the construction team's petition and a draft engineering plan, the old engineer, wearing his reading glasses, was immediately moved:
“I know our labor commando team. They repaired the house for Old Cai’s family in our neighborhood last December. They are a group of good comrades.”

"So they're planning an old city renovation project? Their team doesn't want a penny, they're asking to do voluntary labor, just to build a decent stove and latrine for the people?"

"How come I didn't know about this? Did the neighborhood committee announce it? Sigh, I never go out, it seems like this is wrong, I'm becoming disconnected from society..."

Zhang Zhenhua was immediately overwhelmed with emotion.

He was a veteran Party member and comrade who joined the Party on the front lines in the 1930s. He changed his name when he joined the Party, and in the years that followed, he put the meaning of his name into practice through his work.

Seeing the young men and women around me now possess the same passion and sense of responsibility as I did in my youth, this old comrade suddenly felt a surge of youthful exuberance.

Especially now, when he thinks about the magnificent auditoriums and office buildings he helped design and build, and then thinks about the overcrowded and inconvenient residential communities he has seen in the old city over the years…

Comparing the two, he couldn't help but pat the documents: "What these kids in the commando team are doing is exactly what architects should be doing! They are truly serving the people!"

He took off his glasses and said to the staff who came to his door, "When will you report on it? I will definitely report on it."

"I've spent my whole life designing and drawing countless blueprints. But when I think about it, I realize I've never truly served the people around me. This project has made up for that regret!"

Zhai Changle, a retired professor from the Department of Architecture at Haibin University, also received the same arrangement.

He is a well-known scholar of architectural history and theory in China, and also has in-depth research on the renovation of vernacular dwellings.

He initially wanted to decline the invitation from the working group, because with the reform and opening up, all industries were showing new vitality, especially the publishing industry.

He has a manuscript that he is organizing and preparing for publication, tentatively titled "A History of Chinese Architecture: Restoring the Original Appearance of People's Dwellings in the Qin and Han Dynasties".

However, after learning the true purpose of the project, he couldn't help but open the manuscript.

The title page states his original aspirations for dedicating his life to the construction and education industries:
"The construction of residential buildings should be people-oriented and practicality should be the priority."

He neither agreed nor refused, simply saying he needed to think about it.

During dinner, his wife noticed his absent-mindedness and laughed, "Go on, go on. What's the point of staying at home all day, burying your head in your old books and notebooks? Go out for a walk."

Zhai Changle sighed and said, "This isn't just a stroll; it's going to take a lot of energy."

Then he added, “Architecture, in the final analysis, is for people. If Qian Jin were to lead a team to build some skyscrapers or magnificent buildings, I would definitely refuse on the spot.”

"But he wanted to renovate residential houses, which are the most down-to-earth and most important buildings in a country."

"As someone who has spent my entire life studying residential buildings, I really shouldn't stand idly by..."

The old lady said, "Since you know you shouldn't stand idly by, then go ahead and do it."

“Look at you. Back when you were working, you were either an advanced worker in our city or an outstanding teacher in your school. You always had ‘serving the people’ on your lips.”

"Now that you're retired, I see you're waiting for the people to serve you..."

"Nonsense!" Zhai Changle made up his mind. "I'll go. I'm not only going to be a consultant, but I'm also going to transfer my work relationship to the work group. I'm going to the construction brigade to protect them!"

All of a sudden.

Clouds move in all directions.

Before the Lantern Festival even arrived, Qian Jin noticed that the scholarly atmosphere in his villa's office building was starting to grow stronger.

The experts have arrived!
(End of this chapter)