Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

morning at the steel rolling mill

The morning sun pierced through the thick industrial smoke clouds above the steel rolling mill, casting a hazy, gray light.

Yesterday, after finishing the first draft of the blast furnace renovation plan, Xu Lin stayed up all night again.

He locked himself in his room, letting his thoughts wander through a labyrinth of countless technological possibilities and real-world conditions.

Finally, in the deepest darkness before dawn, Xu Lin finalized the last few details of the plan.

The entire plan is logically coherent, and the data cited is detailed to two decimal places.

From the core technological principles of the new blast furnace, to the cost accounting and expected benefits down to the last penny, to how it will drive the entire steel rolling mill and even bring about a profound transformation to the national steel industry.

Every word is imbued with his heart and soul.

Xu Lin has absolute confidence.

If this plan can be implemented, the steelmaking level of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill will directly break through the barriers of time and span an entire era.

So, the next morning, Xu Lin, full of excitement, rushed to the factory director's office without even having breakfast, carrying the document that carried hope and the future.

He stood in front of that familiar door, carefully straightening his slightly wrinkled collar to make himself look more convincing.

dong dong dong.

A restrained knock on the door.

"Please come in."

Yang Anguo's calm voice came from inside the door.

Pushing open the door, Yang Anguo was buried in a mountain of documents. He looked up, saw Xu Lin, and a perfectly timed smile immediately appeared on his face, the angle of his upturned lips and the fine lines at the corners of his eyes seeming to have been precisely calculated.

"Xiao Xu is here, please have a seat."

The smile was warm, but it never reached the eyes.

"Director Yang."

Xu Lin ignored the formalities; his excitement and pride made him want to get straight to the point. He solemnly handed over the document, which was still warm from his touch.

"Over the past few days, I've prepared a detailed plan for the blast furnace renovation. I've revised it several times, and I'm bringing it here for your review today."

Yang Anguo took the plan, his smile still lingering.

His gaze fell on the cover.

"Plan for Technological Upgrading and Capacity Boosting of New Blast Furnaces".

A line of heavy, bold text seemed to carry a certain impact, causing Yang Anguo's eyes to narrow slightly. His fingers, which were turning the pages of the project plan, paused noticeably.

He began to flip through the pages.

The office fell silent instantly, with only the soft rustling of papers turning between fingers.

The sound was soft, yet it struck Xu Lin's heart again and again.

Xu Lin sat quietly in the chair opposite him, his back ramrod straight, his eyes fixed on Yang Anguo's expression.

He noticed that Director Yang's initial gaze was scrutinizing, with a hint of habitual perfunctoriness.

A few minutes later, the scrutiny turned into surprise, his brows furrowed involuntarily, and he slowed down the page-turning speed.

Then, the surprise was replaced by a deeper emotion—solemnity.

His lips were pressed into a tight line, his gaze fixed intently on the technical parameters and data analysis, as if he wanted to pierce through the paper.

Xu Lin's heart began to race.

He knew that with Yang Anguo's professional expertise and management experience, he would definitely be able to understand the astonishing significance contained in this plan.

He understood.

Then, what follows should be applause, enthusiastic discussion, and unreserved support.

However, time passed by, second by second.

After a long wait, Yang Anguo finally closed the plan.

There was no excitement as I had expected.

There wasn't even a single word of praise.

He simply placed the document, which was enough to change the fate of the factory, lightly on the corner of the table, as if it were an insignificant, ordinary report.

A heavy sigh escaped from Yang Anguo's chest.

"Little Xu."

He interlaced his fingers, leaned back heavily into the large chair, and sank into it completely.

"Your idea is very forward-thinking and excellent."

The words were spoken slowly and weakly, like a soothing reassurance to an unrealistic child.

"However, the ideal is very beautiful, but the reality is very harsh."

Yang Anguo paused, found the most suitable entry point, and his tone became heavy.

"As you know, since our factory became a joint state-private enterprise, we've lost the Lou family's funding, and we're in dire need of money everywhere. We're in a terrible financial situation, and your blast furnace renovation project, I've roughly estimated, will cost at least a million yuan."

"More than a million..." He repeated the number, emphasizing its weight, "The factory really can't come up with that right now."

"Besides, look, there are only two or three months left until the end of the year. The production tasks are overwhelming everyone. Every workshop is operating non-stop, and even three shifts aren't enough. We simply can't spare the manpower and resources to undertake such a large project."

He looked at Xu Lin, his eyes filled with a sense of helplessness, as if to say, "I have no choice."

"I think... we should put this matter aside for now and consider it further."

Every word was like a cold hammer, striking Xu Lin's burning heart.

The blood in Xu Lin's body gradually cooled down.

Before he came, he had considered countless possibilities: technical doubts, debates over details, and disputes over costs.

Unexpectedly, Yang Anguo would use this most common and impeccable bureaucratic rhetoric to fob him off.

Funding?

Production tasks?

Are these problems? Of course they are. But are these unsolvable problems? Of course not!

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Ultimately, three words clearly surfaced in Xu Lin's mind—"I don't want to do it."

Why?

Xu Lin's mind raced as he scrutinized the somewhat unfamiliar Yang Anguo before him, the man who had once held him in such high esteem.

Have I offended him recently? No.

Have you ever done anything outrageous? No.

So, where does the problem lie?

A thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

Perhaps it's not because I did anything wrong.

On the contrary, it's because they did the "right" thing.

Too young, promoted too quickly, and now he's come up with a plan that's enough to shake the entire factory.

In Yang Anguo's eyes, this kind of sharp edge was no longer an asset, but a threat.

It is the sense of crisis caused by one's achievements overshadowing those of their superiors.

Having figured this out, Xu Lin calmed down. He felt that there might still be room for reconciliation, and he needed to make his position clear to Yang Anguo: he had no intention of engaging in a power struggle.

Xu Lin raised his head, his gaze returning to calm as he looked directly at Yang Anguo.

"Director Yang, I will lead the team to overcome the technical difficulties and guarantee that everything will go smoothly."

"I believe that as long as we schedule shifts reasonably and carry out cross-construction, we can always find time to coordinate production tasks. People can come up with solutions."

His tone carried a hint of pleading, even a humble attitude.

"I'm one of your soldiers, and I'm just getting ready to roll up my sleeves and get things done. As your leader, you'd better give me a hand."

As he spoke, he took out a cigarette from his pocket, offered one to Yang Anguo, and leaned forward slightly, displaying the respect typical of a subordinate.

Yang Anguo could easily understand the underlying meaning in Xu Lin's words.

This is both a statement and a test.

But his mind was made up.

He waved the cigarette Xu Lin offered him, without leaning forward at all, completely ignoring any respect he might have shown.

"It's not that I don't want to help you."

When he spoke, his words were perfectly crafted.

"I've watched you grow up. From the moment I put you in the steel rolling mill, I've always had high hopes for you. I know your abilities better than anyone else."

He first affirmed the relationship to build rapport, then abruptly changed the subject.

"But right now, the factory is facing tremendous difficulties. You have to be understanding and forgiving of me. Can we try to understand each other?"

"Don't worry, I've got this project in mind. Once the factory has more funds and production pressure isn't so high, I'll give you the final approval first!"

This sales pitch is all too familiar.

It was so familiar that Xu Lin felt nauseous.

For someone who fought their way out of the fiercely competitive system of later generations and successfully passed the civil service exam, this set of "delaying tactics" and "making empty promises" is practically ingrained in their DNA.

As long as everyone is equally mediocre, then he is not wrong.

If you stand out too much or have ideas that are too advanced, then that's your fault.

Your excellence and correctness only serve to highlight his incompetence and conservatism.

At this moment, Xu Lin's last glimmer of hope was shattered.

He no longer expects anything.

The cigarettes that were handed out were not taken back.

He gently placed the cigarette on the table in front of Yang Anguo, then withdrew his hand and lit the remaining one for himself.

"hiss--"

Thick smoke filled my lungs, bringing a suffocating sense of clarity.

Silence fell in the office once again.

The only sound was the faint noise of Xu Lin smoking.

The time it takes to smoke a cigarette is enough to completely cool a passionate heart, freezing it into solid ice.

Xu Lin only came to his senses when the cigarette butt burned down to the very end and the heat reached his fingers.

He slowly exhaled his last puff of thick white smoke, which rose and swirled between him and Yang Anguo, blurring their faces.

He stubbed out his cigarette in the glass ashtray on Yang Anguo's desk, crushed it hard, and made a hissing sound as the flame went out.

Xu Lin did not look up.

He stared at the extinguished cigarette butt, his voice low but unusually calm, as if stating a given fact.

"If I can solve the funding problem, can this plan be implemented?"

This is not a question.

This is a conditional affirmative sentence.

Yang Anguo was taken aback by this blunt, almost provocative question.

Looking at the young man with his head down, he felt an uncontrollable pressure for the first time.

He uttered a single syllable, which could be considered a nod.

"...You could say that."

"Alright then."

Two words: resolute and decisive.

Xu Lin suddenly stood up.

He had his back to Yang Anguo, who was sitting behind the desk, and just as he was about to turn and walk towards the door, he suddenly turned back.

At that moment, his gaze no longer held any trace of his subordinates' requests for instructions or respect.

It was a burning, oppressive will, an undeniable challenge.

His gaze was like two scalpels, precisely piercing Yang Anguo's eyes.

He said, word by word:

"I'll take care of the funding issue."

"I'll take charge of this project."

"I guarantee that it will not affect any of the factory's original production tasks."

The moment he finished speaking, Xu Lin reached out and picked up the neglected project proposal from the corner of the table.

Then, he left without looking back.

"Bang."

The door closed with a soft sound, but it made Yang Anguo's heart skip a beat.

The air in the office instantly became thick and heavy.

Yang Anguo stared intently at the closed door, as if he could still see that resolute figure's back.

He realized that the factory doctor he had personally recruited, who had risen to a high position as deputy factory director in a short period of time, was now completely out of his control.

Immense pressure was mounting from all directions.

Looking at the door, Yang Anguo's fingers, gripping the pen, turned white from excessive force.

He suddenly remembered the words that Li Huaide, the head of the logistics department, had been repeating to him over and over during this period.

Those comments about Xu Lin being too young and too powerful, needing to be disciplined and restrained.

He had previously dismissed it as Li Huaide's jealousy and complaints.

Now, those words echoed in his mind like a warning bell.

Just in case.

In order to regain the feeling of being out of control.

He needed to find someone who could keep Xu Lin in check.

Yang Anguo took a deep breath and made a decision in his heart.

He walked to the door and called someone in. Although he didn't believe that Xu Lin could raise more than a million yuan in a short period of time, the feeling of being out of control made him have to make arrangements in advance.

He said to the visitor in a deep voice, "Go to the logistics department and have Li Huaide come to my office immediately."

……

When Li Huaide came out of the factory director's office, his feet felt light on the ground, as if he were walking on clouds.

The light in the entire corridor seemed to brighten, and the hazy sky outside the window also exuded a festive atmosphere.

Deputy factory director!

These three words echoed repeatedly in his mind, each stroke gleaming with golden light.

Yang Anguo actually promised to nominate him as deputy factory director, putting him on equal footing with Xu Lin and jointly in charge of production!

An overwhelming sense of ecstasy washed over him, making his cheeks flush.

But this craze came quickly and went quickly.

A few seconds later, Li Huaide quickly calmed down. He knew better than anyone that there were no free lunches. And even if there were, they certainly wouldn't fall into his lap.

What is the purpose of my position as deputy factory director, which I haven't even received yet?

A nail.

A nail Yang Anguo planted next to Xu Lin, a rein used to keep Xu Lin in check.

Should we confront Xu Lin head-on?

He wasn't that stupid. That young man had such sharp eyes and ruthless methods; he'd risen from factory doctor to deputy factory manager in such a short time. Could he really confront someone like that head-on?

Li Huaide's eyes darted around, and he instantly made up his mind.

Instead of returning to his own logistics office, he turned and headed straight for the deputy factory director's office next to the medical room.

"Deputy Factory Director Xu! Congratulations!"

Before he even stepped inside, his loud voice rang out. Li Huaide, his face beaming with a warm smile, strode across the threshold, his manner more like that of a long-lost brother than a colleague.

"I've heard you're strategizing again, planning some earth-shattering project! You're so young and promising, with a bright future ahead! We old folks can't even keep up!"

Xu Lin was reviewing a document when he heard the sound and looked up. He twirled the pen between his fingers and then gently placed it on the table.

He looked at Li Huaide, whose smile was almost overflowing from the wrinkles on his face, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Please sit down. Director Li is very well-informed."

"Hey, what's so secret about that? Director Yang said that if it weren't for the tight budget, he'd be eager to push your plan forward right now!"

Li Huaide, without any hesitation, pulled out a chair and sat down. His large body leaned forward, and he lowered his voice to a whisper, making him sound exceptionally mysterious and sincere.

"Brother Xu, I have something to say to you from the bottom of my heart, but please don't tell anyone else."

He paused, his small eyes fixed on Xu Lin's face, not missing a single subtle change in expression.

"Just now, Factory Director Yang came to see me."

"They said... they wanted to nominate me as the deputy factory director."

The office was quiet.

The only sound was the barely audible rustling of tea leaves unfurling in the enamel cup on the table.

Xu Lin's face remained expressionless, showing neither surprise nor displeasure, as if he were simply listening to an ordinary little matter.

"That's a good thing."

He spoke, his voice steady.

"I must congratulate Deputy Factory Director Li in advance."

There was no disturbance.

There wasn't even a hint of feigned enthusiasm.

Li Huaide's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He wasn't afraid of Xu Lin's anger, nor was he afraid of Xu Lin's attempts to win him over; what he feared was Xu Lin's unfathomable calmness.

This shows that the other party doesn't take me seriously at all.

This also shows that the other party's vision is far broader than I imagined.

You made the right bet!

Li Huaide slapped his chest hard, making a muffled "bang," and solemnly declared:

"Don't worry, brother! I know what I'm doing! Whether I'm the head of the logistics department or the deputy factory director, I'm on your side! I'm wholeheartedly supporting you!"

He lowered his voice even further.

"Director Yang is a senior leader, experienced and prudent. We must respect him and maintain appearances."

"Your efforts represent ambition and the future of the factory, and we must give you our full support! This is for the future of our tens of thousands of workers!"

"As for me, I'll be right in the middle, acting as a mediator and a mouthpiece! I'll let you know immediately if anything happens up there! I'll shoulder any difficulties down there for you! I guarantee I won't let any of your important plans be delayed!"

His words were impeccable and sincere.

He had both pledged his allegiance to Xu Lin and placed himself in a favorable position where he could advance or retreat at will. Regardless of which side gained the upper hand in the future, Li Huaide would be able to play both sides comfortably and remain unscathed.

Xu Lin felt a chill in his heart.

What a slippery old fox.

"Thank you very much, Brother Li."

Xu Lin picked up the enamel teacup on the table, touched the warm cup with his fingertips, and gave a nonchalant reply, which served as a gesture of dismissal.

After seeing off Li Huaide, who was beaming with pride and felt his scheme had succeeded, the office returned to absolute silence.

Xu Lin leaned back in his chair, which creaked under the weight.

An unprecedented sense of exhaustion seeped from his bones, weighing heavily on his limbs and body.

He is not afraid of technical difficulties. He can overcome equipment bottlenecks.

What he fears is the human heart.

Yang Anguo's suspicion and vigilance, Li Huaide's opportunism and scheming—these things are invisible and intangible, yet they have woven a huge net to trap him in place, leaving him unable to move.

In the afternoon, the news that Li Huaide had been promoted to deputy factory director was posted on the bulletin board. Xu Lin felt a surge of irritation upon hearing the news.

He simply stood up, grabbed his coat, and decided to go home early.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I saw Qin Huairu and Tan Liya returning from outside.

Both men had black coal ash stains on their faces and hands, fine beads of sweat on their foreheads, and a few strands of hair stuck to their foreheads. Their breathing was slightly rapid, clearly indicating that they had just finished heavy physical labor.

"Where have you all been? You're all covered in dirt like little kittens."

Xu Lin quickly stepped forward, took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and gently wiped the ash off Qin Huairu and Madam Tan's cheeks.

Qin Huairu was panting, her cheeks flushed with a healthy rosy glow from the exertion and the cold wind.

"Going to buy coal for winter storage."

She rolled her eyes at Xu Lin, scolding him for making a fuss.

"If we don't stock up now, we'll be in trouble when it gets colder. Coal is in short supply right now. Even though it's only mid-September, we went relatively late and had to wait in a long line to buy some. If we don't prepare in advance, we don't know if we'll even have the money when we need it..."

Tan Liya, standing to the side, nodded. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a new black mark. Xu Lin then diligently wiped Tan's forehead again.

"Yes, for ordinary people, life is all about firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Firewood is the most important thing. Without it, you can't even get a hot meal, let alone survive the harsh winter in Beijing. Only you, young master, don't care about anything at home..."

Rice, oil, salt...

firewood……

Winter coal storage...

These words were like electric currents, rushing into Xu Lin's mind without warning and colliding violently!

His body stiffened.

The wiping action also stopped.

It was as if a blinding lightning bolt struck my mind, instantly piercing through all the fog and gloom!

Yup!

How could he forget something so important!

In this era, especially in Beijing where the winters are long and bitterly cold, keeping warm is of paramount importance!

Every household used a coal stove.

That thing not only produces a lot of smoke and fills the house with fumes, but it's also extremely inefficient at generating heat, with most of the heat being lost with the smoke.

Even more fatal is that it is extremely unsafe!

Every winter, tragedies of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by poor ventilation in coal-burning stoves are not uncommon!

in case……

How about using the waste heat from steelmaking in a steel rolling mill to create a centralized heating system?

Xu Lin's breathing suddenly became rapid, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

A bold, almost insane idea rapidly took shape in his mind.

The existing two large blast furnaces in the steel rolling mill were simply modified, and then transported through the laid pipelines to every production workshop and office in the plant area, as well as to more than 10 households within a 10-kilometer radius of the steel rolling mill!

Once the idea popped into my head, I couldn't stop it!

This will completely solve the long-standing problem of excessively low temperatures in the production workshop during winter, which causes workers' hands and feet to become stiff, making them prone to illness and seriously affecting production efficiency!

It will also allow all factory employees and more than 100,000 families in the surrounding area to completely say goodbye to coal stoves and enjoy a warm winter!

What is this?

This is a great thing that benefits the present and future generations! It is a huge project for the people's livelihood and welfare!

more importantly……

A terrifying glint flashed in Xu Lin's eyes.

More importantly, this project... can be charged for!

Heating fee!

A typical family of 3-5 households, using coal sparingly over a four-month winter, will consume approximately 700 kilograms of coal. With coal briquettes currently averaging around 9 cents per kilogram, this means that on average, each person will use about 15 yuan worth of coal per winter.

With centralized heating, the cost can be cheaper and charged per person, around 10 yuan per person per year. That works out to about 2.5 yuan per person per month for the four winter months, which is cheaper than using coal and also safer and more hygienic.

If we were to subsidize all the surrounding 100,000 or so households at 10 yuan each, we could not only solve the immediate funding problem but also generate a sustainable income for the steel mill. This would also alleviate the long-standing coal supply pressure plaguing Beijing.

With this money, let alone upgrading a blast furnace that Yang Anguo was blocking, there would be more than enough to cover any new projects in the future!

The most brilliant step is!

This plan perfectly bypassed Yang Anguo's persistent obstruction regarding his "insufficient funds" issue! And it didn't even require Yang Anguo's approval.

Central heating, what category does it fall under? On a small scale, it falls under the category of "logistics and welfare"! On a larger scale, it's about increasing revenue, and at extremely low cost.

He could easily initiate the project himself, without having to raise funds, and directly modify the existing blast furnace!

This expense is clearly and transparently categorized as employee welfare; it's a cost for the benefit of all factory workers, and no one can find fault with it! Once the factory's heating is resolved, we'll bring in the street vendors, let them visit, and then promote the service. We'll collect payment before installation, so even if Yang Anguo wants to intervene and stop it, it will be too late.

This is a calculated move!

A well-laid plan that everyone could not refuse and could only applaud!

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Having figured all this out, Xu Lin felt all the pent-up frustration and annoyance in his chest vanish, replaced by boundless pride and joy. He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He opened his arms and pulled Qin Huairu and Tan Liya, who were still a little dazed, into a tight embrace, giving each of them a big kiss on their coal-dust-covered faces.

"Hey, what are you doing! Are you crazy! You're filthy!"

Qin Huairu was startled by his sudden action and playfully pushed him away.

"You guys go home first! I'm in a good mood today, I'll cook something nice for dinner! I'm going back to the steel rolling mill to take data." With that, he turned and left.

At this moment, Xu Lin felt that his whole body was full of inexhaustible strength. The previous feeling of being restrained and tired was swept away and replaced by a powerful confidence that he was in control of everything.

What Yang Anguo? What Li Huaide?

Faced with an absolute, overwhelming, and overt strategy, all conspiracies, schemes, and checks and balances are nothing but paper tigers that are easily defeated!

After spending two or three hours measuring various data at the steel rolling mill, Xu Lin returned home, ate a couple of bites, and after the two women prepared dinner, went straight to his study.

Qin Huairu and Madam Tan exchanged a glance and looked at the table full of dishes, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. However, neither of them said anything and they cleaned up after eating for a while.

Back in his study, Xu Lin spread out a brand new sheet of paper. Under the lamplight, his eyes shone with an astonishing light.

He picked up the pen, and the nib left a steady ink dot on the paper.

Then, he picked up his pen and, word by word, solemnly wrote several large characters on the paper—

"A Plan for Reforming Heating Methods to Improve Winter Work Efficiency in All Workshops of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill"