You promised to build cars, so why did you go into the military industry?

Chapter 68 Poverty Alleviation and Prosperity: Photovoltaic Sheep

In the afternoon, a reporter surnamed Yang from CCTV, who had made an appointment in advance, arrived at United Industries with her team.

Considering various factors, Li Ran did not refuse the interview.

But to his utter surprise, the protagonist this time was not him, but the rocket development team led by Lin Yu.

During the several days of follow-up interviews, Li Ran only appeared twice.

The first one was that photo taken in October 2010.

In the video, he pats Lin Yu on the shoulder in a comforting gesture.

This is where it all started.

The second was an interview in which he explained why he supported Lin Yu.

Li Ran said a lot, but in the end, she cut it down to just one sentence: "Because we want to be buried in the sun."

It's very romantic, but that's about it.

On the morning of the third day of the interview, Li Ran, having nothing else to do, began his daily patrol of the territory.

Driving his personal electric scooter, Li Ran had just arrived at the entrance of the production workshop when he received a call from Gao Jingming.

Things seem a bit urgent, but also quite strange.

Gao Jingming asked him to pick up Master Lian from his dormitory, and then they would go to the vegetable garden behind the cafeteria together.

Time is a bit tight, and it's hard to explain everything over the phone in a short time.

But since he was a trusted confidant and spoke in a very serious tone, Li Ran stopped thinking about it and drove towards the dormitory.

Ten minutes later, the cafeteria building came into view in the distance. Li Ran was about to find a place to park when suddenly a foul smell hit him.

"What a strong smell of sheep droppings!" Master Lian's eyes lit up. He took a deep breath and shook his head like a gourmet. "At this concentration, it must be from at least forty or fifty sheep droppings."

"When did we order the lamb?" Li Ran tried to filter out the seemingly ubiquitous stench by holding her breath, but failed.

"Order sheep? We haven't placed any orders." Master Lian said in surprise. "Besides, with so many people in our factory, if we were to order, it would be frozen goods. These 50 sheep are not only not enough to eat, but they would also be a huge hassle to process. It's really not worth it."

Completely bewildered, Li Ran parked his electric scooter wherever he could find an empty spot, and then, led by Master Lian, walked through the cafeteria to the vegetable garden behind it.

A truck transporting sheep was parked conspicuously on the edge of the open space.

Upon seeing the arrival of strangers, the lead sheep bleated warily, followed by a continuous bleating sound.

"Mr. Li! Master Lian! Over here."

The bleating of the sheep startled Gao Jingming, who was squatting nearby. He saw Li Ran and Master Lian and stood up to greet them.

"This is—" Li Ran looked curiously at an old man next to Gao Jingming, whose left upper arm was in a cast and whose face was dark and thin, and gestured for Gao Jingming to introduce him.

"This is Professor Wang Lijian from the Northeast Associated University, whom I often mention to you. He was also my comrade-in-arms when I worked in the Gobi Desert in Northwest China."

Upon hearing the mention of the Northwest Gobi Desert, Li Ran instantly understood that Gao Jingming was referring to the super photovoltaic project codenamed "Xiangyun" (Auspicious Cloud).

Li Ran then warmly shook hands with Professor Wang Lijian.

"Supervisor Gao has told me countless times about your exploits in the Gobi Desert! Seeing is believing, Professor Wang is truly admirable!"

Don't let the fact that this old man has spent most of his life in Northwest China fool you; he's lived to such an old age, what kind of situation hasn't he seen?

Faced with Li Ran's genuine enthusiasm, even though he knew Li Ran was just being polite, Professor Wang Lijian still grinned happily.

"Your arm is—"

"A sandstorm came recently, and some photovoltaic equipment that hadn't been installed yet wasn't properly protected and was knocked down."

My arm was broken when a frame suddenly tipped over while I was using resuscitation equipment.

Upon hearing this, Li Ran looked visibly shaken and moved.

Seeing Li Ran's expression, Professor Wang Lijian said with a smile, "You're quite an interesting young man. It's not like your arm is broken, so why do you look so serious?"

Don't worry, the country will not mistreat those who have made contributions.

Just as Li Ran was about to explain, Master Lian, who was supposed to be beside him, popped his head out from the truck and shouted, "Mr. Li, I just checked them, and these sheep are top-notch, no doubt about it."

Interrupted from his train of thought, Li Ran gave an awkward smile.

Wang Lijian wasn't annoyed; he smiled and pulled Li Ran toward the truck.

At this moment, Master Lian used his strong arms to hold a lamb tightly, pried open its mouth and said to Li Ran who was walking over, "Come, come, take a look."

The mouth is rosy and the tongue is flexible; the teeth are clean with slight wear and no cavities.

The area around the nostrils is clean, and the nose is moist, smooth, and has water droplets.

The eyes are bright and lively, and the conjunctiva is pink.

It is fiercely rebellious and energetic, with a clean, glossy, and elastic coat.

Looking at the sheep droppings on the truck, they are oval or small ball-shaped, dry and hard, with many stuck together. The urine is clear, colorless or slightly yellow.

Every single one of them is a fine sheep.

After listening to Master Lian's introduction with great interest, Wang Lijian said with a smile, "This is the photovoltaic sheep from the Northwest Gobi Desert that has recently become famous throughout the country."

Photovoltaic sheep? What's that? Is it a sheep that's cooked using the heat of light?

Master Lian was somewhat puzzled, and after releasing the lamb, he voiced his question.

"It's not about cooking sheep with the heat of light, but about raising sheep with the heat of light."

The solar photovoltaic power generation array built in the Gobi Desert has reduced water evaporation, which has helped restore the ecosystem. These sheep graze freely in the photovoltaic power station.

Purely natural and pollution-free. These 50 sheep were a gift from local herders who sent them after they heard I was coming.

Upon hearing the last sentence, Li Ran, who was originally standing to the side, immediately said that he couldn't take it for free and was about to pay for it.

After some initial refusals, Li Ran, faced with Professor Wang Lijian's firm stance, had no choice but to change his strategy, stating that he would send several truckloads of supplies to the local area under the guise of United Industries.

"You give me your gift, I'll give you mine. Professor Wang, please don't refuse anymore."

Having finally persuaded Wang Lijian, Li Ran asked with some curiosity, "How large is this 'photovoltaic sheep' project?"

"The third phase of the 6-mu project is nearing completion, and the current breeding area is around 18 mu."

Based on a breeding density of one lamb per 2.5 mu (approximately 0.16 acres), theoretically, 72,000 lambs could be raised.

However, Academician Zhou Mancang from our school provided a high-yield forage grass he cultivated, and now the number of livestock raised has doubled to 15.

After finishing speaking, Wang Lijian smacked his lips, as if he had thought of something, and continued to add: "Originally, the herders would only raise about ten or so of them scattered around, and they couldn't sell them for a good price. Outsiders would buy them up for 200 yuan each."

Now, even at 1800 each, you might not be able to buy one.

This old man has lived this long and only now does he realize that sheep can be traded on futures markets.

"That would mean a production value of nearly 300 million! That's great." Gao Jingming was clearly very happy.

Noticing Gao Jingming's mood, Li Ran looked at the flock of sheep in front of him and pondered for a while. He decided to hold a banquet that night and invite all the employees who participated in the "Xiangyun" project to come and let them personally taste this gratitude and delicious food from the Great Northwest.

After explaining his plans, Professor Wang Lijian was very pleased and expressed his anticipation for the banquet that evening.

He then called over the driver, who had just finished eating in the cafeteria, and asked him to help unload the goods.

Upon seeing that the job was done, Master Lian made a phone call and summoned a large group of kitchen helpers to begin preparations for dinner.

At 4:30 p.m., with the concerted efforts of hundreds of people, 50 sheep were transformed from animals into food.

After marinating, they were placed in groups of four into three large ovens that had just been hastily welded and made that afternoon for cooking.

This huge commotion startled reporter Yang, who had just finished a day of interviews.

After learning the details of what had happened, reporter Yang was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears. With Professor Wang Lijian's permission, she immediately led her team to work overtime on the spot.

The banquet will begin at 8 PM!

The employees who attended the banquet all had experience of being stationed in the Gobi Desert in Northwest China for more than 10 months.

They vividly remember the harsh environment and impoverished life at the place where they worked.

Therefore, after listening to Professor Wang Lijian recount the tremendous changes that had taken place in the area, they exclaimed in amazement, like children.

"Professor Wang, how is little Aiserihan's illness? He's the one the imam often visits."

This is someone missing a deceased friend and inquiring about their situation.

"Oh, him? He's all better now."

Since his family became wealthy last year, his parents took him to a big city for medical treatment and surgery, and he has now fully recovered.

"He's so mischievous, always climbing up and down."

"What about Salamaiti's child? Has he recovered as well?"

"What about the Omani family?"

When asked by the crowd, Professor Wang Lijian answered the questions with great familiarity and took out his phone to show everyone the photos he had taken.

The atmosphere was both lively and warm.

Reporter Yang and her team stood silently by, quietly recording this touching scene.

Before long, several managers who had some free time also came over to join in the fun.

At 11 p.m., the banquet came to an end amidst everyone's reluctance to part.

After the event ended, Wang Lijian grabbed several of the executives present and wouldn't let them leave.

Facing the intoxicated Li Ran and his entourage, Wang Lijian, who had not touched a drop of alcohol due to his fracture, said with a serious expression: "President Li, actually, I came here with a mission."

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