In the 90s, you could acquire max-level skills every 14 days.

Chapter 120 The State Grid Twenty Years Later

Zhao Huaijin picked up a piece of pickled vegetable and chewed it crisply twice.

"The ingrained habits of the people, the huge employed population, and the investment in infrastructure—these three mountains are weighing on us. I think this matter will take at least another sixty years."

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Zhang Yong didn't rush to refute.

He knew that, from the perspective of 1990, Fang Qiming and Zhao Huaijin's judgment was completely logical.

But he also knew that in 2026, this point would already be on his high school textbook: the West-East Gas Pipeline was completed in 2004. After that, natural gas was successfully made available throughout the country, and except for a few remote areas, everyone could use it for cooking and heating.

By 2026, China's power grid coverage will be extremely high, with the vast majority of areas having access to electricity. Even some particularly remote areas are finding ways to promote photovoltaic panels and connect their own photovoltaic systems to the national power grid.

The textbook states: Electricity is the basic energy source for modern life and production.

This isn't sixty years. It's twenty years.

Just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from the side.

"Excuse me, teachers."

"6

All four of them turned their heads together.

The speaker was a tall, thin young man wearing a faded blue plaid shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows. He was holding an aluminum lunchbox containing a dish of stewed cabbage and tofu and two steamed buns.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with a short buzz cut and bright eyes.

"I'm Wang Guanghui, a third-year student in the Electrical Engineering Department." He bowed slightly. "I was eating over there earlier and overheard a few people talking about clean energy, and I just couldn't resist."

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Fang Qiming recognized the young man and nodded. "Wang Guanghui, right? Please sit down."

Wang Guanghui placed the aluminum lunchbox on the corner of the table and pulled up a chair to sit down. Qian Zhiyuan also moved aside to make room for Wang Guanghui.

"Thank you, classmates, Teacher Fang, Teacher Zhao." He greeted them first, then turned to Zhang Yong.

"I completely agree with what you just said."

His eyes were bright and sparkling, radiating the youthful energy unique to young people.

"Teacher Zhao is worried about employment, and Teacher Fang is worried about the speed of infrastructure construction. These are indeed two problems. But I think there is a force stronger than these two problems, which is—"

"6

He paused for a moment, his eyes shining.

"If you fall behind, you will be attacked."

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Zhao Huaijin put down his chopsticks and looked at him.

Wang Guanghui continued, "We are currently burning coal, which is highly polluting and inefficient. Developed countries are already developing nuclear power and natural gas power generation. If we don't catch up now, in ten or twenty years the gap will not be just one generation, but two or three generations."

"The country cannot tolerate this gap continuing. Once the economy picks up and the cost-effectiveness becomes worthwhile, the people will follow suit with the push of policies."

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He broke off a piece of steamed bun.

"The employment problem can be solved by enterprise transformation and job retraining. Back when we were building the Third Front, we were able to relocate millions of people without hesitation. Our country has never lacked this kind of courage."

Fang Qiming glanced at him and slowly nodded.

Wang Guanghui turned to Zhang Yong, his eyes shining with genuine sincerity.

"After I graduate, I plan to go to the power supply bureau."

He suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

"I don't know where I'll be assigned, but anywhere is fine. The electricity in the whole country will definitely be connected into a network. Maybe in a few years the power supply bureau will be renamed the power grid bureau."

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"The power grid is the lifeline of energy transformation. No matter what is used to generate electricity—wind, water, or gas—it all has to be delivered to every household through the power grid. Only by weaving this grid well can clean energy have a foundation."

"6

"Even if I can only manage to upgrade the power grid in one county or one city in my lifetime, I'll accept it."

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Looking at this young man who was a few years older than him, Zhang Yong felt a momentary unease upon hearing the words "power grid."

1990 years.

The State Grid Corporation of China had not yet been formally established. Power system reform would not begin until 2002. But this young man carrying an aluminum lunchbox had already tied his fate to the future of energy.

Zhang Yong felt a sudden surge of emotion and reached out his hand.

"Zhang Yong, Continuing Education, Department of Mechanical Engineering"

Wang Guanghui shook hands with him; his palms were dry and strong.

"I've heard so much about you. I already knew Zhang Yong would be coming to our school's Mechanical Engineering Department, and I was wondering when I could meet him. I didn't expect to run into him in the cafeteria." Wang Guanghui smiled. "I read 'The Great Craftsman' in one go."

Fang Qiming then spoke up: "Wang Guanghui, Zhang Yong is currently working on a boiler renovation project at the Tongxian Coal Mine, which is also a research topic. Are you interested?"

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Wang Guanghui's eyes lit up. "Can I participate?"

"You can come and take a look at the electrical wiring and control system," Zhang Yong said. "After the secondary air nozzles are installed, the air intake needs to be adjustable. If we implement automatic control in the future, the electrical work will be your responsibility."

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"No problem!" Wang Guanghui slapped his thigh. "I'll go look through the materials this afternoon and send the proposal to the Mechanical Engineering Department later."

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"Oh, right." Zhang Yong pulled out a registration form with several signatures from his work clothes pocket. "I have a youth industrial literature club here, it's just starting out, if you're interested—"

'

"Report!" Wang Guanghui didn't even look at the contents, picked up the pen Zhang Yong handed him, and signed his name.

"I'll go back and talk to my roommates, and I'm sure they want to come too. All four of us in my dorm are electrical engineers, and we're all pretty free."

Zhao Huaijin looked at the registration forms that already had quite a few signatures and shook his head with a smile. "The people in this club are getting more and more mixed up. I, the Chinese Department advisor, am becoming more and more of a figurehead."

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"Teacher Zhao, you can't just abandon this task." Zhang Yong carefully put away the registration form. "I'll need your approval for future publicity materials."

"Goodness, the school has just started and the teachers have already become the laborers."

Everyone at the table laughed.

Fang Qiming glanced at his watch and stood up. "Alright, I have class this afternoon, I'll be going now. Zhang Yong and Zhiyuan, you two coordinate the nozzle issue, we'll meet again before I go to the coal plant this weekend."

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"Okay," the two replied in unison.

Zhao Huaijin also stood up. "I'm leaving too, there's a department meeting this afternoon. Zhang Yong, hurry up with that manuscript for 'Furnace Fire,' there are some things you can say and some things you can't say, I'll check it out for you when it's finished."

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"Don't worry, it will be released in the next couple of days."

The two teachers left with their trays.

Wang Guanghui stayed behind and chatted with Zhang Yong and Qian Zhiyuan for another ten minutes or so. They talked about everything from boiler blower control to variable frequency speed regulation, from county power distribution networks to rural power grid upgrades, and the conversation grew increasingly lively.

Finally, Wang Guanghui took out a pencil, wrote a string of numbers in his notebook, and tore it off.

"This is the phone number for the dormitory building's reception area. Just ask for Wang Guanghui."

"Okay." Zhang Yong took the paper and put it in his pocket.

Wang Guanghui picked up his lunchbox and stood up. "Zhang Yong, I have a feeling this will work out."

Zhang Yong smiled. "It's definitely possible."

Wang Guanghui turned around, took two steps, and then turned back.

"By the way, if you need any electrical components for your boiler renovation, my supervisor has connections with factories in Tianjin and can get them at factory prices."

"I've got it. I'll come find you later."

Wang Guanghui waved his hand, picked up his aluminum lunchbox, and walked into the crowd.

Zhang Yong cleared away his trays, stood up, and walked towards the cafeteria entrance.

He paused for a moment as he reached the steps at the entrance.

There is a person behind the second cement pillar on the right side outside the cafeteria gate.

His gaze was complex as he stared intently in Zhang Yong's direction.