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

Chapter 132 Is the "Iron Rice Bowl" Really Ironclad?

The deliveryman was Wei's driver, who said that Wei Shuyun wouldn't be coming today.

"Our factory manager's daughter said that she's currently busy with both architectural drawings and studying business management, so she's constantly on the go."

"She asked me to pass on a message, saying she'll definitely come next time."

"Director Meng, this wine was a gift from our Director Wei. He said it's a new product. Please try it first, and if it's reliable, please help promote it."

Looking at the boxes of wine and the abundance of fresh meat and vegetables, Meng Qingshan couldn't help but smack his lips. "I'm so sorry, we've taken so much food and food. Please thank Wei Dabiao for me."

The cafeteria lady at the window scooped up spoonfuls of braised pork and piled them into several people's metal bowls. The cabbage was stewed until very tender, and the pork was half an inch thick, glistening with oil.

Meng Qingshan pressed against the window, urging, "Sister Wang! Bring some more! We're having wine today, so we need to eat well!"

Qian Zhiyuan carried a basin, the aroma wafting out. The remaining graduate students smiled and lined up to get their food.

The canteen was filled with the buzzing of workers' voices.

This was a busy hour at the coal plant. At noon, the workers on both shifts gathered to eat, and more than a dozen large tables were filled with people, with bowls and chopsticks clattering around.

Meng Dehou didn't come, so Meng Qingshan acted as the host and pulled Fang Qiming to sit in the best seat.

There was still work to be done in the afternoon, so none of them dared to drink too much, and they shared a bottle of sorghum liquor.

Qian Zhiyuan took a sip of his drink, his gaze drifting towards the window. "This is my first time in a coal mine. Professor Fang, our mechanical engineering department hasn't really gone far from home in all these years."

"The budget, huh?" Fang Qiming picked up a piece of pickled vegetables. "The Education Commission's funding is limited; they'd rather buy equipment than give travel expenses. If it weren't for Zhang Yong's matter this year, which was actually an invitation from Director Meng, none of us from Liantong County would have been able to come."

Several people sighed. Wang Guanghui put down his rice bowl, picked up the white porcelain jar, and took a sip of sorghum soup.

"Director Meng's place looks quite nice. I heard the benefits are good? They provide housing, right?"

He turned to Meng Qingshan and said, "My dad said that the family housing in the coal industry is all apartment buildings, and each person can have 70 square meters."

When Meng Qingshan's name was called, he looked up and a smug look appeared on his face.

"That's right. A couple of years ago, the mining bureau allocated welfare housing quotas, and I, as the deputy factory director, was assigned a two-story house with three and a half rooms and a balcony."

The bespectacled girl next to her, surnamed Lin, brightened up: "This treatment is so much better than what we get in the Peking University cafeteria. This meal must cost a dollar, right?"

Meng Qingshan's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. "Comrade, the workers have heavy work and eat a lot, so the logistics department has to ensure they're well-fed. We need to make sure the workers are full."

Then, casually, he added, "I'll have to take over sooner or later; I'll be the one running this factory in the future."

Several people expressed their envy, saying that this life was too good.

Qian Zhiyuan couldn't help but whistle.

"Are the apartments allocated by the work unit selectable? It must cost a lot of money, right?"

"It's free." Meng Qingshan shook his head. "Coal mines and boiler plants are key state enterprises, and employee benefits are distributed according to rank. Thirty yuan for processing fees, and the house is mine."

He took a sip of soup. "That's why I'm telling you, the choice you're making now is very important. The coal mining line is a lifelong guarantee of stability."

Meng Qingshan's gaze swept over several graduate students.

"If you go to the coal mine after graduation, you'll all be intellectuals. You can earn a little over a thousand yuan in your first year, get housing within two years, and get promoted quickly. Once you accumulate seniority, you'll have everything."

"Only the Grain Bureau and Tobacco Bureau offer such treatment; other bureaus like the Fisheries Bureau and Textile Factory are far inferior to us."

Wang Guanghui scratched his head. "I might not come to the coal mine. I plan to go to the power system after graduation; I heard the power supply bureau is also expanding its recruitment."

Qian Zhiyuan nodded. "I want to stay at the research institute; I want to work on rockets."

"A rocket?" Meng Qingshan frowned. "Those things only launch once every few decades. Can they even succeed? What if they crash? What are the chances of them achieving anything significant?"

At this moment, another graduate student, Liu Liang, put down his rice bowl and coughed.

"Qian Zhiyuan, I've told you before that aerospace is no good, but you wouldn't listen." He seemed very confident. "My opinion is that we should all go into drilling rigs. The most profitable thing in the next ten years will be heavy-duty exploration drilling rigs for open-pit coal mines."

Fang Qiming took a sip of the spicy liquor and remained silent.

"Think about it," Liu Liang said, raising his index finger. "Our country's industry is just starting out. A lack of coal is a lack of life."

He paused, looking at everyone. "The exploration drilling rigs we're using now are all old Soviet imports. They veer off course when drilling too deep, get stuck climbing slopes, and need to be replaced."

Meng Qingshan nodded, his eyes lighting up.

"I studied mechanical engineering, and after graduation, I went to a design institute to modify the structure of drilling rigs. I replaced the track drive, added wear-resistant steel to the drill bits, and developed a batch of 100-meter exploration drilling rigs that we could manufacture ourselves."

Liu Liang's voice was full of anticipation.

"There are so many unexplored coal mines across China; just selling the equipment alone could make a fortune. It's much more lucrative and stable than developing those far-fetched aerospace projects."

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Before he could finish his last sentence, Meng Qingshan was already nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I mean. Coal mining is stable, has good prospects, and is guaranteed by policy. What do you say, Zhang Yong?"

Zhang Yong didn't respond immediately. He put down his chopsticks, considered his words for a moment, and then spoke.

"I have a different opinion," he finally said. "The coal mining business may not be a secure job in the end."

Meng Qingshan's face scrunched up. "What do you mean by that?"

Zhang Yong looked at him.

"It means exactly what it says. In ten or twenty years, the country's energy structure will be adjusted. We can't let one generation use up the coal production capacity of several generations, and this stuff is non-renewable."

He glanced at Fang Qiming and continued, "It's only a matter of time; the higher-ups will take action. They'll have to catch up in hydropower, wind power, solar power, and electricity. The share of coal mines will definitely be squeezed out and become smaller and smaller."

Liu Liang suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

"Nonsense!" He pointed his iron ladle at Zhang Yong. "Our land is vast and rich in resources; there's everything you could possibly need in the soil! Who could possibly dig it all up!"

He sat up straight, adopting the air of someone in a classroom. "Right now, we're only digging small surface coal mines. Next, the country's attention will definitely shift to Inner Mongolia in the northwest. If we dig hard, there's treasure trove underground!"

Meng Qingshan's expression softened a little. He nodded towards Liu Liang. "That makes more sense, Professor Fang, what do you say?"

""

"What Zhang Yong said isn't entirely unreasonable," Fang Qiming said after observing the situation for a while.

Meng Qingshan turned to Teacher Fang, his eyes showing some confusion.

"Energy structure adjustment is a national policy." Fang Qiming put down his chopsticks.

"Coal is the most convenient energy source, but it's not the most efficient. Electricity has a much higher thermal efficiency than burning coal. No matter how much we try to optimize it, we can't reverse this physical law."

He paused for a moment. "My assessment is that in twenty or thirty years, the number of people working in coal mines will decrease significantly, and they will shift towards new energy sources. This is the general trend."

Meng Qingshan's jaw tightened, and anxiety appeared on his face.

"You mean my industry will be obsolete in twenty years? That's impossible! I won't have retired by then!"

"My child will have to take over the business!"