94: From Technological Warfare to Space Empire

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Lin Yu thought that Chief Hou had hung up the phone and no longer wanted to get involved, but he finally heard a low sigh.

"Xiaoyu, are you really going to get involved in this all the way?"

"You have a bright future ahead of you, whether it's improving positioning or your previous research on rockets and satellites. We, the higher-ups, are taking notice."

"In twenty years, no, ten years! In ten years, Chief Engineer Lin's position will be yours."

"You'll only be thirty-one by then, do you know what that means?"

"The issue of leaded gasoline is a quagmire, a problem left over from the West's history. It's not worth sacrificing your future to wade into this mess."

Chief Hou's voice was tired, hoarse, and low.

"If the tests come back negative, then everyone will be happy."

"You need to find out there's a problem..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Lin Yu understood.

If problems are found, he will face resistance from the entire industry.

Faced with the backlash from countless vested interests.

What follows will be a never-ending cycle of unproductive and unstandardized wrangling.

Various people would hide in the gutter and shoot arrows at him, trying to drag him into the mud.

Even these might not be the most terrifying things.

The most terrifying thing is that he might be facing a situation where even those who are actually poisoned are unwilling to believe him.

Lin Yu gripped the phone receiver tightly, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and answered.

"Uncle Hou, I know, but I'm not reconciled."

"If I don't investigate, I won't be able to sleep at night for the rest of my life."

"Next, I will join the research in the field of petrochemicals."

"I will find a way to solve this problem little by little."

"But I need Wu Xiangrong to give me an explanation for this matter."

"I accept that current industrial standards are insufficient, and using this type of gasoline is a last resort."

"But I absolutely cannot accept his behavior of adding excessive amounts when the normal amount would have been sufficient to improve the good octane rating."

Lin Yu waited at the factory all day, watching the sunlight outside the window fade from sunrise to sunset.

The workers were walking off the field in twos and threes.

Dusk stretches people's shadows long, blurring their figures and leaving only outlines.

The outline resembles both a human figure and a machine part.

Commander Hou remained silent for a few seconds before finally making up his mind and nodding in agreement:

"Okay, the person you wanted will arrive tomorrow."

"But Xiaoyu, I can only give you half a month. After half a month, no matter what is found out, this matter must be resolved."

"My abilities are limited, Xiaoyu, do you understand?"

"I won't say more, but if you keep investigating like this, I can't protect you."

"it is good."

Lin Yu hung up the phone, stood by the window, and suddenly felt like having a cigarette.

He had never smoked in either his past or present life, but now the pressure was so great that he could hardly breathe.

As long as he uses this as a pretext to attack Wu Xiangrong.

That would definitely put the entire industry on alert.

The profits from this basic industry exceeded Lin Yu's expectations.

He couldn't even imagine how much money he could earn by selling like this year after year.

And how many people could that money buy to whitewash the industry, and how many people could it buy to launch personal attacks against others?

Lin Yu thought about it until very late at night, but he didn't go anywhere. He just lay down on his office desk and fell asleep.

The next morning, a bread truck with a health and epidemic prevention station sign drove into the factory area.

Three people got out of the car, the one leading them was a man in his forties.

He introduced himself as Mr. Chen, a veteran inspector at the epidemic prevention station.

"Director Lin, we've already given the order to the higher-ups."

Engineer Chen grasped Lin Yu's hand and shook it vigorously with great enthusiasm.

This is a golden opportunity; we have to latch onto it.

"When do we start?"

Lin Yu glanced at the bread cart behind him, and could vaguely see the outlines of some instruments and equipment inside.

"Hello, Engineer Chen, let's go now!"

Wu Xiangrong's oil refinery is located in Tongzhou, about 40 kilometers away from Hongxing No. 2 Plant.

Lin Yu, along with Engineer Chen and several soldiers, drove two vehicles for over an hour on a bumpy dirt road before finally spotting the smoking chimneys in the distance.

But as soon as those few chimneys came into view, the air began to fill with a pungent and sweet smell of gasoline.

Fortunately, the quarantine station staff had prepared gas masks before they arrived.

The refinery wasn't very large, but it was incredibly lively.

Trucks were coming and going from the gate one after another, even more than during the two busiest days when Lin Yu was collecting steel slag.

They're all here to haul oil.

Lin Yu didn't approach the factory area; instead, he turned into a village next to the factory.

There is a village called Liujiazhuang less than two kilometers to the east of the oil refinery.

Several elderly people were squatting at the entrance of the village. When they saw a car coming in, they all looked up and sized up the people who came.

Inside the car, Lin Yu removed his mask and gas mask, got out, and inquired:

"Sir, I have something to ask you."

"We are from the health and epidemic prevention station, and we would like to conduct free physical examinations in the village."

Lin Yu pointed to the bread cart behind him.

"Draw some blood to check if there are any problems with your body."

Lin Yu lacked social experience; he didn't realize that, normally, his statement would only arouse the village's suspicion.

But now, the old man at the door just paused for a moment, then turned and exchanged a glance with the old man next to him.

Then, with a somewhat complicated look in his eyes, he repeated.

"A medical check-up? Free?"

"Yes, the physical examination is free, there's no charge."

After a long silence, the old man suddenly smiled, revealing a few yellow teeth, with faint blue-black and gray-blue lines visible on his gums.

"Comrades, have you heard about this too?"

Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked:

"What did you hear?"

The old man lowered his voice and said mysteriously:

"Old Li's grandson is only 6 years old. He suddenly had a seizure a few days ago and was sent to the hospital."

"The doctor said it was lead poisoning."

Engineer Chen from the testing institute was packing up the equipment when he heard this and immediately exclaimed in surprise, rushing over in a flash.

The old man was startled by his reaction and shrank back.

Lin Yu and Engineer Chen exchanged a glance, their eyes filled not with joy at the irrefutable evidence, but with a sense of foreboding.

Where is that child now?

The old man thought for a moment before answering.

"He's at the county hospital, he hasn't come out yet."

Without saying a word, Engineer Chen turned around and ran to the car. As soon as the news came out, he didn't care that he had been assigned to follow Lin Yu's orders today.

The people appointed by Chief Hou all have a heart devoted to the people.

Lin Yu grabbed him.

"Don't worry, people in the hospital can't run away. There's no need to rush to check the medical records."

"It's no use for you to go alone. You need to investigate everyone in the village first and get enough data."

Engineer Chen was stunned, then took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

I know Lin Yu is right.

For the next three days, Lin Yu and everyone at the epidemic prevention station barely slept.

They went door-to-door drawing blood and asking about the situation.

And they knew nothing about it.

Lin Yu held the report, his hands trembling with anger.

Wu Xiangrong is finished.

He's definitely going to die this time. Even Jesus couldn't save him, I'm telling you!