Chapter 32: Director Su

Su Aijun had already arrived at the entrance of the family compound of the Beijing Railway Bureau and walked through the familiar path to his home. Su Aijun's father, Su Huandong, was the director of the Development Planning Department of the China Railway Ministry. Before taking this position, he was the deputy director of the Beijing Railway Bureau. Although he had been transferred to the Railway Ministry, Su Huandong did not move and still lived in the family compound of the Beijing Railway Bureau.

"Old man, old man, come out quickly, Aijun is back!" The old lady, surprised and delighted, called out in a series of exclamations as she saw Su Aijun enter the door.

"Finally remembered to come home, that's not easy, is it?" Su Huandong walked out from the study, smiling at Su Aijun. "I heard you're doing pretty well at Fengyuan Jiaotong University, so well that you've forgotten about home!" He had not gone to the ministry today but stayed at home to draft a document. The New Year was approaching, and after the holiday, he would need to plan the work for 1984. As the director of the Development Planning Department, he had a heavy burden on his shoulders. Su Aijun was his youngest son, who had also participated in the "up to the mountains and down to the countryside" movement and went to Fengyuan. Later, he worked at Fengyuan Jiaotong University. Su Huandong had always wanted to transfer him back to Beijing to reunite the family. However, Su Aijun had never agreed to return to Beijing.

"Father, what you're saying makes it sound like I'm being unfilial!" Su Aijun took the towel from the old lady and wiped his face. "Don't I still have my older brother and sister around to take care of you two? Besides, you and Mother are in the prime of your lives, so you don't need me around. When you two retire, I'll definitely come back to serve you. I'm just taking advantage of my youth to explore the world."

"Still young? You're already in your thirties and haven't even gotten married yet! Your brother and sister's children are already in middle school! Look at your peers, their children are already in primary school!" The old lady patted the dust off his clothes, her face showing a mix of frustration and disappointment. "I'm waiting to hold my grandchild!"

"Mother, why is the first thing you always bring up when I come home this?" Su Aijun said with a mix of laughter and exasperation. "It's not that I haven't found the right person. If I did, I would get married right away without any delay. Is that okay?"

"Not finding the right person, not finding the right person, you always say that!" The old lady's anger grew, and she patted him harder.

"Ouch, Mother, are you helping me dust off or just hitting me because you're upset?" Su Aijun took a couple of steps back, dodging her. The old lady was surprisingly strong.

"Brat, you deserve a good beating!" Su Huandong scolded with a smile. With his youngest son back, the family could reunite for the New Year, and his mood improved significantly. Even the troublesome document was temporarily set aside.

"Have you eaten? I'll go make you some noodles!" The old lady looked her son up and down, her eyes full of joy.

"Not yet, Mother, I'm not hungry!" Su Aijun quickly held her back.

"Not hungry? Alright then!" Su Huandong beckoned him over. "Come here, report to me about your recent work. I want to see what achievements you've made at Fengyuan Jiaotong University. I hope you're not just loafing around there!"

"Old man, the child just got back, he hasn't even caught his breath, and you're already asking him to report on his work! This is home, not the ministry! Don't act like a director here!" The old lady immediately objected. If the young son was called in, he wouldn't come out for a few hours, and she hadn't had enough time with him yet.

Su Aijun quickly comforted the old lady, and Su Huandong was not angry. He understood his wife's feelings, as he hadn't seen his youngest son for half a year.

It wasn't until evening, when the old lady went to prepare dinner, that Su Aijun finally entered Su Huandong's study.

After giving a concise report of his recent work, Su Huandong nodded slightly. It was clear that Su Aijun had achieved some success at Fengyuan Jiaotong University, though not spectacular, it was something he had accomplished on his own, which was commendable. In comparison, his older son and daughter had not achieved as much at the same age.

"By the way, Father, on my way back, I met a very interesting child." Su Aijun then recounted his encounter with Fang Mingyuan on the train.

"Magnetic levitation train?" Su Huandong was also moved. He thought carefully, "This theory was not his original idea. If I'm not mistaken, it originated in Europe. Europeans and Americans have both studied it, but there have been no results yet. However, the name is well-chosen and very vivid!"

"Father, even if the theory wasn't his original idea, think about how young he is! He's from a town in Pingchuan County, Qingshan Province. A child from a town could come up with this theory from daily life, which is quite remarkable." Su Aijun couldn't help but speak up for Fang Mingyuan. "I, a teacher at Jiaotong University, don't even know about this. Where did he learn it from?"

Su Huandong couldn't help but laugh. "It seems you have a good impression of this child. I didn't mean to suggest he was plagiarizing. To independently come up with this idea and clearly express it shows that he is very intelligent. The suggestions he made about increasing the speed of trains are also very constructive. In the department, many people have also raised the issue of increasing train speeds. Our country has a vast territory, but the railway infrastructure is very weak. At the founding of the People's Republic of China, the total railway mileage was only 21,800 kilometers. By the end of 1980, it was less than 50,000 kilometers. In 30 years, the railway mileage increased by less than 30,000 kilometers, which is less than the length of a cigarette per person! The future is a long and arduous journey. Increasing train speeds is beneficial, as it means that existing railways can transport more goods and passengers, which can greatly boost the country's economic development."

"The child also said that increasing train speeds would have a revolutionary impact on the economic landscape, significantly reducing the time and space distances between the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Bohai Bay region. It would lower the interaction costs between the coastal areas and the old industrial bases in Northeast China, as well as the less developed regions in the central and western parts of the country. It would break through the spatial bottlenecks that hinder regional cooperation and make the flow of goods between regions smoother. For the country's economic development, it would be like a tiger with two wings!" Su Aijun said excitedly.

Su Huandong was even more moved. The words were well-spoken, succinctly elevating the issue of increasing train speeds to the level of the country's economic landscape. As the director of the Development Planning Department of the Railway Ministry, he understood that the country's top priority was economic development, and the rapid construction of railways had been repeatedly emphasized by leaders in various settings. If the issue of increasing train speeds could truly impress the country's leaders, the Railway Ministry would receive greater attention and policy support in the coming years, becoming a top priority in the country's work. Su Huandong stood up and paced around the study a few times before asking seriously, "Did the child say this?"

Su Aijun couldn't help but feel nervous; he rarely saw his father so serious. "Of course, the exact words were not like this. I summarized it later."

"Write a detailed report of your conversation with the child tonight. I might need it!" Su Huandong said after a moment of thought.

"Yes, I understand!" Su Aijun was happy to be able to help his father.

"Write it in detail, and don't leave out any information related to the railways!" Su Huandong instructed again.

Su Aijun left, and Su Huandong, sitting behind his desk, looked at the report he had not yet finished. He suddenly became more interested in the child Su Aijun had mentioned...

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