Chapter 8

Liu Jianwei pondered for a moment and then replied, "Xia Xia, it's clear that you have great ambitions, but there's often a gap between reality and ideals. The main work of the reform office is to issue some materials, conduct some research, and communicate with the leaders of the Planning Commission. The actual operational power is very limited."

"I understand..." Xia Xue sighed lightly. "Then I'll leave it to the leaders to decide."

Liu Jianwei wiped his sweat. The words others had told him were not wrong; this girl was indeed not easy to deal with. He then turned to the one who seemed easiest to handle, Zhang Yifu. "Xiao Zhang, you must also respect the school's allocation, right?"

"Um, respect, respect." Zhang Yifu had already thought about this issue for a long time and had made up his mind. After showing respect, he probed, "But, I have a small request."

"Feel free to speak." Liu Jianwei felt a bit uneasy, fearing that he might also make a bizarre request like Xia Xue.

"I want to go to the power plant."

"..."

A chill no less intense than Xia Xue's swept through the room. Everyone looked at Zhang Yifu as if he had gone mad.

"Yifu, think carefully," Zheng Daohang pulled Zhang Yifu. "I'm not saying the power plant is bad, but as an undergraduate, it's best to go to the ministry to maximize your potential."

"Yes, Yifu, your family is from Jijing, and there aren't any large power plants in Jijing." Even the counselor couldn't stand it anymore. His eyes seemed to want to kill Zhang Yifu. The competition for this year's slots was so intense, and the leaders of the ministry had given him this opportunity. Why was he turning it down?

For Liu Jianwei, his expectations for Zhang Yifu were the highest. There were too many people like Zheng Daohang in the ministry, and Xia Xue was too proud, making him feel uneasy. At this stage, what was needed was someone like Zhang Yifu, who dared to think and act and had the ability to do so. If properly cultivated, he could join the major projects in the future and have a promising career.

But why did he want to go to the power plant?

Zhang Yifu was not destroying his future. As someone who had seen many people's ups and downs, he knew exactly how to navigate the system.

The ministry was comfortable, but it depended on who you were. If you had enough background, you could rise quickly. But for someone from a meter-reading family, no matter how much you did, you would only have to wait year after year. It would take five years to become a section chief, ten years to become a department head, and twenty years to see if you could become a bureau chief. To go further, you would have to start early and find a powerful patron, and it would take thirty years to determine your fate.

In short, the ministry could function without anyone, and building relationships was more important than developing technical expertise.

It was different at the grassroots level. Achievements were clear, and experience was invaluable. In his previous life, most of the leaders who truly rose to power had experience in power plants. Purely administrative officials had limited prospects. Working in a power plant for a few years, accumulating enough experience, achievements, and connections, and then transferring to an administrative position to rise quickly, was the surest and most efficient way to advance, far better than just waiting in the ministry.

Of course, there were other factors.

In the regions... the people in power plants were like local tyrants! A power plant manager was like an emperor, far more powerful than a bureau chief in the ministry!

Faced with Liu Jianwei's question, Zhang Yifu couldn't answer like that. He had to be more principled.

"Director Liu, from what you just said, it seems there are several large power plant projects in the works. These projects will certainly need management talent from the ministry, but I believe technical personnel in the grassroots plants are equally important. As Xia Xue said, I sometimes aim too high and have too many unrealistic ideas. Therefore, I want to go to the factory first and work on power generation in a down-to-earth manner."

Zhang Yifu spoke convincingly, and Liu Jianwei was secretly impressed. In just a few words, Zhang Yifu had found the practical significance of the conversation. Large power plant construction was a massive project requiring the efforts of millions of people, especially in technical planning, where highly skilled professionals were needed, on par with American and Japanese engineers. Unfortunately, most highly educated people were unwilling to work in factories, and Liu Jianwei had seen too many talented people waste their potential in the ministry.

Highly educated people with rich grassroots experience were exactly what was needed. The ministry usually encouraged highly educated people to work at the grassroots level, but it was difficult to implement. Liu Jianwei never expected that the seemingly naive Zhang Yifu would have such high awareness!

"Comrade Zhang Yifu." Liu Jianwei stood up excitedly and shook his hands. "I will do my best to meet your requirements."

"Thank you, Director Liu, I am very grateful!"

These two were in high spirits, while the other three could only sigh in despair.

This guy is doomed, waiting to suffer in the power plant.

...

The conversation ended around three in the afternoon. Liu Jianwei left the school satisfied, and Zheng Daohang took Zhang Yifu and Xia Xue to the school cafeteria to discuss the next steps.

"In a few days, we'll graduate, and we'll all go our separate ways. But no matter where we go, we are still old classmates," Zheng Daohang looked at them with bright eyes. "We have no background, so we must support each other in the future."

"Of course, of course. When I go to the factory, please be lenient when inspecting my work!" Zhang Yifu joked.

"You're hopeless... But this isn't a bad path. Director Liu seemed very satisfied." Zheng Daohang patted Zhang Yifu's shoulder and laughed. "You'll see, in a few years, you might be my superior."

"Ha, just kidding. I just want to live like a landlord in the factory. The ministry is too complicated and not suitable for me." Zhang Yifu then turned to Xia Xue. "Your personality will also make you feel isolated in the ministry. Be careful when you need to be."

"Whatever." Xia Xue smiled lightly, still cold. "This allocation is just to please my parents. I want to go to the reform office to get more free time to study. If I get a better TOEFL score next time, maybe I can get a visa."

"Really..." Zheng Daohang felt a chill. How could all the people he was trying to unite be such oddballs? Was there no one like him who just wanted to work steadily?

As they were talking, a classmate rushed over and finally found Zheng Daohang. It turned out there was something to handle in the student union, so Zheng Daohang had to leave.

Finally, Xia Xue had the chance to ask, "Is Iron Man powerful?"

"..." Zhang Yifu felt helpless. "He's pretty powerful, but not as powerful as the Hulk."

"Tell me more about America." Xia Xue's eyes finally showed a glimmer of enthusiasm, as if only talking about that place could awaken her passion.

It wasn't just him; the "American Dream" was a collective obsession among intellectuals of that era. In their eyes, that distant country was a paradise of freedom, a holy land of ideals, with wealth and ideas, knowledge and faith. Plus, Xia Xue had a sister who had been influencing her, making her American dream even stronger.

Zhang Yifu wanted to describe the China of 20 years later, showing Xia Xue the grandeur of the Olympics, the strength of the power industry, and the era that belonged to China.

"Xia Xue, I'm not good with words, I don't know how to express it." Zhang Yifu sighed, unwilling to talk more about that place. He stood up silently. "Home is always the best place, and parents are always the closest people. America is just that."

With that, he left without saying another word.

Such a blind woman couldn't be persuaded or reasoned with. Although he felt good about her, Zhang Yifu didn't plan to put in more effort or invest any feelings. The world was vast, and Xia Xue could pursue her American dream, while he would follow his own path.

"You act like you've been there..." Xia Xue muttered to herself, looking at Zhang Yifu's back.

Although she was不服 (unconvinced), she felt a strange confidence in Zhang Yifu's words, as if America really wasn't that great. Of course, a fleeting conversation couldn't overcome years of faith.

...

The allocation results came earlier than expected.

Zheng Daohang and Xia Xue were both successfully assigned to the ministry, with specific positions to be determined later.

Hao Shuai's family had clearly pulled some strings, allowing him to report to the North China Electric Power Bureau, which was right across from his home.

The other classmates also received good placements, mostly returning to their hometowns. The worst case was going to the power supply bureau, and Zhang Yifu, who was heading to the power plant, was probably the only one.

At the graduation ceremony, everyone didn't know how to console Zhang Yifu, only shaking hands and hugging. A few people had a hunch that he was playing a big game, but even Zheng Daohang couldn't figure out how he would win.

Click!

The group photo of the 1990 graduates was taken, forever capturing their innocent student days. But real life was just beginning.

With a week before reporting to the factory, Zhang Yifu went home to see his parents, along with Hao Shuai.

Zhang Yifu realized that their two families were only separated by a street. Hao Shuai couldn't help but feel a bit sad, thinking how great it would have been if Zhang Yifu had been assigned to the same unit as him.

They put down their bags in the middle of the street, and a sense of farewell welled up in their hearts. Instinctively, they hugged tightly.

"Work hard... Yifu." Saying goodbye to his roommate of four years was hard for Hao Shuai, especially thinking about him going to the power plant, likely marrying a local girl, and settling down far away. Thinking of this, Hao Shuai's eyes welled up. "When you get married, you must invite me!"

"Ha, you'll get married first." Zhang Yifu laughed, looking at the tall tower in the distance, where the North China Bureau was located, Hao Shuai's future workplace. "Don't be so sentimental. Our power plant is also under the North China Bureau, so we'll have plenty of opportunities to work together."

"That's true..." Hao Shuai wiped his eyes and smiled foolishly. "Come back often. Our homes are close, so we should get together frequently."

"Of course. When I'm not around, visit my parents if you have time."

"Sure, the North China Bureau is at least the leader of the Jijing Bureau."

They shook hands again and parted ways.

Zhang Yifu walked down the road, chuckling to himself.

"Don't worry, kid. I'll be back."

At that moment, he had fully integrated into the environment of this era, having digested the memories of this Zhang Yifu. Thinking about going home soon, he felt a mix of excitement and passion.