Chapter 159: Sneaking into the Village?

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Determined to blaze a new and smoother path through the development of this engine, Director Bai’s first task was to bring these documents out of the dark, airless archive room.

When the heavy wooden crate was carried outside, it appeared extraordinarily mysterious beneath the sunlight. What made a treasure chest so alluring was its uncertainty: it might contain a priceless treasure, or it might be Pandora’s box.

“Yang Hui, no one knows what consequences will follow once this crate is opened, but we’ll have to face them all the same. Once we’ve installed and debugged the computer-aided design system, we’ll begin sorting through these standards. Then they’ll be distributed to the relevant offices, and I’ll personally oversee this revision of the regulations.”

Director Bai’s decision to personally lead the reform demonstrated his resolve, but it also meant he would encounter tremendous resistance. Of course, the glory that followed a successful reform would be equally great. The greater the risk, the greater the reward.

“Director, it’s certainly best if you take charge yourself. I’ll keep an eye on the staff here from the shadows. The moment I detect anything suspicious, I’ll deal with it immediately. There’s no room for carelessness in a reform of this magnitude.”

Yang Hui wanted to wade into these troubled waters, but Director Bai had no intention of letting him do so. With the reform facing obstacle after obstacle, and Director Bai personally taking charge, he would naturally have little time to handle the institute’s miscellaneous affairs. Besides—

“No. I’ll personally lead this reform, Yang Hui. You don’t need to get involved. I’ve already made the necessary arrangements. The official document will arrive from above in a few days. You currently serve as secretary-general of South United Science and Technology Corporation. Although you’re still a little young, your qualifications are no longer an issue. The institute has unanimously recommended you for the position of deputy director.”

Deputy director? This was entirely beyond Yang Hui’s expectations. In a state-run factory or institute where seniority carried such weight, how could a university graduate who had arrived at the base less than a year ago possibly become a deputy director? It simply made no sense.

The astonishment on Yang Hui’s face made him look rather strange. He asked in confusion, “Director, you’re not joking, are you? There are plenty of people here with much greater seniority than I have. How did this position suddenly fall to me? Besides, as far as I know, there haven’t been any personnel changes at the institute lately.”

“There haven’t been any lately, but look a little farther back and you’ll find that there have been personnel changes. Even I never imagined such a good opportunity would arise.”

“Let me put it this way. First, your qualifications are rather unusual. You’re now the executive secretary-general of the new company, so assigning you a deputy directorship here isn’t particularly remarkable. On the other hand, the institute doesn’t have many experienced administrative personnel. You know how short-staffed we are. Technical personnel are rigid-minded; once they’re assigned here, they devote themselves entirely to technical work. Administrative personnel are different. They’re adept at maneuvering and usually find connections to transfer out before long. This place is simply too harsh.”

Recalling those painful episodes, Director Bai took out a cigarette, sat down on the wooden crate, and began smoking as he spoke.

“Most of the institute’s administrative work is currently handled by technical personnel on the side. Now that we have this major project, everyone has abandoned their administrative duties to focus on technology. Hardly anyone is willing to deal with administration. So when it comes to making you deputy director, the institute doesn’t have much opposition. Everyone remembers what you’ve accomplished over the past year.”

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Now Yang Hui finally understood the institute’s unusual history. If Director Bai had not explained it, Yang Hui might not have figured it out even after several years.

“I never expected to benefit from an opening like this. Becoming deputy director really took no effort at all. But speaking of which, whose position am I actually taking over?”

After finishing his cigarette, Director Bai crushed out the butt with force. Looking revitalized, he patted the crate and continued, “You aren’t taking over from any current deputy director. You’re assuming the post formerly held by Li Jin, who left several months ago. He never had any real power here in the first place. It was mostly a ceremonial position.”

Li Jin was the man who had opposed Yang Hui’s model-aircraft project when Yang Hui had first arrived at the institute. After Yang Hui successfully completed the aircraft, Li Jin had returned to the capital, leaving the deputy directorship vacant.

Now that Yang Hui was taking over the hollow position Li Jin had left behind, everything became clear. A deputy directorship without any real authority naturally attracted no competition, and appointing Yang Hui to it was perfectly understandable.

“Oh, so that’s how it is. In that case, I can accept the position. There isn’t much authority attached to it anyway. But what does this have to do with the reform? I’m merely gaining a title. I can certainly assist with the reform in my spare time.”

Director Bai felt even more helpless. Yang Hui still had not understood what he meant and clearly needed more experience. So Director Bai could only make himself more explicit.

“Let me put it plainly. I’ll be overseeing the reform of the design standards, and I won’t have much time to handle administrative affairs. That’s why I’ve arranged for you to become deputy director. When the time comes, I’ll hand over some of the day-to-day work under my authority for you to deal with.”

Yang Hui could handle the routine matters Director Bai assigned him. But such minor affairs would not take up much of his time. Clearly, that was not the true reason Director Bai intended to keep him out of the reform. There had to be something else behind it, and Yang Hui waited for the director to explain.

“On the other hand, I’m placing you in a leadership position because I hope you’ll mature quickly. After observing you all this time, I can see that you have excellent judgment and are worth cultivating as a leader. You need to understand that, regardless of whether this reform succeeds, I won’t be able to remain in this position. If it succeeds, I’ll be promoted elsewhere. If it fails, I’ll be removed from office entirely.”

The reform contained both risk and opportunity. If it succeeded, Director Bai, as the man who had led it, would naturally be transferred elsewhere. In those days, the state strongly promoted officials bold enough to undertake reforms. But if it failed, there was no need to say what would happen. Failure would mean the engine project had collapsed—and this engine had been funded not only by the Republic, but also by foreign investors. The consequences of failure would be unimaginable...

At that moment, Director Bai was gambling his own future. A wise gambler, however, would consider what to do afterward regardless of the outcome.

Without Director Bai at Institute No. 2, he had no idea what would become of the place. Perhaps it would flourish under new leadership; perhaps it would decline. He did not know who would eventually take over. The only thing he could do was begin cultivating a successor he believed suitable.

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With Director Bai’s guidance, Yang Hui finally understood the director’s painstaking intentions. He was deeply moved. This was a director wagering his own future for the sake of the institute’s future and the future of the aviation industry, offering up everything he had to give. He had even anticipated the possible outcome from the very beginning and decisively chosen the successor he considered suitable.

Faced with such a director, Yang Hui had nothing more to say. All he could do was support him silently.

“Director, I understand what you mean. From this moment on, I’ll reassess my position and conduct myself accordingly. I won’t let you down.”

This should have been a moment for celebration, but neither of them could feel happy. All they felt was the weight of the burden they carried—their responsibilities and their mission.

The curtain had risen on the reform. The documents inside the wooden crate were about to fulfill their purpose, while Yang Hui could only stand silently to one side and watch it all unfold.

When the computers arrived at the institute, Dassault and IBM dutifully installed the systems. The researchers at Institute No. 2 were given a firsthand look at the astonishing power of capitalist simulation and computation, and naturally accepted this new design methodology with enthusiasm.

As Director Bai’s reform progressed deeper, word also spread that the base’s new engine was being developed without following the national military standards.

Some in the field looked down on it, some were astonished, and some were impressed. Most, however, simply sat back and waited to see the spectacle. Director Bai continued pressing ahead with the reform beneath immense pressure.

At that moment, a group of people had also set out from the capital. Among them was Elder Wu, along with personnel from the office specifically responsible for researching military standards and regulations. Although they had come together, each person in the group had different views and intentions. Naturally, under the surface, hidden currents were already stirring.

To be continued.

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