Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 2999 Ninth Mechanical and Electrical Research Institute
The 17th day of the twelfth lunar month is the Great Cold.

Snowflakes fell in Beijing, covering the ground with a layer of snow. The coldness of the world slowed down all activities.

Yang Xiaotao got off the train and then boarded the car back to the Ninth Department.

Although this trip only lasted a week, a lot happened for the Ninth Division.

Even though Yang Xiaotao hadn't returned yet, the Ninth Division became even busier because of Yang Xiaotao's phone call, and even the entire city of Beijing became restless because of the Ninth Division's actions.

In the snow-covered city, faint currents of heat surged, then flowed outwards along the veins.

Nine parts.

Upon returning, Yang Xiaotao immediately sought out Li Hongfeng to inquire about the power plant.

In the secretary's office, Yang Xiaotao had just sat down when Li Hongfeng handed him a document. "This is the document we prepared regarding the power plant approval!"

"Based on your request, we have three main demands! First, we want to take unified management of the nuclear power plant, and second, we want to manage the area along the power grid!"

"Secondly, we also provide the materials needed to build the power grid, as well as the subsequent management and maintenance."

"Finally, nuclear power plants will only supply electricity to local users if their own development needs are met..."

While Yang Xiaotao was looking at the documents, Li Hongfeng explained what he knew, highlighting the key points, and Yang Xiaotao basically understood.

"No problem, send it up like this."

"Furthermore, the establishment of the power plant must be accelerated. We can't wait for instructions from above before we start, or it will be too late."

Yang Xiaotao's behavior surprised Li Hongfeng, who then asked, "Is there such a rush?"

Yang Xiaotao nodded, "Next, we may usher in a period of explosive growth. If we seize it, our Ninth Division will reach a new level, and our strength will be greatly enhanced!"

"If we fail to seize the opportunity, it will not only be all bark and no bite, but it may also affect future development!"

"Therefore, if we're going to do it, we must do it well, and the energy supply must keep up!"

"Otherwise, we'll just be a half-full bottle, rattling around!"

After Yang Xiaotao finished speaking, Li Hongfeng said no more.

He has a clear understanding of himself regarding this strategic consideration.

I am not as good as Yang Xiaotao.

"Okay, let's go now!"

Li Hongfeng wasn't one to procrastinate, so he got up and prepared to leave.

Yang Xiaotao, disregarding the fatigue of the journey, got into the car and headed to Old Chen's place.

Has the power plant manager been chosen?

Li Hongfeng asked in the car, and Yang Xiaotao nodded, "Let Li Tiejun come!"

"However, I want Lao Xu to manage the power management agency set up at headquarters."

Yang Xiaotao named the candidates, and Li Hongfeng nodded, "We can rest assured that the two of them will lead this project."

As the two were talking, Wang Hao, the driver in front, was experiencing a surge of emotions.

Li Tiejun, isn't that the former head of the electrician group?

Suddenly he became the director of a power plant?
Goodness, that's a whopping number of levels gained!

However, Wang Hao was also clear about his current responsibilities; there were some things he could only listen to, not say!

The jeep quickly arrived at Mr. Chen's office. The two got out of the car and walked step by step along the cleared snow path toward the office.

"Minister Yang, weren't you supposed to be back today?"

As soon as we entered the office building, Secretary Guo stepped forward to speak, looking somewhat surprised.

After settling the final payment with Dawson, he took a car back. Yang Xiaotao even stayed in Penglai with Dawson for two days.

Although he didn't know what the two said, based on his understanding of Yang Xiaotao, he guessed it wasn't anything good.

Well, for some people who are living comfortably, this is definitely not a good thing.

Thinking of this, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

"I just got back today. Something came up urgently, so I came over!"

As Yang Xiaotao spoke, he looked towards Chen Laobang's office and asked, "How's the boss doing now? In a good mood, huh?"

"If we're not in a good mood, we'll come again tomorrow!"

Li Hongfeng turned his head away and quietly distanced himself from Yang Xiaotao.

During the few days that Secretary Guo accompanied Yang Xiaotao, she gained a thorough understanding of another side of him.

When this guy gets serious, everyone else better be serious too!

As for being indecent...

Just don't take it to heart.

"not too good!"

Secretary Guo considered Mr. Chen's recent condition, especially regarding the natural gas project, and gave a fair answer.

Upon hearing Secretary Guo's words, Li Hongfeng immediately looked at Yang Xiaotao, wondering if this guy was really going back.

To everyone's surprise, Yang Xiaotao immediately smiled and said, "That's great! I have some good news to make the leader happy."

He then walked toward the office.

Li Hongfeng exchanged a glance with Secretary Guo, then followed him into the office.

"Boss, you're still busy!"

As soon as I entered, I heard Yang Xiaotao greet Old Chen, and then the two of them slowed down their steps as they entered.

Old Chen was looking at the documents submitted by Turkmenistan, his brow furrowed the entire time.

I saw Yang Xiaotao walk in from outside with a smile on his face, and I got angry.

I'm so busy here I don't even have time to drink water, and this guy is having a good laugh?

Upon hearing Yang Xiaotao's greeting, Old Chen immediately put down his documents, picked up his cup, and took a sip.

Yes, it's cold tea, or rather, the tea has gone cold.

He looked up and glanced at Secretary Guo standing by the door.

This guy changed after going out with Yang Xiaotao.
This guy is the one who led us astray.

As she put down her cup, she looked at Yang Xiaotao, intending to severely criticize his lazy behavior, but what came out of her mouth was, "When did you get back?"

After saying this, Old Chen didn't know why he said it that way.

Then Yang Xiaotao continued with a smile, "I just got back today, so I came right away!"

"By the way, this is a can of ribbonfish I brought from Penglai. Please take it home and try it."

As he spoke, Yang Xiaotao pulled out two palm-sized cans from his pocket, one on each side.

Li Hongfeng scratched his head. He hadn't seen this thing along the way. Where was it hidden?

It might be on the bus.

Li Hongfeng found an excuse for himself, and then he saw Old Chen put the canned food aside and point to the chair in front of him, inviting the two of them to sit down.

Secretary Guo quickly stepped forward, poured out the water from the teacup, and brewed fresh tea leaves.

"You've come at the right time, take a look at this."

Old Chen handed the documents in front of him directly to Yang Xiaotao, saying, "These are documents from Turkmenistan."

"Last time our people went, they didn't do anything, they just listened to the other side making demands!"

Old Chen's speechless expression prompted Yang Xiaotao and the other man to speed up their review of the documents.

After watching it, Yang Xiaotao also felt speechless.

This is clearly a sale of natural gas, but the buyer is being asked to pay for the construction of the natural gas pipeline.

The most unreliable thing is that they haven't even decided which source of natural gas to sell yet.

Or rather, they haven't even determined the reserves of the natural gas field yet.

If we manage to build it, but then it's used up in just a few years, what's the point of building it at all?

So they thought of having their own experts help identify the gas field.

It's like doing business; this guy hasn't even finished the initial processing of the product, yet he's already thinking about putting it on the shelf.

It's the kind where you write a note and put it on the shelf.

And it's the kind where customers have to go to the warehouse and carry it themselves.

It's just... speechless.

"This is completely insincere!"

"I think we should just give up and stop this nonsense!"

“We still have a lot of things to do domestically. If they don’t want to do it, then we can talk about it later!” Yang Xiaotao offered his suggestion directly.

Judging from the way Yang Xiaotao spoke, Old Chen knew that this guy really didn't want to get involved.

No wonder this guy kept pushing the trip to Turkmenistan when we talked about it last time; in the end, he could only send someone from the foreign trade department.

I guess they'd heard about Turkmenistan before.

However, this isn't something that can be done just like that!

"Let's talk about that later. Tell me about your business. Why did you build this power plant?"

When Old Chen asked the question, Yang Xiaotao replied, "Leader, during this inspection of the nuclear power plant, I felt that management was a major issue."

"Especially the work related to power transmission and security must be managed by a dedicated department..."

Yang Xiaotao then explained the importance of establishing the power plant, and also emphasized the safety of the nuclear power plant, which made Mr. Chen take it seriously.

Li Hongfeng then handed the document to Mr. Chen.

After reading it, Old Chen placed it on the table. "This is no small matter. I need to communicate with my superiors. I will let you know when I have any news."

Yang Xiaotao and Li Hongfeng looked at each other, and then Yang Xiaotao said, "Boss, it's best to do this as soon as possible, otherwise I'm afraid it will delay the construction period."

Taking advantage of Old Chen's nod, I said, "I will keep an eye on it!"

With Mr. Chen's assurance, Yang Xiaotao and his companion felt reassured.

The two then left without disturbing Mr. Chen's work.

Once outside the office building, the road that had just been cleared was covered with a thick layer of snow again. The two walked with a crunching sound as they got into their car and drove away.

Back at the courtyard house, the snow was already up to the soles of his shoes. Yang Xiaotao pushed open the door, and before he could even go in, he saw Yan Fugui coming out of the house. He bumped into Yang Xiaotao and immediately smiled.

Yang Xiaotao nodded, then picked up his luggage and walked into the yard.

Behind him, Yan Fugui's face was full of emotion as he turned and went back into the house.

The second son sent money home again this year, and also said that his wife is pregnant again and will give birth after the New Year. The family is busy, so his mother went to help take care of her.

Yan Fugui was at home, debating whether or not to go to the Northwest.

After all, there's a little girl at home, isn't there?
In the past, Yan Fugui would never have cared so much for his daughter.

But now that Yang Xiaotao has corrupted the atmosphere in the courtyard, the status of the girls in the courtyard has risen sharply.

As a result, he also became more attentive to his daughter, whom he had late in life.

Moreover, his daughter is quite good at studying, which is also a source of hope for him.

"If it really doesn't work out, then go ahead. I'll stay home and keep an eye on things!"

Yan Fugui turned to the third aunt and said, and the third aunt's face was also full of worry.

The Northwest is nowhere near as good as Beijing.

But the family only has two sons, and the younger son hasn't found a job yet, so they're counting on the younger son to support them in their old age.

As for the eldest brother, Yan Jiecheng?
Let's just pretend we don't have this son!

"Row!"

After hesitating for a long time, the three aunties finally nodded in agreement.

Yang Xiaotao was unaware of Yan Fugui's family situation. After passing through the hanging flower gate, Wangcai led the family over.

Wangcai hasn't changed much in the past two years, but Heiniu looks much older.

For a typical large dog like Heiniu, the lifespan is generally around ten years. When she was with Wangcai, she was already quite old, so her lifespan is only a few years away.

Yang Xiaotao decided to let Wangcai take Heiniu to the countryside, where they would be more comfortable, and leave the two Wangwang brothers in the yard.

But we'll have to wait until after the Chinese New Year to discuss that.

After interacting with Wangcai for a while, Yang Xiaotao returned home.

Ran Qiuye was reading to her child around the stove.

The old man sat to one side watching the children, a kind smile on his face.

Yang Xiaotao's sudden return made the drowsy Dudu's eyes widen, and she stood up from the small stool, full of excitement.

It's like Dad has come back, and I don't have to listen to reading anymore.

Yang Xiaotao went up and picked up Dudu, who ran over, and then hugged each of the other children who ran up to him.

After his family finished meeting him, Yang Xiaotao distributed the gifts he had brought back.

The food, daily necessities, scarves, and so on, some were bought from Penglai, and some were accumulated in the space.

The family reunion was naturally lively, while on the other side, after Yang Xiaotao left, Old Chen took the documents and got into his car to leave.

In the afternoon, a small meeting was held in the rest area.

After Mr. Chen finished explaining the situation, everyone present remained silent.

Neither Qing Lao nor Liu Lao spoke, and Peng Zong's uncle and the others remained silent.

The room was quiet.

Old Chen looked around, but ultimately remained silent.

Finally, the tall, elderly man leaning back in his recliner, smoking a cigarette, spoke first with a laugh, "Gentlemen, are you all just going to stay here until dinner tonight?"

"Let me tell you, this dinner is going to be spicy, really spicy!"

After the old man finished speaking, Qing Lao immediately laughed and said, "No, no, we can't take your chili peppers even if we want to eat. You can eat them yourself, we..."

Looking at the crowd, they all laughed in unison, "We're not fortunate enough to enjoy this!"

Hahaha

Laughter instantly filled the rest area.

"No spicy food, no revolution!"

The old man spoke in a serious tone, and the others laughed along.

Then the old man laughed and said, "If you want to make a revolution, then don't tie yourself up. How can you move forward if you're all bound up and can't move your legs?"

"I think that as long as there are no problems in principle, we should do it with confidence and boldness."

"What do you think?"

After he finished speaking, the people around him looked at each other and finally nodded in agreement.

"See, it's done! You guys are still pondering this and that, I think you're just craving my spicy food!"

The old man's story was brought up again, but this time everyone was surprisingly nodding in agreement.

Old Chen laughed and said, "In that case, it wouldn't be right for us not to eat something!"

The uncle, puffing on his cigarette, said, "Yes, yes, we can eat spicy food where I'm from too!"

Mr. Peng picked up his teacup and took a sip. Although he didn't say anything, those who knew him well knew that he was making a decision.

For a moment, the old man felt a pang of injustice, as if he had shot himself in the foot. "You all, please have some mercy with your words..."

Hahaha…

The next day, when Yang Xiaotao arrived at the Ninth Department, he immediately received a notification from Elder Chen.

After consideration, the superiors unanimously approved the proposal from the nine departments.

The Ninth Department will establish an Electric Power Management Research Institute, abbreviated as "Ninth Mechanical and Electric Power Research Institute!"

His responsibilities include managing the Dengzhou Nuclear Power Plant and all matters related to the plant.

The specific personnel arrangements will be decided by the nine departments.

Upon hearing the good news, Yang Xiaotao immediately summoned Xu Yuanshan. The two chatted in the small conference room for a whole morning. When they came out, Liu Lixue, who was standing at the door, sensed a murderous aura emanating from him.

The following day, headquarters held a high-level meeting to announce the establishment of the Electric Power Research Institute.

Xu Yuanshan also serves as the director, overseeing the Dengzhou Nuclear Power Plant and power grid transmission.

Director Hu concurrently serves as the station manager of Dengzhou Nuclear Power Plant, and is responsible for all work at the nuclear power plant.

Li Tiejun serves as the power plant director, responsible for power transmission, maintenance, and support.

After the appointment was issued, others who heard the news were curious. The New Year was coming soon, so what were the Nine Departments going to do?

Some well-informed people, recalling Yang Xiaotao's trip to the Dengzhou Nuclear Power Plant, immediately guessed that it was related to the nuclear power plant.

Some people even suspected something was amiss after hearing that Yang Xiaotao had canceled all his meetings with local officials.

Some sensitive people are already feeling nervous.

However, none of this could stop the actions of the Ninth Division.

Xu Yuanshan, who was decisive and efficient, did one thing as soon as he took office: he merged the power department of the Ninth Department into the research institute, and then transferred administrative personnel to begin performing their duties.

That very day, the sign was hung up outside the nine gates, and the speed of the action was so great that it immediately gave one the feeling of being hit by a blizzard.