Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 737 Ambition and Expectations: A Sudden Turmoil
the other side.

Scrap yard.

In front of Bai Xiuwen, there were seven or eight items of different shapes, which had been carefully polished and modified.

This is a "turning waste into treasure" sample that he completed after more than a month of brainstorming.

Inspired by Li Kailang, several interesting inventions were even created.

He carefully arranged and wiped them clean one by one.

Inside were simple, cleverly designed security bolts made from bicycle chains and old lock cylinders.

An energy-saving coal combustion device was made by welding wire mesh and old sheet metal to the bottom of an enamel basin.

The most eye-catching one was the one that took up most of the table:
A foot-operated manual coal shredder, made from scrapped car wheel hubs, discarded bearings, and old wooden boards, can easily crush large pieces of coal slag and make coal briquettes. Several pressed round coal briquettes are its products.

Each item embodies his hard work of staying up all night researching and experimenting, as well as Li Kailang's imaginative yet down-to-earth ideas.

"It's done! That's about it." Bai Xiuwen muttered to himself.

After tidying up these precious items, Bai Xiuwen mustered his courage and headed straight for Station Chief Wang Chengcai's office.

He should also report the results of the past month to Wang Cheng.

dong dong~
"Come in!"

"Station Chief Wang."

"Oh? It's Xiao Bai. Come in, come in." Wang Cheng looked up at Bai Xiuwen's smiling face: "Judging from your expression, do you have good news?"

Bai Xiuwen nodded: "Wang Chengcai, could you please come to my place and see what I've accomplished during this time?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng's face lit up with joy, "Is everything ready?"

"Everything is ready." Bai Xiuwen nodded.

"Alright, alright, let's go now!" Wang Cheng was even more anxious than Bai Xiuwen, and immediately got up and headed straight for Bai Xiuwen's repair shop.

Looking at the pile of 'scrap metal' on the table, Wang Chengcai's eyes gradually changed from curiosity to surprise, and finally to intense excitement.

"Is this a bolt made from a cart chain? It's pretty sturdy! Oh my, what's that in the coal stove? It looks useful!"

Wow! This thing is huge! Is it for grinding coal ash? That saves a lot of effort!

Wang Cheng picked up each item and examined them carefully. He even tried operating the foot-operated crusher, finding the lever transmission smooth and powerful.

He even picked up a compressed coal briquette, weighed it in his hand, and exclaimed, "Hey, wow, that's solid!"

Wang Cheng became more and more excited as he listened to Bai Xiuwen's detailed explanation of the origins and potential uses of each item that turned waste into treasure.
Wang Chengcai belatedly realized he had lost his composure and quickly cleared his throat, but his beaming expression was still undeniable.

He slapped Bai Xiuwen's not-so-broad shoulder with considerable force: "Good! Xiao Bai! That's great! You're quick-witted! Well done! You can turn ideas into real things!"

"You're the best at this station when it comes to skill!"

Wang Chengcai didn't hold back his praise, and looking at the table full of "achievements," he suddenly slapped his thigh:
"Good, good, good! It's safe! This is definitely safe!"

It was as if the dawn of victory could already be seen.

"The turning waste into treasure showcase and evaluation event is at the beginning of next month. Submitting this batch of items—so many of them, each one useful and practical!"

"How could this not be selected? It's definitely a winner! It brings honor to our recycling station and our district!"

After the initial excitement, Wang Cheng quickly calmed down.

"Xiao Bai, listen up, there are still more than ten days until the event, so there's plenty of time. It's not enough to just have something to show; you also need to be eloquent. You'll be giving presentations at the exhibition."

"Your top priority right now is to think carefully about how to say it and make it clear! Let people know what you're doing with it, and it would be best to put it in writing so I can check it for you later."

Wang Cheng emphasized his words.

"We must highlight the wisdom of our working class and the idea of ​​making use of waste, and we must put it in a practical and impactful way!"

"While you still have some free time, see if you can optimize it further. Everything should be so clear that people can immediately understand what it can do and how to use it!"

Wang Cheng came up with seven or eight suggestions on a whim.

Finally, Wang Cheng pressed down hard on Bai Xiuwen's shoulder.

"Xiao Bai, we both know this is a chance to turn things around! It's a stepping stone to success! As long as we do this well and get a ranking!"

"You'll be the top technical expert at the station! Then we'll see who dares to gossip, and everyone who can't stand you being a purchasing agent will shut up!"

"This is a significant achievement that I've truly made on my resume," Wang Chengcai said, a smile spreading across his face.

"Yes, Station Chief Wang! I understand!" Bai Xiuwen straightened his back and answered loudly.

"Okay, start doing it now, I'll wait for your good news."

After saying that, Wang Cheng decisively turned around and left, needing to make some preparations for attending the meeting.

This is such a big matter; I can't leave it unattended.

Bai Xiuwen then stayed in the room thinking about how to write, but after thinking for a long time, he still didn't know where to begin.

"Why is it so hard to write? It's much easier to invent something."

Suddenly, Bai Xiuwen glanced at a corner and saw several newspapers, and immediately realized what was going on.

"Oh, right, just copy what you read from the newspapers."

Immediately, Bai Xiuwen imitated the format and content of the newspaper, naturally including the slogan: "Responding to the national call, vigorously turning waste into treasure."
Then we got to the main topic.

News of Bai Xiuwen's participation in turning waste into treasure spread throughout the recycling station, and everyone had seen his inventions.

When everyone saw so many inventions that turned waste into treasure for the first time, they couldn't help but fall silent.

"No wonder Station Master Wang insisted on choosing Xiaobai as the purchasing agent. We could never come up with this invention even if we thought about it our whole lives."

"Yeah, you have to compare prices. We all work at the station, so how come some people can do such good work and even attend conferences? We can only repair things for our own use."

The crowd couldn't help but feel a pang of envy, their eyes filled with jealousy and envy of Bai Xiuwen's abilities. Why didn't they have such talent?

Seeing the looks in everyone's eyes, the custodian, Grandpa Lin, shouted, "What are you all thinking? Xiaobai is one of our own people. His achievements are good for our station, and we all look good."

"What? You can't stand to see others doing well? If anyone does anything underhanded to Xiaobai during this time, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Hearing Grandpa Lin's reprimand, everyone's eyes immediately became much purer.

"Uncle Lin, what are you saying? We were just joking. Who would harm Xiaobai? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just talk. We really hope Xiaobai gets better and better!"

"Hmph, that's best."

The next two days passed peacefully.

Bai Xiuwen came to work in the afternoon and then went back to make some improvements. As he passed a pile of scrap, he vaguely heard some discussions.

"Have you heard? It turns out the core idea for that shredder wasn't actually Xiaobai's idea at all." "Yeah, yeah, I think I heard rumors that the machinery factory's technical department drew up a similar blueprint a while ago."

"Could it be that Xiaobai copied it? If this gets exposed, we'll lose all face."

"Yes, yes, if that's true, we'll not only lose face, we might even lose face."

The sound wasn't loud, but it pierced Bai Xiuwen's ears like needles, and he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Plagiarism? Impossible! This was the inspiration Li Kailang provided him, and he experimented countless times before it was finalized. How could it be plagiarism?

"Who's talking nonsense!" A roar rang out; it was Grandpa Lin.

He strode over, glaring at the gossiping group, "What are you spouting nonsense without any evidence! Did he conjure those iron lumps out of thin air? If I hear you throwing mud again, don't blame me for slapping you!"

Seeing that they had been caught, and intimidated by Old Master Lin's imposing presence, the several men who had been gossiping slunk away with their necks hunched over.

But words spoken are like water spilled.

The rumors spread like wildfire throughout the station.

Some of the people who were initially eager to help now had a hint of suspicion in their eyes.

Standing beside the coal briquetting machine that embodied countless hours of hard work, Bai Xiuwen felt a wave of humiliation and powerlessness.

He forced himself to write the product description, but his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

Just then, Wang Cheng walked into the repair room with a gloomy face.

Clearly, he had also heard rumors.

"Xiaobai." The tone was no longer as relaxed as it had been a couple of days ago.

"You've probably heard the rumors circulating in the station," Wang Cheng said bluntly, his sharp gaze fixed on Bai Xiuwen.

"Xiaobai, what's going on? Explain yourself! What's the deal with this coal briquette machine? Did you copy someone else's work?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, but this matter is of utmost importance. It not only concerns the reputation of the entire station, but also whether I can fulfill my promise!"

"I don't believe it's true either!"

Wang Chengcai didn't believe it at all, but he couldn't afford to take this matter lightly, as he had given his superiors his assurance.

“Station Chief Wang!” Bai Xiuwen’s tone was extremely firm.

"I'm absolutely certain that I made this coal briquette machine myself; I didn't plagiarize anyone. As for the idea and inspiration for this coal briquette machine, it was indeed provided to me by my brother Li."

Bai Xiuwen explained in detail how the inspiration came from Li Kailang.

Wang Cheng knew exactly who Li Kailang was, but in his eyes he was just a driver.

"But I'm the one who turned it into a physical product, without referring to any external factory's blueprints. I swear on that! I'm willing to confront anyone about it!"

"If you don't believe me, I can give up my participation in the exhibition, but I cannot allow slander to damage the reputation of the site."

Even so, the disappointment and resentment in his eyes could not be concealed.

Wang Cheng frowned deeply. "Xiao Bai, I believe you're not that kind of person, but this inspiration might just be something your brother Li told them."

"Impossible!" Bai Xiuwen shook his head and denied it directly: "My brother Li works at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, which has nothing to do with the machinery factory. It's impossible for him to have told them."

"Besides, Brother Li was a driver at the time, and had no connection with the technical department. How could he possibly tell others?"

“Brother Li knows what I’ve been doing lately, he wouldn’t harm me,” Bai Xiuwen said confidently.

Wang Cheng still didn't believe it. "It's better to be safe than sorry. Who knows? You said your Brother Li was a driver back then, but what about now?"

Wang Cheng suddenly grasped a key point.

"He is now the deputy head of the Materials Science Department."

"What?!" Wang Cheng suddenly stood up in shock: "Isn't he the driver? How did he become a deputy section chief?!"

Even someone like him, who was not an expert, knew that the transportation team and the materials department were completely unrelated departments, so it was almost impossible for him to transfer there.

Furthermore, how could a worker possibly be promoted to deputy section chief?

Bai Xiuwen shook his head: "I don't know how he got the job, but my brother Li got it, and he's been doing it for over a month."

Now that things had come to this, Wang Chengcai believed Bai Xiuwen's words. He couldn't believe that a deputy section chief would harm a scrap yard worker, especially since this was someone he had helped before.

"Things haven't reached that point yet, so don't talk nonsense about not participating. This matter has taken so much effort; it can't be resolved with just one sentence like 'I won't participate'!"

"If you don't participate, then you'll really be protesting too much! Here's what we'll do: you don't need to worry about this matter. I'll handle it myself. I want to see exactly what's going on."

To change the subject, someone asked, "By the way, have you finished writing it?"

"almost."

As he spoke, Bai Xiuwen nervously handed the nearly finished explanation draft to Wang Chengcai.

Wang Cheng was clearly surprised by his speed. "So fast? Xiao Bai, are you just messing around? You need to write this properly!"

He took the manuscript, frowned as usual, and began to read it word by word.

At first, Wang Chengcai's brows were furrowed, and he turned the pages very slowly.

But as he watched, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even began to unconsciously turn up slightly.

He saw a clear breakdown of the items, including the origin of each project, key points of the transformation, and practical value. Most importantly, every aspect aligned with the spirit of turning waste into treasure.

"Great! Great! This is exceptionally well written!" Wang Cheng slammed his hand on the table. "Xiao Bai, you're amazing! This draft is superb! It captures the essence and spirit perfectly!"

"Most importantly, it's practical! It's impactful! Every word hits the nail on the head for our workers! They understand it immediately and see it clearly! It's excellent!"

Wang Chengcai couldn't hide his excitement, "I don't think this draft needs major revisions! Minor changes are enough, so hurry up and memorize it!"

"Yes, not only do you have to memorize it, but you also have to deliver it with energy and emotion! Make everyone's eyes light up and be convinced!"

He paused for a moment, then added, "Just saying it isn't enough. Here's what you'll do: you'll have only one task for the next few days."

"Groom these samples properly! Sand off the rust, round off the edges, and apply paint where necessary, so that they not only look functional but also neat and presentable!"

"Ideally, you could also make a small card next to each item, with the name from your manuscript and a brief highlight, written in large, eye-catching letters! Even a layman could roughly understand what it is just by glancing at it from afar! This is the storefront!"

"Yes, Station Chief Wang! I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Bai Xiuwen replied loudly.

"Alright, that's settled. I'll take the draft back and revise it. You get ready."

After saying that, Wang Cheng got up and left, making sure to close the door behind him as he went.

Once outside, I naturally didn't forget the most important thing.

"I want to see who's really harming Xiaobai. If I find out who did it, I'll show you how I can kill you!"

However, the most urgent task is to revise Bai Xiuwen's manuscript first.

(End of this chapter)