A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

"Comrade, you sound quite eloquent. However, your thinking is essentially advocating for old customs and habits! It's just been given a 'new look'!"

The young man took a few steps forward, looked up to assess the height difference between himself and Jiang Xia, and inexplicably felt that his imposing presence had diminished, so he silently retreated.

Perhaps feeling stifled by his height, he quickly added:

"What we should be vigorously promoting now is science and modernization! We should be focusing our energy on socialist construction! Instead of trying to come up with these old-fashioned things and distracting the masses!"

Lanterns?

It's just a variant of the sea lantern!

What practical significance does it have in wasting manpower and resources?

Could we refine an extra ton of steel, or harvest an extra load of grain?

Goodness, I knew it was goodness!

These words are sharp enough, and they also carry the characteristic mindset of radical youth in the 1960s, who directly linked everything to grand narratives and productivity.

There's a strong sense of urgency to "break with the old and establish the new".

He was so engrossed in expressing his views that he didn't notice the two guards behind him both letting out a silent sigh of relief as he retreated.

One of them even nodded to Old Wang, revealing a slightly awkward smile.

Old Wang wasn't going to put up with them. He already had that huge revolver in his hand and quickly showed it off to the two men.

Without even putting the gun in its sheath, it was simply hidden inside the hem of his clothes.

Unaware that Old Wang had already clashed with the other side, Jiang Xia calmly met the young man's gaze and said:

"Comrade, I disagree with your view. First of all, the cultural life of the masses is not a 'distraction.' A healthy and rich cultural life can invigorate the spirit and enhance cohesion, which in itself has a positive effect on development. Shouldn't the masses have some leisure activities that can make them feel happy and beautiful after their hard work?"

“Secondly,” he paused, his gaze sweeping over the listening crowd:

"You call this an 'old-fashioned thing.' I ask you, isn't eating zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) during the Dragon Boat Festival an old custom?"

But we ate it today too!

Commemorating Qu Yuan's patriotic spirit—is this spirit old?

Is the Spring Festival celebrated according to the old calendar? Yet we still celebrate it, celebrating family reunion and welcoming the new year. Isn't this sentiment old-fashioned?

Of the things in tradition, there are dross that must be discarded, but there are also many good things that carry national sentiment, wisdom of life, and aesthetic pursuits.

Like this 'lamp,' from ancient times to the present, people have used it for illumination, prayer, and celebration, embodying their yearning for light, warmth, and a better life. Is this yearning feudal, or does it belong to all working people?

"What is the purpose of our socialist construction now? Isn't it to make people's lives better, brighter, warmer, and more hopeful? Doesn't this resonate with the wishes people have made to the lamplight for thousands of years?"

Jiang Xia's voice wasn't loud, but every word resonated deeply, carrying a penetrating power that transcended any concrete form:

"Forms can be innovated, and content can be given new meaning, but the little bit of longing and human touch that connects thousands of households for a better life cannot be easily denied with a single word like 'feudal superstition'."

Wouldn't it be better to channel everyone's spontaneous enthusiasm into healthier, richer activities that showcase the new image of our Dalian community, rather than simply banning or belittling them?

"Okay! Well said!"

His words were down-to-earth, timely, and subtly aligned with the dialectical principle of "critical inheritance." The two middle-aged cadres nodded frequently, and the surrounding crowd felt that the young man had spoken to their hearts.

Yes, who doesn't enjoy excitement and a lively atmosphere? Who doesn't hope for a brighter future and something to look forward to?

The young man was speechless for a moment after being refuted by Jiang Xia, and his already fair face became even whiter...

He thought to himself: This guy can talk a lot more than my dad!

What needs to be the tightest, the tightest, the tightest? What needs to be the most flexible, the most flexible, the most flexible...

He was tired of hearing the triple parallel structure, so hearing this argument with points and evidence was quite novel for the young man.

But as novel as it may be, this is just making a fool of oneself!

Is this okay?

Don't you know my name is Tiger? You want to embarrass me again at Tiger Beach?

"Oh? Judging from what this comrade is saying, he seems to have a strong attachment to these old customs?"

A mocking smile played on the young man's lips as he forced a calm expression. "What we are building is a new socialist culture, which means we must resolutely break with all old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. Holding large-scale lantern festivals in public places is essentially providing a stage for feudal remnants, blurring class boundaries, and numbing the revolutionary spirit of the masses!"

A good life is earned through struggle, not by praying to some ethereal sea god or dragon king!

You're kidding me!

As Jiang Xia listened to the young man's constant talk of struggle, those turbulent days naturally came to mind.

Meeting the increasingly cold gaze of the young people, Jiang Xia also grew cold: "You say we rely on struggle, that's true. But what is the purpose of struggle? Ultimately, isn't it to make every family's life better, more secure, and more hopeful? Making more enemies and fewer friends, that's probably not our original intention in doing this work, is it?"

Jiang Xia's words did not quote classical texts, but they were closer to the feelings and practical work logic of ordinary people, carrying a pragmatic and inclusive perspective that is common in later generations.

Some of the citizens who had not yet left were also listening vaguely and couldn't help but cheer, making the atmosphere increasingly lean towards Jiangxia.

Protruding!

Who is this guy?

The young man never expected that such a simple-minded yet formidable character would suddenly appear on the beach in Dalian.

Even in university, he had already slashed through a large number of people with the three tricks he summarized from his father's report, and even the old professors couldn't withstand him!

snort!

The young man was now truly enraged. He had come to the conference with his father, hoping to use this "outdated custom" as an excuse to show off his talents and gain prestige, just as he had done in university.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I opened my mouth, this guy who appeared out of nowhere completely overwhelmed me with a set of almost self-consistent and meticulous logic.

His family's scholarly traditions allowed him to retain a degree of composure, preventing him from losing his temper on the spot, but his upbringing was quickly becoming too much for him to handle.

He took a deep breath, deliberately raised his voice, and revealed his trump card: "It seems this comrade has quite a set of theories of his own! I am Lin Wenxuan from the Department of Physics at Peking University. I am here with a working group to conduct social research in Dalian. May I ask which unit you are from and what your job is?"

The implication couldn't be clearer: I'm a top student from a prestigious university, who do you think you are to argue with me?

Jiang Xia waved his hand, his tone indifferent: "I'm just an ordinary worker tightening screws in the shipyard. What, Comrade Lin, do you think that the thoughts of the workers are not worth mentioning, and that only college students are qualified to talk about these things?"

These words hit the nail on the head, instantly placing Lin Wenxuan in the awkward position of "looking down on the working class." His face turned pale and then red, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a rebuttal.

In this era, "disrespecting the working people" was a serious accusation, and no matter how radical he was, he dared not openly admit it.

"I didn't say that!" Lin Wenxuan hurriedly retorted, his eyes darting around. "I just wanted to find out about your identity, after all..."

"After all, I'm just a screwdriver, am I not qualified to talk to top students from Peking University?" Jiang Xia persisted, his tone tinged with mockery.

Physics major? Let me give you a question about how the Higgs mechanism imparts mass to elementary particles in Yang-Mills gauge theory. Can you solve it?

Lin Wenxuan was speechless for a moment, and the two guards behind him both looked helpless.

But, we must not lose our spirit!

"A worker? Which factory? I'd like to know which organization trained such an eloquent worker comrade."

Jiang Xia was too lazy to argue, and casually pointed towards the brightly lit factory area in the distance: "Look, over there."

In the darkness, Lin Wenxuan looked in the direction Jiang Xia pointed, and could vaguely see the outline of the Darian Naval Training Base and the nearby port area.

He was prejudiced and assumed he understood; a cold smile, a mixture of realization and contempt, immediately appeared on his lips.

"Heh... the Navy. No wonder..."

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting increasingly awkward, Hu Yongchang and Liu Decai quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, we're all comrades. When discussing issues, we can use different methods, but the goal is the same: to get the job done... It's getting late, and the event is over. Everyone should go home and rest early."

Jiang Xia had no intention of continuing this pointless argument. He knew all too well that changing a person's deeply ingrained beliefs was the most laborious and thankless task.

Instead of wasting time on this, you should go back and study those "early tide" level blueprints more thoroughly.

Yes, the little rascal is trying to slack off again.

Once the second-generation Yellow Pen and the light pen arrive, we can ask the researchers at Liu Huaqing's research institute to help us compile these blueprints and materials into an electronic version.

The rhetoric is readily available: "Through actual drawing input and project organization, we can quickly master the use of new computers and light pen input devices, and complete the technological leap from paper to digital."

As for the source of the blueprints, don't ask. If you do, just call Secretary Liu over and all you'll do is study!

Thinking about this, Jiang Xia almost wanted to applaud himself for his "thoughtful" arrangement: Oh yeah, this is what you call the integration of industry, academia and research!

It seems being a lecturer is better; with just a few words, troublesome things cease to be troublesome...

Eh?

Should I take a temporary position at a university and recruit more people to work for me?

Does this count as clinging to a university and trying to become a talent?