Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2991 A Woman Born for Love

Once he made up his mind, Yang Wei acted with astonishing speed. He quickly streamlined and adjusted the business of his children's companies.

Stable and consistently cash-generating internet businesses are managed by reliable subordinates to maintain the company's core operations.

The real estate sector has slowed its expansion, channeling most of its profits and available funds into the "anti-aging" project—a project that is both deep and full of hope—like a trickle flowing into a mighty river.

On the wall of his office, the huge map of northern Xinjiang has been replaced by a world map, which marks the pilot sites where the "anti-aging" project is underway or planned.

The Sahel region of North Africa, the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia, the edge of the Amazon rainforest in South America...

His identity seemed to have changed overnight from a real estate tycoon in northern Xinjiang to a "geoengineering project manager".

Yang Wei chose northern Xinjiang as the primary testing ground and demonstration base for his "anti-aging" plan. He is familiar with this region, has deep roots there, and its fragile ecological environment makes it highly representative.

Yang Wei flies to the "Reverse Aging No. 1" test base on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert almost every week.

He was no longer dressed in a suit and tie, but in work clothes like the workers, his skin tanned dark.

The first challenge in large-scale planting of "Shayuan No. 1" is irrigation.

Extracting groundwater is unsustainable and will also cause dissatisfaction among local residents. Yang Wei stared at the map, thinking of his father's past work on building canals to divert water.

"We cannot take water from ordinary people!"

He convened water conservancy experts and local officials and proposed a bold plan:

Using the cheap electricity provided by the soldier's new energy source, a small seawater desalination plant will be built at the test base (or brine from the salt lake if it is near the salt lake), and a smart drip irrigation system will be built to support it.

Designed by Yang Zhenyu's team, this system can provide precise irrigation for each individual shrub based on soil moisture and plant water requirements.

"The cost is too high!" a subordinate reminded him.

"Don't worry about the cost yet! Make a prototype to verify the feasibility of the technology!"

Yang Wei made the final statement: "We want to prove that ecological restoration in extremely arid areas does not necessarily require consuming precious freshwater!"

In order to prove the value of "Shayuan No. 1" to potential investors and the international community, Yang Wei demanded that the most authentic and intuitive carbon sequestration data be obtained.

He deployed miniature soil carbon flux monitoring instruments and UAV multispectral scanning systems developed by Lin Haodong's team in different areas of the test base.

"I don't want ambiguous estimates. I want to see exactly how much carbon dioxide this land can 'eat' every month and every week!"

He yelled at the data team. These data, accurate to the decimal point, later became one of the most convincing selling points of the "anti-aging" plan.

Yang Zhenyu's team's weather modification plan requires real flight platforms and operational verification.

Yang Wei used his connections in northern Xinjiang to quickly coordinate airspace and personally rented and modified several reliable agricultural aircraft.

The first large-scale precision rain enhancement experiment was conducted in a pastoral area in northern Xinjiang where grasslands had degraded due to drought.

On the eve of the operation, Yang Wei, along with the flight crew and the meteorological team, stayed in the command tent, repeatedly checking the cloud map, wind direction, and the location and dosage of the catalyst.

"Mr. Yang, please go and rest. We'll take care of things here," the captain advised.

“No, I have to be here.” Yang Wei stared at the screen, his eyes bloodshot. “This is my father’s dream, and it’s my battlefield. I can’t be absent.”

The next day, the timing was perfect. The plane roared into the clouds. On the ground, Yang Wei and the herdsmen looked up at the sky, anxiously waiting.

When the first raindrop fell on the parched earth and immediately turned into a gentle drizzle, the entire grassland was abuzz with excitement!

The old herdsman cupped the rainwater in his hands, tears streaming down his face, and gave Yang Wei a thumbs-up.

At that moment, Yang Wei felt that all his efforts and hard work had been worthwhile. He was not only supporting his father, but also doing something truly meaningful for this land and its people.

The "Blue Carbon" project may seem distant, but Yang Wei has devoted tremendous energy to it. He personally flew to the southeast coast to investigate the seaweed farming industry and held discussions with marine scientists.

He discovered that simply growing seaweed for carbon sequestration was not a sustainable business model. He needed to find economic value.

He gathered product managers from the internet division of his son's company and established the "Blue Carbon Product Development Team".

"Could we turn carbon-fixing seaweed into a raw material for high-end skincare products? Or develop it into health foods? Or even make it into biodegradable and environmentally friendly packaging materials?" Yang Wei raised a series of questions.

Under his leadership, the "Anti-Aging" project collaborated with Warrior Biotechnology to begin research and development of high-value-added seaweed products.

He is trying to create a closed loop of "breeding-carbon sequestration-high-value utilization" so that environmental protection can not only generate ecological benefits, but also create economic value, thereby achieving sustainable development.

Yang Wei's approach to things is completely different from his father Yang Geyong's "bold and decisive" style. He places more emphasis on cost-effectiveness, risk assessment, and sustainable models. This inevitably leads to conflicts with Yang Geyong.

During a project review meeting, Yang Geyong became very impatient with Yang Wei's report, which detailed every single penny of the budget:

"Why make it so complicated? Just do it! If we don't have enough money, I'll go find Ye Yuze, I'll go find Ye Feng!"

Yang Wei insisted, "Dad, this isn't like when we were pioneering the land, where we could just rely on brute force. 'Reversing aging' faces the most complex scientific and systems problems in the world, and we must be meticulous in our planning and establish a replicable and scalable model."

"Otherwise, even if we spend a lot of money to create a few demonstration sites, we won't be able to truly influence the world."

The father and son argued until their faces turned red.

But Ye Yuze understood. He pulled Yang Geyong aside and whispered:
“Old Yang, stop arguing. Your son thinks more deeply and further ahead than either of us. We’re the ones who start the fire, he’s the one who’s going to make it burn brightly and for a long time. We have different methods, but the goal is the same. You have to learn to let go and let him do it.”

Yang Geyong watched his son demonstrate meticulousness, perseverance, and business acumen in the project, and although he didn't say it, he was filled with pride.

He gradually learned to stop interfering too much in specific matters and instead focus more on using his reputation to find top scientific partners and political support globally for his "anti-aging" project.
Thanks to Yang Wei's almost obsessive efforts, several pilot projects of the "anti-aging" plan have achieved results that exceeded expectations:
In the "Sand Source No. 1" experimental zone in northern Xinjiang, vegetation coverage has increased significantly, the regional microclimate has improved, and some wild animals have returned.

Precision rain enhancement technology is becoming increasingly mature and has been successfully applied to emergency water replenishment in several drought-stricken areas in China.

• Laboratory samples of the “blue carbon” product have also received initial positive feedback from the market.

These achievements, though not widely publicized, have attracted tremendous attention in related fields both domestically and internationally.

Yang Wei did not give any media interviews, attributing all the credit to his father's foresight and the efforts of his research team.

But those in the know understand that without Yang Wei's almost fanatical dedication and exceptional resource integration capabilities as the "frontline commander," Yang Geyong's grand plan might still be just a piece of paper. One evening, Yang Geyong made a rare phone call to Yang Wei, not to discuss the project, but simply to ask, "Have you eaten? Don't overwork yourself."

On the other end of the phone, Yang Wei paused for a moment, then felt a warmth in his heart, as if all his fatigue had vanished. He smiled and replied:

"I've eaten, Dad. Please take care of yourself too."

This simple word of concern is more valuable to Yang Wei than any medal in the world.

He knew he was on an absolutely right and meaningful path, a path that contained his father's dream, his own responsibilities, and a commitment to the future of this planet.

He, Yang Wei, is writing his own magnificent legend in his own way, a legend belonging to his generation of military reclamation workers.

Actually, Yang Wei has another problem to face, and that is Wang Xiaomeng.

Yang Wei met Wang Xiaomeng for the first time. At that time, he had just divorced Ye Qianqian and was filled with frustration and pent-up energy.

Perhaps it was the right time to meet the right person? After Yang Wei helped Wang Xiaomeng in her predicament, the two got together.

Yang Wei admired her professionalism and perseverance, while Wang Xiaomeng was attracted to this seemingly successful man whose eyes held a hint of melancholy.

A relationship quietly blossomed amidst busy work breaks and countless train journeys through northern Xinjiang.

Wang Xiaomeng provided Yang Wei with the warmest comfort during that dark period.

Unlike Ye Qianqian, who carried the weight of family ties and political considerations, she was simple and pure; she loved him simply because she loved him as a person.

With her, Yang Wei could temporarily set aside his many identities as "Yang Geyong's son," "Ye family's son-in-law," and "CEO of a company owned by his children," and was simply a tired man who needed rest.

However, as time went by, especially as the children grew up, the invisible thread of family ties, and the complex feelings for Ye Qianqian that had not been completely extinguished deep in Yang Wei's heart, plunged him into a huge contradiction and pain.

He couldn't give Wang Xiaomeng a clear future, and Wang Xiaomeng keenly sensed his struggle.

Finally, just before Yang Wei was about to fully commit to his "anti-aging" plan, which was beginning to take shape, he arranged to meet Wang Xiaomeng at a small restaurant they frequented.

He spoke with difficulty, revealing his decision—to return to his family. For the sake of his child and Ye Qianqian's political future, they could not continue like this.

He anticipated Wang Xiaomeng's crying, accusations, and even having water splashed in his face.

But Wang Xiaomeng didn't. She simply listened quietly, then looked at him with her still bright eyes, smiled gently, and said:
“I knew it all along. From the day I fell in love with you, I knew that you could never belong to me completely.”

She paused, her tone so calm it pained Yang Wei:
“I don’t blame you. You have your responsibilities, your battlefield. The days we’ve spent together have already been an extra blessing from God for me.”

"I will not get married, nor will I look for anyone else. Just like this, I will cherish this memory and look at you, and that will be enough."

These words were like a dull knife, cutting into Yang Wei's heart. He would rather she scolded him and hated him; that would probably make him feel better.

Her understanding and letting go left him with a sense of guilt that, like the snow in northern Xinjiang, piled up layer upon layer, never to melt.

From then on, the relationship between Yang Wei and Wang Xiaomeng became an extremely restrained and almost unknown tacit understanding.

Wang Xiaomeng devoted all her energy to her work, and with her outstanding abilities, she rose through the ranks to become a powerful mid-level manager in the Northern Xinjiang Railway system.

She never used her relationship with Yang Wei for personal gain; on the contrary, her fairness and professionalism earned her the respect of everyone, from top to bottom.

Yang Wei, on the other hand, transformed this deep sense of guilt into a silent and unwavering protection of Wang Xiaomeng.

When Wang Xiaomeng's railway project encountered local resistance, Yang Wei would use his influence in the business community of northern Xinjiang to quietly help her smooth things over without revealing his relationship with her.

When Yang Wei learned that Wang Xiaomeng's mother was seriously ill and needed a rare drug, he would immediately use all available medical resources to deliver the drug as soon as possible, but he would never show himself. Instead, he would have his subordinates deliver the drug under the guise of "care from the railway system union".

He kept a close eye on her safety. Every time he learned that she was going to inspect remote lines with the engineering team, he would arrange reliable security personnel to accompany her in advance, also under the guise of "guaranteeing the safety of the cooperating unit".

He knew these compensations were insignificant, but that was all he could do.

He couldn't give her marriage or commitment, but he could hold up an invisible umbrella for her in the storms she might encounter.

After the full launch of the "Reverse Aging" project, the massive transportation of equipment and personnel, as well as the potential large-scale allocation of plant seedlings and environmental protection materials, have placed extremely high demands on logistics.

The railway network in northern Xinjiang has become a lifeline.

At a coordination meeting regarding the transportation of "anti-aging" supplies, Yang Wei and Wang Xiaomeng inevitably sat at opposite ends of the negotiating table.

This is their first public meeting in an official capacity since their "breakup".

Yang Wei could feel his heart beating a little fast, and he tried his best to maintain the composure of a business elite.

Wang Xiaomeng, as always, remained professional, dressed in her railway uniform, with a serious expression, analyzing the difficulties in capacity allocation and possible solutions in a matter-of-fact manner.

“Director Wang, our ‘anti-aging’ project has very high time requirements, especially for certain live plant seedlings…” Yang Wei carefully chose his words.

“President Yang, please rest assured.” Wang Xiaomeng interrupted him, meeting his gaze calmly without the slightest ripple:

"Ensuring the transportation of key national scientific research projects is our railway department's bounden duty. We have developed detailed contingency plans and will open green channels to prioritize the delivery of all materials for the 'anti-aging' project, ensuring safe and timely arrival."

Her tone was businesslike, yet carried an undeniable firmness. Yang Wei knew that this was her way of supporting him, supporting the dream of his father for whom he had sacrificed everything.

The meeting ended, and the two shook hands politely. Her hand was still warm, but the touch was brief.

Watching her straight, departing figure, Yang Wei was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Guilt, gratitude, and a touch of indescribable pain intertwined within him.

He understood that Wang Xiaomeng's choice not to marry was not only to protect their past relationship, but also to resolutely bind herself to the career he was dedicated to.

By protecting the railway, she is protecting the artery of "reverse aging"; by being promoted, she can provide stronger transportation support for "reverse aging".

This quiet and unwavering protection moved Yang Wei more than any words, and made him even more unable to forgive himself for his retreat back then.

This guilt, like a silent spur, compels him to do his "anti-aging" plan well, to do it spectacularly, as if only in this way can he live up to his father, live up to Ye Qianqian's understanding, and live up to... Wang Xiaomeng's silent, heavy love.

This complex emotion became another profound and enduring driving force for Yang Wei on his difficult path of "reversing aging," in addition to family responsibility and environmental ideals.