Sail across the sea

Chapter 528 A Utter Waste

"Most importantly, half of these people who have left have gone abroad. It's like all the talent we've painstakingly cultivated has ended up benefiting the imperialists." Gao Fan added insult to injury for the old man.

Zheng Linong said, "Even if they didn't go abroad, but were transferred to other departments and completely neglected their profession, it's still a great pity. Our country can only train a very limited number of chemical engineering talents each year, and as a result, a large number of talents have changed careers to do administrative work. This is a complete waste."

Gao Fan shrugged, indicating that he was innocent.

Zheng Linong continued flipping through the list, trying to see how many of them he recognized. At the same time, he asked Gao Fan, "Xiao Gao, have you looked into why these people left their original units?"

"He was greedy for enjoyment, suffered unfair treatment, received poor pay, was unable to realize his ambitions, wanted to resolve the separation from his family, suffered from acclimatization problems, and wanted to go out and see the world because it's so big..." Gao Fan listed the reasons for Zheng Linong on his fingers, and the more he talked, the more outrageous they became.

Zheng Linong was already used to Gao Fan's way of speaking. He filtered out the incoherence in Gao Fan's words and summarized: "It's nothing more than internal and external factors. However, internal factors also take effect because of external factors."

"For example, what you said about being greedy for enjoyment is a matter of personal subjectivity. But if we create better conditions and higher treatment for them, they can enjoy these benefits in their original units and will not leave."

"Your Excellency is wise!" Gao Fan flattered.

"Wise my ass!" Zheng Linong cursed.

This is a habit he developed after stepping down as vice minister. Or, to put it another way, he was always prone to swearing, but it wasn't convenient for him to do so when he was vice minister. Now that he's stepped down, he's let loose.

It's perfectly normal for cadres who come from heavy industry backgrounds to swear a few times.

"There's a saying in society that those who build missiles are not as well off as those who sell tea eggs. This saying has been around since the 80s and it still is today. But the country's difficulties are also objective. There's no money in the treasury, so how easy is it to improve the treatment of scientific researchers?"

Zheng Linong spoke as if to Gao Fan, but also as if to himself.

Gao Fan said, "If we can't improve their treatment, there is another way: we should tell educators and researchers to be dedicated and indifferent to fame and fortune, and tell them that the country will not forget them and that their names will be recorded in history forever."

Zheng Linong glared at Gao Fan and snapped, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Gao Fan spread his hands: "That's how many leaders in various organizations think. They drive Nissan Bluebird cars and live in large three-bedroom houses, while advising their researchers to be content with a simple life."

Zheng Linong was speechless. He thought that he himself had said similar things at the conference, nothing more than that the country was still facing difficulties, and everyone should be brave enough to share the country's burdens and overcome the difficulties, and so on.

He wanted to explain that he wasn't indifferent to the actual difficulties of his subordinates, but rather that even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice.

But Gao Fan's sarcastic remarks had already shut him up. He could say the same old things, and Gao Fan could say them too, and say them much better. But would it have made a difference?
"So, in your opinion, what should we do?" Zheng Linong asked. Gao Fan replied, "There's no solution to this problem. We can only grit our teeth and push through. The leaders have said that development is the only way forward. Once we've developed and can provide substantial funding to research institutions, allowing researchers to live comfortably, they'll naturally feel at ease. As for now, we can only hope that there are enough honest people."

What does "honest person" mean?

"Honest people are those who are willing to be content with a simple life. Minister Zheng, you don't need to worry. Our researchers may not have many other merits, but when it comes to honesty and integrity, they are absolutely number one in the world. A considerable number of them, although they constantly complain, will still honestly complete the work assigned to them. With the help of these people, we can also achieve the Four Modernizations."

Zheng Linong remained silent for a long time, then let out a long sigh, without refuting Gao Fan's words.

He suddenly realized that Gao Fan had revealed a truth: every unit had a group of people who, despite being dissatisfied with the status quo, still worked diligently. Many tasks were accomplished by these people, and the results were quite good.

In all research institutions, researchers complain about poor treatment and unfair distribution, but objectively speaking, their treatment is not bad by social standards; it's just that it doesn't meet their expectations.

The saying that those who manufacture missiles are not as well off as those who sell tea eggs is just something people say; which missile manufacturer would actually want to sell tea eggs?
Go ask a tea egg vendor whether he'd rather his child build missiles or sell tea eggs in the future. One hundred percent of vendors will choose the former.

This is why, although people in various units are restless, the majority of those who remain are still employed. Some cannot find better opportunities, while others have limited abilities and cannot easily find alternative jobs. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that there are indeed dedicated individuals; in a large organization, a few exceptional individuals are bound to emerge.

"So, the people you want to recruit are those mischievous troublemakers?" Zheng Linong asked.

The term "mischievous" has a neutral connotation within the system, generally referring to people who are quick-witted and mischievous. For example, when Zheng Linong evaluates Gao Fan, he also considers him to be mischievous, but this doesn't mean Zheng Linong has any ill feelings towards him. On the contrary, Zheng Linong quite appreciates Gao Fan's mischievousness.

Gao Fan said, "I will offer researchers a relatively high salary and promise a relaxed research environment. We welcome those who are willing to come. We will not force those who are not willing to come."

"Where do you plan to build your research institute?" Zheng Linong asked.

“Ruizhang,” Gao Fan said. “I told Director Xu Ying about this and asked her to help us arrange a site in the suburbs of Ruizhang. I originally thought about building the research institute in Cangtang, but after discussing it with some people, everyone felt that Cangtang was too remote and most people would definitely not want to go there.”

Zheng Linong laughed and asked, "How far has your relationship progressed with that girl from Xu Ying's family?"

Gao Fan stammered, "It'll be soon, it'll be soon. Now we're just waiting for her to graduate with her master's degree."

Zheng Linong didn't want to say too much about this matter, lest Gao Fan think he was disrespectful to his elders. He changed the subject, saying, "If you're asking Director Xu for help, then you'd better hurry. You need to finalize the location and clarify your usage rights as soon as possible."

"What do you mean?" Gao Fan was taken aback. The old man's words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

(End of this chapter)