Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 3006 Changing Plans, Racing Against Time
When Yang Xiaotao, Xie Jiarong, and Liu Lixue arrived at the airport by car, a plane was waiting to take off.

At the entrance, Wang Minghai was waiting for Yang Xiaotao with his men.

“I told you that the New Year is just around the corner, and everyone else is rushing home, but you’re still going out. Do you not want to come back for the New Year?”

Wang Minghai came up and joked, and Yang Xiaotao gave a wry smile, "Do you think I wanted this?"

"If I hadn't taken this job, whoever wants to go can go."

"Come on, I bet only you could take this job."

"Hey, that sounds like flattery that could be detrimental. Maybe I should talk to the higher-ups; we're short of a deputy commander."

Before Yang Xiaotao could finish speaking, Wang Minghai quickly stepped forward and hugged him, saying, "Just kidding, just kidding."

"I'll arrange a plane for you. Just let me know when you're coming back. I'll get you back even if it's New Year's Eve."

Yang Xiaotao immediately smiled and said, "Thank you so much!"

"No need to thank me, just give us a few more Blue Horses when the time comes."

"faint!"

After exchanging greetings, the two men led the two onto the plane, which soon took off and flew towards Yanzhou.

At 1 p.m., Yang Xiaotao and his two companions landed at Yanzhou Dongguan Airport.

As soon as he got off the plane, Ji Xuewu and his men walked over from outside the airport.

"Minister Yang, I didn't expect you to come!"

Ji Xuewu stepped forward to shake hands, and Yang Xiaotao grasped his hand, his expression serious. "This is of utmost importance; I had no choice but to come!"

After the two finished speaking, a person came up behind them with a smile on his face.

However, it was Zhan Lei, the director of Yanzhou Steel Plant.

"Minister Yang, it's been a long time!"

"Old Zhan, it's been a long time!"

The two then embraced.

"When I heard you were coming, I immediately dropped what I was doing and drove over!"

Zhan Lei's voice was full of joy, but Yang Xiaotao reached out and punched him in the chest, saying, "I think you just want to slack off."

"Haha, you figured it out."

"Nonsense, because I didn't want to go this morning either."

As they spoke, both of them laughed.

Ji Xuewu then said, "Minister Yang, the expert team is waiting. Shall we go over now?"

"Going right now."

Yang Xiaotao nodded in agreement, and then followed Zhan Lei into the car, which drove out of the airport.

In the car, Zhan Lei drove himself, Yang Xiaotao sat in the passenger seat, and Liu Lixue and Xie Jiarong sat in the back.

Yang Xiaotao changed the subject and asked about the situation here, and Zhan Lei started talking.

"We received strong support from local authorities here, who not only provided convenience but also offered many preferential policies."

"Of course, we have also created many jobs and transformed the industrial landscape here."

"With the support of the steel mill, two machinery factories have been built in Yanzhou."

Yang Xiaotao listened from the side, and he knew the situation of Yanzhou Steel Plant.

Without the Changyan Railway and the West-East Gas Pipeline project, Yanzhou Steel Plant would not only be unable to generate revenue, but would also require subsidies from the Ministry of Energy.

With these two major projects underway, everything is turning for the better.

"How is the factory progressing?"

When Yang Xiaotao inquired about the production situation, Zhan Lei hurriedly replied, "The steel plant now has three main tasks. One is to supply steel on a daily basis to meet the needs of local economic development."

"The second is to provide steel rails for the Changyan Railway."

"The third is the natural gas pipeline materials that we are currently focusing on."

"All three tasks have injected vitality into the factory's development, and the factory has rehired two hundred people for this purpose."

Zhan Lei gave a brief account of the development of Yanzhou Steel Plant, while Yang Xiaotao listened quietly from the side.

Previously, we learned about the situation here from materials and reports provided by those below, as well as snippets of conversation over the phone.

Hearing Zhan Lei say it himself now has a different meaning.

"It seems like you've had a good run of business these past two years."

Yang Xiaotao smiled, while Zhan Lei shook his head, "To be honest, the development here has only started in the last two years."

“When Lao Yang and I came here, you wouldn’t believe it, it was hard to even get tap water here.”

"Later, the local authorities organized people to build an irrigation canal, which solved the water problem."

"And then it developed step by step."

At this point, Zhan Lei's face lit up with joy again. "By the way, Director Yang, the local leaders here contacted me after New Year's Day, wanting me to take up a temporary post here."

"A temporary posting? What does that mean?"

Yang Xiaotao asked curiously, and Zhan Lei was a little embarrassed to speak. However, Liu Lixue behind him took the initiative to explain, "Minister Yang, the department leaders of our Ninth Department have high ranks, and some of them are even the highest-ranking officials in their respective regions."

"If this doesn't involve local management, I guess the local people will have objections."

Liu Lixue smiled, and Zhan Lei laughed too. "To be honest, now they come to me for my opinion on many things."

"At first, I was quite annoyed. There were so many things to do at the steel mill, I didn't have time to deal with this."

"But later we found out that whenever something happened in this area, it was probably related to the steel mill, so we really couldn't just stay out of it."

"Regarding the factory dormitory incident last time, the local government was originally supposed to provide some of the supplies, but everyone kept passing the buck, and in the end, we ended up providing all of them ourselves."

“There are a lot of these kinds of disputes, so when they come to me, I think about whether I should get involved, so that I can also get some benefits for the factory.”

Zhan Lei himself laughed at the end.

Yang Xiaotao and the other two laughed along. They were trying to get something for themselves; they should be lucky if they didn't get taken advantage of.

"Alright, as long as there are no problems at the steel mill, you can handle it yourself."

"it is good."

The car bumped along the road and finally arrived in Yanzhou City, stopping in front of an office building.

The four got off the bus, and Ji Xuewu was waiting in front.

As the group entered the building, Yang Xiaotao saw a group of people come out to greet them.

At first glance, the people who came out were all elderly people, with the leader being an elderly man with gray hair. Yang Xiaotao immediately realized the man's identity and then quickly stepped forward.

Yang Xiaotao looked at the old man, and the old man also looked at Yang Xiaotao.

Yang Xiaotao warmly extended his right hand, "You must be Mr. Mao, I am Yang Xiaotao!"

"Commander Yang, hello!"

The two spoke almost simultaneously, then laughed.

"This is Comrade Xie Jiarong, who is also the technical leader of this West-East Gas Pipeline project."

After Yang Xiaotao finished introducing Xie Jiarong, Ji Xuewu said, "Director Yang, let's go to the conference room!"

Yang Xiaotao nodded and followed the others to the conference room to sit down. "Mr. Mao, I would like to hear your opinion!"

After listening to Yang Xiaotao's explanation, Mr. Mao said humorously, "Alright, but my opinion might disappoint you two." Yang Xiaotao and Xie Jiarong exchanged a glance, then listened attentively.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Mao spoke up, “Director Yang, Team Leader Xie, my comrades and I went to the site for the gas pipeline and conducted a week-long investigation there. During this time, we also learned about the local climate and the hydrological conditions of the Yellow River.”

"The point of all this is to show that we're not just joking around."

"Instead, they actually conducted an investigation, and it was based on reason and evidence."

As Mr. Mao spoke, Yang Xiaotao nodded, "Sir, rest assured, we trust your scholarship and your character."

Mr. Mao smiled, then took out a document and handed it to Yang Xiaotao.

"Minister Yang, this is our report based on the information we have gathered."

"The Yellow River is a meandering river, and its erosion and sedimentation are very volatile."

"The location chosen now poses a significant safety hazard to the project."

"Minister Yang, if we want this pipeline to run from above, we need to carry out infrastructure construction below, and we also need to reinforce both sides of the river."

"However, the Yellow River's riverbed changes drastically, and this area is located in a mountainous region. If there is a flash flood, the safety of this pipeline will be a major problem."

After Mr. Mao finished speaking, Xie Jiarong asked, "Mr. Mao, our colleagues from the geological department also conducted an investigation, and they believe that building a simple bridge on it will not be affected."

Mr. Mao smiled and said to the crowd behind him, "See what I just said?"

The group of old men behind him all laughed.

Xie Jiarong looked somewhat embarrassed, and Yang Xiaotao also felt a little awkward.

But he didn't say anything.

Turning back, Mr. Mao laughed again, "We're just a group of old men who have nothing better to do than come out for a stroll and admire the beautiful landscapes of our motherland."

"I came here because I heard that the project is very important to the country."

"Of course, what you're doing is very meaningful, and we old folks are genuinely happy about that."

"So, we're just making a suggestion. It's not impossible to proceed according to the original plan, but there are significant safety risks, and building this bridge is no simple matter."

Mr. Mao spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, yet he clearly stated his attitude.

Yang Xiaotao stared at the report in his hand in silence.

Ji Xuewu, who was standing nearby, tried to explain, but Yang Xiaotao raised his hand to interrupt him. He then looked at Mr. Mao and asked, "Sir, this plan won't work. Do you have any suggestions?"

Mr. Mao looked at Yang Xiaotao, surprised that the other party would ask this question instead of insisting on refuting it.
"We believe that going underground is the most suitable solution."

After Mr. Mao finished speaking, Xie Jiarong said, "Our second plan is to go underground, but after investigating the underground rock strata, we may need to dig down another thirty meters to safely open up a passage."

"This project is also quite challenging."

After Xie Jiarong finished speaking, Ji Xuewu, who was standing next to him, quickly said, "Minister Yang, we chose the bridge-building option because underground excavation was too difficult."

"Technically speaking, this solution is less difficult."

Before Ji Xuewu could speak, Yang Xiaotao raised his hand to interrupt him again, then took a deep breath and said, "Thirty meters is thirty meters, it's not like we can't dig it."

Ji Xuewu and Xie Jiarong were both taken aback, and then they heard Yang Xiaotao say in a serious tone, "Rather than leaving hidden dangers, it's better to get it right the first time."

"If we're going to do something, we should do it the best. We can't leave problems for future generations."

After these words were spoken, not only were Mr. Mao and his group, who were unfamiliar with Yang Xiaotao, surprised, but Xie Jiarong and Liu Lixue also felt curious.

Did you just make that arbitrary decision?

Shouldn't we go to the site and do an on-site investigation?
Shouldn't we listen to other people's opinions more?
This is too rushed.

After the initial shock, everyone realized that Yang Xiaotao wasn't just saying it casually, but was seriously issuing an order.

"Director Ji, immediately arrange manpower and deploy machinery to prepare for excavation."

"Team Leader Xie, please have someone provide technical support to ensure the tunnel excavation is completed."

"Old Zhan, your steel plant should also be prepared to provide support."

"Yes!"

Zhan Lei's crisp and efficient answer brought Ji Xuewu and Xie Jiarong back to their senses, and they quickly nodded in agreement.

Yang Xiaotao then looked at Mr. Mao and said with a smile, "Mr. Mao, and everyone else, I would like to trouble you to take a look this time and see if there is anything that needs improvement or if you can offer any suggestions."

Mr. Mao and the others also realized what was happening, and the smiles on their faces disappeared, replaced by a heavy seriousness.

Mr. Mao even stood up and said, "Since Minister Yang has said so, we old folks will stay here for a few more days."

The people behind him also stood up, and one of them joked, "It's not bad to spend the New Year here. It's too quiet at home. There are many people here, and it's lively."

The others also laughed.

The meeting then ended, and everyone got busy.

Following Yang Xiaotao's decision, Ji Xuewu and the others immediately sprang into action.

The materials originally prepared for bridge construction were redistributed, personnel were re-recruited, and equipment for digging tunnels was also prepared.

Xie Jiarong didn't even have time to think about the news. He made a phone call, and the head of the local geological department immediately came to report with his equipment.

Then, under Xie Jiarong's command, they prepared to act together the next day.

Yang Xiaotao returned to his assigned accommodation and first reported the situation to Mr. Chen by phone.

When he learned that Yang Xiaotao wanted to change the plan, Mr. Chen hesitated.

After all, digging tunnels is no small matter, and although the production of tunnel boring machines at the Ministry of Machinery Industry has accelerated, it is still not enough to meet the needs of the entire project.

With Yang Xiaotao changing his plan, it's estimated that the Ministry of Machinery Industry will have a hard time providing tunnel boring machines to help.

When Mr. Chen asked for the reason, Yang Xiaotao simply repeated what Mr. Mao had said, and Mr. Chen remained silent.

However, in the end, Mr. Chen did not refuse, respecting Yang Xiaotao's choice, and would have people make preparations.

After hanging up with Mr. Chen, he called Li Hongfeng to explain the situation before finally calling Mr. Huang from the Ministry of Machine Building.

"What? You're changing the plan now?"

"Isn't this nonsense?"

"What? There's a risk?"

"real or fake?"

"Okay, okay."

Old Huang's voice on the phone was sometimes loud and sometimes soft. After Yang Xiaotao finished explaining everything, Old Huang fell silent on the other end of the line.

"The small tunnel boring machine in the workshop will take another week, that's the fastest we can do."

"but."

Old Huang hesitated for a moment, and Yang Xiaotao naturally understood the implication in his words, guessing that it was a task assigned to someone.

"Okay, I'll have someone deliver it to you in a week, and you can have someone make the handover."

In the end, Yang Xiaotao heard the answer he wanted.

"Thank you, old commander."

"Stop talking nonsense. Let's try to come back before the New Year so we can have a proper get-together."

"That is required."

Without saying much, Yang Xiaotao went to find Ji Xuewu after hanging up the phone and told him about the tunnel boring machine.

With the tunnel boring machine, the difficulty of the project has been reduced by half. However, for the entire project, three-quarters of the pipeline laying in the northwest has been completed, while their middle section is not even half finished.

It can be said that the task is arduous and far-reaching, and we still need to race against time.