Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 451 A completely different "new member"?
Inside the Misty Tavern, the members greeted their leader upon seeing him.

Compared to Harbin, this tavern is busier because the members of "π" are more concentrated, living and working together.

For most people, coming here to sit and have a drink after work is an option and a part of socializing.

Xie Yang, the newly arrived electronics and electrical engineering genius, a round-faced 25-year-old youth wearing glasses, stood up enthusiastically and said, "President Zhai! You've arrived!"

The best decision he ever made was probably choosing to submit his work to the journal, and then decisively abandoning his plan to pursue a PhD with his terrible advisor, and coming to this small county town.

Not to mention that their salaries and benefits far surpass the boss's meager subsidies, everyone in "π" possesses excellent qualities and unique talents. Sometimes, a clash of ideas in the tavern can spark countless inspirations.

That feeling of "everyone is a genius, and so am I" is just too awesome.

Seeing a dark-skinned young man behind Zhai Da, Xie Yang laughed and said, "Another new member? What's your name, brother?"

Zhai Da smiled and said, "A friend of mine ran into me and invited me in for a get-together."

"Oh, welcome."

When Meng Tao entered, everything felt new and exciting. He had been to bars when he was in college, but this place felt very different.
It's not that the bars are different, it's that the people are different.

"CMP alone is not enough. I think improved ion implantation is more promising for mass repair of lattice defects, especially line defects."

"We can't ignore the long-range effects of charge, and we can't just look at the benefits of technological improvements without considering the problems!"

Meng Tao: Who am I? Where am I? Who are you people?

The circle was already closed off, so the arrival of a stranger attracted far more attention than expected, especially since he came with the president; many geniuses turned their gazes towards him.

Meng Tao felt increasingly out of place, but he was always resilient and kept quiet.

Of course, the bewilderment at hearing others chat was undeniable; it was an intellectual crushing defeat.

Zhai Da didn't let Meng Tao order, which was obviously making things difficult for a newcomer. He listed a series of items at the bar and then sat down with Meng Tao at a private two-person table by the window.

On one side is a warm yellow tavern, and on the other side is the gray-black night of the county town; the two atmospheres seem to never blend together.

The bartender in Dongyang, Zhai Da, was not a familiar face. He was a middle-aged man. After a short while, he served sandwiches, fries, sausages and other snacks. Meng Tao was very tempted and immediately gave a thumbs up after taking a bite.

Zhai Da smiled. Meng Tao was more at ease than he had imagined, which pleased him. He picked up a long French fry and said, "That girl's stall seems to be doing poorly lately?"

Meng Tao quickly waved his hand: "Actually, it's not bad. It's much better than before. The income from setting up a stall is not low. All told, I can earn about 1500 yuan a month, which is enough for Xiaoxue's family."

Zhai Da asked curiously, "So you're in charge of poverty alleviation work?"

"In fact, broadly speaking, the employment department of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau believes that Xiaoxue's situation is only solved by job placement and employment assistance."

Zhai Da turned around and brought a glass of beer from the bar, placing it in front of Meng Tao. The tanned young man, who had been sunbathing all day, really needed it.

"Your work style seems different from others? We've met several times now, do you mind if I'm curious?"

Meng Tao smiled simply, "It's nothing, just using my little ingenuity. We also have poverty alleviation programs, but we usually distribute subsidies and benefits based on statistical data. The reasons for a family's poverty are too complex, and uniformly distributed subsidies are unlikely to completely change the situation..."

"Some families have special circumstances, and if it happens to be within my reach, I'll offer some advice."

Zhai Da: "Targeted poverty alleviation?"

Meng Tao was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh.

His exaggerated movements drew the attention of others, but the dark-skinned young man remained oblivious.

"That's a good term! Targeted poverty alleviation! No, it should be targeted poverty eradication! Some people... sigh... just providing aid isn't enough."

As he spoke, he thought of the "piglet" he had delivered that morning, which turned into a "roast suckling pig" in the afternoon.

That roast suckling pig is a famous dish! Do you know how to roast it properly?
I'm guessing it's for barbecue!
How infuriating!
There are two of them, one male and one female!

However, this did not dampen Meng Tao's enthusiasm, because Wang Xue's example was his greatest source of confidence.

Wang Xue's mother was a close relative and had congenital intellectual disabilities. She married Wang's father, who was over 40 years old and a bachelor.

Wang's father was a poor man, but he was still able to live up to the mistake of marrying his wife. Whether she was mentally challenged or not, he had married her himself, so he gritted his teeth and worked hard to support her and their children.

It's a pity that he was already quite old, and after a lifetime of hard work, he passed away before he turned 60. As for Wang Xue's muteness, it was caused by a fever when she was a child.

Wang's father had fled here during an earlier period of natural disasters, so his family didn't own any land in the village. After Wang's father died, Wang Xue usually helped with handicrafts in nearby workshops, such as pasting paper boxes and stringing beads, to earn a living while also taking care of Wang's mother.

This is an ordinary, impoverished family.

Until he met the extraordinary Meng Tao.

Meng Tao spoke eloquently, and it was clear that his relationship with Wang Xue was purely professional, without any romantic feelings involved.
"Mr. Zhai, I hadn't figured it out before. The phrase 'targeted poverty alleviation' is really good. Every family's situation is different, so we need to understand the specifics."

"Even if Wang Xue is not good enough, she is still a laborer, right? She can set up a stall and collect money, right? She doesn't know how to source goods? She doesn't have connections? She can't find a place? What is as difficult as climbing to the sky for them is something that outsiders can solve with just a little thought."

“Her elderly mother has no one to take care of her, which is perfect! There is also an elderly woman in the same village who is in dire need of care. She is over 60 years old but still has good mobility. She has been widowed for 30 years. I entrusted that elderly woman to take care of Wang’s mother. I asked Wang Xue to give her 500 yuan a month, but this freed up a young laborer!”

The simple-minded young man couldn't help but laugh, revealing a few large teeth. Lettuce leaves from the sandwich got stuck between his teeth: "Mr. Zhai, guess how much it only cost?"

The young man raised his finger and made a "1": "1000 yuan. The first batch of goods for the stall, a scale, a second-hand umbrella and table, didn't cost much. The last truckload of watermelons looked like a lot, but I actually picked them by riding my bike to the watermelon field this morning. They were only 30 cents a pound!"

"1000 yuan can save two households! Normally, even two or three thousand yuan a year wouldn't be enough for families like this! They'd be poor year after year!"

His smug expression made it seem as if he had earned 1000 million.

However, perhaps realizing he had gotten a little carried away, Meng Tao quickly composed himself: "Of course, it was President Zhai who created this opportunity. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to find a stall location that would guarantee me money. You're amazing; you've brought so many high-paying jobs."

Zhai Da waved his hand: "We're not in the same field... You didn't pay for this out of your own pocket, did you?"

"The county doesn't have any specific funding or planning. Besides, what I'm doing is frankly against the rules; the invoices can't be reimbursed, and strictly speaking, setting up a stall on the street is also illegal. I can't let the higher-ups know."

Zhai Da did not want to receive a baptism of positive energy.

He has no shortage.

I was just curious. I've heard the term "poverty alleviation" so many times that I'm sick of it, but I've never met anyone related to it in my life.

Even when things weren't going well in my past life, I felt like I was the poor one, wondering why no one came to help me.
Compared to today, it is certainly not a form of "poverty".

The per capita income is less than 2300 yuan. This refers to annual income.

Of course, the implications behind this poverty go beyond just money. Every household has its own problems. In his previous life, he occasionally saw short videos, especially from channels other than official ones, and the news was mostly negative:
He delivered rice and noodles, then stopped the leader and said he was missing a female college student to be his wife.

In the morning, they incubate the eggs; in the afternoon, they lay fertilized eggs.

The government gave out 500 yuan during the day, but at night, after going to the county to check the dumpling wrappers, what happens when it's all gone? After paying it back, just wait for the government to handle it themselves. I'm sure Meng Tao experienced this too, for example, when he bought two piglets out of his own pocket.

As for the viewers of short videos, there is a feeling of "they deserve to be poor," but for the people who do this, there is still respect and admiration.

People who accomplish difficult goals are admirable, and Meng Tao's spontaneous actions are even more commendable.

What he's doing now is truly an anomaly in a sense; there are no related tasks, no compliance procedures, and no supporting funding.

Solving these kinds of problems isn't Zhai Da's responsibility, nor does he have the energy for it, but seeing someone doing it doesn't stop him from giving a thumbs up, especially seeing a young man in the middle of the night carrying steamed buns and Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. Hmm, a retired cadre.

"Have you ever considered that there are too many people like this to help?"

Meng Tao took a big gulp of beer and chuckled, "You're a businessman, you can't earn all the money in the world, so why don't you just stop earning?"

"But making money is great."

"I'm quite happy too~ I can even chat with people after get off work!"

Just then, a third voice suddenly broke into the conversation between the two.

"Handsome guy, come visit often!"

Zhai Da and Meng Tao turned around and realized that a lot of people had gathered there without them noticing.

Geniuses from all fields seemed to be drawn to the conversation taking place here.

It was Ge Qiaoqiao who spoke: "I think you're a very capable person. If you're tired, you can come to the bar and find me. I'll treat you to a beer!"

Pi members can bring friends to the tavern, but this doesn't happen often, not to mention that most people in Dongyang don't have many friends.

In the corner, Lu Tao, who had been running around the construction site all day and was still drawing, said without looking up, "You can come to me too, I come every night."

Qi Lin: "Snacks, beer, and sunflower seeds are free."

Clearly, Meng Tao's speech just now has earned the admiration of many people.

Ge Qiaoqiao clapped her hands and said, "President, should we invite this handsome guy to join 'π' as well?"

Upon hearing this, many people showed thoughtful expressions.

This is, after all, a club with the philosophy of "gathering geniuses," and while the person in front of him is admirable, he doesn't seem to fit the description of a genius.

Zhai Da didn't respond or draw a conclusion; he simply smiled.

Meng Tao looked at the group of unfamiliar people, wondering what was going on. What was this "π"? What were you talking about?
"Well, I'm a civil servant, so it's not appropriate for me to join anything."

Yang Tiantian, a tall and beautiful girl from Shanghai, raised her hand and said, "My dad is also a civil servant. Civil servants can join non-profit, non-commercial private clubs."

The unexpected invitation immediately put the civil servant on his guard. The dark-skinned young man quickly stood up: "This is really inappropriate, really inappropriate. Well, thank you for the meal, Mr. Zhai. I'll treat you next time."

Oh no! Is the thing I feared most when preparing for the civil service exam about to happen?!

Am I, a mere junior staff member, already being bribed?

Which junior staff member could withstand such a test?

Mechanically, he shook hands with Zhai Da, picked up the plastic bag, and walked out, as if this place were some kind of den of iniquity that corrupted the hearts of "veteran cadres".

Zhai Da could only shrug and say, "I'll see him off."

After saying that, he followed.

Meng Tao walked hurriedly, and Zhai Da didn't try to stop him. He just said from a distance, "Actually, everyone means well. It might help your ambitions. After all, someone once said that we should unite all forces that can be united. To put it bluntly, I alone can help you a lot."

Meng Tao stopped, turned to Zhai Da, and said, "Mr. Zhai, thank you for your kindness, but I'd rather not do things I can't figure out. I'm just a junior staff member; I can't help you much."

Zhai Da was speechless. Did they really think he was asking him for a favor?
What can you do? Can you help arrange a marriage for a mute girl?
Actually, he was tempted by Ge Qiaoqiao's suggestion earlier.

The members of "π" are mainly geniuses in various fields, and most of them are selected by the system.

However, Zhai Da would not simply follow the system verbatim; similarly, Wu Yue, Xu Xuejun, and others never submitted a "genius manuscript."

He will make his own judgment.

Zhai Da was unsure how long Meng Tao's sincerity would last, but perhaps he would be a completely different dimension of "π".

Why isn't a childlike heart a gift?

Why stand by and watch coldly as such a person is worn down, only to then remark: "See, he certainly couldn't last long."

Zhai Da calmly said, "Alright, it's a club after all, but what I said earlier still stands. If you need help, you can talk to me about it."

With his current financial resources, 99% of the time it's just a drop in the ocean, and even without Meng Tao, he would still do some charity work every year.

For example, the welfare home, and the 100 million yuan donated jointly with the Dongyang Chamber of Commerce.

However, he wasn't interested in the numbers; he was interested in what Meng Tao would do.

There's no point in reporting a string of numbers to gain a "good reputation," just like no media outlet knows he's funded a welfare home.

"I suggest you don't hide it from your superiors. It may not be in compliance with regulations, but it's not against the law either. If more people see it, more people may learn from and imitate it. Write reports when necessary. Don't be afraid of becoming famous for doing the right thing."

"Perhaps one day the policy will change, and you will be seen by people, and then you will have greater capabilities."

Meng Tao took a deep breath and nodded.

"Let me think about it, I want to think about it, but..."

The dark-skinned young man finally relaxed a bit and said with a smile, "Doing these things is not my ambition. My ambition is not that lofty; this is my job."

Ambition may fade, but work, as long as you live, you'll keep doing it!

"I heard your factory is about to start production. I wish you all the best. I'm currently involved in job placement. If you have any trouble recruiting, feel free to contact me, although you can definitely connect with higher-ups."

Meng Tao waved his hand dismissively and stood up straight again.

Even though they just said they couldn't help, now they say they can.

This is probably the difference between having a clear conscience and having a guilty conscience.

Zhai Da waved his hand: "Alright, but you're not allowed to bring anyone to the semiconductor factory to set up a stall anymore, there's oil fumes."

Meng Tao:
(End of this chapter)