A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

"Brother Xue, there's no time to buy materials right now!"

Chen Ming got anxious, "It will take at least half a day to go back and forth, plus the installation and modification, 24 hours is simply not enough!"

The herders are still blocking the entrance; we need to get a tangible result to reassure them.

I suggest using the existing materials for temporary markings to clearly indicate the evacuation routes, just to get through the review process and give the herders an explanation. Once the shipping has stabilized, we can replace them with qualified materials.

Old Xue said sternly, "No way! If the temporary sign isn't compliant, it won't pass the review either. Then we'll lose our sailing qualification, which will only disappoint the herders and escalate the conflict. This is just treating the symptoms, not the root cause!"

"By the time you buy the materials, the herders will be in an uproar, and you'll lose your shipping license. What's the point of talking about this then?"

Chen Ming wouldn't back down either, "The most important thing right now is to get through this immediate hurdle!"

The two started arguing, neither willing to back down.

The meeting room erupted in chaos, with others joining in the discussion.

Some people agreed with Lao Xue, believing that quality could not be compromised and safety was the bottom line; others sided with Chen Ming, feeling that it was more important to resolve the immediate crisis first and that the herders' emotions should not be further agitated.

After much deliberation, Han Jidong slammed several substandard labeling boards onto the table. "Don't just stand there! Divide the work now. Quality and speed are both crucial!"

He pointed at Lao Xue and said, "Take three people and go to the nearby building materials market immediately. You must choose reflective materials with fire safety certification. You must be back within 12 hours."

He turned to Chen Ming, his tone becoming more urgent: "You take a group of people and use the red and white cloth in the warehouse to make temporary signs."

The first step is to clearly mark the evacuation routes, indicating which entrance corresponds to the cotton farmer's passage and which is the emergency exit. Make sure everything is clearly marked!

"Then I'll contact Ji Baoyu and have him give the herdsmen a clear answer, aiming for an official launch this week."

Han Jidong had just finalized the division of labor plan and hadn't even sat down in his chair when the walkie-talkie rang again.

"Director, the herders' representatives still don't believe us. They refuse to leave and say they're going to the management committee to demand an explanation!"

"Keep them calm and assure them that it will definitely be done tonight!"

Han Jidong shouted into the walkie-talkie while his other hand was still flipping through the progress chart.

Just after hanging up with Ji Baoyu, Chen Ming rushed over again: "Director, the construction team won't let us put up the signs, saying they're blocking their work!"

Han Jidong rubbed his throbbing temples. "I'll go talk to them!"

He had only taken two steps when he suddenly felt dizzy and his body swayed. Fortunately, Aikberjan caught him in time.

"Your blood pressure is high again, you need to rest. I'll take over the handover for you!"

"No, Chen Ming can't handle things there, I have to go!"

Han Jidong was about to get up when Aikberjiang panicked, "If you keep pushing yourself, something terrible will happen. I'm going to talk to the construction team; you stay here and keep an eye on the progress!"

Han Jidong had no choice but to watch helplessly as Aikberjiang walked onto the scene.

Less than two minutes later, he took out his blood pressure medication from his pocket, poured out two pills, and swallowed them directly.

On the other side, Chen Ming was arguing heatedly with Li, the head of the construction team.

Chen Ming pointed to the wall and shouted, "The sign must be posted here; this is the main passage for cotton farmers!"

"No way! I need to take down this scaffolding tomorrow, and sticking it here will delay my work!"

Li stubbornly retorted, neither of them willing to back down.

When Aikberjan arrived, the two sides had been deadlocked for half an hour.

"Li Tou, I promise you, we'll move the sign away first thing tomorrow morning. Let us put it up here for now; the herders can't wait!"

Li Tou snorted and finally relented: "Fine, just this once!"

Chen Ming breathed a sigh of relief and quickly led his team to put up the signs. As they did so, he told his team, "We were delayed for half an hour just now. Let's work harder tonight and not rest until we finish!"

Han Jidong couldn't sit still, so he also came to the construction site.

One minute they'd tell this person to "place it higher so no one can touch it," and the next they'd remind that person to "make the arrow on the cotton farmer's path thicker."

The sound of snowflakes hitting the window was clearly audible. Han Jidong, worried about Lao Xue who had gone out to buy groceries, immediately called him. "Lao Xue, it's snowing here. How is it where you are?"

"The national highway is closed, so we're taking a back road."

"Is the path easy to walk on? Don't just focus on speed, safety first!"

"Don't worry, we're driving slowly."

The path isn't blocked, but the snow is thick. We're keeping an eye on it; we'll definitely get the materials back as soon as possible!

No one knew that Lao Xue was just putting on a brave face when he said that.

Just half an hour ago, they found the last fire equipment store open in a neighboring city. They had visited three other stores before, but they were either out of stock or lacked proper qualifications.

It wasn't until they saw the shop lights on that the group of people, whose bodies were frozen stiff, regained their strength.

Old Xue rushed into the store, rubbing his hands and breathing on them to warm them up. "Boss, I need reflective signage, emergency lights, and fire hydrant wrenches—all with fire safety certification!"

"Only one last batch left, and they are all qualified."

Xiao Zhang and Xiao Wang immediately got to work, while Lao Xue repeatedly checked the list: "Are there enough reflective strips? Are the emergency light batteries all included? Don't forget anything!"

He breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that nothing was missing, and urged everyone to get in the car quickly, as it was already completely dark and any further delay would make them late for the agreed time.

But they hadn't gone far when trouble struck.

As soon as the car turned onto the side road, the wheels got stuck in a snowdrift.

Old Xue quickly got out of the car to check. The snow was up to his calves, and the bottom was all soft, uncompacted snow. Half of the car wheel was stuck in the snow.

"dig!"

He shouted, and several people began to shovel snow into their hands and knees, digging it out. But the snow was falling too fast, and as soon as they dug a little, it was filled back up with fresh snow.

"Brother Xue, this won't work! The snow is falling heavier and heavier; we can't get the car out at all!"

Xiao Zhang shook his hands, which were numb from the cold, and his voice was urgent.

Looking at his watch, Lao Xue realized that there were less than 5 hours left until the agreed 12 hours. He was still more than ten miles away from the airport, and if he delayed any longer, he would definitely be too late.

He gritted his teeth, wrapped his cotton-padded coat tighter around himself, and said, "Abandon the truck, carry the materials with us. We'll figure out how to get the truck back later; we can't delay the rectification!"

"Brother Xue, this is too far!"

Xiao Wang pointed to the materials piled up in the truck, "The signboards are heavy and take up a lot of space. If we carry them, it'll take us most of the night!"

"The herders are waiting for the cotton to be transported!"

Old Xue bent down, picked up a bundle of signboards, and slung them over his shoulder. "With this kind of road condition, even a rescue vehicle would get stuck in the snow."

Let's carry these supplies out of this snow-covered area; otherwise, all our work will be in vain.

Xiao Zhang and the other two team members didn't hesitate either, each carrying the materials on their backs.

Just as Xiao Wang was about to carry the heaviest emergency light, Lao Xue quickly stopped him: "You carry the lighter reflective strip, I'll carry the light!"

But Xiao Wang still grabbed a bundle of signboards and followed behind, gritting his teeth.

The snow was ankle-deep, and every step felt like walking on cotton, with my feet constantly slipping.

Old Xue walked at the front, wading through the cold air, but he didn't bother to pull his scarf up.

After walking for less than half an hour, he felt his toes go numb, as if they were covered in ice, but he didn't say anything and just quickened his pace.

"Brother Xue, slow down, don't fall!"

Xiao Zhang called from behind, noticing that Lao Xue's steps were a little unsteady.

Just as Lao Xue was about to say "It's okay", he suddenly slipped and almost fell in the snow. Fortunately, he managed to grab onto a tree next to him in time.

After walking for more than an hour, the group had completely lost their previous energy.

Xiao Wang leaned on a tree branch he had found on the spot. He swayed with every step. His cotton shoes were filled with snow, which crunched on the ground. He was panting heavily and said, "Brother Xue... I really can't walk anymore. My feet are frozen like ice. I can't even see the road clearly."

Old Xue stopped and leaned against a nearby tree, panting for a long time, feeling a tightness in his chest.

He looked down at his teammates. Xiao Zhang's ears were red from the cold, and another teammate, Xiao Li, had his hands tucked into his clothes, too weak to even take them out.

Old Xue was also at his breaking point, so he dialed Han Jidong's number.

"Director, we're halfway there... we can't walk anymore. We're still quite far from the airport. Could... could you send a car to pick us up?"