A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Whether it was Uncle Abduga Token's house or the young herder's house where the commotion had been the most intense, he knocked on each door and went inside.

"Uncle, how did you know the pipes would ruin the groundwater?"

"How else could we know? Ma Haitao told us."

He came to my house a few days ago and said that the pipes the construction team was digging could puncture the groundwater layer, and that Qianquan Lake would dry up in six months, killing all the cattle and sheep.

……

Zhou Mingyu then visited several herders' homes and learned that the source of the information was Ma Haitao.

Zhou Mingyu immediately thought of Ma Haitao's previous failure to win the bid for the supporting works of the project. Was he trying to take this opportunity to sabotage the project and then re-enter the fray?

With this in mind, Zhou Mingyu did not confront Ma Haitao directly, since the other party had some connections in the local area, and a direct confrontation would only escalate the conflict.

After thinking for a long time, Zhou Mingyu specifically sought out Mr. Wang, an old merchant who had business dealings with Ma Haitao, and asked him to pass on a message.

Boss Wang dialed Ma Haitao's number and put it on speakerphone: "Haitao, Director Zhou asked me to pass on a message to you. Don't spread rumors behind our backs about the Qianquan Lake project. The herders are already struggling; they can't afford any more trouble."

On the other end of the phone, Ma Haitao feigned ignorance: "Brother Wang, what do you mean by that? I'm just reminding the villagers so they don't get taken advantage of."

When Zhou Mingyu heard Ma Haitao's attitude on the other end of the phone, he felt dissatisfied even though he thought about giving Ma Haitao a way out. So he simply said into the phone, "Stop pretending!"

Mr. Ma, if the project is to develop, everyone can benefit. If you have any requests or want to do supporting projects, come and talk to me directly. Let's put it out there.

But if you continue to spread rumors and incite the herders to cause trouble, delaying the project and ruining the livelihoods of the villagers, can you bear the consequences?

"Director Zhou, I'm just worried that the project will harm Qianquan Lake, that's all."

"If you have concerns, offer suggestions openly and honestly; don't resort to underhanded tactics."

Let me give you a straight answer: if you have any thoughts, go directly to the management committee tomorrow and we can talk face-to-face.

But from now on, you're not allowed to spread rumors among the herders anymore, or I'll have to follow the rules!

After hanging up the phone, Boss Wang was a little worried. "Director Zhou, Ma Haitao is stubborn. Will he listen to you?"

"He wants business, not to fight tooth and nail over projects. If things really blow up, he won't benefit either."

Sure enough, for the next two days, no one at the ranch mentioned the pipes damaging the water supply again.

Ma Haitao did not appear, but he also did not stir up trouble again.

The herders who had been surrounding the construction site have all gone home, only occasionally sending Uncle Token to check on things around the site.

"Director, you're really something. Look, nobody's paying attention to this anymore."

"Zhitong, it's not as simple as you think."

This is only temporary; to completely resolve the problem, we need solid evidence.

To truly reassure the herders, we must also completely dispel Ma Haitao's wicked intentions.

"Zhitong, let's stick to what we said before. Organize geological experts and a water conservancy testing team to go to Qianquan Lake for on-site testing first thing tomorrow morning. Let the data speak for itself and let everyone see the truth with their own eyes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Zhitong called the heads of the Xinjiang Geological Exploration Institute and the Shihezi Water Conservancy Department.

"Old Chen, there's a rumor going around Qianquan Lake that our underground pipes will puncture the groundwater layer. You need to arrange for an expert team to come over immediately, bringing drilling rigs, water level monitoring equipment, and other necessary equipment."

"The key is that the test results must be presented in a way that herders can understand. Avoid using technical jargon; they need to be able to understand at a glance whether the pipeline is safe or not."

After hanging up the phone, he turned to Yang Zhitong and said, "Contact Uncle Abduja Token immediately and have him select a few reliable herder representatives to witness the entire process tomorrow. From drilling sampling to water volume testing, have them oversee every step, without hiding anything, so that everyone can see everything clearly."

Yang Zhitong quickly replied, "No problem, I'll call Uncle Token right now and make sure the herders' representatives arrive on time."

The next morning, geological experts and a water conservancy testing team arrived at Qianquan Lake with their equipment.

The herders had been waiting by the lake for a long time, their faces showing distress, clearly still reeling from the fear that Qianquan Lake was going to dry up.

"Everyone, please make way, we're about to start taking samples!"

The expert called out, handing the drill rod to the herdsman representative, "Come on, fellow villager, hold the drill rod yourself, let's drill down together and see just how deep the groundwater layer is."

As the drilling rig started, the drill rod slowly drilled into the ground.

The herders held their breath, staring intently at the direction the drill rod was sinking.

Before long, the drill rod reached a depth of 15 meters.

Suddenly, clear lake water slowly seeped out along the drill rod, dripping onto the ground and forming a small puddle.

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd: "There really is water! They can still get water from this deep!"

"This aquifer looks pretty thick."

The expert explained with a smile: "As you can see, this is the groundwater layer of Qianquan Lake, a full 15 meters deep, and it's very solid."

Next, the staff placed the water level detector in the center of the lake. After a short while, the screen clearly displayed the data: "Current water depth 2.3 meters, groundwater recharge is stable."

The expert pointed to the screen and explained in the simplest terms: "Our pipeline is only buried 8 meters underground, and there is a safe distance of 7 meters between it and the groundwater layer."

It's like digging a ditch next to a cotton field; you won't touch any groundwater, and the lake will only become more stable over time—it will never dry up!

Zhou Mingyu picked up the soil sample he had just taken out and handed it to the herders: "Everyone, feel it and see how solid this soil layer is."

Furthermore, our pipes are all coated with a leak-proof layer, so they won't puncture the groundwater layer or pollute the lake water. You can rest assured.

Seeing the clear numbers on the testing instrument, the groundwater seeping out along the drill rod, and the expert's real demonstration, the herders finally felt relieved.

Uncle Abduja Token stepped forward, grasped Zhou Mingyu's hand tightly, and said with a tone full of guilt, "Director Zhou, now we completely believe you. We were blinded by lies and almost ruined our plans."

Seeing that things were not going well, Ma Haitao, who was mixed in with the crowd, tried to sneak away from the scene, but was unintentionally discovered by the herdsmen.

"Director, he's the one who told us the lake was going to dry up."

The herdsman who had just discovered him trying to slip away immediately pointed at his nose and said that.

At this point, everyone gathered around to criticize Ma Haitao, and the scene became somewhat chaotic.

Zhou Mingyu quickly stepped forward to stop them: "Everyone, calm down, don't be impulsive."

He looked at Ma Haitao and said in a serious tone, "Ma Haitao, you will be held responsible for spreading rumors and inciting the masses."

We will handle the matter according to regulations, but today, let's clarify the truth first.

Then, he turned to all the herders: "From now on, no matter who says that Qianquan Lake will dry up, we will let today's test results speak for themselves."

The data doesn't lie; the facts speak for themselves.

Upon hearing that Zhou Mingyu was going to punish him, Ma Haitao became anxious. He quickly went to Boss Wang and tried to ask him to speak to Zhou Mingyu on his behalf and give him a chance to make amends.