78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

After hanging up the phone, Ye Bingwen stood in the public phone booth, looking at the frost flowers forming on the glass. People were queuing outside to make calls. He pushed open the door, and a blast of cold wind hit him.

He walked to the school gate, but instead of returning to the laboratory, he went to Liu Deben's office.

Liu Deben was reading documents when he saw Ye Bingwen come in, and he took off his glasses.

"Sit down. I heard someone from the Light Industry Bureau was looking for you?"

"Yes. We signed a letter of intent; they don't want the technology, they just want the product."

Liu Deben nodded. "I know Su Min; she's reliable. If she can really secure the orders from the light industry system, you won't have to worry about selling your motors."

"Principal Liu, the motor factory is demanding changes to the contract. They want the profit share reduced to three percent, and they also want an exclusivity agreement."

Liu Deben frowned. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't want to sign. Three percent is too low, and an exclusivity agreement is even more unacceptable. Signing it would be tantamount to selling the technology to them."

"Okay." Liu Deben leaned back in his chair. "What do you think about the school setting up its own factory?"

"I've made up my mind. Let's do it."

Liu Deben stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled. "Okay. Go back and write a feasibility report, and hand it in to me next week. I'll take it to the school affairs meeting for discussion."

"Thank you, Principal Liu."

"You're welcome. We can't let outsiders steal the technology you developed."

Ye Bingwen came out of the school office and ran into Zhou Mingyi in the corridor.

Zhou Mingyi was wearing a dark gray cotton-padded coat and a black scarf today, and was holding a folder in his hand. He saw Ye Bingwen and stopped.

"Ye Bingwen, I heard you signed an agreement with the Light Industry Department?"

Ye Bingwen's heart skipped a beat. Zhou Mingyi's news had come too quickly.

"Section Chief Zhou, how did you know?"

"I have friends in the Light Industry Department." Zhou Mingyi smiled. "You can trust Su Min. She's worked in the Light Industry Department for ten years and has a very good reputation. She won't harm you."

"I know."

"But you need to be careful of one person." Zhou Mingyi's smile faded. "The factory director of the motor factory, surnamed Han. This person has a very close relationship with Zhao Jianguo. Director Han's son is a section chief under Zhao Jianguo. Director Han works for Zhao Jianguo, and Zhao Jianguo paves the way for his son."

Ye Bingwen's heart sank. "So, Director Han amended the contract on behalf of Zhao Jianguo?"

"Not entirely. Director Han also wants to profit from your technology. Zhao Jianguo takes the lion's share, and he takes a smaller portion." Zhou Mingyi looked at him. "Ye Bingwen, what you're doing now is blocking someone's path to wealth. Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents."

Ye Bingwen remained silent.

"Be careful." Zhou Mingyi patted his shoulder, then turned and left.

Ye Bingwen stood in the corridor, watching Zhou Mingyi's figure disappear at the top of the stairs. Which side was this man on? He claimed to be helping Ye Bingwen, but his sources of information were too diverse—the Light Industry Bureau, the Electrical Machinery Factory, the Provincial Industry Bureau—he had "friends" everywhere.

How can a head of a publicity department have so many friends?

In the afternoon, Ye Bingwen went to the laboratory and outlined the framework of the feasibility report.

Setting up a factory is no small matter. Equipment, factory buildings, workers, and funds—everything must be clearly written down. He sat at his desk for over an hour, filling two pages. Looking out the window, he saw that it was almost dark.

Chen Zhiyuan pushed the door open and came in, holding an envelope in his hand.

"Bingwen, your letter. It's from Beijing."

Ye Bingwen took the envelope and opened it. It was a reply from the editorial department of the *Journal of Mechanical Engineering*. His heart skipped a beat as he unfolded the letter.

"Comrade Ye Bingwen: Your paper, 'Design and Optimization of Fractional Slot Concentrated Winding Brushless DC Motor,' has passed expert review and is scheduled to be published in the third issue of this journal in 1980. This is to inform you."

passed.

Ye Bingwen read the letter three times, put it down, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong?" Chen Zhiyuan came closer.

"The paper has been approved."

"Really?" Chen Zhiyuan picked up the letter and read it through, then excitedly slammed his hand on the table. "Ye Bingwen! You published a paper! And it's in the *Journal of Mechanical Engineering*!"

Ye Bingwen smiled, folded the letter, and put it in his pocket. With the paper published, the technology was public knowledge. Zhao Jianguo couldn't monopolize it even if he wanted to.

"Bingwen, shall we celebrate?"

"I'll treat you to a drink after An'an falls asleep."

"Okay!" Chen Zhiyuan smiled.

That evening, Ye Bingwen returned home and told Zheng Shuyun the news that his thesis had been approved.

Zheng Shuyun was feeding An'an when she heard this, looked up, her eyes bright. "Really?"

"Really. Published in issue three."

Zheng Shuyun put down her bowl, walked over, and hugged him. "Bingwen, you're amazing."

An'an sat in her high chair, watching her parents hug each other, not understanding what was going on, and clapped her hands on the table and giggled.

Ye Bingwen released Zheng Shuyun and picked up An'an. The little girl hugged his neck, drooling all over his face.

"An'an, Daddy published a paper."

An'an didn't understand, but she laughed even harder.

Zheng Shuyun rubbed her eyes and turned to go to the kitchen. "I'll cook two dishes to celebrate."

Ye Bingwen held An'an and spun her around the room. An'an reached out to touch the table lamp, but he pulled her hand back, and An'an huffed unhappily.

There was a knock on the door.

Ye Bingwen put An'an into the crib and went to open the door. Chen Zhiyuan was standing at the door, holding two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor).

"I brought the promised wine."

Ye Bingwen took the wine bottle and let him in. Chen Zhiyuan saw Zheng Shuyun cooking and rubbed his hands together. "Sister-in-law, thank you for your trouble."

"No trouble at all." Zheng Shuyun smiled. "Please have a seat, it'll be ready in a minute."

The three sat down to eat. Chen Zhiyuan took a sip of his drink, wincing from the spiciness. "Bingwen, the paper has been published, and the patent has been applied for. What are your next steps?"

"Set up a factory."

"Really?"

"I'll do it." Ye Bingwen picked up a piece of food. "Principal Liu asked me to write a feasibility report, due next week."

Chen Zhiyuan put down his chopsticks. "Where will the money to set up the factory come from?"

"I'll squeeze some out of the research funding, and I still have the advance payment from the motor factory. If all else fails, I'll borrow from them."

Zheng Shuyun listened silently. She knew that once Ye Bingwen made a decision, no one could stop him.

After finishing their meal, Chen Zhiyuan left. Zheng Shuyun cleared the dishes, while Ye Bingwen sat at the table to continue writing the feasibility report.

He stopped writing halfway through and looked out the window.

Another black sedan was parked downstairs. It wasn't Zhao Jianguo's, nor was it Director Han's. He didn't recognize the license plate.

The car door opened, but no one got out. The car was parked in the snow, the engine was still running, and white smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipe.

Ye Bingwen stared at the car for several minutes. The windows were black, so he couldn't see inside.

He stood up and walked to the window. Someone came out of the building entrance downstairs; it was a neighbor from upstairs, wrapped in a cotton-padded coat, hurrying past without even glancing at the car.

The car still didn't move.

Ye Bingwen put on his coat. "Shuyun, I'm going downstairs to buy a pack of cigarettes."

"Don't you not smoke?"

"Bought for Chen Zhiyuan."

He went downstairs, walked out of the building entrance, and headed towards the car. His footsteps crunched on the snow.

The car lights suddenly turned on.

A person sat in the driver's seat, wearing a hat pulled low so their face was obscured. Another person sat in the passenger seat, wearing a gray cotton-padded coat, their face turned to the side towards Ye Bingwen.

Ye Bingwen recognized the face.

It's Zhao Jianguo.