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

The snow just wouldn't stop falling.

Ye Bingwen went to the school-run factory every day to monitor the progress. The three experienced craftsmen had adjusted the equipment, and the precision of the prototype rotors was within the required range. Master Li said that as soon as the stator from Shenyang arrived, it could be assembled and run. Liu Yongqiang called every day: the stator was wound, the rotor was finished, and ten control circuit pieces had been soldered, each of which had been tested. He would personally drive over in two days.

Zheng Shuyun hadn't gone out much, staying home to study. Editor Liu from the provincial newspaper called, saying the awards ceremony was approaching and she needed to prepare an acceptance speech. Her hands trembled as she held the microphone, saying she didn't know how to write one. Editor Liu laughed, saying, "You write such good articles, how could an acceptance speech be difficult for you?"

She wrote and revised, wrote and revised again, and finally handed it to Ye Bingwen. Ye Bingwen glanced at it and said it didn't need any changes. Zheng Shuyun was still worried, so she read it aloud to herself again, and her eyes reddened as she read. An'an crawled on the floor, crawled to the table, and tugged at her trouser leg. She bent down and picked up her daughter, and An'an reached out to wipe her tears, calling out "Mommy."

As Ye Bingwen watched this scene, he suddenly thought: If the factory fails and Zhao Jianguo takes away the technology, how will he support this mother and daughter?

Liu Yongqiang called to say that the motor was fully installed, the aging test had been conducted for four hours, and the temperature and noise levels were normal, with the efficiency even slightly exceeding the design value. Ye Bingwen's fingers turned white as he gripped the receiver. Liu Yongqiang laughed on the other end of the line, saying the blueprints were well-drawn, the workers followed them perfectly, and there wasn't a single problem. He would personally drive over tomorrow night and it would arrive the day after tomorrow morning.

After hanging up the phone, Ye Bingwen stood at the entrance of the convenience store, looking at the gray sky. Zhao Jianguo's motor was also going to be exhibited; with the two placed side by side, it would be obvious which was genuine. But he felt uneasy; Zhao Jianguo wouldn't just sit idly by.

That day, Ye Bingwen woke up before dawn. Zheng Shuyun was still asleep, with An'an nestled between them, her little hand resting on his chest. He didn't move, staring at the ceiling. Liu Yongqiang set off from Shenyang in the evening, traveling through the night, and arrived in Harbin in the early morning. He needed to pick up the truck, move the motor into the factory for testing, and take it directly to the exhibition the next day.

He gently removed An'an's hand, got out of bed, dressed, and went out.

In the school-run factory, Master Li was already wiping down the machine tools. Seeing Ye Bingwen enter, he straightened up. "Did the motor arrive today?"

"Arriving tonight."

"Then I won't go back tonight, I'll wait here."

"Master Li, you don't need to..."

"Use it." Master Li tossed the rag into the bucket. "You're Principal Liu's student, so your work is my work. I'll help you debug the motor when it arrives, and you can start working on it tomorrow."

Ye Bingwen looked at him. "Thank you."

As dusk fell, Ye Bingwen went to a small restaurant near the train station and ate a bowl of noodles. The noodles were hard, the soup was too salty, and he couldn't taste anything. His mind was filled with the image of Liu Yongqiang's car. The journey from Shenyang to Harbin involved a stretch of mountain road, and in winter the roads were slippery. What if something happened? He put down his chopsticks; he couldn't eat anymore.

Back at school, he stood at the school gate for a long time. The streetlights were on, shining brightly on the snow. Car headlights passed by one after another in the distance, none of them stopping. He hunched his shoulders, his hands in his pockets, where he kept the acceptance letter from the Journal of Mechanical Engineering, the paper warmed by his body heat.

Another vehicle's lights came on, getting closer and closer. It was a large truck, not a jeep. The truck drove past him, kicking up a gust of wind that splashed snow all over his face.

He wiped his face and continued to wait.

After an unknown amount of time, car lights came on again. This time it was a jeep, driving slowly. The car stopped in front of him, the door opened, and Liu Yongqiang jumped out.

"Are you getting impatient?"

Ye Bingwen looked at the back seat of the car. Ten cardboard boxes were stacked neatly, each with a label: brushless motor, model WSM-01.

"Is the road easy to travel on?"

"There was a stretch of mountain road that was icy, and I almost slipped into a ditch. Luckily, I was driving slowly, so I was fine." Liu Yongqiang patted the roof of the vehicle. "The motors are all there, not one is missing."

Ye Bingwen opened a cardboard box and took out the motor inside. The metal casing was shiny, the coils were neatly wound, and the control circuit board was sealed in a plastic shell. He held it up under the streetlight and examined it closely.

"The test data for each motor has been signed and stamped." Liu Yongqiang took an envelope from the driver's seat.

Ye Bingwen took the envelope and put it in his inner pocket. The evidence was that his motor was older than Zhao Jianguo's, and his data was more complete.

After Mr. Li came out of the factory, several people carried the cardboard boxes inside, unpacked them, and placed the machines one by one on the table. Mr. Li picked up one, plugged it in, and pressed the switch. The motor started running smoothly, with a soft but steady hum.

Ye Bingwen stared at the spinning motor, feeling a weight lifted from his heart. The other half of his anxiety remained, hanging over tomorrow's exhibition.

He told Master Li and Liu Yongqiang to go and rest, while he stayed in the factory. Ten motors lay quietly on the table, their coils gleaming with a coppery light under the lamp. He sat in a chair and looked at them.

Zheng Shuyun arrived, carrying An'an in her arms and a cloth bag in her hand, containing a change of clothes and a few steamed buns.

"You didn't sleep all night?"

"I can't sleep."

Zheng Shuyun handed An'an to him, and An'an hugged his neck and called him "Daddy." Ye Bingwen held his daughter and suddenly felt that all his exhaustion was worth it.

"You should go to the exhibition too."

"What am I supposed to do there?"

"Go look at Zhao Jianguo's face."

Zheng Shuyun paused for a moment, then smiled. "Okay, I'll go."

A truck pulled up in front of the factory. Ye Bingwen and Master Li loaded ten motors onto the truck and wrapped them in blankets. Liu Yongqiang followed in his jeep, and the three of them headed towards the exhibition venue.

The exhibition was held in the compound of the Provincial Department of Industry. A row of temporary tents had been set up, with products from various manufacturers displayed underneath. The motor factory's booth was at the very front; Factory Director Han was standing there, with Director Wang beside him, and several people were explaining the prototype machine.

The prototype was identical to Ye Bingwen's, even the color. Ye Bingwen clenched his fist. Master Li patted him on the shoulder. "Don't rush, put our motor on."

Several people unloaded the motors from the truck and found an empty space next to the motor factory's booth to set them up. Ten motors were lined up in a row, their gleaming casings shimmering in the sunlight. Ye Bingwen posted the test data on the display board next to them.

The people from the motor factory looked over. Director Wang's expression changed, and so did Factory Director Han's.

Zhao Jianguo stepped out from the crowd, wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit and a smile on his face. He walked up to Ye Bingwen, looked at the ten motors, and then looked at Ye Bingwen.

"Ye Bingwen, you're here too?"

"Deputy Director Zhao, I received your invitation. I'm here for exchange and learning." Ye Bingwen looked at him, "and by the way, I'll show you what a real brushless motor looks like."

Zhao Jianguo's smile froze for a moment. "Your motor? Didn't you sell your technology to a motor factory?"

"I haven't sold my technology to anyone. The motor factory doesn't recognize the contract, and neither do I." Ye Bingwen pulled out the acceptance letter from his pocket. "This is the acceptance letter from the Journal of Mechanical Engineering. The paper will be published next month. The technology is mine, and no one can take it away."

People started to gather around, and some whispered among themselves. Zhao Jianguo's face darkened.

Ye Bingwen took a motor out of the cardboard box, plugged it in, and pressed the switch. The motor started running smoothly, its hum echoing in the yard. It was more stable, quieter, and more efficient than the one from the motor factory.

Zhao Jianguo stared at the spinning motor without saying a word. Director Wang wanted to say something, but Factory Director Han stopped him.

People in the crowd started clapping. One person, two people, and more and more joined in. The applause surged like a tide, engulfing the motor factory's booth. Ye Bingwen stood amidst the applause, looking at Zhao Jianguo, whose face was as white as paper.

Zheng Shuyun stood outside the crowd, holding An'an in her arms, tears streaming down her face. An'an clapped along, smiling and revealing her four tiny teeth.

A middle-aged man in military uniform walked out from behind the crowd and stood in front of Ye Bingwen.

"You're Ye Bingwen?"

"I am."

"I am from the Equipment Department of the Provincial Military Region."

The man briefly introduced himself and only asked if his equipment could be used in military applications. Ye Bingwen replied that it could. The man simply said he would see him again in a while and then left.

Zhao Jianguo's face was extremely grim. He exchanged a few words with Director Wang, whose expression changed several times before he hurriedly left with the person he had just spoken to.