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

When Liu Yongqiang arrived in Harbin, it was raining. Not spring rain, but the rain from the last snowfall of winter, fine and dense, icy cold on his face. He drove his nearly new Jeep, the back seat piled high with cardboard boxes, twenty motors neatly stacked. Ye Bingwen was waiting for him at the school gate; the two of them braved the rain to carry the boxes into the factory, their clothes soaked through.

Master Li had already lit the stove. He took off his wet clothes and draped them beside the stove to dry, then began unpacking the boxes while still wearing his vest. He checked each appliance one by one, tested the power, and all the data passed. Liu Yongqiang squatted beside him, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, the glow of the cigarette butt flickering.

"This batch of motors is even better than the last batch. The efficiency is half a point higher."

"It's because your factory's workers are highly skilled." Ye Bingwen noted the test data in his notebook. "Can you make the next order of fifty units?"

"Yes, but the materials need to be prepared in advance."

"I'll take care of the materials. You just need to focus on processing."

Liu Yongqiang stubbed out his cigarette. "Okay. I'll go back tomorrow."

He left. Ye Bingwen stood at the factory gate, rain dripping from the eaves. Master Li came over and handed him a cup of hot water. "Drink some, don't catch a cold."

Ye Bingwen took the cup and took a sip. "Master Li, when will the order for twenty units from the Provincial Military Region be completed?"

"If all the materials are ready, it will take about half a month."

"Alright. Put the Light Industry Bureau's order on hold for now and get the military products done first."

Master Li glanced at him, asked no more questions, and turned to adjust the equipment.

The rain stopped, but the sky was still overcast. Ye Bingwen walked from the factory back to his residence, the road covered with puddles. When he got downstairs, he saw a letter on the ground, without a stamp, only the three characters "Ye Bingwen".

He opened it. The letter was typed.

"Comrade Ye Bingwen, your skills are excellent, but you shouldn't have offended Zhao Jianguo. He's been working in the province for so many years; he has plenty of ways to make things difficult for you. If you know what's good for you, hand over your skills, take some money, and leave. Otherwise, your factory won't be able to stay in business, and you won't be able to continue your studies."

There was no signature.

Ye Bingwen folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Upstairs, Zheng Shuyun was feeding An'an. An'an, sitting in her high chair, saw Ye Bingwen come in and raised her spoon, splashing food all over him. Ye Bingwen picked her up, and she handed the letter to Zheng Shuyun. Zheng Shuyun read it and her face turned pale.

"Another anonymous letter."

"Um."

"Aren't you afraid?"

"I'm afraid. But I can't let them see it."

Two days later, Ye Bingwen received a call from Liu Deben. He went to the school office. Liu Deben sat behind his desk, a stack of documents spread out in front of him, and looked rather unwell.

"The Provincial Department of Industry's investigation results are in. They say the source of the motor factory's blueprints is unclear, but it doesn't constitute theft. They suggest both parties resolve the matter through negotiation." Liu Deben pushed the documents over.

Ye Bingwen picked it up and read it through. The wording was very official, but the meaning was clear: Zhao Jianguo had won. The investigation team did not determine that the motor factory stole the blueprints, nor did it determine Ye Bingwen's originality.

"Who decided on this outcome?"

"Zhao Jianguo. The investigation team members are all his subordinates." Liu Deben looked at him. "To get this result is already considered giving them face. If it were someone else, they might have directly concluded that your technology was a counterfeit."

"Then what should I do?"

"Keep going. Your technology is real, your product is real, your orders are real. Nobody's word matters, the product's word matters. Zhao Jianguo can handle the investigation team, but he can't handle the market."

Ye Bingwen returned to the factory and told Master Li the investigation results. Master Li was machining a rotor on his lathe when he heard this, and he stopped the machine. "The investigation team's opinion doesn't matter. The machine tool does. If your product is good, people will buy it."

Su Min from the Light Industry Bureau called, asking when the first batch of orders could be delivered. Ye Bingwen said the military orders would be done first, and the civilian orders would have to wait. Su Min agreed, saying the military orders were more important, and the civilian orders weren't urgent. But Ye Bingwen sensed a hint of disappointment. Not a single unit of the framework agreement for 5,000 motors had been delivered. Su Min wasn't in a hurry because she trusted him. He couldn't betray that trust.

He called Liu Yongqiang and asked him to increase production capacity again. Liu Yongqiang agreed, but said they didn't have enough workers. Ye Bingwen said he would hire more and pay their wages.

The factory door was pushed open, and Chen Zhiyuan rushed in, soaking wet.

"Bingwen, something happened at the motor factory. Factory Director Han has been dismissed."

Why?

"Someone reported him for embezzlement. An investigation team from the province came and uncovered many problems. The new factory director is a woman, sent down from the province."

"What's your name?"

"Lin Hui".

Ye Bingwen stood by the window, rain pattering against the glass. Factory Director Han had fallen, and Zhao Jianguo had lost a piece, but he wouldn't admit defeat.

The rain stopped. Ye Bingwen stood at the factory gate, looking at the hazy sky in the distance. A black sedan drove up and stopped in front of him. The door opened, and a woman in her thirties stepped out, wearing a navy blue coat, her hair piled up, and gold-rimmed glasses. She walked up to Ye Bingwen and extended her hand.

"Comrade Ye Bingwen, I am Lin Hui, the new factory director of the motor factory."

Ye Bingwen grasped her hand. "Director Lin."

"I will correct the mistakes made by Factory Director Han. Your technology is yours, and the motor factory won't take it away. If you still want to continue cooperating, we can renegotiate the previous contract."

Ye Bingwen looked at her. "The conditions remain the same. Five percent of the profits, non-exclusive."

Lin Hui was silent for a moment. "Five percent is fine, or we can exclude him. But there's one condition. Your products must be supplied to the motor factory first. Orders that the motor factory can't handle, you can then pass on to others."

Ye Bingwen thought for a moment. "Okay."

Lin Hui extended her hand. "It's a pleasure doing business with you."

She turned and got into the car, which disappeared around the corner. Master Li came out of the factory and stood beside him. "The new factory manager?"

"Um."

"Can I trust him?"

"I don't know. But what she said was more pleasant to hear than what Director Han said."

Master Li laughed. "Sweet words won't put food on the table. Let's see what she does."

Ye Bingwen nodded. He wasn't afraid. He had the technology, the products, and the orders. Zhao Jianguo couldn't take them away, Factory Director Han couldn't take them away, and nobody could take them away.

He turned and went back into the factory. The lathes were still turning. Everything was the same. But when he got to the workbench, he saw something new on it: a note under the micrometer. He picked it up; it only had one line: "Lin Hui is Zhao Jianguo's person." The handwriting was crooked and messy, as if it had been deliberately written like that.

Ye Bingwen gripped the note tightly, his fingers slowly tightening.

The incident happened so suddenly that he was caught off guard.

Whether this is true or false remains to be investigated.