Chapter 10

Wu Wei replied with a slight smile, "I believe."

Lu Jun's body stiffened all over

Lu Jun pondered over the words: "Just now, President Qian mentioned that some things in the world truly cannot be explained by reason. What are your thoughts on this?"

Lu Jun shook the stack of bound materials in his hand: "This morning, when I left, General Manager Wu asked me to bring this geological environment survey report of the Digran area with me. He wanted me to take a look first and then summarize it for him. This thick stack is entirely in English, filled with specialized vocabulary. If I don't review it a few more times, I'm afraid I might misunderstand it."

So eloquently spoken. Lu Jun, in a fit of anger, struck his back forcefully to vent her frustration

Having thought it through, Wu Wei walked towards the car, and the others immediately followed suit. Upon hearing him say: "I am starting to worry about the impact of the landslide here on the reservoir. Although it is far enough away that, theoretically, it should not have an effect; however, since it is the same mountain range with the same geological structure, the sooner we eliminate any unstable factors, the better. It seems that there is no problem now, let’s get in the car."

Qian Dahua spread his hand and nodded in agreement; then he turned to Wu Wei and said: "It's not just this, General Manager Wu, the efficiency of the Pakistanis is also concerning. They start work at 9 AM, but they always arrive after 10. When they say a repair will be completed in one day, it will likely take two or three days; when they say it will be completed in three or four days, it will definitely take a week."

No, it is a survey report covering the entire eastern region of Gram and the central area of the entire Northwest Frontier Province. The report is quite old, with data from the 1950s and 1960s, but it is still worth a look. I cannot find anything more recent.

As the car restarted, Lu Jun silently gazed out at the scenery for a while, then caught a glimpse of Wu Wei's blurred reflection on the window glass. Feeling a stir in her heart, she turned her head and called out to him: "Mr. Wu."

Qian Dahua thought again and shook his head: "I am afraid there might be a problem. The news said the roads are also blocked"

Wu Wei raised his gaze from the materials in his hand and asked, "How?"

The morning after the power outage, numerous calls were made and countless pieces of information were gathered, revealing that a severe landslide had occurred in several unnamed small mountains located fifty kilometers away from the hydropower station. Fortunately, there were no significant casualties, but some transportation routes were blocked, and several high-voltage cables and distribution transformers were damaged. The specific extent of the cable damage has not yet been reported. However, based on the area affected by the power outage as reported in the news, it has impacted an area of several hundred square kilometers in the southeast direction of the hydropower station, affecting over one hundred thousand people.

The conversation caught the attention of another person in the front seat. Qian Dahua turned around to take a look, somewhat surprised: "Isn't this the geological survey report of the hydropower station reservoir area?"

In the realm of spontaneous combustion, there are many things that are hard to define. Qian Dahua, half-jokingly, responded to her, "I have personally witnessed water wells being dug in the Taklamakan Desert and inexplicably self-igniting ponds. What else is impossible?"

Lu Jun said, "Your English is quite good."

Although Lu Jun was quite willing to take on this task, he was still surprised: "He is called Qian Gong because he has extensive experience dealing with Pakistanis. Why am I being called?"

After so many years in Pakistan, he maintained a natural disposition as clear as a mirror regarding these circumstances and current situations; however, a remark from a bystander still caused his brow to furrow. Subsequently, he retracted that contemplative expression and replaced it with a calm and unperturbed demeanor: "The contract states clearly that we have priority in power supply. Since they are delaying, we will urge them. Someone has to persist in this matter."

The vehicle traverses the rugged mountain road, with the scenery leisurely passing by. The journey spans less than two hundred kilometers, half of which consists of country roads. They are seated in an ordinary small truck, which, due to the absence of cargo, has its center of gravity shifted forward, making it feel light and buoyant. Even a small stone can cause the entire truck bed to bounce with the little springs, while the passengers are tossed about like plastic balls at the top of a spring or small waves in a storm, swaying east and west, their fate entirely beyond their control. Although engineers are known for their strong will and ability to endure hardship, such jolting truly tests their physical resilience. Lu Jun sits in the back of the small truck, feeling as though her internal organs have shifted positions.

Bi Xigu was puzzled: "Why did Wu suddenly ask you to look at this?"

Having finally driven onto a relatively smooth stretch of road, Lu Jun let out a sigh of relief. She reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of documents to examine.

This statement resembles a diplomatic decree; it appears commendable but essentially conveys nothing. Lu Jun, unwilling to accept this, inquired further: "Then what about you? Do you agree, have doubts, or oppose?"

In fact, Lu Jun did not notice anything at all. The more than fifty pages of the article contained standard data and information, including an analysis of rock mass faults in mountains and plateaus. Having studied hydrogeology during her education, she found it not difficult to read; she understood the technical terms. As she continued reading, she gradually realized the purpose behind Wu Wei asking her to look at this information

Driving is a familiar task for Bixi Gu, and he is quite at ease, speaking without any formality. He saw her flipping through the materials in the rearview mirror and laughed heartily: "Little girl, you are just like Wu, always studying and reading no matter the time."

"My spoken English is not good, it's like a mute's English, unlike you, who almost scored full marks in the TOEFL," Zhou Xu shrugged, "But you can't ask for everything, right? You now have more opportunities to interact with General Manager Wu."

This series of theories flows smoothly when discussed. Qian Dahua was just about to smile and elaborate on two difficult-to-explain matters when she happened to catch Wu Wei looking at her with a smile, his gaze filled with admiration. Thus, she nodded with a smile and said, "Thinking this way is correct. Engineers work diligently, which is commendable, but they also need a scientific spirit of skepticism"

Qian Dahua glanced at the soundly sleeping Wu Wei and nodded: "He tends to see things further than we do; perhaps there are certain aspects in this report that are particularly worth noting. This is also a fundamental quality of a leader"

At that time, the two sat by the riverside as the sun set, engaging in casual conversation. The river water lapped against the shore, crashing against the large stones on which they sat. The Swat River, devoid of mechanical sounds, was so quiet that it hardly resembled itself.

Lu Jun blinked and let out a somewhat understanding "Oh".

There is nothing wrong with your relationship being a bit closer," Zhou Xu said, blinking innocently, his tone rising and falling, "Learning a bit more experience from him is also beneficial. For our line of work, experience far surpasses theoretical knowledge from textbooks.

Lu Jun lowered his head and quietly thought: Despite the car bouncing so violently, he was still able to fall asleep; he truly was exhausted to the utmost.

Although they were speaking in Chinese, Bixi Gu probably understood, after all, he had been around so many Chinese people for such a long time, it was only natural that he had become accustomed to it; his eyes lit up: "I just remembered a rumor, that in the 1960s or 1970s, someone came here to mine uranium. Perhaps this is related to Huabo."

It is very cold outside, and everyone instinctively tightened their clothing. It seems that the road has just been cleared, as the tracks left by the treads on the clay branches are quite distinct. Wu Wei looked up at the mountain for a while, then squatted down to examine the stones on the ground, slightly furrowing his brow, as if he were somewhat concerned

Today, as dawn broke, we set off from the hydropower station's dam site. Two hours later, it was still morning. The air was relatively cool, while the cabin felt warm; before long, white condensation began to form on the windows. Lowering the window, one could see thin wisps of mist winding through the distant mountains, elegantly diffusing in the air.

Recalling the conversation from yesterday afternoon, Lu Jun turned her head and quietly looked at Wu Wei, who was dozing off against the back of the car seat beside her—she did not know when he had fallen asleep, leaning back against the rear seat. His posture was somewhat uncomfortable, his body slightly tilted towards the car door, but the rear seat back was high enough to allow his head to rest against it. When Wu Wei slept peacefully, his face bore a rare calmness, devoid of the seriousness, sense of responsibility, and quality that usually lingered on his features. Indeed, at this moment, he was not thinking about anything, nor was he worried about anything; he appeared to be a different person. It was strange, the same person, the same face, yet due to the subtle changes in expression, it evoked an indescribable feeling.

As the vehicle began to jolt again halfway through the journey, I looked up to see it making a turn at an extremely low speed. The mountain road within my line of sight was strewn with scattered stones, soil, and broken branches, indicating that it had been cleared, albeit not thoroughly. However, the vehicle could pass without any issues. An astonishing gap was exposed on the left side of the mountain, where the reddish-brown soil and rocks stood out starkly against the greenery; on the other side of the mountain road was a slope, with the direction of the flattened grass serving as a perfect footnote to the landslide event.

It has always been known that Wu Wei is the kind of man who is rare and never tiresome to look at. At first glance, he is handsome and beautiful; at the second glance, he appears even more handsome and beautiful. His features are perfect, his contours distinct, and his face is simply impeccable; his long eyebrows slant into his temples, his nose is high and straight, and his skin is fair, so fair that it raises doubts about whether he has been engaged in outdoor work for years. Whether a person is beautiful or not is often innate. Some people, no matter how well they take care of their skin, still look terrible, while others, even with a bare face every day, remain bright and captivating. His features are perfect, his contours distinct, and his face is simply impeccable; his long eyebrows slant into his temples, his nose is high and straight, and his skin is fair, so fair that it raises doubts about whether he has been engaged in outdoor work for years. Whether a person is beautiful or not is often innate. Some people, no matter how well they take care of their skin, still look terrible, while others, even with a bare face every day, remain bright and captivating.

This has made the issue of repairing the cables urgent. According to reliable information, the manpower resources at the Gram Power Station are completely insufficient, and the speed of work has nothing to do with the word "rush"; it can only be described as "patching up". Everyone has been waiting, and after a full two days, as of this morning, there has been no clear notification regarding the possible restoration of power.

During the meeting, a bearded engineer from Pakistan named Bixi pointed to the construction site outside, which was in dire need of development, and said: "Power outages are a common occurrence for us. As you all have seen from the data, our country's electricity supply gap exceeds 20%. Now, gathering together to repair the power station is precisely to alleviate this situation"

Zhou Xu pointed at her forehead with his finger and said: "I called you because your English is the best"

The construction site has lost power, which is essentially akin to a person being deprived of limbs and sight, rendering it incapable of accomplishing any tasks. Whether it is engineers, technical personnel, or workers, taking a two-day break to recuperate after prolonged fatigue is beneficial. However, the troubling issue lies in how much longer this power outage will persist

Lu Jun thought: "I still prefer to believe that everything can be explained; it is just that we have not found a way to do so yet. Digging a well in the desert may be because there are ancient cities and hidden rivers dozens of meters underground; and the investigation report I just read contains data and analyses from forty to fifty years ago. The overall environment at that time was not conducive, and very few people were genuinely engaged in scholarly pursuits. Moreover, after so many years, it is also possible that the mountains have been unintentionally damaged by human activities, which remains uncertain."

Lu Jun followed his gaze and, after a moment of thought, said: "I found it strange while reviewing the data; the mountains in this area are relatively stable, and two days of light rain should not have caused a landslide."

It is the tone he typically uses when handling official matters, which always has a decisive effect. Lu Jun did not even have the opportunity to nod or raise a question

It should not be too serious; it has been two days, and the road should have been cleared. Wu Wei scanned the conference room with his gaze and said, "We will set off early tomorrow morning. Engineer Bi Xigu, please accompany us; Engineer Qian, Lu Jun, you will also go. The matters at the construction site will be temporarily handled by Engineer Wei, while the others will wait for news and address any gaps."

Biqigu shrugged: "At that time, this news was a state secret, and only the Almighty knew its truth... I think, even if there are mines, they are extremely rare, so rare that they hold no value"

Everyone exchanged glances, and Wu Wei's expression changed: "Is there uranium ore here?"

Lu Jun's debating skills are undoubtedly top-notch. Qian Dahua shook his head and smiled, saying: "Young people have such lively thoughts; I cannot compete with you. I have lived for over forty years, consumed some rice, and eaten some salt, yet I must say that there are indeed some matters that cannot be explained by reason. Little Lu, I am not referring to work, but to other aspects."

The jolt awakened Wu Wei. He steadied himself, observed the outside and the road conditions, and said, "Stop the car for a moment, let's get out and take a look"

Lu Jun felt a bit embarrassed by the praise, and with a hint of excitement, began to speak more: "Not at all. I just think that it is difficult for someone in the field of science and engineering to not be a materialist. If the Yangtze River can be cut in half, what else is impossible? The atomic bomb, spacecraft, lunar probes, all are achievements of science. The most incomprehensible aspect of nature is that it can actually be understood. Seeing these marvels of industrial civilization, it is truly hard to believe that there are still things in the world that science cannot explain."

Her tone rarely concealed a profound sense of confusion and contemplation. Wu Wei paused in silence for a moment, then smiled and said: "The most incomprehensible aspect of nature is that it can indeed understand. This statement has always held true. The meaning of understanding is multifaceted; doubt, agreement, and opposition are all part of the process of understanding, which is entirely a personal endeavor"