The only possibility in Chapter 10

At the intersection of Youyi Road and Jianshe Road, proceed fifty meters west from the intersection. Dong Xiaoqiang quickly stated, "The diameter of the water supply pipe is 400 millimeters"

Dong Xiaoqiang called Wang Tianfang and explained the situation. Wang Tianfang asked Dong Xiaoqiang to wait a couple more days, assuring him that he would find a way to return by Sunday night. On Monday morning, he would have Lin Yuanfang come over to help Dong Xiaoqiang resolve the issue

Dong Xiaoqiang had been in the position of office director at the water company for four to five years, interacting with people daily, which honed his exceptional ability to discern truth from falsehood. At this moment, he could naturally see that the staff in the archives genuinely admired that "living archive," rather than feigning admiration. Thus, a flicker of hope ignited in his already disheartened heart: perhaps Lin Yuanfang could indeed be capable? He decided to visit the planning bureau to gain some insight, as he was already at a dead end. If the "living archive" proved ineffective, then he would no longer waste his efforts and would directly inform General Manager Li that it was unfeasible, leaving the matter to Li's discretion on how to handle it.

Dong Xiaoqiang could only suppress his inner anxiety, fidgeting for two days. By Sunday night, he simply went to sit at Wang Tianfang's house, waiting for him. He waited until after two in the morning when Wang Tianfang finally returned from the provincial capital, reeking of alcohol. Upon seeing Dong Xiaoqiang, he repeatedly said that it was already past ten after finishing drinks in Zhongzhou. If it weren't for his concern about Dong Xiaoqiang, he wouldn't have hurried back in such a flustered manner.

At that moment, Dong Xiaoqiang felt as if he had grasped a lifeline and hurriedly asked the staff member at the archives what that phrase meant. The staff member, seeing that Dong Xiaoqiang had been spending all his time in the archives these days and treating them to good food and drinks, told him that "living archive" was a nickname for a person named Lin Yuanfang, who worked in the Planning Bureau's Planning Technology Section. Lin had an extraordinary memory, and the entire underground pipeline system's records of Mangnan County were stored in his mind. Since Director Dong could not find the archival information on the water supply pipeline in the archives, he might as well try to find the "living archive"; perhaps he would have some success there.

At this moment, Wang Tianfang was very pleased to hear Lin Yuanfang personally admit that he remembered "a part" of the archives regarding the underground pipeline system of Mangnan County. At this time, he naturally would not concern himself with whether Lin Yuanfang was affiliated with Fan Yimin. At this moment, it did not matter who it was; as long as they could help Dong Xiaoqiang solve this significant problem, they would be considered Wang Tianfang's ally.

Comrade Yuanfang, we need to find some archival materials regarding the water supply pipeline network. The specific construction year is not very clear, but it should be around the 1970s. Dong Xiaoqiang certainly would not disclose the discord between General Manager Li of the water company and Director Wang of the power supply bureau to Lin Yuanfang; he only informed Lin Yuanfang of the issues that needed to be resolved.

"Director Zhu, is that Lin Yuanfang really so extraordinary?" Seeing that Zhu Dalong also said so, Dong Xiaoqiang couldn't help but feel skeptical.

Comrade Yuanfang, the Water Supply Company has sent Director Dong to our Planning Bureau because there is an issue that requires our coordination to resolve. Wang Tianfang smiled at Lin Yuanfang and said, This issue involves the underground pipeline system, and you are quite familiar with it, so this task is entrusted to you. You must do your utmost to assist Director Dong in solving this problem.

Indeed, it is quite impressive. If you don't believe it, you can ask others in our library!" said Zhu Dalong

Fifty meters west of the intersection of Jianshe Road and Youyi Road? Lin Yuanfang's eyes lit up as a thought flashed through his mind. He considered a possibility: why had Dong Xiaoqiang and his group of five or six people spent nearly a week without being able to find the archival materials for this water supply pipeline network at the Construction Committee's archives.

At 8:00 AM the next morning, Dong Xiaoqiang arrived punctually at the office of Wang Tianfang at the planning bureau. Wang Tianfang also arrived right on time. Dong Xiaoqiang then reiterated the situation, after which Wang Tianfang called Zhang Haiyang, instructing him to bring Lin Yuanfang over.

At this moment, Zhu Dalong from the archives also slapped his forehead and said, "Oh dear, how could I forget this person? Director Dong, why don't you go to the planning bureau and look for that 'living archive'? If he agrees to help, there might be a chance for you in this matter"

I went to the archives of the Construction Committee. Dong Xiaoqiang smiled wryly and said, "Five or six people worked hard for a week, but they couldn't find the archival materials for that section of the water supply pipeline. Later, Director Zhu from the archives recommended you, saying that you are the 'living archive' of our underground pipeline system in Mangnan County, and only you can solve this problem." As he spoke, Dong Xiaoqiang looked earnestly at Lin Yuanfang.

Well... Wang Tianfang smiled slightly and turned to Dong Xiaoqiang, saying: "Old Dong, please introduce the situation to Comrade Yuanfang."

"The archival materials of the water supply pipeline network from the 1970s?" Lin Yuanfang was taken aback for a moment and said, "Director Dong, you should check the archives at the Construction Committee. The archival materials of the underground pipeline network preserved by our Planning Bureau are all from after 1985.

"Director, what exactly is the task?" Lin Yuanfang inquired

Seeing Wang Tianfang in a drunken state, Dong Xiaoqiang's grievances dissipated, replaced by a profound sense of gratitude. Only a true brother would treat him this way; otherwise, in Wang Tianfang's condition, he would certainly have stayed in Zhongzhou to rest. Therefore, Dong Xiaoqiang instructed Wang Tianfang to quickly get some rest and recuperate, so that he could go to the planning bureau the next morning to help him resolve the issues.

Lin Yuanfang felt a bit overwhelmed; he had not anticipated that the nickname "Living Archive" would bring him such trouble. No matter how capable he was, his mind was filled with the information from the Construction Committee's archives. If Dong Xiaoqiang had employed five or six people to search the archives for five or six days, they must have thoroughly reviewed all the documents. The fact that they could not find that particular archive only indicated one thing: the archival materials for the water supply network constructed in the 1970s were missing. This situation was actually quite normal; during that chaotic era, even if he was exceptionally skilled, his memory would only encompass the materials from the Construction Committee's archives. If Dong Xiaoqiang had used five or six people to search the archives for five or six days, they should have meticulously gone through the documents. The inability to locate that archive material could only mean that the records for the water supply network built in the 1970s were absent, which was quite typical. In those tumultuous times, when class struggle was the daily discourse, who would pay attention to these archival drawings? If the archive itself was missing information, what use would Lin Yuanfang's remarkable memory be?

Zhu Dalong turned around and returned to the archives, casually finding an excuse to reprimand the staff member who had reminded Dong Xiaoqiang, of course, he would not mention that it was because the staff member had brought up the "living archive" in front of Dong Xiaoqiang. As the director of the archives, Zhu Dalong certainly would not forget the "living archive" Lin Yuanfang, but he had not mentioned it to Dong Xiaoqiang because it concerned the reputation of the Construction Committee Archives. When Dong Xiaoqiang came to the Construction Committee Archives to check the information, and the staff there could not resolve the issue, they had to pass it on to someone from another unit to handle. If this were to spread, what would others think? What would the leaders think? Therefore, Zhu Dalong clearly knew that Lin Yuanfang might help Dong Xiaoqiang solve the problem, but he kept it to himself. However, he did not expect that a naive subordinate would jump out and inform Dong Xiaoqiang of the situation. At this point, Zhu Dalong could no longer pretend to be confused; otherwise, if Dong Xiaoqiang really went to Lin Yuanfang to resolve the issue and later figured out the intricacies of the matter, wouldn't he be infuriated? Therefore, Zhu Dalong clearly knew that Lin Yuanfang might help Dong Xiaoqiang solve the problem, but he kept it to himself. However, he did not expect that a naive subordinate would jump out and inform Dong Xiaoqiang of the situation. At this point, Zhu Dalong could no longer pretend to be confused; otherwise, if Dong Xiaoqiang really went to Lin Yuanfang to resolve the issue and later figured out the intricacies of the matter, wouldn't he be infuriated?

Dong Xiaoqiang was initially skeptical upon hearing this. Even the personnel at the Construction Committee's archives could not locate the damned documentation for the water supply pipe. Can the so-called "living archive" of the Planning Bureau, named Lin Yuanfang, really be effective

At this moment, Lin Yuanfang began to understand Dong Xiaoqiang's intentions. It seemed reasonable upon reflection, as the construction of the water supply pipeline network by the water supply company also required approval from the planning bureau, and there was a business connection between the two units. However, the specific department responsible for the approval of the water supply pipeline network should be the Planning Management Section. Since no one from that section came over, how could they send someone from the Planning Technology Section?

At this moment, Dong Xiaoqiang was not in the mood to ponder Zhu Dalong's petty thoughts; his mind was entirely focused on the young man referred to as "live file" at the planning bureau, and he was anxiously hurrying to the bureau. However, upon arriving at the planning bureau, he found it empty; Wang Tianfang had gone to the provincial capital for a meeting and had not yet returned, and the planning bureau had already closed for the day, with the next day being Saturday.

Indeed, that young man is simply remarkable. As long as it pertains to underground pipeline systems, there is nothing he does not know. The people nearby all echoed Zhu Dalong's words

Since you all say so, I will give the planning bureau a try. " Dong Xiaoqiang said as he prepared to take his leave

Wang Tianfang naturally understood the implication in Lin Yuanfang's words. He smiled slightly, remained silent, and leaned back on the sofa, contemplating that if Lin Yuanfang could indeed locate the archival materials for the water supply network and assist Dong Xiaoqiang in resolving the issue, it would be a great outcome. Conversely, if Lin Yuanfang failed to find the relevant materials, he would have a pretext to address Lin Yuanfang's conduct. A capable official from the Planning Bureau spending all day at the Construction Committee's archives copying those blueprints and earning the nickname "Living Archive"—isn't that a classic case of neglecting one's duties?

Dong Xiaoqiang did not reveal to Zhu Dalong that he is close friends with Wang Tianfang, the head of the planning bureau. He merely nodded in appreciation of Zhu Dalong's goodwill, expressing his gratitude for the reminder and stating that he would exercise discretion.

Lin Yuanfang turned his face to look at Dong Xiaoqiang and asked, "Director Dong, could you elaborate on the specific location of that water supply pipeline?"

Zhu Dalong held Dong Xiaoqiang's hand and escorted him to the entrance of the archives. As they were parting, he kindly reminded Dong Xiaoqiang: "Director Dong, Lin Yuanfang is rather aloof, so be careful when you speak to him. Make sure not to..."

Yuanfang, you are indeed a key technical backbone in our bureau, and I believe in your abilities. Wang Tianfang interrupted Lin Yuanfang before he could decline, saying: I trust that you will not let me down

Hearing Wang Tianfang's heavy accusation, it was now Lin Yuanfang's turn to smile wryly. He said, "Director Wang, I will do my best. As long as there are archival materials regarding this section of the water supply pipeline in the Construction Committee's archives, I will be able to recall it." The implication was that if the Construction Committee's archives did not have this information, no matter how capable he was, he would be powerless.