Awakening

The atmosphere in the conference room was so thick it felt almost like water could be wrung out of it. Thick curtains blocked out the outside light, leaving only the faint blue glow of the projector, which cast a shadow on everyone's face, each with a different expression. Lin Xiaoning stood before the screen, reporting, as clearly and calmly as possible, the abnormal catalyst consumption data she had discovered and the two enormous risks it implied: an immediate explosion hazard and long-term health threats.

Her voice was remarkably clear in the silent room. She saw Chairman Xu Wu's hands clench on the table when she mentioned the word "explosion." And when she expounded on the health risks of chronic poisoning, the meeting room fell into a deeper, almost eerie silence, with most people subconsciously avoiding her gaze. Only General Manager Wu Jiaming, usually absorbed in technical matters and not meddling in other people's affairs, frowned.

Decision-making was efficient and ruthless. Orders were issued without hesitation and with swift resolution to address imminent safety hazards—to halt production, eliminate defects, and conduct repairs. Xu Wu's voice was resolute and decisive. Old Zhou, in charge of safety, hung his head and nodded repeatedly, sweat nearly soaking the lining of his helmet. Zhao Qing, with his eyelids lowered, rapidly wrote in his notebook, his face expressionless.

However, when the topic touched on "personnel health risks," Xu Wu simply shelved his proposal for a thorough investigation and full staff screening, citing the need to "avoid unnecessary panic" and "addressing the emergency is the top priority." Lin Xiaoning muttered these words to herself, a chill rising from her heart.

The meeting concluded, and everyone filed out. Emergency orders were quickly relayed to the front lines. A shrill alarm pierced the factory air, halting production. Amidst the clamor and roar, the vast system slowly quieted. Material withdrawal, purging, isolation, testing—a series of procedures unfolded in an intense yet orderly fashion under Wu Jiaming's personal command. The usually silent general manager, seemingly absorbed in his own technical world, was now like a wound-up spring, displaying astonishing decisiveness and command efficiency. He shuttled between the command center and various key points, speaking quickly and clearly, each command precise and decisive, a transformed person. Only the fine beads of sweat that steadily seeped from his forehead betrayed the immense pressure he was under.

Xu Wu called the site almost every hour to inquire about progress, his tone frantic. Everyone's nerves hung in the balance until inspectors, clad in heavy protective suits, returned from the core area with firsthand images and data: a critical pipeline in the catalyst's internal feed system had been found to be severely corroded and cracked.

When the image of the pipeline, corroded to the point of rotten cotton wool, was transmitted back to headquarters, Wu Jiaming, who had been operating with the utmost tension, like a precision instrument, suddenly froze. He stared at the screen, as if unable to comprehend what he was seeing. After a few seconds of dead silence, he slammed his fist on the control console. Even the heavy protective mask couldn't block out his sudden, tearful roar:

"Fuck them! They're worse than animals! How dare they make such a shady profit?! New parts just replaced in the spring! And it's in this state?! This is unbelievable! How many people are they going to kill?! Huh?!"

He ripped off his protective mask, his face flushed crimson with extreme anger and fear, the veins in his neck throbbing. Everyone around him was stunned by this sudden outburst. In their minds, Mr. Wu was always the quiet, hardworking, even somewhat cowardly technical manager. When had he ever lost his composure like this?

Lin Xiaoning stood aside, watching the horrific corrosion marks on the screen, watching Wu Jiaming's face twisted with rage, his eyes red. She saw not only the rage of being deceived, but also the heartache of a shattered faith. She instantly understood that the old man's worldview of "technology first" and "lean production" had been shattered by this piece of corrupted pipeline. The production system he had painstakingly maintained, the process he had strictly adhered to, had become a vulnerable joke in the face of such naked, despicable greed.

The immediate risk was temporarily eliminated, and a follow-up meeting was quickly convened. The purchasing manager, looking pale, stammered as he explained that the bidding process was "completely compliant," that the supplier's qualification documents were "complete," and presented a thick stack of "qualified" test reports.

Zhao Qing calmly set the tone: "The most urgent task is to hold the supplier accountable, withhold the warranty deposit, initiate the claims process, and minimize the losses. The procurement process will be reviewed internally, but the current unified statement to the outside world is that the supplier provided inferior products, which led to this accident." She once again skillfully turned "internal review" into a delayed procedure that might end in vain.

Xu Wu nodded in agreement and emphasized, "Jiaming, your mission is to restore the calcium carbide production line as quickly as possible! The newly assembled synthetic ammonia production line must be constructed strictly according to plan without any mistakes!"

Just as the meeting was drawing to a close, Lin Xiaoning took a deep breath and raised her hand for the floor. At Xu Wu's signal, she stood up and spoke in a clear and firm voice: "Chairman, leaders, regarding this catalyst leak, I believe that in addition to accountability and remediation, for the long-term safety and health of our personnel, we should address the root causes of the problem technically."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on her. She continued, "Current catalysts are not only highly toxic and dangerous, but also severely corrosive to equipment. I've consulted the latest literature and found that mercury-free and gold-based catalyst technologies are quite mature. While the initial investment is higher, they are safer and more environmentally friendly in the long run, and can fundamentally prevent similar accidents from happening again."

The conference room was completely silent. Wu Jiaming raised his head for the first time, a flicker of approval in his eyes. Zhao Qing frowned slightly, as if calculating the cost of replacing the catalyst.

Xu Wu pondered for a moment and asked, "Have you done the specific plan and budget assessment?"

"I've already done some preliminary research," Lin Xiaoning said, opening the tablet he carried with him. "Here's a detailed technical plan and economic benefit analysis. While the initial investment will increase by 20%, long-term operating costs can be reduced by 15%. More importantly, mercury pollution and related safety hazards can be completely eliminated."

Xu Wu carefully read the information provided by Lin Xiaoning. After a long pause, he looked up and said, "This is a very good suggestion. Jiaming, you will take the lead in establishing a technical upgrade team, and Lin Xiaoning will be your deputy. Come up with a detailed implementation plan as soon as possible."

After the meeting, Ye Yidong immediately sought out Lin Xiaoning, and his discovery was equally alarming: "I reviewed the procurement contracts for the problematic pipelines and related auxiliary materials. Looking at the amounts and terms alone, there's practically no fault to be found. The prices are even slightly lower than market value, well within budget. But," he said, his eyes sharp, "I discovered an extremely hidden problem—the contract templates, even some of the core terms and data, are almost exact replicas of contracts signed with a different supplier a year ago, or even earlier! Even some very specific parameters, which should have changed with each project, are identical!"

Lin Xiaoning immediately understood the key: "They're not forging contracts, but 'reusing' old ones? This approval process appears flawless because all the terms are 'tested in practice,' but in reality, the possibility of different suppliers providing identical technical solutions is zero. The only possibility is that they're colluding with each other to help suppliers replace the original with the original."

"That's right!" Ye Yidong let out a long breath. "This is a case of bid rigging! Several suppliers share a near-perfect set of bidding documents and data, taking turns winning bids and sharing the profits. So every bidding process appears to be highly competitive and the prices are 'reasonable,' but in reality, no matter who wins, the product they provide may not meet the specific technical requirements, or even be inferior! This time, it was just bad luck. The inferior product was used in the most critical place, and it exploded prematurely!"

This means that the procurement chain may be rotten from the root. This is by no means the fault of an individual, but rather a systemic, long-standing cancer.

Both men felt a wave of suffocation. Piecing together their findings, a terrifying picture gradually emerged: a procurement chain controlled by vested interests, constantly pumping "compliance poison" into the heart of the company. Senior management seemed to condone this "cost-effectiveness" as long as the machinery kept turning and the financial statements looked good. Real workers like Wu Jiaming were like blindfolded oxen pulling a millstone, believing they were striving for excellence, but in reality they were constantly helping others, perhaps even unwittingly becoming accomplices.

Late at night, Lin Xiaoning lay in bed, tossing and turning. Wu Jiaming's heartbroken expression during his outburst, and his unusually calm "strict execution" afterwards, kept replaying in her mind.

The next day, the appointment came down: In view of the keenness and sense of responsibility shown by Lin Xiaoning in this incident, she was transferred to the general manager's office by General Manager Wu Jiaming himself, and served as General Manager Wu's temporary technical assistant to assist in handling the specific work of technological innovation of the calcium carbide production line and assembly of the synthetic ammonia production line.

To her surprise, a week later, the company issued a commendation, awarding her a 200,000 yuan bonus for "proposing a major technological innovation." The announcement specifically highlighted her mercury-free catalyst solution as "foresighted and of great value."

The bonus made Lin Xiaoning uneasy. When she met Ye Yidong in the cafeteria, she couldn't help but confide, "I don't feel comfortable receiving this bonus. Improving catalysts is the job of the technicians, and this is only in the planning stages. If it were just a safety production award, I'd think it would be fine."

Ye Yidong pondered, "Perhaps this is Mr. Xu's balancing act. It encourages technological innovation while also indirectly offering some compensation for the previous approach."

"But I'm worried that others will think I'm trying to curry favor with my boss by offering suggestions," Lin Xiaoning muttered. "Especially now that the procurement chain issue hasn't been resolved yet, and I'm already taking the bonus..."

"Just do what you should do," Ye Yidong consoled him. "The innocent will be cleared. Besides, your suggestion is indeed beneficial to the company."

When Lin Xiaoning reported for his new post, Wu Jiaming was looking at a construction schedule and issuing orders in a cold tone: "...Squeeze the timeline to 10 days. Isn't that faster? Then make it even faster! Every step, every process, must be carried out to the highest standards and strictest specifications! Where the drawings require 10 screws, not a single one must be missing! The specifications call for a 24-hour cooling period, not a minute earlier! All those old, 'almost', 'roughly' methods, are discarded! Follow the rules! Anyone who can't do this, get out now!"

He looked up and saw Lin Xiaoning. His face was expressionless, and he simply nodded. "You're here. Very good. Thoroughly understand these technical specifications and maintenance standards, then go to the site, closely monitor them, check them one by one, and strictly implement them. Remember, strictly implement them. Report any deviations directly to me."

His eyes were devoid of their former gentleness and focus, replaced only by a harshness bordering on paranoia and a cold determination. Lin Xiaoning was almost in a trance. This former believer in technology, this honest old workhorse, had chosen an extreme approach after the catalyst leak. Rather than passive resistance, he opted for a more proactive approach, "strictly enforcing" all his superiors' instructions in an absolute, unsympathetic, and potentially painful manner.

As the work progressed, the abnormal acceleration of Wu's feelings became intense. However, it seemed that only Lin Xiaoning felt this acceleration and abnormality, while everyone else was busy in their own worlds.