Chapter 246 Innovative Kindergarten

As soon as the two stepped out of the office, Qiu Zishu jumped up and down in anger, stomping her feet and cursing, "That old stubborn man! His brain's rusted! Are his eyes on the back of his head? He can't see our sincerity and efforts at all!"

Qiao Wanyin didn't say anything, but walked forward slowly with her head down, her steps steady and without the slightest hesitation.

Although her lips didn't curve upwards, her eyes remained bright, like an inextinguishable star in the night, stubbornly burning.

Don't be discouraged.

She finally spoke, her voice low but firm: "There are always more solutions than problems. As long as the direction is right, no matter how difficult the road is, we can make it through."

"What other options do we have?"

Qiu Zishu hung her head, her voice muffled. Her earlier enthusiasm had deflated like a punctured balloon. "Even Director Wang doesn't support us, and the higher-ups won't approve it. Are we supposed to conjure up a kindergarten out of thin air?"

Qiao Wanyin suddenly stopped, looked up at the factory wall in the distance, her eyes narrowed, as if she had thought of something, and then suddenly lit up: "Zishu, does your dad work in the factory area?"

Qiu Zishu was taken aback, blinked, and seemed not to have reacted yet: "Huh? I... my dad is a staff officer in the factory's logistics department, so what?"

Qiao Wanyin turned around and looked at her intently: "Your father has a position in the factory, so he has connections and influence. If he can step forward to support you, the higher-ups' attitude might soften."

Qiu Zishu slapped her forehead as if struck by lightning and jumped up: "That's right! How could I forget that! My dad loves me the most! When I was little, if I cried a little, he would sneak out of the wall in the middle of the night to buy me candied hawthorns! I'm going home right now to beg him!"

That evening, Qiu Zishu rushed into Qiao Wanyin's house in a flurry of excitement, shouting as soon as she entered, "Sister Wanyin! It's done! My dad agreed! He said he'll be waiting for you in the factory office at nine o'clock tomorrow morning!"

Qiao Wanyin was sitting under the lamp revising the project plan when she heard this and suddenly looked up, her eyes instantly lighting up with surprise: "Really? Thank you so much! Thank you so much to you and your dad!"

Qiu Zishu rubbed his hands together, a smile on his face, but he said in a slightly uneasy voice, "However... he specifically instructed that he only gives you ten minutes. If you can't persuade him within ten minutes, he will turn around and leave without delay."

Qiao Wanyin took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly, but her eyes became even calmer.

She stood up, walked to the window, looked at the bright moon in the night sky, then turned around with a faint smile on her lips.

"Ten minutes is enough."

The next morning, Qiao Wanyin took out a clean and tidy light blue shirt from the closet, gently shook the hem to make sure there were no wrinkles.

She wore the shirt neatly, buttoning each button, and paired it with a well-fitting pair of black trousers, making her look capable and energetic.

She stood in front of the mirror, raised her hand and neatly tied her long, smooth black hair into a high ponytail, carefully tucking a few stray hairs behind her ears to reveal her clear and bright features and determined eyes.

She took a deep breath, turned around and walked to the bedside, picking up the materials she had carefully prepared the night before—a thick stack of plans, several design sketches, and a parent needs survey form.

She carefully wrapped all the papers in kraft paper and tied them neatly with string.

She checked everything to make sure nothing was missing, then turned and left the room.

Qiu Zishu was already waiting for her downstairs. When she saw her come down, he smiled slightly, and the two walked side by side toward the factory headquarters.

Deputy Commander Qiu's office is located on the third floor of the main building on the east side, with a clearly visible door number.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, you are greeted by a spacious and bright room.

Sunlight streamed in through the gleaming glass windows, casting soft shadows on the floor.

A large factory map hangs on the wall, densely lined and meticulously marked; on the other side hang standard portraits of several national colleagues, solemn and dignified.

The room was simply furnished, yet it exuded an air of authority and order.

Deputy Commander Qiu sat behind that large desk, on which sat a telephone, a folder, and a brass pen holder.

He was in his early fifties, with a tall and straight figure. The two gold stars on his epaulets gleamed with a cool and steady light under the illumination.

He sat upright with a slight frown, exuding an air of authority that commanded respect without anger, as if he possessed an invisible force that made people dare not underestimate him.

Qiao Wanyin stood at the door, raised her hand and gently knocked, her movements proper and polite.

After hearing the response from inside, she slowly pushed open the door and stepped into the office, her steps light and steady.

She walked to the desk, stopped, and bowed slightly: "Greetings, Commander."

Deputy Commander Qiu raised his head, his gaze sharp as a searchlight, sweeping across her face with scrutiny and inquiry.

After a moment, he said calmly, "Comrade Qiao, please sit down."

The voice was not loud, but it was undeniable.

Because of Qiu Zishu, Qiao Wanyin had seen Deputy Commander Qiu at several factory events before, greeted him from afar, and had also exchanged a few words with him when they bumped into each other in the canteen.

But this was the first time I'd ever actually walked into this office and sat down face-to-face with someone there.

She sat upright with her hands on her knees, neither overly reserved nor overly casual.

"Zi Shu said, are you planning to open a kindergarten in the residential area?"

Deputy Commander Qiu cut to the chase, his tone direct and without any pleasantries: "Isn't our factory's daycare center running perfectly fine right now? The children are looked after during the day, and eating and sleeping aren't a problem. If that's the case, why bother starting something new and going through all that trouble?"

Qiao Wanyin remained calm, not avoiding his gaze, her tone even yet firm: "Factory Director, I completely agree that current daycare centers can indeed provide food and drink and solve basic care issues. But what I want to say is that children need more than just food and clothing; they need to grow, learn, and develop their intelligence. And the current situation is that no one really cares about how they learn or how they develop their brains."

She paused, then continued, "There's an old saying: 'You can tell a person's future from age three, and their character from age seven.' This sounds like a folk saying that everyone knows, but it actually contains profound truths. Modern scientific research has also proven this—the period from birth to six years old is the most critical period for rapid brain development. Neural synapses are rapidly established, and cognitive abilities improve rapidly. If scientific guidance and effective education are lacking during this time, even if ten times the effort is put in later, it will be difficult to make up for the gaps missed in those years."

Deputy Commander Qiu raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her with a hint of skepticism: "Is it really that mysterious? In our time, who cared about early education? We were all raised in a free-range manner, weren't we? But look, didn't we still produce generals, experts, and scientists? Is it really necessary to make things so complicated for children these days?"

Qiao Wanyin remained calm and composed, her tone steady and her points clear: "Times have changed, Commander. In the past, it was about physical strength, experience, and sheer grit; but in the future, competition will rely on knowledge, thinking, and innovation."