As soon as Captain Huang was pulled outside, he was surrounded by a group of captains.
The more smug Captain Huang was in front of President Liu, the more timid he became now: "Brothers, it was my fault. I got carried away after achieving some results and said some thoughtless things. Please don't hold a rough man like me against me. Thank you."
Captain Xu put his arm around Captain Huang's shoulder and said, "Look at you, so cowardly. Weren't you so smug just now, saying you could do anything, from heaven to earth? Keep bragging."
"Exactly. You used to plant a bunch of orange trees and acted like you were the best in the world. Now that you've been sent to the countryside as an educated youth, the earth can't contain you anymore, so you have to fly to the sky, right?"
Captain Huang begged for forgiveness: "I was wrong, I was wrong. It's all my fault for being ignorant and not recognizing your greatness. You are all very capable people. I was just being careless with my words and offended you. How about I treat you to a meal at the state-run restaurant to make amends?"
Inviting so many people to the state-run restaurant would cost Captain Huang a fortune, and his heart ached. But he had let his guard down and incurred people's hatred. If he didn't suffer a huge loss, he would have to crawl back to the brigade.
Captain Fang, who caught up from behind, chuckled and said, "Look at this pitiful look, it's really heartbreaking. Don't say we brothers didn't take care of you. How about this, you get electricity to all our brigades, and I'll treat you to a meal at the state-run restaurant."
Captain Huang: "Oh dear, those wires aren't so easy to get. I begged and pleaded with everyone I knew, and even led my team into the deep mountains to risk our lives, before we finally managed to get a little bit of discarded wire."
"You all start by asking me to electrify you all. I don't have that ability. If you want to beat me up, just do it. Why bother with this?"
Captain Xu said, "You little rascal, it seems you won't behave unless I teach you a lesson." He increased the pressure on Captain Huang's hand, and Captain Huang immediately winced in pain.
After the two performed for a few minutes, Captain Fang said, "Old Huang, it's not that we brothers are being unkind, but now that your Shangfen Brigade has electricity, our brigades can't fall too far behind, otherwise our people won't have the face to go out."
"It's all for the sake of everyone in the team. If you have any ideas, just tell us. We'll brainstorm and we'll always come up with a solution."
Captain Fang was the only captain transferred from outside the Dongyuan Commune, and he had only been there for five or six years.
Tongfeng Brigade is located on the edge of the Shiwan Mountains, the farthest from Dongyuan Commune, a two-hour walk away. It used to be a bandit stronghold, and its members had fought against many different groups, making them all fierce and ruthless.
In the early 1960s, the authorities, for the safety of the surrounding villagers, made great efforts and brought down the Tongfeng Brigade.
Those who had the blood of innocent people on their hands were arrested, leaving behind several hundred people to form the Tongfeng Brigade, and Captain Fang was assigned to manage them.
Originally, no one had high hopes for Captain Fang, a semi-literate man who had abandoned his pen for the sword, but he managed to manage the Tongfeng Brigade, which was full of tough guys, very smoothly.
Tongfeng Brigade is small and the furthest from the commune, which is why it has been at the bottom of the list for years. Brigade Leader Fang has been working hard to develop Tongfeng Brigade.
Captain Huang: "I understand how you guys feel, but I really can't handle those wires. How about this, if you can get the wires, I agree to let Gao Zhiqing come over to your place to install them. What do you think?"
Captain Fang: "How did you get your hands on the wires before?"
Captain Huang had no choice but to tell the other captains about their previous methods, and he emphasized that the wires they had taken were indeed discarded wires. They had checked the power supply station's warehouse and there really wasn't much stock there.
Captain Fang's eyes darted around, and an idea flashed through his mind, but he didn't say it aloud.
After receiving the news, a group of people beat up Captain Huang a few more times and then let him go.
With no threats around, Captain Huang trembled again. But thinking about the promise he made to Gao Shujing, he didn't even go home before riding his bicycle to find Gao Shujing, who was repairing a bicycle.
Director Liu was far more capable than Captain Huang. With his help, they quickly collected over twenty abandoned bicycles and more than a dozen radios, as well as sewing machines and refrigerators. Gao Shujing wouldn't have to worry about being idle for the first half of next year.
Captain Huang rubbed his hands, which were a little stiff from the cold: "Gao Zhiqing, is the bicycle almost fixed?"
Gao Shujing: "It'll probably take another two or three days. What, has someone already placed an order with the brigade?"
Captain Huang: "There are so many people ordering, but we don't have enough bicycles to replace them all."
A bicycle costing eighty yuan was something many families in the village could afford. If they didn't want to pay, they could trade other things for it; many people would have liked to trade their old BMWs for the same thing.
Kao Shu-ching: "With the president's help in collecting these wastes, they will eventually be able to exchange them."
Captain Huang: "That's true. The bicycles produced by our brigade are coming in faster than those supplied from outside. At this rate, those families who want to replace their bicycles will basically be able to get them next year."
Of the two or three hundred households in Shangfen Brigade, only a few dozen are probably willing to spend this money to exchange for bicycles. The exchange should be completed by the end of next year.
After discussing the bicycles, Captain Huang changed the subject to electricity: "Gao Zhiqing, other brigades have heard about our brigade getting electricity, and they all want our help to get electricity."
Gao Shujing: "I'm part of the team, so naturally I'll follow the captain's orders."
Captain Huang: "In that case, once they get the wires, you go and fix it for them, and ask them to give you more supplies."
Gao Shujing: "Okay, let's go if there are any wires. Do you think they can get any? We went to the power supply station last time. They don't have many wires there. It's hard for them to squeeze out enough for a whole batch of wires."
Captain Huang: "Old Fang is a cunning fellow. With him involved, we should be able to get it."
Among the several brigades in Dongyuan Commune, the one who challenged Brigade Leader Huang the most was Brigade Leader Xu of Xiafen Brigade, but the one he feared the most was Brigade Leader Fang.
Despite being a pale-faced scholar, he was able to suppress a group of bandits; he admitted that he did not have Captain Fang's ability.
Gao Shujing: "It seems this person is quite capable."
After being inside for a while, Captain Huang's hands finally weren't so cold anymore: "He's definitely a capable man, and a ruthless one at that, but if you don't mess with him, he's easy to get along with. Sigh, why do I feel like it's much warmer in your room than outside?"
In January, winter is already halfway over, and the temperature has dropped especially quickly these past few days; today it's only a few degrees Celsius outside.
Gao Shujing's eyes flickered as he said, "The temperature inside and outside is different. You were riding a bicycle and the wind was strong, so you felt even colder. After you went inside and rested for a while, your body warmed up faster from the exercise, so you felt warmer."
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