"How could this be..." Chen Xue's voice trembled with tears. "Team Leader Su hasn't slept well at all because of this project, and now he just stops it like that, and hands it over like that... This is not fair!"
Lin Fan clenched his fists, his eyes behind his glasses filled with humiliation and anger: "They're robbing us outright! They're treating us like fools! Team Leader Su, let's go find Commander Li and Deputy Commander Liu! Let's file a complaint! I refuse to believe there's no place in this military region where we can get justice!"
In the entire office, only Su Tang remained unusually calm. She listened quietly to everyone's complaints and curses, holding a warm enamel mug in her hand.
She only spoke after everyone had vented their anger.
"Go find Commander Li and Deputy Commander Liu? And then what? Confront Political Commissar Zhou face to face? Accuse him of stealing credit?"
She looked at the agitated Lin Fan and shook her head: "It's no use. He has an official document from headquarters, and everything he says is for the 'national interest.' If we make a scene or argue, we'll only fall into his rhetoric trap and be labeled as 'disregarding the overall situation, individualistic, and seriously parochial.' In that case, we won't even have a reason to stand up to him."
This bucket of cold water chilled everyone's hearts.
Yes, they use "organization" and "country" in every sentence, how can you refute that?
Seeing everyone's instantly deflated expressions, Su Tang felt a chill in her heart.
She was naturally angry. This kind of blatant exploitation by superiors is always the dirtiest form of power struggle within bureaucracy.
If it were someone else, they might have given in and backed down.
But she's not the kind of person who's easily bullied.
She will only hold onto what belongs to her tightly.
She put down her enamel mug, stood up, and walked to the middle of the crowd. "Comrades," she said, "he has his broad path, and we have our narrow one. To stand against him is the worst option. Since he wants to play by the rules, then we'll play along to the end."
"Didn't he say he wanted to wait for the expert team from Beijing? Didn't he say he wanted to have a technical exchange? Okay, I agree."
"What?" Geng Xiangdong looked up abruptly, unable to believe his ears.
Su Tang looked at everyone and said, "Not only do I agree, but I also want to publicly declare that I firmly support the decision of the higher-level organization. For the sake of the country, we are willing to selflessly dedicate all our technological achievements. We must make this gesture perfect, so that Zhou Huai'an cannot find any fault with it."
"Then...then our furnace..." Lin Fan said anxiously.
"Don't rush," Su Tang said reassuringly, giving him a look. "Sacrifice doesn't mean giving away our hard-earned, best work for free. Didn't he say he wanted to 'assist and guide'? There has to be some comparison, right?"
"Once the expert team from Beijing arrives, I will propose to the Party Committee of the Military Region that, in order to provide the soldiers and their families throughout the Military Region with the best, most coal-efficient, and warmest stoves, we should hold a public 'technical exchange and friendly competition' between our project team and the expert team from Beijing!"
"Technology...competition?" Geng Xiangdong was stunned.
“Yes!” Su Tang nodded. “The competition is simple. We will provide a ‘basic’ blueprint for a thermal circulation furnace. Both sides will start construction simultaneously, with a three-day deadline. The team that builds the furnace with higher thermal efficiency, more stable performance, and less coal consumption will be the winner! In the end, the furnace built by the team that is promoted throughout the entire military region will be the one to be promoted!”
She glanced around at the stunned crowd and continued:
"Moreover, this competition must be public! When showcasing the results, we'll set up a stage in the institute's courtyard! We'll invite officers, soldiers, and their families from the entire military region to serve as judges and supervisors!"
Lin Fan's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Yes, Team Leader Su is right! Under the watchful eyes of thousands of people, let's see how he tries to pull any tricks, and how the expert group will have the nerve to submit our Team Leader Su's technology as their own achievement!"
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