Water release discovered
Ever since receiving the template red envelope, Lan Tongtong has been in an unprecedented struggle and torment. She loathes herself for accepting it, and the thin note is like a burning brand, constantly searing her conscience.
In the days that followed, she tried to "make amends" and "prove" herself by being even more demanding. She scrutinized every process more carefully, insisting on rectifying any non-compliance, no matter how minor. She refused cigarettes offered by the construction team and declined their invitations to "have a quick meal together," attempting to draw a line in the sand and rebuild the defenses she had breached.
The construction team also noticed her inconsistency. When they tried to hand over a small red envelope again, hoping for some "flexibility" on a minor process, Lan Tongtong pushed it away as if stung by a scorpion, her face flushed, and she angrily refused: "Take it away! Don't do this again! Let's do what we have to do!"
Her intense reaction stunned the other person and made her feel completely drained. She was rejecting him, but it was more like she was denouncing herself for having wavered.
However, determination alone cannot completely withstand the pressures of reality and the influence of the environment. Sometimes, faced with minor issues that are truly "open to both ends," extremely troublesome to rectify, but have minimal impact on overall quality, when the construction manager, in an almost pleading tone, expresses the tight deadlines and the workers' difficulties, when she recalls the "experienced advice" of Deputy Minister Feng Chang on "design redundancy" and "flexibility," and when she occasionally thinks of her family's financial difficulties... the dam built with regret and determination will still show tiny cracks.
Occasionally, when the other party is extremely "sensible", the amount is "just right" (usually some shopping cards, tea, or an envelope with a small amount of cash claimed to be "hardship pay"), and the issue is indeed in a "gray area", in a complex and indescribable state of mind - mixed with a hint of luck "just this time", a hint of numbness "everyone does this", and even a hint of the hidden temptation of "improving life" - she will be half-hearted, and finally accept it silently.
Each time she accepted the gift, she felt deeper remorse and stronger self-denial. For a while, she would become exceptionally harsh and unsympathetic, attempting to punish herself with this "overcorrection" to balance her inner guilt. But she sadly discovered that after the first time, the second time seemed "easier." The bottom line, drawn repeatedly, became blurred, no longer a clear straight line, but a muddy patch constantly eroding, sometimes retreating, sometimes attempting to advance.
She began to suffer from insomnia, tossing and turning at night, replaying everything on the construction site in her mind. The self who once had clear eyes and a reverence for regulations and regulations was in constant conflict with the self who now struggled in the gray area and occasionally compromised. She was afraid to see Mo Zhichi, afraid of his eyes that seemed to see everything. She was even afraid to look in the mirror.
She knew she was sliding into a dangerous situation. She tried to grasp at something to stop her descent—she worked harder, studied the rules more diligently, hoping to prove her worth with professional excellence and cover up the stain within. But she couldn't shake the lingering feeling of filth.
The beam yard was preparing for a new round of box girder pouring. The construction team had already completed the rebar tying and formwork installation. Supervisor Liu Feng's successor, Xiao Zhao, a relatively new and inexperienced young supervisor, had hastily signed the inspection report at the construction team's urging. Lan Tongtong struggled internally, but ultimately signed the "Construction Unit Quality Inspection" section of the report. She told herself that while the tying points were slightly inadequate, they were probably... perhaps... within the safe range of "design margin." She didn't want to cause another conflict by making a mountain out of a molehill.
Just as the pump truck was ready for deployment and the concrete tanker was about to arrive, a familiar figure appeared at the beam yard entrance. It was Mo Zhichi. He appeared unannounced today, walking alone, his signature steel ruler in hand, his expression calm.
"Mr. Mo!" Everyone at the scene greeted him. Lan Tongtong's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding gripped her.
Mo Zhichi nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the already-tied rebar framework. He said nothing, simply walking around the massive formwork, his eyes piercing every detail. Suddenly, he stopped in a corner, crouched down, and carefully measured the strength of the binding at several intersections with a ruler.
The atmosphere at the scene froze instantly. Construction team leader Wang's expression turned uneasy, and the young supervisor, Xiao Zhao, nervously approached.
After measuring a few spots, Mo Zhichi slowly stood up, his face darkening. He pointed to a few areas where the lashing points were clearly insufficient or even a little loose. His voice was low, yet filled with undeniable authority: "In these areas, the number of lashing points is insufficient, and the security is poor. The regulations require that all intersections must be securely tied. How much is the difference here? Why did you sign the inspection form?"
His first glance was directed at Xiao Zhao, the supervisor. Xiao Zhao's face paled with fear, and he stammered, "Mr. Mo... I... I thought it was generally okay, so I didn't... didn't check it in detail..."
Mo Zhichi didn't blame him. Instead, his gaze fell on Lan Tongtong. His eyes were calm, yet seemed to carry a great weight. "Lan, you are the technical director on site, and the steel bar binding is the item you should focus on inspecting. Didn't you notice this obvious defect? Why did you allow it to pass the inspection?"
Lan Tongtong's face instantly turned pale, her heart pounding, and cold sweat broke out on her palms. She opened her mouth, but felt something blocking her throat. Under Mo Zhichi's all-seeing gaze, any excuses about "design redundancy" or "workarounds" seemed pale and powerless. She could only lower her head, avoiding his gaze, and answered in a mosquito-like voice, "I... I may not have checked thoroughly... I was negligent..."
"Negligence?" Mo Zhichi repeated the word, his tone expressing neither joy nor anger, but rather a heart-wrenching depth of meaning. "Tongtong, I've watched you grow up. I've always been aware of your meticulousness and sense of responsibility. How could you 'neglect' such a basic, visible problem as insufficient lashing points?"
He didn't press the issue further, but the words "I know very well," and the slightly drawn-out "negligence" at the end, were like a cold ruler, precisely measuring the hypocrisy and flaws in Lan Tongtong's words. He didn't expose them, but it made Lan Tongtong feel even more humiliated than a direct rebuke. His eyes seemed to say: I know what happened, and I'm waiting for you to tell me yourself.
The scene was dead silent. The pump truck driver turned off the engine, and the workers stopped their work to watch the sudden confrontation. Foreman Wang, sweat dripping from his forehead, wanted to step forward to explain, but Mo Zhichi stopped him with a look.
Mo Zhichi stopped looking at Lan Tongtong and turned to Foreman Wang, ordering: "Stop work immediately. All unqualified tying points must be redone and re-tied. Not a single one can be missing! The supervisor must inspect again! When everything passes, we can apply for pouring again!"
His orders were clear and decisive, leaving no room for maneuver.
After saying this, he glanced at Lan Tongtong, who lowered her head deeply, her shoulders trembling slightly. Without saying anything else, he took his steel ruler and turned to leave the beam yard. His back was still as straight as a ruler, but with a silent sense of disappointment and heaviness.
After Mo Zhichi left, the beam yard fell into an awkward and hectic state of rework. Lan Tongtong froze in place, feeling all the sounds around her become blurred. Mo Ge's final, meaningful glance was like a needle, piercing through her self-deception and exposing her compromised, numb, and even somewhat degenerate self in broad daylight.
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