Chapter 48 We are very similar, engineers and pragmatists
After sending Qingqing to the hospital that day, Li Wenjing received a call from Pierre.
Although it was a work matter, Li Wenjing had never wanted to go to work so much in her life.
Go to work and temporarily rescue her from this emotional mess.
Pierre said he was treating Li Wenjing to coffee, not in Mombasa, nor in a beautifully decorated cafe, but in his office, on a coffee machine in the board room. He asked Li Wenjing what she wanted, and she said cappuccino, which made him and a group of colleagues laugh.
"Sorry, we don't have cappuccino in the afternoon."
Li Wenjing countered by asking if Pierre was French or Italian. He needed a coffee break for everything, even getting the foundation data wrong. At this point, he pushed his glasses up, no kidding, and made Li Wenjing a cappuccino. Then, holding a folder in one hand and carrying it in the other, he went into the office to chat.
"My mother is sick, so I have to go back to China soon," Li Wenjing told him in English. "It's urgent, and the company doesn't know about it yet. I won't be able to handle the report next week."
"Family is the most important thing," he said. "I also hope this matter can be resolved quickly."
"How to solve it?"
He pulled out the folder he'd just tucked under his arm, opened it, and handed it to Li Wenjing. Based on Li Wenjing's suggestion, they adopted the revised construction plan. Li Wenjing turned to the budget page and asked what else was included besides the construction revisions. Pierre explained that the injured workers had received a minimum of $20,000 in compensation, with ordinary workers receiving one month's salary. Of course, Li Wenjing would also receive this compensation, but as an engineer, her compensation was even higher, $50,000.
The money has been raised, and as long as she signs the report as the construction representative, the matter will be "perfectly" resolved.
The French report also had a Chinese version. Li Wenjing said she didn't know French and would go back to consult someone. Pierre said it had the translation company's seal, making it legally binding and that he wouldn't lie to her. The cause of the accident was still the earthquake-induced collapse the French insisted on. Li Wenjing flipped to the end and saw both Gustave and Pierre signed it. Pierre handed her a pen, and she chewed the tip as she read the report over and over again.
Li Wenjing said, "This document isn't for me to sign; it needs to be signed by the dean." Pierre continued, smiling, explaining that Gustav had discussed it with the dean, who had handed it over to her. As an engineer, she reviewed it, confirmed it, and signed it first, then took it back for the dean's signature. Li Wenjing called, and the dean gave her the same response.
I hung up the phone and stood by the window. Outside, there was no bustle as usual. There were only a few workers bulldozing and tidying up the site. It had been a while since work resumed.
Pierre stood up and walked over to her, "They need to survive too."
He brought over a large document bag and stood with her by the window. The bag contained letters from the workers, which Li Wenjing had read one by one. Tucked away at the end was a French newspaper containing the report on the previous accident. Pierre explained that media reports of energy companies exploiting labor, polluting the environment, causing safety incidents, and violating human rights in Africa had drawn the attention of governments and international organizations. Consequently, an investigation was dispatched, forcing the project to halt. This was putting not only the workers' livelihoods under strain, but also Gustav's own pressure.
As long as she signed, Gustav would pass the committee's investigation, and no matter what the newspapers wrote, it would just be rumors.
"Why didn't Gustav tell me himself?"
"To be precise, we are in the same industry and can understand each other better. What's more, Gustav is my friend and we have been working together for a long time."
Pierre pointed at the newspaper reporter's name. "Claire, she's Charles' classmate and friend. Gustave has met her before. She's a very impressive lady."
"Is it Ciel?"
He nodded.
"At least I have to discuss it with him. I wrote the report, I..."
Li Wenjing was just about to say that she didn't know what the report was about, and why Gu Weiyi didn't explain it to her clearly. Everything was mixed together, as if there were suddenly many unknown secrets between the two close people.
Pierre expressed his understanding.
"It's okay. I understand your position, Wenjing. We are very similar. We are both engineers and pragmatists."
Li Wenjing turned her head and sniffed.
"The coffee is cold, I'll make some more, cappino!"
He picked up the coffee and walked out. When he came back, Li Wenjing was sitting at the desk again.
"Do you know Charles?" Li Wenjing asked.
"I've only known Gustav for a long time," he said. "When I wanted to pursue a PhD, I didn't have the funding. It was Gustav who looked at my dissertation funding. I understand that you and Charles think he's not a good person. He does things in a very clear way. He clearly divides interests and strives to maximize profits in everything. He's a very rational boss, and we all like to work for him."
"I know, and I'd love to work under a boss like that. But the facts are like that, and I can't lie. And the facts can't be changed just by signing my name."
"What is truth? What is a lie? It's all defined by humans. As long as the top management wants to start construction, even if there are no conditions, we create them. We change a number, a model, and meet the specifications. They start construction, make money, the workers have enough to eat, and we make money. That's it."
Li Wenjing smiled bitterly and asked, "What's the difference between this and a tool?"
“Can I ask why you became an engineer?”
Li Wenjing asked him why, and he smiled and said, "I didn't have any other ideas at the time. I could make money by studying engineering, but I couldn't find a job if I studied literature."
"Almost. I still remember that my uncle died very early, at a construction site, and my younger brother also died because there was no one to take care of him."
"terribly sorry."
Li Wenjing concluded her workday with a final, "It's okay." She clutched the documents as she walked down the dusty path. The dust drifted like yellow moonlight, yet it was filled with a suffocating smell of dust. As she walked over the gravel crushed by the excavator, her footsteps creaked like bones, breaking under each step. Several workers, shirtless, smoked by the sand. Two older men, two younger, chattered incoherently. When they saw Pierre walking her out, they fell silent and came closer. Their accents were so strong that Li Wenjing could only make out the words "work" and "money." She slipped a letter into Pierre's pocket, but he reassured her that it would be quick and told her to go ahead. Several letters fell to the ground, and Li Wenjing picked up a dusty piece of paper. She brushed the dirt off and tucked the letter away in her folder.
Night had already fallen when she returned to Mombasa. Li Wenjing walked downstairs to her apartment building and looked up at her room. A small light shone behind the curtains. The sea breeze blew, and the light swayed like a lighthouse at sea. She stood there for a while before going upstairs.
When she got home, just as she had expected, Gu Weiyi had already returned, concentrating on reading at the table. It wasn't until Li Wenjing opened the bedroom door that he put down his book, apologized, and gave her a close kiss on the cheek. He was about to continue, but Li Wenjing took two steps back, "I came back from the oil fields, I'm covered in dust, so dirty."
As she spoke, she looked for clothes in the closet and said she was going to take a shower. She casually placed the folder on the desk and asked Gu Weiyi to take a look at the documents she had brought today. They would discuss it after she finished her shower.
Li Wenjing was showering in the bathroom. She sat back against the tub, watching the water flow past her toes and slowly into the drain. The sound of water seemed to block out everything else. Outside, Gu Weiyi, the oil fields, her work—everything was gone. Only she was alone. After an unknown amount of time, the shower curtain suddenly opened, revealing Gu Weiyi standing before her, his brow furrowed, his mouth open as he spoke. Li Wenjing tilted her head, clearing the water from her ears before she could hear what he said.
"Are you okay? You didn't say anything when I called you."
"Nothing, I was just taking a shower and lost in thought."
Li Wenjing stood up, perhaps because she had been showering for too long, and she felt dizzy and unsteady. He wrapped her in a bathrobe and carried her back to the bedroom, pouring her a glass of water. Li Wenjing was waiting for him to mention the document, but he said nothing. He took a hairdryer and blew it through her hair. The humming sound made her even more dizzy, and she collapsed onto the bed.
"Let's talk, Wenjing."
He finally got to the point.
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