Chapter 90
With 800,000 people signing up, even if Hu Zhenzhen is rich, she couldn't help but feel a headache when she saw that number.
"Why are so many people signing up?"
Hu Zhenzhen had expected there might be a lot of people, but she hadn't anticipated this many.
After all, there aren't that many unemployed people in this world.
Hu Zhenzhen had done her research before she was so confident in doing this.
But now the number of people who have signed up is far greater than the number of unemployed people.
Where did all these people come from?
Secretary Li had already been surprised once before reporting it, and now, judging from the boss's expression, she knew that she was probably surprised as well.
"Most of them signed up because they heard that there was money to be made in windbreak and sand control."
The transportation costs alone for so many people would be a huge sum of money.
It turned out that during the agreement, the CEOs of the other companies felt embarrassed to not contribute a single cent and voluntarily covered the cost of the transportation personnel.
If this application form were handed to them, they would probably all have the same headache as Hu Zhenzhen.
"Then let's change the plan. Before the registration deadline, let's hold a live broadcast to let the public know how boring and hard life is in desertification control."
In this way, those who are bored and want to join in the fun will also back down.
Desertification control, aside from anything else, requires at least physical strength.
Whether it's laying straw or planting and watering trees, work in the Northwest is inseparable from sandy soil. Regardless of the weather, it's always a job with bare faces and sweat pouring down your back.
Of course, this doesn't mean you can't wear makeup or use sunscreen in the Northwest.
However, when people are working, their bodies secrete a lot of sweat.
Even waterproof products will be almost completely worn away after a day of sweating.
The environment there is tense, and everyone is focused on their work, so there's no time for men and women who like to touch up their makeup and dress up.
Among these 800,000 people, there are quite a few who want money but have no concept of the effort required.
Hu Zhenzhen had thought about this issue before and felt that after a few days in the Northwest, these people would give up.
But there are too many people now, so this plan is not feasible. We can only promote life in Northwest China in advance.
"Yes, Mr. Hu, we will arrange this as soon as possible."
There are three days left until the registration deadline.
The initial surge in popularity has already come to an end, and the number of people signing up has decreased significantly in recent days.
Even so, the number of applicants is expected to reach 850,000.
850,000 people.
Even if the situation in the Northwest is severe, it wouldn't require 850,000 people to make windbreak grass prescriptions.
Moreover, it's far from being that serious yet.
The live stream used Hu Zhenzhen's Weibo account directly.
Her personal account is more popular than the company's account, so if she uses it for live streaming, even more people will see it.
Hu Zhenzhen also watched the live broadcast.
This was also the first time she had ever seen firsthand what frontline workers in Northwest China were really like when they were working.
Almost everyone here has a dark complexion.
At first glance, they were almost the same color as the grassy land.
"Hello everyone!"
The person broadcasting live is a young man whose teeth appear exceptionally white against his skin tone.
"I am Zhang Kai. I have heard that many people have signed up for the desertification control activities, but they do not know much about it. Today, my job is to show you what the work here is like."
He held up his phone as he walked through a group of busy people.
Occasionally, someone would glance at him and say hello, but overall, everyone was busy with their own things and rarely stopped to chat.
"The work of desertification control is very tedious, and every day is pretty much the same."
"First of all, we need to get up at seven o'clock every morning, wash up, and then go to the team leader to see the arrangements for the day."
“Each group has its own responsibilities. My main task is to water the sea buckthorn trees.”
"After finishing the daily routine, I would make straw bundles and help move straw and other things..."
Zhang Kai, being on the front lines, explained it in great detail.
With so many people signing up now, there's really no need for him to embellish the work environment and lure in people who can't handle the hardship.
The work in the Northwest is physically demanding and tough. People who can't endure it, even if they come, will most likely not stay.
This land is about to be reborn, and what it needs are people who love it.
Only with sufficient dedication can desertification control work proceed more smoothly.
Before Hu Zhenzhen paid attention to desertification control, these people relied on their beliefs to get by.
The live stream attracted a large number of viewers.
Most of the people who registered watched the live stream on time.
People working in office buildings in inland China can hardly imagine the real environment of desertification control.
Zhang Kai's live stream served as a warning to everyone.
There weren't many people talking in the live stream; most people were watching silently.
Just like Hu Zhenzhen thought, many people wanted to go to the Northwest before they actually saw it, but after seeing the situation there, many people backed down.
My feelings are mixed.
[This is the first time I've seen a place without running water. Watching the delivery guy carry buckets of water in, I felt a pang of sadness. I'll never waste water again.]
[Sigh, I understand what Sister Hu meant. Someone like me, who only has a three-minute attention span, will consciously withdraw the application.]
Of course, besides them, there are also those with strong character.
Seeing the scenery in the Northwest was nothing more than a way to familiarize myself with the job in advance.
Most of these people have experienced hardship.
They know what it's like to be troubled by money, and they understand how difficult it is to work.
For them, the desertification control efforts in Northwest China are more like an opportunity to make their lives better.
"Sasha, are you really going?"
In a small rented room in H City, her roommate Yu Li watched her with concern.
The television in front of them was projecting a live stream from Hu Zhenzhen's account.
"This place looks so harsh, can you handle it?"
The girl called Sasha was quite young.
She's thin and small and doesn't look like she can do any heavy work, but at the company, she's the one who usually helps change the bottled water.
Yu Li knew that this young girl had a tough time, so she tried to offer some advice.
"Otherwise, I'll go and apply to your supervisor for you; maybe you can get a raise."
Sasha shook her head. "Forget it, Sister Li, you know we can't add much more anyway."
Yu Li stopped trying to persuade her.
What Sasha said is indeed a real situation.
Both of them came from small villages, but Sasha had it a little harder than her.
She has a younger sister who stayed in the countryside.
Sasha herself couldn't go to school because her family was poor, but she didn't want her younger sister to go through the same thing.
In his spare time, he would always save a small amount of money and send it home to pay for his younger sister's tuition.
Her parents had a hard life, always living in poverty. Their house had holes, and they had to save up money to repair them.
"Sister Li, you might need to find a new roommate."
Sasha smiled and said goodbye to Yu Li.
"I'll definitely treat you to a meal when I get back from the Northwest."
The two were in similar situations. Yu Li was a few years older than her, and sometimes she would feel sorry for her and use the excuse of buying too much to treat her to food.
Unexpectedly, this little girl remembered everything without saying a word.
She felt uneasy and suddenly felt sad.
"You've worked so hard to earn some money, you should save it for yourself."
Sasha's arms were slender, but she unleashed considerable strength, pulling Yu Li close in one go.
"Don't worry, Sister Li, I'll be rich by then!"
"It will definitely be darker than it is now. If I come back at night, you might not be able to find me."
Sasha didn't seem worried about the future at all, which made Yu Li, who had been frowning, laugh a few times.
"It's alright, the blemishes don't detract from our beauty. Black pearls are still pearls."
This night was a farewell. Neither of them slept. They lay on the sofa, holding hands, dreaming about the future.
Two hundred thousand is enough for Sasha to build a bright future.
Two days later, the number finally stabilized, settling at 280,000.
Even if some people give up halfway through, the number won't decrease much.
Hu Zhenzhen finally made up her mind.
Although 280,000 people are paid using 100 million as the unit of measurement, compared to 800,000, 280,000 seems much more acceptable.
The pressure on transportation shouldn't be that great.
Hu Zhenzhen was thinking this in her heart, but when she heard the phone call from President Zhou, she still couldn't hold back.
"Mr. Zhou, did you just say you bought tickets for an entire high-speed train?"
“It’s not the whole vehicle,” Mr. Zhou on the other end of the phone glanced at the data his secretary handed him, and only then, remembering that the cost was to be shared with other companies, did he suppress his twitching eyelids.
"It bought all the cars that could be driven to the Northwest today."
Saying it's a chartered car might be a bit of an exaggeration.
But the truth is, once they buy all the train tickets, it's no different from them having chartered the entire train.
Fortunately, the area was remote, and since it wasn't a holiday, there weren't many people traveling by train.
A high-speed train can get on at every station, and all of these people are heading towards the same goal.
This kind of scene doesn't happen often.
Li Zhi had never seen this before, at least not before.
He was from the Northwest and happened to be traveling the same route as this group of people who were going to combat desertification. He was the only outsider in this carriage.
On the bus, everyone else was chatting animatedly, and Li Zhi listened with great excitement.
He filmed a video and posted it online.
"They are all people who went to the Northwest to combat desertification, and many of them are very young."
When Li Zhi sent it out, he simply wanted to express his feelings.
He was moved that the environment in the Northwest might improve, and his hometown would no longer be shrouded in yellow sand. He was also moved by the energy of the young people in the country and by the kind-hearted people in society who care about nature.
But after it was sent out, all those feelings turned into one.
"My goodness, there are so many people!"
Within minutes, the number of likes surged to five thousand.
Li Zhi was just an ordinary person who had never seen so many likes before. He was so shocked that he exclaimed in surprise.
His shout instantly attracted the attention of those around him.
Several people who were online happened to come across the video and saw Li Zhi's location and expression, and immediately understood.
He took the initiative and asked, "Are you from the Northwest?"
"I'm also from the Northwest. I just signed up to come back. This whole bus is full of kids from other places. It's the first time I've seen fellow Northwest natives."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi instantly lost his composure.
The people of Northwest China have long been troubled by this issue. As early as ten years ago, many people devoted themselves to the desertification control project.
Only locals truly understand the suffering of the locals.
Now that he, a local, has returned to combat desertification, the impact on Li Zhi is even greater than seeing so many people come to combat desertification.
Li Zhi was speechless for a long time.
When he spoke again, he only asked one question.
"Does our desertification control team need more people?"
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