novelraw Chapter 41 Victory Celebration Banquet
Chapter 41 Victory Celebration Banquet
The celebratory banquet that evening was held in a small canteen inside the space agency.
There were no banners, no colorful flags, and hardly anyone around.
A white plastic sheet was laid on a pale green tablecloth that had been washed until it was almost white. In the center of the table were two plates of Guoguang apples and a bunch of oranges, along with two packs of Yuxi cigarettes and a few loose cigarettes.
All the people were seated at the two tables.
The food was prepared by the cafeteria chef who worked overtime.
The meal included twelve dishes such as braised pork ribs, four-happiness meatballs, turtle stewed with chicken, and a cold appetizer platter, as well as a large bowl of steaming hot and sour soup.
The aluminum lunchbox was filled with rice, and the enamel mug was filled with boiled water.
On the table where Lin Yu was, there was a bottle of Moutai with the words "precious item" engraved on it. Even Lin Yu, who had experienced the information age in later generations, had never seen such a bottle before.
Chief Hou, Chief Engineer Lin, Professor Song, and several other leaders from the military and science and technology systems who participated in the afternoon meeting were present, while the other table was filled with senior members of the think tank.
Only Professors Lin and Song attended the event, and they were only informed of the true objective of the operation afterward.
Lin Yu was seated to the right of Chief Hou, which felt a bit cramped. Everyone else had enamel mugs, but he had an empty glass in front of him.
Commander Hou picked up his water tank and stood up.
"Gentlemen!" Chief Hou stood up, and everyone at the table stopped eating.
"Today's meal is not for show, but for two things."
First, our comrades overseas are safe and sound, the mission has been successfully completed, and the overall situation has been stabilized. Second…”
He looked at Lin Yu and lifted the jar upwards:
"Our own family has produced a young person capable of shouldering great responsibilities!"
"In this battle of technology, we have seen new hope."
"I won't say much else, but the discipline is all in your heart."
"Come, let's toast Comrade Lin Yu with water instead of wine, and also to all the comrades who have made silent contributions!"
After Chief Hou finished speaking, everyone stood up, but no one touched the cups they held, as if they were waiting for something.
Chief Hou put down the jar in his hand, picked up the bottle of Moutai, swallowed hard, and, feeling a little hungry, filled the empty glass in front of Lin Yu with wine, much to Lin Yu's surprise.
"We're just taking a short break from work; drinking would interfere with our duties. But Comrade Lin Yu... he's clean-cut and has no other commitments, so he can drink to his heart's content. Come on! Has Xiao Yu ever had a drink?"
As soon as the bottle of Moutai was opened, a rich aroma of soy sauce mixed with the scent of caramel wafted out, and upon closer sniffing, there was also a hint of medicinal fragrance.
Except for Lin Yu, all the generals' throats moved.
Chief Hou was just asking this casually as a polite remark. The report on Lin Yu's previous spying at Quyuan Tower was still on his desk, clearly detailing Lin Yu's habit of guzzling cup after cup.
Lin Yu nervously picked up the wine glass with both hands, about to say something polite, but was stopped by Chief Hou's words:
"Hey, child, don't use such polite and distant words."
"We have no outsiders here today. You probably won't believe me if I say that soldiers don't care about the formalities of officialdom, but at least today, you can just drink and eat here."
Commander Hou patted Lin Yu's shoulder lightly, signaling him to relax, and then lifted the water vat:
"Come! Drink!"
The rough enamel mugs clinked together, producing a crisp sound.
Lin Yu tilted his head back and drank his glass of wine, the fiery sensation sliding down his throat, yet carrying a mellow, sweet fruity aroma. One sip and his eyes felt slightly warm.
This wine is potent. Lin Yu may not have tasted countless wines, but in his previous life, he drank quite a bit while working with his mentor, and he owned a considerable amount of Moutai.
But the flavor of this bottle was unlike anything he had ever tasted before. Lin Yu drank it down in one gulp along with the others, and then poured himself another glass of wine.
The liquor arced through the air as Lin Yu poured it, noticing that everyone else glanced at the drink out of the corner of their eyes.
Seeing that Lin Yu could drink the liquor in one gulp, Chief Hou nodded with satisfaction:
"Good! A true man in our army should be able to drink! If this bottle of premium liquor isn't enough for you, I have another one!"
The adjutant standing nearby was clearly envious; a smile spread across his face, and he blurted out:
"Commander, can I ask for leave tomorrow? I'd like to try your precious Moutai today, along with Lin Yu."
Upon hearing this, the officers burst into laughter and playful banter.
Professor Song, standing next to Lin Yu with dark circles under his eyes, placed a piece of turtle on his plate and whispered:
"Eat more. Look at what you've been cooking these past few days. Turtle is very nourishing."
Lin Yu smiled and added another piece of pork rib to Professor Song's plate so that he could have some nourishment too.
There wasn't much talking during the meal, but the atmosphere was relaxed.
The leaders discussed arrangements for technology transfer and subsequent confidentiality work.
Occasionally, they would ask Lin Yu a few questions about the algorithm details and specific application scenarios. Each time Lin Yu answered, the leaders' appreciation for him increased.
Chief Engineer Lin, while munching on an apple, remarked with emotion:
"That's great. From now on, our missiles can hit exactly where we want them, and we'll have more confidence in our ability to strike."
"All that's missing is our own satellite network."
A banquet without alcohol won't last long; there are still many things to do, and the feast soon comes to an end.
This private dinner contained no medals, no promised bonuses, and not even a single explicit public commendation.
There was only one bottle of wine, opened just for him.
But Lin Yu knew that, unlike the young people of later generations who abhorred drinking culture, in this era, wine was a valuable commodity that could be exchanged for foreign currency, and wine itself was also a precious gift.
The better the quality of the wine, the more it is valued by people.
In this era, at the banquet where every young person embarks on their journey with dreams in their heart, an elder will fill their glass with wine.
It could be an expectation or a word of comfort.
After the meal, Commander Hou called Lin Yu aside, and the two stood in the small courtyard behind the canteen where the snow had not yet melted. A chill swept over them, and their breath turned into mist.
"Xiaoyu, there's progress on what I promised you."
Commander Hou took out a brown paper envelope from the inside pocket of his military overcoat; it was unsealed.
"Take a look."
Lin Yu took it and unfolded the kraft paper under the light.
There are several documents inside.
At the top is a document—preliminary opinions on the pilot reform of the management system of BJ Red Star Steel Plant No. 2.
The basic information about the factory is attached below:
Located in the suburbs of Beijing, the factory was established in 1958 and has more than 700 employees. It mainly produces rebar and ordinary profiles for construction. The equipment is outdated, and it has suffered losses for three consecutive years, resulting in a heavy burden.
Several lines of text were circled in red in the material:
"We plan to introduce a technical management team to conduct a pilot project of contracted operation, exploring ways to revitalize small and medium-sized state-owned factories... We may consider models such as technology-based equity investment and risk-based collateral..."
"Red Star No. 2 Factory".
Commander Hou lit a cigarette, but it wouldn't light in the windy winter night. Disappointed, he put the cigarette away and said:
"The factory isn't big, but it's carrying a heavy burden. The main advantage is that the location is decent and the equipment is still operational."
"Most importantly, it has been included in this year's list of pilot reforms."
"The higher-ups are aware of your contributions."
"But directly allocating state-owned assets is unprecedented and does not conform to the spirit of reform."
"So this opportunity was given to you. Although it's said that you're in charge of the contract, you don't actually need to pay a single penny. It's just that this is the procedure you have to follow."
He looked at Lin Yu, his gaze sharp and honest:
"When you contract out a business, you need to bring your technology and solutions with you. That's the rule, and it's also how you account to the government."
"Achieve profit targets in the first three years, make up for historical shortfalls, and stabilize the workforce."
"We will discuss the equity transfer three years from now, once the valuation is satisfactory."
"This path is tough and risky, but it's truly clean, leaving no room for criticism and giving you ample room to maneuver. What do you say?"
Lin Yu raised his head and nodded with utmost solemnity:
"I do!"
"I will cherish this opportunity given to me by the organization."