Chapter 2990
Turkmenistan's Natural Gas Pipeline
Chapter 2990 Turkmenistan's Natural Gas Pipeline
As darkness fell and the sandstorm subsided, a bright moon shone down, illuminating the devastation below.
When the sandstorm hit, everyone at the camp was forced to go inside, and then the windows were sealed with sheets, and all the ventilators were blocked.
Even so, the dark and chaotic scene still filled the visitors from Beijing with fear.
Under such immense power of nature, humanity appears so insignificant.
In the command center.
Cheng Bing stood by the window, looking at the sand and dirt left on the glass, while listening to the staff report the damage.
"According to the meteorological department, the sandstorm we encountered this time had winds exceeding level 11, with wind speeds exceeding 30 meters per second. Under such conditions, even trucks could be overturned."
Before the staff could say anything more, Cheng Bing interrupted them, saying, "Just state the losses."
"Yes!"
The staff member swallowed hard, then spoke cautiously.
"After the sandstorm, we conducted an emergency investigation and found a total of 53 damaged trucks, of which 21 were still repairable."
"Twenty-four excavators were lost, and it is currently unknown whether they can be repaired."
"The loss of supplies exceeded two million yuan, mostly from grain warehouses that were overturned and the supplies inside were blown away."
"Finally, there are the missing persons."
"A total of 186 people; search and rescue teams are being organized in various locations."
patter
Cheng Bing plopped down on the ground, his eyes filled with despair.
Losing supplies is already a dereliction of duty.
This time, so many people have gone missing again. How is he going to explain this to his superiors?
"Order all departments to do everything in their power to search for and rescue the personnel. We must find them alive or dead!"
Cheng Bing quickly calmed down; it was better late than never.
The work must continue; we cannot slacken the project's progress because of temporary difficulties.
Moreover, this sandstorm had a huge impact on the project, and the original survey markings needed to be retested.
Although it's a bit of a hassle, it's something that has to be done.
"Yes~"
As the search and rescue operation progressed, people were gradually carried into the medical room, while others were carried to a distant hillside.
On this day, an old man came to a grave and looked dejected.
He just sat there, muttering to himself.
By the time others went forward to check, the old man had already stopped breathing.
After Yan Jiefang learned about this, he eventually told her about Sha Zhu and also learned that the old man was He Daqing.
So, a new grave was erected next to the graves of Sha Zhu and Xu Damao.
The impact of this sandstorm was quickly compiled and sent to the Ninth Department.
But while Cheng Bing was waiting for his superiors to punish him, the punishment was delayed.
Just as the western section of the pipeline was facing difficulties, the railway excavation work in the middle section quietly began.
However, the problems here are different from those in the western section.
Here, towering mountains and deep ravines abound, so building bridges and cutting through mountains is essential for natural gas pipelines to cross rivers and streams.
Therefore, although this middle section of the project is the shortest, it is the most difficult.
This is also what the nine departments are most concerned about right now.
"Commander, the mountain ahead is the one we need to excavate. The locals call it Chongluo Mountain."
"The entire mountain is 600 meters high..."
A local official stood beside Ji Xuewu, pointing to the high mountain in front of them, and said, "According to multiple measurements by surveying technicians, the gas pipeline needs to pass through the mountain and connect directly to the gas station behind it."
"Moreover, taking other routes would not only require more steel wire, but also a large amount of manpower and resources to dig mountain roads, and would also affect the efficiency of gas transmission..."
Ji Xuewu looked at the mountains on the left and right, then at the withered weeds under his feet, and the scenes of fighting the Japanese here came to mind.
There are bloody scenes, tragic silences, helpless pain, and sorrowful anger.
It was a battle in which there was no room for retreat.
Now, everything has returned to calm.
But the gunfire here never stopped back then, and he could still smell the smoke of battle.
And today, another battle that cannot be lost is about to begin.
He also had nowhere to retreat.
He took a deep breath and turned to look at the crowd behind him.
Some of these people were from local departments, and some were his former subordinates.
There are also some people from the Ninth Division.
However, right now, for the project to proceed smoothly, everyone needs to work together in good faith.
"Comrades!"
The wind carried Ji Xuewu's voice to everyone's ears.
"The western section has already started full-scale construction and is progressing rapidly."
"For the eastern section, route planning has already begun, with multiple points of development planned!"
"Now, it all depends on whether our middle section can complete the mission."
"can!"
A group of old subordinates were the first to shout, their voices like thunder.
The others around them also joined in the shouting.
"very good!"
Ji Xuewu felt the heat in front of him and then solemnly said, "Make sure the team is prepared for a tough battle."
"If there aren't enough machines, we'll use people."
"If we don't have enough people, we'll have the local authorities send people over."
"In short, no matter how big, high, or difficult this mountain is, I will drill through it!"
"Do you understand?"
"clear!!"
With another shout, Ji Xuewu led his men away.
Soon, they left by car and arrived at the command post.
"Sir, the small tunnel boring machine from the First Ministry of Machine Building is stuck on the road and we need to send someone to pick it up."
As soon as I entered, the director in charge of liaison immediately stepped forward to report the situation.
Ji Xuewu frowned and asked, "Didn't we send someone to help? What happened?"
The director gave a wry smile. "Sir, the people we sent said that thing is too big to be moved by a person; it requires a large truck to haul it."
Ji Xuewu frowned even more deeply. "A large cart?"
"Don't we have some?"
"I remember that the Ninth Department provided a hundred large trucks!"
The director listened and smiled sullenly without saying anything.
Ji Xuewu suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead hard.
"Oh dear, this is my fault!"
When those hundred Optimus Prime trucks were delivered, he was shocked by their oil-guzzling bellies after learning about their performance.
This thing consumes more fuel than an armored vehicle.
It might not even be as good as the Type 59 tank.
So, in order to save fuel, these heavy trucks were left at the rear base.
Now that we've put it into use, it's proving a bit inadequate.
"Have the rear base dispatch heavy trucks immediately to send the tunnel boring machine over as soon as possible."
"We're counting on it to open up the mountain and build the road!"
"Yes!"
The director quickly left to contact the rear.
Ji Xuewu went straight to the command post and picked up the satellite phone on the table.
After a moment of contemplation, Ji Xuewu dialed the phone.
The phone rang for a moment, then was answered, and a woman's voice came through.
Ji Xuewu recognized who it was and quickly said, "Hello, Secretary Liu, this is Ji Xuewu. I'm looking for Minister Yang!"
"Director Ji, Director Yang is in a meeting right now. If you have anything urgent, you can let me know and I'll call you back shortly!"
"Oh, nothing much, just reporting on the project progress to Director Yang!"
"Well, I'll report back tomorrow."
"Ok!"
After hanging up the phone, Ji Xuewu took a deep breath and walked out of the command center.
Thinking about what happened in the western section, Ji Xuewu dared not relax. He went back to the command post again to inquire about the status of material reserves and allocation, determined to prevent any natural or man-made disasters from occurring.
Nine ministries in Beijing. Yang Xiaotao sat at the conference table, occasionally opening and closing the cap of his pen.
It kept making a crunching sound, completely ignoring the person speaking.
Those present also saw Yang Xiaotao's actions and heard the clicking sound of the pen, but no one dared to speak.
Even Director Yao, who was speaking, continued talking to himself, without paying any attention to Yang Xiaotao, let alone reprimanding him.
He originally didn't want to come to this meeting, but his superiors specifically requested that he attend.
The purpose, then, is simply to seek a sense of existence.
As for the matter mentioned above, which involved him interfering in the natural gas project during this accident, he never took it seriously.
Why are you even interfering?
Do you really think you're an idiot?
If they really dare to interfere, Yang Xiaotao could set a trap for them, and they wouldn't even know how they died.
Don't think Yang Xiaotao lacks the ability; he understands the other party too well.
Moreover, this incident was partly due to a natural disaster, so if we were to hold someone accountable, it would only be a case of "dereliction of duty," and a minor one at that.
It's difficult to even make a fuss about it.
So he decided that after conveying his superiors' instructions here, he would leave the Ninth Department immediately.
There's always a feeling of being out of place here.
"Comrades, we must learn from this lesson and never let the problem of harming the safety of people's property happen again."
"All departments must further develop a deeper awareness of security and prevention."
"Of course, the higher-level leaders are very concerned about the natural gas project and hope that this project, which benefits the country and the people, will be successfully completed under the leadership of Minister Yang."
At this point, Yang Xiaotao put down his pen.
Director Yao gave Yang Xiaotao a kind smile.
Yang Xiaotao couldn't remain cold in response, so he immediately returned the smile.
Seeing this, Director Yao relaxed and continued, "This will also help to accelerate the pace of revolutionary construction."
Papapa
Yang Xiaotao led the applause, and Lao Hong, Yang Youning, Xu Yuanshan and others were taken aback at first, then followed Yang Xiaotao in clapping.
Old Chen had mentioned Director Yao's transformation to him before.
To Yang Xiaotao, this person could only be described as "two-faced and opportunistic," but the other party's change did save the Ninth Department a lot of trouble.
There's no need for Yang Xiaotao to rack his brains about how to get rid of this guy.
It's a good thing that the other party isn't causing trouble for the Ninth Department right now.
Old Hong and his group were unaware of this, but after this meeting, they were able to guess some of the details.
Yang Youning, in particular, looked at Director Yao with a more scrutinizing gaze.
"Director Yao is right. We should actively summarize our experiences in dealing with this problem and quickly come up with measures to cope with the disaster, laying the groundwork for subsequent work."
Yang Xiaotao's subsequent words immediately relaxed Lao Hong and the others, and their gazes toward Director Yao no longer held the hostility they had previously displayed.
Even so, it made Director Yao feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Honestly, he just wants Yang Xiaotao to stop targeting him; as for the others, it's better for them to 'hate' him a little.
But now, he has this feeling that he is physically in Cao Cao's camp but his heart is in Han's.
But he didn't want it to be like this.
Just as Director Yao was wondering whether or not to smile, Yang Xiaotao changed the subject and said directly, "Director Yao, it's clear that you are a good comrade who cares a lot about revolutionary construction."
"He devoted himself wholeheartedly to the revolution and construction."
Director Yao felt a pang of unease, sensing something was wrong.
But Yang Xiaotao continued, "The Turkmen natural gas project is currently under discussion, and I think this task is very suitable for Director Yao."
"Later, I will recommend Director Yao as the deputy leader of this trip to Turkmenistan in my capacity as the person in charge, to be responsible for related negotiations. I hope Director Yao will not decline."
In an instant, the entire conference room fell silent.
Li Hongfeng and Lao Hong looked at each other. They seemed to understand Yang Xiaotao's intentions, but they didn't quite understand them.
Yang Youning, Chen Gong, and Xu Yuanshan, however, frowned, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
This Turkmen project is extremely important, especially since it involves foreign operations. If done well, it will be a significant achievement, if not immortalized in history.
Even if this kind of thing doesn't stay in the Ninth Division, it can be given to someone you know well.
Take, for example, Old Sun from the First Ministry of Machine Building. After hearing about this, he frequently visited the Ninth Ministry.
For example, Old Qin from the logistics department also wants to take on this task. As for the logistics department's affairs, others will take care of them.
But now Yang Xiaotao is handing over such a good opportunity to someone surnamed Yao. Isn't this like throwing good money after bad?
Even being a deputy wouldn't work; it might even aid the enemy.
The group looked serious, wanting to try and persuade Yang Xiaotao.
As for Wang Guodong, he acted as if it were none of his business, probably because he didn't hear what Yang Xiaotao said clearly.
Of course, it's also possible that he just accepts whatever Yang Xiaotao says.
As everyone reacted in different ways, Director Yao immediately turned his head cautiously and said, "Director Yang, you must be joking."
"I know my own limitations perfectly well, so I'd better not take on such a heavy burden."
Director Yao immediately understood Yang Xiaotao's intention. Although he was somewhat eager to do so, it was still a great achievement, and even though it was on the platform set up by the Ninth Department, it was enough to help him take a step further.
But the consequence is that once you're on board with the Ninth Division, you can forget about having your cake and eating it too.
This is still too dangerous for someone like him.
"Director Yao, don't you want to contribute to the revolutionary construction?"
Yang Xiaotao continued with a smile, and Director Yao quickly shook his head, "Director Yang, it is my duty to do this for the sake of revolutionary construction."
"But I am self-aware enough to know that I am not capable enough. If I go there and not only fail to complete the task, but also cause unforeseen problems, that would not be good."
"Ugh!"
Yang Xiaotao sighed in a seemingly serious manner, "I would like to ask you for help again."
Upon hearing this, Director Yao panicked even more and quickly turned his head and whispered, "Minister Yang, I just came to read a document, I really didn't mean anything else."
"Haha, since Director Yao has other tasks, then we won't insist."
Yang Xiaotao chuckled twice, and Director Yao breathed a sigh of relief. Then, not daring to linger, she stood up and said, "Director Yang, and all the comrades here, I have to go now."
Yang Xiaotao slowly stood up, and then everyone else followed suit.
"Director Yao, we just had to go to a meeting, so we won't see you off!"
"no, I'm fine."
Director Yao waved his hand hastily and then quickly left the meeting room.
Yang Xiaotao did not sit back down until the other person had walked away.
Instantly, laughter erupted from inside the room.
After a long silence, Li Hongfeng finally spoke, "What exactly are your thoughts on the Turkmenistan issue?"
Yang Xiaotao took a deep breath. "To be honest, I really want that guy surnamed Yao to go."
Everyone was curious, and then Yang Xiaotao said, "Let him go. At least we won't reach an agreement immediately, giving us a chance to delay."
Hearing Yang Xiaotao say this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Old Hong sighed, "We haven't even finished laying our own pipelines yet, how can we possibly go abroad to help others build pipelines?"
"Yup!"
Xu Yuanshan sighed, "I have so many things to do, and accidents keep happening. I can't even take care of myself, let alone other things."
"But this is the commander's order!"
Chen Gong added from the side, and everyone fell silent again.
Yang Xiaotao had no other choice; Turkmenistan's plan was very clear.
First, cultivate good relations with our side, then acquire their products and develop the economy.
Second, the oil crisis did not have a significant impact on them, but it was not insignificant either.
Especially since the other party has a weak economic foundation, they are even less able to withstand storms.
So, he wanted to suck blood from himself.
It's not that the other party did anything wrong, but they didn't seize the right opportunity.
We should at least get our own pipelines working properly before making any decisions.
At the very least, we need to finish developing the domestic infrastructure first.
That's too rushed.
"We can only offer our opinions on this matter; the final decision rests with our superiors."
Yang Xiaotao said helplessly at the end, and everyone could only nod.
"That's the end of the matter. As for how to handle the accident, Lao Chen, your logistics department should come up with a plan."
"Those who deserve subsidies will receive subsidies, those who deserve compensation will receive compensation, and those who die will receive double compensation."
"We cannot skimp on this matter."
Chen Gong nodded, "Don't worry, we in the Nine Departments have always treated everyone equally in this matter, there won't be any mistakes."
Yang Xiaotao nodded and hummed in agreement. Then the meeting adjourned, and everyone left the conference room.