Chapter 930
Nothing is a given.
"Therefore, we must live up to their expectations."
Wang Donglai's voice was not loud, but every word was clear: "They have entrusted their future to us, and we cannot let them down."
Xu Songyao nodded.
He recalled the eyes of the children during the interviews—a mixture of nervousness, anticipation, and uncertainty about the future, but above all, a burning, unfulfilled desire.
He thought, this must be what Wang Donglai meant by "a light in the eyes".
"Mr. Wang, there's one more question."
Xu Songyao said, "Some of these students were forced to come by their parents. During the interviews, the parents were more enthusiastic than the children. One parent even told us, 'Just take him in. If he doesn't listen, you can hit him. I won't feel bad.' Should we take in students like that?"
Wang Donglai thought for a moment and said, "I'll accept him, but we need to talk to him individually. Talk to the student, not the parents. Ask him clearly if he wants to learn. If he doesn't, give him a semester to get a feel for it. If he still doesn't want to after a semester, we'll ask him to withdraw. We don't support idlers, and we don't want to waste other people's time."
"A two-way selection?" Xu Songyao asked.
"Yes, they chose us, and we chose them. It's not that we're giving them a chance to study; it's that we're doing something together. They learn skills, and we nurture people. If we're compatible, we'll stay together; if not, we'll leave. Nobody owes anyone anything."
As Xu Songyao listened, he suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
He has spent most of his life in education and has also served as a principal. He has seen too many parents who say "it's for your own good," students who say "there's no other way," and teachers who say "it's just getting by."
But Wang Donglai is different.
He doesn't preach grand principles, doesn't engage in emotional blackmail, and doesn't constantly talk about "dedication."
He simply set the rules, paved the way, and then said: Whether you come or not is your business; whether you can stay or not is your business; whether you can learn or not is your business.
But as long as you come, as long as you are willing to learn, I will give you the best.
This kind of equality is more powerful than any slogan.
After visiting the training building, Wang Donglai and Xu Songyao strolled slowly along the tree-lined paths of the campus.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two people, one in front of the other, like two adjacent trees.
On the lawn by the roadside, several workers were doing the final trimming, the lawnmower humming and carrying the scent of fresh grass.
“Principal Xu, do you think 100,000 yuan per student is too much?” Wang Donglai suddenly asked.
Xu Songyao thought for a moment and said, "A lot. The average funding per student in a regular vocational school is only ten or twenty thousand yuan a year. Ours is ten times that, which is the highest in the country. A couple of days ago, an old colleague called me and asked if our school had gone crazy, spending so much money to train a few vocational school students, is it worth it?"
"What did you reply?"
"I said, whether it's worth it or not isn't up to us to decide, it's up to the students. Three years from now, how much money they can earn, what kind of life they can live, and whether they can hold their heads high—that will be the answer."
Wang Donglai smiled but didn't reply.
"Do you know exactly where that 100,000 yuan was spent?" Wang Donglai asked again.
"know."
Xu Songyao continued without hesitation, “Equipment depreciation is about 20,000 yuan per year. Teacher fees are about 30,000 yuan per year. Practical training consumables are about 10,000 yuan per year. Living allowance is about 10,000 yuan per year. The remaining 30,000 yuan is for operating costs and management expenses. The finance department has detailed reports on the specific breakdown, which you can view at any time.”
Wang Donglai nodded and then asked, "So, do you think it's worth it?"
Xu Songyao did not answer immediately.
He thought of those machines—four-axis machining centers, industrial robots, automated production lines.
Each one is very valuable, but each one is the latest model currently in use by the company.
Students learn here and can immediately apply their skills upon graduation, without needing further training from companies.
Is this kind of "seamless integration" worth it?
He recalled those teachers: engineers transferred from Galaxy Technology, technical backbones poached from enterprises, and practical professors invited from universities.
They don't teach empty theories, they only teach practical skills.
Students learn not "outdated knowledge," but "the skills to make a living."
Is this kind of "learning by doing" worthwhile?
He thought of those students, most of whom came from rural areas and had poor families, but their eyes shone with light.
They study here for three years, and when they graduate, they can earn a monthly salary of seven or eight thousand yuan, enough to support themselves, help their families, and hold their heads high.
Is this kind of "life-changing" worth it?
"value."
Xu Songyao said, "It was totally worth it. I even think that 100,000 wouldn't be enough. If conditions allowed, we should have invested more."
Wang Donglai smiled but didn't reply.
The two continued walking, and when they passed the dormitory building, Wang Donglai stopped.
How are the dormitory conditions?
He looked up at the six-story building; the windows were open, and students were peering out.
"A four-person room with bunk beds and desks underneath, a private bathroom, air conditioning, and hot water. It's better than many universities."
Xu Songyao said, "We also have a dormitory supervisor who is on duty 24 hours a day. The doors are locked at 11 p.m., but if there are any special circumstances, you can contact the teacher on duty at any time."
"What about the cafeteria?"
"The buffet costs 20 yuan a day, all you can eat. Breakfast is 5 yuan, lunch is 10 yuan, and dinner is 5 yuan. The ingredients are all directly supplied from the agricultural base of Pin Yi Dao, so they are fresh and safe. We have also hired a nutritionist to plan the meals to ensure that students eat well and are full."
What about healthcare?
"The university hospital has resident doctors who can treat common illnesses. For serious illnesses, there is a green channel that directly connects to Tangdu Jiaotong University Affiliated Hospital. We have also purchased commercial medical insurance for every student, which reimburses 90% of hospitalization expenses."
"What about psychological counseling?"
Xu Songyao was stunned for a moment.
He didn't expect Wang Donglai to ask this.
"Well... not yet," he answered honestly.
Wang Donglai turned around and looked at him.
The setting sun shone on his face, clearly reflecting his expression—not reproach, but seriousness.
“Uncle Xu, many of these children are leaving home for the first time. They may not miss home, they may not adapt well, and they may feel inferior to others. These problems are no less significant than technical ones. Technical skills can be taught gradually if they can't learn them. But psychological problems may take a lifetime to recover from.”
Xu Songyao paused for a moment, then nodded: "It was my oversight. I'll make arrangements immediately to find two professional psychological counselors to be stationed at the school."
"It's not just about psychological counselors."
Wang Donglai added, “Class teachers should talk to students regularly to understand their thoughts. Counselors should communicate with parents regularly to keep them informed about their children’s situation. Dormitory administrators should pay attention to students’ living conditions and report any problems promptly. This is not just one person’s responsibility; it’s a whole system. You need to write all of this into the rules and regulations and make it a standard procedure for daily work.”
Xu Songyao listened attentively, memorizing every single point.
When he was a university president, he was always thinking about "how to manage students." But Wang Donglai was thinking about "how to be good to students."
These two ways of thinking differ by one dimension.
One is a management mindset, and the other is a service mindset.
The former treats students as objects, while the latter treats students as people.
Behind the training building is an open space. Several trucks are parked there, and workers are unloading goods.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a huge piece of equipment, wrapped in a waterproof tarpaulin, making it impossible to see what it was.
The workers chanted commands as they carefully unloaded the equipment from the truck using forklifts.
"What is this?" Wang Donglai asked.
"A five-axis machining center, imported from Germany, just arrived yesterday."
Xu Songyao said, "This is the last batch of our second phase of equipment. Including the ones that arrived earlier, there are a total of 47 units, with a total value of 230 million yuan. This one is the most expensive among them, costing more than 20 million yuan just for this one unit."
Is that enough?
"It's enough for now. We might need to add another batch when we expand to 2,000 people next year. I've already asked the equipment department to prepare a budget, which I'll report to you later."
Wang Donglai nodded, without saying anything like "You write the budget report."
Because he knew that Xu Songyao wouldn't waste money.
This person has spent most of his life in education and knows where every penny should be spent.
He's not the kind of person who squanders money for political achievements; he's the kind of person who can stretch every penny.
The two bypassed the equipment and walked to a more open area.
A steel-structured greenhouse is being built here, and it is already taking shape.
Steel beams were erected one by one, and workers welded them together, sparks flying everywhere.
"Is this the training workshop?" Wang Donglai asked.
"Correct."
Xu Songyao said, "The indoor training space is not enough, so we built this temporary workshop, which is 1,200 square meters and can accommodate 200 people for hands-on practice at the same time. When the second phase of the project is completed next year, this workshop will be converted into an indoor gymnasium. Then students will have a place to play ball, run, and exercise."
"What about the internship arrangements? Have you coordinated with the company yet?"
"It's connected."
Xu Songyao pulled out another document from his briefcase: "Galaxy Technology's subsidiaries, Galaxy Energy, Galaxy Semiconductor, Galaxy Aerospace, and its holding companies, can all accept students for internships with just a little coordination. The types of positions are also very diverse, including equipment maintenance, quality inspection, production management, technical support, and so on."
Wang Donglai did not speak immediately.
He stood in front of the steel-structured shed that was under construction, watching the workers busily working up high.
The setting sun shone on the steel beams, reflecting an orange-red light.
Sparks fell from the sky like meteors, scattering tiny sparks on the ground.
“Principal Xu, do you know why I don’t allow you to pursue that ‘school-enterprise cooperation’ model?”
Xu Songyao thought for a moment and said, "Because many school-enterprise cooperation programs are actually just treating students as cheap labor. Schools get kickbacks, companies save costs, and students are used like animals. I visited several vocational schools in the south before, and their 'school-enterprise cooperation' was just sending students to electronics factories to tighten screws, standing for twelve hours a day, and earning three thousand yuan a month. The school takes a cut from each student, and the companies are happy to have someone do the work. As for what the students learn? They learn nothing."
"Correct."
Wang Donglai said, "I am not against internships, but I am against turning internships into temporary jobs. Students come to school to learn skills, not to work as temporary workers for companies. The purpose of internships is to let students verify what they have learned in the classroom in actual work. It is not to let them tighten screws, move boxes, or do those jobs that do not require any skills."
He turned around, looked at Xu Songyao, and his gaze was very serious.
"Therefore, our internships must meet three conditions. First, the internship content must be related to the students' majors. Students majoring in intelligent manufacturing should be assigned to equipment maintenance positions, and students majoring in new energy vehicles should be assigned to repair positions. Random assignments are not acceptable. Second, companies must assign dedicated mentors; they cannot simply dump students on the assembly line and leave them to their own devices. Each intern must have a 'company mentor' responsible for teaching, guiding, and answering their questions. Third, during the internship, students remain students of the university, not employees of the company. Their rights are protected by the university. If the company violates these regulations, the university has the right to terminate the cooperation."
Xu Songyao nodded solemnly.
He knew that these three points, though seemingly simple, each required a great deal of coordination and supervision in practice.
But he also knew that if Wang Donglai said he would do it, he had to do it.
"There's one more thing."
"After the internship, students are required to write an internship report. This is not just a formality, but a genuine summary. It should include what they learned, what difficulties they encountered, and what they still don't understand. These reports should be submitted to their professors, who will then adjust their teaching content based on them. The internship is not the end, but also an integral part of the teaching process."
Xu Songyao wrote them down one by one.
He suddenly realized that although Wang Donglai did not understand educational theory, he understood the essence of education.
Education is not about instilling knowledge, but about providing feedback.
It's not about what the teacher teaches and what the students learn, but rather what the students need and what the teacher teaches.
This logic is something that many people who have dedicated their lives to education have never understood.
The sky gradually darkened.
The streetlights on campus came on, casting a warm yellow glow on the new asphalt road, making the two people's shadows even longer.
"Mr. Wang, I have a question I've been wanting to ask you."
Xu Songyao suddenly spoke, his voice lower than usual.
"explain."
"You've invested so much money in this school, what's your motive? I know it's not to make money. Then what is it for? To train talent for Galaxy Technology? Or... to do charity?"
Wang Donglai did not answer immediately.
After a long while, he finally spoke up and asked, "Uncle Xu, what do you think a rural kid can do after graduating from junior high school?"
Xu Songyao paused for a moment, vaguely sensing Wang Donglai's thoughts, but still said, "Work in a factory, deliver food, run a courier service, learn a skill, open a small shop..."
"and then?"
"And then... that's how it is. Work for a few years, save some money, go back to your hometown to build a house, get married, and keep working."
Xu Songyao had naturally come into contact with rural people, after all, he himself came from a mountain village, so he was quite familiar with the situation.
"Yes, that's it."
"Their lives are predetermined from the age of fifteen or sixteen. They go to the factory, tighten screws, earn four or five thousand yuan a month, work until their health collapses, get fired, and then go back to their hometown to farm or continue doing odd jobs. That's how their lives are."
His voice was calm, but Xu Songyao could hear what lay beneath that calm.
That wasn't anger, nor pity, but a deeper emotion—resentment.
He was unwilling to accept that these children's fate was fixed, unwilling to accept that society had abandoned them, and unwilling to accept that there were ways to change things but no one did it.
"I'm not pitying them; pity is useless. I just feel it's unfair. Some of them couldn't get into university, and some certainly didn't work hard, but their lives shouldn't be like this. Our society should give them more opportunities. If they were born in the city, and their parents were civil servants, teachers, or engineers, they would have more choices. But they don't have those advantages, so they were filtered out."
"Society needs delivery drivers, couriers, street sweepers, and construction workers, but this is not a given."
"With the expansion of university enrollment, the value of undergraduate degrees has decreased significantly, and academic qualifications will inevitably depreciate in the future, which will also lead to intensified competition. Therefore, having more options is always a good thing."
He turned around and looked at Xu Songyao.
The streetlight shone on his face, clearly illuminating his expression—serious, resolute, and possessing an undeniable power. (End of Chapter)