The Truth About Base 221 Goes Public (Part One)

After the meeting ended.

Everyone sprang into action with the boundless energy of a tractor running at full throttle.

On the third day after the holiday.

The base distributed another round of new daily necessities to its many workers, including a lot of the beef and mutton left over from New Year's Eve. After all, the base had prepared far more supplies than expected.

On the fifteenth day after the holiday—the Lantern Festival.

The various branch factories held Lantern Festival galas, and, at everyone's request, the skit I Am Truly a Technical Leader, performed at the New Year's Eve dinner, made a return appearance.

After the Lantern Festival.

The last traces of the base's festive New Year atmosphere vanished completely, replaced by

blackboards set up at the entrances to the core production departments, each bearing the words: [XX days until Miss Qiu's wedding].

Just as the core departments were firing on all cylinders, another group at the base was about to experience a special day in their lives.

"Old Fang! Shovel in some more coal! The fire's too low!"

Inside a workshop at Fifth Branch Factory.

Hearing his coworker shout, Fang Weijun quickly called back, "Sure thing!" He scooped some coal from the pile in front of him and tossed it into the furnace.

"Big Face, how's it looking now?"

The man Fang Weijun called Big Face was short and round-faced. Like Fang Weijun, he wore blue work clothes, with a white towel draped around his neck. He studied the flames for a few seconds, then whistled.

"That's enough!"

Only then did Fang Weijun relax. He went over to a nearby table, picked up a thermos, and took a long, loud gulp of water.

Fang Weijun and Chang Ning, nicknamed Big Face, were both from Jingchu. They had originally worked