A Bright Spark

After Liu Shang finished speaking, just as Manager Sun had expected, the relaxed, easy atmosphere in the conference room froze. Most people frowned involuntarily.

Several technical mid-level managers in their forties even chuckled.

What kind of joke was this? Those of us who had worked in the oilfield for over a decade only made a little over four thousand a month.

You were just a freshman at Fengcheng Oil University. What gave you the right to ask for that kind of salary the moment you opened your mouth?

And you claimed you were confident in yourself and capable of handling the position?

What, were students nowadays all so unrealistic and arrogantly full of themselves?

In truth, they had completely misunderstood Liu Shang.

Even before his rebirth, Liu Shang's technical expertise and vision had been enough to look down upon the entire petroleum industry.

Let alone under the petroleum technology standards of more than a decade earlier.

With Liu Shang's level of expertise, coming to interview for a technical position paying a mere four thousand yuan a month, he was already being extraordinarily humble and modest, wasn't he?

After hearing Liu Shang's words, Song Guangyuan, the boss seated in the middle with a slightly solemn expression, nodded. "All right. Since he made a special trip to Huahai today, I think we should give him this opportunity."

"Besides, the purpose of today's meeting is to discuss technical plans. General Manager Xu, this is your project, so why don't you give him a question to test his technical ability?"

"After all, this is your old line of work!"

After Song Guangyuan's humorous remark, everyone in the conference room laughed along.

At that moment, Manager Sun from HR kindly introduced someone to Liu Shang in a low voice. "Liu Shang, this General Manager Xu is a retired senior professor from your Oil University—Xu Tiande, an expert in oilfield chemistry."

"He is highly renowned and respected both in the oilfield and at your university."

Following everyone's gaze, Liu Shang looked over at the old professor. He was around sixty, with an easygoing and exceptionally kind demeanor.

At this moment, the old professor, General Manager Xu, smiled at Liu Shang and said slowly:

"Liu Shang, right?"

"This young man is quite good. At the very least, his spirit and willingness to try deserve recognition."

Hearing this, several executives beside him began joking. "See that? Professor Xu set the tone for him right from the start."

"As expected of an old scholar—he really cherishes talent!"

Xu Tiande smiled and ignored their teasing, continuing to speak to Liu Shang.

"Liu Shang, let me first introduce Huahai to you."

"Under President Song's leadership, our company is mainly engaged in technical service operations for oilfields."

"You're a student at Oil University, so naturally you know that oilfields mainly have production wells and water injection wells."

"What we're meeting to discuss today is the Profile Control Technology process for water injection wells."

"Since President Song has asked me to give you a question, tell us what you think about profile control operations."

To Liu Shang, these routine oilfield technical measures were as familiar as the back of his hand. There was no difficulty in them at all.

So without the slightest hesitation, Liu Shang answered naturally, "At present, oilfield production in our country mainly uses Waterflooding."

"That is, water is injected through water injection wells to provide energy to the formation, thereby displacing the crude oil in the reservoir."

"However, during long-term Waterflood Development, the scouring action of the injected water often forms water-channeling pathways or high-water-absorption channels around water injection wells and in the surrounding reservoir zones."

"As a result, the efficiency and purpose of water injection development are greatly compromised. At the same time, it creates ineffective water circulation, further increasing oil production costs."

"More than that, if this problem is not dealt with and stopped in time, the damage it causes will only grow worse, and it will become increasingly difficult to handle."

"That is why a technical measure is needed to solve the problem: Profile Control Technology for water injection wells."

"The ultimate purpose and principle of this technology is to inject various plugging agents through water injection wells, sealing off those water-channeling pathways and high-water-absorption layers to a certain extent. This improves the water absorption profile of the injection wells, raises Waterflooding efficiency, ultimately slows the production decline of the oil reservoir, and improves recovery rates."

After Liu Shang gave such a concise, accurate, and easy-to-understand explanation of his understanding, everyone present was stunned.

No one had expected that this student, who had already been labeled unrealistic and all talk, could actually answer Professor Xu's question.

And with such quality, no less!

After hearing Liu Shang's answer, the old professor Xu Tiande's eyes clearly lit up.

From his first impression earlier, he had already thought highly of Liu Shang. He was an energetic and spirited young man.

Although Liu Shang had come across as somewhat unrealistic and self-important, he was still just a kid who had only recently entered university.

Over his decades of teaching, Xu Tiande had taught countless young college students. Thus, unlike the others, he was not particularly put off by what Liu Shang had displayed.

Young people, after all—who had never been hot-blooded and unruly in their youth?

But at the very least, this young man had ambition, and that was a good thing. Surely he was far better than those students still wasting their days on campus eating, drinking, chasing girls, and muddling through life?

Therefore, Xu Tiande had already made up his mind. Even if Liu Shang hit a wall today, he would do his best to keep the young man and let him train and develop at his side.

But Liu Shang truly exceeded his expectations. He had not imagined that Liu Shang would answer his question so fluently.

And judging by his response and confidence, he clearly had a real foundation in the subject!

"Heh, there is plenty of material in our textbooks and online about oilfield development, Profile Control Technology, and various operational measures."

"But most of it is cumbersome theory, burdened with far too many definitions."

"Yet with just a few simple sentences, Liu Shang has already fully outlined Waterflood Development, as well as the origin and principles of Profile Control Technology."

"The most valuable thing is that his words reveal his own understanding and insight into this technology."

"To be objective, even the fourth-year students I have supervised on graduation theses would give answers inferior to Liu Shang's."

"Manager Zhong, General Manager Ye, you are both veteran experts who have worked in oilfield technology for decades. What do you think?"

At this point, Manager Zhong, who sat beside Xu Tiande and was an old expert of roughly the same age, kept nodding. "To be honest, Liu Shang's answer just now greatly exceeded my expectations."

"Earlier, I had already prepared some harsh words to knock a little sense into this young man."

"But it turned out I didn't get to use them?"

His words drew laughter from everyone. After pausing for a moment, Manager Zhong continued:

"Still, this is only the beginning. It merely shows that we truly need to give this young man a chance to prove his technical ability today, and that President Song and everyone else have not wasted their valuable time."

"Liu Shang, let me tell you, Professor Xu specializes in geology and chemistry, while I come from an oilfield machinery and process technology background."

"The question I'm about to ask you will be very difficult to find a standard answer for in books!"