Why Was It So Appealing?

The morning passed quickly. Other than going to the restroom and standing up to stretch a little, Liu Shang remained at his workstation the entire time.

He was quiet and rarely struck up conversations with anyone else.

Manager Zhong, who had a relatively outgoing personality, did as he usually did and slipped into Xu Tiande's office to smoke and chat.

"Old Xu, what do you think of that kid Liu Shang?"

"Look at the way he sits at his workstation. Can you tell he's a freshman who just arrived?"

Xu Tiande smiled as well. "You know, Liu Shang really has surprised me."

"Sometimes, like when we discussed technology in the meeting room yesterday, he was arrogant, conceited, even a little full of himself."

"But look at him now. He has a steadiness that kids his age simply can't achieve."

"He's really interesting."

Manager Zhong smiled. "It doesn't look like you have much work here that requires him. Let him follow me and learn for a while this afternoon or tomorrow."

"That zonal injection process he mentioned in the meeting room yesterday seemed to have some substance to it."

"Perfect. I'll test him too and see whether this kid was just bragging!"

Just then, the QQ icon on Xu Tiande's computer began flashing.

Xu Tiande saw that Liu Shang had sent over a file titled "Profile Control Project Design Plan and Construction Report."

The message said that Liu Shang had redone both plans based on the actual data and information fed back from the site, and asked Xu Tiande to review and advise him.

The moment Xu Tiande saw the message, he frowned.

"Sigh, this kid Liu Shang... I'd barely finished praising him, and he's gotten cocky again."

"It hasn't even been three hours since I sent him the materials and technical documents. I specifically told him not to rush and to focus on familiarizing himself with and studying them at this stage."

"But look at him now. He's directly sent over the project plan and construction report he made."

"What could he possibly have produced in such a short time?"

Manager Zhong nodded with a smile as he smoked. "He's young, after all. He hasn't been tempered by experience or society yet. He's impatient and eager for quick success."

"He learned a bit of technology and started thinking he was above everyone else, losing touch with reality."

"That's why, looking at it now, those four years of university are still a necessary and complete process. They can help these kids mature, especially in terms of personality."

At first, Xu Tiande was still able to chat with Manager Zhong while reviewing the plan Liu Shang had sent over.

But as they continued talking, Xu Tiande spoke less and less. By the end, he was barely responding at all, his eyes fixed tightly on his computer screen.

Manager Zhong became unhappy at once.

"Professor Xu, can flowers grow out of that computer screen or something? Why have you stopped talking?"

"Look at that cigarette in your hand. What a waste. Are you just holding it up and letting it burn on its own?"

Only then did Xu Tiande take a deep breath and look up at Manager Zhong. "Old Zhong, come take a look at this first!"

As he spoke, Xu Tiande directly turned the laptop in front of him toward Manager Zhong.

Seeing this, Manager Zhong sat down in the chair across from Xu Tiande's desk and carefully examined the computer screen.

At first glance, he frowned. Then his interest was piqued, and he took the mouse to browse through the technical plan.

A few minutes later, Manager Zhong also sucked in a breath and nodded at Xu Tiande.

"Professor Xu, isn't this a design plan for a profile-control well?"

"To be honest, it's incredibly neat and beautifully done!"

"I remember when we first entered the oil field decades ago. Those engineers and experts were strict. Their plans all had to be made to standards like this."

"I remember that the curves and various charts we produced back then were truly beautiful, like works of art."

"But as technology advanced and people grew more restless, many excellent old traditions disappeared along with them."

"I haven't seen a standard plan like this in years. Where did you get it?"

Xu Tiande looked delighted, yet shook his head with a wry smile. "Where else could I have gotten it? This is the plan Liu Shang just sent over for me to review!"

"And it isn't merely neat and pretty. Look at the formatting in this Word document—the headings, even the punctuation, are all utterly standardized."

"This is the highest-level specification we use only when preparing technical bid documents!"

At Xu Tiande's words, Manager Zhong's eyes widened.

"What? Liu Shang made this?"

"How is that possible!"

"How could a freshman produce a design plan of this standard? Did he get it from somewhere?"

Xu Tiande waved his hand with a smile. "How could that be possible?"

"Look at the data and technical information in this plan. They're exactly what I sent him just now."

"And just as you said, it's hard enough these days to find someone capable of this. Even if he wanted to cheat, he wouldn't have a way to!"

"Also, take a look at all the curves in the construction report he made. They're truly beautiful!"

"With his OFFICE skills, no one in our company can compare!"

"Old Zhong, barring any surprises, we've really found a treasure for the next time the two of us go out to give a presentation or prepare technical materials!"

How could Manager Zhong fail to understand Xu Tiande's words?

Though the two of them excelled in technical expertise and possessed experience unmatched across the oil field, they were getting on in years and somewhat struggling when it came to PPTs and all kinds of technical curves.

As for people like Chen Xu and Ma Yuan in the company, their level of meticulousness, rigor, and conscientiousness simply did not meet the standards of either man. They had only been making do with them all this time.

For Manager Zhong and Xu Tiande, who had always demanded high standards, how was that not a form of torture?

Thus, the delighted Manager Zhong pushed open the office's transparent glass door and called out in his booming voice, "Liu Shang, come here for a moment!"

His shout startled quite a few people and drew even more attention.

When Liu Shang was ushered into the office by the laughing Manager Zhong, Chen Xu, Ma Yuan, and the others all glanced over, their expressions shifting unpredictably.

"Liu Shang, were the plan you just sent Professor Xu and those technical construction curves all made by you?"

Liu Shang nodded with a smile. "Yes. Professor Xu previously sent me the actual construction data from several wells, so I made them while I was at it."

Even after hearing Liu Shang personally confirm it, Manager Zhong and Xu Tiande still found it hard to believe.

"Liu Shang, did you teach yourself all these office software operations, the creation of technical curves, and the most standardized formatting used only in technical bid documents?"

"Honestly, Liu Shang, you and Manager Zhong have really opened our eyes!"

Liu Shang smiled. "It's not that big a deal, Professor Xu. Please don't praise me like that."

"It's a new era. Being proficient with Office software is one of the essential basic skills for the future."

"As for the standard formatting in bid documents, the instructions for that format are easy to find. You can just follow them directly when making a plan. It's quite simple."