Perhaps because talking about Liu Shang had made his mouth dry, Manager Zhong took a sip of water.
Liu Shang hurriedly refilled his teacup.
Then, Manager Zhong pulled another cigarette from the pack, and Liu Shang smiled as he took the lighter and lit it for him.
That amused Manager Zhong.
"Heh heh, you little brat, how are you so likable?"
"Honestly, if you really weren't around in the future, Professor Xu and I probably wouldn't be used to it!"
"By the way, Liu Shang, you don't need to worry too much about this. There will always be room for things to ease up."
Liu Shang smiled. "It's just a well. What's there to worry about?"
"Maybe making it produce more oil would be difficult, but wouldn't it be easy enough to see a dynamic response?"
Hearing that, Manager Zhong's nose nearly twisted with anger.
At a time like this, how could this kid still be so arrogant?
Seeing his expression, Liu Shang smiled again. "Manager Zhong, it'll only take a few days. If you don't believe me, just wait and see."
"But there is one thing I really need Manager Zhong and Professor Xu to help me with. Keep the people at the company from coming over to mess with me!"
About half an hour later, Manager Zhong's car left the company and headed straight for Liu Shang's school.
Liu Shang first went to his counselor and asked for several days off, citing an urgent matter at home.
Then he returned to his dormitory to pack his daily toiletries and clothes before getting back in the car. Manager Zhong personally drove him to the oilfield's field construction site.
(Oilfield field crews all lived in mobile prefab units.)
On the way, Liu Shang sent Jiang Ruolin a text to let her know, which made her rather worried.
Sitting in the car, Liu Shang could not help sighing inwardly.
He had not even had his fill of his happy, sweet, wonderful, leisurely days, yet it seemed that from now on, he would only grow busier.
When Liu Shang and Manager Zhong arrived at the site, everyone from the well crew came out to greet them.
A crew generally consisted of four people. This crew's leader was Wang Wansong, a steady, easygoing man in his late forties.
With Manager Zhong's repeated emphasis and instructions, Liu Shang's living arrangements should not pose much of a problem.
"Liu, life out here in the field isn't like life at your school. Most of the workers on the crew are rough men."
"Can you really handle it?"
Before leaving, Manager Zhong uneasily pulled Liu Shang aside again and questioned him repeatedly.
Only after Liu Shang reassured him several times did Manager Zhong get into the car and leave.
As a university student technician personally escorted and instructed over by Manager Zhong, Liu Shang received a very warm, even somewhat ingratiating, reception from the four crew members.
Life in the prefab units at an oilfield construction site was like that. The sanitation and overall conditions were rather poor.
But Liu Shang was not at all unfamiliar with such an environment. If anything, he even missed it a little.
His natural manner and lack of fuss over the conditions also won the crew's surprise and goodwill.
Since there was no work scheduled that day and the crew was still preparing the construction site, everyone was not particularly busy.
At noon, crew leader Wang Wansong cooked personally, stewing a chicken and several vegetable dishes. He also brought out their stored beer.
Liu Shang did not put on airs either and openly drank two bottles.
By the end of the meal, he had grown much more familiar with everyone.
At oilfield construction sites, drinking was theoretically strictly prohibited.
But after all, they lived out in the wilderness, so people always drank in secret. Most supervisors simply turned a blind eye.
Especially on a day like today, before work had even begun, no one cared.
To Liu Shang's surprise, and greatly moving him, Xu Tiande actually came in person that afternoon with Ma Yuan.
Back at home, Xu Tiande's children had all arrived, and his wife's condition was not too serious.
Strictly speaking, Xu Tiande had no need to come over these past two days.
But as soon as he heard that something like this had happened after he left, the old professor, unable to stop worrying about Liu Shang, rushed all the way over.
After exchanging some pleasantries and giving the crew a few instructions, Xu Tiande found an opportunity to pull Liu Shang outside to somewhere secluded.
"Liu Shang, you child!"
"I was afraid you'd talk too much, so I specifically warned you. Yet you just wouldn't listen."
"Now that you've come to the site, your intentions are certainly good, but a real field construction site is vastly different from the theoretical techniques in books."
"Manager Zhong and I both suggest that you return to the company."
Naturally, Liu Shang politely declined Xu Tiande's suggestion.
But Xu Tiande and Manager Zhong had already expected his refusal, so Xu Tiande could only further remind Liu Shang to learn more, observe more, pay attention to safety, contact them anytime if anything happened, and so on.
Just as Xu Tiande pulled Liu Shang aside, Ma Yuan also called crew leader Wang Wanlin over to another side.
"Old Wang, how is that kid Liu Shang?"
"Has he been obedient and well-behaved since joining your crew?"
Wang Wanlin was no fool. The moment he sensed something off in Ma Yuan's tone, he did not rush to take a stance. He merely laughed it off. "Engineer Ma, you mean Liu Shang? Heh heh, he's all right. He's all right."
Ma Yuan glanced toward Xu Tiande and Liu Shang, then sneered. "That Liu Shang is notoriously arrogant and ignorant."
"He's offended plenty of people in the company too."
"I estimate that once this construction job is over, he'll have to pack up and get out."
"So, when it comes to an unruly brat like that, don't spoil him. Deal with him when you should, show him what's what. I'll have your backs when the time comes!"
Hearing Ma Yuan's words, Wang Wanlin cursed nonstop in his heart: Fuck, Ma Yuan, you idiot. Do you really think you can play me for an idiot?
Liu Shang only arrived at the crew today, yet both Manager Zhong and General Manager Xu, two big shots from the company, personally came to escort him and give instructions. They lectured me until my ears grew calluses.
I've been with the company seven or eight years, and I've never seen anyone receive this much attention from those two bosses.
You probably didn't hear the harsh words Manager Zhong said this morning. I'd have to be out of my mind to deliberately make things difficult for Liu Shang!
And even setting all that aside, Liu Shang is far more pleasant to look at than you, Ma Yuan!
Look at that disgusted expression you had when you came to the site and our prefab unit. Liu Shang, on the other hand, was so down-to-earth that he made people feel comfortable!
Even without Manager Zhong and General Manager Xu's instructions, I wouldn't make things difficult for the kid. Fucking get lost already!
But a higher official could crush a lower one. Wang Wanlin did not dare offend Ma Yuan, the engineer directly in charge of him, so no matter what he thought inside, he repeatedly agreed out loud.
Seeing this, Ma Yuan was quite satisfied and revealed a smug smile, as though his scheme had succeeded.
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