An Opportune Moment for Lin Lansheng
It was on the morning of the second day of the Party's general secretary's commentary on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and the sun rose as usual in the city of Lanzhou, languidly placed above the Gaolan Mountain, a cool, blood-red disk. On the bank of the Yellow River, thick reeds spread out like a dense frost, and the first rays of dawn fell in bronze waves, a vast mist rose from the water, and meandered through Lanzhou, you never bathe in the same river twice, and it washes away both heroic and ordinary days.
On the morning of that day, the head of First Survey and Design Institute hurriedly left his house to catch the train to work. The car smashed the silence of the early morning, starting another day in his day-to-day life in Lanzhou City. Looking out from a small sleeping carriage, the streets and lanes of the city burst forth like the raging waves of the Yellow River, and, if it weren't for two linked events which would later occur that day, Lin Lansheng would not have thought that this day was any different from the day before it, or the day which would come after it.
However, the day of 11th of November 2000, was destined to be engraved into the annals of the history of the Qinghai-Tibet rail.
Faraway in the capital, the report on the Qinghai-Tibet rail that had been perused by Secretary Jiang, and his three pages of commentary, reached the office of Premier Zhu Rongji first thing in the morning. A small mountain of documents piled up on a wide bookcase, when Premier Zhu first glanced at these documents, his gaze narrowed—he was no stranger to this matter. In May, the chairman of the Chinese International Engineering Consulting Company (which had been contracted by the State Council), Tu Yourui, and the railway vice minister, Cai Qinghua returned from their observation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and were able to talk about the results of their trip. In early August, Sun Yongfu returned from the observation trip, and had also sent a letter. The evidence from the study of the railway into Tibet was already prepared in a short space of time and unfurled. Brandishing the great brush of China of the first years of the new century, the Central Committee appeared to have reached a consensus and tacit understanding early on.
Zhu Rongji made some notes, asking the State Council and related departments to pay special attention to the work report. Few of words, undoubtedly, it had put the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on the right track.
In less than twenty days, Lin Lansheng had learned the backstory to this policy decision. But on this day, it seemed that everything became linked to the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
The car slowly entered the large gate into the First Survey and Design Institute. Stepping out of the car door, and looking up at the autumn sky, the 1950s style office blocks which were common in Lanzhou shined like a golden city, plain and heroic, trying to touch shoulders with Gaolan's mountains, with an overbearing tendency, looking down on ordinary people, and shouldering a heavy, pressing burden.
Lin Lansheng climbed upstairs slowly, and his gaze, directly in front of him, became gentle and enthusiasim, "Congratulations, principal Lin, when are you treating us?"
"Treating you? What is the occasion?" Lin Lansheng was a little surprised.
"You're becoming our boss, how couldn't we celebrate?"
"Really?"
"I'm sure you already know the answer."
"I really don't know!"
Lin Lansheng entered the office, skeptical, and immediately took a seat. The former principal rapidly knocked before entering, holding in his hands a notice of appointment: "Lansheng, congratulations!"
The dean's words spread quickly. It was the first part of the survey.
"Isn't it a little sudden?" the former head said, laughing, "myself and the secretary had been recommending you the entire time."
"Thanks for the favor!"
"Actually, everyone expected it." The former principal said, with a sigh, "a 43-year-old dean. A short youth, this was our college's first time."
"I truly feel anxious, as I'm afraid it will be a hard task!" Lin Lansheng said sincerely.
"Lin Lansheng—Lansheng—it's an opportune moment for you." With complete confidence the dean remarked, "the commencement of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is at hand, and the first school of the rail department has prepared to move inland to Xi'an, several generations of people have been waiting fifty years for this to happen, all culminating in you being able to serve both the Party and in the department! It's a heavy burden!"
Lin Lansheng held his predecessor's hand tightly, "I'll give my utmost—I don't want to disappoint everyone's hopes, or thumb my nose at the responsibility!"
"I have no doubts at all that when a young person takes on an important vision, that things will go smoothly!" The two deans shook hands tightly.
"Here, I'll send you off on your horse!" said Lin Lansheng elegantly.
"Hahaha!"
