boyutpedia Chapter 64 Undercurrents
Chapter 64 Undercurrents
A few days after Ding Fugui left, the service station appeared to have returned to normal.
Training for the skills competition continued as usual. Every evening, Ahai would disassemble and assemble diesel engines in the workshop, the clicking of the torque wrench echoing until dark.
Ding Haisheng took A Guang to practice overhead welding in the welding area. The current for thick plates was increased several times. After A Guang finished welding one section, he used a weld ruler to measure the weld seam himself.
Lin Xiu'e would prepare an extra basin of tung oil putty every day, carve several more grooves on the old ship planks, and repeatedly practice the same movement at the turns.
Several boats were lined up for repair by the stone trough. Old Fang and Hong Xiaobing inspected them one by one, so busy that they barely had time to smoke.
But some things have changed.
Ding Haisheng became more silent than before, but he still did his work as usual.
When welding overhead, molten iron drips down and burns holes in my gloves, but I don't flinch. After I finish welding, I knock off the flux residue, and the weld is still so neat.
But when he rested, he no longer squatted at the workshop entrance listening to Lao Fang and the others chat. Instead, he went to the open space behind the asbestos tile shed and stood there for a long time, looking at the sea.
Once, when Ah-Guang went to see him, he saw him clutching a dull wrench with the word "life" stamped on the back, his knuckles turning blue from gripping it so tightly.
Ah Guang didn't say anything, quietly retreated, and turned to the page for tool requisition in the register.
A note was added after Ding Haisheng's name: "Dry wrench, made by Master Fang, for normal use."
Old Fang saw all of this.
One evening after finishing work, he squatted at the workshop entrance and finished smoking a cigarette. He said to Jiang Haiping, "Ding Fugui won't just let this go. He's been running around outside for the past few years. He hasn't learned anything else, but he's certainly developed a thick skin."
If you run into a wall last time, you'll try a different approach next time.
Jiang Haiping squatted down next to him, folded the cotton yarn in his hand and unfolded it again, saying that if Ding Fugui really had orders from Zhejiang shipowners, he could simply register a repair shop himself to take on the work, so why did he have to put up a service station sign?
Old Fang stubbed out his cigarette on the sole of his shoe, saying that because he couldn't handle it himself, his reputation was ruined in several coastal counties, and fishermen would avoid him whenever they saw him.
The service station was a pilot project officially approved by the province, and its reputation preceded it. He wanted to use this as a cover to launder his business.
Jiang Haiping stuffed the cotton yarn into his pocket and said that if he was not giving up, what would be his next move?
Old Fang was silent for a while, then said that what he feared most was not that the other man would cause trouble again, but that the man would find someone else to put pressure on him indirectly.
For example, his father-in-law's connections, or the acquaintances Wang Cunzhi mentioned, or even people in the county or town who are related to the service station.
Tell Ding Haisheng to be careful these next few days. His younger brother, Ding Haifeng, is young and easily influenced, and is most likely to be used as a pawn.
Jiang Haiping kept Lao Fang's words in mind.
The next morning, he asked Ah Hai to go to the county to deliver the maintenance file and, while he was at it, to ask Wang Cunzhi about Ding Fugui's whereabouts over the past few years.
When Ahai returned in the afternoon, the news he brought left everyone at the service station speechless.
Wang Cunzhi said that Ding Fugui did have dealings with several private ship owners in Zhejiang, but he did not have any formal business qualifications, so they dared not entrust him with large orders.
He recently rented a storefront in Binhai County and put up a sign that read "Ship Repair Agency," but it's actually just a shell company.
Ding Haifeng had been following his father around doing business all year. The uncle from the Zhou family was indeed a cold-working worker who had just been laid off from the Qianwei Shipyard.
However, the reason for his layoff was not entirely due to the factory's restructuring. He had been disciplined for fighting with someone at the factory, and there was a record of it in his file. No reputable company was willing to hire him.
Hong Xiaobing squatted at the workshop entrance, holding a filter wrench in his hand. After listening to Ahai's words, he looked up and asked, "Is it true that Haisheng's grandfather suffered a stroke and became paralyzed?"
Old Fang said that was true; Ding Fugui's father-in-law had indeed been paralyzed for more than half a year and had incurred a lot of debt for medical treatment.
Although Ding Fugui was a muddle-headed man, he wouldn't lie about his father-in-law's illness.
Ding Haisheng was squatting in the new workshop, welding and repairing the hull of a government vessel, the arc light flickering through the workshop windows.
He neither came out to listen nor asked any questions.
But Ah-Guang noticed that after he finished welding that seam, he didn't rush to remove the flux residue, but instead squatted there and looked at the weld for a long time.
Then gently knock off the welding slag with a hammer and slowly brush it clean with a wire brush.
Jiang Haiping mentally reviewed Wang Cunzhi's words.
Ding Fugui's problem cannot be solved by scolding him. He needs money and a chance to turn his life around. The service station is the best springboard he can think of.
However, the resources he had were not legitimate enough, so he thought of using the service station's skills and reputation to pave his own way.
The service station can't let him use this route, but if they just block him from entering, he'll eventually find another way.
In the afternoon, Jiang Haiping asked A Guang to make several copies of the refurbished document registration form separately.
They re-filed and reorganized the qualification approval documents of the provincial pilot units.
He found an old document in his drawer that Director Sun had forwarded two years ago, titled "Notice on Regulating the Qualification Management of the Fishing Vessel Repair Industry".
It clearly stipulates that those engaged in fishing boat refurbishment must have designated repair qualifications and must use repair settlement sheets and maintenance records printed uniformly by the province.
He put the document in a separate file folder and placed it on top of the drawer.
At the same time, Jiang Haiping began to work with Director Sun and Wang Cunzhi to compile a complete compliance statement into the service station's employment registration, qualification documents, and sales records of refurbished parts for the past two years.
The service station is prepared to provide written evidence immediately should the other party take any further action.
He also had Ahai take several old photos of Ding Fugui ripping people off while repairing boats in Baishakou, attach them to the register, and mark the dates and accident records.
A few days later, Wang Cunzhi came by on his motorcycle.
He handed Jiang Haiping a notice issued by the county fisheries bureau, saying that Ding Fugui had applied for an individual business license at the county industrial and commercial bureau, with the business scope being "ship repair intermediary services," and that the license had been approved.
Jiang Haiping read the notice from beginning to end and asked Wang Cunzhi what the specific intermediary services included.
Wang Cunzhi said that according to regulations, intermediaries can only act as information matchmakers and cannot directly participate in repair business, but it is uncertain whether Ding Fugui will try to circumvent the rules.
Jiang Haiping folded the notice and put it in the drawer, saying that the service station was only responsible for repairing its own boats. If he really had the ability to bring over the ship owners from Zhejiang and follow the rules, the service station could take orders. However, he wanted to operate the service station independently, which was impossible.
Wang Cunzhi nodded, and then said that he had heard from the people at the Industry and Commerce Bureau that Old Zhou's uncle had also applied for a job a few days ago.
Jiang Haiping looked up, and Wang Cunzhi added that he wasn't applying for a job at the service station, but at Old Qian's hardware store in town. He wanted to do cold work processing, but they looked at his file and didn't dare to accept it.
Jiang Haiping kept this in mind.
Two days later, Ding Haifeng arrived alone.
This time, Ding Fugui wasn't leading the way. He rode a broken bicycle by himself, with a canvas tool bag tied to the back seat, and stood at the entrance of the service station without coming in.
Ah-Guang walked over with the registration book in his arms and noticed several red marks on his arm, as if they had just been rubbed off.
Ding Haifeng held the tool bag in his hands, stood at the door for a while, and then stepped in to look into the new workshop.
Ding Haisheng was squatting in front of the welding machine, his mask still on.
Ding Haifeng took two steps forward, then stopped, hugged his tool bag to his chest, and said, "Brother, Dad told me to learn welding."
Ding Haisheng removed the welding rod from the welding clamp and hung the clamp back on the welding machine.
Ding Haifeng said that his father wouldn't let him run business with him anymore, and instead told him to come to the service station to learn the trade from you.
Ding Haisheng glanced at him and asked if he was willing.
Ding Haifeng hesitated for a moment, then said that his father said he could learn real skills here.
Ding Haisheng didn't answer, telling him to go back and think it over himself, whether he wanted to learn the trade or keep an eye on the service station for his father, and come back when he had a clear idea.
After Ding Haifeng left, Ding Haisheng sat alone in the welding area for a long time.
After finishing his work, Hong Xiaobing found a piece of broken granite with natural grooves on the mortar.
It was placed at the base of the back wall of the asbestos tile shed, and for several days in a row after work, Ding Haisheng was seen sitting on it.
The fishing boats waiting to be repaired in the stone trough rocked gently, and the leaves on the loquat trees rustled in the sea breeze.
The day before the competition was drawing closer, and the clicking of torque wrenches echoed incessantly in the workshop, one after another, unhurriedly.