42: Chapter 42 Busy with Two Fronts Working in Parallel! Investigating People's Needs and Needs

The early winter morning light pierced through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Main Control Room, casting neat shadows on the floor. Mu Li stood before a holographic projection screen, reviewing the initial draft of the livelihood energy demand survey plan submitted by the team members. His fingertips slid gently across the screen as he scrutinized every word and sentence. After yesterday's trip to the pedestrian street, he had gained a deeper understanding of the core value of "projects serving livelihoods." Thus, he placed great importance on this survey plan—it was not only the first practical application after the system unlocked new functions but also a key basis for energy scheduling and service optimization in subsequent commercial operations.

"Engineer Mu, the overall framework of the survey plan has been determined. It is mainly divided into three survey dimensions: residential users, commercial users, and industrial users, covering 12 core survey indicators such as energy demand, peak electricity usage periods, and sensitivity to electricity prices." Li Mingyu, the young technician in charge of the survey work, stepped forward and reported while pointing at the details of the plan on the screen. "We plan to conduct the survey through a combination of online questionnaires and offline visits. The online portion will cover residents and businesses in major cities across Ji Province, while the offline portion will focus on visiting industrial parks and large commercial complexes."

Mu Li nodded, his gaze lingering on the "Survey Scope" column. "The logic of the plan is very clear, but the survey scope can be further refined. For example, for residential users, we should distinguish between old residential areas and newly built residential areas—residents in old areas may care more about electricity costs, while those in new areas have a higher demand for energy for smart homes. Regarding commercial users, we should focus on public service venues like shopping malls, hospitals, and schools, as they have higher requirements for electricity stability. These details must be added to the plan to ensure the precision of the survey data."

"Understood!" Li Mingyu immediately took out his notebook to record. "We will improve the survey plan as soon as possible and clarify the survey focus for different groups. Additionally, regarding the formation of the survey team, we plan to draw personnel from the R&D team and the project administrative team, advancing in three groups simultaneously. We expect to complete the preparations and officially launch the survey within a week."

"Good. The survey work should proceed as quickly as possible, but we must not rush for results," Mu Li instructed. "During the survey process, listen patiently to the users' needs and record their opinions and suggestions in detail. If you encounter difficult problems, convene ad hoc meetings for discussion at any time. I will regularly check the progress to ensure the survey work is completed with high quality."

Just as the details of the survey plan were finalized, Lin Wei walked over with the second draft of the technical standards. "Engineer Mu, this is the second draft of the technical standards, revised according to the expert suggestions from the Jing City review meeting. We focused on improving safety protection standards and compatibility clauses, and added emergency response procedures for extreme situations and technical upgrade reserve plans. Please take a look."

Mu Li took the revised draft and began reading it carefully. Technical standards are the "lifeline" of a project's commercial operations; every parameter and every clause must be rigorous and error-free. He reviewed page by page, marking areas where he had questions. After more than half an hour, he looked up and said to Lin Wei, "The revised draft overall meets the requirements, but a few areas still need optimization. For instance, the emergency response procedures for extreme situations must clearly define the response times and responsibilities of each department; it shouldn't just be a set of general principles. Also, for the reliability testing standards of core components, we need to incorporate the Reactor Core Component Life Extension Technology we obtained previously and add specific testing methods and acceptance indicators."

Lin Wei quickly noted Mu Li's suggestions. "We will immediately organize a special meeting with the R&D team to optimize these issues. Additionally, the China Energy Administration just sent a notice asking us to submit the final revision of the technical standards next week. They will organize experts for a final review. If it passes, the technical standards can be officially released and implemented."

"Time is tight; you need to speed up," Mu Li said. "The final revision of the technical standards must be completed by Wednesday, and I will personally review it. Furthermore, once the technical standards are released, organize training for all team members to ensure everyone is familiar with the standard requirements and implements them in their actual work."

At ten in the morning, Mu Li presided over a project preparation progress meeting, clarifying the core tasks for the week: refining the livelihood energy demand survey plan and forming the survey team, final revision and submission of technical standards, optimization of the Energy Output Fluctuation Warning Plan and the second interface with the North China Power Grid, and the first round of interviews for the operations team recruitment. With four core tasks advancing simultaneously, the team members performed their respective duties, and the Main Control Room was a scene of busy yet orderly activity.

After the meeting, Mu Li had just returned to his temporary office when Zhang Hongyuan hurried in. "Engineer Mu, the specific subsidy plan from the China Ministry of Finance is out!" He handed a document to Mu Li, his face unable to hide his excitement. "The China Ministry of Finance has clarified that our project can receive a special subsidy of 2 billion yuan for core equipment upgrades and operations team building. At the same time, the project will enjoy full tax exemptions for the first five years after going into production, and a 50% tax reduction from the sixth to the tenth year. This level of policy support far exceeds our expectations!"

Mu Li took the document and scanned it quickly. Seeing the subsidy amount and tax reduction policies, a surge of warmth rose in his heart. The country's strong support not only eased the project's financial pressure but also strengthened his confidence in advancing the project. "That's great!" he said. "Forward this document to the finance and operations teams immediately. Have them optimize the project's fund usage plan and operating cost budget based on the subsidy plan and tax policies. Also, arrange a time to interface with the relevant person in charge at the China Ministry of Finance to thank them for their support and confirm the disbursement process and timeline for the subsidy funds."

"Understood! I've already made contact and will go to the China Ministry of Finance tomorrow morning to coordinate the relevant matters," Zhang Hongyuan said.

After seeing Zhang Hongyuan off, Mu Li opened the team's collaborative R&D platform to check the progress of each task. Li Mingyu had already posted the refined livelihood energy demand survey plan on the platform, and the list of survey team members had been finalized, divided into three groups: residential, commercial, and industrial, each led by an experienced technician. Lin Wei's team was discussing the optimization points for the technical standard revision, with related suggestions already compiled. Zhao Kai had synced the interfacing plan with the North China Power Grid, scheduling a second interface meeting for the day after tomorrow in the afternoon to advance the final confirmation of the Energy Output Fluctuation Warning Plan.

Mu Li replied to each team's messages one by one, affirming their efficient work while reminding everyone to pay attention to quality to ensure all tasks proceeded in an orderly manner. Subsequently, he opened the operations team recruitment system to review the resumes of the first batch of applicants. Since the recruitment for the operations team began, it had attracted a large number of professionals from the new energy sector. The first batch of applicants alone exceeded 500 people, and after preliminary screening, 80 had advanced to the interview stage.

Mu Li carefully flipped through the resumes, focusing on the candidates' project operation experience and emergency response capabilities. He knew that the professional level of the operations team was directly related to the stable operation of the project after it went into production, so he had to be strict. While browsing, a resume named "Zhou Yaqi" caught his attention. The candidate had graduated from the China Jingdu Energy Institute and possessed five years of experience in managing large-scale nuclear power plant operations. She had also participated in emergency response drills and had conducted in-depth research on energy scheduling and safety management.

"This candidate is excellent," Mu Li thought to himself. "If she can be recruited into the team, it will be a great help for building the operations team." He made a mark on the resume, intending to speak with her personally during the interview.

At lunchtime, Mu Li went to the construction site canteen for a meal. In the canteen, members of the survey team were discussing the details of the survey plan. Wang Hao, the industrial group leader, said, "The survey for industrial users is quite difficult. Many companies in the industrial parks are worried that the survey will leak commercial secrets and might be unwilling to cooperate. We need to communicate with the local administration in advance to gain their support while explaining the purpose and significance of the survey to the companies to alleviate their concerns."

Li Na, the residential group leader, responded, "There are also difficulties in surveying residential users. Many elderly people are not good at using smartphones and cannot fill out online questionnaires. We need to arrange for personnel to conduct door-to-door visits to ensure the survey covers residents of different age groups."

Mu Li walked over and sat down beside them, saying with a smile, "You've considered things very comprehensively. For the industrial user survey, I will have Zhang Hongyuan coordinate with the relevant departments of the Ji Province Administration to gain their support. For the residential user survey, in addition to door-to-door visits, survey points can be set up in communities with dedicated staff to assist the elderly in filling out questionnaires. Furthermore, during the survey process, strictly abide by confidentiality regulations and rigorously protect the personal information of companies and residents to eliminate their worries."

"Thank you, Engineer Mu! With your support, our survey work will go much smoother," Wang Hao and Li Na said in unison.

After lunch, Mu Li returned to his temporary office and began processing documents related to the project's fund usage plan. Based on the subsidy plan and tax policies from the China Ministry of Finance, the finance team had formulated a detailed fund usage plan, prioritizing the allocation of subsidy funds to three areas: core equipment upgrades, operations team building, and the livelihood energy demand survey. Mu Li carefully reviewed the fund usage plan to ensure every cent would yield maximum benefit.

At two in the afternoon, Mu Li received a call from Li Mingyu reporting on the progress of the survey plan. "Engineer Mu, we have established contact with the relevant departments of the Ji Province Administration. They expressed full support for our survey work and have notified all industrial parks and communities to cooperate. At the same time, we have designed the online questionnaires and offline survey forms, and the training for the survey team has been arranged. The survey will officially launch tomorrow morning."

"Very good!" Mu Li said. "Before the survey starts, organize one more training session to emphasize the survey process, communication skills, and confidentiality regulations. During the survey, collect and organize data promptly, and hold a short review meeting every evening to report on progress and any issues encountered."

"Understood!"

After hanging up, Mu Li opened the Livelihood Energy Demand Survey System to check its various functions. The interface was simple and clear, covering multiple modules such as survey data collection, data analysis, and data visualization. It could monitor survey progress in real-time and automatically generate reports. Mu Li tried the data collection function and found that the system could directly interface with online questionnaires and offline survey equipment, making data collection highly efficient. He marveled inwardly that the new functions unlocked by the system provided strong technical support for the survey work.

At three in the afternoon, Lin Wei brought the optimized version of the technical standard revision to Mu Li's office. "Engineer Mu, we have optimized the technical standard revision according to your suggestions, improving the emergency response procedures for extreme situations and clarifying the response times and responsibilities of each department. Additionally, incorporating the Reactor Core Component Life Extension Technology, we have added specific methods and acceptance indicators for the reliability testing of core components. Please take a look."

Mu Li took the revised draft and reviewed it seriously. The optimized draft was more comprehensive and the clauses more specific, meeting the review requirements of the China Energy Administration. He nodded and said, "This revision can be submitted as the final draft. Organize the relevant review materials immediately and submit them to the China Energy Administration tomorrow morning. Also, organize technical standard training for all team members to ensure everyone is familiar with the requirements."

"Understood! The training has been arranged, and a full-staff training meeting will be held the day after tomorrow in the afternoon," Lin Wei said.

In the evening, Mu Li received a call from Chen Feng. "Mu Li, for next month's class reunion, the class monitor has already posted the specific address in the group. Did you see it?" Chen Feng's voice carried a hint of excitement. "It's an old restaurant in Jing City. I heard the food is great, and it's very close to our university. After dinner, we can even go back to campus for a walk and relive our youth."

"I saw it, I've already saved the address," Mu Li responded with a smile. "It'll be nice to walk around the campus; I haven't been back in a long time and I miss it."

"Yeah!" Chen Feng said. "Several brothers from our dorm have already confirmed they can attend. Zhao Lei even said he'd bring all our university photos so we can look through them together; it'll definitely be interesting. By the way, how's your project coming along? Will you be able to spare some time next month?"

"Should be no problem," Mu Li said. "Project preparations are proceeding in an orderly manner, and I've already reserved time for the reunion. We must have a good get-together then."

"Great! We'll be waiting for you!"

After hanging up, Mu Li opened the university class group and looked at the reunion address and arrangements posted by the class monitor, Li Zhe. The reunion was scheduled for the 15th of next month at 6:00 PM at the "Old Place Restaurant" in Jing City, just a ten-minute drive from their university. The classmates in the group were still heatedly discussing the details of the reunion; some suggested wearing their old university uniforms, some suggested preparing small gifts to exchange with each other, and others suggested organizing a small basketball game to relive their sporting days at university.

Mu Li looked at the messages in the group, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face. Bits and pieces of university life surfaced in his mind like movie frames—late-night research in the laboratory, running side-by-side on the sports field, laughter in the dormitory, and the reluctance to part at graduation... These beautiful memories warmed his weary soul. He took out his phone, pulled up photos from his university days, and flipped through them one by one, his heart filled with anticipation for the reunion.