Chapter 271 The problem of water (seeking the moon
"The friendship between China and Afghanistan has a long history..." Muftah said a lot in the mist.
I could still understand him at first, but his CET-4 English skills couldn't understand what the other person said later.
I can only respond with a smile and nod.
Finally, with the help of a translator, Yu Qingyang finally understood what the other party meant.
It turns out that I talked about it all, and the main idea is that you can choose temporary camps, living areas, and production bases, but you can no longer dig wells to draw water.
This request made Yu Qingyang a little dumbfounded. His production and life here are inseparable from water. If he doesn't drill wells to get water, he relies entirely on cars to transport water, which will be very costly.
Although Yu Qingyang understood the other party's mood and was worried that Yu Qingyang would dig a well and pump out oil, he really couldn't agree to this matter.
"Mr. Mu Futa, I can't decide on this matter. I need to think about the New Year report!" Yu Qingyang said with a smile.
"Mr. Yu, actually there is water in the mountains!
You can consider diverting water from the mountains!" Jasler interjected and suggested.
"Mr. Jasler, if the water in the mountains is so easy to draw!
There won’t be so many residents of your country coming to my place to change the water!” Yu Qingyang directly rejected Jasler’s suggestion.
There may be water in the mountains, but it is definitely not that easy to get.
As Yu Qingyang said, if it were easy, there wouldn't be so many Berbers traveling hundreds of miles to come here to change water.
Jasler was speechless by Yu Qingyang and didn't know how to reply.
Muftah took over and said, "Mr. Yu, there is indeed water in the mountains, but the mountain roads are difficult to travel. Ordinary people have to risk their lives to go there!
You are different. You have large-scale machinery and equipment that can build roads to get in and divert the water out!"
"Haha! Mr. Muftah, regarding the matter of diverting water from the mountains, this cannot be decided in one or two sentences! We need to report it to the country!
If the country agrees, the designer will need to come over to design and confirm the water diversion plan!" Yu Qingyang laughed softly.
To put it simply, build a road into the mountains and then divert the water out. If the amount of work was small, nearby residents would have done it long ago.
Moreover, how to draw the water out and store it is also a problem.
Seeing what Yu Qingyang said, Muftah and the others couldn't say anything else.
They used resources to build towns and roads.
Naturally, this increase in the amount of work is not something they can decide.
He just asked Yu Qingyang not to dig wells for the time being, and then left.
The government officials of Butitai came and went in a hurry and left the camp very quickly without even asking a question to the long queue of Berbers outside.
After seeing off Mufta and his party of Butan city officials, Zhao Xinlei asked with some worry: "Mr. Yu, what should we do?"
"Waiting for the notification from China! Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu, please report this matter to the country!
This truckload of water, transported from Butan, costs more than 80 yuan per side!
We can afford the short-term domestic water use, but we will not be able to afford the production water use in the future!" Yu Qingyang looked at Mr. Lu and said in a deep voice.
"I understand, I will report this matter to the country, and your company will also have to come up with a written report!" Mr. Lu nodded understandingly.
Mr. Lu has been assisting construction projects in Africa for so many years and has served as the chief supervising engineer of several construction sites.
This is really the first time I have encountered this situation.
There is oil underground, and the local government does not allow wells to be dug for water. Listening to the conversation between Mufta and Yu Qingyang at the nearest water point, you will know that the cost is not even a little bit.
For state-aided construction projects, the total price is basically guaranteed, and there will be no visa or other fees.
Unless there are major changes.
It is not considered a major change now, but production water is also a major event that directly affects the construction of the project.
"Mr. Yu, shall we still collect stones?" Zhao Xinlei was a little undecided.
"Collect, keep collecting! In the end, this project will continue!
It's just that there will be..." Yu Qingyang paused mid-sentence, and then continued: "We don't need to worry about those things!
Let’s just do our own thing!”
"I know, Mr. Yu!"
How to coordinate and deal with it is a matter at the national level.
It's not something they can control.
All they can do is complete the project well.
What this kind of construction assistance task requires is that the Ajigerian side is satisfied with the project and has no objections.
"Hello, Chinese friends!" A strange voice came from behind them.
Yu Qingyang and others looked back and saw a black man wearing the work clothes of Huayu Second Construction Group standing behind them and grinning at them.
Seeing Yu Qingyang and others turning around, the black man was even more happy, "Hello! Have you eaten?"
"Hello! We haven't eaten yet! Have you eaten?" Yu Qingyang said with a smile.
"I didn't eat either!
You...Mr. Yu, I...Stone..." The black man pointed at Yu Qingyang, called Mr. Yu, then patted his chest and said "Stone."
It means that he calls himself a stone.
"Hello Stone!"
"Mr. Yu, hello!"
Shitou scratched his head with his hand and asked, "Okay," and didn't know what to say next.
I won’t say it anymore.
He learned these few sentences.
He could only grin at Yu Qingyang.
It's a pity that Yu Qingyang's Arabic is not as good as the Chinese named Shitou in front of him.
Just smile like a black man.
Laughter has no borders.
Fortunately, the translator Xiao Li ran over and relieved them.
"Mr. Yu! Mr. Zhao! Mr. Lu!"
"What is going on?" Yu Qingyang pointed to the black stone and asked with a smile.
"Mr. Yu, Xiao Li came to see me. This Shitou is currently working as a temporary worker in our company!
Help Xiao Li teach everyone Arabic!
We also hired several black friends!" Zhao Xinlei explained hurriedly at the side.
"I'm asking, what's going on? When you gave out clothes, didn't you think of giving out a pair of shoes?" Yu Qingyang pointed to the black man's stone feet.
The work clothes of Huayu Second Construction Group come in three colors, namely blue-grey, azure blue and navy blue.
Among them, the company's management wears blue-gray overalls, ordinary technicians and construction workers wear blue, and workers (workers in the construction team) wear navy blue.
Shitou was wearing navy blue overalls from Huayu Second Construction Group, but he was still barefoot, which looked very uncoordinated.
Translator Xiao Li babbled to the stone, and the stone babbled too, instead of making gestures with his hands.
After asking, Xiao Li explained to Yu Qingyang: "Mr. Yu, Mr. Zhao, Shitou said that this is the first time he has had shoes in his life, and he is afraid that they will get dirty! So he is reluctant to wear them!"
For those who have never experienced it, it is really hard to believe that Shitou, who must be in his twenties, has never worn shoes.
Such a situation in China only existed in the old society before the founding of the People's Republic of China.
As for whether it is true, no one has seen it. I have only heard it from old people or seen it in TV series.
"You tell him that if his shoes are worn out, he will be given new ones!
But you must wear shoes, this is the company's rule!" Yu Qingyang demanded firmly.
This is not out of sympathy, but a safety dress code for construction projects.
It is foreseeable that as the project is fully developed in the future, more black people will enter the construction site.
Wearing shoes is one of the basic safety protection measures.
Translator Xiao Li muttered again to the black man's stone. The black man bowed to Yu Qingyang and said, "Thank you, Mr. Yu!"
Then he took out his shoes from his waist and put them on in front of Yu Qingyang.
He lowered his head and looked at the shoes on his feet, grinning, with tears in his eyes.
Shitou raised his feet, pointed to the shoes on his feet, with a happy smile in his eyes, and gave Yu Qingyang a thumbs up, "Chinese friend, Mr. Yu, thank you! Thank you!"
Yu Qingyang smiled and nodded at Shitou, and said with encouragement, "Work hard. Not only will you be young and well-fed, you will have clothes and shoes to wear, and you will also have a new house to live in!"
Shitou left with great gratitude.
I walked carefully, for fear of getting dirty, damaging my shoes, and looking a little awkward.
Judging from the direction in which the stone went, it was heading towards his own tribe, probably to show off his new shoes.
"Xiao Li, I remember you introduced this stone to me last time. Isn't it called Abu?
Why is it called Stone again and changed its name?"
"Mr. Yu, Abu is the transliteration, Shitou is his Chinese name, he chose it himself!
The Berbers choose their names very casually! In fact, all Africans choose their names more casually!
It’s called anything!
It is somewhat similar to the naming we used to do in rural areas. We would give our children whatever they saw or were impressed by when they were born!
Among the newly recruited Berbers, there are five named Shitou!
It’s just that Shitou occupied it first, and others called it Big Shitou, Little Shitou, Blue Stone, and Black Stone!” Xiao Li told Yu Qingyang and the others the black man’s joke about names with a smile.
"Haha!" Yu Qingyang laughed twice.
Patting Xiao Li's shoulder, "Well done!"
"Thank you, Mr. Yu, for the compliment!" Xiao Li showed a happy smile.
"Old Zhao, have you arranged for someone to throw stones?"
"We've got a hundred Berbers to throw rocks at, and they'll come to work tomorrow!
I have to take care of my food and accommodation every day for three hundred dirhams a day!”
"Yeah!" Yu Qingyang nodded.
Three hundred dirhams, equivalent to two yuan in RMB.
In China, you will definitely be called a shady boss, but in Africa, if you manage three meals a day and are paid 300 dirhams, there are definitely countless people who want this job.
At this time, Ajigeria did not have a minimum wage standard.
Therefore, the government will not care how much you pay, even if you pay the salary, as long as there is someone to do it.
Of course, the government doesn't care, but the industry has its own rules, and you can't break the rules.
The salary cannot be much higher than that of other construction sites, otherwise it will break the industry rules and be boycotted by the industry.
Back in the office, the person in charge of the well drilling company came over and said, "Mr. Yu, Mr. Zhao just informed me that there is no need to dig a well!"
"Yes, there is no need to dig a well for the time being!"
"So, do you think we can settle the fee?"
"The fee? What fee?" Yu Qingyang asked with a smile.
“The cost of drilling a well!”
"Sir, please take out the contract and take a look at it!
I have given you a lot of face by not claiming compensation from you!" Yu Qingyang leaned on the chair, looked at the person in charge of drilling the well and sneered.
"Mr. Yu, this is not our fault..."
"That's our fault?
We will only pay you if the well produces water according to the contract and can guarantee a certain water volume!
Now the well location is determined by you!
But what came out in the end was oil, not the large underground water veins you promised!
Should I claim compensation from your company for the time lost and lost work due to this?" Yu Qingyang asked with eyes wide open.
"Mr. Yu, there is no water here. We can continue drilling wells in another place until water comes out!"
However, now it is you who unilaterally request to end the contract.
Therefore, you have to pay us the relevant fees!”
"Dig a well in a different position? Can you guarantee that if you change the position, the water that comes out will be water, not oil?"
"This..." the person in charge of the well drilling company pondered.
He really couldn't guarantee it.
According to the depth of the drilling rig, it is exactly the depth of the large underground water vein marked on the Ajigeria groundwater system map.
But what came out was oil, not water.
Does that mean that all the water veins marked in the original drawings are oil veins?
“Today, Mufta, deputy mayor of the Butita City Government, and Romans of the Bureau of Mineral Resources have made it clear that we must not continue to drill wells at this location to draw water!
Sir, tell me, where can I get water in the surrounding area?
What if the pumped out oil is still oil?" Yu Qingyang stood up and pointed at the Bu Titan map on the wall and asked.
"Mr. Yu, the water veins are underground. We can only speculate based on various geological conditions and the mineral resource distribution map provided by Ajigeria!
Who dares to say 100% about things underground?
It’s normal for speculation to be biased!”
"No!
Deviations in speculation can be forgiven, but water turns into oil. This cannot be explained by deviations!
Sir, your company was introduced by Yuanmu Trading Company!
Therefore, for the sake of Yuanmu D Company, I will not hold you responsible!
Let’s terminate the contract peacefully!”
"I can't make the decision. I need to report this to the company!" The on-site person in charge of the well drilling company stared at Yu Qingyang for a while and finally compromised.
"Okay, I'm waiting for your company's decision!
I hope it’s happy news!” Yu Qingyang smiled.
The on-site person in charge of the well drilling company had no choice but to leave Yu Qingyang's office.
Originally, he had a bad experience with Zhao Xinlei, so he came to Yu Qingyang to seek justice.
The result is naturally disappointing.
I asked you to dig a well to get water, and you drilled oil for me, and you still want money?
There are no doors!
Of course, if they dare to guarantee that the next well will never produce oil, it will definitely produce water.
And after signing the contract, Yu Qingyang didn't mind letting him try it out.
After all, if they could really pump out water, it would be a big problem for them.
No more reporting to the country.
…
Early the next morning, two security guards drove Zhao Xinlei and Mr. Lu out of the camp.
They went to Geographic Glass, the capital of Ajigeria, to report the situation here through the embassy.