“You knew my father. You were a technician on his team,” Liu Xin said, then gave his father’s name.

The director nodded. “A fine worker. A good team leader.”

“What’s your opinion of the mining industry now?” Liu Xin asked.

“Opinion about what?” the director asked without looking up. The only way to get this man’s attention is to be blunt, Liu Xin thought, then said, “Coal is a traditional, backward, and declining industry. It’s labor-intensive, it has wretched work conditions and low production efficiency, and requires enormous transport capacity…. Coal used to be a backbone industry in the UK, but that country closed all of its mines a decade ago!”

“We can’t shut down,” the director said, head still down.

“That’s right. But we can change! A complete transformation of the industry’s production methods! Otherwise, we’ll never be free of those difficulties,” Liu Xin said, taking quick steps over to the window. He pointed outside. “Mine workers, millions upon millions of them, with no chance of a fundamental change to their way of life. I’ve come today—”

The director cut him off. “Have you been down below?”

“No.” After a moment, he added, “Before he died, my father forbade me.”

“And you achieved that,” the director said. Bent over the chart as he was, his expression was unreadable, but Liu Xin felt color flooding his cheeks again. He felt hot. In this season, his suit and tie were appropriate only in air-conditioned rooms, but here there was no air-conditioning.

“Look. I’ve got a goal, a dream, one my father had before he died. I went to college to realize it, and I did a doctorate overseas…. I want to transform coal mining. Transform the lives of the mine workers.”

“Get to the point. I don’t have time for childhood dreams and flights of fancy.” The director pointed behind him, but Liu Xin wasn’t certain whether he was pointing at the crowd outside or not.

“I’ll be as brief as I can. As it stands, the present state of coal production is: Under extremely poor conditions, coal is transported to its point of use, and then put into coal gas generators to produce coal gas, or into electric plants where it’s pulverized and burnt …”

“I’m well aware of the coal production process.”

“Yes, of course.” Liu Xin faltered momentarily before continuing. “Well, here’s my idea: Turn the mine itself into a massive gas generator. Turn the coal into coal gas underground, in the seam, and then use petroleum or natural gas extraction techniques to extract the combustible gas, and then transport it to its points of use in dedicated pipes. Furnaces in power stations, the largest consumers of coal, can burn coal gas. Mines could disappear, and the coal industry could become a brand-new, totally modern industry, completely different from what it is today!”

“You think your idea is a new one?”