When Feng Xiaochen returned to the dormitory of the Strategy Institute from the Heavy Equipment Office, it was almost seven o'clock in the evening. When I went up the stairs, I met Qi Ruicang, Xie Keli and Ding Shikuan coming down from upstairs, and when they saw Feng Xiaochen, Qi Ruicang greeted him with a big grin: "Xiao Feng, why did you come back? ”

"Why, you haven't eaten yet?" Feng Xiaochen asked in surprise, the time when the strategy office had dinner was half past five in the afternoon, and the group had not eaten yet.

Ding Shikuan sighed exaggeratedly and said, "Hey, there's no way, isn't this going to work for Lao Wang and his unit?" I was busy until six o'clock before I came back, everyone washed their faces, and was thinking about going out to find something to cushion their stomachs. ”

"Wait for me, I'll wash my face too, I'll be right away. Feng Xiaochen said.

A few people went downstairs first and waited outside the door of the building, Feng Xiaochen ran upstairs and hurriedly washed his face, changed his clothes, and rushed down. The four of them chatted and came to a small restaurant outside the strategic office. This small restaurant is run by an elderly couple, and because the food is well cooked, the price is not expensive, and the proximity to the strategic institute is very popular, so it is quite popular with graduate students and young researchers from several research institutes in the compound. Sometimes, when catching up with a project, old professors such as Shen Rongru will also follow the young people here to get together, which is equivalent to the supernumerary canteen of these research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

When Feng Xiaochen and his entourage came to the restaurant, there were no other guests in the restaurant, the old lady Miao Guiping was cleaning, and when she saw everyone entering the door, Miao Guiping warmly beckoned them to sit down, and then asked, "What are you guys eating?"

"Let's have a fish-flavored shredded pork, a stall of yellow cabbage, and a fried rape. Feng Xiaochen ordered food for everyone, and then looked at everyone with an inquiring gaze and asked, "Do you want to have some beer?"

Several people looked at each other, and finally Ding Shikuan said: "Forget it, forget about beer, our brother has worked for a day, and he hasn't made beer money." ”

Miao Guiping returned to the back kitchen to prepare the dishes, Feng Xiaochen looked at everyone and said, "What's the matter, Lao Wang is so picky, please go to work, and don't even care about a meal?"

Xie Keli hurriedly waved his hand and said: "That's not it, Lao Wang gave us a few opportunities to introduce us to make extra money, how can we let him catch the money for the treat? Don't listen to Xiao Ding's nonsense, the three of us went to help the Planning Commission data room sort out the books for a day, and ate a working meal at their place at noon, and we also took 5 yuan for labor fees." ”

"5 yuan a day?" Feng Xiaochen said in surprise.

"Isn't it? This is also the face of the old king. Ding Shikuan said.

The old Wang they are talking about is Wang Zhenbin, a classmate who used to work in the State Development Planning Commission and is now studying at the Academy of Social Sciences. Wang Zhenbin, Feng Xiaochen, and Yu Rui, a classmate from the Economic Reform Commission, all came to school with the salary of their original unit, and their income was not bad. Qi Ruicang and the three of them were completely decoupled from their original units, and they received the graduate student allowance stipulated by the state, more than 40 yuan a month, without any bonuses, benefits, etc.

With an income of more than 40 yuan, if you tighten it a little, it is enough, so you won't go hungry. But if you want to buy some books and occasionally go out for a tooth sacrifice, the money will be a little stretched. Qi Ruicang is a married person who has a burden at home. Sheikli has already talked about a partner, and is preparing to get married, and the financial situation is even more tight. Ding Shikuan is a pure bachelor, but his parents are farmers, and if possible, he also wants to subsidize his parents, so he also attaches great importance to money.

Wang Zhenbin and Yu Rui both have some positions in their original units, and they can find some opportunities to make extra money, so they occasionally introduce these young classmates to work. For example, today it was Wang Zhenbin who helped the three of them contact the information room of the Planning Commission to help sort out the books, and the other party did not say anything about a meal, and also gave each person a labor fee of 5 yuan.

5 yuan a day, in the eyes of future generations, seems to be too cheap. However, in China in 1985, the salary of ordinary government cadres was 60 or 70 yuan, and the wages of workers in factories with poor efficiency were only 40 yuan. The labor fee of 5 yuan a day is calculated according to 25 working days a month, which is equivalent to a monthly salary of 125, which is very high. Ding Shikuan said that this was Wang Zhenbin's face, and he was not wrong. If people hire a temporary worker to do this work, some people will rush to pay 2 yuan a day.

"Alas, what have the prices become now, what are we doing with this graduate allowance. Shekri grumbled.

Qi Ruicang said: "Isn't it, now it is said that those who build missiles are not as good as those who sell vegetable leaves and eggs, and those of us who are graduate students might as well open a restaurant to make money by Aunt Miao, this is really a depreciation of knowledge." ”

"When is knowledge valuable?" asked Shekli rhetorically.

Feng Xiaochen smiled and said, "Lao Xie, I don't agree with your point of view, knowledge is valuable at all times, it's just that you haven't found a channel to sell knowledge." ”

"Do you have this channel?" Xie Keli said, "Boss, you have the most ghost ideas in our class, you can think of a way for us to sell our knowledge, and you can get a commission from it." ”

"Haha, yes, let's divide it into six or four, you take six, let's take four, how about it?" Ding Shikuan also coaxed.

Feng Xiaochen had a serious face, he glanced at the crowd and asked, "Are you serious?"

Qi Ruicang felt that Feng Xiaochen's attitude was a little strange, and he couldn't help but become serious, and asked, "What do you mean, you really have such a channel?"

Feng Xiaochen nodded, and then asked, "How much do you think your labor is worth?" For example, when you hire everyone for a month, how much do you think is more appropriate?"

"What kind of work do you do?" asked Ding Shikuan.

Feng Xiaochen said: "Of course, it is to give full play to everyone's expertise, engage in research, write articles, and participate in academic conferences. Rest assured, these jobs are done in your spare time. Except for academic conferences, other research activities, writing articles, etc., will not conflict with our courses. ”

"You mean, can you find a research topic for everyone to do?" Xie Keli understood, this kind of thing is not uncommon in universities and scientific research institutes, and their mentors will occasionally take on such topics, and then give them some labor fees from the project fee, ten or twenty yuan at a time, that is a considerable amount of extra income. Listening to Feng Xiaochen's meaning, he seemed to have gotten such a topic and wanted everyone to participate in it.

"I think it's at least 20 yuan a month, otherwise it's ......" Ding Shikuan said halfway and didn't say any more. He felt that if Feng Xiaochen got this topic himself, it would be embarrassing for him to share Feng Xiaochen's benefits as a classmate. But to say that he doesn't take a penny is a little unwilling.

"I did take on a project. Feng Xiaochen uncovered the mystery and said: "I thought about it for a while, the fertilizer water does not flow into the fields of outsiders, this topic must be given priority to the students in the class to do, where we can't do it ourselves, and then invite the senior brothers and sisters of the previous session, or other students to participate." As for the cost, if you are willing to participate, it will cost 200 yuan a month, how about it?"

"What are we all 200 bucks?" asked Shekri.

"200 yuan per person, of course. Feng Xiaochen replied.

"200 per person!" Qi Ruicang, Xie Keli and Ding Shikuan exclaimed in unison. Feng Xiaochen didn't say that very clearly, they subconsciously felt that 200 yuan per month should be everyone's total remuneration, because the standard of 200 yuan per capita was too shocking. But who would have thought that Feng Xiaochen's proposal was such a shocking standard, such a quota, let alone a subject, it would not be a problem to hire someone to kill people and sell goods.

"Boss, what kind of subject are you taking on, and why do you give so much money?" Xie Keli began to ask after being shocked.

Feng Xiaochen said: "Lao Xie, didn't Lao Qi say just now, knowledge is too depreciated." I'm just returning knowledge to its true value. We are all elites of the country, what is it to earn 200 yuan a month, and Aunt Miao can earn so much money in a month. I said 200 yuan, just a preliminary intention, if everyone's research is done well in the future, it is not impossible to increase some costs. ”

"So, what exactly are we going to study?" asked Ding Shikuan.

Feng Xiaochen said: "The country's industrial policy issue, or a little more refined, the national equipment manufacturing industry development strategy issue. ”

Ding Shikuan said: "By the way, I remember, you are reloaded, this is the subject of your reloading, right?"

Feng Xiaochen nodded.

Qi Ruicang said: "This problem is currently being studied by many scholars. In terms of industrial policy, Professor Gao Lei of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences put forward the theory of international cooperation, which has a great impact at present. If the Rearmament Office wants to study this issue, why don't you contact Professor Gao directly?"

Feng Xiaochen smiled slightly and said: "Because Professor Gao's theory cannot be recognized by the Heavy Equipment Office, the Heavy Equipment Office believes that this view is one-sided and wrong. ”

"So, what is the idea of the Heavy Armament Office to hand over this task to you?" asked Shekli.

Feng Xiaochen said: "It's very simple, it is to find out the fallacies of Professor Gao's theory and refute them. Moreover, it is not enough to simply refute it theoretically, but also to thoroughly purge it in public opinion. ”

"This ......"

All three of them were dumbfounded, this joke was a bit big. Academic research is a very noble work, and there is no way to set conclusions in advance? Isn't this the so-called royal literati? Besides, Gao Lei's theory of international cooperation is now in full swing, and it is said that even some upper-level leaders believe in it very much, and they have even invited him to give lectures. Feng Xiaochen asked everyone to find out the fallacy of this theory, and also to clear up public opinion, this is a big thing that pierces the sky.