Observing the tender was like a boulder dropped into Van's placid lake, ripples spreading wide. His thirst for knowledge intensified. Night school, second-hand books, even internal company documents became sustenance. He moved beyond mere physical tasks, actively observing the project lifecycle.
He saw the warehouse as a vital but passive link in the chain. Project schedules, costs, quality – all hinged on material demand and management. He tried understanding project plans, proactively asking Minh about material uses and timelines to prepare better, avoiding past chaos.
Kim Hải seemed to notice his efforts. Soon after the tender, Van was summoned again.
"Nguyễn Văn, sit." Kim Hải's manner was warmer. "You seemed engaged at the tender. How's the warehouse? Hùng giving you trouble?" He knew of the friction.
"Warehouse is fine, Mr. Kim. I'll keep working hard," Van replied cautiously, avoiding specifics.
"Hmm." Kim Hải nodded. "Chen wasn't wrong. You're quick, hardworking. Wasting you as a warehouse porter is a shame."
Van's pulse quickened. What did Kim Hải mean?
"Company just won a new project, 'Tay Ho New City' Phase II residential, significant scale." Kim Hải continued. "The project team needs hands, especially for ground-level coordination and material tracking. I want to transfer you there. Start as Project Assistant. Shadow the Project Manager on-site, coordinate material deliveries, handle miscellaneous tasks. Interested? It's tougher than the warehouse. Pressure's higher."
Project Assistant?! Transfer?! Van couldn't believe his ears! This was a quantum leap! Project work meant touching the project's core – the true "upstream"! He was breaking free of the warehouse cycle, stepping onto Mr. Chen's "upward path"!
Elation and pressure overwhelmed him. He took a deep breath. "Yes, Mr. Kim! I'll go! Hard work doesn't scare me!"
"Good!" Kim Hải smiled approvingly. "Spirit! Project's in Tay Ho District, far from your place. Company has project dorms; apply to move. Report to Project Manager Hải tomorrow. I'll inform Hùng."
"Yes! Mr. Kim! Thank you!" Van stood, bowing deeply.
Leaving the office, Van felt weightless. He wanted to shout the news to his mother, Mai, Mr. Chen! He contained himself.
Back at the warehouse, Hùng, already notified, stood rigid, face purple.
"So, Nguyễn Văn, scaling heights?" Hùng's voice was icy. "Project Assistant? Skyrocketing! Remember us little people when you're rich."
"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Hùng," Van said sincerely. Despite Hùng's treatment, he was his first supervisor.
"Spare me!" Hùng waved dismissively. "Pack your junk. Get out!"
Van gathered his few belongings – books, a cup, his warehouse notebook. Minh approached, clapping his shoulder. "Van, congratulations! You'll do great!"
"Thanks, Minh. Take care." Van shook his hand warmly.
Leaving the warehouse, Van glanced back. Dust, noise, the familiar smells of cement and metal. His starting point, soaked in sweat. He felt no nostalgia, only gratitude and resolve for the new journey.
The next day, Van boarded a long bus ride to the "Tay Ho New City" Phase II site on the outskirts of Tay Ho District.
The sight was staggering. Unlike the warehouse's confines, this was a vast, roaring battlefield! High-rises pierced the sky; tower cranes swung like steel giants; scaffolds swarmed with ant-like workers; pile drivers thudded; mixers rumbled; welding sparks flew; a cacophony of machinery formed a powerful, chaotic symphony. Air thick with cement, paint, metal, sweat.
The project office was a row of prefab huts near the entrance. Van found Project Manager Hải's office. Hải was in his thirties, dark-skinned, sharp-eyed, speaking rapidly. He knew Kim Hải's orders.
"Nguyễn Văn? New assistant?" Hải sized him up briskly. "Right, work starts now. Project just kicked off, chaos. You'll shadow me, focus on material coordination. Site storeman Lê will show you the ropes. Remember: One, safety first! Hard hat always, obey all rules! Two, hustle! Communicate! Site changes fast, material needs shift, suppliers screw up – spot problems, fix them fast! Three, data accuracy! Incoming, checked, issued – record everything, report to me! Clear?"
"Clear, Brother Hải!" Van answered firmly.
"Good! Lê!" Hải called out.
A weathered man in faded work clothes, around fifty, entered.
"Lê, new assistant Nguyễn Văn. He shadows you for materials. Show him around, teach him." Hải ordered.
"Sure, Brother Hải." Lê nodded, offering a kind smile. "Kid, follow me."
Van followed Lê into the site's roar. Noise engulfed him, ears ringing. Mud sucked at his boots. Lê pointed: "Block 1, just above ground... rebar yard... carpentry shed... batching plant... stockyard over there..."
They reached a fenced area piled high with materials: mountains of sand/gravel, stacks of bricks, bundled rebar, cement, formwork, scaffolding pipes. Workers unloaded a truck.
"This is our project's 'granary'," Lê gestured. "Storeman's job: guard it. Stuff arrives? Count, check quality, sign off. Site needs it? Issue per slip. Daily stocktake, report shortages. Not heavy, but stressful! Stuff can't vanish, can't spoil, can't delay the build!"
Van surveyed the vast stockyard. More complex than the warehouse! More types, larger quantities, weather exposure, direct impact on progress!
Lê introduced him to site storemen – experienced older workers. Their gaze was neutral, appraising the parachuted "assistant."
That afternoon, Van faced his first test. The site urgently needed C30 concrete for a foundation slab. The mixer truck arrived, but the site engineer rejected it – slump (fluidity) was off-spec. The driver argued; tension rose.
Lê was called away. A storeman looked at Van. "Assistant? What now? Site's waiting!"
Van's scalp prickled. Slump? He knew nothing! But panic wasn't an option. He calmed the driver: "Sir, hold on, let's double-check." He found the engineer, humbly asked about the slump issue and standards. The engineer demonstrated with tools by the truck.
Van saw the problem. He called the batching plant dispatcher, explained, demanded a compliant truck ASAP. He arranged offloading the bad batch out of the way (for potential reuse or return). He reported to Hải.
His coordination worked. A new truck arrived, passed inspection, pouring resumed. Though slightly delayed, a major conflict and loss were averted.
This baptism taught Van the complexity and criticality of on-site coordination. He was no longer just an order-taker; he needed independent judgment, swift action, diplomacy! The demands were higher.
That night, Van collapsed in the project dorm – a basic hut housing eight, smelling of sweat and smoke. Ignoring his fatigue, he opened his notebook, recording "slump" and the crisis management lesson. He realized how much he needed to learn: materials, construction methods, quality standards, communication!
Project life was brutal. Dawn starts shadowing Lê, coordinating materials, handling crises. Sun, wind, rain were constants. Food was basic, dorms crude. Pressure was immense; any mistake could derail the schedule, earning Hải's wrath.
Van endured. He absorbed knowledge voraciously: quizzing engineers on material properties, learning inspection standards from QA, seeking wisdom from old hands. He volunteered for tedious paperwork, keeping meticulous material logs. He hustled, always ready to coordinate.
His effort paid off. Lê clapped his shoulder: "Kid, solid! Better than I thought!" Even Hải's scolding lessened, occasionally delegating more critical tasks.
One day, Hải called him in.
"Van, next week, Block 1 starts standard floor construction. Standard floors are assembly-line work. Material flow is critical – no delays, no clutter. You'll take lead on coordinating this. Lê's getting older; you handle the legwork. This tests your mettle. Don't fail me."
Van's heart pounded. Lead coordinator for standard floors! Recognition! A massive challenge! His shoulders felt heavier, but his spirit soared higher.
"Yes, Brother Hải! I won't let you down!" Van stood tall, eyes resolute.
Leaving the office, he looked out at the site. Sunset gilded the cranes and rising structures. The machinery's roar sounded like a battle hymn. His true "Baptism by Blueprint" had just begun. The path "upstream" was thorny, but fear was gone. He clenched his fist, vowing silently: Mr. Chen, watch me. Nguyễn Văn won't disappoint you!