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The blue sky, the yellow Gobi Desert, and black oil constitute the three primary colors of Huatuigou, and they also color the portrait of Qin Wengui’s youth. “That period had a profound impact on me; the extremely harsh natural and working conditions tested my will, instilling in me a spirit of willingness to endure hardship and courage to face it. ”Looking back now, it seems as though Qin Wengui can bring back the memories of over 30 years ago in an instant. In 1982, Qin Wengui graduated from East China Petroleum Institute with a degree in oil drilling engineering and was assigned to the Qinghai Oil Field. For Qin Wengui at that time, it was a completely unfamiliar world. From Shijiazhuang to Huatuigou, from the North China Plain to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, from an altitude of less than 100 meters to 3,000 meters, after a 6-day journey, Qin Wengui, filled with ideals and passion, arrived at the starting point of his new work. “There are no birds in the sky, no grass on the ground; the wind makes the stones move, and there isn’t enough oxygen. ”What kind of place is Manyan Lianghuagou, with its desolate soil-filled gullies? “The first impression of Huatuigou is that there are hardly any houses to be seen; only a few low adobe buildings, which serve as offices for the command post, shops, grain stores, and a post office. ”In Qin Wengui’s memory, oil field workers all lived in underground dwellings. Holes two to three meters deep were dug in the wasteland, old drill pipes were placed in them, covered with straw mats, and then a layer of sand was poured on top – this was the dwelling place for the workers at that time. The severe challenges first come from the harsh natural environment. At an altitude of 3,000 meters, the air pressure and oxygen level are only 70% of those in the eastern plains. Furthermore, there is a wind once a year, blowing from spring to winter. Winds of force 5 or 6 every day have become the norm, contributing to an extremely dry climate. Qin Wengui would get out of breath after just a few steps, start to bleed from the nose, and have chapped lips – these were the body’s reactions to the low oxygen levels and dry climate at high altitudes. It takes a month to adapt to low oxygen levels, and a year to adjust to the climate; the young Qin Wengui overcame these \"natural environmental challenges\" through perseverance. However, more severe tests lie ahead. Theory must be applied in practice. During his four years in university, Qin Wengui acquired a solid grasp of the theoretical knowledge related to oil drilling engineering. Now, he is faced with a real introductory test: actual combat. Starting as a junior driller and learning from the smallest tasks, Qin Wengui worked closely on the front lines. He began with basic skills such as cleaning the drilling platform, polishing machinery, operating crowbars, and organizing tools, and gradually moved on to more complex tasks like using wrenches, handling drill pipes, operating brakes, and inserting casing. He dedicated himself to mastering his craft, steadily becoming familiar with the most fundamental aspects of drilling operations. This is a protracted battle, as well as a tough one. “Drilling teams work in the open air; once drilling begins, they must keep working day and night, regardless of weather conditions such as wind, rain, extreme cold, or heat. They need to stay at the drilling site 24 hours a day until oil is extracted, after which they move on to the next location. ”Qin Wengui said. “The drill bit bites into the rock. The objects of work are hard, and the work ethic must also be tough. ”Qin Wengui believes that this is the spirit of the people working at the Qinghai Oil Field, as well as the spirit of the people in China’s petroleum industry. In early winter of 1983, a severe blowout occurred at one of the oil fields’ drilling sites – the situation was critical! At night, as the flowline was blocked by crystalline salts, the pressure at the wellhead rose instantly to over 200 atmospheres; salt-cement slurry from several kilometers deep gushed out, and immediate action was required to avoid severe consequences such as the destruction of the well and loss of life. It is a fierce race against time. Ignoring his own safety, the team leader led the drillers to jump into the waist-deep mud and head toward the wellhead to replace the blocked pipelines. The scene before his eyes deeply shocked Qin Wengui. Being part of the emergency repair team, he suddenly felt a strength, a spirit – a strength to face challenges head-on, a spirit of facing death without fear. In essence, it was the \"resilient\" trait of Chinese petroleum workers. After a night of intense fighting, the oil well returned to calm. But to completely eliminate the risk, barite powder must be mixed into the mud to increase its density, which is then pumped into the well in order to stabilize it fully. Without any means of transportation, barite powder weighing 50 jin per bag has to be carried by hand. The oil workers ignored it: if no one would help, we would handle it on our own. Barite powder weighed heavily on Qin Wengui and the workers, and combined with the low oxygen levels at high altitudes, breathing became extremely difficult. Yet despite such hardships, these oil workers worked day and night for three months, managing to handle over 10,000 tons of barite powder, and ultimately saved the oil wells. Step by step, day by day, like a drill penetrating deep into the ground – 1 meter, 2 meters... 10 meters, 20 meters... 100 meters, 200 meters... 1000 meters, 2000 meters... The spirit of those who work in the oil industry is deeply rooted in Qin Wengui’s blood and soul. Even when he went to Canada for study*, he took with him a packet of soil from the resting place of China’s petroleum pioneers, using it as a constant reminder to stay true to his original aspirations and to move forward steadily. He strived to develop new technologies and processes through scientific research, in order to transform the traditional landscape of China’s petroleum industry and bring about continuous progress. In 1997, Qin Wengui was awarded the first \"China Youth May 4th Medal.\" In 1999, he was recognized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League as a \"role model for contemporary youth.\" 10 years later, on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the country, Qin Wengui was named one of “100 People Who Have Moved China Since the Founding of New China”. Qin Wengui said frankly, “It is the motherland that has nurtured me. Only when a person’s ideals are deeply rooted in the land they love can they bloom into the most vibrant and beautiful flowers.” Every achievement and progress I have made reflects the wisdom and efforts of several generations of oil industry professionals. ” Time flies, and now we have entered 2019 – the 100th anniversary of the May 4th Movement, as well as the year ahead of China’s 70th anniversary. Qin Wengui, who has been working hard for his country’s oil industry for over 30 years, shows no signs of fatigue. For him, youth and struggle seem to be eternal themes: \"I hope that the young people of the new era will be more open-minded, innovative, brave enough to take action, and willing to put their lofty ideals into practice through hard work. They should tie their own fate to that of the nation, so as to create a glorious chapter in their youth without any regrets!\" ”