Unlike most engineers in the institute, Du Songtao was the kind of person who needed to be coddled by everyone, for fear that if he wasn't serviced well, he might switch to a non-secret position, spend two years during the confidentiality period and then go off to be a partner in private aerospace.
On one hand, he had no ambition for power at all and didn't squeeze into that circle. Anyone who wanted to be a leader could be one.
On the other hand, his expertise in carrier rockets, aerospace engineering, and especially satellite technology, had boldly reached a leading level across the whole system.
In short, a person who clearly had the ability to become a "scholar faction" leader, yet did not climb to the top, just played house by himself.
As a result, the upper echelons could neither guide him with benefits nor control him with tactics.
What he wanted to do, he had to do on his own, and what he didn't want to do, couldn't be imposed on him.