1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 41 Meeting Sun Jian Again
This year's drilling company's New Year's Eve party was particularly lively.

There is "Axi Jumping Moon" performed by the beautiful girls in the Administrative Department;
There were also the “Yimeng Mountain Tune” sung heart-wrenchingly by the older women in the staff hospital;
There were energetic songs and dances to "The Red Star Calls Me to Fight" performed by teachers and students of the Children's School;
There is also the disco "Jimmy" full of international fashion by the aunties of the service team;
Of course, when it comes to the warmth of applause, the songs that came first were naturally "We Workers Have Power" and "The Sea Sailing Depends on the Helmsman" sung by the leadership team.

In short, apart from the fact that a certain rumored most beautiful woman did not act as the host of the party and even did not show up, which was a pity, this carnival-like party was still very exciting as a whole - of course, except for a certain lazy person.

………………

"Next, please enjoy the joint performance of the Geological Brigade, the Labor Union, and the General Office... the folk music ensemble "Flowing Water Exercise"!"

Hearing the host's announcement, Yang Mo, who had been dozing off just now, immediately perked up.

Damn it, it’s finally Su Yu’s turn.

According to the kid's boasting, this piece of music "Liushui Chao" was conceived by Master Peng Xiuwen in 1979 based on the ancient guqin piece "Liushui". It vividly describes the momentum of the Yangtze River from the full water at the source gathering into a river that continues to grow and finally becomes a torrent, rushing towards the East China Sea for thousands of miles. It is definitely a top-notch and magnificent piece of music in folk music.

Obviously, these words must have come from Zhang Lin's mouth. Yang Mo dared to bet that with Su Yu's knowledge, he would never say such a thing. He even doubted whether this guy knew the existence of such a song.

It’s just a pity that Mr. Yang has nothing to do with the word “elegant” in his nature.

As soon as the prelude of the erhu and flute sounded on the stage, Yang Mo felt his eyelids fighting again. Even though the penetrating and tense sound of the pipa came at him the next second, it could not save him from his irresistible sleepiness.

So...

Under the strange looks of Cai Zhaofeng, Tu Lili and others in the same row, Yang Mo listened to the entire song, which he had never heard in his previous life, in a struggling posture almost rolling his eyes.

Have you seen those poor students in class who are actually bragging and talking nonsense but are trying hard to keep their eyelids open and not dare to close?

Yes, that’s what Yang Mo looks like now!
"Hey, hey, hey. Yang Mo, wake up!"

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Mo felt his arm being poked, and he opened his eyes sleepily: "What's wrong? Is it Lao Si's turn? Or is the party over?"

Looking at the guy's almost dilated pupils, Cai Zhaofeng pushed him speechlessly: "No...someone is looking for you!"

someone looking for?
Yang Mo, with a confused look on his face, followed Cai Zhaofeng's gesture and was suddenly startled.

Sun Jian?

Why is it this guy?

........................

five minutes later.

On the basketball court outside the auditorium, Sun Jian handed over a big Chongjiu cigarette: "Master Yang, long time no see... Thank you for what you did last time!"

Yang Mo took the cigarette and looked at him with a smile: "Captain Sun, you are being polite. I am an employee of the General Office. What happened last time was just my job responsibility. No need to thank me."

"Duty?"

Sun Jian pondered over these words and said in amazement: "I really don't understand the thinking of you Qilu people. You were just an intern at that time. If I were you, seeing so many people gathered together, I would never get involved in such a thing even if I had to lose my job... Is the establishment so important to you?"

Yang Mo had no interest in explaining this commonplace question. He just shrugged and said, "Concepts vary from place to place. If I don't get a job, my mom probably won't even let me in. If I lose my job...my mom will beat me to death!"

Sun Jian laughed out loud because he found what he said interesting. "It's not as exaggerated as you say. It's just a job. After all, isn't it to support the family? Without Zhang the butcher, can we really not eat pork with hair on it? ... I don't believe that a job that can earn hundreds or thousands of dollars a month is not as good as a regular position in your parents' eyes!"

Um? ?

Hearing this abrupt change of scene, Yang Mo looked at Sun Jian with a wary look on his face: "Captain Sun, what do you mean by that?"

Sun Jian waved his hand, signaling him not to be nervous. After lighting the cigarette in his hand, he leaned back against the low guardrail of the basketball court and said, "I'm leaving soon... The company's internal retirement procedures have been completed... At the latest, the procedures will be completed after the Chinese New Year."

Even though Yang Mo knew that the company would not let him off after causing such a big commotion, he did not expect the punishment to be so severe - unless he was injured or disabled, for a grassroots cadre under the age of 40 to retire internally, the nature of the matter was no different from being fired.

You have to know that it is 1988 now. To arrange internal retirement for a drilling team leader is almost the most severe punishment within the company's authority... Above that, sorry, that is an administrative matter and the drilling company does not have this authority.

Seeing the surprised expression on Yang Mo's face, Sun Jian shook his head: "I took the initiative to bring this up... The previous incident caused quite a stir, but it didn't cause any serious consequences. According to company regulations, the worst that can happen is that I will be fired... Hehe, to put it bluntly, with my qualifications and abilities, no matter which well team I'm transferred to, I'll just be the boss!"

This is true. The phenomenon of seniority is very serious in state-owned enterprises. A team leader like Sun Jian, who has both experience and ability, is at least the third most important person after the captain and deputy captain, even if he is transferred to another drilling team as a driller.

Seeing that Sun Jian had said so much, Yang Mo could only follow his topic and continue the conversation: "Captain Sun, you are so confused. With your qualifications and abilities, even if you are demoted to the lowest position, you will definitely be a deputy captain again in five years at most. Why are you... Hey~!"

Seeing the pained and regretful expression on his face, Sun Jian's eyelids twitched, but he sighed: "Master Yang, we have been through hardships together, and I won't hide some things from you... I've really had enough of this well team!"

Sun Jian's face was full of emotion: "Working in a drilling company, the salary is not low, but it is not particularly high either... at least it is much lower than those who go out to do business;"

"Besides, it's dangerous and demanding. You'll be in the wild for half a year, and you won't even have much time to spend with your family. You might even run away with someone else without even knowing it."

"Besides that, there are also the same bad things that you encounter in government agencies... getting scolded by your superiors, being ordered around like a dog, you taking the blame while he takes the honors, your deeds are not as good as the gifts you give, your abilities are not as good as a few words of flattery, and so on. I don't know how many of these things happen every day."

As he spoke, Sun Jian looked at Yang Mo, and said meaningfully, "Master Yang, I know that you are a capable person. Not only are you low-key and know how to advance and retreat, but you are also very good at dealing with some things... But even so, when you face problems such as standing in a team... do you really have a choice? After failure, even if you have great abilities, will it really be of any use?"

Yang Mo felt uneasy when he was stared at by Sun Jian. He knew that the drilling company was a small society of acquaintances, and he did not think that Mu Liya's little trick of suddenly appearing here could be kept secret for long. But he really did not expect that it had only been such a short time before even a grassroots cadre like Sun Jian heard the news.

Seeing Yang Mo silent, Sun Jian sighed again: "Master Yang is still young after all, and he didn't grow up in the drilling company, so there are many things that he may not understand... Maybe you think that the recent small actions of that Director Mu are just some small thoughts that everyone knows. With Master Yang's versatility, he is sure to be able to handle the relationship between Director Mu and Director Zhang with ease."

"But...if I tell you that Director Mu's intention is not that simple, Master Yang, you can't play both sides with your own intelligence, right?"

Yang Mo was shocked: "Captain Sun, what do you mean by that?"

Ever since Miss Mu dragged him to inspect the winery, Yang Mo felt that the girl's intentions were a little unusual - whether it was the tough attitude she showed when facing Director Zhang, the approach she took to carrying out her work, or even her approach of almost trying to win over a nobody like him, everything was full of weirdness.

Sun Jian saw that Yang Mo finally started to get serious, and he immediately smiled: "The secrets and historical reasons involved here are very complicated... You just need to know that the drilling company is a drilling company owned by people from the southwest, and this is the bottom line for most people in the company... And the good thing is that next year will be a very special year for the company."

The bottom line?
next year?

After searching his mind, Yang Mo suddenly understood what Sun Jian meant, and his face began to look ugly: "Captain Sun, I'm just a newcomer to the company... What you said should have nothing to do with me, right?"

"Newcomer? It has nothing to do with you?"

Sun Jian looked at him with amusement: "Master Yang, do you know what we, the veterans who have worked in the drilling company for more than ten years, are best at?"

Yang Mo's mouth twitched, and he managed to hold back his complaints. He shook his head innocently, "I don't know."

Sun Jian laughed self-deprecatingly: "People like us may not know many words, have little education, and our professional abilities are not outstanding, but the only thing we are very confident in is that... we can read people's expressions!"

Observe the words and expressions...So what?

Seeing Yang Mo looking at him with some confusion, Sun Jian flicked the cigarette butt in his hand and said, "Master Yang, you are still young after all. Your understanding of the four words 'observing words and reading people's expressions' is still only in the literal sense... But I want to tell you, it's not as simple as you think... And judging a person's ability by his words, actions and the way he speaks is the foundation of the foundation!"

"Indeed, Master Yang, you have been in the company for less than a year, and you just got the position, so it is not wrong to say that you are a newcomer; but... when you handled the two emergencies in Xiaocang Village and Xialiu Village, whether it was your ideas for solving the problems or your calmness at the scene, who do you think would regard you as a newcomer who knows nothing?"

"Especially when you proposed the solution, not only were the contents you said well-reasoned, but the vision was much higher than others... If what you said at that time was just a lie for emergency, it would be fine, but according to the subsequent promotion work, it is reflected that what you said was true, and the solution you provided was also the optimal solution that is feasible at the moment... Then this matter is very interesting... A talent with a wide range of knowledge and a flexible mind, who can come up with the most effective solution at the moment in the shortest time at any time and anywhere, who would not notice you!?"

Sun Jian shook his head with some emotion. "Maybe you studied in a big city before, Master Yang, and you are unaware of your own strengths, but I want to say... In a stagnant place like a drilling company, there may be a lot of skilled technicians, but talents like you are too scarce!"

"Think about it. Even an illiterate old-fashioned person like me can see your value, let alone Director Zhang and Supervisor Mu... So, do you think you can avoid some things?"

Listening to Sun Jian's emotional speech, Yang Mo felt more and more upset. He interrupted his long speech and said sullenly, "Captain Sun, just say whatever you want to say... After talking in circles for so long, you are not trying to encourage me to resign, are you?"

(End of this chapter)