60s: I have a store

Chapter 575: Line Re-adjustment
The morning light penetrated the coal-dust covered glass windows of the steel plant, casting mottled shadows on the desks in the fifth section of the fourth department of the purchasing department.

Maybe he knew the good news of promotion last night, which caused him to not sleep much the whole night. In order not to disturb his wife, he came to the courtyard and sat alone.

I was thinking about how to be a good section chief without losing face for Zhou Yimin.

So Zhou Dazhong came to the office early today.

Zhou Dazhong placed the enamel pot heavily on the table, and the splashed tea left dark marks on the unfinished shopping list.

He tugged at the collar of his washed-out work clothes and glanced at the crooked progress chart on the wall - it was still 30% short of this month's purchasing target. This number was like a heavy lead weight, weighing on his chest.

"Da Zhong, can you help me check these things?" My colleague Lao Zhang's voice came from next door.

Zhou Dazhong responded and was about to get up when the wooden door of the office was suddenly pushed open, and a cold wind with a smell of rust blew in, carrying a few sycamore leaves.

The moment everyone looked up, their breathing almost stopped at the same time - Zhou Yimin was standing at the door, the pen tucked in the pocket of his Zhongshan suit glowing coldly in the morning light, and behind him was Xiao Wang holding a stack of documents.

"Put down what you are doing first." Zhou Yimin's voice was not loud, but it was like a sharp steel ruler cutting through the stagnant air.

Old Li, who was sorting out the account books, hurriedly closed the abacus, and the crackling sound of the beads stopped abruptly. Xiao Zhang quickly stuffed the newspaper he was secretly reading into the drawer, and his movement was so big that he knocked over the ink bottle on the table.

In order to reduce losses, we can only sweep all the ink on the table into the bottle and not waste it.

The employees of the fifth department stood up in unison. Zhou Dazhong's Adam's apple rolled up and down amid the rustling sound of their overalls.

"I'm here to tell you good news." Zhou Yimin glanced around and his gaze lingered on a few employees who lowered their heads.

In the corner, Old Sun, who usually loves to be lazy, quietly straightened his back and clenched his hands behind his back unconsciously.

Some people swallowed, some subconsciously straightened their crooked collars, and the whole office was so quiet that one could hear the ticking sound of the wall clock.

"Chief Zhou, what's the good news?" The impatient Xiao Liu was the first to break the silence, his voice filled with undisguised excitement.

Suppressed whispers were heard in the crowd, as soft as spring silkworms gnawing on mulberry leaves.

Someone suddenly joked, "Are you getting married, Chief Zhou?"

These words elicited a few low laughs, but they suddenly disappeared when they touched Zhou Yimin's gloomy face.

Normally Zhou Yimin rarely stays at the steel plant, and when he comes back, he is very approachable, so people dare to make jokes about him.

If it were some serious leaders, they probably wouldn't even dare to say a word.

Zhou Yimin raised his hand to push up his glasses, and his eyes from behind the lenses swept over Zhou Dazhong's tense shoulders: "The position of the head of the fifth section has been vacated. After discussion, it has been decided that Zhou Dazhong will take over the position temporarily."

He deliberately emphasized the word "temporary", "I hope everyone will cooperate with the new head of the department and continue to maintain the performance of the five departments."

Right after Zhou Yimin finished his announcement, the air seemed to freeze in an instant, and everyone was suddenly at a loss as to what to do.

"Dazhong, come to my office." Zhou Yimin said this, turned around and walked away.

The sound of leather shoes stepping on the concrete floor gradually faded away, but the office remained dead silent.

The eerie silence was not broken until Xiao Wang trotted out with the documents in his arms, and the wooden door creaked shut.

At this moment, everyone started to discuss, but they didn't dare to discuss in front of Zhou Yimin.

Although Zhou Yimin is approachable, it depends on the situation. If it is a big matter like this, discussing it will only provoke Zhou Yimin.

Zhou Dazhong felt his temples throbbing at this time. He saw Lao Sun's fat palm slamming heavily on the table, causing the abacus beads to jump and the ink bottle to shake. "Zhou Dazhong is the section chief? Are you kidding! Can he be a leader with this level? I think he is just relying on his relationship with Section Chief Zhou!"

"You can't say that. Dazhong works very hard on weekdays, and his performance in the past few months is among the best in the department." Lao Zhang pushed his glasses that had slid to the tip of his nose. There was some hesitation in his eyes behind the lenses, as if he was trying to convince himself, or to persuade Lao Sun.

Xiao Liu sneered and took out a cigarette from the drawer. He lit it and exhaled a thick puff of smoke, covering his face in a hazy state. "These days, you can climb up without connections? Haven't you heard? Zhou Dazhong and his friends went to Quanjude to celebrate last night. I'm afraid this letter of appointment was fished out of roast duck fat!"

He deliberately stretched out his words, and his exaggerated tone caused several colleagues to burst out laughing.

Xiao Li, who was sitting in the corner, didn't say anything. He just lowered his head and fiddled with the pencil in his hand, sharpening the lead into a thin and long one.

At this moment, he suddenly raised his head and said timidly, "But... Zhou Dazhong is indeed more hardworking than the rest of us. He comes the earliest and leaves the latest every day. Last month, he even went to the county supply and marketing cooperative so far away..."

"What's the point of working hard?" Old Sun interrupted him impatiently, "There are so many hard-working people in this factory, why haven't they been promoted? I've worked here for more than ten years. In terms of seniority and experience, how am I inferior to Zhou Dazhong? Now, a young boy is riding on our heads!" He became more and more excited as he spoke, and veins bulged on his neck.

"That's right, this is so unfair." Someone echoed, and the complaints in the office became louder and louder.

"Keep your voices down so no one can hear you." Lao Zhang looked at the door anxiously and said in a low voice, "Anyway, Zhou Dazhong is now the section chief, and he has Section Chief Zhou backing him up, so we still have to be careful about what we say and do."

"What are you afraid of?" Xiao Liu flicked the ash off his cigarette, not caring that it landed on the documents he had just sorted out. "It's just a temporary position. If he can't do a good job, he will have to step down, right? I want to see what tricks Zhou Dazhong can come up with!" His eyes were full of disdain and provocation.

At this time, Old Wang, who had been silent all the time, suddenly spoke up: "In fact, I think that Zhou Dazhong being the section chief may not be a bad thing. He is young and energetic, and maybe he can lead our Section 5 to achieve some results. Besides, since the higher-ups have made this decision, they must have their reasons."

His words were like a pebble thrown into the lake, causing a few ripples briefly before quickly returning to calm.

Old Sun snorted coldly: "Results? I think he's lucky that he didn't make a big mess. Just wait and see, it won't be long before he comes down in disgrace."

After saying that, he sat back in his chair, grabbed the enamel pot and took a big gulp of tea, making a "gulp gulp" sound in his throat.

There was a constant stream of discussions in the office. Some people complained, some speculated secretly, and some chose to remain silent and watch.

The sunlight outside shines in through the dusty glass, casting alternating light and dark shadows on everyone's faces, as if it is the complex and subtle thoughts of everyone at the moment.

And these waves of discussions, like the low roar before a storm, indicate that the Fifth Division of the Fourth Section of the Procurement Department is about to face a considerable shock.

Zhou Dazhong's hand gripping the door handle was so swollen with veins that his nails almost dug into his palm, but he couldn't stop it, otherwise the discussion would get louder and louder.

Then he opened the door of the office, left the fifth office and went straight to Zhou Yimin's office.

When I opened the door of Zhou Yimin's office, the aroma of tea mixed with the smell of ink hit me in the face.

Zhou Yimin was sorting documents by the window, the sun illuminating the sweat stains on the back of his shirt. "Sit down."

Without even turning his head, he pushed a stack of reports to the corner of the table and asked, "Did you hear the gossip?"

As soon as Zhou Dazhong's butt touched the edge of the chair, his throat felt like it was being strangled by a rough hemp rope: "Uncle Sixteen, I..."

"I know what you want to say." When Zhou Yimin turned around, the reflection of the glasses covered his eyes. "Temporary replacement is not the end, nor is it charity."

He pulled out a performance chart from the drawer. Zhou Dazhong's name was circled in red at the top of the list. "In the past few months, you have visited five more supply and marketing cooperatives in more counties than the second place, and worn out three pairs of Jiefang shoes. These numbers are more impressive than any relationship."

"You even purchased twice as much as the second place, so you really deserve the title."

Zhou Dazhong's mentality, which was on the verge of exploding, improved a lot after hearing Zhou Yimin's comfort. Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the office, and the two of them fell silent at the same time.

Through the crack in the door, Zhou Dazhong saw Xiao Liu passing by with an enamel pot, and deliberately raised his voice: "Some people, even though they have great luck, still act pretentiously..."

Before he finished speaking, the door was pushed open with a bang. Zhou Yimin leaned against the door frame with a smile on his face: "Xiao Liu, send the procurement roadmap in your hand to my office in half an hour. If it is still full of loopholes like last week, go to the workshop to get a wrench."

Xiao Liu's face turned pale instantly, and most of the tea in the enamel pot spilled out and spilled onto his brand new work clothes.

He opened his mouth, but finally lowered his head and hurried away.

Zhou Yimin closed the door, took out half a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from the drawer, and took out two: "As a leader, you must learn to turn a blind eye."

He lit a match, and the flame made Zhou Dazhong's red ears more prominent. "But some things are harder than steel."

Outside the window, the steel mill's whistle suddenly sounded, making the glass buzz.

Zhou Dazhong took the cigarette, lit it, took a deep puff, and after exhaling the smoke, he figured out a lot of things.

"You will host the morning meeting tomorrow." Zhou Yimin pushed a document over. The words "Fifth Stock September Procurement Plan" on the cover were still damp. "Remember, sit up straight and keep your back straight."

He paused, his voice softened, "If you encounter difficulties, come to my office. This pot of tea will always be kept for you."

When Zhou Dazhong pushed open the door of Wugu's office, the discussions stopped abruptly like a duck with its neck strangled.

Old Sun hurriedly stuffed the newspaper into the drawer. Xiao Zhang pretended to lower his head to write something, but the tip of his pen left a long ink mark on the paper.

Zhou Dazhong walked to his new desk - it was an old desk with wood grain scars, and it was a whole circle larger than the previous one.

He opened the drawer and inside lay Li Xiulan's neatly folded handkerchief and half a piece of uneaten fruit candy.

"Cough cough."

Zhou Dazhong cleared his throat.

"Work overtime tonight and recheck all purchasing routes." His eyes swept across everyone, lingering for a moment on Xiao Liu's evasive gaze. "If anyone makes a mistake again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the dusty glass, casting a golden edge on Zhou Dazhong's back.

The sound of shuffling documents could be heard in the office, mixed with suppressed sighs.

Zhou Dazhong took out some fruit candy from the drawer. The moment he peeled off the candy wrapper, the sweet fragrance mixed with the smell of ink penetrated his nostrils.

At this moment, the sycamore trees outside the window rustled and the lights in the steel plant lit up one after another.

Zhou Dazhong put the candy in his mouth. As the sweetness spread on his tongue, he opened a brand new notebook and wrote on the cover: "The first step is to start with route rectification."

The sound of the pen tip scratching the paper was as clear as his suddenly strong heartbeat.

The night was as dark as ink. The searchlights from the steel mill pierced the darkness, but the windows of the fifth office were still lit with glaring incandescent lights.

The order for all employees to work overtime announced by Zhou Dazhong was like a huge rock thrown into a deep pool, causing a thousand waves.

Old Sun slumped in his chair, his fat body pressing down on the seat so hard that it creaked, and he kept muttering, "A new official is always busy, but he doesn't even realize what time it is? He really thinks he's an important person!"

He pulled the buttons on his collar hard, and the fat on his neck shook up and down as he complained. His cloudy eyes glanced at Zhou Dazhong who was sorting documents from time to time, his eyes full of disdain and dissatisfaction.

Xiao Liu at the side joined in the fun, with his feet on the table, the soles of his shoes still stained with mud from the way home from get off work: "That's right, this is just a hassle! Who knows what kind of tricks he might come up with!"

Lao Zhang pushed up his glasses which were sliding down, and his eyes behind the lenses showed worry.

He looked at the crooked progress chart on the wall, then looked at Zhou Dazhong who was busy checking the data, and whispered: "Say less, Dazhong also wants to do a good job, let's cooperate."

But his words were quickly drowned out by the complaints from Lao Sun and Xiao Liu.

Xiao Li was the first person to respond to the call for overtime.

He silently turned on the desk lamp, and under the yellowish light, he carefully spread out the procurement roadmap on the table, constantly marking and revising it with the pencil in his hand.

Occasionally he looked up at Zhou Dazhong, with admiration and expectation in his eyes.

This young man, who is usually taciturn, recognizes Zhou Dazhong's efforts from the bottom of his heart, and now hopes to achieve some results with the help of the new section chief.

Zhou Dazhong paced back and forth in the office, the notebook in his work pants pocket wrinkled.

He stopped from time to time and bent over to check on his colleagues' work progress.

When he saw Xiao Liu flipping through the documents carelessly and scribbling on the paper with a pencil, his brows furrowed tightly: "Xiao Liu, be serious and don't be perfunctory."

However, Xiao Liu curled his lips, sat up reluctantly, and muttered dissatisfaction under his breath.

As time passed, the atmosphere in the office became more depressing.

Old Sun's yawns, Xiao Liu's complaints, and the rustling sound of the pen tip scratching across the paper were intertwined.

The tense atmosphere was not eased until Zhou Dazhong brought a pot of hot tea and refilled the water for his colleagues one by one. "Everyone has worked hard. Have a cup of tea to refresh yourself."

His voice was a little tired, but still sincere.

Old Zhang took the teacup, looked up at Zhou Dazhong's bloodshot eyes, and suddenly felt that the burden on this young man's shoulders was heavy, and the resistance in his heart disappeared a little.

As the new procurement route proposed by Zhou Dazhong gradually took shape, the atmosphere in the office quietly changed.

Xiao Li found that the adjusted route not only saved a lot of time, but also made everyone more efficient, so that they could cover more places in a limited time.

After repeatedly calculating the data, Lao Zhang had to admit that the new plan was indeed more reasonable and efficient, and he looked at Zhou Dazhong with a little more approval.

Zhou Dazhong found all these routes himself, otherwise he would not have been able to figure out all the nearby routes in such a short time.

But Old Sun and Xiao Liu still didn't buy it. Old Sun took advantage of Zhou Dazhong's phone call and said sarcastically: "Who knows where you copied the plan from? You really think you are so capable!"

Xiao Liu echoed from the side with a sarcastic smile on his face.

But their voices seemed a little lacking in confidence in the busy office.

Lao Zhang and Xiao Li both admire Zhou Dazhong very much. If it were them, they probably wouldn't be able to do the same.

(End of this chapter)