60s: I have a store

Chapter 576 Director Li asks for help

The sycamore tree outside the window rustled in the autumn wind, and a few golden leaves fell on the windowsill of the purchasing department.

Zhou Dazhong stood in front of Zhou Yimin's office door, his knuckles hanging on the door without falling.

These days, the sarcasm and ridicule from Lao Sun and Xiao Liu have been like a thorn in my side, as have their chatter that is deliberately amplified during lunch break.

Zhou Dazhong tried to persuade them with kind words, but it was of no use as he disturbed other people's rest.

Lao Sun and Xiao Liu knew that as long as they completed the task, they would offend Zhou Dazhong.

Zhou Dazhong had no way to deal with them. His current job was a stable job. As long as it was not against any discipline or law, even the factory director did not have the power to fire an ordinary employee.

Moreover, he would make some inexplicable low-level mistakes, or delay submitting the procurement plan until the last minute. Each of these became a thorn in his heart.

"Come in." Zhou Yimin's voice came through the door.

Zhou Dazhong pushed open the door, and the scent of ink and tea hit him in the face.

Zhou Yimin was checking a document, and the tip of his pen made a rustling sound on the paper.

Seeing Zhou Dazhong's haggard expression, he put down his pen, stood up and poured a cup of hot tea: "Dazhong, what difficulties have you encountered?"

Zhou Dazhong took the teacup, and the scorching heat came through the enamel cup wall.

He recounted his experiences of the past few days. When he was excited, his Adam's apple kept rolling up and down: "Uncle Sixteen, I am not afraid of hard work, but I am afraid that they will cause trouble like this and affect the morale of the entire Wugu."

He recalled that at the meeting yesterday, Lao Sun questioned the new procurement plan in front of everyone, saying that "a scholar who only knows how to talk about it on paper, what does he know about actual procurement?"

The sarcastic voice of Xiao Liu at the side was still echoing in my ears.

Zhou Yimin leaned back in his office chair, tapping the armrest rhythmically with his fingers.

The sunlight from the window passed through his glasses, casting a mixture of light and dark on his face: "Dazhong, there are two ways to deal with this."

He raised a finger and said, "First, forcibly transfer them out of Wugu on the grounds of poor performance."

Seeing Zhou Dazhong's frown, he raised his second finger and said, "Second, be patient for the time being, and when they make a mistake, catch them and strike them deadly. The former is effective quickly, but it is easy for others to think that you are intolerant of opinions. The latter requires patience, but it can convince people."

Zhou Dazhong stared at the tea leaves swirling in the cup, thinking of the support given by Lao Zhang and Xiao Li in the past few days, and the tired but determined eyes of everyone when they were working overtime late at night.

He clenched his teacup and said, "I choose the second option. Wugu is just starting to gain momentum, and we can't let two people shake people's hearts."

Zhou Yimin nodded with satisfaction: "Go back and read more books, maybe they can give you some inspiration. Remember, being a leader is like boiling Chinese medicine. Rapid fire will easily burn it, and slow cooking will bring out the flavor."

After seeing Zhou Dazhong off, the office returned to silence.

Zhou Yimin looked at the towering chimneys outside the window, and white smoke rose into the gray sky.

Suddenly, he felt bored, and his thoughts drifted involuntarily to the research laboratory - since he was promoted to section chief, he had not visited the place where he had poured countless efforts for a long time.

When I pushed open the door of the research laboratory, the heat wave rushed towards me, along with the smell of engine oil and soldering iron.

"Section Chief Zhou!" Cheers rang out one after another instantly.

At this time, Lao Chen said, "Why call him Section Chief Zhou? You should call him Chief Zhou!"

The others then realized that Zhou Yimin had been promoted, and it would be inappropriate to call him section chief, so they all changed their words.

Zhou Yimin also greeted everyone warmly.

In the corner, an air fryer with its outer shell still wrapped in protective film was running, making a slight hum.

"Chief Zhou, you're finally here!" Lin Jian from the research laboratory took off his goggles, and the lenses were covered with fine beads of sweat.

Zhou Yimin explained: "I have been busy with other things during this period, so I can't spare the time to come here!"

Lin Guo also understood that as the section chief and not the leader of the research laboratory, Zhou Yimin would definitely have a lot of things to do.

Zhou Yimin was a little concerned about the sales of air fryers in foreign countries: "Lao Lin, do you know the sales of air fryers?"

"The air fryer is in short supply overseas now!" Lin Guo said happily.

If sales are good, you can tell others that you also participated in the research and development, which will make you look good.

Zhou Yimin had not imagined that the air fryer would be so popular in the 1960s. You know, in later generations, the air fryer was just a common small household appliance, but in this era of material scarcity, it was not only a kitchen appliance, but also a golden key to open the international market.

At this moment, Lin Guo's originally loud voice came to an abrupt halt, as if someone had suddenly grabbed his throat. He subconsciously took a half step back, and his overalls rubbed against the parts box on the edge of the workbench, making a series of tiny clinking sounds.

Zhou Yimin turned around and met Li Chongguang's half-smile.

Li Chongguang was wearing a neat Zhongshan suit, with a fountain pen pinned to his chest pocket shining coldly, and his eyes behind the lenses took in the reactions of everyone in the room.

"Congratulations, Section Chief Zhou!" Li Chongguang's voice was drawn out with some profound meaning in the ending tone. He reached out and patted Zhou Yimin's shoulder with such force that the latter staggered half a step.

He didn't expect that the last time he saw Zhou Yimin, he was still a section chief, and now he was promoted to section chief in a blink of an eye. Just like himself, you have to know that he can be promoted to section chief, but he has paid a lot, and he has only achieved the position of section chief at this age.

Lin Guo's Adam's apple rolled violently. He glanced at Zhou Yimin secretly, then quickly shifted his gaze to the ground, kicking the nut on the ground unconsciously with his toes.

The other technicians in the room stopped what they were doing. The "sizzling" sound of debugging circuit boards and the friction sound of pen tips recording data all disappeared at this moment. The entire laboratory was so quiet that one could only hear the ticking sound of the wall clock.

Without waiting for Zhou Yimin to answer, Li Chongguang grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the office.

The cuffs of Zhou Yimin's white shirt were pulled out of shape. He subconsciously tried to break free, but felt the heat and eagerness coming from the other person's palm.

"Chief Li, this is..."

"Come in first." Li Chongguang pushed open the office door suddenly. The heavy wooden door hit the wall with a dull sound, and the dust on the door frame fell off.

The office was filled with a strong smell of tobacco. The ashtray was filled with half-smoked cigarette butts, with the top one still emitting wisps of smoke.

Li Chongguang let go of his hand, walked quickly to the desk, opened the drawer and quickly closed it, the metal slide rails made a harsh sound. "Yimin, do you have any other good ideas?"

He suddenly lowered his voice and leaned forward, almost getting close to Zhou Yimin's face. His eyes behind the lenses flashed with a strange light. "Director Hu has issued a strict order that the research laboratory must come up with another product that can compete with the air fryer, and the sooner the better."

Zhou Yimin was immediately put in a dilemma. You know, the current domestic industrial level is really too backward. It is not like in later generations, when China was a world-famous industrial power.

Zhou Yimin was about to speak when he was interrupted. "I know it's difficult!" Li Chongguang grabbed the enamel pot on the table and took a gulp, but found that there was no tea in the pot. He was so angry that he slammed the cup heavily on the table. "But the higher-ups are urging us, and you are the backbone of the research lab. You can't just stand by and watch him die, right?"

Zhou Yimin's fingertips unconsciously stroked the rust on the edge of the filing cabinet, his brain working rapidly.

All those familiar small household appliances in later generations flashed through my mind one by one: wall-breaking machine, sweeping robot, smart oven... But each design requires sophisticated chips and complex sensors, which are simply impossible to achieve with current technology.

"Not yet."

His voice was a little dry. "But I can go back and study it to see if I can make some improvements based on the existing conditions."

Li Chongguang's eyes lit up instantly. He took a step forward, held Zhou Yimin's hand and shook it vigorously: "I knew you had a way! As long as you can pass this level, I, Li Chongguang, will owe you a favor!"

The two chatted for a while, and Zhou Yimin's eyes swept across the clock on the wall from time to time.

The clock was about to point to half past five, and the bell for the end of get off work at the steel mill rang outside the window.

"I'm going back to the office first."

Zhou Yimin broke free from the other person's hand, took two steps back and straightened his crooked tie, "I'll let you know as soon as I have any ideas."

When I walked out of the laboratory, the afterglow of the setting sun was shining through the steel frame of the factory, casting crisscross shadows on the ground.

Zhou Yimin raised his hand to block the glaring light and saw Zhou Dazhong and Lao Zhang standing next to the bicycle shed and talking in the distance. Their shadows were stretched very long and swayed on the concrete ground.

He touched the crumpled notebook in his pocket, where some preliminary ideas were written. Although they were still vague, at least they had a direction.

When the whistle for the end of get off work finally sounded, Zhou Yimin rode his motorcycle into the crowd.

The sycamore tree at the factory gate rustled in the wind. He looked up at the sky full of sunset glow and suddenly felt the burden on his shoulders became heavier.

It was not late when we returned to the courtyard. The kerosene lamps in the courtyard were lit one after another. The dim light shone through the windows covered with newspapers, casting mottled shadows on the bluestone road.

Zhou Yimin had just pushed his motorcycle into the carport, his trouser legs still stained with dust from his way home from get off work, when he heard a flurry of footsteps and greetings coming from outside the yard.

"Director Li is here!"

"Come in and sit down!" Zhou Yimin looked up amid the enthusiastic greetings from the neighbors, and saw Director Li from the Street Office being surrounded by a crowd and walking into the yard.

The navy blue shirt she was wearing was washed to a pale color, with neatly patched collar. The white hair at her temples trembled slightly in the evening breeze, but she was still energetic as she greeted the neighbors.

"Oh, Yimin is at home!" Director Li was sharp-eyed and spotted Zhou Yimin standing under the grape trellis at a glance. A smile immediately broke out on her face. "It's just right. Auntie has something to talk to you about."

As she spoke, she walked across the yard swiftly, her cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles making crisp sounds on the stone pavement.

Zhou Yimin walked forward quickly, thinking secretly in his heart.

Director Li is usually busy with street affairs and rarely comes to visit. This time he came, he must have encountered a difficult problem.

"Aunt Li, why are you here? Come in and tell me!" As he spoke, he pushed open the door of his house, and the warm yellow light from the house poured out.

Director Li did not hesitate to walk into the main room and sat down on the bamboo chair next to the eight-immortals table.

Zhou Yimin did not dare to delay. He first took out his treasured honey jar from the cupboard, scooped out two large spoonfuls of honey, poured boiling water into it, then hurriedly opened the cupboard, took out the braised meat that he had asked someone to bring from the countryside a few days ago, washed a plate of fresh fruits, and then sat down opposite Director Li.

"Aunt Li, drink some water and eat something to fill your stomach first."

Director Li looked at the tempting braised meat and juicy fruits on the table, and his throat moved unconsciously.

As the director of the subdistrict office, she is well aware of the difficulties faced in this disaster year. There has been no meat on her family's table for a long time, and fruit is even rarer.

But she quickly regained her composure, picked up the honey water and took a sip. The sweet taste slid down her throat, relaxing her tense nerves a little.

"Yimin, I came here to ask you for a favor." Director Li put down the cup and became serious. "As you know, the shelter under the jurisdiction of the subdistrict office is home to many people who have fled famine from other places. Food has been in short supply recently and we are about to run out of food."

Her voice was trembling, and her wrinkled hands tightly grasped the corner of her clothes: "Auntie really had no other choice, so I came to find you."

Zhou Yimin's heart tightened and his brows frowned unconsciously.

Of course he knew the current situation. Grain production had decreased in various regions, and grain prices on the market had skyrocketed. Even the supply in the steel plant's employee canteen had been reduced by 30%.

The mere thought of the starving refugees in the shelter made him feel as if his heart was being stabbed by needles.

"Aunt Li, do you have any requirements for food?" Zhou Yimin asked carefully.

If it was coarse grains, he could still find a way with the connections and channels he had accumulated in the purchasing department. But if it was fine grains, it would be difficult to explain the source of such a large quantity at one time, and he might even get into trouble.

"Just coarse grains will do!" Director Li said quickly, his eyes full of hope. "Cornmeal, sorghum rice, and dried sweet potatoes will all do. We should be thankful that we have something to eat now. How can we be so picky?"

As she spoke, she pulled out a wrinkled notebook from her pocket and flipped open a few pages. "Yimin, look, there are more than 300 people in the shelter now. According to the minimum standard, each person is given 8 taels of food per day. In a month, that would be at least 5,000 kilograms."

Five thousand kilograms! Zhou Yimin took a deep breath.

This number is too large, and even if he could purchase it through normal channels, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.

Director Li saw this and a trace of panic flashed across his face. He quickly added, "Yimin, if 5,000 kilograms is too much, 4,000 kilograms will do! If that doesn't work, 3,000 kilograms will last for a while."

There was a pleading tone in her voice and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Zhou Yimin was silent, his fingers unconsciously stroking the wood grain of the table, his brain working rapidly.

"Then let's say five thousand kilograms!" Zhou Yimin raised his head and looked at Director Li with a firm gaze.

Director Li raised his head suddenly, his eyes full of surprise and disbelief. "But, Aunt Li,"

Zhou Yimin paused, his expression becoming serious. "I'll give you an address tomorrow, and you can go there yourself with your people. Also, once you leave this door, just pretend you don't know me, and don't ask about the source of the food. I won't be responsible if anything goes wrong."

Director Li's eyes instantly turned red. She stood up, tightly held Zhou Yimin's hand, and said in a choked voice, "Yimin, I understand! Don't worry, I'm willing to sacrifice my life and won't let you down!"

Zhou Yimin nodded, but a trace of worry arose in his heart.

Five thousand kilograms of grain is no small matter.

But seeing Director Li asking for help from me, I couldn't think of any reason to refuse, so I had to agree.

(End of this chapter)