Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 271 Even a blank sheet of paper will do?
Zhai Da held a blank sheet of paper that hadn't changed at all, feeling utterly bewildered.

A single sheet of paper can represent equipment. What does that mean?
There's so much to imagine here, even if it only has a 24-hour validity period.

What about something even smaller? Glass beads? Pebbles? Leaves?

The effect can only be retained for 24 hours, but the system does not seem to mention the invalid white negatives in the "intermediate stage," which also have a time limit.

If I take many white film photos for later use, and then attach a Polaroid camera to the item when needed, is that feasible?

Zhai Da immediately conducted a third experiment, taking out a slender and uniquely shaped key from the magic vest lining.

[Universal Key]

The same operation, the same white background, and the same setting of the selected target as a blank sheet of paper.

"Congratulations, host. Temporary equipment [Paper] has been discovered: 23:59:58."

"Equipment effect: After a few tries, as long as you can insert it, you can open most mechanical locks."

The description is exactly the same, even somewhat copied and pasted.
Can a piece of paper open a mechanical lock?
Zhai Da got up and took a small suitcase from the overhead rack. It was the only thing he brought on the plane; everything else was checked in.

The box had two simple combination locks. Of course, this old-fashioned box also had a keyhole just in case, but Zhai Da had long forgotten where the key was.

All I remember is that it was made of plastic, like a toy.

But no matter how simple it is, it is still a lock. Zhai Da took an A5-sized piece of paper and started writing.
Touching, scratching, or poking holes with sharp objects are obviously ineffective.

So Zhai Da began folding paper.

Calling it origami is a bit of a stretch; he couldn't possibly fold a piece of paper into the shape of a "key," he just twisted it into a thin stick.

Paper, seemingly because of its inherent high plasticity, is not considered damaged.

In my past life, I didn't pay attention in class and often daydreamed while rubbing this kind of thing; I even used it to pick my teeth.

Zhai Da poked the stick into the keyhole, pretending to search for the so-called "sense of unlocking".

With a "click," the lock opened.
To eliminate any element of luck, Zhai Da closed the container and tried again, and unsurprisingly succeeded once more.

Zhai Da stared at the paper stick in his hand, lost in thought.
Paper is a very special medium.
Foldable, malleable, ubiquitous, and easy to carry.

If there are multiple prepared sheets of paper and prepared "invalid negatives".

How is this any different from a magic book?
Zhai Da felt his mind was racing, but unfortunately this place was really not suitable for conducting more experiments.

A series of illogical actions had already aroused the curiosity of the passengers next to him, and even Xiao Mutou looked over.

After all, poking a keyhole with a paper stick is quite abstract.

It's likely that the other party is already starting to doubt whether this is actually Zhai Da's box.

Zhai Da could only suppress this impulse for the time being and put away the Polaroid camera.

------

The plane arrived at Taiping Airport on time, and Zhai Da and Lu Wei returned to Harbin, a city they had been away from for a long time.

Unlike Dongyang, where spring has already arrived, the temperature here is still as low as -10 degrees Celsius. Based on past experience, it will not return to above zero until at least the end of February or the beginning of March, which is when the locals begin what they consider the most unpleasant "snow melting period".

By the way, the company's second boss, "Brother Yue," is currently on a long journey, teaming up with Wang Xiaolong again, driving that secondhand Land Cruiser back to Harbin.

As for why Wu Yue, who had already suffered once, still agreed to this foolish method instead of taking a plane, he said it was because his aunt had asked him to do it during the Chinese New Year, fearing that it would be unsafe for Wang Xiaolong to drive such a long distance alone.

Wang Xiaolong couldn't persuade Wu Yue to suffer again, but his aunt could, especially since Wu Yue's father was sitting next to him and had drunk two ounces of liquor.

Outside the airport arrival exit, Qin Yang, a key member of "Yue Da Catering," was waiting. He didn't recognize Brother Da, who was wearing a mask, but he recognized Sister Da next to him and quickly waved to her.

There was a young man standing to the side, his smile both innocent and reserved.

Zhai Da remembered him; he used to be a blond guy named Peng Hao, from Guizhou province who came to Harbin to work.

I remember him because he was a bit slow-witted.

As he approached, the young man suddenly shouted, "Brother Da, welcome back!"

Many people nearby looked over.

Qin Yang kicked him in the shin, then took their luggage: "Brother Da, you must be tired from the journey."

Zhai Dala pulled up his mask: "Let's go, get in the car first and we'll talk then."

He wanted to quickly continue studying his "new toy".

Qin Yang drives an Audi A4, which is on par with County Chief Li Kangda.

Zhai Da kneaded Xiao Mutou's hand and asked curiously, "You bought a car?"

"No, Brother Da, this is my comrade's car, I borrowed it for a bit."

Zhai Da laughed and said, "You got a huge year-end bonus but didn't spend any of it?"

Qin Yang, in the driver's seat, shook his head: "I gave it all to my family. They have many expenses. I'm a bachelor, and my salary is enough to live on."

Mentioning this, Qin Yang couldn't keep his mouth shut and grinned, "Thank you for taking care of me, Brother Da. My dad is overjoyed."

How could he not be happy? The old man almost started singing a folk song on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Qin Yang, along with many other ordinary employees, will never forget this Spring Festival.

Some people finally proved themselves to their parents, some were rumored to be big bosses in the village, and some solved their families' financial difficulties.

The changes that "Yueda Catering" has brought to everyone's lives are still slowly becoming apparent.

Zhai Da comforted him, saying, "It's not preferential treatment, it's what you deserve. We all work together, and the company's profits are a result of your efforts, so naturally you'll also get a share of the profits." But as soon as he finished speaking, Zhai Da's expression became somewhat strange.

He suddenly saw two people in front of him, their bodies radiating flames.

Bright but not intense; if I had to describe it, it would be like the color of sunlight.
This is the effect of the "Eight Sufferings," which should be some kind of intense desire.
What kind of desire? The desire for gratitude?

Zhai Da coughed lightly: "Last year was just the beginning. This year is the key year for the company's development. Let's work hard and create a better life together."

The light emanating from the two people in the front row grew even brighter, to the point that Zhai Da found it somewhat dazzling.

Especially Peng Hao.

Who installed the headlights inside the car?
After driving for a while, Qin Yang carefully brought up a matter: "Brother Da, didn't we plan to expand to several districts this year? Will we be short-handed?"

Zhai Da: "Insufficiency is inevitable, and the gap is huge."

Moreover, after discussing with Teacher Shen Rui, Zhai Da and Wu Yue both felt that the few districts of Harbin were not enough, and they might plan to expand to more distant areas.

Let's strive to achieve a few small goals.

Of course, this is on the premise that "reproducibility" meets the standard.

Qin Yang's voice was a little apprehensive, even unusually nervous, and he stammered slightly: "Brother Dada, after the Spring Festival this year, many colleagues told me that some of our comrades-in-arms also want to come to the company. There are quite a few, after all, our company offers good benefits."

"However, I've kept them all under wraps. The company will definitely need people this year as it expands its business, but this is something you and Brother Yue have to decide."

"Veterans, how many are there?"

There are definitely thirty or forty people.

Zhai Da:
Did you take on the work of the veterans' resettlement office on the side?
In fact, veterans are not suitable for all industries. Just because someone has served in the military for a few years does not mean they can easily adapt to every job.

In reality, the transition from military service to society is often accompanied by growing pains. Veterans also have various problems and shortcomings, and some companies are unwilling to have too many retired personnel.

However, it is actually a great fit for a company like "Yueda Catering".

Easy to manage, strong execution, good physical strength, and disciplined.
For example, the company's beverage delivery has an extremely high on-time rate, which is rare in the service industry, and Zhai Da and Wu Yue never need to emphasize or make any changes.

Veterans also adhere to certain safety and hygiene rules more strictly than the general public.

Oh, and there's another hidden advantage: it's not afraid of "social idlers".

After all, they deal with a lot of bars and nightclubs; without some guts, they are easily manipulated.

However, the proportion of veterans among the company's employees is already quite high, approaching 50%.
And in the "delivery team", it's close to 70%.

All the men they pulled out were short-haired men.
Yes, that's one of the reasons why the company has an "extremely low bad debt rate".

Zhai Da thought for a moment and said, "We definitely need to recruit people, but regardless of whether they are veterans or not, the necessary interviews and reviews cannot be omitted. This year, the company will be transitioning towards standardization, and there will be a dedicated 'HR' at that time. New employees will only be C-level employees, and it will take time and assessment to be promoted to B-level."

“Your ‘comrades’ can apply for the job normally, but they are not allowed to use connections.”

Last year, "Yueda Catering" was like pioneering a new field, and everything was not very formal. This year is different.

It's fine to come for the job, and it's also fine to come through a referral. This is just one of the normal channels for companies to recruit. However, the necessary interviews are still required. It's not like anyone can get a job just by saying a few words.

Unless it's him and Wu Yue.

Qin Yang immediately nodded and said, "Don't worry, Brother Da, I'll keep an eye on them and make sure they don't do anything reckless."

"If you really think that way, then next time you speak, be more relaxed when you clap your hands; that would be truly reckless."

After chatting all the way, the car finally drove into the long-awaited "Shenzhou Zun Di" garage. Zhai Da put the luggage and Xiao Mutou upstairs, then tidied up a bit before getting back down.

There were two boxes going up, but there were three boxes coming down.

Qin Yang had been waiting in the underground parking lot, and then drove Zhai Da to the back gate of Harbin Institute of Technology.

Before the winter break, after confirming that "Yueda Catering" would expand significantly this year, the company acquired all the shops in this row, and now it is a proper "Yueda Yitiao GAI".

Zhai Da asked Wu Yue to reserve a space of about 80 square meters.

Zhai Da pushed up the roller shutter door, revealing what was inside.

Various basic tools are neatly hung on the wall, from wrenches to electric drills to hand saws.

A spacious workbench, illuminated by white LED lights.

Most importantly, there is a car lift in the very center, which is the kind of thing that can lift the car up to make it easier to repair the chassis.

He had been preparing specifically for the research of the [Mechanical Core], planning to modify it in various ways and dismantle some future technologies once the unsealing mission was completed.

Before leaving for the holiday, I left the company a list so they could buy and install all the necessary equipment. Today, it seems that everything is basically ready.

But now that he has acquired another powerful piece of equipment, Zhai Da feels that he can use this place as his "private workshop" or "equipment research base".

Zhai Da slammed several large boxes onto the workbench, including the [Homecoming Suitcase], which was itself a piece of equipment.

He brought a lot of good stuff with him.

We want to conduct more experiments to explore more of the hidden rules of this equipment.

This is going to be fun tonight!
　I haven't been feeling well these past few days, and I've been staying up very late every day.

　　I hate myself for not having any drafts saved up.

　　I need to think of something. My condition keeps fluctuating; I feel like my period is starting these past few days.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)