Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 467 Hello Auntie, thank you Auntie
On the evening of moving into the new headquarters, the research institute held a celebratory dinner, which was held at the best hotel in Dongyang, built to wedding banquet standards to accommodate so many people.

The guests who came to witness the event at noon returned and participated, including key members of "Gencore Semiconductor".

Xu Xuejun, who frequently missed meetings, strolled in with his hands behind his back and sat down at the main table next to Zhai Da.

Zhai Da knew Xu Laotou's personality very well. Given Xu Laotou's age, he really didn't like to always mess around with young people, so he never said anything.

Smiling, she took out a gift box: "A start-of-work gift for everyone."

Xu Xuejun scoffed, "A start-of-work gift? Have I even had a break?"

Zhai Da:
That makes so much sense!
However, the old man quickly opened the gift and was stunned.

It turned out to be a pocket watch.
The design is very retro, and the pattern on the back is like a time tunnel, instantly bringing back many memories for Xu Xuejun.

She looked up at Zhai Da, as if asking a question, or perhaps expecting something in return.

Zhai Da said, "Grandpa's pocket watch really didn't have many usable parts, so I refurbished it and replaced some of them."

Zhai Da: "Grandpa never said what to do with the watch, but my mother recalled that she heard other old people in the wool mill mention it. They said that Master Yu had a young apprentice who always coveted his master's pocket watch, but unfortunately he left before he got it."

The "uncertain watch" has been confirmed not to belong to the grandfather; it had always been in Yu Xiaoli's jewelry box.

That belonged to Xu Xuejun.

Xu Xuejun never received a pocket watch, but he gave one to Zhai Da.

"You gave me one back then, so consider this a return gift. I believe Grandpa will be happy too."

Xu Xuejun stroked the watch face, his thoughts wandering endlessly.
After a long silence, he finally said in a hoarse voice, "Okay."

In the latter half of the banquet, Xu Xuejun was mostly silent, often just staring blankly at his pocket watch.

It was as if the hustle and bustle around him had nothing to do with him; only the swirling memories in his mind were more powerful than the clinking of wine glasses.

Zhai Da rarely drinks heavily.

This was also true in past lives.

Sometimes it's a "business meeting," and if you drink too much, you can't get anything done; it's just a waste of time.

Sometimes it's the "Business Bureau," but if they drink too much, they can't get anything done, and it's considered a waste of their time.

He only truly lets loose during the annual party because he wants to take down the boss.

And today, he is the owner here.

So almost every minute, an employee would come up with a wine glass in hand.
She would take a sip from anyone who came, and once she started, she couldn't stop, and her cheeks gradually turned red.

It's probably related to the research institute's management model and work atmosphere; everyone dares to come, and everyone wants to come.

Surprisingly, Zhai Da had no one around to help him "block" drinks; on the contrary, many people were urging him to drink.

So much so that a few hours later, when he was feeling dizzy, he suddenly realized he needed a secretary, like one with thin legs, strong work ability, and a high alcohol tolerance.
Just as he was lost in thought, a figure suddenly stood in front of Zhai Da: "Alright, Zhai Da can't hold his liquor, everyone should restrain yourselves."

With his head down, Zhai Da's gaze traveled from bottom to top. Although he was dressed somewhat formally, he recognized those legs.

This is a bit of a surprise; I didn't expect it to be you.
With a smile, Zhai Da raised his head completely.

Then he fell into a daze.

Qian Yarong said gently to Zhai Da, "Xiao Zhai, it's alright, have some tea."

Zhai Da:
"Hello, Auntie, thank you."

------

With the [Internal Furnace] set, Zhai Da sobered up quickly.

While the "hormone stabilization" effect cannot provide a continuous supply of alcohol, once stopped, the alcohol dissipates much faster than normal. In fact, after Zhai Da took a shower that night, he was only three-tenths drunk.

After another workout to work out the sweat, I was fully awake by the early hours of the morning.

(Friends who haven't died yet should not try this, be careful of respawning).

So the next morning, Zhai Da got ready again and threw himself into his work for the new day.

At the breakfast table, Yu Xiaoli slapped her face and asked, "How much did you drink yesterday?"

Zhai Da shook his head: "I don't know. I just took sips, and the wine got all sticky in the end. I drank it all and got a fresh bottle."

"What about Lu Wei? Why is she even more upset than you?"

Turning my head, I saw Little Wooden Head looking rather dejected, and he said timidly, "One cup."

Last night she tried drinking a glass of red wine.

Actually, it was because I couldn't sit still for too long, so I took a sip every now and then.

And then there was nothing more. I only remember that at the end, I think I clapped with Lu Siwen.

This is why Qian Yarong stepped forward last night.
"Can you please stop for a bit lately? Xiao Kui is about to start school, and you, as her older brother, have been absent the whole time. We can only wander around the neighborhood. For the last trip, we're planning to go a bit further away. Do you have time?"

Zhai Da: "Wait a couple more days, I haven't even had a chance to get used to the new office yet."

After finishing their meal, Zhai Da, along with the chief mathematician of the research institute, was preparing to head to the new headquarters when he received a text message.

From Meng Tao.

"Mr. Zhai, I heard you have some internal booths? Who should I contact, or should I contact you directly?"

Zhai Da thought to himself that the news came quickly. Actually, this kind of trivial matter was far from needing his attention, but he also happened to have some other matters to discuss with Meng Tao.

So he replied, "Come to Jiang'an Sunshine City."

Meng Tao: "I'm leaving from the county government right now, I'll be there in ten minutes!"

Downstairs, Meng Tao received the building number, parked his electric scooter, and searched the neighborhood.

However, after walking a few intersections, I turned around and couldn't find Building 14.

As I passed by, I saw a large black bird perched on a treetop, preening its feathers. "Wow, what a big myna!"

Big Black Bird:
Since he had nothing better to do, Meng Tao teased him a couple of times: "Do you know where Building Fourteen is?"

The large black bird lowered its head and pecked at my ankle: "Get lost."

Meng Tao:
Being far away and with branches obscuring the view, Meng Tao probably didn't see the device on its feet. He thought the "myna" was talking about it itself and glared at it.

Whose bird is this, teaching it to swear!
Just then, someone waved from afar, and the dark-skinned young man quickly jogged over, beaming.
"Mr. Zhai, I heard about it last night. Thank you so much for your support."

Zhai Da smiled and said, "It's nothing. Come with me to the underground parking garage first, and we'll talk as we walk."

On the way down the stairs, Zhai Da said, "Currently, two canteens are in operation, with thirty windows, ten of which can be provided to special families. The number is not large."

Meng Tao immediately said, "I've been thinking about this all night, Mr. Zhai. One person can't handle anything decent that needs to be made at one window, and many struggling families are lucky to have even one able-bodied person. My idea is to have one window accommodate two or three people, corresponding to two or three families."

"Moreover, not every household has catering and business skills. I want to apply for the county to set up a counterpart working group to manage and train them in a unified manner. This way, if any problems arise, the research institute will not have to deal with each family individually, but will directly hold us accountable. Not all impoverished households are reasonable, and we cannot let those who do good deeds have to deal with troubles."

"If the county's catering businesses have time at that time, I'll try to invite them to give some lectures and teach some skills. After all, we also need to ensure the quality of the food for the research institute's employees, right?"

Zhai Da looked at Meng Tao, whose skin was already dark and had dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept all night.

"That's quite a comprehensive idea."

Meng Tao chuckled: "If, and I mean if, they learn the skills in a few years and want to open their own shops, that would be even better."

Zhai Da countered, "What if they just want to stay and not leave?"

"The agreements are signed every three years and performance is assessed. Those who do well deserve their due rewards, while those who do poorly will be reassigned. These windows are 'public resources' provided by the research institute, not personal property. Their purpose is to help more families escape poverty and acquire a skill, not to give anyone an asset to pass on. Poverty alleviation is not about giving money away."

As they talked, the two arrived at the underground parking garage and stood in front of a roller shutter door.

He was probably too engrossed in the activity, so Meng Tao didn't wonder why there was a roller shutter door there, or even what it was for.

Zhai Da said, "What if the person conducting the assessment makes a mistake? What if you give them a bribe? For example, after the matter is no longer under your jurisdiction?"

Meng Tao sighed: "There are no perfect rules. Otherwise, when laws came into being, the world would be at peace. All rules need to be enforced and corrected over and over again. This is also our job as civil servants."

"People's hearts may change, but there will always be people with a heart. Year after year, generation after generation, even if they are doing the same thing, it is not meaningless."

Zhai Da smiled and said, "It's enough that you have this awareness. It seems I can rest assured to entrust it to you."

As he spoke, he pressed the button on the remote control in his hand.

After a beep, the roller shutter slowly rose upwards.

The black luxury car was revealed.

The car reflected a captivating luster. This car, driven by Zhai Da, was already quite famous in Dongyang, with some business owners even going to Shanghai specifically to buy a Panamera.

Meng Tao's mind went blank for a moment, then he panicked: "What do you mean 'hand it over to me'? Wait for President Zhai! This isn't appropriate!"

Is this another instance of bribery? I'm just a lowly clerk. How can I possibly tolerate this!
Wait a minute. Didn't I ask President Zhai for a favor?

He took a step back with righteous indignation, raising his hand as if to fend off some monstrous beast: "President Zhai, I am a civil servant, and it is impossible for me to accept this car! Please show some respect."

Zhai Da:
"You're dreaming! I'm talking about that!"

He pointed to the side, to the electric scooter in the dark corner.

Unlike most electric scooters on the market, this one has a distinctly industrial and rugged style, is larger, more protective, and even somewhat resembles a large motorcycle.

"You think you're so great that you want my car too?"

Meng Tao's face turned a dark red, and he became very agitated.

Zhai Da pushed out his electric scooter, patted it, and said, "The county doesn't really regulate electric scooters, so it's not considered a violation. This scooter has a lot of power and a long range, which is perfect for you to ride around in the mountains and fields."

As he spoke, he turned on the car lights, which surprisingly resembled the high beams of a car, blinding Meng Tao.

"Aside from being a bit heavy and solidly built, it has no other drawbacks. You should get rid of your old electric scooter, this one is for you."

Meng Tao swallowed hard, but this time he didn't speak with righteous indignation.

In his mind, these self-modified electric bikes are indeed inexpensive, but not as good as brand-name ones.

He thought to himself that it was probably something that Boss Zhai's family didn't want.
Most importantly, after my previous "I am a civil servant" speech, I felt a bit lacking in conviction.
"Really powerful?"

"It's quite big, why don't you try riding it?"

As Meng Tao strode forward, he said, "If you really don't want it anymore, can I buy it? My car isn't enough for getting around the village; it often runs out of power halfway through."

"Sure, whatever, I can lend it to you."

Meng Tao twisted the steering wheel slightly, and the car's speed suddenly increased; he immediately felt the difference.

This vehicle is a foot wider than a typical electric scooter.

Small workshops really know how to use raw materials! That horsepower is amazing!
I quickly rode it around the garage twice and couldn't put it down.

I thought to myself, even if it costs 2000 yuan, no, 3000 yuan, it would be worth it!

With this motivation, helping fellow villagers transport pigs, goods, and fertilizers will be no problem at all!

While driving and studying it, he called out from afar, "Mr. Zhai, what's the purpose of this red switch over there?"

"Oh, that's a mode switch, which gives you more power and explosiveness, but the range will be greatly reduced."

"Can it go even higher? I'll try. What's this mode called?"

"In silicon carbide mode, the speed limit is removed, and it can run at speeds above 80."

Exclamations of surprise came from afar: "What? Young Master Duo?"

The familiar "UFO-like" engine noise and Meng Tao's scream echoed through the garage.

(End of this chapter)