Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Ten days later, at the Yan family's house, they were having dinner. There were two dishes: braised pork and stir-fried shredded potatoes. The staple food was cornbread.

Today is a day off, a perfect time to enjoy meat.

Yan Jiecheng was enjoying his meal and was now slumped in his chair, watching the dishes on the table being completely devoured. He seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

Yan Bugui noticed his son's unusual behavior and asked him directly:

"Jiecheng, what's wrong?"

Seeing his father ask, Yan Jiecheng asked, "Dad, the high school entrance exam is in a few days. Can you improve the food?"

Yan Bugui didn't show much expression when he heard this. He looked at Yan Jiecheng and said, "Dad told you to take the vocational school entrance exam, but you said you weren't confident. Going to high school is fine too, and you'll still have a chance to go to university."

"Okay, I promise you, the food at home will be a little better these few days. But you have to work hard, or don't blame me for not showing you any leniency if you don't get into high school."

Yan Jiecheng was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Don't worry, Dad, my grades in these mock exams have been consistently high enough for high school."

"Just make sure you and Mom take good care of me these next few days."

"We won't compare ourselves to Liu Guangqi in the backyard; half of his treatment is fine."

"Heh..." Yang Ruihua sneered, "You still have some self-awareness not to compare yourself to Liu Guangqi."

"That old Liu in the backyard is such a spendthrift! How can he live like that? Every day it's either chicken, duck, fish, meat, beef, or pig brains. How much money does that cost?"

Yan Jiecheng rubbed his teeth upon hearing this, envying Liu Guangqi so much, he thought, "He eats so damn well!"

The office of the deputy director of the steel rolling mill—don't misunderstand, it's not Deputy Director Li Huaide, but Deputy Director Yang Ligong.

At this moment, a young man named Yang Guangming came to his office. He was Yang Ligong's nephew, a vocational school graduate, and was only 19 years old at the time.

Calling them young talents wouldn't be an exaggeration; at that time, a vocational school diploma was a golden opportunity.

The reason why Liu Haizhong went to great lengths to ensure his eldest son got into a vocational high school was because as long as he graduated smoothly, he would become a cadre.

According to policy, graduates of vocational high schools are enrolled and assigned jobs through a unified national enrollment system, and upon graduation, they are appointed as cadres (or probationary cadres).

Of course, it's also important to understand one thing clearly, and to avoid misunderstanding: cadres are not necessarily leaders.

It's true that vocational school graduates are valuable, but they must have room for growth. Someone like Yang Guangming, who just entered the steel rolling mill, was only at the administrative level 26, earning a salary of 36 yuan, and was still a probationary cadre.

He wasn't even a clerk, not even close to being a staff member, and he was seven or eight levels away from being a deputy section chief.

Just compare them: Yang Guangming is at administrative level 26, while Li Jiuzhou is at administrative level 18.

There's an 8-level gap; there's still a long way to go before becoming a true leader.

Some people spend their entire lives oscillating between being a clerk or a junior staff member.

Of course, Yang Guangming has an uncle who is the deputy factory director, so his promotion will naturally be quick.

Yang Ligong looked at his nephew with great satisfaction and asked, half-jokingly:

"Guangming, which department would you like to go to?"

Yang Guangming was stunned for a moment upon hearing this: "Uncle, do you think I can be picky? Wasn't I assigned to the publicity department? It's a perfect match for my major."

Hearing his nephew say this, Yang Ligong smiled with satisfaction: "You're a smart kid."

Yang Ligong then suppressed his smile and said, "There are some things you need to be careful about. Don't take advantage of my status as your uncle to act recklessly. The situation is different now, and even your uncle is walking on thin ice."

After hearing this, Yang Guangming understood that his third uncle had made a mistake and been demoted, going from second-in-command to who knows how many positions he was now in.

There are several deputy factory directors, and it's hard to say whether they can be reinstated to their original positions.

Moreover, Uncle San's current situation is not good either; what he just said meant that we shouldn't cause him trouble.

Seeing his nephew's furrowed brows, Yang Ligong stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder:

"It's not that serious, don't worry too much, just focus on your work."

Hearing this, Yang Guangming breathed a sigh of relief and joked, "Third Uncle, when do you think I'll be able to become a leader?"

Yang Ligong, of course, understood the youthful exuberance of a young person just starting out, and smiled as he explained to him:

"Generally, you need to have 2-3 years of experience to be eligible for promotion (depending on performance and available slots)."

"Promotion at the grassroots level (levels 21-30) is relatively faster, but it doesn't happen every year."

"For most people, it is normal to be promoted every 3-5 years, and it is also common for it to be slower, taking 7-10 years."

Example:

"Level 26 (Intern) → Level 25 (Regular): 1 year (fixed)"

"Level 25 to Level 24: Usually 3-5 years (depending on upgrade opportunities)."

"Level 24 → Level 23: Another 3–5 years."

"The higher you go (level 20 and above), the slower it gets and the fewer spots you have."

"Key Influencing Factors (Determining How Long It Takes to Get Promoted)"

"Level: Relatively fast for levels below 20, noticeably slower for levels above 18."

Yang Ligong paused here, a half-smile on his face, and said, "In the factory, only the deputy section chief can be considered a real leadership position."

"Most people take 10-15 years to reach the level of deputy section chief."

Yang Guangming's face darkened as he listened to his third uncle's introduction, as if his vocational school diploma was no longer appealing.

When will he ever become a leader?!

Seeing his nephew's dark face, Yang Ligong laughed: "Hahaha, it's not that there are no shortcuts. We have a chef in our factory who, with his exceptional culinary skills and a bit of luck, accomplished in two years what others take ten years to achieve."

"They are now at the deputy section chief level in leadership."

"What? A cook can be a leader?" Yang Guangming was shocked to hear this!

Yang Ligong was not surprised by his nephew's reaction, and then introduced Li Jiuzhou's role in the steel rolling mill and the previous encounter with enemy agents.

Yang Guangming's eyes widened upon hearing this:

"So, Uncle, you should thank him. If he hadn't informed you in time, you would be digging sand in the Northwest by now."

Yang Ligong smiled and said:

"It wasn't just me; all the factory leaders had to go to the Northwest to dig sand. Thinking about it now, I still feel a bit scared."

Yang Guangming felt a surge of hatred when he thought of his third uncle's former secretary, the one who started it all:

"That damn Zhou bastard has caused so much trouble! Third Uncle, you'd better be careful when choosing a secretary!"

Yang Ligong revealed a confident smile this time:

"Don't worry, the secretary I found this time is very reliable and steady."

Little did he know that the secretary Yang Ligong chose this time would later become a major obstacle for him.

Yang Guangming was relieved to hear his third uncle say that, knowing that his third uncle was his powerful backer.

If his third uncle is stable, then he is stable too. What does it matter if he becomes a deputy section chief in 10 years? As long as there is an opportunity to make meritorious contributions, Yang Guangming will not necessarily be promoted slower than Li Jiuzhou.

The uncle and nephew didn't say anything earlier because they understood each other perfectly; there was no need to bring this up, it was enough for family to know.

My nephew is successful and went to a vocational school. If his uncle doesn't support him, his grandparents will scold him to death, and the family won't tolerate him.

Of course, it's not about Yang Ligong going all out; just giving him a helping hand when it matters is enough.

For example, it's normal for someone to be promoted in administrative rank faster, perhaps three to five years faster than others.

Some people are born with connections, but if you don't, you have to climb them yourself, pull them out yourself, and use your intelligence to build them.

Some people can rise to the top without connections; they rely solely on their own abilities.