Courtyard house: Just the right amount of pressure, leaving you bewildered but not brain-damaged.

"Xiao Gao, that's not the right way to think."

"The focus for the second half of the year is on stability, so you, as a security officer, won't have much to do."

"I'll take this opportunity to resolve my personal issues."

Zhou Jiasheng looked at Gao Xiaosheng suspiciously and asked, "You don't think I'm unreliable as a matchmaker and want the Women's Federation to act as your go-between, do you?"

"You're overthinking it."

Although Zhou Jiasheng insisted that his eldest niece and Gao Xiaosheng were a good match, he had to admit that Gao Xiaosheng seemed to be a little better in comparison.

A 20-year-old security officer, with an administrative position, is quick-witted and not rigid. Having been tempered in the military, he is determined and has impeccable political background. He is a perfect match for even the best girl, Gao Xiaosheng.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to act.

Actually, if we wait a month or two longer, and arrange blind dates after my niece starts working, the two sides will have more in common.

But he was afraid that things might go wrong if he didn't keep an eye on him and the boy would be tricked away by other girls.

"Xiao Gao, our factory's work group does have a women's federation, but have you seen them introducing potential partners to the workshop workers?"

"Let me tell you, they don't have that ability, you know?"

Zhou Jiasheng put his arm around Gao Xiaosheng's shoulder and talked at length, giving him a brainwashing session.

That's a very fair point.

Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill is neither a key state enterprise nor a backbone factory; it doesn't even rank among the top three among municipal factories.

Those key heavy factories have very complete supporting facilities. Not far from the factory area, there are definitely light factories such as cotton mills, which are characterized by a large number of female workers, so they can be paired up nearby.

The Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill did not have the necessary resources; even the most skilled women in the mill's women's federation could not cook without rice, and they simply did not have a large pool of women of marriageable age.

In short, expecting the factory to help solve your personal problems is unreliable.

"Even the women's federation in the neighborhood office won't work."

"Don't be fooled by their complete information; they have a clear record of how many unmarried women in their jurisdiction are registered. The quality of their information is poor."

"For any female employee, the factory organizes matchmaking events; there's no need for the neighborhood committee."

"So the blind date that the neighborhood women's federation introduces to you is either unemployed or a temporary worker."

"Xiao Gao, you're a member of the Party too. When you're looking for a wife, you can't just think about things like laundry, cooking, and having children. You need to have common ground with her, right?"

"My eldest niece will start working in the factory next month. She'll start as a factory worker, and maybe in a few months she'll be working in an office instead of being a full-time employee."

"You two will definitely get along well, that's what makes life comfortable."

Gao Xiaosheng scratched his head as he listened.

It wasn't that Zhou Jiasheng was wrong; on the contrary, what he said made so much sense that Zhou couldn't find any angle to refute it.

As for saying things like "not getting married before the age of thirty," it's fine to talk about it privately with Sun Youtian, but Gao Xiaosheng would never dare to say it in front of Section Chief Zhou.

Otherwise, this former company political instructor, who was promoted two ranks after being discharged and placed as the head of the security section at the administrative level 17 (battalion commander), would definitely have received special tutoring and a long and tedious ideological education lesson, even more so than the foot binding cloth of a deaf old lady.

"A worker? Didn't you say she only graduated from high school? Shouldn't she be a government employee as soon as she starts working?"

After repeatedly pondering Zhou Jiasheng's words, Gao Xiaosheng finally found some flaws.

Blind dates are similar to how companies recruit employees in later generations. If a resume is found to be falsified, it is equivalent to losing the interview opportunity directly, and the matter must be pursued relentlessly.

"Who told you that high school graduates were appointed by government officials?"

Section Chief Zhou's greatest strength is his patience. I guess he's gotten used to the many troublemakers in the company before.

"Let me tell you..."

Zhou Jiasheng then launched into another long speech.

Gao Xiaosheng listened very carefully. He had to carefully discern whether there were any loopholes in the explanation, so as not to be fooled by the section chief.

Unfortunately, Section Chief Zhou's explanation was well-reasoned and supported by evidence. He even provided detailed information about the document's source, title, and the year it was issued.

According to the "Instructions on the Placement of Graduates from Secondary Schools" issued by the Government Administration Office last year, only vocational school graduates, including those from secondary normal schools, secondary medical colleges, and engineering vocational schools, are eligible for "guaranteed placement".

These students will either pursue administrative positions or technical career paths, and can be collectively referred to as "cadres".

As for ordinary high school students who failed the college entrance examination, they had to find their own jobs last year. This year, major cities have included urban junior and senior high school graduates in the unified recruitment scope.

However, their status was completely different from that of graduates from vocational schools, junior colleges, and universities; they started as workers.

Even if you get a job in a government agency, you have to work as a "trainee" for three months, which is equivalent to a probationary period. Only after you pass the probationary period can you be considered a "worker" in lieu of a managerial position.

As for those recruited by the factory, after completing their apprenticeship in the workshop, they can pursue a technical career path, similar to those working in office buildings or government agencies.

Moreover, being a worker in place of a cadre does not mean being officially employed as a cadre. Rather, it means doing the work of a cadre while still being a worker. Only when the "worker-to-cadre" procedures are completed can the change of status be considered fully realized.

As for how to distinguish whether a person is a worker or a cadre, there are two methods.

The most rigorous method, of course, is to examine the archives.

Only those whose personnel files contain an "Approval Form for the Recruitment of Cadres" have truly shed their worker status and been transferred to administrative positions.

There's also a simpler method: observe where he collects his paycheck on payday.

Workers were under the jurisdiction of the Labor Department, while cadres were under the jurisdiction of the Organization Department or the Personnel Department.

"Ahem, Section Chief, isn't your niece going to be promoted to a cadre position in a year or two?"

Gao Xiaosheng couldn't find any grounds for rebuttal, so he could only ask casually to avoid killing the conversation; Northeasterners wouldn't do such a thing.

"It's not that easy. Let alone one or two years, it would be good if you could become a cadre within ten years."

Section Chief Zhou didn't force himself to lie in order to flatter his niece; he still managed to uphold the principle of seeking truth from facts.

"Xiao Gao, you don't know, the quota for workers to become cadres is pitifully small now. There aren't many in the entire city of Beijing in a year."

"Unless you make exceptionally outstanding contributions in your current role, there's basically no hope."

"But let's be fair, a man needs to be a bit stronger than a woman to keep things under control, right?"

Zhou Jiasheng gave him a look that said, "We're all men, you should understand."

"Think about it, if you marry a wife who's more capable than you at work and has a higher position, who'll listen to whom at home?"

"My niece's criteria are just right; she's not too low, we have common ground when we chat, and yet you outshine her."

"No matter how much she sits in the office, she's not a cadre. Even if the two of you bicker, she has to listen to you obediently."

"Xiao Sheng, tell me, isn't that right?"

Having said all that, Gao Xiaosheng really couldn't think of any other solutions.

It's no wonder that those who can serve as instructors are not ordinary people; they are all top-notch debaters with meticulous thinking, logical reasoning, and impeccable arguments.

"Well... alright then, Section Chief, you make the arrangements. I'll meet with her then."

To be honest, Gao Xiaosheng had never suffered such grievances even in the army. Today, he was forced by Zhou Jiasheng to agree to the blind date against his will.

Of course, he also had his own ulterior motives. Who says that blind dates always lead to marriage?