I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

A black sedan drove into the courtyard of the Municipal Labor Bureau. The courtyard was square and neat, with the cement ground spotless. A flagpole stood straight in the center of the courtyard. The office building was a four-story red brick building with bright and tidy windows. Several potted hardy green plants were placed in front of the building, exuding the unique seriousness, orderliness and solemnity of a government agency.

The office director frantically knocked on the director's office door, his face pale and his voice urgent: "Director! Something terrible has happened! A car has driven straight into the compound!"

The bureau chief sat at his large desk, head down, reviewing documents. Thick stacks of reports, official documents, and file folders piled on the desk, and the room was filled with a faint smell of smoke and ink. Without looking up, his pen moved swiftly across the paper, his tone casual and indifferent: "Who is it? Making such a fuss."

"I...I just glanced at the license plate through the window, and it looked like a municipal party committee vehicle!" The office director's voice was somewhat urgent.

The director's pen snapped to a halt. He abruptly looked up, his eyes sharpening instantly as he stared intently at the office director. He demanded in a low voice, "Single digits or tens digits? Is the number small or small? Did you see it clearly?"

"Single digits! A very small number! It's definitely a car belonging to a major leader of the municipal party committee!" The office director nodded quickly, his tone certain.

"Why didn't you say so sooner!" The director jumped to his feet, grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and threw it on, his movements flustered and his face serious. "Quick! Notify all the team members and department heads who are at home to come downstairs with me immediately to greet us!"

As soon as I rushed to the door, I ran into several other department heads who had also rushed over after hearing the news. They all looked nervous and were walking hurriedly.

"You found out too?" the bureau chief asked urgently.

"We know, we know! We heard that the municipal leaders are here!" Everyone nodded repeatedly.

"Which leader from the municipal party committee is here? Did anyone see clearly?" someone asked in a low voice, their face full of apprehension.

"How should I know! Don't ask, just come downstairs!" The bureau chief glanced around, frowning. "Is everyone here? Don't leave anyone out!"

"Everyone's here... except for Deputy Director Wang!" someone whispered in response.

"Damn it! That kid must have sneaked off to the door to greet us beforehand!" the bureau chief cursed under his breath, his face growing even uglier. He waved his hand and said, "Never mind, hurry up and come down with me! If we're late, it'll look like we don't know the rules!"

A large group of people rushed downstairs, their leather shoes making a rapid "thump-thump-thump" sound on the concrete stairs. The atmosphere was tense and solemn, and everyone was on tenterhooks, afraid of disrespecting their leader.

Inside the car, Wei Jialing leaned back in the soft seat, looking out at the neat government compound. She glanced at Li Jing'an with a puzzled expression and asked, "We're here, why aren't we getting out? What are we waiting for?"

Li Jing'an smiled faintly: "No rush, wait a little longer."

As soon as he finished speaking, two figures rushed out of the building. The one in the lead was Deputy Director Wang of the Labor Bureau. He spotted the black sedan in the yard at a glance, and without saying a word, he quickly stepped forward, respectfully took the back door, and carefully opened the door.

Li Jing'an was the first to get out of the car.

Deputy Director Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he was momentarily stunned: this young man was a complete stranger, and his attire didn't resemble that of a high-ranking leader; he looked more like a secretary? Not daring to be negligent, he immediately turned to open the other front door to prepare to welcome the real leader. But the other car door had already opened by itself, and Wei Jialing calmly stepped out of the car.

Deputy Director Wang froze on the spot. He had risked stealing credit and overstepping his bounds by being the first to rush out and greet the leader, only to be greeted by two young men and women? Was this the end of him? The director, who already disliked him, was now going to make things difficult for him.

Seeing his blank and helpless expression, Li Jing'an extended his hand, a polite smile on his face, and said in a calm tone, "Hello."

Deputy Director Wang's lips trembled, his legs went weak, and he forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace, his voice stammering, "P-Please...who are you? What brings you to the Labor Bureau?"

"I'm here to take care of some personal business," Li Jing'an said calmly, without the slightest airs.

Undeterred, Deputy Director Wang pointed to the car beside him and cautiously inquired, "Then... what's this car? Which unit do you belong to?"

"Oh, my father insisted on arranging a car to take us here, because he was worried that it would be too much trouble for us to walk," Li Jing'an said casually.

Deputy Director Wang's eyes suddenly lit up; hope rekindled in his despair, and his voice trembled uncontrollably: "Then...who is your father? Which leader is he?"

Li Jing'an glanced at him indifferently, his tone calm yet carrying considerable weight, and said, word by word, "He is my partner's father, surnamed Wei."

"Wei..." Deputy Director Wang shuddered, as if struck by lightning. He reacted instantly, his back bending at almost a ninety-degree angle, his face beaming with a smile sweeter than honey and brighter than the sun. His tone was extremely respectful, "Oh! Hello, hello! My apologies! I'm the Deputy Director of the Labor Bureau, my surname is Wang! Please feel free to ask me anything, please ask me anything! I'll handle everything for you!"

He immediately turned to the people following behind him and ordered, "What are you standing there for! Go to the office and make tea! Make the best tea! Take out all the good cigarettes from the drawer!"

Just then, the bureau chief arrived in a hurry with a large group of people.

Upon seeing only two young men standing beside the car, the bureau chief visibly paused, but maintained a polite and proper smile as he slowly walked over and said calmly, "Old Wang, who are these two? Why don't you introduce them?"

Deputy Director Wang quickly leaned close to the director's ear, lowered his voice, and said solemnly, "Director, these are the daughter and son-in-law of Leader Wei from the Municipal Party Committee. They've come specifically to handle some private matters."

The bureau chief's expression shifted slightly, and he gave a soft "Oh." Although somewhat disappointed that it wasn't a top leader present, he dared not show the slightest negligence. He immediately extended his hand and gently shook hands with Li Jing'an and Wei Jialing, his smile impeccable: "Welcome, welcome. I have some urgent official business to attend to and can't leave. Deputy Bureau Chief Wang will accompany you throughout the process. If you have any questions or complaints, please feel free to contact me."

After saying a few polite words, he turned and led most of the people away, maintaining both courtesy and distance.

Deputy Director Wang was overjoyed, almost bursting out laughing. The director was unwilling to serve him personally, so this golden opportunity had fallen right into his lap! After all, this man was Leader Wei's son-in-law, practically a son! Wasn't that practically a municipal party committee leader? If he could establish this connection...

"Please come in, gentlemen! My office is warm!" Deputy Director Wang led the way with utmost deference.

The Labor Bureau's office was spacious, bright, clean, and tidy. The large desks were sturdy and solid, and rows of filing cabinets stood against the wall, neatly arranged with files and documents. Administrative division maps and work rules and regulations were hung on the walls. Tea cups, thermos flasks, and folders were arranged in an orderly manner, reflecting the seriousness and discipline of a government agency.

Li Jing'an and Wei Jialing sat down on the sofa, but Deputy Director Wang did not sit. He stood upright to the side, his posture respectful, and his face always wore a fawning smile: "Sir, what instructions do you have? Just say the word, and I'll take care of it immediately!"

Li Jing'an smiled and said in a friendly tone, "Director Wang, it's not really about giving instructions, I'm just here on personal business. Please sit down, no need to be so polite."

"No need, no need, I'm fine standing! I'm comfortable standing! Just tell me what to do!" Deputy Director Wang waved his hands repeatedly, not daring to sit down.

Li Jing'an didn't press the matter further and went straight to the point: "I want to transfer my sister from her current workplace to a grocery store near our home."

Deputy Director Wang looked troubled and carefully explained, "Sir, this matter can't be decided by our Labor Bureau alone. The grocery store has to submit a report to their parent company first, and their parent company has to report the labor shortage to us before we can proceed with the transfer. The whole process has to be followed."

"The position has been reserved for a long time, and I've also spoken to their parent company about it. It's been vacant ever since," Li Jing'an said calmly. "I'm just here to ask what specific procedures we need to follow so my sister can prepare."

Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Wang immediately breathed a sigh of relief, bowed even lower, and said with a relaxed expression, "Oh! No problem! Absolutely no problem! As long as they send over the employment application, and your sister's company submits the application report, I'll process it for you immediately. It's a special case, and I won't waste a single minute!"

Li Jing'an stood up, reached out and shook hands with him firmly, his tone sincere: "Then thank you very much, Director Wang, you've helped me a lot. After it's done, I'll treat you to a simple meal to express my gratitude."

"Oh! No, no, no! This is all part of my job, it's what I should do!" Deputy Director Wang was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly, his tone humble. "If anyone should be invited, it should be me! You must do me the honor of giving me this opportunity!"

As I left the Labor Bureau, the sun was shining brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing.

I went around to Li Jing'an's sister's house and told her the news, and also asked her to find time to go to their factory's labor and personnel department to submit the application. Factories that have already found other jobs won't hold back on processing it.