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

In the lobby of the steel rolling mill's No. 1 guesthouse, it was the time for the change of shifts. Dozens of waiters, cleaners, laundry workers, and receptionists were crammed together, their chatter, laughter, footsteps as they changed shifts, and the clinking of enamel mugs blending together into a noisy hum, like a pot of water about to boil.

Seeing this, the early shift supervisor quickly stepped forward, clapped his hands lightly in the air a few times, and shouted in a loud voice:

"Alright, everyone, quiet down! Quiet down! Director Li made a special trip over here during shift change to say a few words to you all!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the hall fell silent. Dozens of eyes turned to the doorway.

Li Jing'an stood at the front of the crowd, his posture upright. Two supervisors stood on either side of him, and his personal secretary, Yang Chunjuan, followed half a step behind him.

Li Jing'an's gaze swept lightly across the faces of the two foremen, and he had already made up his mind: You can tell from the foremen that Lao Lu's health is not good. He has chosen older foremen with rich work experience. They are obviously legitimate foremen without any ulterior motives.

Unfortunately, I'm not that kind of person. When the time comes, let Qin Huairu and Jiang Yuebai take their place; those are the people I truly belong to.

He cleared his throat, his gaze slowly sweeping over the female employees lined up in front of him. When he spoke, his voice was steady and his pronunciation clear and articulate, exactly the tone that a cadre of this era should have when speaking:

"Comrades, the reason we've gathered you all here today is simply to meet you all and give you a boost. Our No. 1 Guesthouse is the face of the steel rolling mill, and it's also an important place for leaders and comrades from the metallurgical system to rest and relax. Every word and action we take represents the image of our factory and the spirit of our cadres and workers."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd once more, before continuing:

"I hope everyone will remain committed to their posts, be conscientious and responsible, maintain a proper service attitude, and perform their duties thoroughly and effectively. When dealing with visiting colleagues, be warm, attentive, and patient; when working, be meticulous and thorough. The guesthouse is a service window—cleanliness, tidiness, politeness, and adherence to rules are the bottom line, and no one can break them."

After a few resounding words of pleasantries, Li Jing'an's tone shifted slightly, becoming more weighty:

"Finally, let me emphasize one more thing: From now on, I will periodically and without prior notice check in on everyone's work status, service attitude, and daily performance. I know who is doing well—those who deserve praise will be praised, those who deserve rewards will be rewarded, and those who deserve promotions will be promoted; I will never treat anyone unfairly. But if anyone has a poor work attitude, is lazy, or is perfunctory, then I will not be lenient—their positions will be adjusted at any time, whether it's cleaning, laundry, or logistics; they will be moved wherever they are needed, without hesitation!"

These words struck, and many female employees instinctively straightened their backs, a hint of tension flashing across their faces. Everyone understood—the new Director Li was establishing the rules.

During the pauses in his speech, Li Jing'an's gaze had already subtly swept through the crowd several times, quietly selecting two individuals. Both were young, strikingly good-looking, and possessed beautiful features.

He gestured to Yang Chunjuan, whispered a few instructions, and then spoke in front of everyone:

"The two comrades I just called out, step forward. Chunjuan, write down their names."

The two girls felt a pang of anxiety, lowered their heads, and timidly stepped out from the crowd. Yang Chunjuan immediately took out her notebook and carefully wrote down their names: Miao Guilan and Li Xiaoyan.

"Alright, that's all. Everyone, go about your duties. Let's dismiss."

The crowd dispersed quietly, returning to their posts. Li Jing'an turned and walked to Yang Chunjuan's side, lowering his voice to say only one sentence:

"Call the first one I just wrote down to my office later. Tell her I need to ask her about the situation."

"Yes, Director." Yang Chunjuan replied readily.

Li Jing'an turned and went into his private office, the door closing gently behind him, shutting out the noise outside.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

The door opened, and Yang Chunjuan led in a young woman named Miao Guilan. Miao Guilan had her head down, her hands tightly clasped together, and she was very reserved. She walked very lightly, as if afraid of hurting the ground.

Yang Chunjuan was very sensible. She first poured a cup of hot water for Li Jing'an, then poured a cup for Miao Guilan, and then gently closed the door and quietly left—leaving this space completely to the two of them.

The office was so quiet you could hear the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock.

Li Jing'an looked at Miao Guilan, who was sitting upright on the sofa, constantly rubbing her hands, and a gentle smile curved his lips. He slowly got up and sat down next to her, his tone exceptionally soft:

"Don't be nervous, Guilan. I just wanted to chat with you casually and get to know everyone's work situation. I don't mean anything by it."

Miao Guilan trembled slightly, still not daring to raise her head, and softly hummed in agreement.

Li Jing'an spoke slowly and deliberately, seemingly casually, but every sentence was actually a test of the waters:

"Tell me first, what's your name? How old are you? Who's in your family? How did you get into the guesthouse?"

He knew perfectly well that this First Guesthouse was frequented by cadres from the factory and ministries. If any seemingly insignificant waiter turned out to be a relative or family member of a leader, and he rashly offered his services, he would be inviting trouble. He had to find out the details thoroughly—only after confirming that he had no connections or influence would he dare to take the next step.

Miao Guilan answered in a soft voice, speaking honestly:

"Director, my name is Miao Guilan, I'm nineteen years old, and I'm currently an apprentice... My parents both work in other factories as ordinary workers. I got this job through the regular recruitment process."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing'an felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

Parents were ordinary workers, young, apprentices, with no background or connections—he was the perfect candidate.

His smile deepened, and his tone became more appreciative:

"Guilan, let me speak from the bottom of my heart. I've just taken up my post at the First Guesthouse, and I'm short of a few close and trusted people around me. I want to cultivate a few capable and reliable comrades. I see you as down-to-earth and honest, a promising talent, and I have high hopes for you. Work hard, and after you're officially hired, I'll entrust you with important responsibilities—your position and benefits will be different then."

Miao Guilan suddenly raised her head, her eyes instantly lighting up with surprise, her face filled with disbelief:

"R-really? Thank you, Chief! Thank you, Chief! I will definitely do my job well and live up to your trust!"

Seeing her surprised and delighted expression, Li Jing'an chuckled inwardly. He gently raised his arm and naturally placed it on her shoulder.

Miao Guilan's cheeks flushed bright red, her heart pounded in her chest, and her body stiffened slightly, but she did not flinch or resist—she simply lowered her head, unsure of what to do with her hands.

Li Jing'an was very satisfied with this, and his tone became even gentler:

"If you encounter any problems, difficulties, or grievances at work in the future, don't tell anyone else. Just come to me. I'll back you up."

"Hmm... I understand, Director." Miao Guilan's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Could you please go to the lounge inside and tidy up for me?" Li Jing'an released his hand and instructed gently.

"Okay." Miao Guilan nodded quickly, got up and walked into the inner lounge.

Li Jing'an picked up the water glass on the table, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. He put down the glass, a smile playing on his lips, slowly stood up, reached out to pull up his waistband, then opened the desk drawer and took out the camera he had brought back from Shanghai.

He turned and walked towards the lounge, pushed open the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind him with a "click," the bolt locking from the inside.

A short, panicked gasp came from inside the house.

Then, everything fell silent.