Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The factory office building is located in a relatively quiet corner of the factory area. It is an independent three-story Soviet-style building with red brick walls that look particularly solemn under the winter sun.

The heating inside the building was much stronger than in the workshop and the purchasing department office. As soon as you stepped in, you were enveloped by warm, even somewhat hot, air, but this was accompanied by an invisible, more solemn sense of oppression.

The corridor was covered with a slightly worn, dark red synthetic fiber carpet, which had excellent sound absorption properties. Footsteps landed on it with a dull, light sound, creating an excessively quiet atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the hustle and bustle of the workshop outside. On the walls hung photos of model workers and slogans such as "Grasp revolution, promote production."

Wei Chen walked steadily, his leather shoes making a soft thud on the carpet. He stopped at the end of the second-floor corridor in front of a heavy wooden door painted dark brown.

Above the door hung a shiny bronze plaque with the words "Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide" engraved in Song typeface. In the adjacent reception room, there was a slightly worn dark-colored desk, where Li Huaide's personal secretary, Liu Aiguo, was writing furiously.

Upon hearing footsteps, Liu Aiguo immediately looked up, put down his pen, and stood up. He wore a well-trained and impeccably professional smile, but behind his glasses, his eyes revealed a subtle scrutiny and inquiry as he quickly scanned Wei Chen from head to toe.

"Comrade Wei Chen is here? Please wait a moment," Liu Aiguo said, pointing to a hardwood bench in the reception room. His voice was low, with the restraint typical of a secretary. "Director Li is inside handling some urgent business." His wording was very official, revealing no further information.

"Okay, Secretary Liu. Thank you for your help." Wei Chen nodded, a polite smile on his face, and sat down on the cool bench as instructed.

He stood upright, his hands resting naturally on his knees, his gaze fixed on a propaganda poster titled "Steelworkers Fight the Severe Cold" on the opposite wall. He appeared calm and quiet, like a frozen sculpture.

However, he knew perfectly well that Li Huaide's urgent summons was almost certainly about the heavy burden of meat supply. With the year-end approaching, thousands of workers were eagerly awaiting their share of the meat. This pressure, concerning stability and public morale, ultimately converged on the desk of the deputy factory director in charge of logistics.

Time ticked by in the suffocating silence. Occasionally, clerks carrying documents would hurry by in the corridor, and when they saw Wei Chen sitting alone outside Deputy Factory Director Li's door, they would all cast curious, inquisitive, or somewhat speculative glances at him.

Wei Chen kept his eyes down, seemingly lost in meditation, oblivious to everything around him. Yet, his extraordinary hearing allowed him to clearly hear the sounds coming from behind the heavy wooden door—Li Huaide was on the phone, his voice loud and filled with barely suppressed frustration and anger. The person on the other end of the line appeared to be a manager from the meat processing plant or the supply and marketing cooperative.

"…Director Wang! I've heard that so many times I'm sick of it! Difficulties? Who doesn't have difficulties?! Our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill has thousands of workers, working three shifts, around the clock, sweating buckets, roasting themselves in front of the furnace, guarding the machines, all for what? To fulfill the steel quotas assigned to us by the state! To contribute to socialist construction!"

With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, the workers have been eagerly anticipating a hearty meal to reward themselves for a year of hard work! And this is all the meat you're given? It's not even enough to fill a tooth gap!

How am I supposed to face the workers? How am I supposed to stabilize morale in production? ...What? Targets? Plans? Plans are rigid, people are flexible! ...I know you have your difficulties! But we have to think of a way! Tap into our potential! ...

Okay, okay! I'll wait for your reply! But let me be clear from the start, this amount is far from enough! It's extremely insufficient! If the workers' morale is affected and production is delayed because of food issues, none of us can bear that responsibility!

The phone was slammed down on the landline with a loud "thud," the sound clearly audible even through the door. A deathly silence fell over the office, followed by a clear, heavy sigh, filled with deep exhaustion and unvented anger.

The clock on the wall ticked slowly and steadily, making a regular "tick-tock" sound. A full half hour passed before the tightly closed, dark brown wooden door finally clicked open from the inside. Liu Aiguo immediately stood up as if wound up, bowed slightly to the person inside, and said respectfully, "Factory Director, Comrade Wei Chen has arrived."

"Let him in." Li Huaide's voice came from inside, a little hoarse and lingering with weariness, revealing little emotional fluctuation.

Wei Chen stood up, straightened his clothes again to make sure they were impeccable, and then walked in with steady steps.

Li Huaide's office was spacious and bright, reflecting his status. A large, dark brown solid wood desk faced the door, upon which sat a telephone, pen holder, file rack, and a green glass lamp. Behind the desk was a tall bookcase reaching the ceiling, neatly stacked with various large books, folders, and manila envelopes.

A set of dark brown leather sofas and a matching glass coffee table were placed by the window. The air was filled with the subtle, rich aroma of fine cigarettes and the delicate fragrance of premium jasmine tea.

Li Huaide was nestled in a large, comfortable black leather swivel chair, leaning back slightly, a freshly lit cigarette dangling from his hand, wisps of smoke rising into the air. He looked noticeably more haggard than when Wei Chen had last seen him; his eyes were puffy, and his complexion was somewhat ashen, but his eyes remained sharp as a hawk's, carrying the scrutinizing gaze and invisible pressure characteristic of someone long accustomed to a position of power.

Seeing Wei Chen enter, he forced a formulaic, slightly weary smile and casually gestured with the hand holding a cigarette to the chair opposite his desk: "Comrade Wei Chen is here? Please have a seat." His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Thank you, Director Li." Wei Chen sat down as instructed, his back straight, his hands resting flat on his knees, his posture respectful but not obsequious, his gaze calm as he looked at Li Huaide.

"How's it going, Comrade Wei Chen?" Li Huaide took a deep drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaling a few smoke rings. His gaze lingered on Wei Chen's face, as if searching for something. His tone was casual, yet it carried a deliberate sense of build-up. "How's work going lately? How's it going with Liu Yuan and the others in Purchasing Group 3? Have you encountered any difficulties in your life? Are you settling in well at the factory? Are you getting along well with your colleagues?" He asked detailed and wide-ranging questions, as if he genuinely cared about the daily life of an ordinary subordinate.

Wei Chen understood; these were all necessary opening remarks and emotional build-up. He answered each question sincerely, his words concise and appropriate, neither exaggerating nor belittling himself: "Thank you for your concern, Factory Director. Work is going smoothly. Team Leader Liu is experienced and takes good care of us. The older colleagues in my team, such as Master Zhao and Master Hu, are also very helpful and have taught me a lot. Life is fine; there are no difficulties. The factory atmosphere is great; the leaders and workers are all very down-to-earth. I've adapted well and learned a lot." He knew the important part was coming soon.

Sure enough, after a few perfunctory pleasantries, Li Huaide forcefully stubbed out his cigarette in the glass ashtray piled high with cigarette butts, making a soft "sizzle" sound.

He leaned forward slightly, placed his hands crossed on the table, his smile vanished completely, his expression became extremely serious, and his eyes sharpened like two awls, piercing Wei Chen: "Comrade Wei Chen, the reason I'm calling you here so urgently today is not for anything else, but because the factory is facing a very serious and urgent difficulty! This difficulty directly relates to whether thousands of workers can have a decent, nutritious meal before the New Year! It relates to whether everyone can have a comfortable New Year and whether production can remain stable!"

He paused, his tone suddenly becoming more serious, carrying an undeniable weight, "As you know, this month is almost the twelfth lunar month, and there's only a little over a month left until the end of the year. This year, our steel rolling mill has the heaviest production task since its establishment! The workers have demonstrated the spirit of 'not afraid of hardship, not afraid of death,' working overtime, fighting day and night, shedding blood and sweat, without a single complaint!"

Year-end benefits, especially improvements to the canteen food, are the factory's and my personal top priority! This is of paramount importance for stabilizing morale, boosting spirits, and demonstrating organizational care! There can be no room for error!

His tone suddenly shifted, his brows furrowing into a deep frown, his voice filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction: "But! The situation is extremely dire! The pork quota allocated by the meat processing plant is shockingly short! I was just arguing with them! We can only get it calculated per person, and we can't even get half a pound per person!"

What can this little bit of meat do? It's barely enough to make a pot of soup! Let alone improve the lives of the workers who have toiled all year, to give them something a little bit of oil in their stomachs! The supply and marketing cooperative is in the same boat; the supply of non-staple foods is tightly controlled—eggs, vermicelli, sugar—everything is in short supply! Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice!

Li Huaide's voice carried an immense pressure, like the impending storm, his gaze fixed intently on Wei Chen as if he were his only lifeline: "Comrade Wei Chen, you are a member of our purchasing department, and more importantly, a rare and exceptionally capable key talent in our factory! I remember clearly that when you reported on your work last time, you mentioned that your hometown, including yourself and some 'hunter friends' who have been rooted in the mountains for many years, has unconventional connections and channels for procuring mountain products and wild game, right?" He deliberately emphasized the words "hunter friends," his eyes flashing with profound meaning and undeniable expectation.

Wei Chen understood immediately and replied with a clear and proactive attitude: "Yes, Factory Director. You remember correctly. I do know some old hunters who make a living deep in the Yanshan Mountains year-round. We have a pretty good relationship and trust each other. I used to go into the mountains with them when I was in the village, so I'm quite familiar with that forest and occasionally manage to catch something." He brought it up proactively, saving Li Huaide the awkwardness of having to spell it out, and also implying that he had the ability to take direct action.