Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Upon seeing Wei Chen enter, the finance department head, who wore thick glasses, immediately stood up, his face beaming with smiles and his attitude more enthusiastic than ever before: "Oh! Comrade Wei Chen! The hero has arrived! Please, have a seat!" He personally brought over a chair.

"Section Chief, you're too kind. I'm here to collect the purchase payment." Wei Chen handed over the invoice, getting straight to the point.

"Good! Good! It's all ready!" The section chief took the document, carefully checked the numbers and stamps, and after confirming that everything was correct, instructed a young female accountant beside him, "Xiao Zhao, bring me Comrade Wei Chen's purchase funds!"

The accountant, Xiao Zhao, carefully took out several thick brown paper envelopes from the innermost part of the safe, and then took out a bulging canvas money bag filled with heavy coins. Her movements were extremely cautious, as if she were holding fragile treasures rather than banknotes and coins.

"Comrade Wei Chen, please count them." The section chief pushed several envelopes and a money bag in front of Wei Chen, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible reverence. "It's a total of five thousand two hundred and forty-one yuan and six jiao. Here are five thousand yuan in bills, divided into five envelopes, one thousand yuan in each. The remaining two hundred and forty-one yuan and six jiao, one hundred yuan in bills are in this envelope, and the change one hundred and forty-one yuan and six jiao is in the money bag. There are bills and coins."

Over five thousand yuan! Several thick stacks of ten-yuan notes and a pile of loose change lay on the table, exuding the smell of ink and metal, creating an incredibly striking visual impact. The other accountants in the finance department couldn't help but steal glances over, their eyes filled with shock.

Wei Chen remained calm, but inwardly he was relieved. Luckily, it was the factory's finance department; the banknotes were all in bundles of new bills. If they were loose or old notes, they would be much larger and more troublesome. He picked up the envelope and, in front of the department head, began to count the notes quickly but carefully. His fingers traced the edges of the crisp banknotes, making a clear "rustling" sound.

The count was correct. Wei Chen stuffed five thick envelopes containing 1,000 yuan notes, one thin envelope containing 100 yuan notes, and the heavy canvas coin purse into his seemingly ordinary military green canvas shoulder bag.

The handbag was instantly stretched taut, almost bursting open. The exaggerated bulge made the finance director's eyelids twitch, and he couldn't help but remind him again, "Comrade Wei Chen… this… so much money… please be careful on the road! Should I… send someone to escort you for a while?"

He simply couldn't imagine a person carrying a huge sum of money, equivalent to more than ten years' wages for a factory worker, walking alone on the streets of Beijing.

"Thank you for your concern, Section Chief, but no need. I have arrangements, it will be delivered soon." Wei Chen's tone was calm as he firmly fastened the buckle of his satchel and slung the strap across his shoulder. The heavy weight pressed down on his shoulder, but to onlookers, it appeared as if he only slightly hunched his back before standing firmly.

"Then...then you must be extra careful! This is your purchase receipt, including the eight wild boars you killed!" the section chief still warned, still worried.

"I will, thank you." Wei Chen nodded, took the certificate, and, carrying the priceless bulging satchel, strode out amidst the worried yet admiring gazes of the finance department staff.

This proves that it is also important to him, as he can use this money openly and legally, selling the wild boars he hunts to the steel mill, making his income legal and compliant!

Turning the corner of the stairs and confirming that no one was around, Wei Chen's mind stirred slightly. The heavy weight on his shoulder, almost digging into his flesh, vanished instantly. The bulging satchel deflated visibly, returning to its original empty state.

The sum of over five thousand yuan, along with the envelopes and money pouches, had been silently transferred to the absolutely secure space in his backpack. Wei Chen let out a soft sigh of relief, his shoulders immediately feeling lighter, and his steps regained their usual lightness. He adjusted the strap of his bag and headed towards the floor where Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide's office was located.

Li Huaide's office was on the far east side of the third floor of the factory building. It was spacious and bright, with thick carpets and strong heating, which contrasted sharply with the cold outside.

The secretary at the door saw Wei Chen and immediately stood up, her face beaming with a smile even more enthusiastic than usual: "Comrade Wei Chen! Director Li instructed that you can just come in directly!"

Wei Chen nodded his thanks, knocked on the door, and Li Huaide's strong voice came from inside: "Come in!"

Pushing open the door, I entered. Li Huaide was sitting behind his large desk, holding a steaming enamel mug in his hands, his face still flushed from the announcement of the extra meat and vegetables.

Upon seeing Wei Chen, he immediately put down his cup, stood up, walked around the table to greet him, and extended his hand with a beaming smile: "Wei Chen! Come, come! Sit down! You've worked hard! You've really done a great job this time! Everyone in the factory is praising you!" He gripped Wei Chen's hand tightly, his warmth as if he were treating a nephew.

"Director Li, you flatter me. It's all thanks to your excellent leadership that we were given direction. We were just running errands." Wei Chen adopted a humble posture, his attitude respectful but not obsequious.

"Hahaha! Young man, not arrogant or impatient, good! Very good!" Li Huaide was extremely satisfied with Wei Chen's "sensible" manner. He pulled him to sit down on the sofa next to him and personally poured him a cup of hot tea. "Have a sip of hot tea to warm yourself up! It must be cold outside, right? I heard you sat on a pile of wild boars all the way back? I really felt sorry for you!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Huaide changed the subject, lowering his voice and asking with eager inquiry in his eyes: "By the way, Wei Chen, is there any news about that thing I mentioned to you last time?" This was the core interest he was most concerned about at the moment.

Wei Chen put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice a few decibels, with just the right amount of excitement from being "lucky": "I was just about to report to you! Director Li, we were really lucky this time in the mountains. We managed to hunt two of the deer you requested! Both were top-quality wild deer."

"Both ends?!" Li Huaide's eyes lit up instantly, like a hungry wolf spotting fatty meat, his breathing becoming slightly rapid! He suppressed his inner elation, trying his best to maintain the composure of a leader, but the excitement in his voice couldn't be concealed: "Great! Excellent! Wei Chen! You're truly my lucky charm! My lucky charm!" He slammed his hand on the sofa armrest, "The stuff... is it... now?"

"It's safe." Wei Chen gave him a reassuring look. "Same as usual? I'll deliver it to your usual spot tonight?"

"Good! Good! Same place! Secure!" Li Huaide nodded repeatedly, overjoyed. Two deer, containing two pairs of top-quality deer antlers! This was not only a precious tonic, but also hard currency for establishing connections at higher levels! He looked at Wei Chen with satisfaction beyond measure.

"Wei Chen, you've solved such a huge problem for the factory this time, a truly outstanding contribution! The factory will never mistreat a hero!" Li Huaide cleared his throat and began to fulfill his duty as a leader to "reward" Wei Chen.

He opened his desk drawer, took out a bulging manila envelope, and handed it to Wei Chen. "This is a small token of the factory's appreciation, a reward for you personally! Take it!"

Wei Chen accepted the package with both hands; it felt heavy, clearly containing various receipts and documents. He didn't stand on ceremony: "Thank you, Director Li! Thank you for the factory's concern!"

"Of course!" Li Huaide waved his hand, then dropped another bombshell, "Furthermore, in view of your work ability and outstanding contributions, the factory leadership has decided, after deliberation, to promote you by one administrative rank! From the original level nine clerk to level eight clerk! Your salary will increase from the original twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents per month to thirty-three yuan!"

Thirty-three yuan a month! Wei Chen's heart skipped a beat. This figure was very close to the salary level of He Yuzhu, the cafeteria chef, in the early stages of the TV series. More importantly, there were the hidden benefits and changes in status that came with the promotion.

Li Huaide seemed to see through Wei Chen's thoughts and added with a smile, "Also, considering the special nature of your purchasing team's work, which often requires you to travel for long periods of time, the factory has made a special approval to give each member of your team an extra 'outbound purchasing allowance,' which is two cents per person per day! It will be calculated based on the actual number of days you travel!"

Your team must be out on the job for at least twenty days a month, right? That means you'll get over four yuan a month in subsidies alone! Add that to your basic salary, and you'll easily make over thirty-seven yuan! That's better than many veteran workers! Keep up the good work, you have a bright future ahead of you!

The third group had applied for the subsidy to the section chief and the factory many times. This time, the factory approved it because the third group had made a great contribution. Li Huaide said this while also doing a favor.

Two cents a day, that's four yuan a month for twenty days! Add to that a basic salary of thirty-three yuan, and the total income reaches over thirty-seven yuan! In Beijing these days, that's definitely considered a high income!

This is enough to allow a family of several people to live quite comfortably. More importantly, this subsidy policy applies to the entire Procurement Group 3. Wei Chen made the greatest contribution, and Liu Yuan and others also benefited from it. This will undoubtedly further solidify Wei Chen's core position in Group 3 and enhance team cohesion.

"Thank you, Director Li, for your guidance! Thank you for the factory's trust! I will definitely continue to work hard and live up to the expectations of the leaders and the factory!" Wei Chen stood up and expressed his gratitude sincerely. This promotion and subsidy were crucial to his future plans.

"Good! I believe you!" Li Huaide stood up and patted Wei Chen on the shoulder with satisfaction. "Go on, take care of the important business first. The personnel department will officially notify you about your rank and salary. Remember, tonight, the usual place!" He emphasized the deer antler matter one last time.

"Understood! Don't worry!" Wei Chen solemnly replied, then casually stuffed the brown paper envelope full of receipts into his satchel before bidding farewell to Li Huaide's warm and inviting office, which was filled with the atmosphere of power and transactions.

After leaving the deputy factory director's office, Wei Chen didn't immediately leave the building. Instead, he turned and headed towards the security department on the first floor. He needed to return the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle he had borrowed for two weeks, and more importantly, he needed to solidify his relationship with Jin Aimin.

The atmosphere in the security office was more solemn than usual, yet subtly tinged with excitement. Clearly, news of the truckload of wild boars had already spread throughout the area. The security officer on duty, seeing Wei Chen, immediately smiled: "Comrade Wei Chen? Here to see Deputy Jin?"

"Yes, please inform them," Wei Chen said politely.

"No need to announce your arrival! Deputy Jin instructed that you should go directly to his office when you arrive!" The staff member warmly led the way.