Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Li Huaide leaned back in his wide chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the smooth tabletop. He listened to Xu Damao's endless flattery. Although his face remained expressionless, Xu Damao, a seasoned observer, keenly noticed the subtle satisfaction and enjoyment in the depths of his eyes.

But Li Huaide was clearly not the kind of person who would be overwhelmed by flattery. After listening for a few minutes, he slightly raised his hand, interrupting Xu Damao's increasingly rambling praise, his tone still calm: "Comrade Damao, you came over so early in the morning, not just to congratulate me, right? Just say what you need to say, there's a lot going on at the factory."

Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat, inwardly cursing himself for almost forgetting the important matter and getting too caught up in flattery. He quickly stopped talking, his smile fading slightly, replaced by an expression that was both mysterious and somewhat smug. Leaning forward slightly, he lowered his voice: "Director Li, you are truly insightful! Indeed... there is something, something that is particularly beneficial to our factory! I've been thinking that this matter must be reported to you immediately!"

"Oh?" Li Huaide raised an eyebrow, sat up slightly, and stopped tapping his fingers on the table, showing a hint of interest. "Tell me about it."

Xu Damao swallowed hard, organized his thoughts, and lowered his voice even further, as if conveying a huge secret: "It's like this, Director Li. A couple of days ago, I went to show a movie at the commune in Mentougou, and I came across Baoyuquan Village. There's a young hunter there named Wei Chen. He's an exceptionally skilled hunter, bold and meticulous! He... he confided in me, saying he has connections and can get his hands on 'big catches'!"

"Large shipment?" Li Huaide frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled by this vague underworld slang.

Xu Damao quickly explained, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "It's wild boar! He said... he said he could get two large and five small ones, a total of seven wild boars! That'll add up to at least a thousand catties of meat!"

"What?!" Even with Li Huaide's deep composure, upon hearing the number "a thousand catties of wild boar," he couldn't help but lean forward abruptly, his hands slamming onto the edge of the desk. His voice rose sharply, and his eyes flashed with astonishment and disbelief! He subconsciously repeated, "Two large and five small? A thousand catties? Wild boar?!"

It's no wonder he lost his composure. In Beijing in 1958, signs of a shortage of supplies were already emerging. Meat processing plants had limited pork supplies rationed, and in large factories like steel rolling mills, the staff canteens were lucky to get any meat at all once a week.

The workers had been privately complaining that the food was so bland it was practically tasteless. He, the newly promoted deputy factory director in charge of logistics, was desperately looking for something to do to quickly win people over and demonstrate his abilities.

If we could really get an extra thousand catties of real wild boar meat... that would be like sending charcoal in snowy weather, no, it would be like a golden pie falling from the sky!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and slowly leaned back in his chair. But his eyes were sharp as a hawk, fixed on Xu Damao's face, as if trying to see through his skin and understand his thoughts: "Xu Damao! This is no joke! Are you sure? That Wei Chen... really has this ability? Or is he just talking nonsense?" His tone was extremely serious, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

Xu Damao felt a chill run down his spine under Li Huaide's sudden, sharp gaze, and a fine layer of sweat instantly broke out on his back. He immediately straightened his back and said as if making a solemn oath, "Deputy Factory Director Li! I, Xu Damao, guarantee it with my head! It's absolutely true! That kid is no ordinary person! You didn't see it, the way he looked at me when he spoke, so confident! And... and he gave me two pheasants right there and then! The meat was so fresh, I stewed it last night, it smelled amazing! If you don't believe me, I'll bring you one to try later!" He eagerly threw out the "pheasants" as physical evidence, while exaggerating Wei Chen's abilities to an almost supernatural degree.

"Pheasant?" Li Huaide's eyes flickered. His fingers began to tap the table unconsciously again, making a soft "tap, tap, tap" sound, his brain working at a rapid pace.

Although Xu Damao was slick, he wasn't very daring, and the possibility of him lying to him was extremely low. More importantly, the temptation of a thousand catties of wild boar was simply too great! This would not only solve the immediate problem and allow all the factory workers to have a few decent meat meals, but it would also greatly enhance his prestige as the new factory manager…

The immense potential benefits quickly overwhelmed any doubts. But as a leader, he couldn't appear too eager. Li Huaide picked up his enamel mug, slowly sipped his tea, and his usual calm expression returned. He said slowly, "Hmm… if the situation is true, this is indeed a good thing for the benefit of all the factory workers. Right now, the supply of non-staple foods is tight, and the workers are working overtime to contribute to socialist construction. How can they not get enough nutrition? The factory definitely needs such a channel. However…"

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sharpening again as he stared directly at Xu Damao: "That Wei Chen, he took such a huge risk to get so many wild boars, surely it wasn't a free offering? What does he want?" Li Huaide understood the principle of equivalent exchange; there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Xu Damao was waiting for this! He rubbed his hands together, a knowing smirk on his face that said, "You can't hide anything from the boss," combined with a hint of earnestness as if he were "putting in a good word": "Director Li, you're truly insightful; you saw right through him. That Wei Chen... he's from a rural area, a capable and ambitious young man who doesn't want to spend his life toiling in this remote mountain village. He... he mentioned to me that he wants to use this batch of wild boars to get a job at our steel rolling mill! To be a regular worker and get a government-subsidized job!" He finished speaking and nervously observed Li Huaide's reaction.

"Change jobs?" Li Huaide didn't even raise an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised by the request. He stopped typing, leaned forward slightly, and spoke with a hint of amusement and an air of complete control, "Heh, young man, you've got some ideas. A permanent position... hmm."

He hesitated, seemingly weighing his options. A thousand catties of wild boar meat would be enough to buy a job at a steel rolling mill; temporary workers there earn 300 yuan a month, and permanent workers around 500 yuan. That being said, nobody was actually selling, and jobs were hard to find. However, a deputy factory director like Li Huaide still kept a few such positions in reserve, just in case.

Xu Damao's heart was in his throat, and he dared not breathe. A brief silence fell over the office, broken only by the faint rumble of the workshop machines outside the window.

A few seconds later, Li Huaide's lips curled into a meaningful smile, as if he had made an extremely profitable deal: "Alright! This request isn't unreasonable! Our steel rolling mill's doors are open to capable young people who can contribute to the factory! Tell him that as long as he can safely and in sufficient quantities deliver this batch of wild boars to the factory, I, Li Huaide, will personally handle the paperwork for him and get him a permanent position! Considering his strengths, hmm… he'll be in Purchasing Department Group Three!"

Xu Damao was overjoyed and almost jumped out of his chair! It was a success! He was the one who made the connection! In Deputy Factory Director Li's eyes, he would definitely be much more important!

"Director Li! You are so wise! You are so considerate of the difficulties we workers face! I thank you on behalf of Wei Chen! And on behalf of all the workers in our factory who can afford to eat meat!" He was so excited that he was incoherent and was about to stand up and bow again.

Li Huaide waved his hand to stop him, his smile fading and replaced by a serious and solemn expression: "Comrade Da Mao, there's no need for thanks. Serving the workers is what I should do. However, there are a few key points you must handle properly."

Xu Damao immediately sat up straight: "Your instructions are my priority! I will convey every word perfectly and handle everything flawlessly!"

"First," Li Huaide held up his index finger, "the quantity and quality must be guaranteed! Two large and five small, a thousand catties is the bottom line! The wild boars must be fresh, preferably alive, and if they die, they must have been recently hunted and thoroughly bled! No sick or dead pigs! This is a matter of principle, concerning the health of all the factory's employees and the factory's reputation!"

"Second," he said, extending his middle finger again, "it needs to be done quickly! The sooner the better! Ideally, within the next day or two! The factory is waiting for rice to be cooked, and the workers' enthusiasm needs to be met promptly! You go to that... Baoyuquan Village yourself? Find Wei Chen and get this sorted out! I'll have the logistics department prepare a transport vehicle."

"Third, and most importantly!" Li Huaide leaned forward, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Damao, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority. "Make it clear to him that if he handles this matter well, I'll take care of his permanent employment! Moreover, if he can consistently provide the factory with this kind of... well, 'unplanned supplies,' the factory will never treat him unfairly! His future is very bright! Understand?"

"Long-term supply?" Xu Damao's mind raced, and he instantly understood Li Huaide's deeper meaning—this was to turn Wei Chen, the "hunter," into a stable source of "wild game" for the steel mill's logistics!

He was secretly impressed by his leader's foresight, and immediately agreed, "Understood! Completely understood! Don't worry, Director Li! I will convey your intentions to Wei Chen clearly and completely! I'll let him know that working for you is definitely a promising future! I guarantee this will be handled flawlessly and to your satisfaction!"

"Hmm." Li Huaide nodded in satisfaction, a smile returning to his face. He leaned back in his chair, relaxed, and picked up a document. "That's settled then. Get on with it quickly. I'll be waiting for your good news." This was a clear indication that he was seeing him off.

"Yes! Director Li, you're busy! I'll go right away! I guarantee I'll complete the task!" Xu Damao immediately stood up, bowed deeply again, and then quietly left the office, gently closing the door behind him.

As soon as he left the oppressive office, Xu Damao leaned against the cold wall of the corridor and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling that the back of his shirt was soaked with sweat. But then, a surge of immense excitement and a thrill of about to climb the social ladder instantly overwhelmed him! He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes gleaming.