Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The furnace in the equipment depot was burning brightly, dispelling the chill of the early winter morning. Wei Chen and Li Zhijun had just finished chatting about their experiences in Inner Mongolia, and Wei Chen was holding a yellowed register, checking the records of some scrap materials that had accumulated in the past few days. Da Huang was quietly dozing at his feet.

Sunlight streamed in through the high windows, casting bright spots of light on the dusty floor. The air was filled with the distinctive smells of engine oil and old rust. Everything seemed calm and orderly.

Just then, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps came from outside the warehouse, growing louder as it approached. Big Yellow's ears perked up, and it raised its head alertly, letting out a low growl. Li Zhijun also stopped wiping an old valve and looked towards the doorway.

The man appeared quickly at the door. He was a young man in his early thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a dark blue Zhongshan suit, and carrying a black faux leather briefcase under his arm. His face bore the cautious yet slightly reserved expression typical of government employees. It was Liu Aiguo, the secretary of Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide.

"Is Comrade Wei Chen here?" Liu Aiguo stood at the door, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat messy warehouse before landing on Wei Chen. A professional smile immediately appeared on his face. "Comrade Wei Chen, Director Li requests your presence."

Wei Chen put down the register and stood up. Li Zhijun also quickly stood up and wiped his hands with a rag.

"Secretary Liu, Factory Director Li wants to see me? What's up?" Wei Chen asked calmly, though he already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on. It was time to reward those who had contributed.

Secretary Liu's smile widened, tinged with pride: "Of course it's a good thing! Comrade Wei Chen has made a great contribution to the factory this time, and Director Li will personally commend him! Come with me quickly, don't keep the director waiting."

"Okay, I'll head over now." Wei Chen nodded and said to Li Zhijun, "Uncle Li, I'm going there."

"Okay, go quickly!" Li Zhijun waved his hand repeatedly, his eyes gleaming. Being summoned by the leader, especially by the deputy factory director himself, was definitely a great thing.

Wei Chen straightened his worn-out work clothes, casually smoothed his hair, and followed Secretary Liu out of the warehouse. Da Huang wanted to follow, but Wei Chen stopped him with a look, and Da Huang whimpered and lay back down.

On the way to the factory office building, Secretary Liu's attitude was much warmer than usual, and his words were full of friendliness: "Comrade Wei Chen, you really made a name for yourself this time! Everyone in the factory is praising you! More than 20,000 jin of meat, you solved the factory's urgent problem! Director Li has been mentioning your contribution to everyone he meets in meetings these past few days, saying you are our factory's 'timely rain' and 'lucky charm'!"

Wei Chen just smiled modestly: "Secretary Liu, you flatter me. It's all thanks to the factory leaders' excellent command. I was just running errands."

"Oh, excessive modesty is just arrogance!" Secretary Liu feigned displeasure, then lowered her voice, "When you see Director Li later, speak to him properly. The director has high hopes for you!"

As they spoke, the two arrived at the factory's office building. It was a three-story red brick building, quite impressive amidst the steel rolling mill filled with workshops and factories. Stepping onto the cement steps and passing through the slightly dimly lit corridor, they arrived at the door of a room on the second floor, at the east end, with a sign that read "Deputy Factory Director's Office." Secretary Liu knocked gently on the door first.

"Come in," came Li Huaide's steady voice from inside.

Secretary Liu pushed open the door, stepped aside to let Wei Chen in, and then gently closed the door behind her without following.

Li Huaide's office was much larger and brighter than Jin Aiguo's. Large windows facing the sun were draped with light-colored curtains. A large, dark brown desk sat neatly arranged with documents, pens, a lamp, and a black telephone. Against the wall was a row of filing cabinets, two wooden sofas for guests, and a small coffee table. Several slogans and maps hung on the walls, giving the room a simple yet authoritative feel.

Li Huaide didn't sit behind his desk, but stood by the window, hands behind his back, looking at the factory area outside. Hearing footsteps, he turned around, a warm and courteous smile on his face.

"Wei Chen is here? Sit down, sit down quickly!" Li Huaide pointed to the sofa and sat down on the main single sofa.

"Director Li." Wei Chen sat down as instructed, his back straight, his posture respectful but not subservient.

"How are you? Have you rested well? Is everything settled at home?" Li Huaide asked in a friendly tone, as if chatting with a family member.

"Thank you for your concern, factory manager. Everything is settled," Wei Chen replied.

"That's good." Li Huaide nodded, his gaze lingering on Wei Chen's face for a moment, as if scrutinizing him, or perhaps admiring him. He gently patted the sofa armrest, his tone becoming formal and enthusiastic, "Wei Chen, I called you here today to represent the factory, and also on my own behalf, to commend you! Your trip to Inner Mongolia, a long journey of thousands of miles, overcoming numerous difficulties, to purchase nearly 30,000 jin of wild game for the factory has been a great achievement! This not only solved the major problem of our steel rolling mill's year-end material supply, but also reassured the thousands of employees and their families, and stabilized the morale for next year's production! You turned the tide! Your contribution is invaluable!"

His voice was loud and clear, full of emotion, and his eyes were full of praise and affirmation, as if Wei Chen had not just completed a purchasing task, but had won a crucial battle.

"Director Li, you flatter me." Wei Chen quickly bowed. "I only did what I should have done. The completion of the mission would not have been possible without the trust and support of the factory leaders, especially you, as well as the help from brother units along the way and the simple and warm hospitality of the people of Inner Mongolia. I personally only did my part."

"Hey! You can't say that!" Li Huaide waved his hand, his smile widening. "A contribution is a contribution! We should acknowledge it openly and enthusiastically! The factory needs young backbone members like you, we need your spirit of daring to fight and overcome tough challenges! To be honest, all the factory leaders at the factory committee meetings have been full of praise for you! They say you are a role model for the younger generation of our steel rolling mill!"

He stood up, walked behind his desk, took out a folder from the drawer, opened it, cleared his throat, and his expression became even more solemn: "Now, I will formally convey to you the factory committee's decision, after collective discussion, regarding the reward for your outstanding contribution."

Wei Chen immediately stood up and pretended to listen attentively.

Holding the document, Li Huaide's voice was clear and forceful: "In view of Comrade Wei Chen's outstanding performance and significant contributions in this emergency procurement task, the factory committee has decided, after deliberation: First, Comrade Wei Chen is awarded the honorary titles of 'Factory Advanced Worker' and 'Production Model Worker' for this year! Second, Comrade Wei Chen's salary is promoted one level, effective immediately, and he is designated as a Level 3 Administrative Clerk! Third, the factory party committee office will take the lead in compiling materials on Comrade Wei Chen's exemplary deeds and submitting them to higher authorities for the honorary title of 'Sijiu City Advanced Worker'!"

After reading it aloud, he closed the folder and looked at Wei Chen with a beaming smile: "Level 3 clerk, fixed monthly salary of sixty-two yuan! Wei Chen, that's far above the salary level of most of the veteran workers in our factory! You're not even twenty years old yet, are you? You have a bright future ahead of you!"

Even though Wei Chen was mentally prepared, his heart still skipped a beat when he heard "monthly salary of sixty-two yuan" and "application for municipal advanced worker". This reward was indeed substantial! A third-level clerk was a level that many cadres had to strive for for many years to reach in this era. A monthly salary of sixty-two yuan was enough to allow a family to live a very comfortable life. And "municipal advanced worker" was an extremely high political honor.

"Thank you for the factory's training! Thank you for the leadership's trust and recognition!" Wei Chen stood at attention, his voice tinged with appropriate excitement. "I will definitely remain humble and diligent, continue to work hard, and never let down the organization and the leadership's expectations!"

"Good! That's the attitude we're looking for!" Li Huaide nodded in satisfaction, gesturing for Wei Chen to sit down. He then sat back on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, and lowered his voice, making it sound more private. "Wei Chen, these are the public rewards. Considering your age and seniority, the factory has already pushed your salary and rank to the limit. Promoting it further would face significant resistance and wouldn't be in accordance with regulations."

He paused, observing Wei Chen's reaction. Seeing that Wei Chen was listening attentively without any dissatisfaction, he continued, "However, the factory remembers your contributions, and I know them even better! Honors and wages alone are not enough to truly reflect the factory's care for its meritorious employees. Therefore, after much effort, the factory has specially approved an additional reward for you."

Wei Chen's heart skipped a beat; he knew the main event was about to begin. He sat up straighter, his gaze fixed intently on Li Huaide.

Li Huaide spoke slowly, deliberately slowing down the pace of each word: "The factory has decided to grant you a special position as a full-time employee in our steel rolling mill. This is compensation and a substantial reward from the factory."

Permanent employee positions available!

Even with his two lifetimes of experience and composed mind, Wei Chen's breath hitched slightly. In this era of extreme difficulty in finding employment, where a single permanent position in a state-owned factory could cause countless families to fight tooth and nail, even leading to bloodshed, the significance of this reward far exceeded that of money, and even surpassed those honors he had just received!

This means that a secure job, a city residency permit, a stable income and security—things that can change the fate of an individual or even a family! The factory was actually willing to offer this as a reward!

Seeing the shock that flashed in Wei Chen's eyes, Li Huaide's smile deepened; this was exactly the effect he wanted. He loved seeing his subordinates moved to tears of gratitude because of his favor.

"Director Li...this...this is too valuable! I..." Wei Chen timely expressed his excitement and disbelief, and his words were even somewhat incoherent.

"Hey, you deserve this!" Li Huaide waved his hand, interrupting Wei Chen's "refusal," his tone resolute. "Nearly 30,000 jin of meat, and it's an unplanned, scarce resource. This contribution is worth the price! The factory will not mistreat any comrade who has truly made a contribution!"