Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Li Huaide stood up, paced a few steps, and spoke with even greater sincerity: "Wei Chen, I consider you one of my own, so I'll be frank. You're young, energetic, and capable; I have high hopes for you. But to gain a foothold in the factory and in society, and to go far, you can't rely on just one person. You need a foundation, you need support. This position is one of the foundations that will allow you to settle down and build your career. Only when your family is secure can you focus wholeheartedly on working for the factory, right?"

Wei Chen nodded emphatically, his face full of gratitude and understanding: "Director Li, I understand! Thank you for your guidance and care! I, Wei Chen, will always remember it!"

"Good to know." Li Huaide walked back to his desk, but instead of sitting down, he opened another drawer, took out a bulging brown paper envelope, and walked back to place it on the coffee table in front of Wei Chen.

"Alright, sit down and let's talk. We've finished with the business, don't be so serious." Li Huaide sat down himself, pointed to the envelope, and his tone became more casual. "This is the money for the three deer. I had someone roughly estimate it; the three deer together weigh over 1300 jin (650 kg) with their hair on. After removing the heads, hooves, and offal, the meat alone would be at least 1000 jin (500 kg). At market price, this kind of good stuff is priceless. I calculated it at 2.5 yuan per jin, so this is 2700 yuan. Compared to the ghost market, you've definitely lost out."

He then pulled a smaller envelope from his pocket and placed it on top of the manila envelope: "Inside are some coupons, as compensation. There are some grain coupons, cloth coupons, and industrial coupons. Oh, right..."

As if suddenly remembering something, he pulled out a light blue, exquisitely printed ticket from the stack of tickets and pushed it alone in front of Wei Chen. "I know you have a bicycle provided by the factory. This is a ticket for a Phoenix brand 26-inch women's lightweight bicycle. You're not getting any younger, it's time to think about finding a partner and settling down, right? With a partner, a women's bicycle is both fashionable and practical. What kind of girl wouldn't be tempted? Consider it a little concern from me, your boss, about your personal life."

Wei Chen stared at the two envelopes on the coffee table, especially the Phoenix bicycle ticket that gleamed slightly in the sunlight, and his heart trembled once more. Li Huaide's generosity was enormous! Two thousand seven hundred yuan was a huge sum of money in an era when the average worker's monthly salary was only thirty or forty yuan!

Not to mention those scarce tickets, especially this women's bicycle ticket, whose significance and scarcity even surpass the money itself. Li Huaide has gone to great lengths to win you over, and his methods are skillful, balancing public and private interests, and appealing to both reason and emotion, making it impossible for you to refuse, and even inspiring gratitude.

"Director Li, this...this venison is a small token of my appreciation, how can I accept money..." Wei Chen waved his hand in a "hurried" manner.

"One thing at a time!" Li Huaide put on a stern face, feigning displeasure. "You've done a great service for the factory, that's official business, the factory should reward you! You've gotten me some good stuff personally, that's personal business, would I, Li Huaide, take advantage of you, young comrade? What kind of person would I be if word got out? Accept it! You must accept it! Otherwise, it's disrespecting me, Old Li!"

Having said all that, Wei Chen knew that further refusal would be pretentious and would also offend Li Huaide. He wore an expression of both helplessness and gratitude as he accepted the two heavy envelopes with both hands: "Then...then I'll have to accept them. Thank you, Director Li!"

"That's more like it!" Li Huaide's expression softened, and he smiled again. "Why are you being so polite with me? I'm never stingy with my subordinates, especially capable and sensible young people like you! Keep up the good work, and you'll reap the rewards in the future!"

He picked up his teacup, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and seemed to still want more. He then took out two folded forms from his desk drawer and handed them to Wei Chen.

Wei Chen took a look and saw that they were two blank "Employee Registration Forms of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill", with the red seal of the factory's labor and personnel department stamped at the top of the forms.

"The factory has specially approved one spot for you; that's from the factory," Li Huaide said, lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear. "But I have some old connections from years ago, and I've accumulated a couple of reserve quotas that I haven't used. Today, I'll make an exception and give you another spot!"

He held up two fingers and waved them in front of Wei Chen: "Two! Two permanent positions at the steel rolling mill! Wei Chen, these are more precious than gold right now! Whether you use them for your family or pass them on to trusted relatives and friends, hurry up and get them secured."

"Fill out the form, prepare the materials, and take it directly to the Labor and Personnel Department. Just say I agree. If you want a specific job assignment..." He leaned forward slightly, his voice barely audible, "For example, if you want a less demanding department, or if you want to learn some skills in the workshop, you can come to me, and I'll coordinate it for you!"

Two permanent positions available!

Wei Chen was truly stunned this time! If the spot given by the factory earlier was a bombshell, then the one that Li Huaide added privately was practically a nuclear bomb!

In an era of extreme job scarcity, where every available position was crucial and countless educated youth and urban young people were unemployed, the value of two permanent positions in state-owned factories with tens of thousands of employees was immeasurable! These represented two secure jobs, two urban residency permits, and a turning point in the lives of two families! Li Huaide was willing to go to such lengths to win him over!

Li Huaide's generosity left Wei Chen speechless for a moment. He looked at the two forms in his hand, which seemed light yet weighed a ton, and then looked up at Li Huaide's face, which wore a friendly smile but was unfathomable. His mind raced.

Grateful? Yes. Shocked? Absolutely. But more than anything, there was a chilling sobriety and vigilance. The more Li Huaide invested, the bigger his ambitions would inevitably be. He was trying to completely bind himself to his war machine.

"Director Li... I..." Wei Chen's voice was genuinely trembling, not entirely an act. "This... what can I say... what have I done to deserve such high regard from you... I..." He stood up, wanting to say something, but seemed too excited to express himself.

Li Huaide was very satisfied with Wei Chen's reaction. This was exactly the effect he wanted. A combination of kindness and severity—a generous reward would surely breed loyalty. He stood up and patted Wei Chen's shoulder forcefully: "Don't say anything! Remember, you're someone I, Li Huaide, have my eye on! If you have the ability, I'll give you a platform! As long as you're dedicated to the public good and work hard, following me will ensure you're not treated unfairly! Take these two spots, use them as needed, don't feel burdened! This is to ensure you have no worries and can work better for the factory!"

"Yes, Director Li! I will certainly live up to your expectations! From now on, wherever you point, I will go!" Wei Chen straightened his back and stated firmly. At this moment, whether sincere or not, he had to put on the right posture.

"Good! Good! That's more like it!" Li Huaide laughed heartily, as if he had made a very satisfying investment. "Alright, the reward has been announced, and you've received your things. Go back and work hard, and also think about how to allocate these two spots. If you need my help, come find me anytime. Go on."

"Thank you, Director Li! I'll head back now." Wei Chen carefully tucked the two envelopes into his inner pocket, then folded the two forms neatly and put them into another pocket before taking his leave.

Stepping out of Li Huaide's office and closing the door behind him, Wei Chen's excitement and gratitude quickly faded, replaced by his usual composure. The corridor was empty. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. The feel of the envelope and form still lingered in his palm, heavy and burning hot.

Fame, fortune, money, scarce resources, and even a job that could change one's destiny... Li Huaide's series of moves were dazzling and made people's hearts race.

Any young person of this era would probably be moved to tears and swear allegiance. Wei Chen wasn't ungrateful; compared to some leaders who only offered empty promises, Wei Chen preferred Li Huaide's direct approach of offering real benefits!

Instead of returning to the warehouse immediately, he went to the restroom first, and in a stall, quickly moved the two envelopes and forms to the safest and most hidden spot in the space. He only had some loose change and meal tickets on him.

Then, he washed his face with cold water, looked at his young yet composed and resolute face in the mirror, and silently reminded himself: Avoid arrogance and impetuosity, be cautious in your words and actions. He could board Li Huaide's ship, but he had to stand firm and keep a clear head. Before the reform and opening up, Li Huaide's ship was the safest!

After calming himself down, Wei Chen slowly walked back. Along the way, acquaintances and semi-acquaintances greeted him warmly as always, but Wei Chen could sense that in some of their eyes, besides the previous envy and curiosity, there was a deeper layer—inquiry, assessment, and even a hint of barely perceptible awe or jealousy. Those in the know had probably already heard rumors of the factory's reward for him.

It was almost noon when Wei Chen returned to the equipment warehouse. Li Zhijun was carrying two aluminum lunchboxes, preparing to go to the canteen. Seeing Wei Chen return, the old man's face lit up with a smile. He leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "How did it go? Did Director Li want to see you about the reward? Tell me quickly, what reward did the factory give? Is it a promotion?"

Wei Chen smiled and took a lunchbox from Li Zhijun: "Uncle Li, shall we talk as we walk?"

"Let's go!" Li Zhijun impatiently locked the door, told Da Huang to watch the house, and the two walked side by side toward the canteen.

On the way, Wei Chen briefly explained the factory's publicly announced reward decision—a level-three clerk, a monthly salary of sixty-two, a factory advanced worker, a production pacesetter, and an application for city-level advanced worker. As for the number of permanent employees and the money, he didn't mention a word.

Even so, Li Zhijun's eyes widened in astonishment, and he kept clicking his tongue: "Good heavens! A third-level clerk! Sixty-two yuan! Incredible! Incredible indeed! Wei Chen, you've really made it big this time! And a city-level advanced worker...tsk tsk, how glorious!"

The old man was genuinely happy for Wei Chen, patting him hard on the back, even more excited than if he had received a reward himself.

As they talked, the two entered the bustling canteen. It was lunchtime, and long queues formed at every window, the air filled with the aroma of food and the chatter of the workers.

Just as they finished getting their food, found a table by the side, and sat down, before even picking up their chopsticks, the black speaker boxes on the cafeteria wall suddenly crackled a few times. Then, a clear female announcer's voice resounded throughout the cafeteria, even drowning out the noisy chatter:

"All employees, the following is a commendation announcement from the factory management."

The noisy cafeteria quieted down considerably in an instant, and many people stopped eating and looked up at the loudspeaker.

"Comrade Wei Chen, a clerk in the Logistics Department of our factory, demonstrated a high sense of responsibility and mission in the emergency procurement of materials this year. He braved dangers and traveled to Inner Mongolia, overcame numerous difficulties, and successfully procured a large number of urgently needed materials. This effectively ensured the supply of welfare benefits for all employees at the end of the year and made an outstanding contribution to stabilizing the overall production situation."

To commend outstanding individuals and set examples, the factory committee has decided to award Comrade Wei Chen the honorary titles of "Factory Advanced Worker" and "Production Model Worker" for this year! Comrade Wei Chen is also promoted to the rank of Administrative Level 3 Clerk! It is hoped that all factory employees will take Comrade Wei Chen as a role model, be dedicated to their work, and strive to achieve the national production plan and contribute to the great cause of building socialism! (End of broadcast)

After the announcement ended, there was a brief silence in the cafeteria, followed by a burst of chatter!

"Wei Chen? Which workshop is he from?" "I think he's in the logistics department, or maybe just a figurehead in the security section?" "A level three clerk! My goodness, how old is he?" "Sixty-two yuan a month! More than my master, an eighth-grade worker, earns!" "Factory advanced worker! They're even going to apply for city advanced worker status! He's going to be famous now!" "He's got real skills! Twenty thousand jin of meat! You try it yourself!" "Wow, this is truly a case of a carp leaping over the dragon gate..."

Countless gazes, some envious, some surprised, some inquisitive, some complex, all turned to Wei Chen, who sat in the corner. Li Zhijun straightened his back, his face full of a proud smile, as if he himself were the one being honored.

Wei Chen could feel those gazes, almost tangible, focused on him. His expression remained calm, as if the person on the radio wasn't him. He simply lowered his head and took a bite of the cabbage stew with vermicelli from his lunchbox, chewing slowly.

He glanced at Li Zhijun, who was still happily boasting to the people at the next table, "I always knew this kid was going to amount to something," and then looked at the simple food in the lunchbox. Suddenly, he thought that the cabbage and vermicelli tasted pretty good.