Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

After seeing off Zhou Jianjun, who was still in a state of excitement, Li Feng picked up the enamel mug on the table and took a sip of the now somewhat cold boiled water.

The office fell silent again, with only the soft ticking of the wall clock.

Li Feng was somewhat moved by Zhou Jianjun's excited and flustered state, which turned into a surge of passion.

He could understand Zhou Jianjun's feelings.

For Zhou Jianjun, his father, the old director of the painting workshop who worked in the factory his whole life, was an insurmountable mountain in his life, a goal he looked up to and chased after.

Before today, Zhou Jianjun's biggest dream was probably to reach the same position as his father before retiring.

But now, Li Feng has given him an opportunity, an opportunity for him to reach the heights his father had struggled to achieve his entire life at the age of twenty-three.

This was not just a promotion, but also opened a completely new door to his life, a door he never dared to dream of before.

Li Feng knew that from this day forward, the fire in Zhou Jianjun's heart had been completely ignited. He would no longer be content with merely following in his father's footsteps, but would instead develop a stronger ambition to surpass him and prove himself.

And this is exactly what Li Feng wanted to see.

He needs a capable and energetic leader who can stand alone, not someone who is complacent and only seeks to avoid making mistakes.

Just as Li Feng was pondering the subsequent personnel arrangements for the branch factory, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Dong dong dong."

"Please come in." Li Feng put down his teacup and looked up.

The door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man with a receding hairline, wearing large black-rimmed glasses, who looked to be in his forties, leaned in with a humble yet warm smile on his face.

This person is none other than Director Jin, the director of the factory office.

"Director Li, did I disturb your work?" Director Jin asked cautiously, bowing slightly.

"Oh, it's Director Jin. Please come in and have a seat." Li Feng gestured to the chair opposite him, his attitude gentle.

"No, no, I'll be fine standing." Director Jin waved his hand repeatedly, walked quickly to his desk, and bowed slightly to report on his work.

"Director Li, the venue for the factory-wide cadre meeting has been arranged in the auditorium. The banners, tea, and place cards have all been prepared as you instructed."

"When do you think would be a good time for us to go?"

Ever since the news of Li Feng's promotion to factory director spread throughout the factory, Director Jin has been like a wound-up toy, full of energy.

He knew perfectly well that a new emperor meant a new court. The old factory director had been transferred, and now Li Feng was in charge of the factory.

This young factory director is not only exceptionally skilled, but also has an unfathomable background, earning him the favor of even the leaders of the ministry.

If he wanted to keep his position as director of the factory office, or even get promoted, he had to perform well in front of the new leader and use his wits to the fullest.

Therefore, Director Jin personally handled every little detail, from setting up the venue to notifying attendees, checking repeatedly to avoid any mistakes that might leave a bad impression on the new factory director.

Li Feng sized him up, taking in his attentiveness and meticulousness.

Li Feng had a fairly good impression of Director Jin.

When I first arrived at the factory office as deputy director, Director Jin was also a deputy director.

At that time, Wu Qing was the director, and Director Jin was Wu Qing's deputy.

This person is capable in his work and quite tactful in his dealings with others. He is especially adept at handling all sorts of trivial administrative tasks, always managing to get things done perfectly, leaving no room for criticism. After Wu Qing was transferred to the branch factory, he naturally took over the position of director of the factory office, a position he truly deserved.

Li Feng is not the kind of leader who likes to run a one-man show and replace all the old employees.

In his view, if an "old hand" like Director Jin is used properly, it can save him a lot of trouble.

"Director Jin, you've worked hard." Li Feng smiled and said with a hint of certainty, "I've always trusted you to get things done. I knew you were a meticulous person even when I was still in the factory office. It's safe to entrust the work to you."

These two simple sentences sent a jolt through Director Jin, and a surge of warmth welled up from the bottom of his heart.

He suddenly raised his head, looked at Li Feng's gentle smiling face, and his lips trembled with excitement.

I'm flattered!

This is absolutely flattering!

He had assumed that with the new factory director in charge, a veteran like himself would inevitably be reprimanded, or even sidelined for a while. But to his utter surprise, Li Feng not only showed no sign of reprimanding him, but also openly praised and commended him!

The word "Don't worry" carries immense weight!

This shows that the new factory manager recognizes his own abilities and acknowledges his past work!
Director Jin felt that all the busyness and hard work of the past few days had been worth it at this moment.

His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled back into his stomach.

"It's no trouble at all! It's all what I should do!" Director Jin bent even lower, and his smile became even more sincere. "Serving the factory and sharing the burdens of the leaders is my duty! If you have any instructions in the future, just let me know, and I promise to handle them for you efficiently!"

He was overjoyed at that moment.

Factory Director Li is too young!
A 21-year-old factory director at the level of a division chief—what does that mean? He has a bright future ahead of him! In the future, not only will he be promoted to the city, but he'll definitely be promoted to the ministry.

Moreover, Li Feng had only just been appointed as the factory director, and he would be promoted to the deputy director-general level in a while.

This is standard practice in ceramic factories.

Such a young deputy director-level cadre is rare even in Beijing.

At this moment, Director Jin felt that he was only in his forties. As long as he could keep up with Director Li and serve this young leader well, would he have to worry about not having opportunities for advancement in the future?

This offers much more hope than following that old factory director!

"Okay." Li Feng nodded in satisfaction and stood up. "Let's go now, so as not to keep everyone waiting."

"Alright!" Director Jin immediately straightened up, strode forward, and eagerly opened the office door for Li Feng, gesturing for him to enter.

"Director Li, please go first."

Li Feng strode out of the office, with Director Jin following closely behind, half a step behind, his posture extremely humble.

The two walked one after the other through the corridor toward the auditorium.

Along the way, factory workers and managers alike stopped in their tracks and respectfully greeted Li Feng with "Hello, Director Li!"

In those eyes, there was awe, curiosity, and also heartfelt conviction.

Li Feng smiled and nodded to everyone. His young yet composed figure stood out exceptionally tall in the early autumn sunlight.

An era belonging to him is quietly beginning in this factory. (End of Chapter)