Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Soon three candidates were put forward.

Yi Zhonghai got the votes he wished for and ranked first among the three candidates.

But there was no smile on Yi Zhonghai's face.

Just because these senior fitters in the office give me face doesn’t mean that ordinary workers in the workshop will also give me face.

If they don't choose me, the more votes I get now, the more embarrassed I will be when the voting comes.

Back in a workshop, the director stood directly on the podium where meetings were usually held, and spoke condescendingly to the workers around him.

"Everyone, be quiet, come here... I have something to announce to everyone..."

After more than a hundred people in the workshop gathered around, the director spoke again: "Comrades..."

“It’s time to select advanced workshops again this year!”

When they heard the words "advanced in the workshop", the workers in the workshop all focused their eyes on Yi Zhonghai as if they had discussed it beforehand.

Ever since Yi Zhonghai became the only eighth-level fitter in the workshop, he has been awarded the title of advanced worker in the workshop every year without any accidents.

In everyone's opinion, this year's selection of advanced workshops is just a formality, and it will eventually fall to him.

The workshop director took in everyone's reactions and continued, "Our factory is owned by the state, not some private individual."

"All the workers are the owners of the steel mill..."

"After Deputy Factory Director Li's proposal... this year's advanced workshop no longer has the final number of candidates determined by the workshop director, but the decision will be made by all the workers in the workshop."

"After discussions with all the team leaders and senior fitters in the workshop, I selected Master Yi, Master Zhou, and Master Tang as candidates for this year's advanced workshop."

"As for who will become the advanced worker in the workshop in the end, every worker in our workshop has the right to choose."

"There are three candidates. Master Yi uses a circle, Master Zhou uses a triangle, and Master Tang uses a square. I have prepared paper and pencils for everyone. Please come up and vote for the one you think is the most advanced in the workshop and put your vote in the ballot box."

"After the voting is completed, the votes will be counted under the supervision of the three candidates and all the team leaders of the workshop to determine the advanced position of the workshop."

"Voting starts now. I'll be the first to vote..."

In less than twenty minutes, more than one hundred workers in the workshop completed the voting.

Ten minutes later, the voting results appeared on the small blackboard on the workshop bulletin board.

The workshop director was very satisfied with the result and announced to everyone with a smile: "Workers..."

"After everyone voted unanimously, it was decided that Master Tang ranked first among the three candidates, Master Zhou ranked second, and Master Yi ranked third!"

"So Master Tang officially became the advanced worker of our workshop this year!"

"This is the decision of all the workers in our workshop. It represents the common wish of more than 100 workers in the workshop. I will report this result to the factory leaders in a while!"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned red instantly.

The workshop team leaders voted and ranked first.

All the workers voted together, and he ranked third, and only got less than 20 votes in the entire workshop. This result was a slap in the face for him.

This also shows how unpopular Yi Zhonghai is among the workshop workers.

Compared with Yi Zhonghai's complicated mood, two conflicting voices also emerged in the internal meeting of the steel mill.

A group of factory leaders headed by Director Yang believed that the advancement of a workshop only required a decision from the leadership and there was no need for voting.

Because only the workshop leaders can stand high and see far, take the overall situation into consideration and select the most suitable candidates.

As for the workers below...

They choose people based entirely on their preferences, and the people they choose may not necessarily be the most suitable ones, after all, their vision is too narrow.

A group of factory leaders, led by Deputy Factory Director Li, insisted that workers elect all the advanced workers in all workshops. The steel mill is an enterprise owned by all workers, and workers are the masters of the house. If workers do not even have the most basic right to vote, how can they be the masters of the house?

"Dear leaders...the election results of workshop one have come out!" A workshop director hurried into the meeting room.

"who is it?"

Director Yang rushed to ask.

If the workshop leader reported by a workshop is an ordinary worker, it can prove that the election method proposed by Deputy Director Li is problematic and he can also take the opportunity to suppress Deputy Director Li's status and prestige in the steel rolling mill.

Deputy Director Li and other factory leaders seemed to have discussed it beforehand and all focused their attention on the director of a workshop.

"Report to all leaders: We will follow the election method of Deputy Director Li and first discuss and select three candidates internally. They are Master Yi, Master Tang, and Master Zhou..."

"Then hold a public vote in the workshop..."

"Master Tang received the most votes. He alone received 88 votes out of the people in the workshop..."

"Master Zhou came in second with 50 votes..."

"Master Yi received the lowest vote rate, only 18 votes!"

Director Yang frowned, stared at a workshop director and asked, "What's going on with this Master Tang?"

"Master Yi was an advanced worker in the workshop before. Why did he only get 18 votes when he voted?"

"Master Yi is one of the few senior fitters in our steel mill. He is very important to our steel mill. If he doesn't become a senior fitter in the workshop and becomes dissatisfied, the processing of high-precision parts in the steel mill will definitely go wrong!"

Seeing that the workshop owner was speechless after being asked a series of questions by Director Yang, Deputy Director Li quickly stepped forward to explain.

"Old Yang..."

"If you don't investigate, you have no right to speak..."

"What are you in a hurry for?"

"Since Workshop 1 dared to report this result, there must be a reason for it!"

"It's not too late to point out the problem after you listen to his explanation!"

The workshop director looked at Deputy Director Li gratefully, and then spoke: "Dear leaders..."

"Master Tang is a newly promoted seventh-level fitter in our workshop!"

"The reason why he was able to get most of the votes from the workshop workers is that Master Tang is always willing to help others!"

"When he was still a level 6 fitter, he had more than a dozen apprentices, and there were three level 5 fitters alone..."

"I am now a level 7 fitter, and two of the three level 5 fitter apprentices have also been promoted to level 6 fitters..."

"Even if a worker is not Master Tang's apprentice, he can still ask Master Tang for advice when he encounters a problem."

"Master Yi's style in the workshop is completely opposite to Master Tang's."

"He neither likes to take apprentices to teach others locksmithing skills, nor does he respond to ordinary workers' inquiries."

"This caused Master Yi to have a very bad relationship with ordinary workers!"

"in addition……"

"Master Tang is helpful and likes to discuss techniques with other senior fitters. With the guidance of an eighth-level fitter in the third workshop, Master Tang's fitter skills have improved very quickly."

"Although he only has a seventh-level benchwork certificate, his benchwork ability has reached the eighth-level."

(End of this chapter)