Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 586 The Tragic Second Male Lead Finally Sees Jiang Xiaohua
At this moment, Jiang Xiaohua's desk was covered with forms, rosters and seals. Before she could even put down her pen, she was called over to sign and verify them.

She was constantly being handed letters of introduction, company badges, and business cards, so busy that she didn't even have time to drink water.

Just as she was looking down at the roster, a middle-aged man in a dark gray cadre uniform strode over:

"Xiaohua, go to the industrial machinery zone right now and help out!"

"They were short-staffed at the registration desk, and several delegations from other provinces crowded in at once, almost blocking the area."

Jiang Xiaohua was taken aback, and subconsciously looked up and said:
“But I just finished handing over a group of representatives, and the next group will be here soon. If I leave now, there will be no one at the registration desk.”

The man frowned and lowered his voice:

"The situation over there is even more urgent!"

"The machinery section is a key exhibition hall, and now it's so crowded that even the review team can't get in."

"The leader personally requested that the administrative affairs department immediately send someone to take over."

Jiang Xiaohua's pupils flickered slightly as she realized the situation was urgent.

"Understood! I'll go right away."

After saying that, she quickly gathered the documents on the table, handed them to her colleague next to her to cover her shift, and then turned and left the textile museum with the folder in her arms.

After passing through the chemical industry exhibition area from the light industry zone, you will arrive at the machinery industry exhibition hall.

Through the tall glass dome, you can see a huge banner that reads: "Industrial Machinery and Vehicle Equipment Exhibition Area".

Jiang Xiaohua picked up the folder and strode inside.

Logically speaking, the industrial machinery zone shouldn't be congested.

The division of responsibilities for the event was clearly defined well in advance.

Each exhibition area has three registration channels, with two staff members at each channel responsible for checking documents, verifying exhibits, and stamping for entry.

Even during the morning rush hour when there are many people, you can still pass through smoothly.

But this morning, as soon as the venue opened, chaos ensued.

A joint delegation from another province arrived half an hour early, bringing not documents or ordinary sample books, but seven or eight large machine tool parts.

They originally belonged to the "pre-exhibition setup" group, but were mistakenly assigned to the regular delegates' passage.

Several flatbed trucks loaded with prototypes turned into the gate.
They completely blocked the central passage on the spot.

Meanwhile, people from Huadong Machinery Import and Export Company also arrived, saying they needed to verify the sample vehicle information simultaneously and requested to enter the site first.

Several delegations crowded at the entrance, with equipment, materials, and people all mixed together.

Even worse, one of the companies' outer packaging boxes had the words "Imported Sample - Handle with Care" written on it.
Upon seeing these words, the guards, fearing something might go wrong, immediately stopped the area for inspection.

As a result, the three lanes were blocked into one, and the crowd grew larger and larger. The staff did not dare to let people through rashly, and the scene became chaotic.

Some people explained loudly, some urged others on, and a few representatives were so anxious that they even forgot to wear their name tags.

The woman in charge of registration was sweating profusely, her hand aching from stamping so many documents, and the files were in a jumbled mess.

The on-site supervisor from the Bureau of Government Offices Administration had no choice but to temporarily call in additional personnel for support.

When Jiang Xiaohua arrived at the industrial machinery zone, the scene was already in complete chaos.

The representatives from several delegations crowded at the entrance, holding up letters of introduction, exhibit lists, and company signs, shouting all at once;

Some people complained about the long queue, some were anxiously urging the unloading of the truck, and several workers were pushing wooden crates, almost knocking over the display board next to them.

The two women behind the registration desk were surrounded and kept shouting:

"Comrade, please line up!!! Don't push!"

"Take out the letter of introduction first!"

"A stamp is needed before it can be released!"

"..."

Jiang Xiaohua frowned, strode forward, and immediately saw the crux of the problem.

She first reached out and took the letter of introduction from the factory manager at the front, then quickly glanced at the header:
"A joint delegation of machinery engineers from other provinces?"

The other party nodded repeatedly, their tone revealing urgency:

"We brought prototype parts, so we need to go in and set up the exhibit first. If we delay any longer, the crane will be waiting in vain!"

“I know,” Jiang Xiaohua interrupted decisively.

"Your group was set up in advance, please use the left-hand passage and I will issue you a special registration."

As she spoke, she turned and shouted to the guards behind her:
"Comrade, temporarily open the left passage! These are the groups setting up their exhibitions in advance; once they've registered, they can pass directly."

Her movements were decisive, and her tone was very firm.

After the registration was completed, the guards immediately complied, and the several wooden crates blocking the way were quickly pushed aside.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Xiaohua looked at the comrades from East China Machinery Import and Export and said:

"Those of you checking the prototype information, please don't crowd in yet. I'll open a second entrance for you here."

“You are just comparing documents, not bringing goods into the museum, so you can go through the document channel.”

"What about the batch of imported samples?" the guard asked hesitantly.

Jiang Xiaohua thought for a moment, then simply rolled up her sleeves, strode over, bent down, and glanced at the label on the wooden crate:
"This is not a dangerous item, it's an engine part. It's safe to drop but not to be exposed to electricity."

"In this way, we record and take photos for future reference, and the workers push the vehicles in themselves. I sign the registration form and take responsibility."

After saying that, she picked up a pen and signed her name neatly on the registration form.

At that moment, the staff members were all stunned.

You truly are worthy of being comrades from the General Affairs Administration Bureau!
Decisive and efficient, with a clear mind and nimble hands and feet.

In less than ten minutes, Jiang Xiaohua had clearly redefined the three passageways:

Take the left passage to the pre-arranged exhibition group;
Central passage, for ordinary representatives;
Go to the right passage and proceed to the document verification counter.

The flow of people resumed, the noise gradually subsided, and the rhythmic "snap, snap, snap" of the stamps returned.

Jiang Xiaohua stood in the middle aisle, presiding over the overall situation while bending down to register the conference delegates.

The pen flew across the registration form as he stamped, checked, and issued name tags, his movements as fluid as a machine.

Representatives or guards would frequently come to ask for instructions, but she would not even look up, and could distinguish the priorities in just a few words.

at the same time,

Yu Anshan, Hao Fengchun, and Cao Qinghang got off the conference organizer's minibus at the entrance of the venue.

Since the factory's cars had already been delivered to the venue, the three of them only needed to travel light and arrive on time.

As he walked toward the venue, Yu Anshan said:

"Today is the first day of the preview. We set up the exhibition in the morning and conducted the initial evaluation and inspection in the afternoon."

"As arranged, the review team will start visiting the machinery area at 3 p.m. They will mainly focus on key projects such as automobiles, machine tools, agricultural machinery, and motors. Our automobiles will be the first in the first group."

"When we get to the venue, Lao Hao, you go first to connect the power and check the fuel system. Xiao Cao, you are in charge of the body, paint and accessories, especially the engine ignition, drive shaft and braking system. You must make sure they are correct."

"Understood!" the two replied in unison.

Yu Anshan turned his head and looked at Cao Qinghang: "Little Cao, are you still feeling carsick? Why do you still look so pale!"

When Cao Qinghang got off the train yesterday, his face was deathly pale.

Today, I feel even less energetic than yesterday!

Anyone who didn't know better would think he had some serious illness, had just been discharged from the hospital and was getting out of bed, looking like a sickly person.

Cao Qinghang said with a smile, "Boss, if you give me two days off, I'll recover from all my illnesses."

Yu Anshan immediately said, "Don't tell me that, tell Director Wang."

"I have no right to grant you leave."

As they spoke, the three of them stood in the queue of representatives in the Industrial Machinery Hall, waiting to enter.

The line meandered along the cement road outside the exhibition hall, inching forward little by little.

Just as they were about to reach the registration desk, a familiar female voice suddenly came from ahead. "Next, name of your organization, exhibiting projects, and number of people."

Upon hearing the sound, Cao Qinghang abruptly stopped, as if he had lost control, and looked up to find the source of the sound.

The next moment,

His pupils suddenly contracted.
Behind the registration desk at the front,

Jiang Xiaohua was looking down, focused on processing the paperwork for the representative in front of her.

"Am I seeing things? This girl looks so much like Jiang Xiaohua!"

Hao Fengchun muttered to himself in confusion.

Cao Qinghang acted as if he hadn't heard, his gaze fixed on the man.

Sunlight streamed through the exhibition hall's tall glass windows, landing precisely on Jiang Xiaohua's profile.

Her hair was a little longer than when she left last year, tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head. She wore a well-fitting light gray Lenin suit, with a white shirt peeking out from the collar.

Her beautiful features almost overlapped with the image of the girl in his memory, who smiled and walked him back to his dormitory on a path in the factory area.

Cao Qinghang felt as if something was stuck in his throat.

He wanted to call her name, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Just then, Jiang Xiaohua raised her head and, as usual, looked at the next representative.

"Sir, please show me your identification."

Eyes facing each other.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Jiang Xiaohua gripped the pen tightly, the nib poking into the registration form and leaving a small stain of ink.

Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened, her pupils trembled slightly, and she froze as if struck by lightning.

How did he get so thin?

In my memory, Cao Qinghang was also very thin, and his face always looked tired.
However, a fire always burned in his black pupils, filled with wisdom and an indomitable spirit, and his brows always exuded an air of arrogance.

Now, the once-fitting Zhongshan suit hangs loosely on his body, as if it were borrowed.

His complexion was also particularly bad, as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

Only those eyes remained dark and bright, staring at her intently, making her feel almost suffocated.

"Jiang Xiaohua?" Hao Fengchun recognized her first and exclaimed in surprise.
"Why are you here?"

Yu Anshan was also stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He never expected to run into someone who had disappeared long ago.

Jiang Xiaohua opened her mouth, wanting to say a thousand words, but no sound came out.

"Comrade, could you hurry up?" the delegate behind urged.

The urging woke Jiang Xiaohua.

She lowered her head and quickly wrote in the register to cover up her embarrassment.

"Provincial Machinery Factory, Yu Anshan, Hao Fengchun, Cao Qinghang,"

She read out their titles and names, her voice trembling slightly.
"Three people, and their exhibit is a car."

"Please sign here."

Jiang Xiaohua tried to keep her voice steady as she pushed the registration book forward and handed over three passes.

Although countless questions remain, this is not the time to speak.
Yu Anshan and Hao Fengchun quickly signed their names in turn and entered the venue, deliberately keeping a distance from Cao Qinghang.

When it was Cao Qinghang's turn, he picked up the pen on the table, bent down, and signed the paper.

Jiang Xiaohua's gaze involuntarily fell on that hand.
Those hands that she had held countless times.

Now he is so thin that his joints are clearly visible, his veins are bulging, and you can still vaguely see needle marks and bruises left by IV drips under his skin.

Her heart clenched, and her fingers under the table almost twisted together.

At that very moment, Cao Qinghang finished signing the document and looked up.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

In the brief silence,
"Go inside quickly,"

Jiang Xiaohua said softly, "The exhibition is about to begin."

Cao Qinghang nodded, his eyes quickly glancing at the "State Administration of Government Offices - Conference Affairs Staff" badge hanging around Jiang Xiaohua's neck, before walking into the exhibition hall without looking back.

The clamor of the crowd surged back up, like a tide, swallowing up those brief few seconds of eye contact.

Jiang Xiaohua took a deep breath, then smiled again at the representative before her and politely said:
"Next, name of organization, exhibiting items, number of people."

……

As the three walked deeper into the exhibition hall, they were still processing the unexpected reunion they had just experienced.

After walking a few steps, Yu Anshan finally couldn't help but lower his voice and ask:

"Old Hao, did you see that clearly? Is that really Jiang Xiaohua?"

Hao Fengchun frowned, still somewhat incredulous: "It's almost certainly true."

"She used to be a broadcaster at our factory, that's her voice."

"I really didn't expect this. He left so suddenly back then, and his file was sealed. Who would have thought we'd run into him here?"

As they spoke, they both glanced at Cao Qinghang, who was following behind them.

Hao Fengchun asked curiously, "Xiao Cao, do you two... still keep in touch?"

Cao Qinghang shook his head, his voice so low it was almost inaudible: "No."

"She didn't even leave a letter the day she left."

Hao Fengchun was puzzled: "How did this girl end up at the Bureau of Government Offices Administration?"

Yu Anshan snorted coldly, his brows furrowing even more: "How else can we go?"

"That place isn't one that anyone can just walk into. I bet her family pulled some strings for her."

His words carried a hint of dissatisfaction, and his tone grew increasingly somber as he spoke:
"To put it bluntly, he still climbed the social ladder."

“Once they returned to Beijing and changed their status, they no longer cared about us factory workers.”

Hao Fengchun, mindful of Cao Qinghang's feelings, kept trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Perhaps Xiao Jiang also has his own difficulties and it is inconvenient for him to bring up the events of that year again."

Yu Anshan shook his head and said coldly, "Inconvenient?"

"The most inconvenient thing in the world is when someone feels that they were too inferior in the past."

"How did Xiao Cao treat her back then?"

"If that girl really had any conscience, would she have left without saying a word?"

Looking at Cao Qinghang's thin, shadowy figure, Yu Anshan felt a surge of displeasure and said angrily:
"Xiao Cao, don't take it to heart. She'll go her own way, and you'll do yours. There's more than one Jiang Xiaohua in the world."

"You're young and have great qualities, finding a sensible girl shouldn't be a problem at all!"

"When we get back, I'll introduce you to them personally!!!"

But Cao Qinghang just shook his head.

"As long as she's doing well, that's all that matters. I don't complain about her. It's better for her family to pave the way for her than for her to suffer alone in the provincial capital."

Yu Anshan frowned, about to say something more, but was choked by these words and could only sigh:
"Sigh, you're too honest. Even after the person has gone far away, you're still speaking well of them."

"Let's go!"

Hao Fengchun patted Cao Qinghang on the shoulder, and then the three of them walked together toward the car display stand.

……

(End of this chapter)