In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

The truck drove into the gate of Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory, circled around the factory area for a short while, and finally stopped in front of a row of bungalows.

This is a warehouse for agricultural and sideline products. Next to it is a sizable cement platform, which is obviously used for weighing and temporary storage of goods.

Upon hearing the truck's sound, Director Mo walked over from the office building, followed by two middle-aged men in overalls who appeared to be warehouse managers. They were carrying large scales and notebooks.

"You're back? You've worked hard!" Director Mo greeted him with a smile, his gaze first falling on the four "mountains of flesh" in the truck bed, his eyes flashing with satisfaction and amazement.

"Director Mo, I have accomplished my mission!" Yu Dehai jumped out of the car, dusted himself off, and said in a loud voice, "All four heads have been brought back! That kid Xiao Yang is really something!"

Yang Guangming also got out of the car and nodded to Director Mo. The young men in the truck bed started to stretch their arms and legs, preparing to unload the truck.

"Quickly, weigh it!" Director Mo ordered. "Old Zhang, Old Li, get the big scale ready!"

The two warehouse managers immediately sprang into action, pushing a massive weighing scale that required two people to lift to the side of the truck bed. Li Daguo and Wang Tiezhu then began untying the ropes binding the wild boar.

The first animal to be carried off was the largest boar. Four young men, chanting in unison, used a lever threaded through a rope to shakily lift it onto the scale.

"Hold on! Release!" Li Daguo shouted.

The heavy wild boar was placed on the scale pan, and the scale beam suddenly sank, then tried to find its balance as the weight moved.

Old Zhang carefully moved the weight on the scale, while Old Li stared at the markings on the scale beam.

"Two hundred and forty-six jin!" Old Zhang announced the number.

Old Li, who was holding a notebook, immediately wrote it down.

"Goodness!" Director Mo clicked his tongue in amazement. "That's quite a generous portion!"

Next came the second large wild boar.

"Two hundred and thirty-eight jin!"

The smaller ones at both ends were also weighed in turn.

"One hundred and forty-two jin!"

"One hundred and thirty-four jin!"

Old Li quickly calculated: "Director Mo, it's exactly seven hundred and sixty jin!"

“Seven hundred and sixty jin!” Director Mo repeated, his smile widening. He looked at Yang Guangming, “Comrade Yang Guangming, your estimate is very accurate, it’s more than that!”

Yang Guangming modestly said, "It was an estimate from the mountains, so there might be some error. I didn't expect it to be a bit more."

"The gross weight is 90 cents per pound, that's the price we agreed on." Director Mo calculated, "760 pounds, that's 684 yuan in total."

When the number was announced, the young men helping out nearby all gasped in shock. Over six hundred yuan! These days, an average worker couldn't save that much money even if they didn't eat or drink for a year!
Yang Guangming quickly calculated in his mind that 684 yuan was indeed a huge sum of money. However, he only showed appropriate joy on his face and did not get too excited.

"but……"

Director Mo changed the subject, a hint of apology on his face, "Comrade Yang Guangming, there's something I need to explain to you."

The factory purchases agricultural and sideline products. Although the finance department has a certain amount of reserve funds, this batch of goods is relatively large and it is a last-minute addition to the purchase plan. The finance department does not have that much cash prepared today.

This money will probably have to wait until tomorrow, after the finance department opens and the paperwork is completed, before it can be paid to you. Could you... wait another day?

Yang Guangming had anticipated this. The factory couldn't possibly keep such a large sum of cash on hand at all times.

He readily nodded: "No problem, Director Mo. I trust the factory, it's the same if I take it tomorrow."

"Good! That's great!" Director Mo breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that the young man would be too anxious or might misunderstand something. "Well then, let's put the wild boars into storage first. Director Yu, do you think it would be better to take Comrade Yang Guangming to my office to sit down and finalize some details about his onboarding? We can leave the storage to Lao Zhang and the others."

"Alright!" Yu Dehai nodded and instructed Li Daguo and the others, "Daguo, you guys work with the comrades in the warehouse to move the wild boar inside and clean it up quickly!"

"Don't worry, Director!" Li Daguo replied, and led his young men to get to work.

Yu Dehai patted Yang Guangming on the shoulder: "Come on, Xiao Yang, let's go to Lao Mo's place for a drink of water and settle the important matters."

Yang Guangming followed Yu Dehai and Director Mo, heading towards the office building again.

Back in Director Mo's office, a faint smell of tobacco still lingered.

The three sat down, and Director Mo personally poured them water. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than during the morning's negotiations, more like a final communication before they started working.

Yang Guangming didn't immediately talk about starting the job. He walked to the basket he had previously stored in the office, bent down, and opened the lid.

Yu Dehai and Director Mo both looked at him with some curiosity.

Yang Guangming took eight tightly bound, still-alive, grayish-brown wild rabbits out of his basket one by one and placed them on the ground. The rabbits squirmed restlessly.

"Oh, rabbits too?" Yu Dehai's eyes lit up. "I almost forgot you had some goods in that basket! And they're quite big!"

Director Mo also smiled and said, "It seems we've had a very fruitful day."

Yang Guangming carefully selected the four largest and fattest rabbits from the eight, each of which looked to weigh four or five pounds.

He picked up two and placed them on the open ground in front of Yu Dehai, then picked up two more and placed them in front of Director Mo.

"Director Yu, Director Mo."

Yang Guangming stood up straight, a sincere smile on his face. "These rabbits were just something I picked up on a whim. There's not much meat in them, so they're not included in the batch sold to the factory."

Today, the two leaders went to great lengths to arrange things for me, and I am extremely grateful.

"These are just some wild herbs from the mountains, nothing special. Please take them back with you two leaders to add to your family's meals."

He paused, then his tone became more serious: "However, even though it's a small gift, it can't be given away for free."

We'll follow the rules and use the factory's price for wild boar, which is nine cents a pound.

I estimate each rabbit weighs about four pounds, and they cost three yuan and sixty cents each. Four rabbits would cost fourteen yuan and fourty cents. The two leaders can each give me seven yuan and two mao.

This way, it's both a small token of my appreciation and doesn't violate any rules. Do you two think this is acceptable?

Yang Guangming's words were perfectly flawless.

Sending rabbits is a way to express gratitude and build rapport. This gesture is especially important for Yu Dehai, his future direct supervisor, and Director Mo, the head of a key department.

But giving gifts directly, especially to leaders you don't know well but have a professional relationship with, can be awkward and could leave room for gossip.

Therefore, he offered to charge a symbolic fee based on the "market price," which made it a reasonable and private small-scale transaction of agricultural products, not bribery, and everyone felt at ease.

Two wild rabbits, eight or nine pounds of meat, at nine cents a pound, only cost seven or eight dollars.

However, if this rabbit were taken to the black market, given the current scarcity of meat, even if the price were to increase by 10 or 20 times, it would not be considered expensive, let alone 30 or 50 times.

Products such as grains and oils subject to state purchase and distribution are not allowed to be traded privately. However, agricultural by-products such as wild rabbits are not considered speculation or profiteering as long as the selling price is within the market price range, and small-scale private transactions are not illegal.

Yu Dehai and Director Mo were well aware of the significance of this gesture.

Yu Dehai laughed heartily, pointed at Yang Guangming, and said to Director Mo, "Old Mo, look at this kid! He's quick-witted! He handled things beautifully and was considerate of people too! Alright, I'll take this rabbit! I'm happy to give him the seven yuan and twenty cents!"

As he spoke, he actually took out his wallet from his pocket, counted out seven yuan and twenty cents, and handed it to Yang Guangming. His wallet didn't look very sturdy, but he handed over the money readily.

Director Mo also wore a pleased smile. He admired Yang Guangming's abilities and liked his sensible and tactful way of dealing with people.

"Comrade Yang Guangming, you're too kind." Director Mo said, opening his drawer, taking out his wallet, and counting out seven yuan and twenty cents. "Since you put it that way, we'll accept it without hesitation. My children haven't had any meat in a while. I don't know how happy they'll be if they see these two rabbits."

He readily gave the money to Yang Guangming.

Yang Guangming accepted the money without refusing, thanked him, and put the money away safely.

Yu Dehai and Director Mo each took one of the four large rabbits from the ground and temporarily placed them in a corner of the office.

Looking at the remaining four rabbits, Yang Guangming said, "Director Yu, Director Mo, here's what I'm thinking about these four rabbits."

Today, Director Yu, along with the security team and me, have been busy since noon trying to catch wild boars, and we haven't even had a proper meal yet.

How about... we contribute them all and let the cafeteria chef do the work of stewing them all up? We can have a simple lunch together, a nice treat for everyone, to reward them?

This suggestion is practical, and it also shows a positive and generous attitude, showing that the brothers who worked together are not forgotten.

Yu Dehai was clearly tempted. He glanced at the four fat rabbits, his Adam's apple bobbing, but then his rugged brows furrowed slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he shook his head.

"Xiao Yang, I appreciate your kindness, and thank you on behalf of the brothers." Yu Dehai's voice was lower than before, with a hint of caution. "However, as for this rabbit... let's skip it today."

He looked at Yang Guangming and explained, "In these times, meat is expensive and a sensitive commodity. If so many of us openly stew rabbit in the factory canteen, even though the food is of good quality, it's bound to cause gossip and have a bad influence if word gets out."

The less trouble, the better.

Everyone worked hard today, I'll remember that, we can talk about it again another time. You can take these four rabbits with you later.”

Yang Guangming was slightly taken aback, but then he understood Yu Dehai's concerns.

Yu Dehai may appear rough and uncouth, but his ability to become the head of the security department suggests he is far from simple-minded.

He considered things more thoroughly, avoiding any situation that might give others a handle to criticize him. In this era that emphasized hard work and frugality and was wary of "bourgeois hedonism," even a few wild rabbits, eaten openly in the factory canteen, could indeed cause unnecessary trouble.

Yang Guangming's opinion of Yu Dehai rose even higher. He was a leader who was both rough around the edges and meticulous, and knew how to maintain appropriate boundaries.

"Director Yu is very thoughtful." Yang Guangming readily agreed and stopped insisting. "Then I'll listen to you. I'll take this rabbit back first."

Director Mo nodded in agreement with Yu Dehai's decision: "Old Yu is right. It's good to be cautious. Xiao Yang, everyone knows your intentions, and that's enough."

With the rabbit matter resolved, the atmosphere in the office became much more harmonious. The three sat down again, and the conversation turned to business.

Yu Dehai took a sip of water and spoke first: "Old Mo, Xiao Yang's four wild boars weigh 760 jin (330 kg) with their hair on. In terms of weight, that far exceeds the maximum reward standard in our policy. As we agreed this morning, we'll implement the maximum reward, is that alright?"

Director Mo nodded, his expression serious: "Of course. The policy is there, and Comrade Yang Guangming's contributions are real. We at the Agricultural and Sideline Products Office fully recognize this and will issue a formal award recommendation to the Factory Office and the Personnel Department."

He looked at Yang Guangming: "Comrade Yang Guangming, according to the factory's relevant reward policies, as well as the quantity and quality of the prey you provided, your starting level will be set as a level 10 clerk, administrative level 28, with a monthly salary of 27.5 yuan."

The position is assigned to the Security Department, specifically the hunting team under its jurisdiction. What do you think?

Finally hearing a definite promise, Yang Guangming felt the last bit of anxiety in his heart completely disappear.

He stood up and bowed slightly to Director Mo and Director Yu: "Thank you, Director Mo! Thank you, Director Yu! For giving me such a great opportunity, I will definitely work hard and live up to the trust of the leaders and the expectations of the factory!"

"Sit down, sit down, don't be shy." Yu Dehai gestured for him to sit down, his face full of smiles. "From now on, we're all on the same side. By the way, Lao Mo, Li Daguo is currently the captain of the hunting team, and I'm thinking of making Xiao Yang the vice-captain. What do you think?"

Director Mo pondered for a moment, then looked at Yu Dehai: "Old Yu, you are more familiar with the personnel arrangements within the Security Department, and it is you who makes the decisions. If you want to hear my opinion, I think Comrade Yang Guangming is outstanding in his abilities and has made such a great contribution this time. I think it is appropriate to give him the position of deputy captain, so that he can better play his role."

Yu Dehai slapped his thigh: "Since you also think this arrangement is appropriate, then it's settled!"

Li Daguo is an honest man and a great worker, but when it comes to leading a team or figuring out how to get more prey, he sometimes lacks a bit of shrewdness.

Xiao Yang is educated, capable, and quick-witted. Being his deputy would be a perfect complement! It's settled then!

Xiao Yang, from now on you'll be the deputy captain of our security department's hunting team!

To go from a new recruit to deputy captain is quite a high starting point. Although the hunting team isn't an important department and probably doesn't have many members, it's still a position with the word "captain" in it, which carries different significance.

Yang Guangming appropriately revealed a hint of excitement and flattery: "Director Yu, Director Mo, this... I've just arrived, and I'm already the deputy team leader. I'm afraid I lack experience and won't be able to command respect..."

"What's so hard to convince everyone?" Yu Dehai glared. "Whoever can bring back four wild boars by themselves will be convincing! Li Daguo and the others were full of admiration for you on the mountain just now! I'm in charge of this, it's settled then!"

Director Mo smiled and said, "Comrade Yang Guangming, there's no need to be so modest. Special contributions deserve special treatment. The factory gave you this position in the hope that you can quickly make a difference and lead the hunting team to achieve even better results. You should have confidence."

Having said that, Yang Guangming no longer declined and solemnly said, "Since the leader trusts me, I will definitely work hard, cooperate well with Captain Li, do a good job with the hunting team, and strive to provide more meat for the factory canteen!"

"Great! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" Yu Dehai was very pleased.

At this moment, Yang Guangming remembered another practical problem and asked, "Director Yu, Director Mo, there's something else I'd like to ask. My home is in Xiangyang Village, which is more than 20 miles from the county seat. It's definitely not practical to travel back and forth every day. How does the factory usually solve the accommodation problem?"

When housing was mentioned, both Yu Dehai and Director Mo showed a hint of helplessness.

Yu Dehai sighed: "Xiao Yang, to be honest, housing in the factory is even more scarce than job openings. You're a new employee, and you don't have any family members working at the factory. If you follow the normal waiting list for housing, it'll be a long time coming."

He then changed the subject: "However, your situation is special. As the deputy captain of the hunting team, you often need to get up early or have temporary missions, so living far away is indeed inconvenient."

In that case, I can make the decision to arrange a bed for you in the single dormitory.

The fourth floor of Building No. 4 in our factory is entirely dedicated to single dormitories. I'll try to get you a double room; the conditions aren't great, but at least you'll have a place to stay.

"If you perform well in the hunting team later, the factory will give you extra points when allocating housing. If your contribution is significant enough, you might even be able to get a house ahead of schedule."

In this era of extreme housing shortages, a single dormitory room for two people is already a very good deal for a young single person who has just started working.

Many workers still live in cramped dormitories or tenement buildings after they get married, let alone newlyweds.

Yang Guangming was mentally prepared for this and didn't expect to be allocated independent housing immediately. Having a relatively quiet two-person dormitory room was already beyond his expectations.

"Thank you, Director Yu! I'm very content to have a bed and a place to rest. There's no rush to find housing; we can take our time later," Yang Guangming said sincerely.

Yu Dehai was very satisfied with Yang Guangming's uncompromising and content attitude: "It's good that you think this way. The single dormitory is just a place to sleep. You have to prepare your own bedding, washbasin, thermos, and other daily necessities. The factory only provides beds and tables and chairs."

“I understand, I’ll handle these things myself,” Yang Guangming nodded.

The general framework for joining the company and the compensation package were thus finalized.

Yu Dehai glanced at the sun outside the window and rubbed his stomach. "It's almost noon, my stomach's been rumbling for ages. Come on, Xiaoyang, I'll take you to the cafeteria for lunch first, and then we'll go get the onboarding paperwork done!"

Director Mo also stood up: "Yes, let's eat first. As for Xiao Yang's onboarding, I'll submit the application and get the leader's signature right away, so it won't delay your procedures this afternoon."

I still need to arrange for someone to prepare the receipts for the wild boars, and tomorrow I'll coordinate the payment with the finance department.

The three of them walked out of the office together. Yang Guangming followed Yu Dehai toward the cafeteria.

The staff canteen of Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory was a fairly large, single-story red brick building, spacious and bright inside. It was past lunchtime, and the canteen wasn't crowded. Yu Dehai went straight to the serving window. Behind the window, a slightly plump cook wearing a white apron was wiping the stove.

"Old Zhao, is there any food left? Get us some, we've been busy all morning, we're starving!" Yu Dehai's voice was quite loud.

The head chef, known as Old Zhao, looked up and, seeing it was Yu Dehai, smiled: "Director Yu, you're finally back! I heard you went into the mountains to hunt wild boar? How was it? Did you have a good haul?"

"A great haul! Four big wild boars!" Yu Dehai said proudly, pointing to Yang Guangming beside him. "Look, this is the hero, our new colleague, Yang Guangming."

Old Zhao looked at Yang Guangming curiously and nodded: "Young man, you're amazing! Welcome, welcome! There's still some staple food left. I'll cook two dishes for you right away, it'll be quick."

"Just get something simple, anything to fill our stomachs, no need to be picky," Yu Dehai said.

"Alright!" Old Zhao turned and went to the kitchen.

Yang Guangming glanced at the wooden menu hanging on the canteen wall, which listed today's offerings in chalk: stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and cornbread and steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and cornmeal. The prices were very cheap; the vegetables cost only a few cents, while the staple foods were priced with ration coupons.

Soon, Old Zhao brought out two plates of freshly cooked dishes: one plate of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar and the other plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, the portions were quite generous. The staple food was several steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, placed in a basket.

"Director Yu, do you think this is enough?" Old Zhao asked.

"That's enough, thank you!" Yu Dehai took out his meal tickets and money and paid the bill. He gave Yang Guangming two steamed buns made from two kinds of flour and a large portion of shredded potatoes, and kept a portion of cabbage for himself.

The two found a table by the window and sat down. At this time, Li Daguo, Wang Tiezhu, and the others finished unloading the wild boar, washed their hands, and arrived at the canteen one after another. Seeing Yu Dehai and Yang Guangming, they all gathered around, got their food, and sat down.

Li Daguo made two cornbreads, Wang Tiezhu also made two cornbreads, and Xiaohu made two steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water. The vegetables were all cabbage and shredded potatoes; there wasn't much choice.

Although it was just the most ordinary cafeteria food, everyone was already starving after a busy morning, and they ate with great relish.

Yang Guangming took a bite of the mixed flour steamed bun. The texture was rough, but the wheat flavor was genuine. It had a unique taste when eaten with the not-too-oily shredded potatoes.

While eating, Yu Dehai said to Li Daguo and the others, "Daguo, Tiezhu, Xiaohu, let me formally tell you. Comrade Yang Guangming's joining the company has been finalized. He will be a level 10 clerk, and his position will be assigned to the hunting team of our Security Department."

Upon hearing this, Li Daguo and the others put down their chopsticks and looked at Yang Guangming.

Yu Dehai continued, "Considering Comrade Xiao Yang's outstanding contributions and abilities, the factory has decided to appoint him as the deputy captain of your hunting team to cooperate with Da Guo's work."

"Vice Captain?" Li Daguo was taken aback at first, then a smile appeared on his face as he extended his rough hand to Yang Guangming. "Brother Guangming, welcome, welcome! From now on, we're partners! With you joining us, our hunting team will definitely be more successful!"

He was genuinely happy. He had witnessed firsthand Yang Guangming's ability to single-handedly bring back four wild boars and was completely convinced of his skill. The hunting team hadn't been making much progress, and he was under a lot of pressure. Now that a truly capable deputy captain had arrived, he couldn't have been happier.

Wang Tiezhu and Xiao Hu also congratulated Yang Guangming enthusiastically. Having witnessed Yang Guangming's "achievements," they felt only admiration for the new deputy captain, without any resentment.

Yang Guangming shook hands with Li Daguo, then nodded to Wang Tiezhu and Xiaohu: "Captain Li, Brother Tiezhu, Xiaohu, from now on we'll be eating from the same pot. I'm new here and there are many things I don't understand, so I need to learn a lot from you all. Let's work together to make our hunting team live up to its name and add more oil to the canteen!"

His words were humble and sincere, which made Li Daguo and the others feel very comfortable.

"Let's work together!" Li Daguo said emphatically.

Xiao Hu was even more excited: "Vice Captain, you have to take us with you more often when we go into the mountains! Your skill in poking wild boars' eyes with a stick is amazing!"

Yang Guangming smiled and said, "That was a combination of hard work and good luck. Hunting requires teamwork and skill; let's exchange ideas more often in the future."

Yu Dehai was pleased to see his men enjoying themselves. He finished his steamed bun in a few bites, wiped his mouth, and said, "Alright, hurry up and eat. I still need to take Xiaoyang to complete the formalities after I finish."

The simple lunch ended quickly in a pleasant atmosphere. Although it was just vegetarian food, everyone wore an expectant smile, thinking that the cafeteria might provide extra food that evening because of the four wild boars.

After finishing their meal, Li Daguo and the others returned to the security department or their respective posts. Yu Dehai, along with Yang Guangming, left the canteen, obtained the signed documents from Director Mo, and headed to the personnel department in the factory office building.

The personnel department was on the second floor, and its office was slightly larger than that of the agricultural and sideline products office. Several clerks were busy inside. Yu Dehai was clearly familiar with the place, and he went directly to the desk of a cadre in his forties who wore glasses and looked like a leader.

"Old Zhou, busy?" Yu Dehai greeted him.

Director Zhou looked up, saw Yu Dehai, and pushed up his glasses: "Director Yu, what brings you here? I heard your security department got a big shipment today?"

"You're quite well-informed," Yu Dehai laughed, gesturing for Yang Guangming to step forward. "I've brought you some talent. Comrade Yang Guangming, specially recruited by the Agricultural and Sideline Products Office, with the highest reward policy, a level 10 clerk, assigned to our Security Department's hunting team as deputy captain. You can handle the paperwork."

Director Zhou carefully examined Yang Guangming, and then looked at the award opinion and proposed employment letter that Yu Dehai handed over, which were issued by Director Mo. They were stamped with the official seal of the Agricultural and Sideline Products Office, and signed by Director Mo and the factory leaders.

"A level 10 clerk, and he's already a deputy team leader right after he came in?" Director Zhou was somewhat surprised, and looked at Yang Guangming again. So young, and with a rural household registration, to receive this treatment shows that his contributions are truly extraordinary.

“Old Mo has it all written down in black and white, and the game is in storage—760 jin of wild boar. There’s no faking it,” Yu Dehai said. “This is a prime example of how our factory is implementing incentive policies. Your personnel department should support it and get it done quickly.”

Director Zhou nodded. Since the leaders of both the Agricultural and Sideline Products Office and the Security Department approved it and the procedures were complete, he naturally had no reason to object.

"Okay, let me see which forms need to be filled out." Director Zhou took out a stack of forms from the drawer and began to guide Yang Guangming in filling them out.

With Yu Dehai sitting next to them, the personnel department was very efficient.

Yang Guangming needs to fill out several forms, including an employee registration form, a cadre resume form, and a salary verification form.

Some information needs to be filled in in detail, such as family background, personal status, education and work experience, social relationships, etc.

Yang Guangming filled out the form meticulously according to the true circumstances of this life: his family background was poor peasants, his personal status was that of a member of the Communist Youth League, and he graduated from high school.

For some sections, such as whether there are overseas connections, I truthfully filled in "no".

Director Zhou watched from the side, occasionally asking a question or two. Yang Guangming answered clearly and with a proper attitude.

After filling out the form, a photo is also required. Yang Guangming did not have a one-inch bareheaded photo prepared at the moment, and Director Zhou said that this could be submitted later, and it would not affect the processing of the main procedures.

Next came the review, signing, and stamping. Director Zhou took the form to the next room to get the deputy factory director in charge of personnel to sign it. He returned shortly afterward, and the form now had the leader's comments and the official seal.

"Alright, Comrade Yang Guangming, the main procedures are now complete."

Zhou Chang handed Yang Guangming a stamped "Employee Introduction Letter" and "Cadre Administrative Relationship Introduction Letter," saying, "Take these and within three days, go to your Hongqi Commune and the County Public Security Bureau to complete the household registration transfer procedures."

Transfer your household registration from the rural area to the factory's collective household registration. Once it's done, bring the receipt to me for registration. Your onboarding process will then be complete, and you'll start receiving your salary next month.

He then took out a brown paper envelope containing some receipts and cards: "This is your temporary work permit, and this month's labor protection supplies voucher."

Grain coupons will only be issued after your household registration is officially transferred and a wage relationship is established.

Yang Guangming accepted the letters of introduction and the envelope, feeling relieved. With these two letters of introduction, he would have a policy basis for transferring his household registration.

From then on, he was no longer an ordinary member of Xiangyang Village, but a state cadre of Pingyang County Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory.

"Thank you, Director Zhou!" Yang Guangming said.

"You're welcome. We'll be colleagues from now on." With Director Yu accompanying him, Director Zhou was very amiable.

Seeing that the formalities were completed smoothly, Yu Dehai stood up and said, "Old Zhou, thanks! I'll treat you to drinks another day! Xiao Yang, come on, I'll show you the dorm, and then I'll call Xiao Hu over so you can get to know each other. You'll be roommates from now on."

The two bid farewell to Director Zhou and left the personnel department. Yu Dehai did not return to the security department, but instead led Yang Guangming directly towards the family quarters.

The factory area is very large, with the production area and living area very close together.

They walked through several factory roads and arrived at a few four-story red brick buildings. These were the staff and family housing buildings. Although they looked simple, they were considered very nice buildings in the county town in the early 1960s.

Yu Dehai pointed to one of the buildings: "That's Building No. 4. The single dormitories are on the fourth floor. Let's go up and take a look."

The hallway was fairly clean, but the walls were somewhat mottled, and the cement stairs made a bit of a noise when you stepped on them.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, the corridor was dimly lit, with room doors on both sides. Some doors were open, revealing several bunk beds crammed inside. The air was filled with a mixture of sweat, tobacco, and other indescribable smells.

Yu Dehai walked to the door of a room at the end of the corridor; the door was not closed.

"This is the room." Yu Dehai pushed open the door and went in.

The room was small, about eight or nine square meters. Inside were two single wooden beds side by side, one of which was bare and without bedding. The furniture was very simple, consisting of only an old wooden table and two chairs.

The windows weren't large, but the glass was sparkling clean. The walls were painted white, though some areas had yellowed and peeled off.

Although the room was simple, it was certainly "quiet" compared to the dorm rooms in the corridor. Most importantly, there were only two beds, meaning that only two people could stay there at most.

"The conditions are like this, not as good as home, but we get enough to sleep and rest," Yu Dehai said. "You have to prepare your own bedding, sheets, pillows, and mosquito nets. You also have to buy your own washbasin, towels, thermos, lunchbox, and toiletries. The table and chairs are provided by the factory and are usable."

Sunshine nodded, quite satisfied with the environment. Having private space was excellent.

“It’s great, Director Yu, I’m very satisfied,” Yang Guangming said.

"That's good. Xiaohu is your roommate, and you two are quite familiar with each other. I think I saw him just now. I'll go and call him over so you can meet him." With that, Yu Dehai turned and left.

Yang Guangming looked around the small space where he would be living for the next period of time and was fairly satisfied.

The windowpane was clean. He opened the window to let in the cool air from outside, which diluted the stale smell in the room.

Not long after, footsteps were heard in the corridor. Director Yu and Xiao Hu, Yang Guangming's other roommate, returned.

Xiao Hu grinned when he saw Yang Guangming: "Vice Captain, Director Yu told me that we'll be living in this room from now on!"

Yang Guangming greeted him with a smile.

Yu Dehai said to the two men, "Xiaohu, Guangming is new here and not familiar with the factory or dormitory, so please take good care of him. Guangming, Xiaohu's real name is Zhao Xiaohu. He joined the factory a year earlier than you and is familiar with the situation here. You can ask him if you have any questions."

He then specifically instructed Yang Guangming: "Guangming, you've already received your employment documents. My suggestion is that you hurry up and complete the household registration transfer procedures."

The sooner this is done, the sooner I can have peace of mind, and the sooner my wages and food coupons will be issued.

The factory, especially our hunting team, is all waiting for you to officially join and lead everyone to achieve new successes!

Yang Guangming nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Director Yu, I understand. I plan to go home this afternoon and go to the commune and county first thing tomorrow morning to complete the formalities as soon as possible."

"Good! That's the efficiency we need!" Yu Dehai was very satisfied. "Alright, you two chat, I have some things to take care of back at the office. Xiao Hu, later you take Guangming for a walk around the factory area to familiarize him with the layout."

"Okay, Director!" Xiao Hu readily agreed.

Yu Dehai patted Yang Guangming on the shoulder again before turning and leaving.

Anyone could sense Director Yu's care and high regard for Yang Guangming, let alone the worldly-wise Yang Guangming.

This care and attention could not have been without reason. Clearly, Director Yu was impressed by Yang Guangming's feat of single-handedly killing four wild boars and had high expectations for him.

Once he joins the company, Yang Guangming will definitely have to achieve something, otherwise he will surely disappoint Director Yu.

Only Yang Guangming and Xiao Hu remained in the room.

Xiao Hu seemed very lively. He walked to his bed, sat down, and pointed to the bare wooden bed opposite him: "Vice Captain, that bed is yours. Don't underestimate this small room; it's the best room on this floor."

The other rooms house at least four people, most are six-person rooms, crammed together like sardine cans. It's spacious enough for just the two of us!

Yang Guangming laughed and said, "Xiao Hu, from now on it's just the two of us. Just call me Guangming, don't keep calling me Vice Captain, it sounds too formal."

Xiao Hu scratched his head and chuckled, "Alright, I'll call you Brother Guangming then, you're a bit older than me. Brother Guangming, you're really something, taking down four wild boars all by yourself, I've never seen anything like it before! You'll have to teach me a lot when we go into the mountains in the future!"

"Let's learn from each other." Yang Guangming changed the subject, "Xiao Hu, I see there's a lot of dust in the room. Do you usually not stay in the dormitory?"

"Yes."

Xiao Hu nodded, "My home isn't too far from the factory, so it's convenient for me to come and go."

I stay in this dormitory bed mainly for convenience when I'm on night shift, or when something comes up or it's cloudy or rainy and I'm too lazy to leave, so I only stay here occasionally.

I usually stay at home most of the time. So this house is basically like you living alone, quiet and peaceful!

The sunlight was bright and clear. It seemed that Xiao Hu's family had some connections in the factory; to be able to occupy a double bed by himself, they must have some influence.

"That's good. I'm a fairly quiet sleeper, so if you stay here occasionally, it shouldn't disturb you," Yang Guangming said.

"Hey, I'm a heavy sleeper, I won't wake up even if there's thunder!" Xiao Hu laughed. "Brother Guangming, come on, I'll take you out for a walk, let you get to know the roads in the factory, where the canteen, bathhouse, hot water room, and convenience store are, you need to know all of that."

Yang Guangming readily agreed and followed Xiao Hu out of the dormitory.

Xiao Hu was indeed very familiar with the factory. He took Yang Guangming on a tour of the living area and pointed out the location of various facilities.

The factory area has its own bathhouse, hot water room, and a workers' cooperative, which mainly sells daily necessities, candy, cigarettes, and alcohol.

They didn't go deep into the production area; Zhao Xiaohu simply pointed out the locations of the main workshops and office buildings from a distance.

After walking around, when he returned to the foot of Building 4, Yang Guangming looked up at the sun in the sky. It should be around four or five in the afternoon.

"Brother Guangming, are you planning to go home already?" Xiaohu asked.

"Yes, go home early and tell your family about it, so you can go out early tomorrow to complete the formalities," Yang Guangming said.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Be careful on the road, it's over twenty miles away," Xiao Hu said. "Once you've officially moved in, if you need anything, just let me know. My house is nearby, and I can help you make do with some things for now."

"Xiao Hu, thank you. I'll definitely ask for your help when I need it." Yang Guangming thanked him and said goodbye to Xiao Hu.

He did not leave the factory area immediately, but returned to the agricultural and sideline products office first.

Director Mo was still there, checking documents with his staff. He put down what he was holding when he saw Yang Guangming enter.

"Comrade Yang Guangming, how's the paperwork going?"

“Everything’s done, Director Mo,” Yang Guangming said. “The personnel department’s procedures are basically complete, and I’m just waiting to transfer my household registration. Director Yu has also shown me around the dormitory. I came here to say goodbye to you again, and also… to take the basket with me.”

He pointed to his basket in the corner of the wall.

Director Mo smiled and said, "It's good that everything goes smoothly. Get the formalities done as soon as possible and try to start work as soon as possible."

Yang Guangming walked over, picked up his basket, and once again expressed his gratitude to Director Mo for his fairness and support.

Director Mo waved his hand: "Everything is done according to policy, and it's also because you have the ability. Work hard, and make achievements in the security department and the hunting team. That will be the best way to repay the factory."

“I understand, Director Mo,” Yang Guangming said solemnly.

After bidding farewell to Director Mo, Yang Guangming, carrying a heavy basket on his back, walked out of the gate of Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory. (End of Chapter)