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

Back at the factory, Yang Guangming didn't go straight back to his dormitory, but went to the security office first.

Yu Dehai's office is on the first floor of the office building, with a sign hanging at the door that reads "Director of Security Department".

Sunshine knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Yu Dehai's loud voice from inside.

As Yang Guangming pushed open the door, he saw Yu Dehai sitting behind his desk reading documents, holding a pencil in his hand and occasionally making marks on the documents.

Seeing Yang Guangming, he put down his pen and smiled: "Xiao Yang, have all the formalities been completed?"

"Everything's done, Director Yu." Yang Guangming walked to the desk. "The household registration has been transferred to the factory's collective household registration, and the personnel department has also completed the final onboarding registration."

"Good, that's quite efficient." Yu Dehai nodded in satisfaction. "Now you can rest assured, right?"

"I feel relieved," Yang Guangming said. "Thank you for your concern, Director Yu."

"We're all comrades, no need to be so polite." Yu Dehai waved his hand, gesturing for Yang Guangming to sit down. "So, how's the dorm? Are you satisfied? Is there anything you need?"

"The dormitory is great, it has everything I need." Yang Guangming sat down on the chair. "It's just that I haven't bought all the daily necessities yet. I plan to go to the cooperative to buy them in the next couple of days."

"Yes, buy what you need. If you have any difficulties, just let me know," Yu Dehai said. "You've just started working, so you'll need money for many things. If you're short on cash, you can borrow some from the department first, and it will be deducted from your salary next month."

"Thank you, Director Yu. It's enough for now," Yang Guangming said gratefully.

Yu Dehai genuinely cared for him; this concern wasn't just superficial, but truly put into practice.

"By the way, Director Yu, there's something I'd like to report to you," Yang Guangming said, getting down to business.

"Go on," Yu Dehai said, picking up his enamel mug and taking a sip of water.

“A while ago, I was in a hurry to find a job and was scammed out of 300 yuan by a classmate. After I reported the case, thanks to the impartial enforcement of the law by Lin Guodong, the deputy captain of the county public security brigade, I was able to get justice and get the money back.”

Yang Guangming organized his thoughts and recounted the events in detail.

After explaining what had happened, Yang Guangming continued, "So I thought I should at least express my gratitude."

On the day the case was closed, I told Captain Lin that I planned to present a banner in the name of our Xiangyang Production Brigade.

“This is a good thing,” Yu Dehai nodded. “It’s only right to repay kindness.”

"However..." Yang Guangming changed the subject, "Now that I'm an employee of our factory, I was thinking, shouldn't we also express our gratitude to Captain Lin and the security brigade on behalf of our factory?"

He looked at Yu Dehai and said earnestly, "This banner is not only a token of our gratitude, but also a reflection of the friendship between our factory and the Public Security Bureau, our brother unit."

After listening, Yu Dehai stroked his chin and pondered, "Your idea... is good. It shows great political awareness."

He stood up and paced around the office a couple of times: "Lin Guodong really helped you this time, which is equivalent to helping our factory as well. After all, you are now a part of our factory. It is only reasonable to send a banner to express our gratitude."

He stopped and looked at Yang Guangming: "And you're right. Our factory and the Public Security Bureau, especially our department and the county Public Security Bureau, often cooperate and have a lot of contact in our work."

Presenting this banner not only expresses our gratitude but also strengthens our relationship, making things easier for us in the future.

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” Yang Guangming said. “So I’d like to ask Director Yu how this should be done. I can pay for the banner myself, as long as the factory union can stamp the letter of thanks.”

“You don’t need to pay for the banner.” Yu Dehai waved his hand. “Since the factory is sending the banner, of course the factory will pay for it. Wait a moment, I’ll call Chairman Fang of the union right now.”

As he spoke, he walked to his desk, picked up the phone, and started cranking the dial.

"Is this the switchboard? Connect me to the union president's office," Yu Dehai said into the microphone.

While waiting for the call to connect, he whispered to Yang Guangming, "President Fang is a nice person, and we have a good relationship. This matter should be fine."

The call was answered quickly, and Yu Dehai smiled: "Hello, Lao Fang? This is Yu Dehai. I have something to discuss with you..."

He briefly explained Yang Guangming's situation, emphasizing how Lin Guodong helped Yang Guangming recover the money he had been defrauded of, and that Yang Guangming was now a factory employee.

"So, I was thinking, shouldn't our factory also express our gratitude?" Yu Dehai said. "Send a banner and a thank-you letter. This will benefit the relationship between our factory and the county public security bureau, and it will also encourage the police officers to do more for the people."

He listened for a while and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, that's exactly what I meant. The person is with me now, why don't we have him come directly to you?"

After exchanging a few more words, Yu Dehai hung up the phone and smiled at Yang Guangming, saying, "It's done. Chairman Fang is very supportive and wants you to go to the union now; he's waiting for you in his office."

"Thank you, Director Yu!" Yang Guangming quickly stood up.

"No need to thank me, this is a good thing." Yu Dehai waved his hand. "Go quickly and explain the situation clearly to Chairman Fang. What materials are needed and how to cooperate are all within the scope of the union's arrangements."

“Yes, I understand,” Yang Guangming replied, turning and leaving the office.

The union office was on the other side of the administration building, and Yang Guangming quickly found the room with a sign that read "Union President's Office".

He knocked on the door.

"Please come in." A gentle male voice came from inside.

Yang Guangming pushed open the door and entered. The office wasn't large, but it was very tidy. Behind the desk by the window sat a kind-looking man in his fifties, wearing glasses and a gray Zhongshan suit.

"President Fang, hello." Yang Guangming stepped forward. "I am Yang Guangming. Director Yu asked me to come and find you."

"Oh, Comrade Yang Guangming, please have a seat." Chairman Fang smiled and pointed to the chair opposite him. "Old Yu just called me and told me about your situation. Come, tell me the details."

Yang Guangming sat down and gave Chairman Fang a detailed account of the whole story.

From being scammed out of 300 yuan to reporting the case to the police, Lin Guodong clearly and completely recounted how he took the matter seriously and how he quickly solved the case and recovered the stolen money.

Chairman Fang listened attentively, nodding from time to time.

"So, Comrade Lin Guodong really helped you a lot," Chairman Fang said. "And now that you're an employee of our factory, his help to you is equivalent to his help to our factory."

“Yes.” Yang Guangming nodded. “So I was thinking, besides expressing my gratitude in my own name and in the name of our brigade, shouldn’t we also express our thanks in the name of our factory?”

"Your idea is excellent," Chairman Fang praised. "The police officers serve the people wholeheartedly and solve their problems; this spirit deserves recognition. As the beneficiary unit, we should express our gratitude."

He paused for a moment, then said, "How about this, the union will handle the banner and thank-you letter. You'll need to provide some basic information, such as Captain Lin's full name, position, and a general account of what happened."

“I’m all ready.” Yang Guangming pulled out a small notebook from his pocket, which contained a draft he had written the night before. “This is Captain Lin’s information, and this is a brief description of what happened.”

Chairman Fang took the notebook and looked at it carefully.

"Lin Guodong, deputy captain of the Public Security Brigade of the County Public Security Bureau..." He looked at the description of the incident again, "This is well written, highlighting the key points and expressing genuine emotion."

He looked up at Yang Guangming and said, "Okay, sit for a while, I'll have the comrade in charge come over, and you two can work together to organize the materials. We'll draft the letter of thanks today, and we can send the banner and the letter of thanks over tomorrow morning."

"You can get it done today?" Yang Guangming was somewhat surprised.

"The union must be efficient in its work," Chairman Fang said with a smile. "And this is a good thing, so we should get it done as soon as possible."

He picked up the phone on the table and dialed an internal number: "Xiao Liu, come to my office."

Soon, a woman in her thirties, wearing blue overalls, knocked on the door and came in.

"President Fang, you wanted to see me?"

"Xiao Liu, this is Comrade Yang Guangming, a newly hired employee in the hunting team of the security department," Chairman Fang introduced. "He has something that the union needs to assist with."

He briefly explained the situation, then said, "You are in charge of drafting a letter of thanks to the County Public Security Bureau's Public Security Brigade together with Comrade Yang Guangming. The content should be sincere and highlight Comrade Lin Guodong's advanced deeds. In addition, arrange for the production of two banners, one signed by the Xiangyang Production Brigade of the Hongqi Commune, and the other by our factory's trade union."

"Two banners?" Xiao Liu asked, somewhat puzzled.

Chairman Fang continued, "Our factory's rapid and successful development is inseparable from the support of all the commune members. There's no need for Comrade Xiao Yang to run around to get that banner for the production brigade; we'll just make it for him ourselves."

Yang Guangming was surprised by such convenience and quickly said, "Thank you, Chairman Fang, you've thought of everything."

Then he turned to Xiao Liu and explained, “Comrade Liu, it’s like this. Captain Lin not only helped me personally, but also helped our brigade. All the members of our brigade are very grateful. So I think the brigade should also send a banner. The brigade’s letter of thanks has been written, stamped, and I gave it to Captain Lin yesterday.”

"Oh, I understand." Xiao Liu nodded. "So, the factory union will send one, and the Xiangyang brigade will send one. The contents should be different, right?"

“That’s right,” Chairman Fang continued. “The banners from the factory union should highlight themes like ‘police-civilian cooperation’ and ‘ensuring production.’ The banners from the brigade should emphasize ‘serving the people’ and ‘fair law enforcement.’ The letters of thanks should also have a specific focus.”

“I understand,” Xiao Liu said. “Comrade Yang Guangming, let’s go to my office. I’ll draft the manuscript, and you can take a look and see if there are any parts that need to be revised.”

"Okay, thank you for your help, Comrade Liu." Yang Guangming stood up.

"No trouble at all, it's our job," Xiao Liu said with a smile.

The two said goodbye to Chairman Fang and went to the union office next door. Xiao Liu's desk was by the window, and documents, letter paper, and pens were neatly arranged on it. She asked Yang Guangming to sit down and took out a few sheets of letter paper with the heading "Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory Union" printed on them.

"Comrade Yang Guangming, please tell me the details first, and I'll write it down." Xiao Liu picked up his pen.

Yang Guangming recounted the events in detail again, and Xiao Liu listened and took notes, occasionally asking about some details.

"What did Captain Lin say at the time?"

How long did the investigation take?

Yang Guangming answered each question, and Xiao Liu's notes quickly filled two pages.

"Okay, I understand the basic situation now." Xiao Liu put down his pen. "I'll draft a thank-you letter now, please wait a moment."

She picked up a clean sheet of paper again and began to write.

Yang Guangming sat quietly, watching Xiao Liu's profile as she focused on writing. Her handwriting was beautiful and her writing flowed smoothly, clearly indicating that she frequently handled this type of paperwork.

About ten minutes later, Xiao Liu finished writing the first draft.

"Comrade Yang Guangming, do you think this way of writing is acceptable?" She handed the letter to Yang Guangming.

Yang Guangming took it and read it carefully.

The letter of thanks was very well written. It began by explaining why the union of Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory was writing to the county public security bureau's security brigade. Then it detailed how Lin Guodong helped Yang Guangming recover the defrauded funds, and praised Comrade Lin Guodong for his conscientious, responsible, fair, and people-oriented work style.

The letter specifically mentioned that Comrade Yang Guangming is now an employee of Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory. Comrade Lin Guodong's help not only solved his personal difficulties, but also demonstrated the public security organs' care and support for employees of industrial enterprises. It is a vivid example of police-civilian cooperation and production protection.

Finally, on behalf of the Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory Union, the letter expressed heartfelt gratitude and high respect to the County Public Security Bureau's Public Security Brigade and Comrade Lin Guodong, and hoped to continue strengthening cooperation in the future to jointly maintain social order and ensure production and construction.

"It's very well written." Yang Guangming said sincerely after reading it. "It expresses gratitude, highlights the significance, and the wording is appropriate."

"If you think it's okay, then it's fine." Xiao Liu said with a smile. "Then I'll make another official copy, and I'll ask Chairman Fang to sign and stamp it later."

As she spoke, she took out a new sheet of paper and began to copy it.

This time she wrote more carefully, with neat and beautiful handwriting and a standard format.

After copying it, Xiao Liu took the thank-you letter to Chairman Fang's office. He returned shortly afterward, the letter now bearing Chairman Fang's signature and the union's official seal.

"Alright, the thank-you letter is done." Xiao Liu handed the stamped letter to Yang Guangming. "Please keep it safe. I'll arrange for the banner to be made right away."

"Comrade Liu, about the money for the banner..." Yang Guangming wanted to say something.

“The factory will cover it, so you don’t need to worry about it,” Xiao Liu interrupted him. “Chairman Fang instructed that this is a matter for the factory, and the cost will be covered by the union’s funds. They’ve even made the banner for your brigade. Anyway, it won’t take much trouble.”

"How could I possibly accept that?" Yang Guangming said. "I should pay for the cloth ration coupons used for the brigade's banner, as well as the production costs."

"Don't be so polite," Xiao Liu said with a smile. "You're an employee of our factory now, so your business is the factory's business. Besides, making two banners at the same time won't take much effort."

She paused for a moment and then said, "Okay, tell me what you want to write on the banner for the brigade, and I'll arrange it together."

Yang Guangming thought for a moment and said, "The banner for the brigade should read 'Fair Law Enforcement, Upholding Justice for the People,' and be signed 'All members of Xiangyang Production Brigade, Hongqi Commune.'"

"Okay, I've got it." Xiao Liu wrote it down in his notebook. "For the factory union's banner, I'd like to write 'Police and civilians working together to ensure production,' and sign it 'Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory Union.' Is that alright?"

“Okay, very good.” Yang Guangming nodded.

"Leave the banner to me," said Xiao Liu. "It should be ready by tomorrow morning. When would be a good time to send it over?"

"Tomorrow morning then," Yang Guangming thought for a moment. "I'll go to the Public Security Bureau tomorrow morning to deliver the banner and thank-you letter."

“Okay, then come again tomorrow morning.” Xiao Liu thought for a moment and said, “Since the union has already gotten involved in delivering the banner to the Public Security Bureau, Chairman Fang will definitely have made the necessary arrangements. There should be union leaders accompanying you. Just follow the instructions.”

"Thank you, Comrade Liu, for your trouble." Yang Guangming sincerely expressed his gratitude.

"Don't mention it, it's nothing," Xiao Liu said with a smile. "Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you." Yang Guangming stood up. "I'll head back now and come back to see you tomorrow morning."

"great, see you tomorrow."

As Yang Guangming walked out of the union office, a weight was lifted from his heart.

The process of receiving the banner and the letter of thanks went so smoothly that it exceeded his expectations. This was thanks to both Director Yu's support and the attention given by the union president.

He returned to the security office and reported the situation to Yu Dehai.

"President Fang is very supportive. He has already arranged for the union members to write and stamp the letter of thanks. The banner is also being made and will be ready by tomorrow morning," Yang Guangming said.

"Good, Lao Fang is very efficient." Yu Dehai nodded in satisfaction. "When you go to deliver the banner tomorrow morning, do you need someone from the department to go with you?"

"No need, Director Yu," Yang Guangming said. "I can go by myself. It's just to deliver a banner to express my gratitude; there's no need to make a fuss."

"Let's talk about it tomorrow." Yu Dehai thought for a moment. "The union might take it more seriously. Once the procedures are finalized tomorrow, I'll see if I need to arrange for someone to accompany you."

"I will follow your arrangements," Yang Guangming replied.

"By the way, you haven't bought any daily necessities yet, have you?" Yu Dehai remembered something. "If you're free this afternoon, go to the cooperative and buy what you need. You'll need to bring your own bedding from home, but if you can afford it, you should get your washbasin, towels, and thermos flask in advance."

“I was planning to go this afternoon,” Yang Guangming said.

"Okay, go ahead." Yu Dehai waved his hand. "Come find me anytime if you need anything."

Yang Guangming thanked him and left the office.

He checked the time; it was already 3 p.m. He thought for a moment and decided to first find someone to exchange some tickets, and then go to the workers' cooperative to buy the necessary daily necessities.

At present, grain coupons are far more valuable than ever before. If Yang Guangming is willing to use his grain coupons to exchange for any other necessary documents, he can easily obtain them.

He figured many people would be willing to exchange grain coupons for other certificates, so he first approached Li Daguo.

Upon hearing his purpose, Li Daguo was happy to exchange the tickets himself. He also quickly exchanged the tickets that Yang Guangming did not have, such as thermos tickets, from other people.

With a ticket, there's no need to worry about buying things.

The staff cooperative of Dongfang Pharmaceutical Factory was located in a row of bungalows in the residential area, not far from Building No. 4.

The cooperative's storefront wasn't large, but it was fairly well-stocked inside. Shelves against the wall displayed various daily necessities: enamel basins, thermos flasks, towels, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, face cream, and so on.

On the other counter, there were some snacks: candy, biscuits, liquor, and cigarettes, but not many.

There were several saleswomen in the cooperative, all women in their thirties and forties. Some were knitting sweaters, while others were chatting and dozing off.

Seeing Yang Guangming come in, the man knitting looked up and asked, "Comrade, what would you like to buy?"

"I want to buy some daily necessities," Yang Guangming said. "A washbasin, a thermos, a towel, a bar of soap, and toothpaste and a toothbrush."

"Do you want enamel or plastic?" the salesperson asked.

"It's enamel, sturdy," Yang Guangming said.

The sales clerk stood up, took a white enamel basin with the double happiness symbol printed on it from the shelf, and then took a bamboo-cased thermos, a white towel, a bar of Lighthouse brand soap, a tube of Zhonghua toothpaste, and a toothbrush.

"Is that all?" the salesperson asked.

"I'd also like an enamel mug and a lunchbox," Yang Guangming said after thinking for a moment.

The salesperson then took down a white enamel mug with the words "Serve the People" printed in red and an aluminum lunchbox.

"Washbasin, 1.2 yuan; thermos, 1.8 yuan; towel, 0.3 yuan; soap, 0.2 yuan; toothpaste, 0.35 yuan; toothbrush, 0.15 yuan; jar, 0.4 yuan; lunchbox, 0.6 yuan," the salesperson quoted skillfully.

Having decided what he wanted to buy, Yang Guangming took out his money and tickets from his pocket, paid at the cashier, and then received what he needed.

Back in his dorm, he carefully put away all the new things he had bought.

The washbasin was placed on the washbasin stand, the thermos and tea mug were placed on the table, the towel was draped over the edge of the washbasin, the soap was placed on the windowsill, the toothpaste and toothbrush were placed in the mug, and the lunchbox was put into the drawer.

After doing all this, the dormitory finally felt a bit more like a place to live.

Yang Guangming sat down on the edge of the bed, looking around the small space. From now on, this would be his home at the factory.

Although simple, it was clean, quiet, and most importantly, it was his own space. (End of Chapter)