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

Chapter 36. First Impression of the Director

Zhao Guodong stood up, walked around the large desk, and stood in front of Yang Guangming. He patted Yang Guangming's shoulder firmly with his large hand, the force carrying a sense of approval. "Sit down!"

Yang Guangming sat down on the old wooden chair against the wall, his back ramrod straight as a javelin.

"Have you brought all the paperwork?" Zhao Guodong sat back down, his eyes gleaming.

"I've brought everything, Director Zhao. My household registration booklet, graduation certificate, and letter of introduction from the local street office are all here," Yang Guangming replied crisply and calmly.

“Yes,” Zhao Guodong nodded in satisfaction. “I told you before, just go to the factory affairs office and report to Director Han Mingqian. He is the senior director of the factory affairs office, experienced and mature. You should learn from him.”

He paused, his tone turning serious, carrying a warning tone, "Work in the factory office is trivial, but one thing can affect everything. You need to be meticulous, patient, keep your mouth shut, and be as quick as a windmill. If you encounter something you don't understand, ask for instructions and report back. Never act on your own. Understand?"

"Understood, Director Zhao! I will keep it in mind, study diligently, work conscientiously, and never let you down!" Yang Guangming's attitude was sincere, and his eyes were firm.

Zhao Guodong smiled again: "Good! I'm relieved." He picked up the heavy, old-fashioned black crank telephone on the table. "I'll call Director Han first to let him know you've arrived."

When the call connected, Zhao Guodong spoke into the receiver with a loud, clear voice:
"Hello, Director Han? This is Zhao Guodong. Yes, that young man I mentioned last time, Yang Guangming, he's already here..."

Yes, he's a pretty clever young man...

Okay, could you please arrange the check-in procedures?

Okay, okay, I'll have him come directly to you.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Guodong waved to Yang Guangming and said, "Go ahead, Director Han is waiting for you in his office. Do a good job, young man!"

"Thank you, Director Zhao!" Yang Guangming stood up again, bowed respectfully to express his gratitude, and then turned to leave, gently closing the heavy door behind him.

Zhao Guodong watched his tall, departing figure, his eyes filled with deep expectation.

The sign for the factory affairs office hangs at the end of the second-floor corridor.

Yang Guangming subconsciously smoothed the front of his shirt again, making sure his appearance was impeccable, before gently knocking on the wooden door of Han Mingqian's office.

"Please come in." A gentle, calm voice, devoid of any emotion, came from inside the door.

Yang Guangming pushed open the door and entered. The office was small, but it was exceptionally clean and spotless.

Behind a large, old desk sat a cadre in his fifties, wearing black-rimmed glasses.

His hair was combed back neatly, like a carefully manicured wheat field.

He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt that was yellowed from washing, but the collar and cuffs were neatly ironed. The edges of the cuffs were worn and slightly shiny, but every button was fastened tightly. He exuded the meticulousness and rigor unique to old-fashioned intellectuals.

"Hello, Director Han! I'm Yang Guangming, just reporting for duty." Yang Guangming walked to the desk about a step away, bowed slightly, and adopted a respectful posture.

Han Mingqian raised his head, his gaze behind his glasses calm yet sharp, like an invisible ruler, quickly and accurately measuring Yang Guangming.

The focus lingered for a moment on his brand-new clothes and the gleaming watch face on his wrist.

Immediately, a formulaic but still somewhat gentle smile appeared on his face: "Oh, Comrade Xiao Yang, please sit down. Director Zhao just made a phone call."

His tone was calm, and his voice was neither too loud nor too soft.

Yang Guangming sat down on the chair opposite him as instructed, occupying only a third of the seat. His back remained straight, and his hands were neatly placed on his knees, showing great solemnity.

"Did you bring all the paperwork?" Han Mingqian asked, his gaze falling on him. "Yes, Director Han." Yang Guangming immediately took out his household registration book, graduation certificate, and the street introduction letter with a bright red official seal from his inner pocket, and handed them over steadily with both hands.

Han Mingqian took it, his movements unhurried. He lowered his head and began to carefully examine it page by page, item by item, word by word, with extreme concentration.

The only sound in the office was the soft rustling of papers turning over; the air seemed to have frozen.

Yang Guangming waited quietly, his gaze sweeping calmly over the factory layout map and the powerfully written slogan "Serve the People" on the wall behind Director Han.

"Yes, all the materials are complete."

Han Mingqian finally finished reading, neatly placed the materials on the corner of the table, and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses:

"Welcome to the secretariat of the factory affairs office of Hongxing Factory."

The core of the work of the secretariat is to serve the factory leadership, which specifically includes handling daily paperwork in the factory office, organizing and arranging meetings, handling internal and external receptions, transmitting various information, and coordinating the operation of various workshops and departments.

The tasks are varied and numerous, so the requirements can be summed up in eight words: meticulousness, patience, discretion, and diligence.

His tone was steady, and each word was clear and forceful.

He paused, his gaze falling on Yang Guangming's young and focused face, his tone softening slightly:
"You're a newcomer, so don't be impatient. You have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time."

Today's task is to complete the onboarding procedures and familiarize myself with the environment and processes.

He picked up a pen and quickly wrote on a pre-cut piece of sticky note, his handwriting clear and strong: "Go to the administrative department and find Comrade Liu Mei. She is in charge of handling the specific onboarding registration and the distribution of labor protection supplies. Here, take this note."

Yang Guangming took the note with both hands, feeling the coolness of the paper and the strength of the handwriting on his fingertips.

"After completing the procedures at the administrative department, go to the personnel department to find Comrade Sun Jianguo to process the transfer registration of your grain household relationship. Your grain and oil relationship needs to be transferred in."

Han Mingqian explained everything clearly and concisely, leaving no room for error: "Come back here to find me after you've finished everything."

I'll take you to the secretariat office and introduce you to my colleagues.

Are you facing any difficulties at work or in your life? Please tell me.

His gaze held a perfunctory concern.

"No problem for now, thank you for your concern, Director Han! I'll go and get the formalities done right away." Yang Guangming immediately stood up, his tone crisp and decisive.

The administrative office is on the same floor.

We found Liu Mei, a woman in her forties with short, neat hair and sharp eyes. She took the note from Director Han and Yang Guangming's materials and quickly began the registration process.

In a thick, yellowed employee register, she neatly filled in Yang Guangming's detailed information:

Name, gender, date of birth, home address, education level, political affiliation, department of employment, position (clerk), administrative rank (level 30), salary standard (23 yuan/month), etc.

Then another requisition form with a red stamp was issued.

“Comrade Xiaoyang, you are a cadre, and the distribution cycle and standards for labor protection supplies are slightly different from those for frontline workers.”

As Liu Mei explained, she led Yang Guangming toward the adjacent labor protection warehouse.

(End of this chapter)