Road to Revival

On Saturday night, Chen Yan's roommate, You Benling, who works in the publicity department, asked Chen Yan to help revise a manuscript.

"Tell me, what's in it for you?" Chen Yan took the printed manuscript handed to her by You Benling.

"A meal of lamb skewers."

"Deal." Chen Yan skimmed through the less than two thousand words of the manuscript. "No, I can't revise this kind of pretentious and empty article. I won't be able to get my lamb skewers."

The article was a reflection on studying the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress. Chen Yan has always been slow to grasp current affairs and politics, so naturally she couldn't revise this type of article.

"Can't change it? This is terrible." You Benling said with a bitter face. She had always thought that Chen Yan, who was skilled in official document writing, would be able to solve her problem.

"Why don't you go find your Meng Fan? He's a good writer, the secretary of the Youth League branch at the research institute, and he's politically savvy. Besides, I don't see anything wrong with your draft."

You Benling and Meng Fan's relationship has been made public, and they are preparing to rent an apartment and move out.

"Don't even mention it. Old Cui got a scolding from General Manager Tao this afternoon. It all started with a report by Mao Dezhen. You know, that guy's a complete idiot; he messed up a perfectly good piece of writing. General Manager Tao was unhappy after reading the factory newspaper, and he went on to criticize the propaganda department as utterly worthless."

Chen Yan became interested. "What did he write that made the boss angry?" Mao Dezhen was the guy Liu Xiuyun had introduced her to, but she didn't like him, and the relationship had long ended. Liu Xiuyun was very unhappy about this, and Chen Yan could already sense it.

"Isn't it all because of that employee who committed suicide? Secretary Chang personally went to his home to offer condolences, and the funeral arrangements were handled quite well. Because General Manager Tao took the lead in donating money, all the leaders also contributed. Old Cui wanted to curry favor, so he had Mao Dezhen write an article for the factory newspaper, but his attempt at flattery backfired. General Manager Tao said that the propaganda department was shamelessly promoting the company's mistakes as achievements. He picked up several recent newspapers and criticized Old Cui for not understanding the situation, saying that two-thirds of the factory newspaper was filled with leaders' speeches and whereabouts, which was simply incoherent. He ordered us to rectify the situation. Now, Old Cui is in a panic. He withdrew all the articles he was going to submit this issue and made us redo them... Chen Yan, the reason I asked for your help is because you're in the factory office and understand General Manager Tao's thinking better..."

"You overestimate me. To be honest, I've never even met the person in person, so how could I possibly know their likes and dislikes? But since General Manager Tao is a former director of the Policy Research Office at headquarters, his writing skills are definitely top-notch, especially his familiarity with theoretical matters. You really need to study this piece of yours carefully."

"Yes, this article is slated for the front page headline. Isn't that suicidal? Tell me, why is President Tao targeting the factory newspaper?"

"You've hit the nail on the head when you said you didn't understand President Tao's thoughts," Chen Yan said, intrigued. "Articles are for people to read, so you first need to understand who your readers are. Ordinary employees don't read this kind of thing, and they wouldn't understand it either. I think most middle-level managers wouldn't read it seriously either, but company leaders, especially the top leaders, will. Since President Tao is dissatisfied with the factory newspaper, it means your current style of reporting doesn't suit his taste. By the way, what you said earlier… about reporting too much on the leaders' whereabouts… I understand now, he thinks you're reporting too little on frontline employees. That's definitely it."

"The mass line? But this is a theoretical article, it has a fixed formula."

"Who said that? Theory needs to be linked to practice. I think General Manager Tao and Song Yue have completely different styles... You should start over, digest the spirit of the higher-ups and apply it to the actual situation in our factory, and you'll definitely pass the test."

"Easier said than done. Write one for me to read?"

"Look, General Manager Tao insists on eating in the communal canteen, and he volunteered to renovate the single dormitory building. He rides his bicycle to the grassroots level whenever he has free time—note, he rides a bicycle! He even paid out-of-pocket wages as soon as he arrived. He's truly following the mass line. Lingzi, just write along this line of thought."

"That makes sense. Well, I'll go to my office then; I can't write here."

"Aren't you going to see your Brother Meng?"

"We're an old married couple, why would I need him? I'm going."

You Benling opened the door and saw Li Zhibin standing outside.

"Oh, Second-in-Command, are you here to inspect the work or to see our beautiful Chen?"

"I've come to consult with Leader Chen about the work," Li Zhibin replied with a smile.

"Then I won't disturb your private conversation any longer." You Benling went to her office to work overtime.

"Oh, what a rare guest." Chen Yan tidied up the messy bed. "Wasn't President Tao supposed to have a meeting? Is it over so quickly?" Chen Yan had overheard Li Zhibin announcing that the three directors of the General Manager's Office would attend the meeting that afternoon.

The meeting has been cancelled.

"Why was it canceled?"

"Suddenly, leaders from our sister factory arrived, with General Manager Tao accompanying them, so the meeting can't be held."

Why aren't you with General Manager Tao?

"The boss doesn't want me to follow. Oh, it's so beautiful." Li Zhibin picked up a framed picture from the desk. The photo was a "sexy" picture of Chen Yan in a swimsuit at the beach, exuding an indescribable charm and allure.

"Put it down! Don't look!" Chen Yan snatched it away and stuffed it under her pillow. "You're so rude."

"Isn't the point of putting it on the table for people to admire?"

You are not qualified.

"Who is qualified?" Because it was just the two of them, Li Zhibin rarely showed the arrogance that was appropriate for his age.

"I'm not going to chat with you anymore. I was just talking to Lingzi about publicity. Why is President Tao getting involved in publicity?" Chen Yan said a little embarrassed.

"How would I know? Chen Yan, you're taking a day off. What are your plans for the holiday?"

"I never thought of that. I asked you, Mr. Tao, why you've started managing the publicity, forcing Lingzi to work overtime."

"Chen Yan, I have something to say, please don't be upset."

"I hate your face the most. I know what you're talking about, fine, I won't ask anymore. Okay? Li Erhao?"

"Chen Yan, you have a strong writing ability, and you're smart and beautiful. As long as you pay attention to the rules of being a secretary, you'll definitely have a brighter future than me." Li Zhibin resumed his usual serious demeanor.

"What future do I have? I only make so little money each month, barely enough to survive. I have no chance; if I did, I would definitely switch jobs."

"You have to believe the factory will get better. General Manager Tao will definitely make it work, really. Besides, you might get promoted in two or three years, then that's even less of a problem. Go count how many people have gone from being secretaries in the general manager's office to leadership positions over the years!"

"If anyone's going to be promoted, it'll be you! You're the second-in-command. How could it be my turn?"

"That's not necessarily true."

"By the way, you just said that President Tao would definitely be able to manage Hongxing well. Why did you say that?"

"I think President Tao is different from them."

"How is it different? Okay, okay, don't talk about fouls anymore."

"It's alright to tell you. We're completely different in every way. President Song is basically a bad person, while President Tao is a good person."

"Wouldn't Song Yue be furious if she heard you say that? I heard President Tao is single, a real catch. Do you think President Tao might be interested in me? Why don't you find a chance to introduce us?"

Li Zhibin immediately felt a headache coming on, "You, you!"

"What's wrong with me? He's a bachelor, and I'm an unmarried woman, is that not allowed?" Chen Yan glanced at him sideways.

"How about we get a few people to go camping in Waiya Mountain?" Li Zhibin decisively changed the subject.

"Rafting? It's a bit early, isn't it? The climate there is too cold; they definitely won't be able to get into the water." As soon as Chen Yan said this, Li Zhibin knew that things had gone well. Otherwise, she would definitely have kept bringing up the previous topic.

Li Zhibin recalled Chen Yan's swimsuit photo from earlier. "Not necessarily, but at least she can climb mountains. There's a newly built international mountain climbing course over there; how about we have a competition?"

"Who wants to compete with you? I'm not going."

"Then, will you contact me later? I'll find a car." Li Zhibin had basically achieved his goal, and he could tell that Chen Yan had already agreed, so he said goodbye and left.

This was Li Zhibin's third visit to Chen Yan's dormitory. His first visit since resuming his position as the second-in-command.

Two months ago, Chen Yan broke up with her second boyfriend. He was the son of a high-ranking official at Red Star, a mid-level manager. Chen Yan hated his arrogant attitude. His father was just a branch manager, yet he acted like he owned the place. He was very groping on their first date, making her very uncomfortable. After barely maintaining the relationship for two months, Chen Yan made up her mind to end it.

After confirming that Chen Yan was single again, Li Zhibin began his pursuit of her. They were both secretaries in the factory office and knew each other very well. At that time, Li Zhibin was with Song Yue, always appearing and disappearing mysteriously, leaving little opportunity for private contact. Later, Song Yue had an accident, and Li Zhibin was effectively laid off, moving back to that large office. Director Zhang didn't assign him any specific work, and he was very depressed. Wang Zhiping and others who had previously been jealous of him naturally offered their sarcasm, but Chen Yan didn't. She even comforted him twice. Li Zhibin said he was prepared to be sent to the grassroots level, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and he became the head of the department again, while Wang Zhiping, who had mocked Li Zhibin, became dejected once more.

Chen Yan didn't dislike Li Zhibin, but she wasn't particularly interested in him either. She placed the picture frame back on her desk, thinking about Li Zhibin who had left. He seemed fine; he didn't smoke, drink, or gamble, and rarely attended parties for singles, making him appear quite unsociable. Chen Yan didn't even know Li Zhibin's hobbies, only that his parents were factory workers, and judging from his clothes and phone, his family was probably of modest means.

"Is he suitable? If he were taller and more handsome, that would be great..." Chen Yan thought.

Her most passionate encounter was during her first time, back in college. Her boyfriend was from Chongqing, a true southerner, but with the physique of a northern man. Chen Yan could always recall his dashing figure on the soccer field. He was a defender, mainly responsible for blocking the opposing strikers' attacks on the goal. Every time he made a sliding tackle to clear the ball, Chen Yan, watching from the sidelines, would scream loudly, completely mesmerized.

The two broke up in their senior year due to employment issues. He didn't want to stay in G province, and he couldn't afford to help Chen Yan find a job in CQ. Chen Yan finally experienced the cruelty of life; love is essentially a matter of the spirit, while marriage is entirely a matter of material things. Marx had long ago said that only after solving the problems of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation can one talk about literature, art, and other things. Therefore, Chen Yan began to become realistic, especially after her work in the general manager's office taught her some things she didn't understand before. So, when Vice President Liu introduced her to the son of a high-ranking official at Hongxing, it aligned with her new understanding of life. But material things cannot completely replace the spirit, so she resolutely returned to being single.

As long as Tao Zong doesn't follow Song Yue's path, Li Zhibin will undoubtedly rise to the middle management level, she firmly believes. Will Li Zhibin, once in the middle management, be able to meet his material needs? Judging by Hongxing's living standards, he probably will. Chen Yan has already realized that happiness is always relative, because everyone lives within a certain circle. As long as you're better off than most people in your circle, you'll feel happy. Unless you're one of the very few who are never satisfied. But what about the spiritual aspect? Despite experiencing a failed relationship, Chen Yan hasn't given up on love. Love always exists, so everyone is searching for it. Young people naturally seek love, and many middle-aged people whose love has died are also searching. This is enough to prove that love exists; otherwise, why would they be so recklessly drawn to it like moths to a flame?

Perhaps Li Zhibin would be a good choice.