Road to Revival

Li Zhibin was late on Monday morning. He had set his start date for work at 7:30, but he arrived at the office at 7:45. Tao Tang was already there and was looking at documents.

No time to clean the office... Damn it! I didn't even hear my phone alarm.

Yesterday afternoon, Tao Tang instructed him to retrieve the collected questionnaires from the labor union and have the general manager's office read them first and categorize them. After reporting to Director Zhang, Zhang Xingwu immediately convened a meeting to make arrangements, assigning the task to the secretariat. The seven secretaries each took on a portion of the reading and summarizing work, and then everyone went about their own business.

Li Zhibin knew that President Tao attached great importance to this questionnaire, the one he had personally revised, and that President Tao had a very strong sense of time. Therefore, he decided to finish it as quickly as possible. He didn't remind anyone else, but he sent Chen Yan a text message asking her to work overtime. After get off work, he quickly ate dinner and went straight to the office without returning to his dormitory. Twenty minutes later, familiar footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway; Chen Yan had obediently come.

"Is it really that urgent? The holiday is almost here." Chen Yan said to him from the doorway of his office.

"President Tao is very time-conscious. Since he said he wants it done as soon as possible, he definitely wants to see the results before the holiday. We should finish this as soon as possible. If we have several meetings tomorrow and the day after, where will we find the time? We might have to sacrifice our holiday," Li Zhibin replied, standing up.

"I don't want to work overtime on holidays..." Chen Yan turned and went to her office.

Li Zhibin knew that this May Day was special. Meng Fan had already organized a picnic, Chen Yan would go, and he would go too. Moreover, he had decided to use this picnic to accomplish that matter.

After reviewing over a dozen questionnaires, he had a general idea of ​​what to expect and began designing tables on the computer, refining his categorizations. This took him twenty minutes. He then reviewed over a dozen questionnaires from another organization. He made minor adjustments to his categorization table, printed out blank forms, and took them to Chen Yan's office.

"For your reference." He placed the form in front of Chen Yan, who was engrossed in reading.

"Wow, that's pretty good. No wonder you're the top secretary, your skills are top-notch." Chen Yan admitted that the classification and statistical tables Li Zhibin created were very scientific and basically covered all kinds of questions raised by employees.

"Take a look at this document and mark it with tally marks. Once you've finished looking at it, the statistics will be ready."

"Do I really have to look at them all?" Chen Yan asked with a pained expression as she looked at the huge pile of papers in front of her.

"President Tao is a very conscientious person... By the way, you were only assigned to four units, right? I'll print out three more blank forms for you, one for each unit. I noticed that the units don't report 100% of the data; do you have the registered headcount for each unit here?"

"But I have a retirement center. This must be Zhang Xingwu's punishment for me," Chen Yan said with a bitter face. "What do you need the number of registered personnel for?"

"The questionnaire return rate should be noted in the remarks. In addition, similar statistics should be compiled for each type of question."

"You're really meticulous. You should be working on comprehensive statistics at the Ministry of Development and Planning. Ugh, after finishing all this, aren't you going to get some sleep?"

"I think I'll hand it over to General Manager Tao tomorrow morning. It won't hurt to do it."

"Director Li, Leader Li, it would be an injustice if you didn't make progress..."

Li Zhibin ignored Chen Yan's teasing and went back to work. Half an hour later, he came back and gave Chen Yan a box of mints, "to perk her up."

Chen Yan glanced at Li Zhibin, unscrewed the lid, popped out a piece, and put it in her mouth.

The two finished around the same time. Chen Yan handed over the completed forms, and Li Zhibin said to her, "Give me your pile of papers, you can go back first. I'll take care of the rest. Wait, let me take you home. It's too late."

Without a word, Li Zhibin accompanied Chen Yan back to her dormitory. Actually, the office building and the dormitory for single students weren't far apart, less than 200 meters as the crow flies, but it was already 1:30 AM…

Neither of them spoke on the way. Li Zhibin watched Chen Yan enter the singles building, then returned to his office to continue his work. He entered their handwritten statistical tables into the computer, then carefully checked them twice, correcting two statistical errors. He printed out the summary table and then neatly organized the papers. When he left the office, he glanced at his watch; it was already three in the morning.

He overslept and woke up at 7:40. He rushed to the office without even having breakfast.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tao, I'm late."

"Oh," Tao Tang looked up at his secretary, "didn't sleep well?"

"We were compiling the survey questionnaires last night, and it got quite late..."

Sure enough, Tao Tang became interested. He closed the folder and said, "Have you finished the statistics? Let me take a look."

He handed Tao Tang two statistical summaries totaling 11 units. "Yesterday afternoon, Director Zhang assigned tasks to several of our secretaries. This is just what Secretary Chen and I did." He deliberately emphasized the word "afternoon."

"Where's the original?"

"I only have enough for the two of us..."

"Hmm...not bad." Tao Tang quickly finished reviewing the categorized summary. "The reporting rate is low. Ask the union what the reason is." Tao Tang knew that Chang Wenhai had assigned this task to the union.

「机关要高一些，我负责的7个单位平均数为77%。基层是62%小陈那部分分别是79%和63%……」

"That means 30% of the employees didn't fill out the questionnaire... Why is that?" Tao Tang muttered to himself.

He did not answer.

"Thank you for your hard work. Well done. Pick out the papers from the research institute, technology, development planning, marketing, production, purchasing, and quality control departments for me. Also, select two branch factories... Hmm, Branch Factory 11 and Branch Factory 13, how about that?"

"Understood."

He immediately obtained the unit's test papers that Tao Tang had requested from several other secretaries. Seeing Chen Yan yawning repeatedly, he gave her a knowing look.

Around nine o'clock, General Manager Tao tossed two folders to Li Zhibin to take to Secretary Zhao's office. Li Zhibin, fighting off his rising drowsiness, began processing the materials that Tao Tang had approved and signed. One folder contained documents and internal reports, while the other contained requests and reports. Unlike Song Yue, Tao Tang was always efficient in handling documents and requests, never delaying. He usually returned them to Li Zhibin around this time every day. Li Zhibin categorized them, returning circulated documents to his confidential secretary, and distributing requests and reports to various leaders and relevant departments. He personally delivered documents addressed to company leaders, assistant general managers, or deputy chief engineers; for other departments, he would call them to be picked up.

It took him an hour to finish all this. Boss Tao didn't come back; he'd probably gone to the grassroots level again. For some reason, Tao Tang never took him or anyone else with him when he went to the workshop; he always rode Master Wang's old-fashioned bicycle alone.

Today is the 29th. Due to the adjustment of two public holidays, we will face a five-day holiday. Li Zhibin, who has worked in the General Manager's Office for more than two years, has already felt the special atmosphere of the approaching holiday. It is a special feeling. If you had to describe it in one word, it would be "contraction," a contraction. Things that should be done are not done, and everyone is waiting for the holiday to arrive. The force of habit is always particularly strong. There were noticeably fewer meetings in Building 3 today, and far fewer vice presidents and middle managers came to see General Manager Tao to ask for instructions and report on their work.

This May Day holiday holds unusual significance for Li Zhibin. He has signed up for Meng Fan's "travel group" and will be going on a long hike with a dozen or so single college students. He doesn't usually like these kinds of activities, just as he generally doesn't participate in singles' mahjong, bridge, or various ball games. This is partly due to his quiet and inactive personality, and partly due to his unique job.

During this trip, he will seize the opportunity to make a clear and unambiguous confession to Chen Yan. He judges his chances of success to be over 70%. After a deep and in-depth conversation with Chen Yan that didn't involve personal feelings, his confidence soared.

That day, Tao unexpectedly came to the singles' dormitory, played a wonderful game of badminton with Meng Fan, and also visited Chen Yan and You Benling's dormitory to talk a lot with the singles about the publicity work. That evening, Li Zhibin went out for his usual walk—an activity ridiculed by the singles as a sign of premature aging. When he returned, he saw Chen Yan sitting alone on a stone table by the court, lost in thought. So he seized the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with Chen Yan.

The conversation started with President Tao. Chen Yan said that President Tao was far superior to Song Yue.

He said, "Chen Yan, I once told you that in our line of work, the most taboo thing is to criticize your superiors in private."

Chen Yan said, "Isn't this a conversation with you? Even if you disagree with me, isn't that everyone's opinion? When has Song Yue ever been to the singles' dormitory? When has she ever cared about the lives of the singles? Look, the bathroom is almost finished, and the reading room has new books. Isn't that great?"

He said, "I'm not saying Mr. Tao is bad. Mr. Tao is definitely a rare and good leader. What I mean is that our main ability as secretaries is to adapt to different types of leaders, not to choose them. It's a blessing to have a good leader, but if we have a bad one, we have to adapt."

Chen Yan said, "Now I understand why Zhang Xingwu chose you and President Tao. You'll be making rapid progress soon, so you'll have to look out for me then."

He asked, "Why do you think I'm qualified for promotion?"

Chen Yan said, "Because the director likes you."

He said, "Can you promote someone just because the director likes them? Let's not talk about distant examples. In Song Yue's four years, and before her, General Manager Liang's three years, a total of seven secretaries rose to middle management in seven years, averaging one per year. Do you think that's the director's achievement?"

Chen Yan said, "You mean it has nothing to do with the director? Was it proposed by a company leader?"

He said, "Marxist philosophy says that we must grasp the principal contradiction in things. You've been in the factory office for two years, and you really don't understand the company's cadre management system? There's only one person who plays a decisive role."

Chen Yan nodded, then congratulations are even more warranted.

He said, "I haven't finished yet. Mathematics has necessary and sufficient conditions. Unless you grasp the main contradiction, the director or the supervisor in charge often does more harm than good in these kinds of things."

Chen Yan said, "You're really vicious. But you're right, I've learned something."

He said, "So you need to change your personality. The first step is to make them not dislike you. Our system doesn't punish hardworking people, nor does it punish lazy people; it only punishes those who are oblivious to the dangers."

Chen Yan said, "I'm afraid I'm the one who's blind to the truth."

He said, "You're not. Even if some of the former directors didn't like your style, this is a fresh start, and it's not too late."

Chen Yan asked, "Is it too late?"

He said, "Of course. You're smart, and you have a strong writing style. I dare say, you'll have even more opportunities. Don't you always draft the first drafts of the quarterly and annual work summaries submitted to the boss by the General Manager's Office? Did you hear what General Manager Tao said that night? Why don't you write articles for the factory newspaper? General Manager Song never reads the factory newspaper, but General Manager Tao does, and he reads it very carefully. Think about it, they say a new emperor brings a new court. Whatever General Manager Song promotes, General Manager Tao will probably promote just as much. He's new here; whoever makes a good impression on him will get their chance. Maybe I'll even need your help."

Chen Yan laughed, "You can be my teacher now. Compared to you, my two years as a secretary were a complete waste."

He said that he had served in vain in the past, but he wouldn't serve in vain now.

He knew that Chen Yan had taken his advice to heart. Otherwise, she wouldn't have listened to him and stayed up all night to compile those questionnaires.

He liked Chen Yan. He liked her beauty, her straightforward and cheerful personality, and even more so, her lack of vanity. After Chen Yan rejected that young master Mao, he knew his chance had come.

His personality and Chen Yan's are completely different; in Chen Yan's words, he's too "quiet." There's nothing wrong with that; aren't there countless examples like that in life? Couples with complementary personalities live very happily.

The judgment is based on facts: Chen Yan's sarcasm and ridicule towards him have noticeably increased recently. This is a good sign, indicating that Chen Yan cares about him. Like that long talk he had with Chen Yan outside the singles building that night—something absolutely impossible in the past.

He had been pursuing Chen Yan in his own way for a long time, even when she was dating other people, he hadn't given up. He stubbornly believed that Chen Yan's love life wouldn't succeed, and indeed it did. In his eyes, Chen Yan was a very special girl. She wasn't the type to be vain and materialistic, nor was she a woman who worshipped power. She was like a free spirit, valuing the spiritual over the material, and disregarding all rules, yet she worked in the most rule-abiding department. Therefore, she was always criticized, full of complaints, and dissatisfied with the status quo. Of the three leaders in the general manager's office, Director Zhang and Secretary Zhu were both dissatisfied with her. Deputy Director Jia, who admired her, had ulterior motives towards her, something Li Zhibin could see. Fortunately, Chen Yan was upright, and Jia Jianxin couldn't find any opportunity.

When they shared an office, he had advised her gently, telling her things she should and shouldn't do, but he always received only sarcasm and ridicule in return. He didn't care and tried his best to make up for any possible mistakes she might have made. He firmly believed that she felt everything he did. Sure enough, after she ended her last relationship, on a relatively quiet afternoon, she talked to him at work about her troubles, explaining why she had rejected him, and treating him as a trustworthy friend. At that time, Song Yue had just been taken away, and he was on standby, his office back in Chen Yan's office, so he had the opportunity to have a deep conversation with Chen Yan. He told her that jobs could be changed, but marriage couldn't; that person was indeed not a good match for her, so her decision was right.

"You're a natural-born secretary; I really suspect you're hiding your age. But talking to you has been so much more comfortable," Chen Yan told him.

He knew what she was worried about. He told her, "You don't need to worry about General Manager Liu retaliating against you. They're too busy dealing with themselves to have the energy to bother with you. Don't worry. However, you really aren't suited for the General Manager's Office; you should be transferred to another position, but don't rush it. Because you only get one chance, you must wait for the leadership to bring it up before stating your request. To ensure your peaceful departure, they'll most likely grant your request."

Before the leadership could act, General Manager Tao arrived. The matter was naturally put on hold.

He knew about Chen Yan's family situation, but she might not know about his. They were both ordinary citizens with no special backgrounds. Otherwise, given Chen Yan's personality, she would have resigned long ago. The reason she hadn't left Hongxing, whose pay was very modest, wasn't out of ambition for advancement, but because she was held back by her family. Her parents were divorced, and she lived with her mother, whose health was poor, so she couldn't leave Pingquan. In Pingquan, apart from Hongxing, there weren't many better state-owned enterprises. Her diploma and major limited her freedom; for example, Donghu would definitely offer better pay than Hongxing, but she couldn't go there. He knew she had secretly applied to Donghu Real Estate but failed.

The idea of ​​marrying someone of equal social standing is outdated and outdated, yet it remains very practical. Couples from vastly different family backgrounds are more prone to conflict. He didn't mind Chen Yan's family background; on the contrary, he thought it was even better. His own parents were ordinary and couldn't provide the material support he hoped for in marriage. Chen Yan, unconcerned with material possessions, was precisely the perfect match he had been searching for. He worked hard, diligently trying to understand his superiors' intentions, all to achieve his goal. His goal was simple: to reach middle management in the company. Not for anything else, but for the substantial compensation and the happiness of his future family.

He firmly believed that love without a material foundation could not last. Spiritual connection can never replace material connection.

His career suffered its biggest setback: Song Yue's downfall, which nearly pushed him into the abyss. After Song Yue was placed under investigation, he was questioned twice by the provincial anti-corruption bureau, obviously targeting Song Yue. His attitude was sincere; he answered every question honestly, never concealing anything, but also never fabricating anything or making unfounded speculations. He had only worked for Song Yue for less than four months and hadn't gained Song Yue's true trust. He wasn't involved in most of Song Yue's private affairs, which ironically saved him; he only faced temporary "unemployment." Unexpectedly, he became General Manager Tao's secretary, entirely thanks to Director Zhang's patronage. This further solidified his worldview, proving that his previous work methods and attitude were entirely correct.

Hope was rekindled. But he discovered that Tao Tang was a completely different kind of person from Song Yue, and gaining Tao's trust seemed even more difficult. Tao never discussed anything outside of work with him, and his demands on work were far more stringent. He privately summarized Tao's work style into two points: First, an extremely strong sense of time, often accurate to the hour or even smaller units, never using phrases like "in a few days." Correspondingly, subordinates had to report according to his schedule. Second, precision; reports to him, including data, personnel, and content, had to be absolutely accurate.

This brought him pressure, but also greater opportunities.