Era: 1962, the rise of vocabulary and related terms

Purchasing Department.

After returning from Li Huaide's place, Sun Yongkai looked at the group of people gathered in the department and remembered his words.

"We need to finish this task quickly and change the factory leaders' impression of us as incompetent!"

At that moment, a group of junior purchasing staff were chattering and celebrating together.

They slammed their fists on the table, boasting to each other about their "achievements" in going to the countryside, their faces beaming with undisguised pride and smugness.

On the other hand, the mid-to-senior level purchasing staff on the side showed neither joy nor sorrow. This should have been an honor for the entire department, and they should have been happy, but at this moment their feelings were mixed.

cough~

"Alright, everyone's here. Let's have a meeting."

Sun Yongkai looked at everyone and said, "Thank you all for your hard work during this period. You've done a great job! Excellent! You completed the grain procurement task in less than half a month. This is the best we've done in the past few years, without exception."

clap clap clap! ! !

Thunderous applause erupted, and everyone's faces beamed with pride.

During the famine a few years ago, they were often scolded, especially the junior purchasing staff. In recent years, many of them have been transferred out of the purchasing department because they failed to meet the targets.

"Director Li highly praised our purchasing department, and we should have celebrated properly, but! The matter isn't over yet. The grain issue has been resolved, but there's still the even more pressing issue of coal!"

"The factory is waiting for these 210,000 jin (100 tons) to tide us over! Once the coal issue is resolved smoothly, I'll personally apply for funding, and we'll have a huge celebration banquet!"

He paused deliberately, letting the weighty figure of "21 jin" settle firmly in everyone's mind.

"Now, while everyone's here, let's all use our brains and think about how to solve this coal problem?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a heavy atmosphere instantly enveloped the department.

The smiles on the junior purchasing staff's faces froze, replaced by a sense of resistance.

They exchanged glances, silently conveying the same message: What does this have to do with us?

In the countryside, people mainly burn firewood and straw, and coal is scarce. They don't even have enough coal for cooking, so why would they want to sell it? Besides, coal is rationed.

This time, Keli needs to fill the gap of 21 jin of coal, which is beyond their capabilities, so naturally they are powerless to do so.

The most convenient way to purchase coal is naturally to go to the coal mines in Mentougou and Fangshan.

However, the coal mining area is the territory of those mid- to high-level purchasing agents.

Sun Dazhu was the first to lose his composure. He jumped up from his chair: "Section Chief Sun! The coal business? This is completely outside our reach!"

He glanced around at the junior purchasing staff around him.

"Besides, at the beginning of the month, you confidently promised everyone that whoever completed their purchasing quota first would get a day off!"

"Now, we brothers have not only completed the task, but exceeded it by four or five times! This is written in black and white... oh no, this is a promise made with our own words, it can't go back on its word, can it?"

Each person purchased at least 5000 catties of grain at 2 mao per catty, which means each person had a minimum purchase amount of 1000 yuan. They have already fulfilled their purchase quota, and even exceeded it by four or five times.

"The work is done, the grain is in the granary, and the money and coupons have been handed in! Shouldn't we be on holiday now? Or do we have to keep working endlessly just because the work is finished?"

"That's right, Sun Ke!" Ma Bing immediately chimed in. He wasn't short, but his voice was high-pitched: "If you don't keep your word, how can we work for you anymore? This coal... it's not our job!"

Xu Chunwang and others chimed in in agreement.

"Yes! Sun Ke must keep his word!"

"Exactly, you can't keep people detained after the work is done!"

"We need a holiday! We want a holiday!"

Sun Yongkai was so taken aback by this sudden "coup" that his face turned pale and then red.

He never imagined that he could complete the grain purchase quota in just half a month.

He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, wanting to emphasize the importance of the overall situation, but looking at the faces in front of him filled with "you promised" and "we accomplished" the promises, those high-sounding words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them no matter what.

Breaking a promise?

If he really dares to break his promise, what prestige will this section chief have left?

Just as Sun Yongkai was speechless with embarrassment, Wu Xu pointed at Zheng Shuangxi and other mid-to-senior level purchasing staff: "Section Chief Sun, look, Brother Zhu and the others... it seems they haven't met their purchasing quotas yet, have they?"

"According to the rules and the division of responsibilities, this coal business should have been under their jurisdiction. They have connections and extensive networks, and most importantly, they have the know-how in the coal mines."

This sentence is like a drop of water falling into a pot of boiling oil; it explodes instantly!

"Wu Xu! What the hell do you mean?!" Zheng Shuangxi slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his face flushed red.

"What do you mean by 'our territory'? Does the purchasing department's work have to be divided into 'yours' and 'mine'? We're all brothers in the same department, and you're trying to shirk responsibility when things get tough? It's true you exceeded your grain quota, but that was just luck!"

"Now that we're facing difficulties, shouldn't we all work together? Instead, you're making excuses and causing trouble! Don't you have any sense of collective honor?"

Song Guangfu, his face grim, chimed in, his tone icy: "The rules were set out that completion would result in a holiday, and we admit we didn't complete it!"

"But the coal issue is a major concern for the department and the factory! Some people shouldn't think that just because they've exceeded their targets, they can stand idly by and ignore the department's difficulties. Is this still a collective?"

Even the kind-hearted Zhu Fugui spoke from his own perspective at this moment.

Faced with a shortage of 21 jin of coal, they gathered together to discuss the matter while the junior purchasing agents were out in the countryside.

They can only complete about half of the coal production; they can't guarantee the remaining half.

But can't that other half be left unattended?

They spoke one after another, their criticisms pointing directly at the junior purchasing staff for being "selfish" and "disregarding the big picture."

Junior purchasing staff were not about to back down.

"Bullshit!" Sun Dazhu's fiery temper flared completely. He pointed at Zheng Shuangxi's nose and roared, "Zheng Shuangxi! Stop spouting nonsense! 'Collective honor', my foot!"

"When we were working tirelessly in the countryside, exhausted like dogs, what were you doing? Drinking tea and reading newspapers in the office! Even a tiny gap under your fingernails could have helped us meet our purchasing quota, but did you help us at all?"

"Now that we've achieved some success, you're envious? When you run into a tough problem, you start thinking about the 'collective'? You think about 'brothers'? Where were you all this time?!"

"Exactly!" Ma Bing added in a shrill voice, his tone sarcastic. "Oh, so you're getting anxious now? Why didn't you all jump out to object when the rules were being set?"

"Oh, so rules are only rules when they benefit us, but when you're at a disadvantage, it becomes 'disregarding the bigger picture'?"

"You dare talk back?!" Song Guangfu trembled with rage, pointing at Sun Dazhu and Ma Bing. "Do you even respect me as the deputy section chief? Don't you have any manners?! We're all in the same department, what's wrong with helping each other out?"

"This is perfectly reasonable! Is your attitude now appropriate?!"

"Mutual help? Screw mutual help!" Xu Chunwang couldn't help but curse. "When we were working ourselves to the bone, you didn't 'help' us at all, and now you're asking us to help each other? On what grounds!?"

In the past, when there were no conflicts of interest, everyone naturally lived in harmony, just like close neighbors.

But this is a matter of interests. How can we expect them to meet the quotas that mid- to senior-level purchasing staff haven't met?

They can now take a three-month vacation in one go!

"Yes! This holiday is definitely happening!"

"Let whoever wants to do it do it!"

"If you're so capable, why don't you exceed the limit too!"

The junior purchasing staff were indignant and started offering their support all at once. Their voices grew louder and louder, and the entire department descended into chaos.

Outside the door, faint noises could be heard coming from the fourth department.

"Shut up! All of you shut up!" Sun Yongkai slammed his hand on the table, making a loud "bang" that shook the teacups on the table.

His face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently; he was clearly furious.

"What's all this noise about! What kind of behavior is this! Don't you have any sense of organization and discipline?! Don't you even respect me as the head of the purchasing department?!"

Before he broke his promise, Sun Yongkai's position as head of the purchasing department was still very useful.

The department gradually quieted down.

"I, Sun Yongkai, am a man of my word! What I say is as good as water spilled on the ground! I will not change my mind!"

Upon hearing this, the anger on the faces of the junior purchasing staff was instantly replaced by surprise, but their mood quickly changed.

"I asked you to come up with ideas and solutions, not for you to go out and work in the coal mine right now, and you can't even sit still?! How can we expect you to use your brains and come up with ideas for any major issues in the department in the future?! You have absolutely no sense of responsibility!"

Although I was given a severe dressing-down, the core promise—the holiday!—was not taken back, and that was more important than anything else.

Sun Dazhu and the others shrank back, exchanged glances, and conveyed the message, "Let them scold us, as long as we get the holiday."

"From now on, those of you who have completed your tasks can take a break!"

"good!"

"Sun Ke is brilliant!"

"Thank you, Sun Ke!"

Cheers erupted immediately, and the tense atmosphere from before seemed to vanish in an instant.

"But!" Sun Yongkai's tone suddenly changed, his voice becoming serious, "Every morning, you must come to the department to check in! Let me know you're here! This is the rule, and it's also in case the factory needs manpower in case of an emergency."

This requirement to "check in" is a bit of a formality, but it's much better than forcing them to stay at work.

Although there are some minor flaws, it is still acceptable, since the core demand of "taking a holiday" has been achieved.

Cheers erupted again, mixed with shouts of "Sun Ke is righteous!" and "Thank you, Sun Ke!"

Having resolved the issue of junior purchasing staff, Sun Yongkai's sharp gaze immediately turned to mid-to-senior level purchasing staff such as Zhu Fugui, Song Guangfu, and Feng Shoucheng.

"You mid-to-senior level purchasing staff, get on your feet! Put in more effort! Look at them! And look at yourselves! You're all deputy section chiefs, veterans, and you still haven't met your purchasing quotas? Aren't you ashamed?!"

His gaze was particularly sharp as he fixed it on Song Guangfu and Feng Shoucheng:

"Deputy Section Chief Song, Deputy Section Chief Feng! Two deputy section chiefs, outshone by a group of 'low-level' purchasing staff you usually look down on, how can you bear it?"

"Hmm?! If that's not working, then hurry up and move over to make room! The Purchasing Department doesn't tolerate idlers! The factory needs the coal! I'm leaving it to you! Don't let Director Li down!"

"Hurry and think of a solution!"

Song Guangfu and Feng Shoucheng's faces instantly turned from ashen to pitch black.

The junior purchasing staff didn't care about any of that and shouted that they would go celebrate after get off work.

"Let's go! Let's go for a drink!"

"Celebrate the victory!"

"We have to drink! We have to drink until the world turns upside down!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting increasingly awkward, Sun Yongkai didn't dare to keep them any longer.

"Meeting adjourned! Time to go home!"