Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

"Don't say that. I should also thank the Red Star Factory."

He paused, his tone calm yet each word clear:

"That was the first stage where I truly showcased my skills. Without the path it paved, I wouldn't be where I am today."

This isn't just polite talk; it's the truth. Without the platform of Hongxing Factory, even with extraordinary abilities, how many doors could he have opened? In just four short years, he rose from a fresh graduate to the head of the research department at administrative level 14, traversing a ladder that most people might not complete in half a lifetime—all of this began on the fertile ground of Hongxing Factory. It was there, working day and night to develop new electrical appliances, that he repeatedly brought his achievements to the attention of ministry leaders.

Therefore, the Red Star Factory and he have always been mutually beneficial. Outsiders only see his legendary success in building a factory that generates foreign exchange, but they may not understand that it was also this factory that gave him the foundation and confidence to realize his ambitions.

Wang Jianguo listened, not even noticing the cigarette between his fingers had burned out. He nodded heavily.

"You're right, we and the Red Star Factory are mutually beneficial."

He suddenly took half a step forward, his voice lowered, carrying a certain solemnity:

The afternoon light slanted down the corridor. Liu Guangqi had just straightened up when Wang Jianguo slapped him on the shoulder, laughing heartily, "You're so young, yet you've become a member of the academic committee and hold such an important position! Your future is dazzlingly bright!" He laughed first, then shook his head, saying, "Let's not talk about such superficial things. How about I treat you to a couple of drinks after get off work?"

Liu Guangqi waved his hand, a smile in his voice: "Not today, I have to pick up my wife. The institute is busy with projects lately, let's wait until the weekend."

Wang Jianguo immediately nodded: "Then it's settled!" He suddenly remembered something, took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it over: "Take a look at the plan for next month. I'll need you to be there to oversee the core aspects of assembling the new seven-axis machine, and you also need to coordinate the control system with the Institute of Computing Technology."

Liu Guangqi took the document, glanced at the date, and replied, "Okay, I'll come over half a day next week."

This was nothing more than a simple task for him. The two said no more and walked down the stairs together. The sunlight streaming through the window cast long, slender shadows on the terrazzo floor. They talked as they walked, their words devoid of empty rhetoric, yet brimming with solid confidence—both understood that today's direct management by ministries was not the end, but the beginning of a new journey. This beginning would depend on both technical expertise and practical action.

The documents were issued quickly. The ministry's notice regarding the merger of the factory areas and the subsequent official documents authorizing direct management were delivered to Hongxing Factory almost one after another. As soon as the news spread, the entire factory area was in an uproar.

The factory being merged was the Third Machinery Plant, under the First Ministry of Machine Building, which was similar in size to the Red Star Plant, with over 5,000 employees. This sparked widespread discussion.

"Have you heard? We're merging with the Third Machinery Plant!"

"That must add up to tens of thousands of people, right? With that scale, it's probably worthy of being upgraded to a provincial-level department!"

"Of course! With two department-level units merging, how could the new factory possibly maintain the same level?"

The workshops, offices, and even the lines for meals in the canteen were filled with barely suppressed excitement. The workers' faces were radiant, and their steps were much lighter than usual.

Not only within the factory, but the news spread like wildfire to all collaborating units. Even the sister factories they regularly worked with were astonished upon hearing the news—how long had Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory been established? How could it have leaped to such a position, heading straight for the provincial-level administrative division! More importantly, the documents clearly stated in black and white that it was "directly under the jurisdiction of the First Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Foreign Trade," a single line that laid an unshakeable foundation for this leap.

In this enthusiastic atmosphere, Liu Guangqi, as one of the most important founders behind all of this, naturally had his contributions clearly seen and remembered by the leaders of the ministries. He single-handedly propelled the Hongxing Factory from nothing to something; he was the core of the technology behind its foreign exchange earnings miracle; and now, as the factory is about to achieve a leap from the division-level to the department-level, the entire leadership team will be promoted accordingly. On the list of those receiving awards, Liu Guangqi's name will not only be indispensable, but will undoubtedly be among the top.

That afternoon, Liu Guangqi had just finished his work at the Institute of Computing Technology and rushed back to the First Ministry of Machine Building. Before he could even sit down, the Personnel Department called.

"Comrade Guangqi, please come to my office. Director Zhang is looking for you."

Liu Guangqi was slightly taken aback, but then understood—Personnel Department, Director Zhang, a conversation. This familiar procedure gave him a 70-80% feeling of unease.

When I pushed open the door to the director's office, the ever-smiling leader was holding an enamel mug and slowly blowing away the steam from his tea.

"Comrade Guangqi is here, please have a seat." Director Zhang gestured to the chair opposite him, his smile revealing undisguised delight. "You've been incredibly busy lately, shuttling between ministries and the Institute of Computing Technology. It's not easy to even catch a glimpse of you."

Director Zhang waved for him to sit down, his fingertips lightly tapping the mahogany tabletop. "You're making such a fuss over not coming all this way? You, Liu Guangqi, have probably worn the threshold of this office down to its floor." The wrinkles around his eyes smoothed out as he turned and took a kraft paper bag with a confidential document number from the filing cabinet, sliding it across the smooth table to the other side. "Take a look, it's a gift the ministry prepared for you."

Liu Guangqi accepted the paper bag with both hands. It wasn't heavy, and the sealing wax stamp still bore fresh marks. He untied the string and pulled out a few pages of official documents. The first page, in solemn Song typeface, read "Personnel Transfer Order of the First Ministry of Machine Building." His gaze moved down, and the second line of bolded headings suddenly caught his eye—

"Comrade Liu Guangqi's administrative rank has been adjusted from the original fourteenth level to the tenth level."

At the end of the document is that familiar vermilion seal, the ink of which gleams with a calm luster under the fluorescent light.

As expected, it arrived. The breath that had been held in Liu Guangqi's chest finally settled back down, transforming into a warm and reassuring feeling that spread from his heart to his limbs.

"Still standing there?" Director Zhang leaned back in his chair, blowing away the foam from his enamel mug. "It was passed unanimously at the meeting; not a single person objected. From today onward, you've officially crossed the threshold into the ranks of high-ranking officials." He took a sip of tea, his tone carrying the satisfaction of an elder. "At twenty-four, sitting in this position—this is the first time our department has done this since the founding of the People's Republic."

After saying that, he tapped the appendix at the end of the document with his knuckles: "Your job title has changed, so your salary will naturally change accordingly. Starting this month, your salary will increase to 155.5 yuan, an extra 17.5 yuan per month. Medical care, company car, and business trip allowances will all be handled according to the new regulations." He paused, as if weighing something, "2010 is a hurdle; once you get past it, many things will be different."

This is true. Within the government system, the 10th rank is a clear dividing line. Above that is the senior cadre sequence, with VIP wards for hospitalization, official cars for travel, and even a grand funeral; below that is the middle management. Liu Guangqi has now crossed this line not because of seniority, but because of his solid, hard-earned achievements.

A faint fragrance wafted from the jasmine on the office windowsill. Director Zhang saw that he was still sitting upright with a calm expression, and couldn't help but chuckle: "So young, yet as composed as a Buddha." He picked up the bamboo thermos and poured water into the glass in front of Liu Guangqi, and the tea leaves unfurled and floated in the boiling water.

"But no one can find fault with your promotion." Director Zhang sat back in his leather chair, counting on his fingers, "You spearheaded the merger and direct management of the Red Star Factory, you oversaw the breakthrough of monthly output value to 50 million, and you secured the key terms in the technical negotiations with the Soviet Union—any one of these achievements would be enough for anyone else to live off for half a lifetime. When Old Lin laid out all these things about you at the meeting, those voices saying you were too young immediately shut up."

He looked at Liu Guangqi, a complex mix of emotions in his eyes. Years ago, when this young man walked into this office with his job assignment letter, he was still a student with a scholarly air about him. It was he who personally signed the acceptance letter, assigning him to the Industrial Department. Now, only a few years later, the sapling has grown into a magnificent tree.

As Liu Guangqi listened, the steam from his tea cup blurred his vision. He recalled the roaring assembly lines in the Hongxing Factory workshop, the repeatedly revised circuit diagrams on the blueprints, and the tense atmosphere during negotiations. This fiery era was like a crucible, and he was fortunate to have found his own anvil and hammer. Every step forward was built on solid achievements—from that initial inconspicuous electric kettle to electric blankets, rice cookers, and now a complete series of export-oriented home appliances, each product was a seed he had planted himself, which has now grown into a forest that can shelter him from the wind and rain.

A faint broadcast drifted in from outside the window—the day's editorial. Liu Guangqi picked up his teacup, letting the slightly astringent aroma of tea permeate his breath. The road ahead was long, but the bricks beneath his feet had already laid out a clear outline, one by one.

The development trajectory of CNC machine tools precisely aligned with the pace of the nation's industrial leap forward. From the mass production of three-axis CNC machines to the breakthrough of five-axis CNC machine tools, each technological breakthrough resonated like a pulse within the very fabric of the era. Then came the export of washing machines, the launch of computer projects… countless images surged within his consciousness. These weren't fantasies about titles, but rather the lights burning late into the night before blueprints, the hum of metal in the workshop, and the tense smile on his face during technical challenges. Every single thing he did was grounded in reality, without any empty promises.

Today, the sapling he planted by his own hands at the Red Star Factory has grown into a giant tree that shelters the area from the wind and rain. The harvest season has finally arrived quietly.

Liu Guangqi gently stroked the thin promotion notice with his fingertips, yet the texture of the paper seemed to carry a tremendous weight. At this moment, Director Zhang's voice rang out again, gentle and warm, with the concern of an elder: "Comrade Guangqi, there's something else. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will simultaneously adjust the benefits for your spouse, Comrade Zhao's, family—for example, in terms of medical care, they can be included in the senior cadre healthcare system in the future, and will not need to queue when seeking medical treatment, but can go directly through a special channel."

These words were like a pebble thrown into a still pond, rippling across his heart. He immediately recalled the scene when Zhao Mengyun gave birth: the glaring lights of the hospital corridor, the noisy crowd, and himself standing helplessly outside the delivery room. If it weren't for his mother-in-law's phone call that put in a good word, he would probably have been left only with confusion and powerlessness. Now, this security, which he once needed to rely on others for, was quietly in his own hands. It was more solid than any material subsidy, the confidence to hold up a roof when storms came.

From now on, there's no need to bother the elders about this anymore.

A warm feeling spread from his chest, turning into a smile on his lips: "This is wonderful, Director Zhang, thank you for the organization's care."

"You deserve it all." Director Zhang waved his hand, chatted for a few more minutes about the ministry's recent situation, and then ended the conversation.

Leaving the personnel department, Liu Guangqi's steps were noticeably lighter. He turned and headed towards the finance department—payday was approaching, and salary calculations needed to be adjusted accordingly based on the new grades.

The atmosphere in the Finance Department was different from that in the Personnel Department; news was always a step behind. Seeing him enter, several section chiefs and clerks looked up to greet him: "Director Liu is here!"

"Here to process your salary adjustment." He smiled and handed over the promotion documents.

The senior section chief in charge of accounting took the paper, his gaze lingering on the words "Administrative Ten-Year Plan" before his fingers suddenly paused. He adjusted his glasses, looked up at Liu Guangqi, and his voice betrayed his shock: "Director Liu... this is... the Ten-Year Plan?!"

In an instant, the entire office fell silent. All eyes converged on him like a tidal wave, and whispers of surprise, envy, and disbelief mingled in the air. Ten—that meant he had officially stepped into the ranks of senior cadres. His basic monthly salary of 155.5 yuan was equivalent to the income of two deputy section chiefs.

Congratulations, Director Liu!

"Such a young high-ranking official, he has a very promising future..."

Faced with the congratulations pouring in from all sides, Liu Guangqi simply nodded calmly. In truth, the extra ten yuan or so each month didn't make much of a difference to his life. The money was already more than enough for him; the rest was simply deposited in the bank. On the other hand, the in-kind subsidies for high-ranking officials—a few extra pounds of meat, a few extra ounces of sugar—were roughly equivalent to the benefits of a level six engineer.

But… a barely perceptible ripple stirred within him. In a few years, the winds of change would rise. At that time, all professional title evaluations and appointments would be frozen, and the path to technical advancement would be forcibly halted. He wondered how many more steps he could climb the engineer's ladder before that all-encompassing storm arrived.

As dusk fell, he walked out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, his figure blending into the dappled sunset.