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

All of Li Huaide's calculations and his smug satisfaction at being promoted to deputy factory director crumbled completely in the face of these few words. Only now did he truly understand.

His father-in-law's admonition was not a simple reprimand, but a wake-up call: the name "Liu Guangqi" had long transcended the realm of a personal name and become a symbol in the industrial field. He was now a key figure that the First Ministry of Machine Building and even the entire industrial system could not ignore.

Establishing a solid relationship with Liu Guangqi is Li Huaide's only way out for the future.

In that instant, Li Huaide became completely sober.

As for Liu Guangqi, with the development phase of the four-high rolling mill nearing completion, the pressure on his shoulders had lessened considerably. Whether Li Huaide truly understood or not, he didn't care. For him, the development of the four-high rolling mill was merely a convenient opportunity. With the core technical challenges overcome, subsequent manufacturing was simply a routine process. He still had many other matters to handle, and at this point, entrusting the production task to the directly affiliated factories of the First Ministry of Machine Building and the steel rolling mill was the most appropriate choice.

Having been temporarily relieved from his heavy workload, Liu Guangqi was finally able to find time to handle other matters. He took a piece of paper from his drawer, laid it on the table, and began to write a letter of recommendation for his younger brother, Liu Guangtian.

Yes, this is a letter of introduction that carries immense weight in today's world. This thin page represents not only a technical job that countless people envy, but also urban residency and a stable monthly food supply.

As a high-ranking cadre with an administrative rank of ten, concurrently serving as a section chief under the First Ministry of Machine Building and the chief technical engineer of the Hongxing Factory, Liu Guangqi was naturally qualified to issue a letter of introduction for employment. Moreover, Liu Guangqi was a graduate of a regular vocational school, with a major that perfectly matched mechanical engineering. Presenting a letter of introduction personally signed by Liu Guangqi to report to the Hongxing Factory followed all legal and proper procedures. This matter couldn't even be considered a special arrangement; it was simply an internal recommendation for the reassignment of technical personnel.

Soon after, Liu Guangtian, carrying the letter of introduction he regarded as his pass for technical cadres, arrived at the Hongxing Factory with great excitement. Looking up at the shining emblem hanging high in front of the factory gate, he walked to the security office window, respectfully handed over the letter of introduction, and then presented a complete set of materials as required, including his secondary vocational school graduation certificate, graduate assignment notice, and cadre resume.

The security personnel, who had initially maintained a routine inspection attitude, immediately became polite after noticing the signature and seal at the end of the letter. They quickly verified the documents and registered the person before allowing them to pass.

Standing outside the personnel department of Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory, Liu Guangtian took a deep breath, straightened his crisp new clothes, and gently knocked on the office door.

"Please come in."

As he pushed open the door, a slightly reserved yet expectant smile appeared on his face. A clerk who was tidying up files looked up, adjusted his glasses, and sized him up: "Comrade, what can I do for you?"

"Hello, leader, my name is Liu Guangtian, and I'm here to report for duty at the factory." Liu Guangtian hurriedly stepped forward and handed over all the materials with both hands.

The clerk took the document, but paused when his gaze swept over the name field: "Wait a minute, what's your name?"

"Reporting to the leader, my name is Liu Guangtian, Guang as in 'brightness,' and Tian as in 'sky.'" Liu Guangtian answered cautiously. Actually, he wanted to say "Tian" as in "Qitian" (meaning "equal to the heavens"), but the words caught in his throat as his elder brother Liu Guangqi's calm face and his parting words of advice suddenly surfaced—

"Once I got to the factory, I focused on learning the technology."

"You're not allowed to flaunt my name. If I find out you're using my name to make a name for yourself at the factory..."

"Don't count on getting a permanent position, housing allocation, or being recognized as an advanced worker anymore."

Realizing that he might lose these opportunities, Liu Guangtian immediately suppressed the triumphant words that were about to slip out and swallowed them back.

The clerk smiled with interest upon hearing this.

Taking off his glasses and carefully wiping the lenses, the other person looked at him with great interest: "Comrade Guangtian, your name has quite a strange connection with our factory."

"The factory's first chief technical officer's name differs from yours by only one character."

"What a coincidence!"

"Comrade Guangtian, please fill out this employment application form completely."

Liu Guangtian took the form, his pen moving smoothly across the paper, displaying his name, major, education, and other information. With a letter of introduction from his superiors, the personnel department quickly completed all his onboarding procedures. The entire process was finished in less than half an hour.

Such efficiency, if it were to spread, would leave many people speechless. In this era, the appointment of cadres in administrative positions often requires both ability and connections. Liu Guangtian, through his elder brother Liu Guangqi, naturally obtained the necessary support. Although his brother would not deliberately show favoritism, this connection was enough to clear away many obstacles.

The personnel clerk took the heavy official seal from deep inside the drawer and pressed it firmly onto the registration form.

After the crisp sound, a bright red mark was imprinted on the paper like a stamp, as if marking a footnote to his life trajectory. The staff skillfully put the graduation certificate, dispatch documents and other materials into the file bag, and neatly wrote the words "Technical Section Reserve Cadre" on the cover.

"Comrade Guangtian."

"According to the policy of matching vocational school diplomas with professional skills, your administrative rank is set at level 26, and you will be temporarily appointed as a level 8 clerk with a monthly salary of 33 yuan during the probationary period."

"After a one-year probationary period, those who pass the assessment can be promoted to Level 7 clerk."

"Your cadre status will be clearly marked in your personnel file, so there's no need to worry about that."

The personnel department staff handed over the sealed file bag, their words carrying a hint of friendly reminder.

"The technical department is currently in need of mechanical engineering professionals, and your background is a perfect fit."

"Starting next week, go directly to the technical department and find the department head. I will personally go there later to hand over the duties."

Upon receiving the file and payslip, and hearing the amount of his probationary salary, Liu Guangtian felt a surge of warmth in his heart—

Thirty-three yuan!

This is just the treatment during the trial period!

It paid six or seven yuan more than a regular first-level technician in the factory, and it also allowed him to directly enter the technical department. All of this stemmed from the path his older brother had paved for him.

Stepping out of the personnel office, Liu Guangtian clutched the file folder tightly, his steps becoming lighter. He knew he didn't need to run around seeking help for job assignments and promotions like his classmates. His brother's letter of introduction had paved the way for him.

What reassured him even more was the weight of the words "cadre status"—

In this era, these four words signify a solid guarantee, a clear career path, and a pass for future inter-unit transfers.

Liu Guangtian took a deep breath, looked up at the workers coming and going in the factory area, and his eyes shone with an irrepressible light.

From this day forward, Liu Guangtian is now a government employee.

Meanwhile, Liu Guangqi didn't pay much attention to his younger brother's job offer. In his words, "The letter of introduction has already been issued; there's no need to inquire further. If he still can't secure a position, that's his own fate." Instead of worrying about such things, he'd rather focus on improving the performance of the second-generation transistor computer.

At this moment, he was hunched over his workbench at the research institute, buried in a pile of papers covered with circuit design diagrams, meticulously and tediously calculating various data for the final sprint stage.

In stark contrast to Liu Guangqi's focused attention, everyone in the courtyard, from his father Liu Haizhong to his mother Erda, and even the neighbors who were eagerly listening for news, were craning their necks to wait for news from Liu Guangtian.

As evening falls and work concludes, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys above the courtyard. The glow of the coal stoves mingles with the aroma of food wafting from each household's cooking fire.

As Liu Haizhong, exuding the air of an official, pushed his gleaming Forever brand bicycle into the courtyard, his sharp eyes immediately spotted his second son sitting at the stone table, waiting. The young man was holding a kraft paper file folder in his hand.

Liu Guangtian deliberately let a corner of the pay slip peek out from the file bag, his beaming face barely concealing his smugness. Even through the courtyard wall, one could almost smell his triumphant spirit.

"Dad! You're back!"

Upon catching a glimpse of Liu Haizhong's figure, Liu Guangtian immediately sprang up from the stone bench and strode forward to meet him.

"Um."

Liu Haizhong gave a curt reply, propped up his bicycle, and glanced at the brown paper bag on the table:

"Is everything done? What are the factory's arrangements?"

Liu Guangtian had been waiting for this question.

He reached out and slammed the file folder down hard on the stone table, making a clear "thud" that drew curious glances from behind several nearby windows.

"Everything's done! All the paperwork is complete!"

He cleared his throat, deliberately raising his voice so that everyone in the front and back yards could hear him clearly:

"The factory assigned me to a management position, administrative level 26, level 8 clerk, monthly salary..."

Thirty-three yuan.

He uttered those last few words slowly and deliberately, his gaze secretly glancing at his father's round face, hoping to receive a word of praise so that he could stand up straight in the courtyard.

"Only thirty-three?"

Before she could finish speaking, Auntie Er came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of stir-fried cabbage, with a dishcloth clutched in her hand.

She placed the dishes on the table, frowned, and leaned closer:

"Do I have to do a year-long internship before I can become a full-time employee?"

There was no trace of joy in her tone; instead, it betrayed displeasure. She wiped her hands with a rag and glanced at her second son, who was about to show off:

"Guangtian, I'm not trying to be mean, but when your older brother joined the Ministry of Machine Building, there was no probationary period. He became a full-fledged first-level clerk right away."

"Your first month's salary was higher than your dad's. You only graduated from a vocational school; compared to your older brother, you're nowhere near as good."

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Liu Guangtian's head in the twelfth lunar month, extinguishing the small flame that had just ignited in his heart. The smug look on his face vanished before it could even spread.

Compared to the eldest brother?

What do I have to compare with him on?

My mother really thinks highly of me.

"Mom! How can I compare to my older brother!"

Liu Guangtian's face showed helplessness, and he hurriedly explained:

"My older brother is a top student from Tsinghua University. He was promoted to assistant engineer before graduation through a special talent recruitment program, so of course his level is high!"

He quickly came up with a clever idea, changed the subject, and forced a smile back onto his face:

"Once I'm officially promoted, I'll be a level seven clerk, and my salary will be thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents! And—I'm already a cadre!"

He emphasized the word "cadre" with extra force.

To everyone's surprise, the second aunt didn't respond at all, and turned to walk towards the kitchen, saying, "I know, I know, why are you shouting so loudly?"

"Wash your hands before you eat, the food will get cold."

That silhouette, that tone of voice, were as indifferent as if he were saying that the vegetables were a penny more expensive today.

Liu Guangtian craned his neck, his smile gradually freezing and finally disappearing completely.

Ok.

I, who was just there to make up the numbers, am no match for my elder brother, who is his own flesh and blood.

Liu Guangtian was at his wit's end, and could only turn his hopeful gaze to Liu Haizhong, who was sitting at the table—that was his only remaining hope.

His father, Liu Pangpang, was a notorious bureaucrat in the compound; his eyes would light up at the mere mention of the word "cadre." His mother might not understand the significance of a cadre, but surely his father did?

But then Liu Haizhong calmly picked up a piece of scrambled eggs with his chopsticks and instructed:

"When you get your first month's salary, remember to buy something to thank your older brother. Don't be impolite."

"If it weren't for your brother giving you a hand, you wouldn't even be able to get into a vocational school, let alone become a government official!"

Liu Guangtian was completely speechless.

Is this the key point?

Father!

Cadres!

Your second son, me, Liu Guangtian, is now also a government employee with a government job and official status!

Shouldn't this be your focus?

A strong sense of frustration welled up inside him. When did even his father, who valued officialdom above all else, become indifferent to the status of a cadre?

Is this level eight clerk not good enough for him?

As Liu Guangtian muttered to himself, Liu Haizhong wiped his mouth and finally turned his gaze back to him:

"Oh, right..."

"You're a cadre now..."

Upon hearing these words, the embers of anger that had been dying down in Liu Guangtian's heart were suddenly reignited.

His eyes suddenly lit up, his back straightened involuntarily, and his ears perked up, eagerly awaiting that belated affirmation.

In the end, the father remembered his identity as a member of the ** department!

Before the thought could even settle, Liu Haizhong's next words drifted over, like a needle piercing his heart. "Now that you're receiving a salary, send fifteen yuan home every month to help with household expenses."