Courtyard House: My System - Artificial Human

Old Yang and the others were led to a row of bungalows and lined up to go in one by one to register their information.

Seeing such a serious demeanor, he couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his trousers.

"Next!"

"Name, and where are you from?"

"Yang Deshan, De means virtue. I am from our old city of Beijing, and I live in Jiudaowan, Dongcheng."

"Oh? You can read, right? Can you write?" The recorder's eyes lit up as he asked.

Old Yang struggled with the decision for a moment, but ultimately answered honestly.

"Um...no, I don't know many."

"Oh, I see... How old are you this year? What did you do before?"

"I'm 34, a manual laborer. Don't worry, I'm in great health! I'm strong! Um... can I work in a factory?"

"Don't ask me, it's not up to me to decide. I'll just register your information here. Here, take this form and go to the next queue. Next!"

The recorder handed him a piece of paper as he spoke, indicating that he didn't have high expectations of him.

Who doesn't claim to be physically strong and capable when they come to the steel rolling mill? But that only proves you're a normal person, not enough to warrant exceptional hiring. After all, steel rolling work isn't all about swinging a sledgehammer to forge iron.

Those who can read and interpret pictures are the most sought-after; despite the expansion of enrollment for so many days, there are still fewer than a hundred such people.

The recorder's attitude made Lao Yang's heart sink. He went to the next room to queue up, where strength and hand dexterity were tested.

Lifting stones, threading needles...

After the test, Lao Yang received a mediocre evaluation, no different from the others, just average.

The person ahead of Lao Yang crumpled up their registration form and prepared to leave as soon as they left.

"Hey? Bro, what's going on?"

"Since it's hopeless, I won't waste my time. I'll go back and see if I can find some work."

Old Yang couldn't help but feel anxious when he thought about how he had the same score as the other person.

"That's it? The tests aren't even finished yet?"

"Hey, didn't you see that recorder shaking his head? Anyone who can't thread ten needles either has unsteady hands or bad eyesight, basically they just don't have the talent. Our group doesn't have much hope. Oh! Unless you have some connections, like a relative working in some unit or being a family of a military martyr, you can get some preferential treatment. Then go register in the back room. If you're like me and have nothing, I suggest you go home early, you're just waiting for nothing."

Old Yang was even more puzzled by what he said, which sounded very reasonable, but the man had no desire to chat with him any longer and left after finishing his conversation.

Old Yang was not satisfied, so he went to the third room to queue up.

Just as the person had said, they asked some questions about my family background.

After asking the questions, the recorder quickly wrote "No special circumstances" on the back of the record sheet.

"Alright, sir, go back and wait. Come back in three days and see if your name is there."

Is this over?

The whole thing happened in less than half a minute, so fast that it made Old Yang uneasy.

Standing at the door, he saw many people come out of the second room and then shake their heads and leave.

It seems that after this round of testing, everyone is not very confident.

Old Yang didn't want to accept defeat like them.

He had reasons why he had to work in the factory.

If I could actually get a job in the factory, I could go back wearing the worker's uniform.

Then, who in the yard will still call him a laborer? Old Ye will look at himself with new respect, and his children will be proud of themselves too…

The urgent need to keep Lao Yang grounded in place led him to unconsciously immerse himself in the identity of a worker who had successfully applied for a job.

When he came to his senses, he saw a familiar figure.

It was the young man I met in the courtyard yesterday. On my way home, I saw him riding his bicycle past me with a flourish.

At this moment, the other party was wearing a neat and clean Zhongshan suit, with a calm demeanor and upright posture. Several people older than him were surrounding him.

Some were pointing at the crowd of people registering, as if explaining or reporting something; others were holding cigarettes, trying to offer them several times but failing to get the chance, but their faces showed no disappointment or annoyance as they continued to wait…

Old Yang watched closely and was envious; this young man was truly remarkable.

If a person lives their life like this, I think they've lived a fulfilling life, right?

In an instant, he sighed inwardly, thinking that he would never have the chance in his life, and that he wished his son could be as successful as him...

Suddenly, the group of people moved towards the bungalow. Old Yang hurriedly made way for them and saw them walk to the door.

"Let me check the factory's registration process..."

Registration is temporarily suspended; a recorder comes forward with the registration form to report.

"Here's the thing, Comrade Lin. Initially, it mainly involves three steps: information registration, aptitude testing, and supplementary information for special circumstances. You see, this is today's registration form..."

"Smooth and rigorous! Let me take a look... Hmm, I'm more curious whether this kind of differentiation will allow for reasonable allocation to specific positions?"

"Sure! This is the process set by Factory Director Xie. This is just the initial screening. Let me give you an example. For instance, this guy named Li Cheng can thread ten needles in one minute according to his test record. He has steady hands and sharp eyes, so he's suitable for the fitter's workshop. This Liang Xinwang is literate, comes from a poor family, and is willing to work hard, so he can be trained as a shearer. And this one..."

"Oh! I see. Take Yang Deshan for example. The records show he's strong, comes from a manual labor background, and doesn't have any other special skills... So he can't get into the workshop, and can only work as a loader, right? He has experience in that area, is that what you mean?"

"Ah? Ah! Yes! That's what I mean! He's best suited for loading and unloading; you're absolutely right!"

"It's not that I have a good eye, it's just that the plan you prepared has a clear process... Let's go, let's go take a look at other places..."

……

"Hey! Who's Yang Deshan? I don't remember him."

After Lin Weidong and his group left, the recorder scratched his head while holding two stacks of forms.

Old Yang, recovering from his surprise, suppressed his pounding heart and ran over to him in a few steps.

"It's me! It's me, comrade, it's me! My name is Yang Deshan!"

"Oh, it's you! What luck!" The recorder looked you over and clicked his tongue in amazement. "You haven't left? So you heard everything just now?"

"I'm not leaving, thank you factory, thank you for giving me this opportunity! I will definitely work hard. I'm very familiar with loading and unloading, I can do it!"

"Alright! Don't thank me. I'll tell you the truth: according to procedure, you don't meet the requirements. But Comrade Lin just called your name, so you can give it a try."

"Okay, thank you too, Comrade Lin. Don't worry, I'll definitely do my job well!"

……

As evening fell, Old Yang dragged his weary body away from the steel rolling mill.

The first time I moved steel, the unfamiliar territory was far more tiring than usual.

But as Old Yang walked, he couldn't help but hum a tune.

Tucked under his arm was a set of factory clothes wrapped in old newspapers, brand new and still smelling of the fabric dye.