Courtyard House: From Bloodsucking Jia Zhangshi to Industrial Giant

Chapter 13 Room Allocation and Consultation!

"The technical department currently has a total of sixteen people, including a department head and a deputy department head. Department Head Ma is a retired soldier and doesn't know much about technology. He is responsible for coordinating the work of your entire department."

The deputy section chief, surnamed Tai, is our factory's only level-eight engineer, the factory director's prized asset. Without him, many of the technical department's tasks couldn't be carried out.

She told Zhang Chengfei that the technical department was mainly divided into two parts. One part consisted of technicians whose main job was to study the Russian bear and imported machinery, and then imitate and improve them.

The other part is the maintenance team. Although these people have lower educational qualifications, they have rich practical experience and know the machines very well. When the machines and machine tools in our factory and the steel rolling mill have problems, they are generally handled by their respective maintenance teams.

"If the maintenance team can't fix it, the technicians from both factories will discuss it together and try to find a solution."

Sister Xie paused again: "Our factory is an affiliated factory of the steel rolling mill. If there is a lot of work over there, our factory's technicians often have to go over to help."

Zhang Chengfei nodded, indicating that he understood.

Seeing that the two were not far from the technical department, Sister Xie suddenly remembered something and slapped her thigh: "Look at my brain, you haven't picked up your work clothes yet! Oh well, we have to go back to our department."

Sister Xie smiled apologetically at Zhang Chengfei and then led him back the way they came.

Upon arriving at the Labor Protection Office of the Personnel Department, Zhang Chengfei received two sets of winter work clothes, two pairs of labor protection gloves, a work permit, and liberation shoes.

As Zhang Chengfei was packing his things, the bearded man in charge of distributing work safety supplies casually asked Sister Xie which dormitory Zhang Chengfei had been assigned to.

Sister Xie said, "Him? He doesn't live in the dormitory."

"Not living in the dorms? Your home is nearby, so you're going back home?" The bearded man asked himself, answering, "Going home is fine too. It's only for a year anyway, not worth moving around."

According to regulations, the internship period for graduating from vocational high school is one year. After one year, they become formal cadres with official positions and are then allocated housing.

Sister Xie raised her voice slightly: "Old Niu, you're underestimating Comrade Zhang Chengfei. He's already a full-fledged employee and can get a house directly."

"What?" Old Niu asked, somewhat surprised. "Didn't he just report on it?"

"Director Feng personally selected him. As for why, I can't tell you now. You'll find out when the time is right." Sister Xie wasn't deliberately keeping him in suspense; it was just that Zhang Chengfei's design of the mini-tiller had won the favor of the leadership.

But scientific research isn't that simple; there's a long way to go from conception to production. Since the leadership hasn't said whether she can talk about it, she certainly won't go around telling everyone.

As for why she took it upon herself to decide to give Zhang Chengfei a house when Director Feng clearly did not personally specify it?

Sister Xie believed that she had some insight after working with Lao Feng for several years.

A vocational school graduate's internship salary is 29.5 yuan, and after becoming a full-time employee, they'll be at technical level 15. Zhang Chengfei, on the other hand, started as a level 14 clerk, so with his salary increasing, his benefits naturally followed suit.

Old Niu was completely bewildered, but he knew that if Sister Xie didn't want to talk about it, he couldn't get any information out of her no matter how hard he tried.

Since that's the case, he decided not to waste his breath. However, a hint of inquiry crept into his gaze as he looked at Zhang Chengfei.

Zhang Chengfei ignored what the two were saying. After checking the issued work protective equipment, he went to the technical department again, led by Sister Xie.

On the way, Sister Xie told him that she could only tell Zhang Chengfei about the house after she returned to her post and coordinated with the housing allocation officer.

"I'll try my best to get it done for you today so as not to delay your check-in."

Zhang Chengfei smiled and said, "No rush, big sister. I have relatives in the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang. If all else fails, you can stay at their place for a night or two."

He actually wanted to know why his dislike level continued to increase after he left the courtyard house yesterday.

"You have relatives at the factory? That's a good relationship; you can help each other out." Sister Xie thought for a moment. "Compound No. 95 is the steel rolling mill's staff quarters; our factory can also arrange for people to go there. Let me think..."

"It seems there's an empty room in their front yard. Shall I arrange for you to go there?"

"That's great!" Zhang Chengfei readily agreed, "Then thank you, big sister."

As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Since he wanted to absorb as much dislike value as possible, he naturally wanted to be as close to the people in the courtyard as possible.

"From now on, we're comrades-in-arms, no need for thanks. You go ahead and get to work, I'll bring you the keys once the apartment is settled."

The house was settled, and the two stood at the entrance of the technical department.

Sister Xie pushed the door open, only to find that there was only a repair trainee inside, dozing off with his chin resting on his hand and his hand propped up on the table.

"Xiao Mao, where did everyone from your department go?"

Xiao Mao shuddered in fright. When he saw Sister Xie appear, he sat up straight abruptly: "Section Chief Xie, well, Section Chief Tai has taken some of our department to the countryside."

The rest... The steel rolling mill just called to say that their machine tools are malfunctioning and they need someone from our factory's technical department to come and diagnose it."

"Consultation" is their internal terminology within the technical department; it essentially means that they've encountered a problem that one person can't solve, so they need to discuss it together.

Sister Xie frowned slightly: "Your section chief went too?"

"Yeah, everyone went." Xiao Mao said somewhat dejectedly, "I wanted to go too, but our section chief said I'm just a useless piece of trash and he made me stay home."

Although Xiao Mao knew that the section chief had a military background and his speech was inevitably vulgar, he was still very sad.

He even thought to himself that the section chief would never understand the immense psychological damage his casual remark could cause to a sixteen-year-old boy.

And besides, the section chief himself clearly doesn't understand technology, okay? If he's an egg on TJ, isn't he the other one?

We're all the same, so why are you making fun of him?

Sister Xie had become accustomed to Section Chief Ma's vulgarity and did not offer any comfort to Xiao Mao, who was suffering emotional distress.

After thinking for a moment and finding out which workshop in the steel rolling mill the Section Chief Ma and his team were consulting on, she simply had Zhang Chengfei change his clothes and then prepared to take him there.

After Zhang Chengfei changed into his work clothes, the two headed to the steel rolling mill.

Upon entering the No. 3 workshop of the steel rolling mill, one immediately sees several people in work clothes gathered around a 1A62 lathe.

Not far behind them, there were many workers pointing and gesturing, including Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu was facing the workshop door when he immediately spotted his third grandfather, Zhang Chengfei, wearing work clothes.

"Has Third Grandfather already taken up his post?" Jia Dongxu was slightly excited and wanted to loudly show off to everyone that this new cadre was a relative of theirs.

But now was not the time. Jia Dongxu was feeling stifled, so he could only secretly tug at Guo Da Piezi's sleeve and whisper to him.

Since starting work today, Guo Dapizi has heard Jia Dongxu boast about his third grandfather more than once.

At this moment, Zhang Chengfei appeared, his gaze shifting between Zhang Chengfei and Jia Dongxu, and finally he commented: "Dongxu, you are far less attractive than your grandfather."

Jia Dongxu scoffed at him, "No matter how ugly I am, I'm still better looking than you."

Guo Da Piezi, his face dark, asked, "What's your grandfather doing at our factory? Here for a consultation too?"