Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 655 The Station Master's Talk - Moving Upwards

The next day.

Steel rolling mill.

After more than half a month of busy work, everyone has finally adapted to the rhythm of work.

"Xiao Li, Director Yang is looking for you." Secretary Wan Shen came over.

"Here we are." Li Kailang followed closely behind him.

"Director Yang, you wanted to see me?"

"sit!"

After saying "Sit" to his superiors, Director Yang continued working on the documents in his hands.

After making some adjustments, Director Yang stood up and looked at Li Kailang.

"How are things going? Are you getting used to it since we started work? Is there anything you're not used to?"

"It's been half a month already, I've gotten used to it. As for improvement, there's no need to; maintaining the status quo is fine," Li Kailang replied.

Factory Director Yang nodded: "You'll get used to it. How's the transportation team doing? Are they busy? If they are, I can help you transfer. Don't let work affect your studies."

Li Kailang waved his hand and said, "No need, everyone has been very kind to me. They know this is my last semester, and they have been helping me with my workload, whether intentionally or unintentionally. I am much more relaxed now than last year."

“It would be unfair of me to transfer here. Besides, it’s important to balance work and rest. Studying all the time will only make you less effective.”

Everyone knows that this is Li Kailang's last semester, which is related to his graduation and the honor of the entire transportation team.

No department in the steel rolling mill has yet been able to train college graduates, but their transportation team is very likely to be the first. Since it concerns the face and honor of the group, everyone will naturally work together.

Helping Li Kailang with some of the work is nothing. They thought the same as Director Yang and wanted to take over all of Li Kailang's work so that he could focus on his studies.

Factory Director Yang nodded in deep agreement: "You're right, I was just overthinking it."

"By the way, do you have enough level 8 workpieces for practice? If not, there are some more in the warehouse, feel free to take them."

"No need, I don't have enough. I already have four or five level-eight workpieces, and I might not even finish them this month, so there's no need to take any more." Li Kailang waved his hand.

"I'm afraid that if I take on more, the pressure will be too much and I won't be able to do a good job, which will backfire."

Factory Director Yang quickly comforted you: "Don't feel pressured. The factory has plenty of these practice parts. It doesn't matter if you make them badly. Just throw them away. Don't feel guilty."

"Don't worry, Director Yang, I understand."

"That's good." Factory Director Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, after offering a few words of comfort and reassurance, Li Kailang was told to relax, take his time, focus on his studies, and not rush, before being told to go back and rest.

Back in the study room, Li Kailang looked at the skill panel: [Fitter (Level 6)].

"I feel like I'm not far from level seven. Maybe I can get it this month, or at worst next month. Then I can use the upgrade card to get straight to level eight."

The fact that he only had one upgrade card made Li Kailang have to be cautious.

In fact, he was torn between mechanical technology and fitter work, finding it difficult to choose.

From a long-term perspective, upgrading mechanical technology may yield greater benefits.

However, Li Kailang felt he had hit a bottleneck in [fitter's work]. Even with the assistance of the [Time Reversal Machine] and some skill bonuses, he might not be able to make the workpiece.

Even the same thing can fail.

He was confident of being promoted to level seven, but he wasn't so sure whether he could reach level eight on his own.

"I'm not even 21 years old and I'm an eighth-grade worker. I wonder who can surpass me?" Thinking of this, Li Kailang couldn't help but chuckle twice.

The thought that Yi Zhonghai had worked hard for most of his life to reach the position of an eighth-grade worker, while he himself could achieve the same success at a young age, made him very sad.

I wonder what expression he'll have on his old face, and whether he can still hold onto his position as the "big boss in charge."

the other side.

Scrap yard.

"Dong Dong~"

"Little White, are you inside?"

The voice of stationmaster Wang Cheng came from outside the door.

"I'm here, stationmaster, please wait a moment." Bai Xiuwen quickly replied, put away the radio, and went to open the door.

"Stationmaster, is there anything I can help you with?"

Wang Cheng cut straight to the point: "Xiao Bai, how have you been lately? Have you encountered any difficulties? If so, just tell me."

"I am a station manager, after all. Although my position is low, I can still help you in some ways."

Wang Cheng had just returned from outside and stopped by Lao Lin to check on the station's recent scrap metal collection and profitability.

But they overheard several buyers discussing how Bai Xiuwen had exceeded his targets for several consecutive days.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengcai wondered to himself, "Exceeding the task target? Xiaobai is a veteran employee; he can't possibly be unaware of these rules. Could it be that he's encountered some difficulties?"

It's worth noting that on Bai Xiuwen's very first day at the company, his mentor, Master Xiao, repeatedly explained the rules regarding acquisitions. He had performed exceptionally well for the past year, so why was he suddenly being treated differently?
Of course, most importantly, Bai Xiuwen exceeded the acquisition target, which means he focused all his energy on the acquisition.

That means we might have to put the repair work aside, but that won't do.

"No, I have to go see Xiaobai. This repaired item is too important to me." Wang Cheng became more and more anxious as he thought about it.

Before the Lunar New Year, thanks to the items repaired by Bai Xiuwen, Wang Cheng was able to establish connections with many leaders.

Whether Bai Xiuwen can advance further in his position as the head of the scrap yard depends on his repair skills.

No matter what trouble Bai Xiuwen encounters, the maintenance work must be guaranteed to continue!
Wang Chengcai couldn't sit still any longer and went straight to Bai Xiuwen's repair room to see what was going on.

Bai Xiuwen didn't understand what Wang Chengcai meant at first: "Station Chief, I'm fine. I've been doing well lately, and everyone has been taking good care of me."

These words only made Wang Cheng more worried. He patted Bai Xiuwen on the shoulder and said earnestly:
"Xiao Bai, don't hide it from the station manager. You are a member of my scrap yard. If you are in trouble, how can I, as the station manager, sit idly by?"

"Has something happened at home, or has your sister been bullied? Don't worry, I'll find someone to get revenge for your sister right away!"

Seeing Wang Cheng's concern and the practicality of his words, Bai Xiuwen felt a surge of emotion.

On second thought, there's nothing shameful about dating and planning to get married.
He said somewhat shyly, "Stationmaster, to tell you the truth, I'm in a relationship."

"Dating? Dating is great! Whose daughter is she? Where does she work? What's her personality like? You're not getting any younger, it's time to get married."

Wang Cheng was overjoyed and even more concerned, knowing that having a partner would make his job more stable.

Seeing Wang Cheng's enthusiasm, Bai Xiuwen briefly explained Xu Sinan's situation: she was a textile factory worker, they had feelings for each other, and they were neighbors.

"It's like this, station manager. As you know, I bought this job and I still owe money to people. I want to pay off the debt as soon as possible so I can marry her."

After saying this, Bai Xiuwen blushed.

He dared to tell Wang Chengcai because collecting scrap metal was too slow a way to make money, and he wanted to pay off his debts as soon as possible, so he could only rely on Wang Chengcai's help.

If Wang Chengcai were to slip in a few good items, like a pendulum clock, it would be worth a month and a half's salary, extra income, and bonuses. If it were a radio, a watch, or a bicycle, it would be worth even more.

"Oh, so that's what happened. I know. It's a good thing to pay off debts and get married!" Wang Cheng nodded in praise of Bai Xiuwen's actions.

He understood the implication and hesitated whether to help.

After only a few seconds of deliberation, Wang Cheng made up his mind: "That's right, a batch of scrapped bicycle parts will be delivered to the station in a few days. Take a close look."

"Just try to assemble a complete one and hand it to me. If you can assemble another one from the remaining scraps, then the second one is yours!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiuwen beamed with joy: "Thank you, Station Master!"

"No need to thank me! There's no need for formalities between us. As long as you work diligently and conscientiously," Wang Cheng waved his hand with a smile, emphasizing the words "conscientiously and conscientiously."

"How could I, as the station manager, treat you unfairly and not help you? Don't you agree?"

Wang Chengcai genuinely wanted to keep this precious talent in check. He had witnessed Bai Xiuwen's hard work over the past year, especially before the new year.

In the future, we will have to rely on him even more to maintain our relationship and to use him as a "stepping stone" for giving gifts.

If the technology is in someone else's hands, what if they abandon their responsibilities or stop working hard if we don't properly appease them?
No one else in the station has the ability; they all rely on Bai Xiuwen. If things really fall apart, they'll be begging for food while holding a golden rice bowl.

Besides, with Bai Xiuwen's skills, he could collect broken parts, slowly repair them, and secretly sell them to pay off his debts. No one could stop him or find out.

After figuring out these points, Wang Cheng realized that giving Bai Xiuwen some of his "windfall" was a worthwhile deal.

"Thank you so much, stationmaster!" Bai Xiuwen said gratefully again.

"No need to thank me, it's a good thing you're getting married. Just remember to send me an invitation." Wang Cheng patted Bai Xiuwen on the shoulder, letting out a long sigh of relief.

It's just a little bit of stuff leaking out; the loss to myself isn't significant, it's nothing.

After finishing his business, Wang Chengcai planned to head home.

"Stationmaster, wait!" Bai Xiuwen hurriedly called out to him, picking up the newly installed radio from the table. "The radio is fixed."

Wang Cheng looked down and saw that it was the broken machine he had handed over to Bai Xiuwen just before he was about to leave work yesterday.

Looking at the radio that was handed to him, which looked brand new, and then at Bai Xiuwen's sincere expression, it was a pleasant surprise!
"Wow! It's fixed already?" Wang Cheng was very surprised and took the radio to examine it carefully.

"Xiao Bai, you're amazing! It's only been one day! Didn't you go to collect scrap metal this morning? And you even exceeded your quota? Where did you find so much time to fix this?"

Station Master Lu was somewhat incredulous. He had only received the radio yesterday, just before the end of the workday, and this morning he had gone out to collect scrap metal, even exceeding his quota.

How did Bai Xiuwen manage to fix the radio under these circumstances?

You should know that this requires a lot of meticulous work, such as diagnosing problems and finding parts.

Incredible.

You should know that these are all scrap materials.

Seeing Wang Cheng's surprise, Bai Xiuwen scratched his head and explained, "Station Chief, it's nothing. Practice makes perfect. I know all the common problems by heart and can spot them at a glance."

"What's wrong with this radio? What's missing? I have it all. I collect things regularly, I've accumulated quite a few, you just haven't noticed."

Bai Xiuwen offered a casual explanation, after all, he would get paid for fixing things for Wang Chengcai, so how could he not put in the effort?

Hearing Bai Xiuwen's reasonable explanation, Wang Cheng was completely relieved and praised him highly: "Good! Good! Xiao Bai, you really put your heart into this! Very good!"

He was very pleased with this explanation.

He was a little uneasy after agreeing to give him the bicycle parts, worried that Bai Xiuwen would only care about his own debts and not take his "official business" seriously.

Now it seems that if people have this habit and this reserve, why would they worry about things not being repaired or not being repaired quickly?

Bai Xiuwen's dedication deeply moved Wang Chengcai, who decided to speak frankly and openly about some things.

"Bang!" He slammed the door shut and placed the radio on the table.

Wang Cheng didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Xiao Bai, although you haven't been here for long, less than a year, I have high hopes for you."

There aren't many people at our station.

But you're the only one truly capable of shouldering the responsibility! You're so young and talented; you can't be stuck in the scrap metal collecting job forever, can you? Do you have any plans for the future?

Bai Xiuwen paused for a moment, then shook his head: "Stationmaster, I... haven't thought about it seriously yet."

"How can you not think about it? The road ahead is long! Haven't you thought about... climbing higher?" Wang Cheng's words were clearly suggestive.

Because of Bai Xiuwen, he cultivated good relationships with many leaders and gained access to those connections.

Once the 'difficult period' is over, Wang Chengcai will have a good chance of being promoted.

But when someone moves up in rank, the station needs a trustworthy and capable person to take over.

If Bai Xiuwen is unable to take over or is unwilling to hold the position, it will also affect his transfer.

Therefore, before leaving, he wanted to cultivate Bai Xiuwen into his capable assistant, preferably his future successor.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiuwen immediately realized that the stationmaster meant he wanted to groom and promote him!
Regardless of what happens in the future, it's always good to make your stance clear first: "Station manager, I'll listen to you! I'll do whatever you say!"

"I will work even harder in the future and never let down the station manager's trust and guidance!"

Seeing Bai Xiuwen's positive attitude and quick understanding, Wang Cheng nodded with satisfaction:
"Good! It's good that you think that way. Just remember what I told you today, and keep that in mind."

"Right now, the most important thing is to continue to focus on maintenance, and we must continue to improve our technology."

"I'll say it again: take any job you want. If you need any parts or tools, just tell me and I'll figure out how to get them. As long as it's a legitimate job, I, as the station manager, guarantee to support you!"

"Don't worry, if you work for me, I, as the station manager, will not treat you unfairly."

"Yes! Thank you, stationmaster! I will definitely do my job well!" Bai Xiuwen solemnly replied.

Wang Cheng stopped short of revealing the meaning; some things were enough to convey without being too explicit. He believed that Bai Xiuwen, with his quick wit, would fully understand.

"Okay, then you go ahead and do your thing, I'll be going now."

After saying that, Wang Cheng picked up the repaired radio and left satisfied.

Bai Xiuwen closed the door, sat back down in his chair, and pondered Wang Chengcai's words.

He did take the meaning behind those words to heart.

I am indeed young, and I can make money and pay off my debts by focusing on repairs now, but I can't be an ordinary worker or repairman for the rest of my life, like Master Xiao.

He wanted to climb the social ladder, to be more respectable, and to marry Xu Sinan with greater confidence.

If, as Station Master Wang said, one can "move up a bit," the benefits will be tangible.

Whether in terms of access to "good scrap" or the convenience of making profits from repairs, it will be much better than figuring it out on your own in secret.

Didn't you see that Station Master Wang, backed by the scrap yard platform, repaired some good items and resold them, making a fortune in private?
Of course, these are all long-term prospects.

The most important thing right now is to do my job well, improve my skills, and make the most of my time to repair more and earn more money so that I can pay off the debt for buying the job as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)