Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 723 First Test of Skill, Establishing Authority, and Breaking the Mold
"Deputy Section Chief Li, later, after they've sorted things out, I'll have someone report to you on the urgent needs and pending supply issues from each workshop over the past week."

"Understood, thank you Section Chief Qian." Li Kailang nodded.

As Section Chief Qian watched him become so engrossed in his work, a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

This young man was much more composed than he had expected. He was neither impulsive nor did he shirk responsibility; he immediately immersed himself in the specific tasks.

Director Yang's judgment does make some sense.

He stopped bothering them and strolled back to his office with his hands behind his back.

As soon as he stepped outside, several employees grabbed him and hurriedly asked, "Section Chief Qian, what's the background of this Deputy Section Chief Li? Tell us about him!"

"Yes, yes, how did he get Director Yang to appoint him personally? Where did he work before?"

The group's questions were all over the place, which annoyed Section Chief Qian. He whispered, "Shut up, keep your voice down so no one can hear you."

The group immediately shut their mouths and looked at Section Chief Qian with curiosity.

He pointed at each person with his finger and warned, "Our Deputy Section Chief Li was personally appointed by Director Yang. He'll stay in our section for two months to get some experience before leaving."

"Don't go looking for trouble with him. Instead, you should cooperate with him. Otherwise, he won't be able to leave, and none of you will get promoted. Understand?"

The group nodded repeatedly; it turned out he had connections!
"Also, he used to be a driver for the transport team, so he knows our materials quite well. Don't try to fool him."

"That's it?!" The group chuckled dismissively. It turned out he was just a driver; what did he know?

Section Chief Qian naturally understood what they were thinking: "The driver's identity is not important. What's important is that he will graduate from night school in two months and enter the technical department. At that time, the factory will train him to be an engineer."

"What? Section Chief Qian, you're not mistaken, he's an engineer?"

"Is there such a big change? He went from being a driver to working in the technical department? That's not in accordance with the rules, is it?"

The group was shocked; such a drastic change!

Section Chief Qian was exasperated: "Are you all deaf? Didn't you hear what I said? He's a college student from night school, majoring in mechanical manufacturing."

"He's also a pretty good fitter. If he doesn't go to the technical department, is he going to rot in our materials department?"

"Let me tell you this, Director Yang thinks highly of him. He has a very good chance of becoming an engineer. Don't mess with him unless you have to. If he makes things difficult for you, you'll have to put up with it."

"Did you hear me?!"

"understand!"

"Section Chief Qian, we know what to do."

The group nodded like chickens pecking at rice.

The most important thing in a steel rolling mill is its engineers; they are the core, and even an eighth-grade worker sometimes can't compare.

Every engineer, even a junior engineer or a technician, is someone they can't afford to mess with.

Previously, they looked down on Li Kailang, thinking he was a nepotism hire and an outsider who didn't know anything about the industry. Now, they dare not act recklessly.

Seeing that everyone immediately understood what he meant, Section Chief Qian nodded in satisfaction and gave a final few words of advice:
"Cooperate well with Deputy Section Chief Li. If there's anything he doesn't understand, teach him patiently. Don't keep anything to yourself, and don't provoke him. If you provoke him, I can't save you."

"Especially his graduation, that's a red line, don't cross it, or Director Yang will hold you responsible!"

"understand."

After saying that, Section Chief Qian left to attend to his own work.

This was also something that Director Yang intentionally instructed him to do, so that Li Kailang wouldn't be distracted by things outside of work.

The most pressing matters are dealing with the work in the materials department and graduating smoothly from night school; everything else can wait.

After seeing Section Chief Qian leave, the group whispered among themselves, discussed what to do, and then went about their own business.

In the room.

The young man who went to collect the bill has returned.

He looked to be in his early twenties, slightly older than Li Kailang, with a somewhat reserved but mostly curious expression on his face.

He placed several new documents on Li Kailang's desk and said in a low voice, "Deputy Section Chief Li, these are the warehouse receipts from the day before yesterday and some temporary material expediting requests from the workshops."

"Thank you. May I ask your name?" Li Kailang looked up, revealing a gentle smile, trying to break the ice.

"Oh, my name is Zhao Xiaohai, you can just call me Xiao Zhao. I'm mainly responsible for receiving and sending documents and delivering notices to the workshop," Zhao Xiaohai quickly replied.

"Okay, Xiao Zhao, I'll have to trouble you from now on." Li Kailang pointed to the stool next to him.

"Sit down for a bit? I was just looking at the accounts, and there are some parts I don't understand. I'd like to ask you about them."

Zhao Xiaohai hesitated for a moment, then carefully sat down on the edge of the stool: "Please ask."

Li Kailang pointed to a spot in the ledger: "The date this alloy steel bar was received into the warehouse is Wednesday, but the corresponding supplier's delivery note looks like it has a signature added later?"

Zhao Xiaohai leaned over to take a look, a look of realization crossing his face. Then he lowered his voice and said, "Deputy Section Chief Li, you have a sharp eye."

"As you know, things have been really chaotic at the factory this week. The warehouse is short-staffed and things have been in disarray for the past few days. This shipment was only rushed in the night before last, but the invoices weren't fully signed at the time. It was Zhou... uh, the signature was added later."

He paused here, seemingly hesitant.

"Who was the warehouse manager in charge of the acceptance and verification at that time?" Li Kailang pressed, not letting this detail go unnoticed.

Every step of materials management may harbor hidden dangers, especially at this critical juncture, where mistakes must be avoided at all costs.

Zhao Xiaohai's voice was even lower: "It's Lao Zhang, Zhang Shengli. He was arrested that day, and Li Mazi signed the document on his behalf."

"Li Mazi?"

"That's Li Jianguo, the warehouse manager. That's the nickname he's been given." After explaining, Zhao Xiaohai seemed a little embarrassed, realizing that using a nickname was inappropriate.

Li Kailang nodded thoughtfully, not asking any further questions about the details of the receipt, but simply making a small mark next to the date.

"I understand. These accounts need to be sorted out again."

Zhao Xiaohai looked at the mark and felt a slight chill run down his spine.

This new young leader doesn't seem to be easily fooled, and he's quite serious about things.

"Okay, thank you for your trouble. Go ahead and do what you need to do."

"Sigh, if you need anything, just let me know." Zhao Xiaohai then withdrew.

Li Kailang then buried himself in examining the ledger, noting down anything he didn't understand. He had only just arrived and needed to get a general understanding of the situation.

If we really want to get things done, we'll have to wait until next week.

The outside office.

Two older-looking clerks, one drinking tea and reading a newspaper while the other fiddling with an abacus, kept glancing at Li Kailang.

They also heard what Section Chief Qian said during his introduction: "engineer reserve," "technical department," "gilded," and "departing after two months."

The senior staff member surnamed Liu put down his teacup and coughed lightly: "Deputy Section Chief Li, it's a good thing that young people are full of energy. But in our materials department, the work is tedious and requires experience."

"This matter of connecting with the workshop sounds like just running errands and passing on messages, but when it comes to actually coordinating it, there are many intricacies involved."

"Those old men in the workshop, huh!"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his indifference was evident in his tone.

Without the qualifications, one might not be able to manage the workshop.

On the other side, Accountant Wang paused his abacus work, and replied with a forced smile:

"That's true. Sometimes, technical skills alone aren't enough. If you miscalculate and send too much or too little material, the consequences can be dire."

They were talking quietly in twos and threes.

Just then, a worker wearing overalls and with oil-stained hands burst through the door, his voice booming:

"Materials Department, is Section Chief Qian here? The smelting workshop urgently needs materials. We reported it yesterday, but they haven't arrived yet! If the molds don't arrive soon, we'll have to stop. Director Wang is so anxious he's practically jumping up and down!"

A voice came from Section Chief Qian's office: "Coming! Coming! This matter... Xiao Zhang, quick! Give it to the workshop!"

Li Kailang came out when he heard the voice. Section Chief Qian saw him and said, "Deputy Section Chief Li, it's good that you're here. You'll be in charge of coordinating this." Li Kailang nodded.

Upon seeing Li Kailang emerge, the worker immediately exclaimed, "Workshop! Urgent! We need materials ready for molding! If we run out of materials, the workers will have to stop! Where are the materials?"

All eyes in the office instantly focused on Li Kailang; some watched with amusement, some with concern, and some with indifference.

The first test came crashing down on us without warning.
Li Kailang remained calm and quickly recalled the accounts he had just reviewed and the urgent request report that Section Chief Qian had mentioned.

"Xiao Zhao, could you please go to warehouse number three immediately and find out if the materials have been shipped out? Are they still waiting for quality inspection and release in the warehouse? Or have they not even arrived yet? Come back and let me know as soon as you have confirmed it!"

When Zhao Xiaohai was called upon, he immediately replied, "Yes! Okay! I'll go right away!" and then took off running.

Then, Li Kailang's gaze shifted to Accountant Wang beside him:

"Mr. Wang, could you please check with the purchasing department to see if there's any problem with the warehousing process? Or have they notified our quality control department?"

He then turned his attention back to the anxious worker: "Sir, what is your surname? Please calm down, sit down and have some water. We have already sent someone to verify."

"Please go back and tell Director Wang that we will do our best to resolve the issue and deliver the materials as soon as possible!"

Seeing Li Kailang make these arrangements, the worker was no longer in such a hurry: "Well, Deputy Section Chief Li, you'd better hurry, the workshop needs it urgently."

Clerk Liu stood to the side, holding a teacup, his eyes darting around as he looked at Li Kailang.

His composure and skillful command under pressure were completely different from the panic and disarray he had expected from a young, inexperienced commander.

This kid seems to have some skills?
That's good too. If nothing works, they'll be the ones in trouble.

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

Li Kailang appeared calm, but his fingers unconsciously tightened, causing his knuckles to turn slightly white.

He must overcome this first hurdle, and he must overcome it beautifully.

This is not just about solving the immediate material shortage, but also about gaining a foothold in the materials department and proving ourselves to Director Yang and everyone else.

Li Kailang is qualified to be the "acting deputy section chief"!
Finally, a few minutes later, Zhao Xiaohai returned, panting and pale.
"Deputy Section Chief Li! Warehouse No. 3 said that inspector Xiao Sun did a random inspection yesterday, but the report hasn't come out yet! This morning, Xiao Sun hasn't been seen at all."

"The person is gone? How could they be gone?" Li Kailang suddenly stood up.

"I heard he was arrested?" Zhao Xiaohai guessed.

Suddenly, the air froze.

Li Kailang's mind raced.

The quality inspector's job is to conduct random checks and report, not to be the only person who can inspect and accept the goods!
And one of his job responsibilities happens to be ensuring the supply of raw materials and checking whether the raw materials are up to standard!
He quickly asked, "Is it stuck in quality control? If so, I'll go check it now."

"Yes." Zhao Xiaohai nodded.

"Okay, I'll go to the warehouse now to check and do on-site sampling! I'll issue the results on the spot! If it passes the inspection, release it immediately so as not to delay the work in the workshop."

Just as I was about to take a step forward, I suddenly saw Section Chief Qian and immediately felt a sense of urgency to be on the safe side.

"Section Chief Qian, the situation is urgent! I request to exercise my prosecutorial power and personally determine whether the materials are up to standard! Please come with me to supervise and witness this!"

Section Chief Qian initially wanted to wave his hand, since this was one of Li Kailang's duties, but then he thought that Li Kailang had just arrived and he could remind him in time if he made a mistake.

It would be nice to be able to accept a favor.

“Okay, let’s go together. I’ll be your witness!”

Li Kailang finally looked at the worker and said, "Sir, I'm sorry for the delay. You can go back to the workshop now. We'll go check the goods and release them right away. Please ask them to wait a little longer. The materials will be delivered soon!"

"Okay! I'll trust you this time! Hurry up!" After saying that, he left in a hurry.

After saying that, Li Kailang and Section Chief Qian went to the warehouse together.

"Section Chief Qian," Li Kailang said quickly as he walked.

"The situation is urgent. As long as the materials meet the requirements, I can sign off on the urgent parts on the spot according to the rules, and then sign off on the quality inspection report later for filing. Is that against the rules?"

Section Chief Qian paused slightly and glanced at Li Kailang.

This kid not only didn't panic, but his mind worked incredibly fast, and he even understood the rules perfectly.

On-site random inspection and release is an emergency measure and is in accordance with procedure. However, in the past, few people in the department were knowledgeable enough to make independent judgments, which complicated the process.

Li Kailang volunteering to take responsibility was actually the quickest way to solve the problem.

If it succeeds, it will be thanks to Li Kailang, and I will benefit from it.

What if it doesn't work out? Well, that was Li Kailang's own request, so he'll take responsibility.

Thinking of this, Section Chief Qian nodded: "Yes, I am familiar with the emergency procedures. Are you confident in your judgment? This material is alloy steel going into the furnace. If the deviation is too large, it will affect the quality of the casting."

"Those experienced workers in the workshop aren't pushovers; they'll make trouble for you if anything goes wrong."

The words contained a reminder, but also a hint of probing.

"Don't worry, Section Chief Qian, I have a keen eye and I know what I'm doing. I don't do things I'm not sure I can handle," Li Kailang said calmly.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the entrance of warehouse number three.

Several warehouse keepers were looking worried as they stood around a pile of steel covered with tarpaulin by the door.

"What's going on? Where's Xiao Sun, the material inspector? Where's the report?" Section Chief Qian asked loudly as soon as he entered the room, exuding official authority.

An old warehouse keeper came up to him with a bitter face and said, "Section Chief Qian! You've finally arrived! As soon as Xiao Sun came to the factory today, he was taken away by the security department. They said he needs to cooperate with an investigation!"

"No one can sign this report, and the workshop is urgently waiting to receive the materials. We have no choice! That pile is what the smelting workshop needs."

The old warehouse manager pointed to the pile of steel bars covered with tarpaulin, his face full of anxiety.

"Let's not delay, shall we begin now?" Li Kailang strode to the steel bar.

The old warehouse manager looked at Li Kailang, whom he had never met before.

Section Chief Qian waved his hand: "Do as Deputy Section Chief Li says! He'll conduct on-site sampling and judgment!"

Li Kailang immediately began making a judgment on the spot.

His gaze instantly became incredibly focused, as if he had become a completely different person.

Precise measurement, surface observation, tapping to identify sounds, checking markings, and sampling for hardness testing.
The entire sampling process lasted approximately fifteen minutes.

Li Kailang was completely focused, and his movements were so skillful that he didn't seem like a novice.

The distrust that the people standing nearby had initially felt towards Li Kailang's "driver background" instantly crumbled, and they couldn't hide the surprise in their eyes.

"Alright!" Li Kailang straightened up and let out a long sigh of relief. He picked up the purchase specification sheet and quickly signed it in the blank space.

"Section Chief Qian, do you think this is feasible?" Li Kailang handed over the receipt.

Section Chief Qian took the document and looked at it carefully twice. "Good! Very good!"

He couldn't help but slap his thigh, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Deputy Section Chief Li, you've got some skills!"

He picked up the pen again and signed his name without hesitation in the "witness" section.

"Warehouse, listen to Deputy Section Chief Li, execute the report! Immediately process the outbound slip and send it to the smelting workshop as soon as possible," the section chief commanded in a strong voice.

The warehouse immediately sprang into action, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed.

Zhao Xiaohai wiped his sweat and looked at Li Kailang with admiration.

"Deputy Section Chief Li, you're amazing! You can even measure hardness!"

Li Kailang smiled; in reality, all of the above actions were just for show.

He relied on the panel brought by the repair expert, which made it easy to tell if there was a problem at a glance, and that was the most important thing.

“Section Chief Qian,” he turned to Section Chief Qian, who was in high spirits, “although the emergency was resolved, the problems exposed are quite significant.”

(End of this chapter)