Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 734 The Military Order is Over

Over the next few days, the materials department and warehouse continued to operate as usual on the surface.

But beneath the calm surface, turbulent currents surge.

In the warehouse, the new receiving record form was temporarily forced to be put into operation under Li Kailang's repeated and forceful supervision.

However, the implementation process was fraught with superficial compliance and insincere resistance.

The warehouse manager named Huang, who was singled out by Section Chief Qian, always sighed and dawdled during the registration process.

He deliberately used extremely illegible handwriting on places where clear names were required, writing characters that resembled coded messages, missing parts, making them difficult for anyone other than those who lived with him day and night to decipher.

Sometimes, when the driver impatiently urged him on, he would pretend to be in a hurry and speed up, making even more mistakes in his writing.

It's more cursive than cursive script, more wild than wild cursive. The numbers? They're all inconsistent in size, slanted and crooked; 7 can be written as 1, 3 as 8—it's all pure guesswork.

Li Kailang noticed this several times during his inspections and pointed it out on the spot: "Master Huang, please write the full name and make sure the handwriting is clear and legible. You must know what this form is for."

The warehouse manager's reaction was textbook perfect: he slapped his forehead, his face instantly filled with immense apology, his eyes brimming with a murky sincerity.
"Oh dear, look at my hands! My old eyes are failing me. Please forgive me, Section Chief Li. I'll be more careful next time, I definitely will!"

He had an excellent attitude and admitted his mistakes very quickly, but he still made the same mistakes repeatedly.

The other warehouse keepers, while not as "unconventional" as Lao Huang, generally performed their duties perfunctorily.

The numbers filled in the boxes are often so hard to guess that you have to guess what they are.

The names were shortened as much as possible, and uniformly labeled as "Iron Plate" and "Steel Pipe".

They muttered to each other privately, "They're all so busy, it's a miracle they even managed to fill it out! He can't possibly be watching over them every day, can he?"

"Exactly! We're too busy moving goods to take care of this thing! A new broom sweeps clean, but if it doesn't burn brightly, it'll just go out on its own!"

"Let's keep an eye on him. I'll see how long he can keep watching. I don't believe he'll be here every day!"

Li Kailang was well aware of the problems with the warehouse, but he was too lazy to point them out one by one, as this cat-and-mouse game was a waste of energy.

They simply conduct random checks on the forms every day, recording any instances of incorrect or non-standard completion.

The situation is slightly better for the information sharing board, but it is still struggling.

The warehouse does update arrival information daily, but the content is extremely simple and sloppy.

On the quality inspector's side, the status update is unusually slow.

A batch of bearings that were sent for inspection at 8 a.m. still had an empty status bar at lunchtime.

Occasionally, a young quality inspector might try to be more proactive and update the chalk, but as soon as he picks up the chalk, he is stopped by an older worker next to him with a look or a cough.

"Don't write nonsense, read carefully before you speak!"

“The items haven’t been fully inspected yet. Writing ‘under inspection’ is misleading! What if the warehouse comes urging us to check on them later? Let’s wait until Section Chief Qian and Brother Sun think it’s okay before we say anything!”

Therefore, most of the time, only quality inspector Sun and master craftsman Lin would occasionally write a few words in the status bar, and they would often rush to add the progress after the matter was over.

The information sharing board was rendered useless, and the so-called "efficiency improvement" became a pipe dream.

Every time Li Kailang walked to the blackboard, looking at the sparse, severely outdated, or even missing information on it, his brows would furrow tightly.

He suppressed his anger and reminded everyone several times in public, "This board is not just for show; please take it seriously."

Unfortunately, the results were minimal.

Quality inspectors always have a bunch of reasons:
"Section Chief Li, it's really not that I'm not cooperating! I just have too much work to do! When I get busy, I'm so busy I don't even have time to write this!"

"Exactly, exactly. If you write this quickly, you might make a mistake. Who's responsible if you make a mistake? What if the boss investigates?"

"Yes, yes, some materials are in very complicated states, sometimes pending inspection and sometimes undergoing re-inspection, so writing that out could easily cause ambiguity."

Their attitude was "softer" than the warehouse manager's, but the underlying procrastination and resistance remained unchanged.

The blackboard seemed to be completely absent.

In addition, there was also a problem with the bookkeeper, Old Wang.

Although the receipts used to be messy, he could still make a rough idea of ​​what they were like even with his eyes closed.

Now Li Kailang requires that the forms be filled out clearly and legibly. Old Wang was initially quite happy, thinking that clear handwriting would make registration easier.

In practice, he discovered even bigger problems! The seemingly neat forms filled out by the warehouse manager according to the new forms often contained incorrect or even contradictory information!

For example, the warehouse records show that 1000 parts were received, but the delivery note shows 1050.

The material number marked "pending re-inspection" on the quality inspection sheet was marked "qualified" on the warehouse receiving slip.

Old Wang was so confused that his error rate increased instead of decreasing.

"Damn it, what is Deputy Section Chief Li up to! Look at this! It was a bit chaotic before, but at least there weren't so many things wrong!"

"Now look what's happened! It's all neat and tidy now, but it's riddled with errors! My old eyes are really failing me! The more I check, the more mistakes I find!"

Old Wang's complaints did not seem entirely unreasonable.

The warehouse staff did indeed have a problem with carelessly and sloppily filling out forms in order to get by, and this problem may have even worsened.

Before Li Kailang could even deal with the warehouse, Section Chief Qian called him in for a "chat."

"Deputy Section Chief Li, please have a seat." His voice held a hint of helplessness. "There's been quite a commotion lately."

Li Kailang sat down silently, waiting for the rest of the story to unfold.

"Old Huang from the warehouse came to me crying, saying that at his age he was forced to practice calligraphy in public, and his heart couldn't take it."

"Several experienced workers have also complained to me privately that filling out a form is more tiring than doing physical labor these days. They are afraid of making mistakes and taking responsibility, which puts a lot of mental pressure on them."

Section Chief Qian observed Li Kailang's expression. "You know about Old Wang too. There are even more errors in the documents than before, and he complains every day."

"I know your initial intention for reform is good, but isn't this a bit beyond what we can handle?"

Just as Li Kailang was about to explain the warehouse issue, Section Chief Qian waved his hand and lowered his voice even further:
“And that blackboard! Deputy Section Chief Li, I know you meant well. But you don’t know, the director in charge of logistics came over to ‘check on’ it.”

"They said our materials science department had put some information on the wall, and asked if there were any difficulties that needed to be discussed publicly? The implication was that they thought it was too much noise!"

"You know, this makes my heart pound!"

He said earnestly, "You're young, energetic, and idealistic, which is excellent. But we're like a tree with deeply intertwined roots! Even the slightest movement can have far-reaching consequences!"

"My suggestion is that we put things on hold for now, wait until everyone's emotions have calmed down and the storm has passed, and then we can reconsider and find a more moderate approach?"

"Your most important task right now is to prepare for the exam! How about I handle these worries?"

Section Chief Qian's words were somewhat pleading.

Upon hearing this, Li Kailang felt a complex and indescribable emotion welling up inside him.

There was resentment, anger at being thwarted, and a sense of helplessness.

He remained silent for a moment. Since Section Chief Qian had already made it clear, pushing it further would only backfire.

Reform is never smooth sailing, and he knew that if he backed down, all his efforts would be in vain.

But in the end, Li Kailang spoke up: "Section Chief Qian, I understand your concerns."

"But I will tackle these problems one by one and solve them one by one. There is no room for negotiation on the issues of receipts and the blackboard. I will definitely stick to it."

"I will personally review the receipts, and I will personally correct any mistakes made!"

"Since everyone is hesitant to write on the blackboard, or afraid of making mistakes and taking responsibility, then fine, I'll fill it in!"

"I'll take full responsibility for the consequences! I refuse to believe I can't change this trend!"

Li Kailang's voice was resolute, but it stunned Section Chief Qian.

He never expected that Li Kailang would choose not to back down, but to choose self-sacrifice.

Seeing the indomitable light in Li Kailang's eyes, Section Chief Qian was speechless for a moment.

For a moment, I felt a mix of emotions: a slight resentment towards his rigidity, and a sense of helplessness regarding his idealistic sacrifices.

There was even a hint of admiration?

In this environment where people are used to "playing it safe," it's rare to see someone so stubborn. At least, he couldn't.

"I ask Section Chief Qian for your full support. Give me a week. If I still can't change things, then this matter ends here. I will follow your arrangements!"

Li Kailang completely cut off his own escape route.

Unsuccessful, they become benevolent.

Section Chief Qian looked at it for a while, then sighed and said, "Alright, I'll give you a week. I'll give you my full support this week."

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Kailang immediately fulfilled his promise.

They took what they needed and "set up camp" at the warehouse.

This action was like dropping a bomb into still waters.

The warehouse keepers, especially Old Huang, stared wide-eyed, almost dropping the cheap cigarettes they were holding.

"No, what does he mean? Is he going to confront us head-on?"

A tense atmosphere instantly filled the warehouse.

To get the plan going, you have to win over the most stubborn person first. Li Kailang set his sights on Lao Huang, watching him do things and record receipts.

"Damn it, what are you staring at me for! Get out of here!" Old Huang cursed inwardly, but dared not utter a sound.

He watched as Li Kailang's sharp, hawk-like eyes swept over each newly filled-out record form, more meticulously than when guarding a prisoner.

"Old Huang, sign for it!" a driver called out.

"It's here." Old Huang hurriedly went over to sign for it, and instantly felt a chill on the back of his neck.

It turned out that Li Kailang was watching him sign the package from behind. Just as he was about to use the same trick to write the "secret code" and his fingers started to fly in a flamboyant manner as usual,

Li Kailang's shadow loomed over him, and he coldly said, "Master Huang, full name, clear."

"Hey!" They practically forced his cursive script to become the standard script of an elementary school student.

"No, rewrite it!"

Li Kailang was watching closely from the side, and immediately demanded a rewrite if anything was even slightly blurry.

Old Huang felt like he wasn't checking inventory in a warehouse, but rather taking an endless calligraphy exam; he was so frustrated his face turned ashen.

"What the hell are you, staring at me for! There are so many people here, why are you staring at me? You son of a bitch!"

Old Huang cursed Li Kailang's ancestors for eight generations in his mind.

the other side.

Li Kailang hadn't forgotten about the information sharing board.

He kept his word and single-handedly handled all the information updates.

After recording the information on the blackboard, he plunged into the ranks of quality inspectors, constantly recording the inspection progress of each batch of materials.

This made some quality inspectors feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Deputy Section Chief Li, this puts a lot of pressure on us! What if what you write down doesn't match the final result?"

Li Kailang simply said calmly, "I only write down the current state I observe, and I update it when there are subsequent changes. Only by making the process transparent can we know where the bottleneck is. I take responsibility."

He turned around and added a parenthesis to the blackboard (Note: During the initial inspection, the final report shall prevail).

Li Kailang's hands-on approach piqued the curiosity of several young quality inspectors.

This was the first time they had ever seen their leader so personally involved in such "trivial matters."

At noon.

While everyone else went to the canteen to eat, Li Kailang took two steamed buns and ate them in the storeroom.

While munching on something with one hand, he kept updating the status with the other.

In the afternoon, Li Kailang would focus on reviewing all the inbound and outbound documents filled out that day, especially those places prone to errors.

The discrepancies in the order quantities and the chaotic status that Old Wang had complained about before were now all laid bare before Li Kailang.

Li Kailang personally supervised the process, and no warehouse manager or quality inspector dared to act recklessly, but it wasn't that no one defied the rules.

However, they had nowhere to hide from him.

Old Wang muttered to himself, "This hothead is really stubborn, but he also has a sharp eye!"

“We had a vague feeling that something was wrong with those mistakes before, but we didn’t investigate them because it was too much trouble. But he’s the one who’s digging them out one by one.”

"With him doing this, the receipts are good, but I can't tell whether my old friend is being worked to death or just having a lot of free time."

Li Kailang's "high-pressure arbitrary decision-making" has yielded remarkable results.

The warehouse staff were under immense pressure, but at least their outward compliance was less frequent.

However, a more subtle form of resistance has developed behind the scenes. For example, they deliberately slow down the actual counting and preparation of goods.

"Section Chief Li is watching the clock. We need to write it down clearly. To write it clearly, we need to go slowly and pay attention to details, right?"

The drivers waiting in line to load and unload complained bitterly, naturally pointing the finger at Li Kailang, the instigator.

Every now and then, a driver would shout at Li Kailang, half complaining and half mocking:

"Section Chief Li, with you here, we're relieved that not a single screw will go missing. It's just that we're only getting half a job a day – we're practically starving!"

The production workshop was delayed by half a day compared to usual because a batch of urgently needed parts was not received into the warehouse. The workshop director made a phone call directly to Section Chief Qian, his tone quite dissatisfied.

"Section Chief Qian! What's going on in your materials department? Why is it taking so long to put a component into storage? Did they get a new person in the warehouse? Who's going to be responsible for delaying production?!"

All the pressure reached Section Chief Qian, who was overwhelmed by the phone calls, and the ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts.

I paced to the warehouse door several times, hesitating whether to go in or not, but in the end I refrained from doing so.

This indirectly helped Li Kailang.

Setting a good example for several consecutive days has had some effect.

On the morning of the fifth day, after inspecting a batch of materials, a young quality inspector hesitated for a moment, then took the initiative to walk to the blackboard.

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, he picked up the chalk and wrote clearly and forcefully the words "[Quality Inspection Passed - Chen]" in the status bar of the batch of components.

The old quality inspector next to him coughed as if to stop him, but Xiao Chen mustered up his courage and said loudly, "Engineer Wang, there is no problem with this batch of materials. Didn't Deputy Section Chief Li say that the process should be transparent? I think it's good to write it down clearly. Anyone who wants to know the progress can see it at a glance."

Although his voice was still trembling, this action undoubtedly broke the ice.

Xiao Chen's behavior is like a signal.

Although the veteran quality inspectors remained silent, a subtle change began to spread.

Around noon, another young quality inspector, while processing a batch of standard parts for routine inspection, also quietly picked up the chalk and wrote "Inspection qualified" under the corresponding product name.

Two small actions stood out prominently on the blackboard.

Master Lin, who always worked alone, said something unusual to the still hesitant senior quality inspector beside him after inspecting a batch of materials:
“Deputy Section Chief Li has it tough. This board clearly states the tasks, which really saves the warehouse staff from having to come back and ask questions repeatedly. We also know what we’re doing.”

The sound was not loud, but it was like a gentle breeze blowing through the dull warehouse.

Outside the warehouse, the driver who had complained a few days ago, after being temporarily detained due to messy and unclear documents, looked at this strictly standardized delivery slip in front of him and sighed:
"Hey! It took a while to get here, but this receipt is so nice to look at! It's so clear and straightforward, so much less hassle and arguing!"

The initial results were beginning to show, and Li Kailang felt a surge of warmth in his heart upon hearing this.

"It's finally done!"

After several days of intense work, including monitoring regulations, updating information boards, and dealing with various pressures and cold stares, Li Kailang was physically exhausted.

If I weren't so healthy, I would have fallen ill long ago.

After observing for two more days and seeing the warehouse improve day by day, Li Kailang finally fulfilled his promise to Section Chief Qian.

"Well done, Deputy Section Chief Li!"

(End of this chapter)