Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 736 When the Wind Never Stops
A few days later, it's the day of the college entrance examination.

The entire city of Beijing was shrouded in an eerie silence.

The noise on the streets was deliberately suppressed, and even the shouts of vendors going from street to street were rare.

Cui Yuantian woke up just as dawn was breaking and quietly dressed himself.

Today, he is Liu An's personal "driver" and "bodyguard".

A few days ago, Liu An disliked the fact that some of the neighbors at her parents' house were arguing and getting a divorce, so she temporarily moved into the couple's new marital home.

The new house is bright and clean, and most importantly, it has its own private bathroom. In July, when you need to stay cool and refreshed every day to study for exams, this is more precious than anything else.

No more running around to those far, smelly, and crowded public toilets.

For Liu An, this was the greatest comfort during the exam preparation period, and her energy and spirit were naturally replenished.

Liu An also woke up and quickly got up.

Her clear, bright eyes were reflected in the mirror, showing no trace of the anxiety one would expect before an exam.

"Nervous? Not at all."

As she put on the specially chosen short-sleeved shirt with a small floral print, she muttered to herself in the mirror, a slight smile playing on her lips.

She had a clear understanding of her own abilities. She had done all the practice questions and read most of the required books. All she needed to do was perform at her normal level during the exam.

Breakfast consisted of millet porridge and salted duck eggs that Cui Yuan had cooked early in the morning—simple and unpretentious.

After a quick meal, I packed my things and prepared to leave.

When Li Kailang pushed the cart out, he bumped into them as they were leaving. He joked, "Did you sleep well last night? Relax, the college entrance exam isn't like going to the guillotine, don't be so scared."

Liu An was amused, her big eyes curving into crescents as she retorted, "Look at what you're saying, Brother Li! Am I that cowardly? Once I got the test paper, I knew exactly how well I did. I was perfectly confident!"

She paused deliberately, glancing mischievously at Cui Yuan beside her.

"Besides, even if I fail the exam, there are still people who won't mind and will be happy to support me, right?"

“That’s right, no matter what score is written on that test paper, even if you get a zero, it’s fine, I’ll take care of you.” Cui Yuan said this with a firm and powerful tone.

Before he could finish speaking, Liu An rolled her eyes at him without any politeness, and raised her fist as if to punch him:

"Pah! You jinx! You haven't even taken the exam yet and you're already cursing me to do badly? So early in the morning, how unlucky!"

Seeing his wife's eyebrows furrowed in anger, Cui Yuan realized that he had blurted out something he shouldn't have.

"Hey, uh... that's not what I meant! I mean, you know, look at this weather! Hurry up, it's almost time, if we dawdle we'll get stuck in traffic! Let's go!"

"Xiao Li, we're leaving now." With that, Cui Yuan pulled Liu An to school.

"Let's go, Brother Li!"

Seeing Liu An's carefree expression, it seemed his college entrance exam was a sure thing.

Li Kailang rode his bike straight to the Materials Science Department.

These past few days, without having to do anything, my restless heart has gradually calmed down.

The graduation assessment date has been set for the last weekend of this month. If you count the days, there are only about half a month left.

He had thought that, enveloped in the tranquil atmosphere of the college entrance examination day, he could easily calm down and tackle the last few technical difficulties.

However, as the old saying goes, "The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease."

Li Kailang was engrossed in his studies when he was suddenly interrupted by a series of hurried, heavy footsteps and panting breaths.

Zhao Xiaohai flung open the door: "Deputy Section Chief Li! Deputy Section Chief Li! Something terrible has happened! Quickly, Section Chief Qian requests your presence at the warehouse!"

Li Kailang's train of thought was instantly interrupted. "What is it? Why the rush?"

"A batch of materials arrived early this morning, and they were labeled and put into storage according to regulations. They were supposed to be distributed to the workshop this afternoon!"

Zhao Xiaohai was so anxious he was stamping his feet. "I don't know which link went wrong, but the label sequences of several sets are messed up! They don't match the delivery slips at all!"

"The warehouse is in complete chaos right now. We can't even tell which batch to ship. The workshop is pushing us like crazy! Section Chief Qian is furious. Coco, we've been investigating for ages but still can't figure out what's going on! You need to go take a look!"

The labels are confusing? Li Kailang frowned.

This was a key point he repeatedly emphasized in his plan, so how could such a basic oversight have occurred in the warehouse? And at this crucial moment!
"go!"

As soon as I stepped into the warehouse, I heard Section Chief Qian's furious voice as he lashed out at several dejected warehouse clerks, spitting as he spoke.
"You can't even handle such a small thing! It's barely on track and it's already broken down! Where do you think I am? Have you made Deputy Section Chief Li's hard work go to waste?!"

Upon seeing Li Kailang enter, Section Chief Qian felt as if he had seen a savior, and his anger subsided somewhat.

"Deputy Section Chief Li, you've come at the right time! Look at this mess! The critical components are all mismatched, and the workshop is going crazy. This batch of materials must be delivered today; we can't afford any delays! What are we going to do?!"

Li Kailang didn't speak immediately, but his eyes were sharp as he quickly scanned the scene.

Several warehouse staff members had delivery slips and a pile of misplaced, loosely attached, or illegible labels spread out in front of them, clearly a secondary mess caused by their hasty searching earlier.

Who is responsible for receiving, registering, and labeling this batch of goods?

A warehouse clerk stammered, "It's me. Deputy Section Chief Li, things were so urgent today, and we were short-staffed, so I asked Xiao Zhang to temporarily fill in. He might... might not be very familiar with me."

"Not familiar with the rules?" Li Kailang interrupted him, his sharp eyes sweeping over him.

"The rules are posted on the wall! The process manuals have been handed out! Did anyone check them upon receipt? Was anyone supervising? Did you review them?!"

The barrage of questions made the team leader lower his head further and further.

"Alright! Now is not the time to assign blame! Let's solve the problem!" Section Chief Qian interjected anxiously.

Li Kailang took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to continue holding people accountable.

He strode over to the messy batch of materials, carefully examined the characteristics of several key components and some information on the blurry labels, and quickly compared the batch number and quantity requirements on the delivery note.

An idea quickly formed in his mind: the main problem with this batch of parts is that the model number and the outer coating process batch are different. The seriousness of mixing them together is that the specific batch number cannot be distinguished, rather than the model number being completely unidentifiable.

By cross-referencing the key characteristics of the materials with the only remaining vague information at the scene, we may be able to find the most clues.

"From now on, everyone will follow my orders!" Li Kailang declared decisively.

"You guys rearrange all the materials according to the characteristic areas I specify."

"Zhao Xiaohai, go to the workshop and ask them what kind of material they urgently need right now?"

"Xiao Zhang, come with me. Carefully recall the details of when you affixed the labels. What were the numbers on the blurry labels, and where were they affixed to the parts? Mark everything you remember!"

"Everyone else, immediately find all the delivery slips and inventory records that are still legible. I need to cross-check the timelines and original documents!"

A series of clear instructions were issued, as if injecting a backbone into the crowd that had been wandering aimlessly.

Section Chief Qian watched as Li Kailang remained calm and precise in his dispatching amidst the noisy environment, and thought it was fortunate that he had been called over.

Since Li Kailang took office, he hasn't paid much attention to the warehouse, since Director Yang had entrusted him with full responsibility for coordinating with the workshop.

He handed over the reins decisively, and there were a series of changes afterward. There were some things he didn't quite understand, and he could only take over again after Li Kailang left.

Li Kailang personally participated in the most chaotic investigation and comparison work.

At this moment, all his energy was focused on the messy pile of materials and the chaotic records in front of him.

The brain works at lightning speed, constantly reorganizing, eliminating, and locking in fragmented information.

Finally, after more than an hour of hard work, Li Kailang and his team managed to figure out the labels and models of the mixed batch of materials by working with the repair panel, and then relabeled them one by one.

"Alright, everything's sorted out. Just follow this. Don't rush, don't panic. Take it one step at a time. Don't let the workshop's pressure cause us to lose our composure." Li Kailang gave this final instruction before arranging for batches of materials to be shipped out.

Section Chief Qian patted Li Kailang on the shoulder excitedly: "Good! Good! Deputy Section Chief Li! You're the one who can help us in this crucial moment! I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"

"It's all what I should do," Li Kailang replied, rubbing his temples. His clothes were wrinkled and stained.

"Section Chief Qian, if there's nothing else here, I'll head back now."

Section Chief Qian repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, yes! You go quickly! I'll finish up here! I definitely won't delay you any longer! Go quickly!"
After settling things in the warehouse, Li Kailang went back to continue his studies.

But after this incident, my mood was thrown into chaos, and I couldn't concentrate on studying at all.

Li Kailang got up, walked to the window and looked outside: "It's good to go out for a walk and change my mood. It's been a long time since I've visited the transport team."

I spent more than a week in the warehouse before, and haven't been back since. I'll take this opportunity to go and check it out.

Thinking of this, Li Kailang greeted Accountant Wang: "Accountant Wang, I'm going to the transportation team. If Section Chief Qian needs me, send someone to the transportation team."

"Okay," Accountant Wang nodded in response.

Li Kailang then headed straight for the transport team.

Stepping inside, a strong, hot smell of rubber hits you.

Several drivers were smoking in the break room, their laughter and curses filling the air.

"Hey! What a rare guest! Our Deputy Section Chief Li is back to inspect the work!" Zhang Fen, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot him, immediately threw away his cigarette butt, and greeted him with a smile.

This shout made everyone turn their heads.

"Brother Zhang, don't make me feel bad." Li Kailang quickly waved his hand, revealing a relaxed smile that was rare these days. "I just came to see what everyone's been up to."

"What else could I be busy with? Aren't I taking a break?" Senior Brother Lu Wenjiang was wiping his hands with a greasy rag.

"You know what's going on with our transport team. There's not much to do this month."

It was a rare treat for Li Kailang to be back, and everyone chatted excitedly about the latest developments in the transport team.

"Hey, by the way, Li, when are your exams?"

"It'll be soon, by the end of this month."

"What? So close? We're almost there. What brings you here? Go back to your studies. Don't worry about us. We're doing fine here. Don't fret."

"Yes, I can't let it interfere with your studies. I'm just waiting for you to graduate smoothly and get that certificate. Then I can brag to people that I worked with college students for a few years and they even called me 'Master'."

The atmosphere in the lounge subtly shifted the moment the exam was mentioned.

"Yes, yes!" One of the chefs stopped eating his melon seeds, his face full of worry. "Little Li, this is no joke! You've finally made it through two years, and you're just one step away from success."

"That's right! We old guys are counting on you to come back wearing that 'square hat'. That'll be it."

His eyes gleamed, and his voice became louder. "Then I can go to the neighborhood and brag: 'Hey, did you see that? Back in the transport team, that college student Li Kailang called me Master!' How prestigious would that be!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Listening to everyone's words, Li Kailang felt a warm glow in his heart.

“Studying all the time isn’t a good thing; my brain is turning to mush. I need to balance work and rest. I came out for some fresh air and also to visit my ‘home’.”

He blinked. "I'm just going down to the grassroots level to check if everyone has collected enough material for bragging, and if it's enough for everyone to use in the future!"

"Enough! Absolutely enough!"

"Just based on this 'inspection,' we can make up eight hundred jokes about it! Your 'square hat' will definitely be the talk of the town among us old guys!"

After the joke, Li Kailang left the lounge amidst everyone's clamor to "go study" and "don't waste time."

Before leaving, Li Kailang went to check on his private study room in the transportation team.

The things in the room were the same as before, nothing more or less, but it was cleaner, clearly having been cleaned.

The new arrangement for this room hasn't been finalized yet. If I don't end up in the technical department after leaving the materials department, I might come back here.

He didn't think much of it.

He did feel an indescribable sense of ease in the transport team, without having to constantly be on edge dealing with complex processes and interpersonal relationships.

"Little Li? Still not leaving?" Zhang Fen's voice rang out from the doorway as he poked his head in. "You really should go back to your studies. The closer it gets to the end, the less you can afford to slack off. Don't worry about the house, we'll all look after it for you, keep it here!"

"Come back and sit for a while after you finish your exams, wearing your 'square cap'! Then it won't be an inspection anymore, it'll be a triumphant homecoming! Our transport team will throw you a welcome-back party!"

He slammed his hand on the door frame.

"Don't worry, I'll bring back good news when I 'return home'! I'll treat you all to drinks then!" Li Kailang said, looking at the group of masters outside the house.

"A word is settled!"

"necessary!"

Amidst the cheerful yet somewhat farewell-like responses from the crowd, Li Kailang strode away from the transport team.

After watching it once, Li Kailang felt much calmer and regained his enthusiasm for learning.

Back in the materials department, I first asked, "Accountant Wang, is there anything I need from the department?"

"Deputy Section Chief Li, you're back so soon? No one has been looking for you yet."

"Okay." Li Kailang nodded and went back to his office to study.

the other side.

Jingle Bell--

The first college entrance examination has ended.

Liu An walked out of the examination hall with the crowd.

Outside the school gate, the area was bustling with activity, as eager parents blocked the road.

"An'an! Over here!"

Cui Yuan's familiar voice pierced through the noise and reached Liu An's eardrums precisely. His tall figure stood out in the crowd.

"How did the exam go? You must be exhausted. Want some water?"

Cui Yuan nervously looked Liu An up and down.

Liu An looked at his even more nervous expression than her own and burst out laughing, her big eyes curving into crescents: "Look how anxious you are! The exam is over and you're still asking how it went? Besides, it wasn't you who took the exam, why are you so nervous?"

She naturally took Cui Yuan's arm and walked to the side, avoiding the crowded people. "I feel pretty good! I finished all the questions smoothly, wrote everything I was supposed to write, and I feel like I performed normally."

"That's good! That's good!" Cui Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, his tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxing, even happier than if he had passed the exam himself.

"What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll get it for you right away, let's have a good celebration."

"There are still a few exams to go, so why celebrate? But I'm craving braised noodles; I've been thinking about that flavor for days."

"Okay, let's go back now, I'll cook for you."

Cui Yuan drove Liu An back, and the scene of the two being affectionate was witnessed by Liu An's classmate.

"Liu An is so lucky!"

(End of this chapter)