A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Lin Yongguang looked at Factory Director Yang and chuckled, "Not bad, you even brought out something like this!"

Bicycle tickets, do you know how precious they are now?

Even a large steel mill with 10,000 employees can only receive a dozen or so tickets a year. After deducting the rewards for outstanding workers, those who are eligible to receive tickets are all waiting in line.

Didn't you see workshop director Wang Daqing drooling over that four-inch square piece of paper?

"I'd rather have a bicycle than a room"—that's no joke.

After all, if you don't have a house, you can wait for your work unit to allocate one. But bicycle vouchers... well, that's another story... hehehe~

Everyone waited for Jiang Xia to receive the bicycle ticket, give a few words of reflection, and then everyone prepared to get to work.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xia bowed to Director Yang first, but then said to Secretary Lin:

"Thank you for your invitation, sir, but I am an employee of the steel rolling mill and would like to stay and work here."

“When I was doing my internship during my senior year of college, the factory paid me an internship salary, which allowed me to study without any worries. Now it’s my turn to give back to the company.”

"So, unless the organization arranges a transfer, I... still want to stay at the steel rolling mill!"

Upon hearing this, Director Yang became even more delighted and looked around: "These are the talents our factory has cultivated ourselves!"

"Great, that's wonderful!"

He shoved the bicycle ticket into Jiang Xia's arms and said, "Take it, and remember to come to my office later to get a certificate!"

After saying that, he grabbed Lin Yongguang and started walking out: "Come on, let's go eat. Don't even think about the talent in our factory!"

"And you, Old Li. Don't keep sticking your elbow outwards..."

As they spoke, Director Yang pulled Li Changfu along with his left hand and they walked forward together. Soon, they disappeared around the corner.

Once the leaders had left, the workshop workers surrounded Jiang Xia again.

They insisted that Jiang Xia take out the bicycle ticket to look at it, and only after Wang Daqing started to chase people away did the ticket return to Jiang Xia's hands.

Good heavens, a perfectly flat piece of cardboard has been worn rough by all the handling.

After the commotion subsided, only Jiangxia remained at the scene.

Jiang Xia casually put the train ticket into his personal space, then took out a steamed bun made from two kinds of flour and started eating while reviewing his performance that day.

Passed the junior engineer exam.

Take this opportunity to expose what happened to Uncle Jiang and the others, and we'll be done!

The man Jiang Xia calls Uncle Jiang is actually Jiang Xia's nephew according to seniority.

My nephew, who is just over forty, already has a full head of white hair.

Back in 55, Beijing vigorously developed its industry and drew a group of laborers from the countryside to implement the "rural areas supporting the city" plan.

They were among the earliest "migrant workers," which was quite an achievement at the time. A monthly wage of 18.5 yuan was the envy of everyone in the production team back then.

After all, back then, farmers who toiled in the fields were dirt poor. If they had ten yuan in their pockets after a year, they were considered wealthy!

However, as time went on, the identity of Uncle Jiang and his fellow migrant workers became increasingly awkward.

Especially the year before last, a bill policy was implemented.

Uncle Jiang and his colleagues were still registered in the countryside, so they had no grain coupons or oil coupons. Furthermore, since they were temporary workers, not apprentices, there was no such thing as becoming permanent employees. Their salary of 18.5 yuan would practically never change until they died.

In addition, communes have now been established in rural areas, and communal canteens have been set up, so households can no longer store grain.

Uncle Jiang and his gang are stuck in the middle, unable to make ends meet. The meager monthly allowance they receive is barely enough to get by, and they can't even save a penny at the end of the year.

They're incredibly pathetic.

What's most infuriating is that last year, Beijing issued a notice requiring all units to change the status of these "migrant workers" to "agricultural to non-agricultural" in order to solve their real livelihood problems.

Jiangxia didn't know what other factories were like.

But this steel rolling mill chose to keep its operations quiet and not release them.

It wasn't exactly kept completely secret; at least a notice was posted on the bulletin board, though it was smaller than the palm of my hand and in traditional Chinese characters.

But the truth will eventually come out, and the policy gradually spread.

Another message came from the personnel department: It costs 200 yuan per person to process this!

Only care about money, not people!

200 yuan!

How are these farmers, who have suffered their whole lives, supposed to scrape together the money?

Uncle Jiang had no choice but to turn to Jiang Xia, the most promising man in the village, for help.

But Jiang Xia was still a newbie back then, what could he do?

Why would someone with the title of college student go and cause a scene at the factory?

Or should we lead these "migrant workers" in a demonstration?

Are you out of your mind?!

The only way is to improve your social class and come into contact with people of higher social class. Things that you used to think were impossible may just be a matter of a word from someone else!

Fortunately, perseverance pays off.

This matter is about to be resolved.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xia finished his steamed bun in a few bites and turned to walk towards the second workshop of the steel rolling mill.

When they arrived at the entrance of Workshop 2, they ran into Uncle Jiang leading a group of middle-aged men who were laboriously unloading goods.

This is a truckload of steel ingots that just arrived from the steel mill.

There are no cranes available for them to use right now, although there is an overhead crane in the workshop. But it's too far away, so they're using the same type of hook and pulley system.

It has a big hook on its tail, with several pulleys connected to the hook, and several iron chains extending down from the pulleys. When you pull it, it makes a rattling sound.

Uncle Jiang's muscles were taut as he and the others pried the steel ingot with all their might, the pry bar making a heavy metallic scraping sound against the ingot.

Each prying motion was accompanied by heavy breathing and dripping sweat.

As soon as the steel ingot was lifted up by one corner, the people next to it immediately tied it tightly to the steel ingot with ropes.

"One, two, three, lift!" The thick rope was instantly taut, and the steel ingot slowly rose, swaying slightly in the air.

Then, under everyone's control, the steel ingot was carefully unloaded from the truck. The moment it hit the ground, the ground seemed to tremble slightly, raising a cloud of dust.

A steel ingot weighs 3 tons, and there are 2 steel ingots on the truck.

There were three more of the same trucks waiting behind.

The drivers sat in twos and threes under the shade of the trees, leisurely smoking and occasionally bursting into laughter.

No wonder they are among the top eight officials; they certainly live a very fulfilling life!

Jiang Xia looked at Uncle Jiang and the others, who were sweating profusely, and felt a little bitter.

"Hey? Look, it's Jiang Xia!"

The driver, who was resting on the ground, seemed to have discovered a new continent and immediately got up.

"Jiang Xia! I heard you became an engineer?" A burly man with a ruddy face walked over first and greeted him warmly.

Jiang Xia smiled before even speaking, "It was just luck! My master taught me so well!"

"Hey, you're just being modest! If your master had that ability, he would have fixed that machine long ago. You wouldn't have had a chance!"

The burly, red-faced man waved his hand magnanimously, took out a cigarette, and handed it to him.