Staff Association

Finally, Sha Zhu took a deep breath, as if he were about to dive into deep water, and stood up, swaying slightly, with his hands on his knees. Because the movement was too sudden, his knee accidentally hit the hard table leg as he stood up, making a dull "thud" that was particularly clear in the relatively quiet corner.

The commotion drew the attention of people at several nearby tables, who all turned to look. Sha Zhu's face flushed red to the roots of his ears. Ignoring the pain in his knees and the stares, he stiffly moved his feet, heading straight for the nearest textile factory worker who looked quiet and refined, and who was fiddling with a piece of candy in her hand.

The female worker was facing him sideways, with two black braids, her head lowered, and the lines of her neck were soft.

When he was about two steps away from her, the female worker seemed to sense his approach, looked up, and looked at him with a puzzled expression. He had a delicate oval face, small but clear eyes, filled with the innocent curiosity of someone untouched by the world.

The instant their eyes met, a "boom" seemed to explode in Sha Zhu's mind. All the prepared and rehearsed lines vanished instantly, leaving no trace.

His mind went blank, his ears were ringing, and he could only hear the sound of his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

He opened his mouth, feeling his lips were so dry they felt like they were about to crack, and his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, unable to make a sound. Sweat seeped uncontrollably from his temples and forehead, gathering into drops that rolled down his dark red cheeks.

"Comrade... hello." He finally managed to squeeze out a few dry, trembling, and completely distorted syllables from between his almost glued teeth. His voice was so loud that it startled even himself, as if he were shouting commands rather than greeting someone.

The female worker was clearly startled by the abrupt and rough greeting; a hint of surprise and bewilderment flashed in her clear eyes. She hesitated for a moment before replying hesitantly in a low voice, "Hello...you."

Hearing the response, Shazhu became even more nervous. He felt he had to say something immediately; he couldn't let the conversation fall silent! But what could he say? What could he say?!

In his desperation, the only thing he could think of that he believed best demonstrated his "value" blurted out, almost shouting, "I...I'm He Yuzhu! I'm...I'm a cook at the first canteen of the steel rolling mill!" His voice was loud and clear, with a strange, reporting-work-like solemnity. Not only did the people at the surrounding tables look over again, but even those who were talking a little further away stopped and looked over curiously.

The female worker was even more bewildered by his sudden and high-profile announcement of her profession. Her face showed obvious embarrassment and confusion, and she subconsciously shrank back.

Seeing that the other person didn't react and just stared blankly at him, Sha Zhu became even more anxious. He gritted his teeth and blurted out his most important "advantage," which he thought would be the most persuasive, speaking as fast as firecrackers: "I...I'm a full-time employee! A level 9...9 cook! My monthly salary is 3...33.5 yuan!" When he shouted out the salary amount, he even had an almost boastful expression on his face, as if it were some kind of supreme medal.

Clear snickers and suppressed whispers rose from the surroundings. The female worker's face flushed bright red, the color spreading all the way to the roots of her neck.

She'd seen plenty of straightforward young men before, but one who rattled off his salary like he was reporting an expense report was unheard of! She felt both ashamed and embarrassed, as if everyone's eyes were on her, like she was being roasted over a fire.

However, Sha Zhu's "performance" wasn't over yet. Driven by extreme tension and a desperate impulse, he looked at the female worker's blushing face, mistaking it for a sign of affection. The string of "reason" in his mind snapped completely, and he unleashed his most direct, primal, and inappropriate thoughts like a bomb: "I...I think you're pretty...pretty good! I...I want to marry you!"

"Ah—?!" The female worker finally couldn't control herself and let out a short, sharp cry filled with horror and embarrassment. As if stung by a scorpion, she suddenly jumped up from the stool!

She stared at Sha Zhu in horror, her eyes filled with disbelief, anger at being offended, and deep embarrassment. She couldn't utter a word, turned away, covered her face with her hands, and almost fled, staggering away until she reached the other side of the auditorium, where she stopped beside her textile factory colleagues, her back to them, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Her female companions immediately gathered around, whispering words of comfort and concern. They would occasionally glance at Sha Zhu with surprise, disdain, and amusement, while letting out suppressed chuckles and whispers.

Centered on Sha Zhu and the female worker, a brief vacuum seemed to appear around them, only to be filled with even more surging whispers and undisguised laughter. "My God! Did you hear that? Sha Zhu told her 'I want to marry you!'"

"Hahaha! Reporting your salary! Reporting your salary on a blind date! It's like selling pork! I'm dying of laughter!"

"He scared the girl away! That's impressive!"

"Isn't this just blatant indecent behavior? How can it be so direct?"

"He really is an idiot! His reputation is well-deserved! The union shouldn't have let him come!"

"Disgraceful! They've completely disgraced our steel rolling mill!"

Mocking, sarcastic, and gloating words rained down on Sha Zhu like hail. He stood frozen in place, feeling as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into the most dazzling spotlight in the center of the stage.

His face burned at first, then turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his back. He wanted to explain, to say that he wasn't being a pervert, that he was just... just nervous, just unable to speak!

But his tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and he could only make meaningless "hoarse" sounds in his throat. He could only lower his head like a sinner, enduring all kinds of gazes from all directions, wishing that the floor beneath his feet would immediately crack open so that he could fall in and never be reincarnated.

Just when he was in this extremely embarrassing moment, which was almost overwhelming, a female steelworker who looked a little older, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, slightly plump, with a round face and a seemingly cheerful and outspoken personality, perhaps felt that although Sha Zhu's behavior was absurd, his simple and clumsy manner was also somewhat pitiful, or perhaps she was simply out of curiosity. She whispered a few words to her female companion and actually took the initiative to walk towards Sha Zhu.

"Hey, Comrade He Yuzhu, right?" She stopped two steps away from Sha Zhu and spoke openly and loudly, with a hint of teasing, but it didn't sound malicious. Instead, it seemed like a friendly way of defusing the situation. "Just now... you really scared that young girl from the textile factory. You're a bit too impulsive in your words and actions. When looking for a partner or dating, how can you be so... so straightforward right from the start?" She used the word "straightforward" to give Sha Zhu a way out.

Sha Zhu was overwhelmed with shame and utterly helpless. This voice that had spoken to him was like heavenly music to his ears! He jerked his head up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes like a drowning man grasping at a piece of driftwood. He nodded frantically, his voice still trembling with excitement and nervousness: "Yes, yes, I'm He Yuzhu. I... I didn't mean to, I was just... just too nervous, I couldn't speak properly..." He explained incoherently, but inwardly, the fact that someone was finally willing to talk to him made him relax a little.

Sister Zhang smiled, looked him up and down, her gaze lingering for a moment on his awkwardly tailored Zhongshan suit, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she asked, "Are you the head chef of the cafeteria? Judging from what you said earlier, your cooking skills must be quite good?"

When talking about his professional field, Sha Zhu finally regained a little confidence and self-assurance. He straightened his back a bit and spoke louder: "Of course! I'm good at Sichuan cuisine and Shandong cuisine! I'm the one who cooks for the factory leaders when they entertain guests! I'm not bragging, but the leaders all praise my cooking!" He tried to demonstrate his value.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive." Sister Zhang nodded, a look of interest on her face, as if she wanted to ask more questions, such as what dishes he could cook or how busy the cafeteria was. This might be Sha Zhu's only, and last, chance to have a normal conversation tonight.

However, at this delicate moment, which might have slightly turned the tide, a young male clerk from the steel rolling mill's administration department happened to pass by and overheard their conversation.

This male officer was short, with a pointed face and a monkey-like appearance. He was known for being well-informed and fond of gossiping. When he saw Sister Zhang talking to Sha Zhu, a calculating and "helpful" glint flashed in his eyes. He put on an exaggerated "I'm doing this all for your own good" expression and quickly stepped between the two.

He first smiled at Sister Zhang, then turned to Sha Zhu, then quickly turned back to Sister Zhang, and spoke hurriedly in a deliberately low voice, yet loud enough for people several meters away to hear clearly:

"Sister Zhang, are you talking to him? Oh dear, Sister Zhang, you might... you might not know him very well." He pointed at Sha Zhu, his face showing a seriousness and regret as if he were "revealing the truth." "He is He Yuzhu from the No. 3 canteen in our factory, nicknamed Sha Zhu." He deliberately emphasized the words "Sha Zhu".

Sister Zhang paused for a moment, glancing at the male officer, then at Sha Zhu, whose face had instantly darkened. Her brow furrowed slightly. "Sha Zhu? That nickname..."

"Well, there's a reason why everyone calls him that," the male officer quickly chimed in, his words speeding up as if afraid Zhang Jie would be misled. "This guy, well, he's got some cooking skills, but his temper... tsk, he's infamous! In the cafeteria, he's always glaring at people, and if he gets angry, he'll push and shove. Lots of people have suffered at his hands; nobody dares to mess with him! He's got a lot of hostility about him!"