Can this wine cure diseases?

This factory is not close to Nanluoguxiang; if you were to walk there, it would take you ages.

First, you have to walk through Shichahai, through the park, along the path, and then head west until you reach the wasteland outside Xizhimen before you've arrived at your destination.

People who came after have long forgotten that there used to be a large steel mill here; it has all been moved away. But now it is the 1950s, and this place is still operating busily.

It's about four kilometers on foot, and it would take at least an hour to get there even at a brisk pace.

But riding a bike was much easier. Liu Dong pedaled slowly and entered the factory gate in about half an hour.

He pushed the car into the designated parking shed and locked it tightly with a large padlock made of thick iron chain, fearing that someone might steal it.

Just as I was about to go into the factory to inquire about the arrangements, I suddenly heard someone shouting at the door:

"Newcomers! All new hires, gather this way! Everyone, follow me!"

The one shouting was a man wearing a green military cap, standing on a high stone platform, holding a brass megaphone in his hand, his voice so loud it seemed to shake the air.

The newly recruited group of employees obediently walked in the direction he pointed and arrived at an open space behind a red brick building.

The venue was quite spacious, and a lot of people had arrived early, standing in twos and threes, totaling at least two or three hundred people.

There were both men and women, but eight out of ten were men.

Liu Dong didn't want to join in the fun, so he chose a quiet spot in a corner and sat down.

A moment later, a tall man walked out from the side. His hair was neatly combed, and he was wearing a starched white shirt; he clearly wasn't from a working-class background.

He jumped onto the makeshift stage and waved to the audience: "Look at me! Listen up!"

The crowd surged forward in a rush, but someone immediately organized them, arranging them into several lines and making them stand properly.

The man cleared his throat and announced, "One notice—starting today, the steel rolling mill is officially a joint public-private enterprise! The capitalists can no longer interfere in its management. Furthermore, our output must be increased, and our equipment must be upgraded!"

"My name is Yang Hongbing, and I am the current factory director. From now on, I will be the main person in charge of the factory's affairs, along with Deputy Director Li and a few others to make decisions."

After he finished speaking, he took the lead in clapping, and it went on and on. The others didn't say anything and just joined in the applause.

He continued, "You're new here and don't know much about the factory, so let me give you a brief introduction."

"The factory has mostly skilled workers, divided into eight levels, with level one being the lowest and level eight being the highest, and the wages increase as you go up the level."

"In addition, we also need people to handle logistics, manage sanitation, sweep floors and guard the gate, as well as political work positions such as writing slogans and reading documents."

"But to be honest, technical positions are still the most sought-after."

"For example, a top-level skilled worker can earn 22 yuan a month, while an ordinary employee only earns 18 yuan. Want to earn more? You need to hone your skills!"

"Skilled workers are further subdivided, such as forging workers, welders, fitters, lathe operators... all kinds of types."

This whole talk took more than half an hour, and he concluded with, "Alright, let's start taking attendance now."

More than 300 new employees were called out one by one, and this process alone took up the whole morning.

Liu Dong was among them. When he was called upon, he responded and there were no mishaps.

After roll call, each person was given a form to fill out, indicating their desired job position, their special skills, and the type of work they wanted to do.

Most people filled in skilled jobs, such as blacksmithing, screw tightening, machine operation... all of which are manual labor jobs.

But Liu Dong didn't put pen to paper.

He knew perfectly well that he didn't need the extra salary at all.

Skilled workers may sound well-paid, but they have two fatal flaws:

First, it's exhausting; you're constantly covered in dust and dirt from working so hard.

Secondly, they couldn't get promoted and were stuck in the workshop all year round with no one paying attention to them.

To get ahead, you have to meet and interact with your superiors frequently.

Who is most likely to get close to the leader?

The first one is the chef!

Especially the head chefs who cook for the cadres, serving dishes at every meal and showing off their skills during holidays, are naturally easy to remember.

In the original story, that silly Zhu was capable, but because he couldn't think straight, he missed many opportunities.

It's a pity that they wasted all their advantages.

Besides these, there are those who handle publicity and logistics. These people frequently visit the office, delivering materials and notices; you see them all the time, so you build good relationships with them.

Liu Dong was still hesitating about which one to choose, his brow furrowed.

Suddenly, a "ding-dong" sound rang in his ears, as if someone had rung a bell in his head.

[Congratulations, host, on successfully joining the steel rolling mill and triggering exclusive benefits!]

[Rewards Disbursed: 888 million RMB in cash deposited! Also received a complimentary "Rejuvenating Wine Jar"!]

ha?

A rejuvenating wine vat? What's that?

He was taken aback, then quickly opened the system interface in his mind and entered the virtual wine cellar to take a look.

Sure enough, a greenish-blue earthenware jar appeared in the corner, with a strange pattern engraved on its surface.

With a light tap of the finger, a message pops up with a buzzing sound:

【Rejuvenation Wine Vat】—A special brewing container used to produce 【Rejuvenation Wine】, which, when consumed, can repair various physical problems such as hidden injuries, chronic diseases, and long-standing ailments.

Liu Dong was stunned on the spot.

Oh my God!

Is this wine supposed to cure all diseases?

What's there to hesitate about? Just go and become a medical worker!

The thought had just been made up, and I picked up my pen to change my college application when suddenly a sentence burst out from the loudspeaker:

"Liu Dong! Who is Liu Dong? The factory manager is looking for him!"

He looked up abruptly, raising his hand with a blank expression: "I...I'm here!"

"Come here!" Yang Hongbing's voice came from the loudspeaker, his tone quite friendly.

Liu Dong followed him into the building and walked all the way to the office at the end of the fourth floor.

This is the factory manager's private room, and the sign on the door reads "Factory Manager's Office".

"Xiao Liu, sit down, sit down, don't be shy," Yang Hongbing greeted him warmly, personally pouring him a cup of hot water and handing it to him. He smiled and asked, "Is your father named Liu Honglei? The one who died in the Korean War?"

Liu Dong nodded.

"Sigh..." Yang Hongbing sighed, his eyes darkening. "Back on the battlefield, I was the regimental commander, and he was the company commander, under my command."

"Huh?" This news surprised Liu Dong.

He immediately stood up and gave a solemn military salute.

"In the end, it was because he went on that mission in my place that the accident happened..." The old factory director's voice became hoarse and his eyes reddened as he said this.

Liu Dong stood there, unsure how to respond.

But he was secretly overjoyed—the connections his cheapskate father had left him were incredibly useful! Who would have thought he'd run into an old comrade-in-arms in this run-down steel mill?

"Son, what position do you want? Tell Uncle Yang." Yang Hongbing wiped his eyes, his tone gentle. "Call me factory manager when there are many people around, but call me Uncle Yang in private!"

"Hey! Uncle Yang!" Liu Dong changed his address accordingly.

"Hey, good lad!" Yang Hongbing grinned from ear to ear. "Just like your dad back in the day, full of energy!"

As she spoke, she started to chatter on, "My daughter works at a cigarette factory, I'll introduce you to her later..."