Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 420 - 419 Director Zhai Gets Promoted

Chapter 420: Chapter 419 Director Zhai Gets Promoted

"I’m sorry, comrade, our Factory Director went to Beijing last week and isn’t at the factory."

"Ah? Then when will he return?"

"He got on the train yesterday, he should be back in two more days... Comrade, how about I take you to the health clinic first?"

"No need, no need..."

"..."

"Oh dear, Director Zhai, I’ve heard so much about you... You’re asking about Head Flower? That’s our Lan County Textile Factory’s new workshop, but I’m not in charge of that, you’ll have to wait until Old Ji comes back."

"He’ll take two more days to return?"

"Yes, he took the train early yesterday morning, and he should arrive by noon the day after tomorrow... Director Zhai, why don’t I still take you to the health clinic?"

"No need, no need..."

"..."

"Comrade, about your injury... How about I accompany you to the Public Security station later?"

Upon hearing this, Zhai Huayuan’s temples throbbed with veins.

He had rushed all the way for nearly three hours, and everyone he met told him to go to the health clinic. Now that he has arrived at the health clinic, they are sending him to the Public Security station?

Zhai Huayuan was overwhelmingly frustrated, yet he knew the doctor meant well. Clenching his teeth, he tried to suppress his irritation and said, "No need, I... I have just come from the Public Security station."

He was about to say he had just had a fall, but then he realized that as a professional, the doctor could easily identify his injuries.

To avoid further explanations, he chose to tell another lie.

It couldn’t really be considered lying, could it, since the Ten Miles Team did indeed have a Public Security.

Zhai Huayuan applied medicine to his wounds, ate at the State-Owned Restaurant, called the Cooperative Society to let them know he’d be two days late returning, and then dragged his aching body to find a guesthouse.

Two days later.

Zhai Huayuan woke up early in the morning, had two steamed cornbread at the State-Owned Restaurant, and wandered all over the streets.

He really wanted to rush directly to the entrance of the Textile Factory and wait, but he knew that the train from Beijing to Lan County wouldn’t arrive until noon. Going now would be a wasted effort; he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything and would just cause trouble for the comrades at the Textile Factory.

These past two days had indeed been torturous for him. Saying he felt like he was on pins and needles was no exaggeration. During such times, the pain in his body turned out to be a blessing—it distracted him better than anything else, making his ordeal somewhat more bearable.

As he wandered, Zhai Huayuan suddenly caught sight of the Cooperative Society.

He slapped his forehead, utterly annoyed with himself.

He had been so disoriented that he had completely forgotten to check the Cooperative Society!

The Lan County Cooperative Society was much smaller than the Provincial City Supply and Marketing Cooperative, mostly selling basic necessities, with many shelves left empty.

Zhai Huayuan approached a salesperson and asked her, "Comrade, I heard there are new Head Flowers? Could you show me one?"

The salesperson didn’t even lift her eyelids and impatiently placed a foot-long, smoothly sanded, clear-varnished wooden post on the counter.

Zhai Huayuan: "...?" What does this mean?

The salesperson, busy knitting, didn’t lift her head as she said, "All sold out."

"This..."

Zhai Huayuan felt helpless, looking at the piece of wood, temporarily unable to comprehend its intended use.

Just as he was about to leave, the salesperson seemed to remember something, lifted her head, and upon seeing the injuries on his face, her gaze flickered.

She cleared her throat, trying to suppress the nervousness, continued knitting, but became more talkative, "I say, comrade, you’re a bit too late. The Head Flowers arrived the day before yesterday, you’re only coming now?"

Zhai Huayuan halted, looking at the salesperson, incredulous. Out of professional habit, he asked, "How much stock did you receive?"

"How can I say that?" the salesperson replied indifferently, "Not half an hour after the notice was posted, there was a line stretching dozens of meters... You’re lucky to even see a piece of wood if you came any later."

Zhai Huayuan habitually took out his credentials, his gaze intense as he looked at the salesperson, "Comrade, I am the director of the Provincial City Supply and Marketing Cooperative. I am asking you about the sales for work purposes, please cooperate with me, alright?"

"Ah? From the Provincial City Supply and Marketing Cooperative?" The salesperson put down her knitting and carefully inspected the credentials.

Zhai Huayuan was full of hope, feeling he would soon have his answer.

But then, just like that, the salesperson’s face soured again, and with a sarcastic tone, she said, "Then you should go directly to our director, why ask me? I’m just a lowly salesperson and one stuck with empty shelves at that. I wouldn’t dare to ’cooperate’ with a big director like you."

Zhai Huayuan: "..."

He should have known!

There’s only one decent person in all of Lan County, Educated Youth Lin!

Zhai Huayuan took a deep breath to stabilize his emotions, and asked her, "Then where is your Cooperative Society director?"

"He’s in the city," the salesperson continued sarcastically, "Our little place is nothing compared to your Provincial City Supply and Marketing Cooperative. You have countless factories eager to deliver goods there, while our director has to beg and plead just to stock up on things like fabric and paper."

Zhai Huayuan: "..."

What? Is Wong Xiao the only leader here in Lan County?

The salesperson kept complaining, "It’s pitiful for our kids, not being born in a big city, so fortunate. Just trying to get an education, but can’t find a textbook, they have to write in them forwards, backwards, erase it, and use it over as a new one... And our farmers, wanting to buy something as simple as labor protection gloves, it’s all based on luck. You might not even get one pair in a year and a half, and it’s even more upsetting when farm tools break, you just can’t find new ones... Not to mention things like wheat germ cream, ’heard of it, never seen it’ ..."

Zhai Huayuan: "..."

He hated complaints about work the most, because complaining was useless. It’s better to spend that time figuring out how to solve the issue.

But why did this female comrade’s complaints make him feel so disheartened?

He was aware that some items would never be sent to smaller Cooperative Societies because they just wouldn’t sell. But students without even a textbook, farmers dreaming of a new tool—such things might as well be asking for the moon...

Zhai Huayuan had been to university, read a lot of books, met many people, and knew a lot of things.

Yet at this moment, he felt a rush of emotion.

He took out his work notebook, wrote down his department’s phone number, and the guesthouse where he was currently staying. After thinking it over, he also added his home address.

He tore out the paper and handed it to the salesperson earnestly, saying, "Comrade, please pass this to your director. Tell him to let me know whenever you’re short on stock. I will allocate it from the Provincial City Supply and Marketing Cooperative’s shares. Have him contact me when he gets back."

He would have an easier time getting extra stock from various factories. One phone call from him might be more effective than the director of this small Cooperative Society running his legs off.

The salesperson’s eyes instantly lit up. She smiled broadly, taking the paper and holding it tightly in her palms, "Rest assured! I will definitely pass it on to our director! He’ll be back this afternoon!"

Zhai Huayuan: "...?"

Why did he feel something was amiss?

Did he just act impulsively?

While Zhai Huayuan pondered over life, the saleswoman cheerfully resolved his initial question, "The day before yesterday we received three thousand Head Flowers, and they were all sold out by midmorning."

Zhai Huayuan blurted out, "You’ve got to be kidding me!"