Chapter 34: Give Me the Cigarette, Quick!

The two, meeting for the first time, hit it off surprisingly well. They chatted idly while smoking.

Old Man Hou laughed and said, "Dongzi, you’re a smart kid. I like chatting with smart people."

"How so, Old Man Hou?" Li Xiangdong asked, feeling a bit puzzled. Through their conversation, he had gathered that the old man was quite a prickly and arrogant person. Why the sudden praise?

"There are things you don’t know. The internal recruitment for employees' children is already finished. Now, it’s just the returning 'educated youth' like you arriving one after another to report for duty. But they’re either clueless or thick-headed; they don’t bother to ask around, and they can’t even tell the difference between the Passenger Transport Section and the railway station. They all just swarm over to the station building to report. You’re the only smart one I’ve seen in a while."

Old Man Hou chuckled heartily as he spoke. "Just watch, there’ll probably be some poor fools running over here in a panic, sweating buckets, any minute now."

Li Xiangdong joined in the laughter. It was true; those outside the railway system really couldn't tell the difference. Even in the later, information-rich eras, many people still didn’t understand how the various departments of the railway system functioned.

By the time they lit their third cigarettes, more staff members began arriving for work. Most of them greeted Old Man Hou as they passed the dispatch office. Seeing Li Xiangdong sitting inside, smoking and chatting, they cast extra glances his way. He was a fresh face, not wearing a uniform, and clearly not a new hire—or perhaps he was just someone there to keep the old man company. Regardless, it was clear he was close to Old Man Hou, possibly even a younger relative. This was their assumption, and Li Xiangdong had inadvertently gained a significant advantage by appearing to be in the old man's inner circle.

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt said you forgot your medicine this morning, so I brought it. You should take it now." A middle-aged man in a summer uniform pushed the door open. After greeting Old Man Hou, he looked at Li Xiangdong with a puzzled expression.

"Jianshe, you’re here. Just leave the medicine on the table; I’ll take it in a bit." Old Man Hou gestured toward his nephew and said, "This is a new hire reporting to our section today, Li Xiangdong. Make sure you tell the people in your department not to give him any trouble. I like this kid; he’s got the right temperament!"

Hearing this, Li Xiangdong realized that the man before him was the Section Chief of the Labor and Personnel Department. He quickly stood up and handed his introduction letter to Section Chief Hou.

"Good morning, Section Chief Hou. My name is Li Xiangdong—you can call me Dongzi. I’m here for the onboarding process. I arrived a bit early, so I was just keeping Old Man Hou company."

"Did you see that, Jianshe? Isn't this kid sharp? I hadn't even mentioned who you were, yet he figured it out just from those two sentences." Old Man Hou beamed, feeling vindicated in his judgment. The kid was truly clever—he caught on instantly!

Hou Jianshe took the letter and read it, suddenly understanding everything. No wonder the name Li Xiangdong sounded so familiar. It turned out he was "one of their own." His old classmate had specifically called him two days ago, not only to secure a position for someone but also to ask him to look out for the recruit. He hadn't expected to meet him so soon.

However, he didn't point this out. He folded the letter and tucked it into his jacket pocket. "Dongzi, is it? I’ll hold onto your introduction letter for now and file it once you’re officially on board. Since my second uncle has spoken for you, you can rest easy—no one will make things difficult for you during the process."

The tone of his voice had changed significantly, now carrying a note of familiarity.

"Thank you, Section Chief." Li Xiangdong noticed the shift in the Chief's expression; he was much friendlier than when he had first walked in. He assumed it was all thanks to Old Man Hou. After thanking him, he picked up the pack of Peony cigarettes from the table. "Section Chief Hou, would you like a cigarette?"

"I'll help myself." Hou Jianshe took a cigarette, lit one for his uncle, then lit one for himself, and tucked the rest of the pack directly into his own pocket.

Li Xiangdong’s eyelids twitched. What was this? There were three people in the room; did he just skip over him entirely? Were all the Hous this interesting?

Fortunately, he still had another pack of Peony in his satchel—he had taken two from his father's drawer and brought them both. But just as he pulled it out, before he could even open it, a large hand reached out. To his astonishment, Section Chief Hou took the unopened pack and put it in his other pocket.

"Dongzi, since you and my second uncle get along, you’re not an outsider to us. And don't take it the wrong way, but you're young—smoke less. Don't end up a chain-smoker with a cigarette glued to your hand." Hou Jianshe lectured him while lighting another cigarette for himself. He patted Li Xiangdong on the shoulder. "Let's go. Follow me to the office, and we'll get your onboarding started."

"Old Man Hou, I’m off to take care of business. I’ll come back to chat when I’m free."

"Go on, go on."

"Oh, and Dongzi," the old man called out, "what your Uncle Hou said makes sense. You’re a smart kid—shouldn't you listen to good advice?"

Li Xiangdong nodded.

"Good. Now, hand over that pack of Da Qian Men you've got in your pocket."

*Damn it!* Li Xiangdong felt he had been played by the Hou family duo. Under the old man's expectant gaze, he unwillingly pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pocket. What kind of people were these? They had extorted three packs of cigarettes from him in such a short time!

He followed Hou Jianshe, silently complaining about the two men.

As they walked, Hou Jianshe introduced the area. "Those two buildings are the bachelor dorms. Your letter says you live nearby, right? Are you married?"

"I’m married, and I have two kids. I live in Chuanban Alley, not far from here."

"Ah, Chuanban Alley is close. Then you won't need a bachelor dorm. You'll have to wait until you're a permanent employee to qualify for housing, but don't rush—you'll need to build up your seniority first."

"I understand, Uncle Hou," Li Xiangdong replied.

Hou Jianshe pointed to a small, three-story red-brick building ahead. "That’s the central office building where the administrative staff works. Your position is a water supply attendant. The Passenger Transport Section has a water supply office inside the Beijing Railway Station building; just go there directly in the future. No need to keep running back here."

Worried that the information his father had given him might be inaccurate, Li Xiangdong asked, "Uncle Hou, I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"Does my position involve working on the trains?"

"Our Passenger Transport Section is all about train-based operations. Why? Do you want a desk job? That's no problem; I can help you transfer."

"No need, Uncle Hou. I think working on the trains sounds great."

Since Hou Jianshe was the Section Chief of Labor and Personnel, Li Xiangdong was finally completely reassured now that he knew he would be working on the trains.