"Oh, my heavens!" Zhou, the manager in charge of the finished goods warehouse, called out to Xiao Tian who was diligently working. She was a fierce middle-aged woman, and although she was a woman, she had a strong and effective management style. She had all the burly drivers and loaders in the entire warehouse under control. "Lin Tian-ran! Why do you keep sticking the wrong labels lately? Look at this, this product should have the label for export to Europe and America, but you've stuck the label for domestic sales. Are you even paying attention?"
"Huh? Did I stick the wrong one? But the task sheet said that ML-X1900 products should have this label?" Xiao Tian quickly pulled out the task sheet to compare, afraid that he had actually made a mistake. If that were the case, it would be disastrous because he had already labeled several boxes.
"Look for yourself, open your eyes wide, and see. MI-X1900 is for domestic sales, while ML-X1900 is for export to Europe and America. Did you not look carefully?" Zhou raised her voice and pointed it out to Xiao Tian. Despite working for so long, Xiao Tian kept making mistakes, and no matter how patient Zhou was, her patience had long been exhausted.
"Oh, it really is a mistake." Only now did Xiao Tian realize that he had been careless and had mistaken the 'L' for an 'I', which resulted in the wrong label.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll change it right away." Xiao Tian quickly apologized to Zhou with several bows, his face turning red with embarrassment.
"It's fortunate that my eyes are sharp. You realize that if the domestic products were loaded onto the shipping container and the cargo ship was out at sea before realizing that this batch of goods wasn't meant for export to Europe and America, do you know how much the company would lose in shipping fees? Can you bear that responsibility?" Zhou scolded loudly.
It's not just once or twice now. Even simple tasks like these are prone to mistakes. Are you really putting effort into your work? Even if you change it back immediately, it will still delay our shipping speed. Do you understand? The delivery deadline is already tight, and wasting time on these small matters, how am I supposed to explain this to higher-ups?"
Zhou stood with her hands on her hips, like a fierce mother tiger. "Here's what we'll do. Tomorrow, I'll check with the HR department to see if there are any other positions that might suit you better."
In essence, she meant that they didn't need Xiao Tian in the finished goods warehouse anymore, and he would be transferred back to the HR department.
"Mrs. Zhou, I promise to be more careful next time. Could you please..." As soon as Xiao Tian understood Zhou's implication, he grew anxious. He really didn't want to lose his job. If there were no suitable positions in the HR department, he might end up getting fired. What would he do if he became unemployed?
"Alright, the decision is made. My cousin happens to be looking for a job in this area too. I'll arrange for her to replace you. We won't need you here anymore. You better work overtime tonight and fix this." Zhou spoke matter-of-factly and left, muttering, "Indeed, some things are better handled by women."
So that's the case. Xiao Tian sighed disappointedly. He had heard rumors that Zhou's cousin was coming to work in the factory, and being Zhou's cousin, it wasn't surprising that she had targeted a more relaxed position for her. This labeler position he held required no technical expertise, and while it wasn't very well-paying, it was decent enough for a woman, especially one not responsible for providing for a family—doing some manual labor would suffice.
Now, he had given Zhou the opportunity to act on her intentions by making a mistake again, and there was nothing he could do but accept the consequences.
HR department again, back to the HR department again. Xiao Tian sighed. This was the third time he had been sent back.
If they didn't have an arrangement for him, would he really have to pack up and leave? What would he do then?
He had grown up here, and if he left, where would he go?
As he peeled off all his "labors of produce," working to correct them with a heavy heart, he thought sadly about how foolish he was.
"You're here? Have a seat." The next day, Xiao Tian arrived at the HR department early, hoping to receive a new job assignment. For this matter, he had spent the whole night sleepless, his dark circles prominent, and he looked haggard. Even when Fat Tiger had extorted 500 yuan from him, he had only shed a few tears. But this intangible fear and uncertainty about fate had consumed him all night.
The HR staff placed him in a waiting area and then left. Mornings were busy in the department, and events that weren't urgent would naturally be set aside. Solving urgent matters first was an unchanging truth.
Xiao Tian obediently sat down, quietly waiting. He had been here before, so he was somewhat familiar with the environment.
The HR department was always bustling, with people coming and going. Workers from the factory floor and office employees often intertwined here. Distinguishing them was easy, based on their clothing and appearance.
Sitting there, Xiao Tian found the comings and goings somewhat novel. He had limited exposure and a strong curiosity about things he hadn't seen much of.
He couldn't fathom how such thin high heels could support a woman who weighed over a hundred jin. So, he stole a few glances.
When a man walked by, a faint fragrance lingered. Xiao Tian sneakily stole a few more glances.
Just like an inexperienced child.
His legs had gone numb from sitting for so long, so Xiao Tian shifted to a different sitting position.
A young lady from the HR department brought over a casually dressed man, guided him to a seat, and poured a glass of lemon water for him. When she saw Xiao Tian, she seemed surprised. "I almost forgot you were waiting here. Just give me a moment, our manager was here but left. I'll ask him about the arrangement when he returns." She then busied herself and walked away without giving Xiao Tian a glass of water.
The man only sat for a short while before a well-dressed senior-level employee, likely a client or something similar, politely ushered him away.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tian sat obediently without anyone paying attention to him. He watched as the lemon water, untouched by the man, was poured into the trash can by the HR lady. He murmured to himself, "What a waste."
Why throw it away? It could have been offered to him to drink. After all, it hadn't been touched yet. Frugality was a traditional virtue of the Chinese people.
Finally, after longing for a long time, HR Manager Fang arrived. Xiao Tian instantly perked up, adjusted his collar, and politely greeted Manager Fang.
"Yesterday, Zhou told me to return you to the HR department. I checked the recent hiring plans, but there aren't any positions suitable for you at the moment." Manager Fang was a man in his fifties who had been with the factory for over twenty years. He had deep experience and had practically watched Xiao Tian grow up in the factory. Although Xiao Tian wasn't particularly close to him, he still held a deep respect for this elder. "Do you have any thoughts?"
"I... I want to stay here. Please, Manager Fang, give me a chance. I'm willing to do any job, as long as I don't have to leave here." Xiao Tian pleaded eagerly. He had long considered this place his home. He was unwilling to leave for anything. Furthermore, he couldn't believe that a factory as large as this, with over a thousand employees, couldn't find a suitable position for him.
"Well, for now, I can't think of any workshop to assign you to. Stay in the HR department for now and work as a security guard temporarily. The previous security guard took an extended leave, and he won't be back for a while. You can give it a try. If it doesn't work out, we'll reconsider." Manager Fang rubbed his chin and finally came up with a solution.
"Alright, thank you, Manager Fang. I'll do my best." Xiao Tian gratefully repeated "thank you" like a broken record.
"Okay, do your best. Later, go to the warehouse to get a security guard uniform and start your shift in the afternoon." Manager Fang patted Xiao Tian's shoulder and nodded to him.
With joy, Xiao Tian limped his way to the warehouse to get his uniform.
This is great, I don't have to leave. I'll have to work even harder from now on.
Xiao Tian silently made up his mind.
Although he picked the smallest size of the security guard uniform, it was still too big for him. There was nothing to be done about it. He was just too skinny, like a little cat, frail and delicate. A strong wind could probably blow him away.
Xiao Tian adjusted the security guard hat on his head and pulled up the oversized pants that were held tight by a belt. He put on the new name badge and headed toward the gate.
"Hello, I'm the new security guard. I've been transferred from the finished goods warehouse. Please take care of me in the future." Xiao Tian knocked on the door of the security office, where two guards on duty were engaged in lively conversation.
"Hey, is this the replacement for Old Zhang who took a leave?" one of them inquired.
"Seems like it, but wait, why is he limping?" another security guard remarked in mild surprise.
"Hello there," Xiao Tian was already accustomed to such reactions, even the less pleasant ones, so he pretended not to hear those remarks.
"Call me Lao Wang, and that's Lao Quan," the one named Lao Wang was evidently the leader here. He seemed older than the other security guard by a significant margin.
"Our security office originally had three people, Lao Wang, Lao Quan, and Old Zhang who took leave to visit his hometown. Now with you added, we're four. The rules remain the same. I'll schedule shifts and assign positions. Everything must follow my orders. Clear?" Lao Wang explained the rules to the somewhat bewildered Xiao Tian.
"Oh, yes," Xiao Tian nodded quickly.
"What's your name?" Lao Quan asked.
"I'm Xiao Tian," Xiao Tian replied humbly.
"Why did you come to work as a security guard at such a young age?" Lao Quan asked curiously.
To save costs, the factory hired mostly older people who were close to retirement or already retired for this position. Naturally, the salary was low.
Though they were called security guards, they mainly stood by the gate during the day and took turns on night duty. They were more like decorations. In reality, if anything happened, these men in their seventies and eighties wouldn't be of much help.
"Oh, is it because you're limping?" Lao Quan suddenly had a bright idea and, thinking he had the answer, asked with a sense of satisfaction.
In an instant, Lin Tian-ran's expression turned dim.
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