Chapter 36: There Really Are Fools!

Li Xiangdong said, "Sister Sun, you’re too kind. I will, of course, give your work my full support."

Sister Sun beamed, "As long as you understand the nature of my work, that’s all I need. You brought two one-inch photos; one is for your staff ID, and the other will be pasted onto your employee registration form."

"Once you’re officially on board, your file will be transferred to our passenger transport section. This registration form will be attached to your file and archived in the records department. But don't you worry about that; that’s exactly what I’m here for."

After a brief explanation, Sister Sun took an employee registration form from her desk drawer and handed him a pen.

"If you don't know how to fill out anything, just ask me. This is for your permanent file, so you can't just scribble on it."

"Understood, Sister Sun. I’ll be sure to ask if I’m unsure about anything."

Li Xiangdong looked at the form. It was much like those he remembered from the future—just standard personal information.

"Brother Li, here’s some water."

A young man named Xiao Wang placed a tea mug by his side.

Li Xiangdong stood up and said, "Thank you, Comrade Xiao Wang."

"Don't stand on ceremony with me, Brother Li. Go ahead with your form; I won't disturb you anymore. Just let me know if you need a refill."

Li Xiangdong nodded with a smile, sat back down, and began filling out the form while sipping the hot water Xiao Wang had brought.

The form was simple enough. When Sister Sun looked it over and found no errors, she stamped it and pulled out a medical examination form.

"The infirmary is behind this building. I still need to process your ID, so I won't escort you there. Can you find it yourself? If not, I can have Xiao Wang take you."

"I can find it. No need to trouble you or Comrade Xiao Wang."

"Brother Li, I’m not busy right now. Why don't I take you?"

Xiao Wang had been very eager ever since Li Xiangdong entered the office. As a mere clerk, he usually had no access to Section Chief Hou. Catching a relative of the section chief coming to handle paperwork was a rare opportunity he wanted to capitalize on to make a good impression on his superior.

"I really don't need you to, thanks. I’d rather go on my own. I shouldn't burden you with every little thing."

Seeing the slight disappointment on Xiao Wang's face, Li Xiangdong still politely declined. He felt uncomfortable and mentally drained dealing with these seasoned office veterans.

Just as he stepped out of the building with his medical form, someone came rushing toward him, and the two nearly collided.

"Damn! Why is it you?!"

Li Xiangdong side-stepped and realized it was his childhood friend, A-Zhe. He quickly asked, "What are you rushing around for?"

A-Zhe wiped the sweat from his face and panted, "Dong... Dongzi... I..."

"Take it easy, catch your breath first."

Li Xiangdong pulled him aside; it wasn't the place to talk right at the entrance.

***

The two stood by a flower bed near the building entrance.

A-Zhe sat on the edge of the flower bed to recover, slapping his thigh in frustration. "Don't even ask. I came here to report for duty, but I went to the wrong place! I just ran over from the main railway station building!"

Hearing this, Li Xiangdong’s first thought was that Uncle Hou hadn't lied to him—there really were idiots out there!

"So you're late, what’s the rush?"

"I’m worried the clerk will give me a hard time for being late! I can't talk now, I need to get my onboarding done!"

A-Zhe started to walk off, and Li Xiangdong followed.

"Don't worry," Li Xiangdong comforted him with a smile. "I'll go with you. No one will make things difficult for you."

"Oh, come off it, Dongzi. We’ve known each other since we were kids; who are you trying to fool? You think you have that much pull?" A-Zhe didn't believe him for a second.

Regardless of the size of the unit, weren't all the clerks in the personnel department arrogant? They looked down their noses at everyone. Unless you were a relative or the child of a high-ranking leader, you wouldn't get so much as a polite smile.

"Don't believe me? Just follow me. I’ll make sure your eyes are opened today!"

Li Xiangdong took the lead. A-Zhe followed, looking skeptical, wondering if Li Xiangdong was just playing a prank on him. But since it was the last day to report for duty, he had to bite the bullet regardless of whether Li was telling the truth.

Li Xiangdong led him to the main office of the personnel department with practiced ease. There was no need to look for Section Chief Hou; for standard onboarding, a clerk would suffice.

"Dongzi, you’re done with the physical already?"

"That was fast, Dongzi!"

"Brother Li is back. Are you thirsty? Shall I pour you another cup? I’ve got some jasmine tea here; see if you like the taste."

"I haven't gone to the infirmary yet. I just ran into a friend right after stepping out, and since he’s here to report as well, I brought him along."

"Thank you, Comrade Xiao Wang. I’d love to try your tea."

A-Zhe stood there, stunned, watching his friend chat casually with everyone in the office. His mind was reeling. Why were these clerks so different from what he expected? Why were they so enthusiastic? They even offered jasmine tea to new arrivals?

***

Li Xiangdong tapped A-Zhe, who was still in a daze, and pulled him to Sister Sun’s desk.

"What are you staring at? Give your introduction letter to Sister Sun."

"Oh, hello, Sister Sun. Here is my introduction letter."

A-Zhe put on a smile and hurriedly placed the letter on the desk. It was worth noting that A-Zhe had also been assigned to the Beijing Railway Station crew, not some other station.

...

The two left the office and headed toward the infirmary.

A-Zhe was now completely in awe of Li Xiangdong. He had never seen or heard of a clerk in the personnel department who would actively pour tea for a newcomer!

"Dongzi—no, I should call you Brother Dong from now on," A-Zhe asked fawningly. "Tell me the truth, does your family have relatives in leadership positions in the railway department? I’m counting on you from now on!"

"Aren't we brothers? Of course I’ll look out for you," Li Xiangdong promised, acting as if any trouble A-Zhe had would be easily handled by his "big brother."

If he could fool the clerks in the personnel department, handling a simpleton like A-Zhe was a breeze.

He patted A-Zhe on the shoulder. "Didn't you say the day before yesterday that you weren't going to report for duty? Did you have a change of heart?"

"Sigh, don't mention it. After I sobered up yesterday morning, my dad and I talked. We both agreed that what you said made sense."

"But my mother only left an address, no phone number. My dad intends to write to her first to check the situation. Who knows how long that will take?"

"I figured I couldn't just sit at home doing nothing during that time, so I came to report. Besides, you said you were coming to the passenger transport section too, so we can keep each other company."

As A-Zhe spoke, his expression grew somber. "Honestly, Dongzi, if my mother could leave without a word, I wouldn't be surprised if she remarried. It’s just that my dad still holds out hope."

Listening to A-Zhe, Li Xiangdong didn't know how to comfort him. He couldn't very well tell him, "You're right—not only is she remarried, but you have several half-siblings you don't even know about!"