Before Xu Damao could even enjoy the farewell banquet hosted by the three old men, he was notified to depart for Tongzhou.

Inside the steel rolling mill, the first batch of over 100 people set off in four cars towards the first branch factory. Of course, the factory leaders rode in the only ZIM sedan belonging to the first branch factory.

Dozens of people, like lambs to the slaughter, swayed and staggered along the way. A few, whose bodies simply couldn't take it anymore, vomited as they walked, clinging to the railings—it was quite a gruesome sight.

Xu Damao had originally planned to ride his newly bought bicycle there, which would be more comfortable and easier to return later. However, the factory office staff said that everything would be organized uniformly, and there would be a welcome party upon arrival. Seeing that none of the section chiefs were being given special treatment, Xu Damao decided to go with the flow.

He didn't know how long they had walked when suddenly someone shouted, "We're here! We're here!" which woke Xu Damao, who was dozing off.

Following the direction of the car, Xu Damao finally saw what the first factory looked like. A neat cement road, lined with tall trees on both sides. Further along the cement road was the gate of the first factory.

The gate was very tall, covered with flags. The brand-new characters "Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill Branch Factory No. 1" appeared to have been recently erected, their colors noticeably clashing with the rest of the gate. Next to the gate was a high wall, beyond which the factory buildings could be seen.

The area around the gate is quite lively now, with many people lined up on both sides, including some children holding flowers. It seems that the original comrades from the First Factory have been preparing for a long time to welcome the comrades who are coming to support the General Staff.

As the motorcade slowly approached, the firecrackers that had been prepared were set off, and the drum team waiting on the side started playing, creating a festive atmosphere reminiscent of a wedding.

After getting off the car with the crowd, Xu Damao lined up in the pre-arranged positions and waited for instructions from his superiors.

Over there, Li Xuewu and Qiao Dayou, who had come from the main factory to become deputy factory directors, got out of a car. The original leadership team members of the branch factory, who were waiting on the side, hurriedly went up to shake hands. This moment marked the beginning of a new era for the branch factory and a new beginning for Li Xuewu, and it was all captured by the propaganda department staff with their cameras.

The welcoming ceremony at the entrance ended quickly, and everyone lined up to enter the auditorium of the No. 1 factory.

On the platform sat all the factory leaders of the First Branch Factory: Li Xuewu (Deputy Director-General), who was also the factory director; Song Shan, the deputy director and deputy factory director; Hu Nan, the chief engineer and deputy factory director; Qiao Dayou, the deputy factory director; and Chen Jiang, the deputy factory director. Except for Li Xuewu and Qiao Dayou, the others were the original leadership team.

Qiao Dayou was originally the workshop director and one of the key technical personnel in the steel rolling mill. Li Xuewu made many promises and went to great lengths to recruit him. This shows that Li Xuewu truly values ​​talent; otherwise, he wouldn't have tolerated Sha Zhu's treatment of him later.

Having just assumed significant power, Li Xuewu was quite ambitious and spoke at length, emphasizing that newcomers needed to quickly integrate into the large collective of the First Branch Factory in order to better manage its production.

The other leadership teams also expressed their commitment to working together to create a bright future for the No. 1 factory.

Next, the factory's middle-level managers went on stage by department to introduce themselves and show their faces to the leaders and workers present.

When it was time for the personnel department, Xu Damao and the head of the personnel department went on stage together. The head of the personnel department, Gao Juanjuan, was a woman who looked to be under 50 years old and seemed very enthusiastic.

After a brief self-introduction, Xu Damao followed Gao Juanjuan off the stage. As soon as the meeting ended, Xu Damao went directly to her office.

"Da Mao, you are really young, even younger than my eldest son. Seeing you young people grow up makes me, someone who is about to retire, truly feel gratified."

You probably don't know this, but our HR department is different from the head office; we're responsible for all personnel matters, so the pressure is quite high. I've been working alone for a while now, so I feel relieved that you're here.

In this era, women generally retire at the age of 50, so Gao Juanjuan will retire in the next two years.

Gao Juanjuan said this, but who knew what she truly thought? Xu Damao couldn't answer, so he could only ask her about some personnel issues he hadn't figured out before. In this regard, Gao Juanjuan held nothing back and taught Xu Damao very seriously.

"Alright, Section Chief Xu, you've just arrived, so please settle in first. All of you cadres from the main factory have been assigned to the factory's employee dormitories, two people per room. I'll have someone take you there."

After a short period of contact and getting to know him, Gao Juanjuan realized that this deputy section chief, who was the same age as her son, was not so simple. So she naturally changed her address from Da Mao to Section Chief Xu, which was her first recognition of Xu Da Mao.

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Time flies, and early summer of 1960 has arrived. Xu Damao packed his things in the dormitory and walked towards the car downstairs in the office building. Of course, he was not yet entitled to ride in the official car. There was only one car in the entire First Branch Factory, which was Li Xuewu's official car. He was just hitching a ride and also serving as the driver.

In the two years since Li Xuewu arrived at the First Branch Factory, the outside world has changed dramatically, from the Great Leap Forward and the launch of spacecraft to disasters and changes in his relationship with the Big Brother. Meanwhile, inside the factory, Li Xuewu has completely taken control of everything, and the entire factory is operating according to his ideas.

As for Xu Damao, Gao Juanjuan, the head of the personnel department, is about to retire and basically doesn't handle anything anymore. Since last year, Xu Damao has been in charge of the personnel department. If it weren't for his lack of seniority and the fact that he didn't quite meet the organizational procedures, Li Xuewu would have already secured him the position of department head.

Even so, it didn't diminish Xu Damao's status in the factory; everyone knew he was Li Xuewu's favorite. Strictly speaking, he was the third most favored.

The most trusted person was Deputy Factory Director Qiao Dayou, who took charge of production on behalf of Li Xuewu, ensuring that the main business of the First Branch Factory did not fall behind. With Qiao Dayou in charge, the production work of the First Branch Factory was carried out effectively, and everything was under Li Xuewu's control. Xu Damao probably would never be able to achieve this in his lifetime.

The second most popular person was Gao Yan, the office director. Gao Yan was formerly the deputy office director; she was plump and rounded, and handled matters with great efficiency. After Li Xuewu arrived, as the deputy director specifically responsible for liaison services, Gao Yan quickly gained Li Xuewu's trust. Last year, the factory reassigned the original office director to the position of union chairman, and Gao Yan was successfully promoted to the new position. Xu Damao couldn't compare to her, because even Thailand didn't have that kind of technology at that time.

Xu Damao came in third. In terms of importance, Xu Damao was inferior to Qiao Dayou; in terms of intimacy, he was inferior to Gao Yan. Xu Damao's third-place ranking was due to his quick wit and tight-lipped nature. As the head of the personnel department, whether before or after taking charge of the work, Xu Damao always managed to achieve Li Xuewu's personnel intentions, and without bloodshed. Even Gao Yan's rise to power could be considered a result of Xu Damao's manipulation, though Li Xuewu ultimately took the lead.

In addition, Xu Damao has a good reputation. He has a good relationship with the leaders and often plays ball with the workers. He is well-informed about all aspects of the situation and gave Li Xuewu a lot of advice on personnel matters.