Chapter 907 Retired and Dancing
As June approaches, the temperature in Yanjing rises and there is more rain. Fortunately, there has been no flood news in various places this year.
The legal department of Guowen Group, which was established more than three months ago, has gradually accumulated a lot of achievements in the past few months. This month, it just successfully assisted the local police in cracking down on a pirated book criminal group, with the amount involved reaching 11 million yuan.
In the past two months, the Ministry of Justice also sued two toy factories in Guangzhou and Yiwu for infringing the copyright of Zheng Yuanjie's works. The copyright of Zheng Yuanjie's works is now represented by Guowen Publishing House, and the two parties finally reached a settlement.
Guowen Publishing House will never give up on criminals who pirate books, but when it comes to toy factories that infringe on its rights, Guowen Publishing House will raise the stick high and then drop it lightly.
The two toy factories paid a symbolic compensation to Guowen Publishing House and the original author, and then Guowen Publishing House granted the copyright usage rights to the two toy factories at a low price.
In this way, Guowen Group will not only safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests, but also expand the legitimate channels and influence of its own copyright, killing two birds with one stone.
That day, Lin Weimin went to a meeting at the Press and Publication Administration, where he was praised a lot by Director Yu. The reason for the praise was that their Guowen Group had actively embraced the Internet and had achieved fruitful results. After all, Sohu had gone public!
After returning, Lin Weimin organized a meeting to convey the spirit of the superiors.
As a result, after being in the meeting room for half a day, Lao Cheng still did not show up, so Lin Weimin had to start the meeting first.
After the meeting, he went to Lao Cheng's office, but no one was there.
Lin Weimin searched around the yard and finally found Lao Cheng in the corner in front of the back building. The old comrade, who was about to retire, was squatting on the ground sucking on a cigarette butt!
"You're a heavy smoker. Be careful not to get your cigarette butts into your lungs."
Old Cheng glanced at Lin Weimin speechlessly and said, "With your mouth, you will never be a big leader in your life."
"I don't want to be one."
Lin Weimin and Lao Cheng squatted on the ground side by side with their buttocks sticking out, looking in the direction he was looking.
"What's so good about this shabby red brick building?"
Old Cheng inhaled the last bit of the fireworks into his lungs, "You know nothing, I built this piece by piece."
"You're the one who can do this! Aren't you ashamed to say this? And you did it all?"
"Don't misinterpret me. I didn't say I did it alone."
Old Cheng glared at Lin Weimin.
In 1977, the buzz ended and everything was in ruins. Guowen Publishing House decided to build a four-story red brick building in the backyard, one side facing north and the other facing east.
At that time, the society had no money, and half of the work was done by the employees of the Guowen Society themselves, and the remaining half was done by a group of young people who were seconded to create.
After glaring at Lin Weimin a few times to relieve his anger, Old Cheng returned to his expression of reminiscing about the glorious past.
"At that time, everyone had just unloaded their burdens and was full of energy!
They pushed the cart five or six miles away to pull bricks, and then came back to mix them with cement and work hard.
The men carried bricks, laid bricks, carried sand and mixed mortar, while the women handed out water and cooked...
Oh, what a great time it is, I don’t take work seriously and I have endless energy.
It took us just over a month to build this four-story building. The first to benefit were the writers who came to revise their manuscripts..."
When Old Cheng said this, Lin Weimin said, "Let me interject. They did the work, and that's not called benefit, that's called return."
Old Cheng looked at Lin Weimin helplessly and said, "You are really good at ruining the atmosphere."
"Alas, more than 20 years have passed, the building is old, and it's time for me to retire."
"You can't say that. This building has definitely been around longer than you have."
Old Cheng pointed at Lin Weimin angrily, his hands shaking with anger.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Lin Weimin apologized guiltily.
Old Cheng sighed, "Oh, nevermind, there's nothing to miss."
The atmosphere was completely ruined by Lin Weimin. He stood up, patted his trouser legs, and prepared to leave.
"Go to Donglaishun in the evening!" Lin Weimin said behind him.
Old Cheng turned his back and waved his hands, apparently saying he couldn't go.
But Lin Weimin understood that this meant: Don't ask for my opinion, just go and get it done.
Tomorrow is the day Cheng Zaochun retires, so it is understandable that the old comrade feels a little melancholy and sentimental.
In the evening, there was a retirement party for Cheng Zaochun at Donglaishun. All the retired old men and women who were well-known in the Guowen Society came.
Of course, those who have not retired also came.
The old comrades expressed their warm welcome to Comrade Lao Cheng, the young man who had just joined the team, and also expressed their sincere congratulations on his successful completion of the tasks assigned to him by D and the country.
The dinner ended in a friendly and harmonious atmosphere, but a discordant scene occurred at the end of the dinner.
Comrade Lao Cheng, who was drunk, started arguing with Comrade Lao Niu, who was nearly 80 years old, because Lin Weimin mentioned the construction of the back building of the Guowen Society during the meal, and he repeated what Lao Cheng had said during the day.
Comrade Lao Niu was immediately dissatisfied after hearing this. "How much work can he do when he is as thin as a stick? Isn't it done by those of us who are strong and healthy?"
After retirement, although Lao Cheng's treatment and status under Lin Weimin increased, his status among the old comrades plummeted, especially in front of Comrade Lao Niu, who was known for his martial arts.
"Did I do too little? Ah, did I do too little?" Comrade Lao Cheng's eyes turned red and he turned to ask Meng Weizai, "Lao Meng, tell me, did I do too little?"
Comrade Lao Meng looked embarrassed. He was drinking and eating meat for no reason. What did it have to do with him?
Caught in a dilemma, he glanced at Lin Weimin who was secretly laughing. It was all this bad boy's fault!
The next morning, in the meeting room of the National Literature Society.
A solemn farewell meeting is being held here. It is the tradition of the Guowen Society to hold a farewell meeting for every retiring leader.
"I'm going to retire." Cheng Zaochun started his speech with these emotional words.
"In early 1965, I came to work at our Guowen Press. Over 30 years have passed in a flash. I still remember the first day I reported in, when I met Comrade Xuefeng. He was in his 60s, tall and thin, like me now, wearing a faded khaki suit that was neither gray nor blue and a pair of cloth shoes. He walked hurriedly with a strong back..."
Feng Xuefeng was the first president and editor-in-chief of Guowen Publishing House. He was also a famous poet and literary theorist. For the old editors of Guowen Publishing House, he was a spiritual totem for many people.
Cheng Zaochun spoke for more than an hour, recounting every detail of his thirty-plus years at the National Literature Society. Many of the people attending the farewell meeting today were about his age, and all of them had come through that difficult time. Listening to Cheng Zaochun's recollections, they were filled with sighs and lamentations.
Young people have the opportunity to hear stories about the older generation and they all enjoy it very much.
At the end of his speech, Cheng Zaochun smiled self-deprecatingly, "I tend to be a little nagging now that I'm about to retire, so please bear with me."
Everyone smiled knowingly.
"Comrade Junyi once said that our Guowen Press is like the United Nations. She cannot command others, but everyone can command her. I became the editor-in-chief of Guowen Press in 1985, and became the president a few years later. In the past two years, I have returned to the position of editor-in-chief, and I feel a lot.
Finally, I would like to give you a few words of advice.
Our Guowen Press is a publishing house. Although we have now established a group, Guowen Press has not changed and will not change.
When you come here, don't think about becoming an official. If you want to be an official, don't come here.
Being an editor means you are always working for others. I know that many comrades have literary ideals in their hearts, but they should distinguish between work and hobbies, and not give each other privately, which will give people a chance to talk about them. It took us nearly half a century to polish the brand of Guowenshe, so you should cherish it. "
Having said that, Cheng Zaochun looked around, his expression full of nostalgia and reluctance.
"Well, I'll stop here after all you have listened to me nagging for such a long time. Thank you all, Old Cheng, I'm leaving now."
Cheng Zaochun stood up and bowed deeply to the employees present, and warm applause broke out in the conference room.
After he finished speaking, Lin Weimin asked in a low voice: "Why do I feel that every one of your three sentences is directed at me?"
Comrade Lao Cheng looks at the nose with his eyes, and the mouth with his nose, "It's not wrong for you to understand it this way."
After retirement, he speaks with confidence.
The farewell meeting was over, and Cheng Zaochun's historical mission in the Guowen Society ended. The old comrade very consciously cleaned up the office before noon.
"Look at you, you act like I can't wait to get rid of you."
After entering Cheng Zaochun's office and seeing the condition inside, Lin Weimin said.
Old Cheng snorted, "He's retired now, and he's still occupying the office. Isn't that a nuisance to the boss? What an eyesore!"
This old man is in trouble today!
But it is understandable. After all, he is retired and has some emotions in his heart.
"Look at your attitude. I'm not criticizing you, but look at how Lao Yan and Lao Meng looked when they retired. You looked like a nagging woman."
"No one gave Lao Yan and Lao Meng any trouble when they retired!"
"Who is causing trouble for you? I'm just telling you the truth."
Cheng Zaochun looked at him disdainfully, and before he had time to argue with Lin Weimin, the office door was pushed open.
"Old Cheng, have you packed your things? Let me help you!"
The one who came in was Lao Zhou. Judging from his expression, he was eager to see Lao Cheng off.
"Almost." Lao Cheng replied.
"Then I'll ask Xiao Weng and Xiao Zhou to come up and move the things."
Lin Weimin said, "No need, we can just move it. I'll take it home for him."
Old Zhou was immediately embarrassed, "Oh, my old arms and legs..."
Lin Weimin said unhappily, "I don't need you."
Old Zhou smiled and said humbly, "Okay, I'll open the door for you."
Old Cheng didn't have much stuff, so Lin Weimin moved it twice, and Xiao Weng and Xiao Zhou downstairs didn't have time to show up.
With a bang, Lin Weimin closed the car door and shouted to Lao Cheng, "Let's go!"
As Lao Cheng got into the car, Lin Weimin asked again, "Don't you want to take a closer look?"
Old Cheng waved his hands impatiently, "It's not like I'm not coming anymore, what's there to see?"
He has retired, but he still holds the position of director of the group. Besides, the old comrades of the Guowen Press have not stopped working even after retirement, and they still have to review all the manuscripts.
Once you join the Chinese Literature Society, you will be a slave for life.
The Mercedes started, left the Guowen Society compound, and drove onto Chaonei Street.
The car was driving slowly, and Lin Weimin saw it in the rearview mirror. Lao Cheng couldn't help but look back.
The June sunshine is just right. The gray building on the street that has stood for decades looks a little old, but it exudes the flavor of the times everywhere.
The scene before his eyes overlapped with the scene he saw thirty-four years ago and gradually became blurry. Lao Cheng retracted his gaze and took out a glasses cloth to wipe his glasses.
The car drove farther and farther away, and the Guowenshe building disappeared.
Old Cheng now lives in the staff housing complex, which is a short drive away. Lin Weimin sent him there and moved all his belongings upstairs.
After moving the things, Lin Weimin went downstairs and Lao Cheng saw him off.
"Let's go, old buddy!" Lin Weimin patted Lao Cheng on the shoulder.
Old Cheng also patted his shoulder, looking melancholy and silent.
"Enjoy your life after retirement, and go out and dance with old ladies when you have nothing to do."
The sad atmosphere collapsed instantly, and Lao Cheng was furious, "Get out!"
"Okay!"
(End of this chapter)
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