Chapter 618 Year-end Conference
The three o'clock afternoon sun shone obliquely on the chimney, dyeing the half-melted snow a rusty color.
The steel plant's tweeters suddenly made a crackling sound of electricity, startling the sparrows perched on the cables.
Announcer Xiao Zhou's voice was filled with uncontrollable joy: "Attention, comrades! Please go to the auditorium. The year-end meeting will be held soon! I repeat, the year-end meeting will begin soon. Please arrive as soon as possible!"
The roar of the machine tools in the machine repair shop died down first. Master Li turned off the power of the milling machine. Iron filings were still jumping on the workbench. He took off his greasy gloves and said, "Look, in previous years, the factory director always gave lectures with a gloomy face, but this year, the loudspeakers are full of joy!"
Xiao Wang, a fitter, ran out the door swinging his wrench, the meal coupons in his work clothes pocket jingling: "I heard that this year everyone will be given an extra two kilograms of food coupons, I wonder if it's true?"
The steam valve in the boiler room blew out white smoke. Master Zhang wiped his sweat and stuffed it into his cotton jacket: "Whatever happens, it's good to be able to rest for three hours!"
In the office building, typist Xiao Zhang held down the report that was blown away by the wind and shouted to the corridor: "Sister Wang, go to the auditorium and take a seat!"
The sound of abacus calculations suddenly increased in the Finance Department. Accountant Zhao neatly arranged the last string of numbers and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? In previous years, our department always sat in the front row."
She said this, but she took the lead in grabbing the enamel cup with the Double Happiness logo on it and walked quickly towards the auditorium, her heels tapping out a rapid rhythm on the terrazzo floor.
The poplar trees on both sides of the main road have lost all their leaves, and their bare branches look like countless iron forks pointing to the sky. The icicles hanging on the branches sparkle like broken diamonds in the setting sun.
Half-melted coal slag was piled on the roadside, and dark brown snow water meandered along the drainage ditches, forming small ice mirrors in the low-lying areas, reflecting the swaying shadows of chimneys and people.
The abandoned stamping machine was covered with a thin layer of snow, and a dead leaf was stuck in the teeth of the huge gear, like a beast frozen in time.
The air was filled with a warm scent mixed with coal smoke and engine oil, which collided with the cold air brought by the north wind and condensed into tiny frost flowers on people's temples.
Crowds of people flowed forward along the main road. The sounds of zippers on cotton jackets colliding, lunch boxes shaking, and greetings coming one after another blended into one.
Countless white vapor rose from above the crowd, just like the hot steam rising from a steel furnace.
Liu from the heat treatment workshop patted Chen from the supply and marketing department on the shoulder and said, "I heard that Director Hu is going to recite a tongue twister this year. Last year, he said 'safe production' as 'safe production eggs'. Hahaha!"
Old Chen coughed twice and said, "Speak softly. He is a retired cadre. What's wrong with his heavy accent?"
A faded banner reading "Unity and Progress" was hung on the red brick exterior wall of the auditorium, and the iron gate made a long creaking sound when it was pushed open.
The security guard, Old Wu, was holding the sign-in book and was worried: "Thirteen thousand people, can this auditorium accommodate them?"
Before he finished speaking, the team from the steelmaking workshop had already poured in, and the coal dust from the soles of their work shoes left dark grey footprints on the ground.
The benches in the auditorium creaked in protest, someone shouted "Move inside", and the sound of enamel cups hitting the backs of chairs could be heard one after another.
On the second floor, in the Women's Committee area, several women workers were hanging cotton hats on the backs of chairs, their woolen braids swinging back and forth: "Did you see that? There's a red table on the rostrum. There must be prizes!"
"Shh—Director Hu is here!"
Someone shouted, and the originally noisy auditorium suddenly became quiet for a moment. Only the sound of the radiator emitting hot steam could be heard.
But soon, the sound of whispers came like a tide, mixed with the few rays of sunlight leaking through the ceiling of the auditorium, warming the cold winter afternoon.
The red velvet cloth of the rostrum was glowing with an aged luster in the setting sun. Director Hu's military green Zhongshan suit was ironed straight, and the pen pinned to his collar occasionally reflected the light.
When he sat down, the wooden chair groaned slightly. The deputy director and the union chairman on his left and right immediately adjusted their sitting positions. The enamelware jars were lined up in a neat row on the table, and the tea stains on the edges of the jars looked like some kind of secret medals.
"Comrades!"
Director Hu's voice came through the microphone with obvious electrical noise, "We have called everyone here today to review the past and look forward to the future - our steel plant is a screw in the construction of socialism."
His voice was as steady as a conveyor belt rotating at a constant speed in a workshop, from the "Glorious History of the Great Leap Forward in Steel Production"
Talking about the "great achievements of the planned economy", it finally came to the point of "the canteen should pay attention to saving coal."
Lao Zhang, the steel rolling worker in the back row, was the first to yawn. His cotton hat brim covered half of his face, and his head moved up and down with his breathing, like an old stamping machine.
Zhou Yimin sat in the middle area, his fingers unconsciously stroking the buttons of his military coat. The voices in his ears gradually turned into a buzzing background sound, and the moonlight of the brick kiln last night appeared in front of his eyes - until someone in the front row touched his arm, he realized that his chin almost hit his knee.
"Therefore, safety in production is no small matter. Comrades must always keep this string tight!" Director Hu suddenly raised his voice, startling the sleepy people and making them look up. They saw him pick up the enamel cup and slowly sip the tea.
There were sporadic coughs from the audience, and some people exchanged glances secretly. Xiao Wang whispered in Zhou Yimin's ear: "What we talked about last year was more fresh than this."
At this moment, Director Hu suddenly slammed his teacup on the table. The crisp sound of enamel colliding pierced the drowsiness: "But! Our achievements this year are enough to make the whole factory proud!"
He slammed his fist on the manuscript. "The annual production target was not only completed 100%, but also exceeded by 23%! This was achieved by all comrades!"
Before he finished speaking, Zhou Yimin was the first to applaud, and the calluses on his palms rubbed against each other, making a dry sound.
Immediately afterwards, applause surged from every corner like a tide. Someone in the back row whistled, and even Old Zhang, who was dozing off, rubbed his eyes and clapped his hands until they turned red.
The leaders on the rostrum nodded and smiled. Director Ding tapped his fingers on his knees. When he swept his eyes across the audience, he paused for half a second at Zhou Yimin.
"Speaking of achievements, we must praise the research lab!" Director Hu pointed to the right side of the audience, "The two new products they developed this year are already in short supply in the market!"
Li Chongguang pushed up his glasses which had slipped down, his ears turned red like charcoal in the stove. The technicians beside him lowered their heads one after another. They had not expected that Director Hu would specifically name them for praise.
"Air fryer and solar water heater, these two inventions!" Director Hu held up two product posters, and there was a buzz of discussion in the audience.
"To reward the contribution of the research lab!"
Director Hu's voice rose again, drowning out all the whispers, "The factory has decided to reward each person with a pound of meat ticket, plus a thirty-yuan bonus!"
"Wow——" The entire auditorium seemed to be thrown into boiling molten steel and instantly boiled.
Thirty yuan was equivalent to an ordinary worker's monthly salary, plus the scarce meat coupons, such a huge reward made everyone gasp.
Someone in the back row stood on tiptoe to look. Xiao Wang pulled Zhou Yimin's sleeve and said, "Oh my God, this is more than last year's advanced producers!"
Li Chongguang stood up amid the applause. The applause in the auditorium was still echoing as he bent down and bowed. Director Hu suddenly raised his hand to suppress the applause. The microphone made a shrill whistle, instantly quieting the noisy crowd.
He took off his reading glasses and carefully wiped the lenses with the hem of his Zhongshan suit. His eyes swept across the backs of heads rising and falling in the audience, lingered for a moment at Zhou Yimin's position, and a meaningful arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"But there is one more person whom I must single out for commendation!" Director Hu's voice rang out in the silent auditorium, and the enamel cups in the hands of the female workers in the front row clanged against the backs of their chairs.
"Comrade Zhou Yimin from the Purchasing Department!" Director Hu's leather shoes stomped heavily on the floor of the podium.
"I believe everyone knows Comrade Zhou Yimin and his contributions to the steel plant. I won't go into details here."
Zhou Yimin's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty, and the cold sweat from his palms soon soaked the lining of his military coat. He caught a glimpse of Director Ding standing up straight on the podium, with the Sterculia lychnophora in the teacup swaying gently with his movements; Li Chongguang desperately winked at him across the crowd, his eyes behind the glasses excited and nervous.
"The factory committee has unanimously decided—" Director Hu's drawn-out tone froze the air, "to award Comrade Zhou Yimin the title of 'Advanced Individual of the Year'!"
The applause from the audience spread to every corner like a tide.
Zhou Yimin heard a gasp behind him. Old Zhang's cotton hat in the front row was squeezed askew. "Three catties of meat coupons! Fifty yuan! This is more than the factory director's allowance!"
The floor in the corridor trembled slightly under the gaze of everyone, and every step Zhou Yimin took with his military boots felt like stepping on cotton.
"Comrade Zhou Yimin not only ensured the material supply of the entire factory, but also played a key role in technological innovation!" Director Hu's voice exploded through the microphone, and Zhou Yimin felt that the steps under his feet were resonating.
When he stepped onto the last step, everyone's eyes were on Zhou Yimin.
The podium was covered with dark red velvet. The edges of the certificate handed over by Director Hu were still warm from the ink, and the gold-plated words "Advanced Individual" were dazzling under the light.
The moment he held the certificate, Zhou Yimin caught a glimpse of Li Chongguang waving his hands desperately across several rows of seats in the dense crowd below the stage, his eyes behind his glasses showing both excitement and nervousness.
Further away, the enamel pot that Zhou Dazhong was waving on tiptoe was particularly eye-catching, and the words "Serve the People" on the cup flickered with his movements.
"Three pounds of meat coupons, fifty dollars!" Old Wu from the Finance Department stuffed the brown paper bag into his hands.
Zhou Yimin didn't feel anything about the meat ticket reward, because if he wanted to eat meat, he could just buy it directly in the store, and the price was cheap.
The shutter sound rang out suddenly, and the flash of the Propaganda Department's camera made him close his eyes subconsciously.
When I opened my eyes again, the chandelier on the dome of the auditorium cast countless spots of light on my retina, which seemed to overlap with the snow curtain cut by the truck headlights last night.
As he bowed to the audience, he heard the whispers of the female workers in the front row mixed with the whistles of his colleagues in the back row. The hem of his military coat swept across the red velvet cloth of the podium, making a slight rustling sound, like the echo of goods rubbing against each other in a warehouse.
After Zhou Yimin walked down from the podium, Director Hu raised his hand to adjust his reading glasses which had slipped slightly. He glanced at the people below the stage who were still immersed in the heated discussion, cleared his throat, and the auditorium gradually became quiet.
He reached out and picked up a yellowed report from the enamel pot. The rustling sound of the papers turning over was particularly clear in the silent auditorium.
"Next, there are several comrades who have also made outstanding contributions to the factory." Director Hu's voice was somewhat solemn.
"Master Zhao Dequan from the steelmaking workshop stayed at his post for 24 consecutive hours when the equipment suddenly broke down, led the team to complete the emergency repairs, and ensured the production progress. He was awarded the title of 'Steel Guardian' and was rewarded with two kilograms of food coupons and 20 yuan!"
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause broke out in the area where the steelmaking workshop was located. Master Zhao Dequan stood up from his seat, stroking the corners of his clothes with his calloused hands. A blush appeared on his dark face. He nodded repeatedly towards the podium, and there were still unwashed iron filings on the cuffs of his work clothes.
"Comrade Sun Xiaomei from the Quality Inspection Department has a keen eye and detected three batches of substandard raw materials throughout the year, avoiding major losses. She was awarded the title of 'Quality Pioneer' and a reward of one kilogram of oil coupons and fifteen yuan!"
The spotlight was on Sun Xiaomei. When she stood up, her dark blue work clothes were spotless and her short hair swayed slightly with her movements. She knelt slightly to express her gratitude to her colleagues who were looking at her with admiration, her eyes full of pride.
Afterwards, Director Hu praised several employees from the maintenance team and the logistics department one after another. Every time a name was read out, there was applause and cheers in the auditorium. The award-winning employees walked up to the stage to receive their awards either shyly or excitedly, and the fellow workers in the audience cast envious and congratulatory glances at them.
After all the commendations were finished, Director Hu folded the reports neatly on the table, supported the podium with both hands, and his expression became serious: "Comrades, when we look back on this year, there are achievements and shortcomings. We have exceeded the production targets and developed new products. These are achievements we should be proud of."
"But at the same time, we have also exposed a lot of problems. The safety accident last month sounded the alarm for us; the loss of raw materials during transportation also needs to be further optimized."
He paused, his eyes swept over everyone in the audience, "In the new year, we must put production safety first and strengthen equipment maintenance; the purchasing department must continue to give full play to the pioneering spirit of Comrade Zhou Yimin and reduce costs, and the research laboratory must continue to work hard to develop more good products!"
Finally, Director Hu straightened his back and said in a strong voice: "I believe that as long as the whole factory is united, we will be able to create greater success next year!"
The moment he finished speaking, prolonged applause broke out in the auditorium. Workers stood up one after another. The applause and cheers intertwined as if they were going to blow the roof of the auditorium off.
In this warm atmosphere, Director Hu and other leaders stood up and waved to the audience, and the year-end meeting ended successfully.
The employees walked out of the auditorium in an orderly manner, excitedly discussing today's commendation and the factory director's speech along the way. The cold winter wind could not dampen the enthusiasm and anticipation on their faces.
(End of this chapter)
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