The formal interview began with Wang Dake asking some questions while the others thought about how to answer them more satisfactorily.
First, Gao Jin and Xu Damao reviewed the work the steel rolling mill had done over the years in showing movies to the surrounding residents, focusing on how to combine the film screenings with the Party's ideological propaganda and education work, and how to better serve the cultural needs of the masses.
"Based on our existing efforts, our steel rolling mill plans to further increase the frequency of screenings in rural areas to serve a wider range of rural residents and allow more people to see more and better movies."
Organization Minister Ma Xiangqian spoke about the steel rolling mill's next steps for film screenings.
Sitting to the side, Xu Damao's face darkened when he heard about increasing the frequency and expanding the screening area. This was practically a move to force him to settle in the countryside. Expanding it further meant they'd be going all the way to Hebei province. Minister Ma hadn't given any prior warning; Xu Damao nearly lost his composure.
Gao Jin looked at his projection team leader with sympathy. Ma Xiangqian's boast meant that, regardless of whether the project could be sustained in the long run, Xu Damao and his team would at least have to go to the countryside for a while.
"Let me add something. Our steel rolling mill is, after all, a production line enterprise. Right now, the only projectionist we have at the steel rolling mill who can actually show films to the public is Comrade Xu Damao."
Therefore, our most urgent task now is to train more projectionists and serve more people to the best of our steel mill's capabilities.
Wu Dingbo's timely intervention brought Xu Damao back to his senses, as he was on the verge of breaking down.
"Our steel rolling mill belongs to the country and the people. Our work should not only meet the material needs of the people, but also do our best to meet their cultural needs."
This is not only our job, but also a social responsibility.
Wu Dingbo made a statement regarding the steel rolling mill.
"Thank you all for your cooperation today. As a filmmaker, I have come to know that there is such a group of people in our steel company, a group of people who are always thinking about the cultural needs of the masses."
After I get back, I'll revise this interview, incorporating the current film market into a new work report. Before publication, I'll come to the steel rolling mill again to have the leaders review the first draft.
Wang Dashan's words made the leaders present very pleased.
"Reporter Wang, it's almost time to get off work. I'll just have a quick meal at our cafeteria today. Our cafeteria chef is pretty good at cooking."
Wu Dingbo extended an invitation.
"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer. Thank you, leaders."
During my frequent interviews at various organizations, meals were a regular occurrence. At some factories, like garment factories, there were defective products to sell, and canneries had damaged apples and pears to dispose of. But this steel rolling mill... forget it.
The small stove was still made by Sha Zhu, and it tasted really good.
But upon closer inspection, a third of the whole stewed chicken was missing, and Xu Damao felt a pang of envy for Sha Zhu. That silly cook almost always prepared special meals, and he always managed to eat something delicious.
As a time traveler, Xu Damao didn't have a farm with automatic production; he only had a space where he had to buy things himself, which meant his meals had been consistently mediocre lately. A time traveler living worse than a cook! He'd embarrassed everyone.
Fueled by alcohol, Xu Damao moved closer to Secretary Wu Dingbo.
"Secretary, let me toast you to thank you for your continued care and support." Xu Damao downed the glass in one gulp.
"Huo, Da Mao, everyone says you can hold your liquor, but today I've discovered it's not just 'can,' it's quite impressive." Wu Dingbo was very polite and drank at least a third of the cup.
"Secretary, I just heard you say that our factory is going to train more projectionists?" Xu Damao asked tentatively.
"What? Feeling threatened? Don't worry, Xu Damao, you've made contributions to the film screenings, and the organization won't forget you."
Besides, the more people there are, the more influence you, as the team leader, will have.
Wu Dingbo assumed Xu Damao was worried that other projectionists would take his job, hence his statement. In those days, veteran projectionists were trained through a master-apprentice system. While there are now projectionist training courses, they are few and far between, and steel mills rarely offer them.
"Secretary, I'd like to ask how many more people will be added?" Xu Damao asked.
"Oh, is that it? It's not decided yet. We'll wait for the Organization Department to come up with a plan, and then it will be submitted to the Party Committee for a final decision. We have to keep our word, otherwise our reporter Wang might cause us trouble."
Wu Dingbo smiled and looked at Wang Dashan.
"Haha, Secretary Wu is joking. But I'm not just flattering you, but as far as I know, a steel rolling mill that supports and serves the cultural needs of the masses is one of the best."
Wang Dashan gave a thumbs up.
Xu Damao did not hear an answer, which means that nothing has been decided yet. It seems that the final decision will be based on the Organization Department's plan.
Xu Damao asked these questions not because he wanted a spot, he knew that was impossible. This time it was a factory expansion, and the spots were all in the hands of the factory leaders, completely different from Yan Jiecheng's situation.
Moreover, the Xu family is small, with few people of working age who need to find jobs. His thoughts were somewhat similar to what Wu Dingbo had just said: to see how many people he could command in the future.
The more people there are, the more capable and important the team leader will be, giving him a slight advantage when competing for other positions later. Of course, knowing the recruitment information in advance would give those who need the work time to prepare, but Xu Damao doesn't seem to need that at the moment.
While they were eating, Sha Zhu was feeling down over there.
I worked so hard to cook, so why does that bastard Xu Damao get to eat with the leaders without a care in the world?
Today you follow this leader, tomorrow you follow that leader, always chasing after them, all you want is to get some benefits.
On another note, Xu Damao hasn't provoked Sha Zhu for many days, and who knows what kind of bad scheme that bastard is up to.
In reality, everyone is like Sha Zhu: they look down on others' flattery, but when it's their turn, they're completely at ease. For example, when Sha Zhu later cooked for a high-ranking official, he put in all his effort and even made a point of returning in the smallest car to show off.
We're all just ordinary people, so let's not judge each other.
After the meal, Secretary Wu Dingbo thoughtfully arranged for one of the factory's only two cars to take Wang Dashan home. He couldn't arrange for the local specialties, but a car could at least help.
"Da Mao, I've discovered you're quite capable. Keep up the good work; we've all seen your performance, and the organization won't forget your contributions."
The secretary, who was already visibly drunk, patted Xu Damao on the shoulder and spoke earnestly.
As the person involved, Xu Damao could only nod repeatedly. These drunken words could be the truth revealed under the influence of alcohol, or they could be empty promises made by a leader who would later deny them.
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