OBS Chapter 1320 The Age of Great Conflict
Chapter 1320 The Age of Great Conflict
Chapter 1320 The Age of Great Conflict
As graduation approaches, the campus is filled with the atmosphere of parting. The early summer sun shines through the gaps in the sycamore leaves onto the corridors of the teaching building. In the dappled light and shadow, students in twos and threes hurry by, carrying their books.
When Song Yunhui opened the dormitory door carrying a thick stack of professional books, he found his three roommates huddled together whispering.
Upon seeing him enter, the three immediately stopped talking, and an awkward silence filled the air.
"What's wrong?" Song Yunhui put the book on his bed, which was piled with notes, and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.
“Song Yunhui…” His roommate, Wang Qiang, hesitated for a moment before speaking, “I heard that Jingzhou Chemical Engineering only has one opening in our department this year. You should find another job as soon as possible; there’s still time.”
Song Yunhui paused in organizing his books, then said casually, "Isn't there still one spot left? With my grades in my major courses, I should still have a chance, right?"
The three roommates exchanged bewildered glances, and finally Li Zhiming couldn't help but say, "Song Yunhui, you're too naive! These days, job assignments don't depend on grades in your major courses anymore; it's all about connections! Our department head's son is in the same year as us."
“I…I still want to give it a try.” Song Yunhui raised his head, a stubborn glint in his eyes behind his glasses: “I believe that a state-owned enterprise like Jingzhou Chemical won’t just look at connections and ignore ability.”
Wang Qiang sighed, "Whatever you want, but it's best to have a backup plan, so that even if you don't get into Jingzhou Chemical, all the good jobs will be snatched up by others."
During the last class of the afternoon, Song Yunhui sat in the first row, diligently taking notes. On the podium, Professor Lu was explaining the latest theories on chemical equipment design.
Sunlight streamed through the window and shone on Song Yunhui's notebook, making the neat handwriting and complex formulas appear exceptionally clear.
The bell rang, and the students left one after another. Song Yunhui was packing up his books when he suddenly heard Professor Lu call his name: "Xiaohui, can you stay behind for a moment?"
Soon, only the two of them remained in the classroom. Professor Lu took off his glasses and rubbed his temples, a gesture that made the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes even more pronounced.
"Xiao Hui," Professor Lu's voice sounded weary, "about that spot at Jingzhou Chemical..."
Song Yunhui's heart sank, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the strap of his schoolbag.
Professor Lu sighed: "Here's some advice... broaden your horizons. Jingzhou Chemical is a good company, but it's not your only path. You have a solid professional foundation and great potential, don't... don't limit yourself to this one place. Look at other companies, submit more resumes... if all else fails, I can help you find connections..."
"Why?" Song Yunhui's voice trembled slightly. "My grades in my major courses were first in the entire department, and you yourself said my graduation thesis was at the level of a graduate student. Why?"
Professor Lu patted him on the shoulder, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Some things...can't be determined by grades. However..." He paused, "With your abilities, you'll shine wherever you go. Remember, don't abandon your major. No matter what position you hold in the future, mastering your skills is the foundation for a stable life. This society...has its own rules. Remember, wherever you are, maintain your thirst for knowledge and your ambition."
As the sun set, Song Yunhui dragged his heavy steps back to his dormitory. The campus loudspeaker was playing "Young Friends, Let's Meet Again," its cheerful melody a stark contrast to his dejected mood.
The students passing by chatted and laughed in twos and threes, but he only felt a buzzing in his ears, and Professor Lu's words kept echoing in his mind.
Back in the dorm, Song Yunhui collapsed onto his bed, staring blankly at the top bunk. His roommates, understanding the situation, didn't disturb him and quietly left.
Outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded, and the dormitory room grew dark. But he was too lazy to turn on the light, so he just lay in the darkness, letting feelings of disappointment and resentment surge in his chest.
"Song Yunhui! Phone call!" The dormitory supervisor's loud voice came from downstairs, breaking the silence of the dormitory.
Song Yunhui slowly got up and dragged his feet downstairs. He answered the phone at the reception desk and weakly said "hello".
"What's wrong, Xiaohui? You don't seem to be in a good mood." Qin Hao's familiar voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of teasing.
Song Yunhui sniffed, forcing himself to stay awake: "My brother-in-law isn't here. I probably didn't sleep well last night."
He didn't want Qin Hao to worry about him, so he changed the subject: "Hey, brother-in-law, why are you calling me at this hour? Have you gone back to China?"
Qin Hao laughed and said, "Guess where I am?"
Song Yunhui was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed with delight, "Brother-in-law, you wouldn't happen to be in Jingzhou, would you?"
"Smart." Qin Hao's voice was tinged with laughter. "I just arrived at the hotel. Have you eaten? If not, I'll come pick you up."
Song Yunhui hesitated and said, "Brother-in-law, you just got back from America, you should adjust to the time difference first. I won't disturb your rest."
"Don't worry," Qin Hao said with a smile. "I've been back in China for about a week now. I've been busy with the Shanghai branch, and I only had time to call you today after I arrived in Jingzhou."
"Alright then," Song Yunhui finally agreed.
An hour later, in a private room at the Jingzhou Grand Hotel, Song Yunhui looked at the table full of exquisite dishes, but had little appetite.
Qin Hao poured him a glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor), and he instinctively wanted to refuse.
"You're an adult now, you can drink," Qin Hao said seriously. "Besides, didn't you want to join Jingzhou Chemical? State-owned enterprises like this have a strong drinking culture; you need to get used to it beforehand, right?"
Upon hearing this, Song Yunhui lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously stroking his wine glass. "Brother-in-law, I might have to disappoint you. I can't go to Jingzhou Chemical."
Qin Hao put down his chopsticks and patted Song Yunhui on the shoulder: "Xiaohui, tell me the details."
Song Yunhui recounted the entire incident in detail, from his roommate's reminder to Professor Lu's hints, and then to all the rumors he had heard over the past few days. His voice grew softer and softer towards the end, almost inaudible.
After listening, Qin Hao understood immediately; this was clearly a case of shady dealings. He placed a piece of braised pork on Song Yunhui's plate and said firmly, "Xiaohui, it's alright. You should go to class. Leave the rest to me."
Song Yunhui looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes, but it quickly faded: "Brother-in-law, wouldn't this be unfair to the others?"
Qin Hao couldn't help but laugh: "Xiao Hui, you need to understand, soon you'll no longer be a student in the ivory tower, you'll be entering society. Society is full of competition! There are only so many social resources, and everyone is vying for them, willing to use any connections. When others use connections to squeeze you out, they never care about fairness."
He took a sip of his drink and continued, "Besides, you're first in the entire department in your major courses; this spot should be yours."
Song Yunhui's eyes were full of confusion; the impact of this value system was difficult for him to accept for a while.
Seeing this, Qin Hao sighed softly and patted his shoulder: "Your sister has protected you too well since you were little. She's always the first to rush to your defense, so you haven't realized how fierce the competition is."
"Xiao Hui, to outsiders, Haoran International seems to be thriving and incredibly successful. But do you know what we export? We export low-end products that the real giants in Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea don't value or think are too profitable: small household hardware, basic textiles, small appliances… Why? Because we're not strong enough; we can only avoid their nitpicking. Think about it, once our product technology and quality make a leap forward and start to touch their core interests, do you think those giants will let Haoran International continue to develop? No! They will use every means—economic blockade, technological barriers, patent threats, even political pressure—to ruthlessly strangle us in the cradle."
At this point, Qin Hao paused, staring into Song Yunhui's eyes, and said, word by word, "In this era of great competition, if you don't advance, you fall behind, or even have nowhere to retreat. This applies to everything from nations and enterprises to individuals. If you can't win, you can only be trampled underfoot and become dust on the path of others' progress."
"Xiaohui, it's good to be principled and stick to your bottom line; it allows you to walk upright and stand straight. However, never be bound by rigid notions of 'high-mindedness' and 'morality.' Sometimes, if you want to truly achieve something and realize your ambitions and ideals in key positions, you need to learn to assess the situation and even... learn to flexibly utilize resources within the limits of the rules and make certain compromises with reality."
"Compromise is to protect core values. It is not about groveling, but a strategy for survival and development."
Song Yunhui opened his mouth, but couldn't find a rebuttal. He ate the meal absentmindedly, Qin Hao's words constantly echoing in his mind.
Back in his dorm, Song Yunhui lay on his bed, caught in a battle between his left and right brains. On one side was the education he'd received since childhood: to be honest, upright, and earn his living through his own abilities; on the other was the harsh reality and Qin Hao's admonitions. He tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning before finally drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, in a large chemistry lecture, Song Yunhui forced himself to take notes. His roommate nudged him with his pen and whispered, "See? The department head's son has secured a job and doesn't even come to class anymore. Don't waste your time on him."
Song Yunhui paused, then ignored him and continued taking notes. But the neat handwriting on the paper gradually became messy.
The cafeteria was bustling with activity at lunchtime, and Song Yunhui and his three roommates were queuing up for food.
Suddenly, he felt a hard bump from behind, almost dropping his rice bowl. Turning around, he saw a stylishly dressed boy looking at him defiantly, not only without apology but also with a contemptuous smile.
As Song Yunhui was wondering, his roommate whispered, "That's Zhuang Yan, the department head's son."
Zhuang Yan sized Song Yunhui up and down, his tone flippant: "What? You're not convinced?"
"A country bumpkin thinks he can change his fate just because he's read a few more books? I advise you to give up that idea as soon as possible! Some positions are reserved for those who are 'prepared.' Don't be a toad trying to eat swan meat!"
Song Yunhui's fists clenched involuntarily. He turned away, not wanting to acknowledge this provocation. But behind him, Zhuang Yan's mocking laughter rang out again: "What? Too scared to even speak? Just as expected of a country bumpkin, no guts at all."
Just as Zhuang Yan was feeling smug, Song Yunhui suddenly turned around and strode quickly out of the cafeteria. A flash of disappointment crossed Zhuang Yan's eyes, and he shouted at his retreating figure, "Hmph, that country bumpkin has no backbone at all!"
Half an hour later, in the school's staff quarters, Zhuang Yan complained as soon as he entered, "Dad, your trick didn't work! That country bumpkin Song Yunhui has no backbone at all. I was almost ready to spit in his face, but he just wouldn't dare to lay a hand on me."
Director Zhuang sat on the sofa, his brow furrowed. Seeing this, Zhuang Yan said impatiently, "Dad, you're the department head. The quota for recommending graduates to Jingzhou Chemical Engineering has always been in your hands. Why make things so complicated? Just recommend them directly!"
"What do you know!" Director Zhuang glared at his son with exasperation. "If you were even a little more ambitious, even if Song Yunhui had excellent grades, he wouldn't be a threat to you. The situation is different now; not everything can be decided unilaterally. Professor Lu thinks highly of Song Yunhui; he has considerable influence throughout the chemical industry. If this isn't handled properly, it'll be difficult to clean up the mess."
Zhuang Yan curled his lip dismissively: "Dad, I think you're getting more and more timid. No matter how influential Professor Lu is, he still has to obey your orders. You're the head of the Chemistry Department! If you have to be mindful of his feelings even for such a small matter, who in the department will listen to you in the future?"
Zhuang Yan's mother chimed in, "Yes, Lao Zhuang, I think our son is right. This is a good opportunity to establish your authority."
Director Zhuang remained silent for a long time before finally sighing, "Alright, I'll submit the list tomorrow."
Zhuang Yan was overjoyed: "I knew it! Dealing with a country bumpkin doesn't need to be so complicated!"
Two days later, in the conference room of Jingzhou Chemical Plant, the routine leadership meeting was about to conclude. Plant Manager Fei closed his folder and said to Chief Engineer Liu, "By the way, Chief Engineer Liu, the Chemistry Department of Anyun University has one opening this year. Anyun University has already submitted their application. What position do you think would be suitable for them?"
Chief Engineer Liu glanced instinctively at Secretary Shui beside him, but then realized that Secretary Shui was already sidelined; Jingzhou Chemical was now operating under a factory director responsibility system. So, without further consulting Secretary Shui, he replied directly, "How about we assign him to the technical department to let him settle down for a while?"
Factory Director Fei nodded: "Then let's leave it at that for now."
Just as he was about to adjourn the meeting, his secretary suddenly rushed in and whispered a few words in his ear. Director Fei's expression gradually changed from doubt to surprise.
"Gentlemen," Factory Director Fei stood up, his voice rising several decibels, "I have some good news to share! Haoran International just contacted our factory office, saying they're preparing to send an inspection team to Jingzhou Chemical!"
The conference room erupted in commotion. The executives present all wore expressions of delight.
Which state-owned factory wouldn't be envious of Haoran International's foreign trade orders? For these state-owned enterprise executives, export earnings are a tangible political achievement.
Chief Engineer Liu was somewhat puzzled: "But...didn't they say the samples we sent to Haoran International didn't meet export standards? How come suddenly..."
Factory Director Fei interrupted, "Chief Engineer Liu, you're unaware of this. I've heard that Haoran International has now divided its foreign trade orders into four departments. Although our factory's products don't meet the requirements for export to North America and Europe, there's still market potential in Southeast Asia!"
Other executives chimed in, and the atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became lively.
Finally, Factory Director Fei made the final decision: "The next few days, all workshops need to do a thorough cleaning! I heard that Haoran International places great importance on this. Also, the factory office is responsible for all preparations for the reception; they must not be neglected! If any materials need to be purchased, just go to the finance department to withdraw them; I'll sign off on it later. It's a special case, after all."
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison, and the meeting ended in an excited atmosphere.
A thoughtful glint flashed in Secretary Shui's eyes as he remained silent in the corner.