Chapter 12 The Service Center's Four Great Generals

The location of the Red Star Labor Service Agency was just as Lin Xi had expected, situated in the "prime real estate" of the living area.

It was diagonally opposite the Dongfeng Department Store, right next to Gate No. 1 of the family quarters.

It was a row of bungalows built from gray bricks.

A cotton door curtain hung at the entrance, so covered in grease and stains that its original color was unrecognizable.

A wooden sign hung on the lintel, which read:

[Red Star Labor Service Agency]

In the eyes of others, this was the "sewer" that brought shame to the base, a shelter for "scraps" and troublemakers;

But in his eyes, this was the future "Red Star Group Global Headquarters."

In the livestream, the bullet chat had already started to liven up:

[Is this the legendary Place where the dragon rises? This art style... is very cyberpunk.]

[Streamer, the starting difficulty is a bit high. Can this broken house survive the winter?]

[The person above doesn't know what they're talking about! Opposite the department store, this is the core business district! The Streamer has secured a prime location!]

Lin Xi smiled and reached out to lift the heavy cotton curtain.

A warm current, mixed with the smells of coal smoke, aged vinegar, and leaf tobacco, rushed toward him.

The light inside was dim, with a huge sheet-metal stove standing right in the center, its pipe winding its way out the window.

The fire was burning brightly, and a pitch-black kettle sat on top, "gurgling" with steam.

By the window, a middle-aged woman wearing a deep blue padded work jacket sat with her head down.

Her fingers flew with needle and thread as she mended the cuff of an old work uniform.

Her speed was astonishing, the needle darting through the fabric like some kind of precision machinery.

Liu Guihua, the base's "Know-it-all" and the Internal Affairs Manager here.

Beside the stove crouched a man who looked like a bear.

Estimated to be 1.9 meters tall, his shoulders were as wide as a door panel.

Even in this weather, he only wore a thin tank top, revealing muscles that bulged like rocks.

He was fiddling with a piece of scrap aluminum three millimeters thick.

With a gentle pinch from two thick fingers and a snap—

the hard aluminum alloy was like overcooked noodles in his hands, changing shape at will.

Wang Dapao.

His background wasn't great, but with this strength and sense of touch, he was a natural Master of Forging.

And in the darkest corner huddled a thin young man who looked like a bean sprout.

He wore thick glasses and was tinkering with a pile of resistors and capacitors salvaged from a radio.

Wang Yu.

As for the last one...

"Oh, a newcomer?"

A slick, smooth-talking voice rang out.

From the shadows by the door, a man with a slicked-back hairstyle stepped out.

He was playing with a Zorro lighter he'd gotten from somewhere, clicking it open and shut.

Sun Erga.

He looked Lin Xi up and down, his gaze lingering on Lin Xi's excessively young face, his lips curling into a cynical smirk.

"What's the deal, buddy? What did you do?"

Sun Erga sauntered over, blowing a smoke ring:

"Stole pork from the cafeteria? Or got caught passing notes to a girl in the Art Troupe?"

Lin Xi looked at him with a smile:

"I'm Lin Xi."

"Lin Xi?"

Sun Erga froze for a moment, then slapped his thigh exaggeratedly.

"Oh! I know! The unlucky Intern from the Maintenance Group who didn't know his place and almost blew up the rocket!"

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone in the room moved at once.

The needle in Liu Guihua's hand stopped; she looked up, her eyes filled with sympathy mixed with a bit of gossip-hungry curiosity.

Wang Dapao just gave a muffled grunt and continued to mess with the aluminum piece.

"It's good that you're here. Once you're here, we're family."

Sun Erga familiarly patted Lin Xi on the shoulder, acting like a big brother:

"Little Lin, since you've come here, there are some rules I need to teach you."

"This place is called the 'Waste Recycling Station'."

Sun Erga pointed to the dim yellow lightbulb on the ceiling.

"The higher-ups threw us here just so we'd be out of sight and out of mind."

"So we have three ironclad rules here. Remember them well."

"First, don't work. The more you do, the more mistakes you make. If you don't do anything, you won't make mistakes. Slacking off is the way to go."

"Second, don't try to show off. Don't think that just because you've read a few books you can change the world. Here, even if you're a dragon, you coil up; if you're a tiger, you crouch."

"Third, and the most important one."

Sun Erga leaned in close to Lin Xi and lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of a threat:

"Don't bring trouble to everyone."

"We just want to coast until retirement. If you want to cause a stir, don't blame us for being unfriendly."

In the livestream, the viewers were laughing out of anger.

[Who is this guy? So arrogant?]

[This is too real. Every unit has this kind of old-timer who specializes in workplace bullying.]

[Don't take it, Streamer! Slap the appointment letter on his face!]

Looking at Sun Erga's "slick" face, Lin Xi suddenly laughed.

"Finished?" Lin Xi patted the dust off his hands.

The humble "newcomer" vibe instantly vanished, replaced by an aura of someone in total control.

Sun Erga was stunned: "Wha... what?"

"I'm asking you, are you finished explaining the rules here?"

Lin Xi reached into his inner pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper.

One was a red-headed Cadre Appointment Notice.

The other was an Approval Regarding the Implementation of Technical Innovation Pilots at the Red Star Labor Service Agency, stamped with a bright red seal.

Clap!

Lin Xi lightly slapped the two papers onto the table.

The bright red seal on them was particularly eye-catching—

Order of the Northwest First Launch Base General Command Headquarters.

"Comrade Lin Xi is hereby appointed as the Deputy Manager (Acting Head) of the Red Star Labor Service Agency, with full responsibility for the department's personnel, finances, and production tasks..."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Even the sound of coal popping in the stove was clearly audible.

Sun Erga stared at those words, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

Deputy Manager? Acting Head?

This wasn't some unlucky guy sent into exile; this was a freaking overlord dropped from above!

"Can you read?"

Lin Xi's gaze was like a blade as he scanned everyone present.

"If you can't read, I'll read it for you."

No one spoke.

Wang Dapao's tense muscles relaxed, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

The melon seeds in Liu Guihua's hand dropped to the floor.

Wang Yu shrunk his neck back.

"Very good."

Lin Xi withdrew his gaze and looked at Sun Erga.

"You said just now that this place is a Waste Recycling Station?"

"No... no, that... it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding..." Sun Erga's forehead broke out in sweat, his previous arrogance instantly extinguished by the official seal.

In this era, the official seal was absolute.

"You're right, it used to be."

Lin Xi cut off his explanation and turned to the dusty window.

Swoosh—

HeHe pulled back the heavy curtains..

Blinding sunlight instantly flooded in, illuminating the dancing dust motes and the shocked faces of everyone.

With his back to the sun, Lin Xi's shadow stretched long. His voice wasn't loud, but it was deafening:

"But from today on, this place no longer collects junk."

"This place will be the most profitable money-printing machine in the entire base."

Then, Lin Xi turned around and smiled:

"Since I'm taking office, let me treat everyone to a meal."

Lin Xi reached into his coat.

The next second, two brand-new banknotes drifted onto the table, landing right on top of the appointment letter.

The grayish-blue notes featured a design representing the great unity of all ethnic groups, their edges sharp as a knife.

Two "Great Unity bills" notes.

A full twenty yuan.