Chapter 5: Before the Meeting
Zhou Jixin’s three reasons undoubtedly moved Sun Debo.
He looked at the confident young man before him, thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “…Alright! Since you’ve thought through everything, come with me to the hotel for the meeting in a bit!
Chen Wenyun sent word to me just now that the heads of the new government education department definitely want me to take the position… ha, besides me, Old Sun, no one can lead the education department!”
After some self-praise, he looked at Zhou Jixin with admiration on his face and said, “Young Zhou, you’re young, you graduated from a top school, and you’re capable—you don’t have to stay on as an English teacher if you don’t want to; I can recommend you to someone else…”
“Principal! Wherever I go in the future! I’ll always be a teacher from our middle school! You will always be my old leader!”
Although getting Sun Debo’s recommendation was his real goal, Zhou Jixin still sincerely delivered those flattering words.
Sun Debo understood these social niceties very well and appreciated the smart young man’s attitude toward him.
He waved his hand and said, “Enough! Don’t sweet-talk me like that—I’m not your office’s Little Liu teacher!
Let me tell you something serious!
Li Yingchun and Chen Wenyun plan to establish new government bodies, and they’ll need many new departments.
Chen Wenyun said there will be at least a Civil Affairs Bureau, a Police Affairs Bureau, a Justice Bureau, an Army Department, a Navy Department, an Education Bureau, a Science and Technology Bureau, an Agriculture Bureau, a Construction Bureau, a Shipbuilding Bureau, a Materials Bureau, a Machinery Bureau, a Chemical Industry Bureau, a Security Bureau, a Foreign Affairs Bureau, a Commerce Bureau, an Indigenous Affairs Bureau, and more than a dozen units in total.
Have you decided where you want to go?”
Seeing that the old principal was straightforward, Zhou Jixin stopped holding back.
He thought for a moment and said, “…I majored in English, and I’m curious about those 19 Dutch people, so I should go to the Foreign Affairs Bureau or the Commerce Bureau.
Of course, I might also go to the Security Bureau… being the head of an intelligence agency wouldn’t be bad either!”
Sun Debo’s expression changed slightly when he heard Zhou Jixin say he wanted to be the head of intelligence.
He asked with confusion, “Why do you want that kind of unpopular job?
We only have 4,500 people now—where are we going to find spies and agents?”
Zhou Jixin rebutted earnestly, “That’s not certain!
Principal, you should know Bohai Ship Group is our country’s submarine construction base, right?
Although the submarine workshop didn’t come through the transmigration, it’s possible that among these 4,500 people there are foreign spies!”
“Foreign spies?!”
Sun Debo stared at Zhou Jixin with a strange expression, then whispered cautiously, “Young Zhou, could you… could you be an undercover agent the state sent to monitor the shipyard?”
Zhou Jixin sighed and laughed, “…My principal! Your imagination is too vivid!
If I were an undercover agent, why wouldn’t I just reveal my identity now?
If I had that kind of status, I wouldn’t need your recommendation to go wherever I want!”
“…Who knows what you’re really thinking?”
Sun Debo relaxed inwardly and couldn’t help giving Zhou Jixin a side-eyed look.
“All right! Let’s go now! We’ll go check out the vibe at the hotel and see how tomorrow’s meeting will be held!”
…
Longgang Middle School is just west of the Bohai Ship Group factory area, separated from the factory’s materials warehouse and the hotel to the north by a single road.
To the north of Bohai Hotel lies the half‑demolished Happy Home residential area.
Choosing the hotel for the meeting saves some travel time.
When Sun Debo and Zhou Jixin arrived at the hotel lobby at 3:30 pm, more than a hundred survivors expressing various situations and concerns had already gathered there.
They were lining up to register their own or their groups’ appeals.
Around the queue, more than a dozen uniformed patrol members were continually walking around to maintain order.
Seeing the noisy scene, Sun Debo didn’t join the line.
Instead, he and Zhou Jixin went to the reception desk on the east side and introduced themselves and their purpose to the receptionist.
The young female receptionist, with light freckles across her face, stood up at once as soon as Sun Debo gave his name.
“…So you’re Principal Sun! Committee Member Chen gave advance notice—please come with me to the second floor.
He’s been waiting for you there… Committee Member Li is there too!”
“Then please lead the way,” said Sun Debo with a polite smile.
The receptionist glanced at the handsome Zhou Jixin following behind Sun Debo, hesitated for a moment, said nothing, and then turned to lead them up to a guest room on the second floor.
They knocked on the door and entered to see Li Yingchun and Chen Wenyun, two older men, sitting on the sofa by the living room window, smoking.
When they saw Sun Debo bring a young man in, Li Yingchun stood up, smiled warmly, took Sun Debo’s hand, and courteously said, “Principal Sun! Chen Engineer and I thought you might arrive later—we didn’t expect you’d bring such face! Haha! Please sit, please sit!
And you must be this young man…”
Sun Debo skillfully accepted the cigarette Chen Wenyun handed him while patting Zhou Jixin’s shoulder, introducing: “This is Zhou Jixin, head of our school’s English teaching group!
A graduate student from Capital Normal! A talented young man!
Young Zhou! This is Li Yingchun, CEO of Bohai Ship Group, and Chen Wenyun, Chief Engineer of Bohai Ship Group.”
“Hello, CEO Li! Hello, Chief Engineer Chen!” Zhou Jixin gave a proper greeting to the two older men.
“Huh! Young Zhou is a top graduate from Capital Normal! Old Sun, you have talent under your command!” Li Yingchun complimented politely.
He then signaled Chen Wenyun with a glance, and Chen Wenyun was about to speak when Sun Debo interrupted.
“CEO Li! Chief Engineer Chen! I brought Young Zhou here to discuss the school and tomorrow’s meeting with you!”
Sun Debo sat with Zhou Jixin on the sofa and bluntly said, “Young Zhou has made a number of suggestions to me these past two days, and I think they make a lot of sense, so I brought him here to speak directly with you.”
Li Yingchun and Chen Wenyun exchanged a glance—they saw that Old Sun really had high hopes for this Zhou Jixin young man!
If so, let’s hear what he has to say!
Detecting the two men’s watchful gazes, Zhou Jixin didn’t hesitate.
He immediately took up the topic and addressed Li and Chen:
“CEO Li, Chief Engineer Chen, it’s now been almost two weeks.
Principal Sun and our school’s faculty believe that the current Emergency Status Committee is unable to shoulder the responsibility of leading everyone’s survival and development.
It’s necessary to reorganize and establish a new government body to provide more comprehensive leadership!
As far as Longgang Middle School is concerned, we are very willing to support the new government body you two lead.
However, we don’t yet know if the new government can guarantee the normal studies of the children and the stable lives of teachers—we need a definitive commitment from you, CEO Li!”
Looking at Zhou Jixin calmly and earnestly stating his request, Li Yingchun’s eyes gradually filled with admiration.
That young man really has talent.