Chapter 255: Seventies Treasure Appraisal System (29)

Zhao Weijun, standing in the crowd, found his current mood could simply be described as "a complex mix of emotions."

He had realized this on the day of the exam... no! To be precise, he realized it while he was in the middle of taking it—

Brother Zheng's wife... that spendthrift wife from the rumors who didn't have much education, was extravagant, and was lazy and gluttonous, had actually guessed the exam questions for the Combat Readiness Motorcade recruitment!

Sob... the rumors misled him!

He would never believe rumors again!

He Ximing also returned to the Family Building with a similarly complex mix of emotions.

By the time he reached the third round of the exam, he knew he had no chance at this recruitment.

The vehicle he was operating suddenly malfunctioned; he couldn't fix it with his usual methods, and just as he was sweating profusely, four people suddenly came to hijack the vehicle.

Even though he knew these "hijackers" were played by examiners, they acted so damn realistically, and each one was physically formidable; they knocked him to the ground in one move, one stepped on his back so he couldn't get up, and the other three pried open the cargo box and emptied the "goods" in minutes.

He got a big fat zero on this practical exam question.

His confidence was hit hard, and his performance on the subsequent questions was also miserable.

He had a premonition at the time that he most likely wouldn't pass.

But after asking a few colleagues, he learned that everyone's performance was poor, and they all complained that the practical question was too difficult—where in reality would one be so unlucky as to encounter several emergencies at once?

To be able to score points, one must be an incredibly capable person!

He Ximing felt relieved at the time.

As long as no one from the same unit passed, he wouldn't lose face.

However, when the results were posted and he saw Qin Zheng's name, along with his eye-catching third-round score, He Ximing was so ashamed he wanted to bury his head in his collar.

He had only scored 10 points in the third round, while Qin Zheng scored 95.

Not just the third round; in the first and second rounds, Qin Zheng had never dropped below 90 points.

And as for himself? Theory 75, interview 68; the sum of his three rounds was barely half of Qin Zheng's—a total dimensional strike.

He Ximing returned home in low spirits and sat in the pitch-black room for a long while.

It wasn't until Bai Xiuyuan walked in, holding their son and carrying half a basket of eggs she had swiped from her in-laws, that she said: "You're home? Why didn't you turn on the light!"

"By the way, didn't they say the Combat Readiness Motorcade was posting results today? Did you go see? Did you pass?"

"……No."

"You didn't pass?" Bai Xiuyuan looked disappointed. "It seems there are quite a few people pulling strings."

He Ximing frowned: "Why do you say that?"

"Isn't it obvious? Such a good unit, who wouldn't want to get in? But with more monks than gruel, would those with connections and ways not pull strings?"

"But the three-round exam was solid; the scores were announced on the spot. There's no way to manipulate things behind the scenes."

"You're stupid! Scores are also given by people; aren't examiners human? Don't examiners have aunts and uncles? If you ask me, we just lost because we don't have connections, and your apprentice isn't willing to help, sigh..."

After a pause, Bai Xiuyuan thought of the neighbors next door: "Didn't Qin Zheng go take the exam too? He surely didn't pass either, right?"

He Ximing remained silent.

A bad premonition rose in Bai Xiuyuan's heart: "He didn't pass, did he?"

"Mm." And he was first, too!

He Ximing felt sour and bitter inside, unable to help but wonder if it was a first place obtained by pulling strings?

"……"

Once the news spread that Qin Zheng had passed the Combat Readiness Motorcade recruitment with the top score in the third round and the top total score, neighbors came to 208 in an endless stream to offer congratulations.

Some were genuinely congratulating him and wanted to catch some good luck.

Others were using the congratulations as a pretext to ask Qin Zheng for help.

Since Qin Zheng was going to the Combat Readiness Motorcade, wouldn't a spot open up in the factory's Transportation Team? These people wanted to entrust Qin Zheng to recommend their own relatives to the Transportation Team Director.

Among them was Zhou Qiufang.

Logically speaking, she and Xie Yang were enemies, and lowering her face to beg was definitely not her style.

When distributing New Year goods before the year ended, she had even taken the initiative to help at the Logistics Department, secretly trying to pull some tricks on Qin Zheng's share: swapping a crate of apples for half a crate of rotten ones, and making more than half of a basket of eggs bad.

As it turned out, the Union Chairman wanted to visit Qin Zheng that day and had come early to take a share of the New Year goods to bring to Qin Zheng's home, which caused her little scheme to fail.

Fortunately, her husband was the Logistics Department Deputy Director; as long as Xie Yang was here for one day, she would sooner or later have to beg her.

Unexpectedly, before the opportunity for Xie Yang to beg her arrived, she was the one who needed to beg Qin Zheng first.

Her nephew from her maiden family still didn't have a job, and if it dragged on any longer, his partner would run off.

"Little Qin, look at this matter..."

"Sorry, Auntie, I have no authority to interfere or inquire about how the Transportation Team arranges this position. If you are truly anxious, you can go ask the leadership."

"……"

If the Transportation Team Director were that easy to talk to, would she have needed to beg Qin Zheng?

"I know, I offended Xiao Xie before, and it's only right that you want to vent your anger for her. So, once the anger is vented, can you help your aunt?"

Qin Zheng narrowed his sharp eyes: "Does Auntie mean that you bullied my wife?"

"……"

Zhou Qiufang didn't get any benefit and left in a huff.

Kuihua Sao reminded Xie Yang: "She isn't a broad-minded person. Next time the Logistics Department distributes anything, remember to count it clearly in front of her to avoid her playing tricks."

Xie Yang smiled: "There won't be a next time. Qin Zheng is reporting to the Combat Readiness Motorcade next Monday, and we are moving tomorrow or the day after."

"So fast?"

"Mm, the new unit is in a hurry for people."

"Then when you move, my man and I will come to help."

"Thank you, Sister-in-law."

Seeing people coming in and out of 208, bustling with activity, Bai Xiuyuan sourly consoled herself: It's just twenty or thirty yuan more in wages, what's there to be proud of! Acting as if they'd been promoted to some official position!

It wasn't until two days later, when she went to the washroom to do laundry, that she heard Kuihua Sao excitedly describing the new house allocated to Qin Zheng's family to other neighbors:

"... It was just built last year and is five stories tall. Xiao Xie's family was allocated the third floor, and no one had lived there before they moved in; the walls are snow-white. The layout is about the same as our Factory Area 3 Family Building, with two households door-to-door on each floor, two bedrooms and a living room, plus a kitchen and a bathroom—cooking and using the toilet are incredibly convenient... The balcony is also bigger than ours, and they were even allocated a private plot downstairs; although it's only a tiny piece, it's enough to grow some Chili and green onions."

The crowd of neighbors listened with envy: "They can get a two-bedroom, one-living-room unit even without children? That's really not bad! I heard that unit often gives out benefits, is that true?"

"Isn't it just!" Kuihua Sao said, sharing what she had seen and heard, "Xiao Qin went to handle the entry procedures and brought back a jug of oil and a bag of rice."

"Wow..."

The neighbors let out sighs of envy.

To have benefits issued when it's neither a holiday nor a festival—what a truly good unit! No wonder it's so hard to get into.

Bai Xiuyuan couldn't help but snort: "It's just because they got in through the back door!"

Kuihua Sao frowned and glared at her: "Without any proof, don't talk nonsense."

"Hmph!"

Bai Xiuyuan turned her head and left.

If she had proof, she would have gone to report them long ago.

But the speaker had no intention, while the listener took it to heart.

Wang Tieqiang's wife took it to heart, convinced that Qin Zheng really had gotten in through the back door, so she ran off to report them.