Chapter 601: Buying Horse Bones with a Thousand Gold

February 23, 1986, Sunday, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival.

In the female dormitory of the University of California, Berkeley, Zhen Rongrong changed into a simple outfit and carefully combed her hair into a neat medium ponytail, making her look even more capable, which added to the three parts of heroic spirit she already possessed.

A few days ago, the UC Berkeley Chinese Students and Scholars Association suddenly received a notice that leaders from the mainland's Education Commission were coming to visit everyone, and a tea party was scheduled for today, the Lantern Festival.

There were even rumors circulating that this tea party might discuss the issue of job assignments after everyone returned to the country.

As a Party member, Zhen Rongrong knew the importance of such matters, so she got ready half an hour in advance, checked herself in the mirror, picked up her schoolbag, and prepared to leave.

However, just as she reached the door, Ruan Shujun, who was sleeping in her quilt, suddenly jumped out of bed: "Rongrong, wait for me, I'll go with you."

Zhen Rongrong was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion: "Did you receive the notice? I heard Liu Dongsheng say that this time only government-sponsored students are required to attend."

Ruan Shujun paused, then said with a sheepish smile: "Although I am a self-funded student, my academic qualifications still need to be verified and my unit assigned after I return to the country.

If I go to such an occasion, maybe no one will care who I am, but if I don't go, someone will definitely remember who I am. A single thought can make a huge difference in the assignment result."

Zhen Rongrong: "..."

In the mainland of 1986, the employment of overseas students was still subject to certain restrictions, so Ruan Shujun believed that if she didn't go today and was assigned to a poor unit later, it would truly be a case of losing big for the sake of small gains.

Hearing Ruan Shujun's words, Zhen Rongrong couldn't help but laugh: "Didn't you swear to stay in the Lighthouse? Why are you still worried about not being assigned to a good unit back home?"

"Are you ever going to stop? Who are you looking down on? You keep saying you're patriotic and despise me for being weak, but now that I'm going back to serve the motherland, what do you mean by blocking me?"

Zhen Rongrong had only meant it as a joke, but it made Ruan Shujun, who had been sickly just a moment ago, suddenly explode.

"..."

Zhen Rongrong was stunned for a moment, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

She retorted to Ruan Shujun: "If you really want to serve the motherland, of course I will congratulate you, but I'm afraid you're trying to stand on two boats and leave yourself a way out..."

"You want to become a Lighthouse person on one hand, and you want the mainland to provide you with a safety net on the other. How are you so smart? I advise you! Don't let your cleverness be your undoing; be careful not to fall into the river and drown."

There were many people like Ruan Shujun at UC Berkeley who wanted to stay in the Lighthouse, but they all harbored a thought—if they really couldn't stay, they would go back to the mainland and get a good unit assignment.

This was just like the "spare tires" of the little fairies in later generations—if it really doesn't work out, I'll just marry an honest man; anyway, I won't starve to death.

But Zhen Rongrong really disliked this kind of half-hearted thinking.

However, after Zhen Rongrong finished speaking, Ruan Shujun suddenly broke down.

"Wuwuwu, it's all your fault. I just wanted to find a boyfriend who truly likes me. Why can't you stand it? Why did you bring Kadir to the Chaozhou Hotel? Do you like seeing me make a fool of myself that much? Wuwuwuwu~"

"This is the Lighthouse, not the mainland, yet you brought those mainland tricks of bullying people here. Are you trying to force me to death?"

"..."

Zhen Rongrong looked at Ruan Shujun, who was crying her eyes out, and the anger in her heart dissipated by more than half.

The scene in Chinatown on New Year's Eve could be said to be a classic example of standing on two boats. After the conflict between Kadir and Xia Zhemin, both chose to abandon Ruan Shujun, letting her truly experience the feeling of "drowning."

It could be said that after this incident, Ruan Shujun's reputation at UC Berkeley had completely stunk.

So she suddenly made a 180-degree turn and wanted to go back to serve the motherland. Was this to change to an environment where no one knew her and start over?

The relationship between UC Berkeley and the mainland education system was decent, and this time they provided a venue with good conditions to hold the Lantern Festival tea party, which could accommodate at least two hundred people.

But when Zhen Rongrong waited at the scene until eleven o'clock, only thirty-something people had come in total.

One had to know that this wasn't just for UC Berkeley students; the student unions of several surrounding schools had also received the notice.

"That... Huang Yanxin is sick..."

"Liang Zemu is also sick..."

Listening to the requests for leave one after another, Zhen Rongrong felt a bit uncomfortable.

During this year's Spring Festival, more than a hundred people came to the gathering!

Ruan Shujun was right; this was the Lighthouse, not the mainland.

The organization's powerful binding force in the mainland was pitifully weak here.

"Alright, time is up, we won't wait anymore. Hello everyone, my name is Ke Zhiyu. I am very happy to be able to spend this beautiful Lantern Festival with everyone in a foreign land thousands of miles away..."

"Besides celebrating the festival, today we are mainly here for one thing: to listen to everyone's opinions."

Teacher Ke did not appear angry because of the deserted scene; her smile was intellectual and approachable, and the words she spoke were gentle and polite.

"In recent years, the number of overseas students we have sent who return to the country has shown a continuous downward trend. I believe there must be many reasons for this, and there must be areas where we have not done enough."

"Everyone is studying and living in this Lighthouse far away from home, which must be very difficult. If there is contribution, there should be reward. I want to hear what everyone thinks about future work and what requirements you have..."

"..."

After Ke Zhiyu finished speaking, the scene was silent.

Everyone had come from the mainland and had a profound understanding of this kind of "pooling wisdom."

If the leader asks you to boldly offer opinions, and you, you old monk, don't know how to count and really point out a bunch of problems...

Problems are hard to solve, but the person who raises the problem is very easy to solve!

"Hehehehe~"

"It seems everyone has concerns? It doesn't matter, let's change the method!"

Teacher Ke spoke to the secretary beside her, and then the secretary took out a stack of "opinion forms" and distributed them to everyone.

Zhen Rongrong took one and looked at it; it listed many multiple-choice and open-ended questions, such as which unit you want to be assigned to after returning to the country, what your requirements are for future salary and housing, etc.

There was even a multiple-choice question at the end about "where to go after graduation," which included options like "continue advanced studies" and "return to the country to work."

And more importantly, this opinion form was anonymous.

Zhen Rongrong, Tian Xizhen, Jiao Yaqiang, and others looked at each other, and finally all took out their fountain pens and filled them out cautiously.

Twenty minutes later, more than thirty opinion forms were collected.

Because the quantity was not large, Teacher Ke quickly flipped through them.

"Everyone is still conservative. How can talents like you only want a salary of two hundred?"

"The motherland sends me wherever I go? Sigh, since I let you make requests, you should boldly make them!"

Teacher Ke looked at the opinion forms and occasionally commented with a smile.

But in her heart, she was not as relaxed as she appeared on the surface.

Out of the thirty-four opinion forms, twenty-nine chose "continue advanced studies," which was over eighty percent.

This meant they "temporarily" didn't want to go back~

"Alright, thank you for everyone's opinions. Today, we happen to have several enterprises from our mainland that need to recruit some personnel stationed in the Lighthouse. So, please let those students who chose 'return to the country to work after graduation' stay, and let them talk to you."

"..."

The whole scene was silent.

Zhen Rongrong, who had chosen "return to the country to work," murmured: "I'm sorry, I just arrived this year, and graduation is still far away..."

Teacher Ke said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, let's talk first and see if there are any suitable part-time jobs."

"..."

The crowd was silent again, and then someone finally couldn't help but ask: "May I ask Director Ke, what kind of work do the personnel stationed in the Lighthouse specifically do?"

Teacher Ke smiled and didn't answer, but the secretary beside her answered with a smile: "There is no difference from ordinary Lighthouse companies. Of course, the salary is also no different; it will only be higher than Lighthouse people, not lower."

Everyone was stunned.

The twenty-nine people who chose to continue advanced studies looked at the five opinion forms that Teacher Ke had sorted out, feeling as if some opportunity had slipped past them.

Damn it, is this "no difference"? This is buying horse bones with a thousand gold, okay? Are you bullying us because we didn't study history well?

The reason why fewer and fewer overseas students return to the country is because they earn too little, right? Now that you are given a job where you can earn foreign exchange abroad and serve the motherland at the same time, are you willing? Are you happy?

The key is that working in a state-owned enterprise also allows you to be promoted to section chief, department head, or even soar to great heights!

The thinking of being "a person above people" was deeply rooted in the hearts of mainlanders, and working for Lighthouse people would never allow one to become a person above people.

"Director Ke, I am willing to accept this job. I am willing to contribute and struggle for the take-off of the motherland."

While everyone else was still stunned, Ruan Shujun, with a flushed face, rushed to express her stance.

Teacher Ke's secretary asked with a smile: "Oh, what is your name?"

Ruan Shujun said excitedly: "My name is Ruan Shujun, and I will graduate with a master's degree this year."

"Ruan Shujun?"

Teacher Ke lowered her head and began to look through the roster of overseas students.

And Teacher Ke began to size up Ruan Shujun with great interest.

In the past few days, Wen Leyu had told Teacher Ke many things. How could such an interesting character as Ruan Shujun be overlooked?

And Ruan Shujun found that Teacher Ke was sizing her up carefully, and she was instantly overjoyed.

This was a ministerial-level big shot!

【This time, my luck has finally come!】 ===== CHAPTER 602 =====