[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981":3,"chapter-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-846":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year, the Flowers Bloomed in 1981",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2295264,4489,"Chapter 846: Two Ranks Above Me?","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-846",846,"\u003Cp>Li Ye had once been hit by a scammer in his past life; since the car had no dashcam, the other party made a scene and refused to let go, forcing Li Ye to pay two hundred yuan just to be rid of the anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, a brother told Li Ye, “When you meet a bully, you must be even more of a bully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when the Guo family matriarch arrived with her two grandsons trying to force their way into Plant One, Li Ye hardened his expression and, imitating the stern tone of a bank teller from the future, spoke calmly and firmly to the two children still kneeling on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush to kowtow—first prove your kinship with Guo Huai. You must provide concrete evidence that Guo Huai is your father, and that you are his sons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then we can discuss whether your case falls under the jurisdiction of the ministry or our Plant One.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have the household registration book—look, it says head of household: Guo Huai, sons: Guo Jiazhuang, Guo Jiaqiang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That household book only proves Guo Huai had two sons, but it doesn’t say those two sons are you two! You suddenly show up out of nowhere, and we’ve never met you—how can we just believe you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guo family fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was the older boy only sixteen, but even the Guo matriarch, at sixty years old, had never heard such shameless nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have the household book in your hands, and now you’re saying you’re not Guo?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What, you want Guo Huai, turned to ash, to come back to life and prove it to you yourself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman’s eyes darted around, then she burst into tears: “What kind of talk is this, sir? Who’s ever heard of randomly claiming a dead man as father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two boys snapped out of their shock and quickly explained: “Guo Huai is our father—look, we’re still wearing mourning!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye sneered: “Whether you recognize him as father is none of our business—Guo Huai was never one of our workers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re a state unit; our workers hold iron rice bowls paid for by the state. Let me tell you straight, there are tens of thousands of unemployed youths lined up outside the Labor Bureau waiting to get into our factory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You just open your mouths and think you can snatch their slots? Is that fair? Is that the law?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you say we’re just opening our mouths for two slots? My son is dead! My son died in Japan! Heaven above! Is there no justice left?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guo matriarch lunged forward, grabbing for Li Ye’s arm: “Do you think we want these jobs? Then give me back my son’s life, and we’ll leave right away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye slammed his palm onto the desk, sending teacups, documents, and all manner of clutter bouncing wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a man who could snap bricks with one hand; even a solid wooden desk groaned under the blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the room felt their hearts jolt violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why does the calm fear the ruthless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because once someone becomes utterly unreasonable, their destructive power is immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s blow silenced them all, then he roared, voice high and furious: “Who are you asking to pay for your son’s life? Do you think I’m the King of Hell? Your son’s own unit won’t touch your mess—why are you coming here to bully us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye had underestimated the Guo matriarch. Seeing the tide turn, she suddenly rolled on the floor, wailing loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ohhh, I can’t live anymore! My poor boy, you died young and mysteriously, your wife left, your children left unattended—who’s been bullying whom?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give me a rope—I’ll just die and follow my son. I’ll ask him how he really died!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye gritted his teeth. The calm fear the ruthless; the ruthless fear the desperate; the desperate fear the shameless—and this woman had just jumped two ranks above him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang, who had been silent until now, picked up the phone and dialed: “Security Department? Can’t you hear all this racket in the office? Are your ears deaf? Call the X Police Station—we have people causing trouble and disrupting production.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Security Department had heard the commotion—they were right outside. They rushed in immediately to eject the intruders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the chaos, Lai Jiayi finally couldn’t hold back: “Director Lu, Director Li, shouldn’t we verify their claims first? What if they really are Guo Huai’s family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye turned to her: “Fine. Then, Sister Lai, please go to the ministry and ask whether their case even falls under our jurisdiction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Jiayi froze, half-angry, half-laughing: “Oh? Director Li is assigning me this task now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye shot back immediately: “Didn’t you just assign me and Old Lu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Jiayi finally realized: bringing the Guo family in from the gate was a stupid mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the Guo matriarch dropped her final card: “Don’t push me—I was sent here by a senior official at the ministry! He said Plant One’s Director Li is a kind man, but what are you doing now? You’re betraying the nation and your leaders’ expectations!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【So you finally said it.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye and Lu Zhizhang exchanged glances, understanding each other’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that they’d come to Plant One meant someone had “pointed the way.” Who was that person? They had to find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang said: “You were sent by the ministry? Then why didn’t you say so earlier? Bring the dispatch certificate—I’ll assign them jobs immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dispatch certificate”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guo matriarch blinked, then said: “They didn’t give us a dispatch certificate. Just assign the boys jobs first—I’ll bring it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ll bring a what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only college and vocational school graduates get dispatch certificates! Your eldest grandson is barely sixteen in lunar age—did he get into university at twelve?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang shook his head: “No. Every worker we hire must be selected with absolute fairness—if we don’t, we’ll be punished. You can’t ask us to risk our careers for your sake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about this: tell us which official sent you. Even without a dispatch certificate, get him to write us a note.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do we need a note? I’m over sixty—I’d never lie!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then go home. Security Department—no more letting random outsiders in. This is a technical upgrade unit—did you forget the confidentiality rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Security Department staff glared at Lai Jiayi, their faces dark with resentment—they hated her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d successfully blocked the Guo family at the gate; that was their duty. But Lai Jiayi had brought them in—and now they’d taken the blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So their treatment turned rough: they shoved the Guo family toward the exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guo matriarch finally realized she had no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was Secretary Han from the ministry who sent us. He said Plant One hired two thousand new workers this year and was short-staffed—and that new employees get brand-new apartments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Wait a minute—you’re already eyeing the new apartments? How ambitious.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang immediately dialed the ministry: even if the ministry wanted to shove these two boys into Plant One, they had to give a clear reason—clearly owe a favor, not just sneak it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, I’d like to speak to Secretary Han? This is Lu Zhizhang from Plant One of the Light Truck Company. Today, Guo Huai’s family came requesting employment, claiming you arranged it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh oh oh, no! No, no! Don’t hang up—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang handed the phone directly to the Guo matriarch: “Secretary Han wants to speak to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guo matriarch took the phone blankly, then heard a sharp, furious voice on the other end: “Who told you to go to Plant One? How dare you use my name to swindle people?!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1297,"2026-06-20T05:05:02.628Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","05b6825db0facfb981aa0950a8c8c7e46ee3ea03a716b71259733d656aa67829","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-847","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-845",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]