Chapter 61: Broadcast Room 61 Chapter 61: Broadcast Room 61 “Tangtang, study hard for the exam. If you can get into this factory, things will be different for you in the future!”
Having seen a wider world, Lin Tang naturally didn’t find this place anything special.
But she knew her third brother didn’t want her to become an aimless village woman with no aspirations.
She smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Third Brother. When it comes to exams, I’ve never been afraid!”
A smile that Lin Qingmu couldn’t hide spread across his face as he patted his sister’s forehead, “Hmm, just don’t get cocky.”
In the midst of their conversation, the two arrived on the second floor.
Upon reaching the second floor, they saw a woman in her forties.
The woman had a neat short haircut, wore a grey shirt with a collar, black pants below, and a pair of black leather shoes on her feet.
“…Here for the exam?” the woman asked proactively.
Lin Tang handed over her letter of introduction, “Yes, my name is Lin Tang, and I’ve come for the factory entrance exam.”
The woman nodded slightly with a gentle smile, “Hello, I’m Du Xiaojuan, responsible for the exam.”
Du Xiaojuan glanced at the letter, her gaze flickering, and when she looked at Lin Tang, there was a hint more of probing in her eyes.
A relative of Factory Director Qin’s family?
With a composed smile, Lin Tang said, “Nice to meet you, Sister Du. I’ll be relying on your guidance.”
She pretended not to notice the woman’s scrutinizing gaze.
Hearing such a young and beautiful girl call her sister, Du Xiaojuan’s smile deepened.
She always valued her youthful look, feeling much younger than her peers.
That “Sister” from Lin Tang definitely won her favor.
“Oh my, you sure know how to talk sweetly!
Is this your brother? Have a seat! I’ll go and pour you a cup of water.”
Lin Tang didn’t refuse; after all, she was indeed thirsty after the journey.
She said with a smile, “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Sister Du.”
Lin Qingmu was surprised to see his sister so at ease and followed suit, thickening his skin to thank her nervously.
Du Xiaojuan was straightforward and liked people who didn’t beat around the bush.
Seeing the siblings’ candid words and smiling faces, her impression of them improved further.
“…Come on in,” she said.
With that, she led the Lin siblings into the office and poured two glasses of water for them.
The office was simply furnished, with two desks and several chairs.
On the desk by the window, there was a large loudspeaker, an old phonograph, and a microphone.
It looked like a Broadcast Room.
Lin Tang glanced briefly around the modest office, her gaze flickering.
It seemed that this cotton textile factory was indeed a big moneymaker; it even had a broadcast room equipped.
“Comrade Lin must be here for a leadership position, right?” Du Xiaojuan asked while looking at Lin Tang.
A leadership position?
Lin Tang raised an eyebrow.
This exam is for selecting leaders?
She hadn’t heard about that.
“Hmm,” she replied, with a smile and without a hint of surprise on her face.
Lin Qingmu’s hand shook violently, nearly spilling water from the glass.
A… a leadership position?!
He was shocked to the core.
But seeing his sister’s calm demeanor,
he pinched his palm hard to suppress the urge to ask.
Inner monologue: Good Lord! Did I hear that right? Did they say… a leadership position?!
Du Xiaojuan didn’t notice anything amiss and kept probing without any show of emotion.
“Is Comrade Lin related to Factory Director Qin by…?” She asked with a hint of confusion.
Could it be that she’s the niece of the factory director?
“Sister Du is wondering about my relationship with Factory Director Qin, right? It’s not something I need to keep secret.
“I was high school classmates with his daughter. This letter of introduction is a favor from Uncle Qin, considering my acquaintance with his daughter.”
Having connections, Lin Tang had no intention of hiding them.
Why not use them if they could spare her unnecessary troubles? That’s the sensible thing to do.
That was also Qin Minsheng’s intention.
“You’re still a high school student,” Du Xiaojuan’s face changed, and her expression became serious.
A high school student, huh?
It seemed that the leadership position was destined for this young lady before her.
But whoever came in didn’t make much difference to her.
The girl looked obedient and sensible, probably not the type who loved to stir up trouble; having her in the Broadcast Room was also a good fit.
Such a pretty face didn’t belong to the tough work in the factory, after all.
“Heh, if all goes well, we might be colleagues in the future. I wish you good luck,” said Du Xiaojuan.
Lin Tang’s eyes lit up slightly, and it seemed as if a starlight had gathered in their depths.
“Thank you, Sister Du.”
It looked like her guess was right; Du Xiaojuan was a significant leader.
“No thanks needed, please take a seat. I have things to do,” Du Xiaojuan said.
Lin Tang and Lin Qingshan naturally nodded in agreement.
Du Xiaojuan walked towards the old phonograph.
She opened the cover, plugged in the power, and placed a record on it.
Pulling the phonograph’s knob, melodious music began to play, and the sound reached the factory’s loudspeakers, playing the song “Who Doesn’t Say My Hometown’s Wonderful.”
This song became popular nationwide last year and was well-loved by the masses.
Lin Tang, accustomed to high technology, didn’t find it impressive.
Lin Qingmu, born and raised locally, hadn’t seen much of the world.
When he heard the sound, he opened his eyes wide.
“Tangtang, what’s that?” he asked in a hushed voice.
Lin Tang explained, “That’s a phonograph, connected to the factory’s loudspeakers, so the sound can be heard outside.”
Du Xiaojuan didn’t expect Lin Tang to even know about phonographs, surprise flashing in her eyes.
In the entire county, and several communes, only their factory had this phonograph.
She was convinced that this machine was an exceptionally rare item.
It was quite surprising that this young girl, who appeared to be barely in her teens, actually recognized it.
Quite mysterious indeed!
Du Xiaojuan’s thoughts went unnoticed by the Lin siblings.
Lin Qingmu, still puzzled but managing to nod as if understanding, decided to ask later after leaving the factory.
His mother had stressed not to let Tangtang lose face!
Unaware of her brother’s thoughts, Lin Tang assumed he got it and moved her lips slightly but said no more.
As the factory’s loudspeakers came to life, a group of bright young women started arriving for work.
Some walked, some rode bicycles, some even carried children… their spirits were exceptionally high.
Each one brimming with energy!
After a short wait, the exam time arrived.
Lin Tang was led to a room by Du Xiaojuan.
There were already around twenty people in the room.
There were both men and women, all seeming to be quite young, around twenty years old.
Once everyone was seated, the factory’s leaders handed out the exam papers.
“The exam will last one hour. Please be mindful of the time, as there will be no extensions,” the leader announced.
As soon as the leader finished speaking, everyone hurriedly began writing.
The quiet room filled with a ‘rustling’ noise.
Lin Tang took a quick look at the exam questions.
The subject matter was quite eclectic.
There were questions on machine operation and repair, knowledge about propaganda work, and even problems regarding dispute resolution…
The faces of the other examinees turned pale, instantly losing confidence.
They looked around.
Thinking that nobody else knew either, they calmed down and focused on their tests.
However,
For Lin Tang, the questions that seemed deliberately difficult were akin to a college student doing preschool connect-the-dots puzzles.
They were simply too easy!