Chapter 2 Alternative Recruitment

  Some people say that the 1980s were China's most free, happiest and most hopeful decade. Those who lived through this era are lucky, while those who traveled back to it are bewildered.

  ……

  A few days later, Su Cheng accepted his new identity and became a student of Chinese literature major in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University from a remote mountainous area.

  If we put aside the background of the times and life experiences, being reborn as a 1987 Peking University student would also be a gain. Moreover, during this period, China was in the midst of a new literary movement, with everyone reciting poetry and taking pride in literature, making the study of literature a prestigious field, and handsome men were everywhere.

  This point was concentratedly reflected in the process of Su Cheng's classmates finding a job.

  Wearing a green military uniform, Wang Ting has lived in the barracks since he was a child. He aspired to go to the Ministry of Public Security. Without needing anyone's help, he looked up the contact information of the Ministry of Public Security from the phone book and made a call. He introduced himself, "I am Wang Ting from the Chinese Department of Peking University..." and the job was settled. Not to mention being rejected, there wasn't even an excuse like "let me study it".

  Qian's decision was quite simple. He rode his bike to Dongzhimen and reserved a reporter position at the China Youth Daily. His choice wasn't without alternatives, but what set it apart was that the China Youth Daily promised him a two-bedroom apartment. Su Cheng could understand his decision, putting aside the prestige of being a central-level newspaper; the two-bedroom apartment was located in Beijing's Dongzhimen area, and 20 years later, its price would skyrocket to 400,000-500,000 yuan. If he were lucky enough to get relocated, who knows how much more space he could get? Of course, with his experience, even if he progressed steadily, 20 years later he wouldn't just be allocated one apartment.

  The last roommate, Zhu Kai, came from Shandong Province, tall and strong in stature, but had a fashionable heart. He was determined to "do something professional" and finally chose the People's Literature magazine, which made his classmates envy him. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he brought out his musical instrument and sang campus folk songs for half the night.

  Think carefully, university students in the 1980s didn't have to worry about the harsh reality at all, they only needed to consider their idealistic aspirations.

  As for Su Cheng's experience, this way of finding a job is simply unthinkable.

  What surprised him even more was yet to come. A student from a rural area in Hubei Province, who majored in engineering and hoped to apply what he had learned to help his hometown after graduation, was told that the department did not have any quota for grassroots assignments, so he had to write letters repeatedly to the local party committee of his hometown, the county party committee and the Party Committee of Peking University before he could get what he wanted.

  This discriminatory treatment makes Su City jealous and resentful.

  Recalling his contract with that logistics company, Su Cheng couldn't help but smile bitterly.

  The days of being a detached observer couldn't last long, as the dorm's elder Wang Ting came to care for Su Cheng after handling the introduction letter and other documents. He said: "Old fourth, I have a responsibility towards you, can't just watch you dawdle around. You must make up your mind about where to go, otherwise when the deadline arrives, you'll be stuck with no place to go."

  "Return to hometown is good, build hometown, beautify hometown." Zhu Kai, leaning against the wall writing poetry, heard them talking and immediately followed with a sentence.

  Wang Ting stared at him and said, "The treatment in the local and central governments is not the same. Su Cheng, you have to think carefully. It's easy to go down now, but it will be difficult to come back later. The salary and benefits are also different. If you stay in Beijing, you can at least send more money back home. Another thing, Beijing has better medical conditions. After you get a house, you can bring your parents over and take care of them better..."

  Su Cheng interrupted him as he spoke more and more nonsense, saying: "I didn't say I wanted to leave Beijing either."

  "Then you'd better contact the unit quickly. If the assigned unit is not ideal, it will be troublesome to change." Wang Ting said, picking up his clothes from the bed and putting them on while saying: "Let's go to the student office now, I heard that several units are coming to look at the files today, with your talent in Su City, you can definitely succeed by recommending yourself."

  Su Cheng held onto Wang Ting and said helplessly: "Can't you be more professional?"

  Wang Ting said in surprise: "If you don't engage in professional work, what's the point? This university isn't a waste of time, is it? I'm going to the Ministry of Public Security, also as a secretary."

  "It's just annoying." Su Cheng said in a small voice, he also knew that this reason didn't hold up. But there was no way around it, although he had inherited the memories, he hadn't inherited the literary thinking, if he were to write materials or take meeting notes, he would be tortured to death. Even thinking about it with his chin, he knew that the central government departments weren't something to be trifled with.

  Wang Ting said a few more words, seeing his resolute attitude, and sighed: "Let's go to the student's place first, if it doesn't work out, we'll contact other units."

  What he said is quite generous. In the 1980s, universities were dominated by Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University and USTC, with the latter still in Hefei, let's not mention it, the other three schools, even if they were minor majors, wanted to get a spot in Beijing It's not difficult, let alone the most elite literature major. The Chinese Department of Peking University even briefly set up a secretary class for a few years to solve the urgent shortage of secretaries for central leaders, which is unimaginable after 2000.

  For Su Cheng's roommates, the main issue now is Su Cheng's ideological problem, rather than a matter of choice.

  A few people walked out of the small red-brick building, passed through the triangular land with various red and white posters and notices, and walked along the shaded path composed of green pines and pagoda trees to the end, where they could see the courtyard where the students lived.

  The wall of the blue brick is already mottled, but the light is very good. Through the 8 pieces of glass made up of windows, the indoor light is not inferior to the high-rise buildings of later generations.

  On one side of the wall is also written in small black characters: Please note frugality, don't waste people's blood and sweat.

  Su Cheng was still looking around, but Wang Ting had already identified the people. He elbowed him from behind and whispered: "The one in gray Zhongshan suit should be from the Communist Youth League Central Committee, the white shirt is from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the older one next to them is probably from the State Machine Building Commission or the Aerospace Industry Department. They're likely here to select science and engineering students. The State Council and Economic Commission may have already picked enough people. You're too slow, what a pity."

  As they spoke, the gray suit and white shirt began to argue with each other.

  The man in gray Zhongshan suit said: "Old Tang, let's give it to the two of you, can't monopolize it, right?"

  The white shirt smiled awkwardly and said, "This student's Russian is not bad, it would be a waste to leave it unused with you, we'll use him for a few years first and then return him to you."

  "Let you use it for a few years? That's not the way to hit a dog with a meat bun, no, this student I want to fix, the Communist Youth League is the party's assistant and reserve army, we cultivate well, and then send it to your place."

  "I won't argue with you, I'll take this student." The white shirt picked up another resume, flipped it in the air without even looking at it, and said to the teacher in charge of the students, "Please register him for English Class 2."

  Su Cheng was stunned beyond expectation.

  This is the Communist Youth League Central Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, fighting over a university graduate?

  Compared to the hustle and bustle of gray suits and white shirts, the men from the National Machine Committee seemed unusually quiet. He looked through each resume one by one, but almost none were selected.

  In a farther corner, there was an old man with a hunched back, who was pitifully selecting people. Compared to the previous few departments, he had selected many more people.

  Su Cheng asked Wang Ting: "Why does he want so many people?"

  "Who?" Wang Ting glanced and sneered: "That's the Petroleum Department, don't look at how many people they select, in the end, those who are willing to go can be counted on one hand. If it were two years ago, it would be fine, but recently, the rumor of departmental reform has been circulating wildly, wanting to cut off the Petroleum Department, who would be willing to send themselves over to be reassigned? If things don't work out, in the end, they'll have to forcibly assign people."

  It turns out that China Petrochemical is also looked down upon, they can't even squeeze into the first echelon, let alone the second and third echelons. No wonder the officials in charge of recruitment all hide in the corner.

  Su Cheng smiled sympathetically for two minutes, and when he had calmed down, he walked up to the old man and said with a smile: "Hello, I am Su Cheng from the Chinese Department of Peking University's Literature major..."

  ……