Chapter 12: Why Make Things Difficult for Me, He Yuzhu?

After several days, He Yuzhu spoke little, but the errands, order deliveries, and invoice verifications entrusted to him were completed cleanly and efficiently, without a single mistake.

His demeanor toward Old Chen and the other veteran clerks was neither servile nor arrogant; he answered only when asked and never sought to ingratiate himself, yet he gave no one the slightest excuse to find fault.

This steady and reliable manner softened Old Chen’s initially wary expression considerably.

That afternoon, Section Chief Zhao returned from a meeting, his face bright with good news, holding a document in hand. “Comrades! Good news! The factory has secured an extra-quota allotment of tung oil! This is a real treasure!”

“It’s for maintaining the gears on our batch of old-style machine tools! The quantity isn’t large—just three hundred jin! We must get it as soon as possible! The task is urgent and weighty!”

A ripple of excitement ran through the office.

Tung oil! A highly sought-after industrial raw material, difficult to obtain even under planned quotas! An extra-quota allotment was even rarer. Securing it would be a major achievement.

Qian Youfu immediately popped out from his cubicle, grinning broadly. “Chief! Assign this task to me! I know the ropes! I guarantee to bring it back in three days… no, two days!”

Section Chief Zhao glanced at him but didn’t respond right away. His gaze swept the room before resting on He Yuzhu, who was quietly sorting through invoices with his head down. “Xiao He, you just arrived—how familiar are you with things? Are you interested in taking on the tung oil task?”

In an instant, all eyes turned to He Yuzhu. Qian Youfu’s smile stiffened.

He Yuzhu lifted his head to meet the chief’s scrutinizing gaze and replied calmly, “Chief, I’m new to procurement, and since tung oil is such an important material, I’m afraid my lack of experience could cause delays.”

Zhao waved his hand dismissively. “Experience comes from doing! I see you’re steady and resourceful. So? Do you dare take it on? If you succeed, it’ll be your first credit. If not, no problem—it’s just practice.”

The offer was clearly both an opportunity and a test.

Qian Youfu grew agitated. “Chief! Tung oil is crucial for machine tool production! We can’t treat it lightly! He Yuzhu has only been here a few days…”

“Old Qian!” Zhao interrupted, his tone firmer. “We’re all comrades in procurement. We have to trust the young! It’s settled then. Xiao He, this task is yours. Deputy Chief Qian, you’re experienced—be sure to guide Xiao He and keep things in check.”

Qian Youfu’s face flushed deep red but he dared not argue further. He could only glare hatefully at He Yuzhu and mutter through clenched teeth, “…Yes, Chief.”

The responsibility rested squarely on He Yuzhu’s shoulders. He accepted the approval note and introduction letter from Section Chief Zhao.

Three hundred jin of tung oil, an extra-quota allotment, meant he had to pick it up from a designated supply depot, but the procedures were complicated and numerous, prone to obstruction, and closely watched by many.

“Xiao He,” Qian Youfu approached with a forced smile, pointing at the red stamp on the note, “the depot’s Station Chief Li is a stickler. Having complete paperwork is just the first step. Knowing the rules and how to handle things is crucial. Don’t show up empty-handed or you won’t even get in the door!”

He Yuzhu glanced at him. “Thank you for the reminder, Deputy Chief Qian. I understand the rules and factory regulations.” He tucked away the approval note and letter, then turned to Zhao. “Chief, I’ll get started on the paperwork right away and try to pick up the goods as soon as possible.”

“Go ahead.” Zhao nodded.

Watching He Yuzhu leave, Qian Youfu’s lips curled into a sly smile.

Kid, you think just having the note means smooth sailing? Those old boys at the depot won’t hand over the goods easily. Just wait for a rude awakening!

He Yuzhu rode straight to the Third Supply Depot under the city’s Industrial Bureau.

—

On the way, his thoughts raced. He understood Qian Youfu’s hint—it was about giving gifts and bribery.

But that was too risky. If caught, his future would be ruined.

[Notification! Suitable location detected: En route to Third Supply Depot. Sign in?]

“Sign in.”

[Sign-in successful! Received: On-duty information and preferences of Warehouse Manager Lao Zhou at Third Supply Depot. Information distributed.]

A flood of scattered details poured in: Warehouse Manager Zhou Danian, fifty years old, loves jasmine tea, especially the high-grade broken leaves from “Zhang Yiyuan” in West City. A straightforward man, somewhat stubborn, detests gift-giving and networking schemes...

He Yuzhu’s eyes brightened. Information—the golden key! He immediately turned his bike toward West City.

At two in the afternoon, He Yuzhu carried two oil-paper-wrapped packages as he entered the somewhat quiet courtyard of the Third Supply Depot.

After the gate guard questioned him and examined the approval note and introduction letter, he pointed to a row of single-story buildings behind. “The warehouse is over there. Look for Lao Zhou.”

At the warehouse entrance sat an old man in a blue work uniform, hair graying, face stern. Before him was a chipped enamel container. This was Zhou Danian.

He Yuzhu approached, not rushing to hand over the note but smiling warmly. “Master Zhou, busy?”

Zhou didn’t lift his head, his voice hoarse. “Picking up goods? Show me the note.”

He Yuzhu handed over the approval note and introduction letter. Zhou examined them carefully, confirmed their validity, then stood and pulled from his waist a large ring of keys. He was about to unlock the heavy iron door beside him.

“Wait, Master Zhou.” He Yuzhu stopped him, lifting one of the oil-paper packages and unwrapping it to reveal dark brown tea leaves exuding a rich jasmine fragrance. “I passed by West City’s ‘Zhang Yiyuan’ and saw this high-grade broken leaf tea. I brought you some. It’s nothing valuable—just a small token. Please try it.”

Zhou’s unlocking motion halted. He gave He Yuzhu a suspicious glance, then looked at the tea leaves emitting a familiar aroma.

That scent... it was exactly what he loved to drink! Not a rare tea, just the cheapest broken leaves, but from “Zhang Yiyuan”—the taste was authentic!

“How... how did you know I like this?” Zhou’s stern face softened somewhat.

“I heard from the procurement department’s seniors that you’re particular about your tea,” He Yuzhu said sincerely, offering the tea package forward. “Just a little heart, no other meaning. I know guarding such a big warehouse must be hard.”

Zhou looked at the tea, then at He Yuzhu’s young but steady face. Much of his wariness faded.

He disliked those who showed up with cigarettes, wine, and snacks, trying to cozy up with indirect flattery. This young man’s gift was modest but touched his heart, and his words were genuine.

“Hmph, you’ve got some thought, kid.” Zhou snorted, taking the tea carefully and tucking it inside his jacket. His expression relaxed considerably.

He picked up the keys again and walked to the massive iron warehouse door. “Wait here.”

The heavy iron door creaked open a crack, and a blast of tung oil’s distinctive scent mixed with dust hit the air.

—

Zhou Danian entered briefly and returned pushing out several heavy iron drums. “Three hundred jin, all here. Check the seals and sign.”

He Yuzhu carefully inspected the intact seals and labels on the drums. Confirming all was in order, he signed the delivery note crisply. “Thank you, Master Zhou! Your warehouse is managed so strictly—no scent escaped!”

That subtle flattery soothed Zhou, who rarely smiled. “Alright, get going. Next time, just bring complete paperwork—no need for all that fluff!”

“Got it!” He Yuzhu replied cheerfully, loading the drums onto his tricycle and securing them tightly.

Watching He Yuzhu pedal steadily away with three hundred jin of tung oil, Zhou patted the tea package in his jacket and murmured, “Red Star Rolling Mill… He Yuzhu… this kid’s got potential.”

—

At dusk, when He Yuzhu rode his tricycle loaded with tung oil back to the Rolling Mill’s procurement department, the entire office was silent.

Qian Youfu stared at the sealed drums, his eyes nearly popping out. Really… really brought it back?!

So soon?! He shot a sharp look at He Yuzhu, who was holding the receipt and reporting to Section Chief Zhao.

“Chief, three hundred jin of tung oil picked up from Third Supply Depot. All paperwork complete. Warehouse Manager Zhou signed for it.” He Yuzhu handed over the documents.

Zhao examined the papers and the drums, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “Good! Xiao He! Well done! Efficient and neat!” He patted He Yuzhu’s shoulder hard, then turned to the glowering Qian Youfu. “Old Qian, looks like our Xiao He knows the ‘rules’ very well—a real talent for procurement!”

“Yes… yes…” Qian Youfu forced a smile, far more painful than tears, while his mind churned wildly. What kind of tricks is this kid playing?!

He Yuzhu returned calmly to his desk, knowing he had cleared this hurdle.

He had firmly established himself in procurement but had also become a thorn in Qian Youfu’s side.

With the clean and swift entry of three hundred jin of tung oil into inventory, He Yuzhu’s foothold in procurement was assured. Qian Youfu’s face darkened like he could squeeze water out of it but, for now, found no pretext to cause trouble.

He Yuzhu enjoyed the quiet, devoting more energy to mastering procurement’s business flow.

The tasks Section Chief Zhao assigned gradually shifted from errands and deliveries to assisting Old Chen with basic account reconciliations and supplier information organization.

He Yuzhu welcomed this eagerly. The basic accounting knowledge he acquired through sign-ins, combined with vague financial concepts from his past life, made him far more efficient than Old Chen expected when handling invoices and reports.

“Xiao He, check this reconciliation statement for last month’s bearing purchase. Verify if the amount matches the quantity received,” Old Chen said, passing over a thick stack of documents, his tone noticeably more cordial.

After several rounds, Old Chen found He Yuzhu meticulous, quick with numbers, and nearly error-free—a reliable assistant.

“All right, Master Chen.” He Yuzhu took the documents and began to cross-check. His energetic state made his mind work like a precise machine, numbers leaping and aligning before his eyes.

Suddenly, his finger paused on a particular entry.