Chapter 24: Section Chief, Do You Want Some Game Meat?

At this moment, Zhou Yimin was still completely unaware.

Returning to the city, he went straight to the steel factory to find his direct superior, Section Chief Wang.

“Section Chief, do you want some game meat?”

Section Chief Wang, who was sipping tea from his enamel cup, immediately spat it out.

“Cough! Cough! More game meat? What is it this time? Of course, I want it! You know how things are at our factory!” Section Chief Wang quickly put his tea cup down on the desk and stood up.

This kid had only been out for two days and already brought back more meat for the factory—too capable!

If all the procurement staff were as competent as Zhou Yimin, he’d have been promoted to department head by now. Thankfully, when Zhou Yimin joined, he was assigned to his section.

Section Chief Wang felt lucky.

The other colleagues in the office were also stunned.

Unbelievable! How does he keep running into these lucky opportunities? When they went out for procurement, they could barely get a few eggs, and just thinking about it made them blush.

“A wild boar, around a hundred catties, and a black bear, at least three hundred catties.”

“Section Chief, you know how tough things are in the countryside right now. The villagers have no choice but to risk going into the mountains. This time, someone even broke their leg while hunting the black bear. So when we purchase it, we should be generous and fair to them,” Zhou Yimin said, hoping to secure a good price.

A black bear weighing over three hundred catties?

Everyone in the room gasped.

Damn! Forget a broken leg—it’s a miracle no one died!

A black bear wasn’t just about the meat—its fur, paws, and gallbladder were all valuable. So, this definitely couldn’t be priced as just regular meat.

“Yimin, don’t worry. I’ll go find the department head right now.”

Saying that, Section Chief Wang hurriedly rushed out the door and headed straight for Department Head Zheng’s office.

As soon as he left, the office buzzed with excitement. Everyone crowded around Zhou Yimin, showering him with compliments. Since someone from their section had managed to secure meat, the whole Fifth Section could bask in the glory.

Section Chief Wang burst into Department Head Zheng’s office in a rush.

“Department Head! Department Head…”

Department Head Zheng was still reading the newspaper when the office door suddenly swung open. Annoyed, he frowned and pointed a finger at Section Chief Wang.

“Don’t you know how to knock? What kind of behavior is this? Get out and knock properly before coming in.”

Section Chief Wang awkwardly smiled, realizing his mistake. He had no choice but to step back, close the door, and knock again.

“Come in!”

Section Chief Wang entered and immediately repeated Zhou Yimin’s words, “Department Head, do you want some game meat?”

“What kind of nonsense is that? What factory doesn’t need meat? Just tell me, what kind of game meat did your section get this time? Pheasants? Rabbits?” Department Head Zheng pulled out a cigarette and tossed one to Section Chief Wang.

“Pheasants? Rabbits? Department Head, you’re underestimating our Fifth Section! This time, Yimin got us a wild boar, about a hundred catties, and a black bear, weighing over three hundred.”

“Hey, hey, hey! Department Head, where are you going?”

At that moment, Department Head Zheng had already stood up, ready to leave.

“Obviously, I’m going to check out the wild boar and black bear! That Zhou Yimin from your Fifth Section is really something!” Department Head Zheng said.

How long had Zhou Yimin been working? Yet, he had already secured meat for the factory three or four times.

First, dried meat. Then a wild boar. Then a spotted deer. And now, a black bear?

Was he a specialized meat procurement agent or what?

If every section was this capable, the factory wouldn’t have to worry about meat shortages. He might even get a promotion himself!

Section Chief Wang led Department Head Zheng back to the Fifth Section’s office. Hearing the noisy chatter inside, he gave a few loud coughs at the doorway to signal for everyone to compose themselves.

The room immediately fell silent.

“Section Chief, Department Head Zheng!” The staff greeted them.

Department Head Zheng entered with a broad smile and said to Zhou Yimin, “Good job, kid! You did it again. Where are the wild boar and black bear?”

“Section Chief Wang already told me that the villagers risked their lives, and someone even got injured. Don’t worry, we won’t shortchange them.”

“Department Head, the wild boar and black bear are still on their way. I rode my bicycle back first,” Zhou Yimin explained.

Hearing this, everyone tensed up.

“Aiya! Yimin, that was reckless! You should’ve brought them back together! What if someone hijacks the shipment on the way?” Section Chief Wang slapped his thigh in frustration.

“It should be fine,” Zhou Yimin said.

Actually, he wanted to say: It’s definitely fine.

“Should be fine? You don’t know how desperate other factories and organizations are for meat! If someone offers a slightly higher price than what you promised, we’ll lose the deal!”

“Hurry! Go check on it!” Section Chief Wang urged.

He was anxious!

These days, even a single pig could spark conflicts between organizations.

How could this kid be so carefree?

Youngsters! So inexperienced in dealing with the real world!

Department Head Zheng nodded in agreement. “That’s right, Yimin! You can’t handle things like this in the future.”

They all went to the factory gate to wait. Not long after, the villagers from Shangshui Village arrived. Seeing the donkey cart covered with straw behind them, everyone finally relaxed.

Department Head Zheng led the way forward, taking out his cigarettes.

“Comrades, thank you for your hard work!”

Zhou Yimin said, “Department Head, Section Chief, you two handle the wild boar and black bear first. I’ll take the villagers to the cafeteria to get something to eat.”

Department Head Zheng heard some stomachs growling and nodded. “Good! Make sure they eat well!”

With that, he ordered his subordinates to move the wild boar and black bear inside for processing.

Zhou Yimin took the villagers to the cafeteria and explained the situation to the staff there.

The cafeteria workers quickly brought out freshly steamed mantou buns and other food.

“Eat up, eat as much as you want! The amount of sweet potatoes and potatoes you’ll be getting in exchange will probably be too much for your donkey cart to carry. I’ll go see if we can arrange a truck to deliver them.

“So, after you’re full, head back first,” Zhou Yimin instructed.

The lead villager nodded while eating, “Alright!”

The village chief had told them to follow Zhou Yimin’s lead and not ask too many questions.

They had already weighed the wild boar and black bear themselves. While it wasn’t the net weight, they had a rough idea. And besides, Zhou Yimin was from Zhoujiazhuang—if there were any issues, they could always find him later.

It had been so long since they’d eaten such good mantou. Each of them focused on eating, making sure to get full before heading home.

If it weren’t forbidden, they would’ve liked to take some back.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yimin went to the workshop to find Third Master, handed him the 200 yuan from Zhoujiazhuang, and asked him to have Master Chen craft four more sets of the previous components.

“Third Master, same old rules,” Zhou Yimin said.

Third Master nodded. “Got it. I’ll find Old Chen right away.”

Making extra money on the side—there was no way Old Chen would pass that up. He had even told Third Master before, “If another deal like that comes up, make sure to call me.”

Afterward, Zhou Yimin also went to check on the processing of the wild boar and black bear.

A crowd had already gathered, mostly from their procurement department.

The wild boar and black bear had been gutted, with their internal organs already removed.

(End of Chapter)