Special Forces Medic-Chapter 816 - 689: The New Guy at the Factory

"I ran into you at the door, so I'll head out first. If anything comes up, just call me!" Assistant Qin is a woman, an older woman in her thirties. Her skin isn't too rough, but due to lack of care, nasolabial folds have started to appear, pulling the corners of her mouth down, making her look older. A fierce-looking man grinned foolishly at her, and Wang Xi could tell from one glance what this man was thinking.

The right horse for the right saddle, the right kind of person for the right kind of person, couldn't be more accurate. This kind of woman might be admired only in places like this. Wang Xi thought cynically, not that he has a vicious character, but because her high and mighty attitude made him uncomfortable.

Putting down the pen in hand, the woman stared at Wang Xi for a long time. Her oily skin caused the powder on her face to clump together. You could tell the makeup was decent, with no streaks of powder but it was still unnerving.

"Do you have anyone to introduce you?" The woman asked the same question as the middle-aged man outside.

"No. Saw a job posting at the market and came over."

Wang Xi, honest and simple, placed a hand on his chest. The woman's speech filled the air with a strong garlic scent. Northerners love eating scallions and garlic, but even when eating these things with colleagues, the smell isn't so overpowering.

Having grown up in the South, he's not used to this kind of flavor. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do,' he's adapted quite a bit, their boss too, but is mindful of oral hygiene. The woman in front of him is less meticulous compared to men, and thinking of using "meticulous" to describe their boss, Wang Xi couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Assistant Qin frowned at Wang Xi, a strange awkwardness flickering in her eyes. Women are sensitive creatures, as Master said. Wang Xi quickly tried to placate her with a smile.

"No, nothing!"

"It's not easy finding work here without a guarantor." Assistant Qin didn't bother to argue with Wang Xi, gracefully waving her hand. "Everyone working here must have a guarantor. It's hard for someone like you from another province with no identity."

"Ah!" Disappointment washed over Wang Xi's face. He wanted this job so badly! "What am I going to do? I've just arrived and don't know anyone. Without a job, I won't be able to eat."

"Oh, that's so pitiful." Assistant Qin immediately reached for Wang Xi's hand, looking at him with sympathy, a strange gleam in her eyes.

Wang Xi was startled, thoroughly taken aback. Is this old woman hinting at something? His left hand still in hers, a wave of nausea surged from his stomach.

"What do you think? There are rules here, I can't just break them or can I, young man?"

Suppressing the rising sourness, Wang Xi nodded vigorously. "I, I mean, I know Assistant Qin, right?" He clasped Assistant Qin's hand, gripping it tightly.

"Hahaha, the young man sure is polite! What's your name?"

"Wang Xi!"

"Even your name sounds delightful. You get last month's wage at the end of every month, two thousand a month, with meals and lodging covered. There's a bonus at the end of the year, and if you work hard, there's a chance for promotion, and your salary will naturally increase."

"You hold back a month's salary! Damn, only two thousand a month and paid every two months, what a rip-off."

"Isn't it indirectly helping you save money? Once you're in, you can't leave. Your eating, drinking, and everything is covered here. Why do you need money?" Assistant Qin looked at Wang Xi with amusement. This is the typical reaction of newcomers, nothing she hasn't seen before.

"Can't go out?" Wang Xi asked incredulously, eyes wide. Is this like selling himself? What kind of factory has such rules, he couldn't help but wonder.

"The factory has its rules. There are many young people like you with lively minds, leaving after learning skills. The factory isn't a charity."

"Haha, Sister Qin really has the factory's interests at heart." At some point, a young man walked in behind Wang Xi, and Assistant Qin beamed at him.

"Shuang Shuang, this is the newcomer, help keep an eye on them."

"Newcomer?" The one called Shuang Shuang scrutinized Wang Xi with an annoying set of eyes.

"Yeah, Wang Xi, starting today, you'll be in Shuang Shuang's group. Do your best."

"Oh, okay, Sister Qin." Wang Xi smiled sheepishly at Shuang Shuang, not saying much.

"Alright, here's this month's attendance sheet, I'll leave it here." Shuang Shuang placed a paper filled with all kinds of notes in front of Assistant Qin. "Let's go."

"Thank you, Sister Qin, thank you, Sister Qin."

And with that, Wang Xi stayed on at the brick factory. Shuang Shuang wasn't an easy person to get along with, cold and indifferent, like someone prematurely mature.

"What's your relationship with Assistant Qin!" As soon as they got downstairs, Shuang Shuang was waiting at the stairwell blocking Wang Xi's path.

"We, we know each other."

"Cut!" Shuang Shuang saw Wang Xi holding up his hand as if he were about to hit him. "Coward." After speaking, he walked towards the opposite rest area.

Wang Xi entered the brick kiln factory completely unprepared and scanned this unfamiliar environment with his eyes, mentally noting the positions of the entrances and exits, yet none of the paths led behind the fenced-off area.

"Shuang Shuang, I just saw there's another yard in the back. What's that place?" Wang Xi followed Shuang Shuang and walked around the entire brick kiln. Aside from necessary explanations, Shuang Shuang remained quiet, leading the way while Wang Xi followed behind.

"Newcomer, here you just need to work, not talk. Got it?" Shuang Shuang suddenly stopped walking, impatiently reiterating the rules to Wang Xi behind him. "Talk less, work more, and you'll last longer."

How terrifying! Wang Xi's mind recoiled; talk less, work more, and you'll last longer. What kind of saying is that? Is talking not allowed here? Or is it...

"Here we are, go up." After circling around, they arrived in front of a three-story building. The exterior was made of walls built brick by brick, left bare without any decoration, giving off a simplistic beauty. The rare iron windows served as the only window material here; aluminum was virtually nonexistent. How backward is this place?

"Go up?" Not understanding Shuang Shuang's meaning, Wang Xi stood there dumbly.

"Go up!"

"Oh!" Wang Xi led the way up the stairs, wobbling as he waited for Shuang Shuang to follow.

"Did you bring bedding and such?" Looking at Wang Xi, Shuang Shuang suddenly felt his question was redundant, as Wang Xi didn't seem to have brought anything. "If not, ask someone to send it to you, or buy it from Assistant Qin. It's best to have it sent over, as buying here costs three times as much as outside. If you have extra money, consider it."

Though a bit harsh, he was quite straightforward, Wang Xi thought. "You're new here, so according to the rules, I get to sleep on a bed first. Put your things away and come out."

No choice, newcomers sleep on the top bunk. The room was barren except for a board; it was an eight-person room. Wang Xi scanned the empty living space, wondering how he'd evade these people at night.

"Are you done? Hurry up, it's already time to start working."

"Coming."

Shuang Shuang's group had tasks that didn't seem overly demanding. Tasks were assigned according to body type at the brick kiln, with occasional exceptions. In Shuang Shuang's words, if you want to know who offended whom, you just need to see which group they're in. The same goes for those who've gained benefits.

Wang Xi, being short and not very strong, was assigned to the loading and unloading team. After Shuang Shuang introduced other members, he found a place to sit down, while Wang Xi followed the others, moving bricks from the pile to the truck outside. Lacking skills meant doing physical labor.

Even with gloves, he could feel the rough edges of the bricks, which were heavier than those bought in the markets outside. He also noticed the business here was quite good, as each truck was loaded full and sent to different places.

Busy as he was, he didn't have extra time to think about anything else. Being new, he received no breaks, working in place of others, utterly exhausted.

Despite this, he repeatedly felt eyes watching his back. Yet every time he turned, the gaze was gone. This happened multiple times, making Wang Xi uneasy. Had he failed to hide something and been discovered?

Upon reflection, he didn't think he'd raised any suspicion. Was he being too sensitive? Ah, there was that stare again. Wang Xi faced away, frowning, but this time, he didn't look back nor stop working.

"Hey, newcomer, take a break; dinner is at six."

Wang Xi strolled outside, hands in pockets. Break time was only fifteen minutes. Unlike him, Shuang Shuang, as the team leader, didn't need to work. When Wang Xi met his gaze, he found the owner of those eyes.

"Newcomer, come here."

"What's up, leader?" Wang Xi bounced over fawningly.

"Why did you come here?" Shuang Shuang asked coldly.

"To make money, of course!"

"Wearing branded clothes, with an expensive phone in your pocket?"

"Uh..." Wang Xi inwardly cursed his stupidity, knowing his clothes were worth five figures, coming from a wealthy family. "It's a knock-off! Like I could afford the real thing, haha."

"Got any cigarettes?"

"Yeah, yeah." Wang Xi quickly pulled a pack of foreign cigarettes from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"Cigarettes are knock-offs too?" Shuang Shuang glanced at the fifteen-yuan pack, sarcastically addressing Wang Xi, then took it without further words and walked away. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommended tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)