"Chuanzi, you're finally here," Zhou Kai panted, "Hurry up, everyone has arrived; we're just waiting for you."

At this moment, Uncle Liu, dressed in a brand new military uniform and wearing a hat, walked over and said, "Zhou Kai, you little devil, over a thousand people have come to the factory, quite impressive, you. You've made this event so big. Hurry up and tell me, when do we make our appearance?"

"Uncle, no need to rush," Zhou Kai wiped the sweat from his face and said, "There are more than ten programs today, you should go backstage to rest first."

"Alright," Uncle Liu nodded and glanced at Lin Chuan as he was leaving, saying, "Lin Chuan, that's some nice clothing you've got there."

Uncle Liu slipped backstage. The backstage area was inside the factory, where a large empty space had been cleared, with some chairs arranged. Those who were scheduled to perform were resting there, putting on makeup. Dozens of men and women were present, some even brought their makeup artist to the scene.

"Oh, Director Liang, you're here too?" Mr. Liu exclaimed upon entering the backstage, "Ever since you moved away, we haven't seen you around the factory at all."

"Nonsense," Director Liang, smiling, stood up and handed Mr. Liu a cigarette, saying, "I've been so busy I could die. If it weren't for those kids asking me to perform, how could I have had the time to come? But indeed, I do miss the old times."

"Isn't that the truth, our factory used to be the best in performance," Mr. Liu said, raising a thumb as he spoke.

"Yeah, it's a shame things didn't stay that way," Director Liang sighed.

A group of old-timers gathered together, including the likes of Mr. Liu, Old Liang, Mr. Li, and others. They all wore military uniforms, each with a military cap bearing the words "August 1st."

"Speaking of which, are you guys performing today?" Director Liang curiously asked.

"Indeed!" Mr. Liu grinned, "Aren't we the militia unit? Heh... We can't let them forget our existence."

"Damn, didn't your militia used to train on horseback?" Director Liang slapped his thigh and said, "At your age, you can still ride horses? Moreover, those horses are long gone; you wouldn't just be walking through the motions, would you?"

"Heh... don't worry, we won't be on horses," Mr. Liu grinned, "We have something even better."

Director Liang looked at them, skeptical.

The cultural troupe members came into the backstage, and the area became lively once more as more familiar faces arrived. Mr. Liu and the others were also extremely excited. Judging by their fervor, it seemed like it had been over a decade, or even longer, since they had last seen each other.

"Ah, if not for these kids, we probably would not have seen each other again in our lifetimes," said the old troupe leader with a laugh.

"Yeah," Director Liang nodded, "If it weren't for these kids, we wouldn't have been able to come together. It's rare indeed."

"Now it's the young people's world," Uncle Liu said with a chuckle.

Time passed, and the opening was upon them quickly.

Nearly two thousand people had gathered on the drill ground, almost everyone from the Changlin Community had arrived, including local residents and people from nearby neighborhoods who came to see the excitement. Of course, some came because they heard there would be prizes given out, so they also joined in the fun.

Zhou Kai and others stood in the front row of the spectator stands. Surprisingly, the entire venue was being secured by only a little over twenty people. These twenty-plus individuals were childhood friends who grew up playing with Zhou Kai. As time approached for the event to start, Zhou Kai and Da Pao quickly walked towards the exit of Changlin Community.

At the factory gate, a Beijing jeep was covered with a big red cloth. Lin Chuan was conversing with the old factory manager at the entrance.

"Lin Chuan, I thank you for fulfilling a wish I've had for many years," the old factory manager said bitterly with a smile, "And thank you for bringing us old bones together once more."

"Factory manager, you're too polite," Lin Chuan smiled, "This wish is not just yours, it's mine as well."

"Haha..."

"Chuanzi, it's starting," said Zhou Kai, hurrying over.

"Okay, get everybody ready," Lin Chuan nodded.

Zhou Kai quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie and shouted into it, and soon the venue quieted down. Director Liang himself took the stage. He used to host the workers' meetings back in the day, so for the sake of faithfully recreating those meetings and recapturing the feeling of our childhood, everything was arranged as much as possible like in those days.

Director Liang was once in charge of political work at Changlin Factory, so as soon as he took the stage, he spoke in the same tone as back then, "Comrades, it's been over a decade, and I, Old Liang, have returned."

The audience erupted into warm applause, everyone spontaneously standing up.

"Wow, look, it's Director Liang."

"It's really him, Old Liang is here too."

Those who recognized Director Liang seemed to feel the atmosphere and spirit of those days; they clapped excitedly, on the verge of tears. Although that era was not as affluent or vibrant as the present, the mountains were green, the water clear, and people were kind-hearted. Everyone dedicated themselves to the proletarian revolution, fervently wishing to outdo England and surpass America...

"The communist revolution is a hard, long-term endeavor that spares no sacrifice, a cause worth struggling for all one's life..." Director Liang's speech was indeed powerful, the spontaneous oration moved many in the audience to tears, as they seemed to return to that bygone era, an era worth reminiscing and reflecting on.

Soon, music began playing.

At this point, a girl in a coat was seen rushing towards the factory area.

"Song Xiaojia?" Lin Chuan looked at her in surprise and said, "What brings you here?"

"Jerk, didn't we agree you'd wait for me?" Song Xiaojia glared at Lin Chuan and snapped, "Did you forget about that?"

"I..." Lin Chuan gave a sheepish grin.

This was the first time Lin Chuan admitted to himself that Song Xiaojia wasn't wearing her police uniform. Even dressed in casual clothes, she was still stunning. She was wearing a white turtleneck sweater that accentuated her chest, layered with a black woolen coat. On her legs, she had on a pair of black casual pants that were very form-fitting, and her well-proportioned, straight legs were striking. She wore a pair of tall boots.

Song Xiaojia's features were exceptionally attractive among women, with willow leaf eyebrows, melon seed face, eyes bright and full of spirit, a perky nose, full forehead, sharp chin, and very sexy red lips. Moreover, with a touch of light makeup today, she stood out even more, drawing the gazes of many men.

"Have you started yet?" Song Xiaojia inquired.

"Yeah, about to head in," replied Lin Chuan with a nod.

"Alright, I'll go in ahead," Song Xiaojia smiled and said, "Good luck!"

After she spoke, Song Xiaojia jogged into the parade ground. One of Zhou Kai's underlings recognized Song Xiaojia and quickly made room for her.

Following this little episode, the staff meeting officially began. Zhou Kai gritted his teeth, lit the engine, and the Beijing Jeep slowly proceeded along the bumpy cement road towards the factory.

All the over one thousand people on site stood up, all of them uniformly looking towards the road on the right, and at a glance, there was nothing.

"My god..." Suddenly, a man shouted out, "Look... the director's car."

"It's that jeep..."

"And the factory director has arrived too!"

Clearly, everyone's memories were once again stirred; that jeep, and atop it, an elderly man stood up, slowly waving to the dense crowd. Holding the microphone, he said, "Greetings, comrades."

"Greetings, Factory Director!" the crowd shouted back, the scream even hysterical for those who had lived through that era, as if they had suddenly traveled back in time.

"Comrades, you have worked hard."

"Serve the people!"

...

Time is like gold, passing and never to return; their era has faded away. Like a raging river, the change of times furiously merges into the sea. Along the way, they were passionate, youthful, like the morning sun, full of hope and longing for life and the future; however, their ultimate fate was to flow into the sea, to become part of the vast ocean, to ultimately settle into tranquility and assimilate into peace.

These once glorious individuals are now growing older by the day. Their era, like a river flowing into the sea, has fully merged with the mighty ocean. Yet another era is quietly rising.

Lin Chuan stood next to the factory director, beaming and waving to the audience.

"Isn't that the Lin family's kid? How come he's also on the car?" someone curiously asked.

"You have no idea, that kid from the Lin family has really made something of himself now," a woman quickly explained: "I heard he now manages transport for several kids from the factory, even started a transport company, taking over the management of the transport market on Huai Mountain South Road. Those kids are making a killer income now, you know?"

"Really? How much can they make a month?" the person eagerly asked.

"I heard that a couple of months ago, Zhou Kai and Da Pao and a few kids each received forty thousand," the woman said with a smile. "They'll probably earn even more in the future, right?"

Hiss...

The listener sucked in a breath of cold air. She was from Changlin Community, where she had moved out after spending a lifetime of savings to buy a house. Her child had graduated and found a job in Jiangbei City, earning over five thousand a month, which is considered a high income. She always bragged about it to everyone, and the whole Changlin Community knew. Now, hearing that even people with high school and vocational school diplomas like Zhou Kai and Da Pao were making tens of thousands a month, how could she feel at ease?

Aunt Zhou from the community committee responded dismissively: "They're all doing manual labor; it's nothing compared to your child's comfortable office job."

"Ah... right, of course!" the person finally found some solace.

The woman laughed and said: "What's wrong with manual labor? Our great leader, Comrade Xiaoping, said it doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat. Nowadays, whether you graduate from high school or university, as long as you're making money, that means you're capable."

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