Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space novel Chapter 995

Chapter 995: Chapter 868: Before the Arrangement

A siheyuan courtyard in Beijing looked no different from usual. Every office and courtyard was still in perfect order, everyone quietly busy with their own official duties.

In the last office, Shi Dashen finished reading the application in his hand and once again swept a cool glance at the junior in front of him who had completely won his respect.

Zhou Jiao’s expression was steady and even relaxed, not the least bit restrained. But at this very moment, she was already grumbling to herself: What are you looking at? She was definitely going to get those years of military service—this had to do with a bigger game.

"Come on, tell your uncle, are you being bullied in the unit?"

Zhou Jiao shook her head. "No, everyone is focused on work, no one’s idle enough to pick a fight."

"There has to be some reason, right?"

Zhou Jiao blinked and smiled lightly. "Uncle Shi, I like the new military uniform."

As if Shi Dashen would believe that! He glanced at Zhou Jiao and teased, "Got sick of working at the Planning Commission and want to switch again? This time Old Jin and the others won’t let you go."

Zhou Jiao stared at him in a daze with her big eyes full of grievance. A lot of things hadn’t even started yet—she’d have to be out of her mind to change units now.

—What she wanted was the resume, a real, solid work history, a perfectly smooth employment track in the future. She’d barely worked here any time at all, what job was there to change!

Seeing this, Shi Dashen couldn’t help but burst out laughing. The cold, stern authority he’d carried for years suddenly dissipated completely.

"Uncle Shi, don’t you think the new uniform looks especially imposing on you, full of honor? And I don’t like that ’cadre’ status in my personal file. Look, I’m a bona fide soldier with a little booklet."

Zhou Jiao deliberately took out the little book and waved it at him.

"You could have just gone to your dad for this, couldn’t you?"

Zhou Jiao immediately stood up, went to the door and craned her neck to look outside, then ran back to the desk and gave Shi Dashen a conspiratorial smile.

Shi Dashen watched, amused, at this rare display of girlishness from her.

"Uncle Shi, you have to keep this secret for me. You’re the top leader; you have to withstand the pressure and absolutely must not leak any hints. My dad will laugh at me for fussing over nothing."

Knowing how to be just right, Zhou Jiao wasn’t simply putting on the act of a daughter or a junior from an old family friendship; what she wanted was to bring the two families even closer.

"Two bridges are easy to cross, a single-log bridge is hard." Especially since the other party’s character matched that of her and her father; with an ally, only by uniting could they create a win–win situation.

Besides, every time she made a layout, the first thing she considered was whether the final result would negatively impact her dad and Zhang Guoqing. Even just to avoid suspicion, she had to go to Shi Dashen.

"Alright, alright... isn’t it just an application?" Shi Dashen didn’t make things hard for her. Just in time to take this opportunity to have the higher-ups adjust this kid’s salary—she couldn’t keep doing two people’s work for one person’s pay.

Aside from a bit of bonus money and verbal commendations each time, Shi Dashen really did feel they’d shortchanged Zhou Jiao. Not for anything else, but every task he’d given her had been completed over and above expectations.

He couldn’t let someone who had contributed meritoriously grow cold-hearted.

Jokes aside, this time Shi Dashen was quite solemn as he used his fountain pen to write one stroke at a time on the application: Read. Approved.

Then he took out letterhead from the drawer, not avoiding anything, and wrote directly, right in front of Zhou Jiao, a report detailing the contributions she’d made over the past five years.

As Zhou Jiao fixed her eyes on the words "re-examine administrative grade" on it, a complicated look flashed in her gaze toward Shi Dashen bent over his desk.

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