Chapter 21 The Momentum of the Superior

The person who had just arrived was none other than the General Manager of Xinhua Bookstore, Elder Lin—Lin Weiguo.

“Elder Lin?”

Xinhua Bookstore was affiliated with a central government agency, and nowadays nearly every department sourced its materials through them. As the top administrator of Xinhua Bookstore, Elder Lin was naturally well-acquainted with many senior officials.

“Elder Lin, long time no see.”
The lead cadre conducting the background check for Song’s father came over to shake his hand—they clearly knew each other.

The person in charge of the Educated Youth Office also came over and greeted the general manager politely before asking,
“General Manager Lin, what did you mean by what you just said? You know Comrade Song Youyou?”

“Of course I do,” Lin Weiguo said, still trying to catch his breath. He looked at Song Youyou with eyes full of kindness.

“Comrade Song Youyou is our Xinhua Bookstore’s treasured foreign language translator. In just a few days, she translated over 100,000 words of foreign material!”

As Lin Weiguo continued, his pride grew, and he couldn’t help the satisfied smile creeping up his face. To those who didn’t know better, it might’ve seemed like he was the one who did the translation himself.

“Foreign language translator?”

Many people present were hearing of such a position for the first time, but that didn’t stop their amazement and admiration. After all, it was foreign languages! That stuff sounded like bird chatter to them—completely incomprehensible—yet this young girl could actually translate it into written Chinese? And she translated 100,000 words in just a few days? Who wouldn’t be impressed?

Lao Wu, standing nearby, had his mouth hanging open in an “O” shape. He had originally been indignant on her behalf, thinking it unfair that Song the Little Fairy’s job had been taken from her—but now, it turned out she had just replaced it with a much more impressive job.

Then again, back when they were in school, he had been slacking off every day while she consistently ranked top of the class. Thinking of that, he suddenly felt like it was only natural.

“You’re a foreign language translator? If you already had a job, why didn’t you tell the family?”
Even Song’s father was shocked.

The admiring glances from everyone around were already making Song Baozhu furious, and now with her father saying that, she was about ready to explode. She didn’t care about leaders anymore and shot back directly:

“General Manager, ‘foreign language translator’ is just a title, isn’t it? That’s not even an official post—not even considered a temporary worker!”

Song Baozhu sounded very confident—she had researched this thoroughly before writing her report.

Lin Weiguo was so angry his mouth nearly twisted.

“So what if she’s not an official staff member? A junior translator earns 3 yuan per 1,000 words. Comrade Youyou translated 100,000 words in a few days—her pay is over 300 yuan! That’s more than what many regular workers earn in an entire year!”

How much?!

Everyone present doubted their ears.

Over 300 yuan???

In an instant, their admiration turned into fiery envy.

They didn’t care whether this “foreign language translator” title was official or not—what mattered was that it was clearly a money-making position. If you were willing to work hard, becoming one of those mythical “ten-thousand-yuan households” didn’t seem impossible!

After the initial shock, Lao Wu felt as if jealousy was bubbling up from every part of his body. He had only been jealous of Gu Xiao for winning the heart of a stunning beauty, but now it turned out Gu Xiao had landed… a walking goldmine!

Sure, everyone was praising the working class and advocating for the reeducation of the poor peasants, but anyone with a brain knew the truth—whether you were a farmer or a worker, it was all about making money.

“…General Manager Lin, do you think I could become a foreign language translator too?”
Someone puffed out their chest and tried to self-recommend.

Lin Weiguo shot him a disdainful look.
“You think just anyone can be like Comrade Xiao Song?”

“Her accuracy is extremely high, her efficiency is excellent, and her choice of words is precise and appropriate—can you do that?”

If just anyone could, he wouldn’t have to worry himself to death about all the translation tasks assigned from higher-ups!

“Besides, most translators have to rely heavily on dictionaries, painstakingly choosing their words. If they manage 1,000–2,000 words a day, that’s already impressive! It’s not like everyone has the kind of foreign language foundation that Comrade Xiao Song does—being able to translate 10,000–20,000 words in a single day!”

This was exactly why, when Wen Xiaorou came running to him in a panic saying Song Youyou had been reported for being unemployed and was about to be sent to the countryside, he had rushed over immediately.

Even if he were sent to the countryside, they couldn’t afford to send a talented translator like her!
Otherwise—who was going to finish that mountain of translation tasks?

“General Manager, what you’re doing is abusing your position for personal gain! You’re shielding someone from being sent down for rural labor!”

Song Baozhu still remembered a few political slogans and wasn’t afraid to throw them out.

“Hah, what a heavy socialist hat you’re trying to put on me!” Lin Weiguo choked for a second but couldn’t think of a rebuttal immediately, so he cursed the damned times inwardly.

“Tell me—can any of you really stomach seeing such a talented person being forced to do farm work in the countryside? Experienced farmers can do farm work. But Comrade Xiao Song’s abilities are far better suited to contributing to the country’s foreign-language translation efforts!”

His words were sincere and heartfelt.

Song Baozhu curled her lip. “You’re just trying to cover for her.”

“…”

Lin Weiguo took a deep breath and spoke coldly,
“Hmph. The reason I came here today was precisely to tell all of you: I’m applying to have our translators recognized as official staff members of Xinhua Bookstore. So, Comrade Song Youyou is not unemployed. This report is inaccurate, and I forbid you from sending her to the countryside.”

He pronounced each word firmly. Though already advanced in age, he radiated righteous authority.

As Song Youyou looked at the general manager debating on her behalf against everyone, she suddenly felt a warm wave rise in her heart.

She had only entered the translation field because she was short on money, never expecting to receive such genuine support from Elder Lin.

“How can this be?!”
When she heard that the general manager was going to help Song Youyou apply for official staff status, Song Baozhu stomped her foot in frustration.

Song Father quickly pulled her back, signaling her not to speak recklessly, then turned to back her up:
“General Manager Lin, I’m afraid that’s inappropriate. You haven’t even submitted the application yet, so it can’t be considered official. And even if you do apply, there’s no guarantee it will be approved. That means my daughter’s report is not false.”

Elder Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Song Father.
“Do you even know what you’re saying? Even if Comrade Xiao Song was adopted, she was still your daughter once. Do you really have to be this ruthless and destroy her future?”

Many of those present were also shocked. They hadn’t expected a father to be so cold-hearted.
The leading cadre who had come to conduct the background check also watched thoughtfully as the situation unfolded.

Under the weight of everyone’s gaze, Song Father could only grit his teeth and force an explanation. After all, with the cadre present, this report needed to be established as credible today.

“Although Song Youyou was once my adopted daughter, the nation comes before family. As a public servant of the people, of course I must prioritize the collective interest.”

These words, cloaked in lofty ideals, might have sounded righteous on the surface—but everyone could hear the heartless undertone.

The expressions around the room changed.
They looked toward Song Youyou, who stood tall and alone amidst the crowd, and couldn’t help but feel a wave of sympathy for her frail figure.
It was true—a child without parents is like a weed.

Under everyone’s gaze, Song Youyou froze slightly.

She had originally thought her adoptive parents simply loved their biological daughter more, which was why they were partial to Song Baozhu. She never expected they would go so far as to destroy her just for Baozhu’s selfish desires.

But after a brief moment of thought, she felt a sense of calm. That final thread of emotional attachment in her heart snapped cleanly.

From now on, they were strangers—nothing owed, nothing shared.

And as for Song Baozhu’s provocations—she would repay them tenfold.

Song Youyou closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, her gaze was ice-cold and detached.

“Director Song, are you determined to support Comrade Song Baozhu’s report and send me to the countryside?”

Song Father faltered for a moment under the unfamiliar, emotionless look in her eyes—something within him stirred uneasily, as if he had just lost something precious.

But no, what could be so important? Nothing mattered more than his promotion.

As long as he got through today, his promotion would be secured.

Shaking off those unnecessary thoughts, Song Father replied,
“Isn’t it the truth?”

“What truth? The truth is you’re destroying her!” Lin Weiguo shouted, furious.

Song Father snapped back coldly,
“General Manager Lin, even if you’re the head of Xinhua Bookstore, you’re still just a deputy division-level official. Since when did you get the right to point your finger at me and scold?”

“Oh? If a deputy division-level official can’t point at you and scold—then how about me?”

A deep, commanding voice rang out from the doorway.

Just one sentence—but it radiated the unmistakable authority of someone in power.