"Damn it! Let's do it! Let's die facing the sky!"
Wang Zuo abruptly put down his phone, forcefully shoved the cigarette he was holding into the ashtray with his left hand, so hard that the already overflowing cigarette butts were pushed off the rim and scattered with the ash onto the seemingly smooth but actually wood-look veneer desk.
Pushing aside the leather chair that resembled a computer chair, Wang Zuo got up and opened the office window. A waft of air, carrying the fresh scent of autumn fruits and vegetables and the unique aroma of the countryside, rushed in, instantly improving his mood. Looking at the weeds growing in the lush green vegetable garden outside the window, his decision became even more resolute.
Wang Zuo hurried back to his desk, pulled out the keyboard, turned on the monitor, and began typing rapidly. Lines of text jumped quickly onto the screen, the black and white text carrying the colorful hopes and expectations in his heart.
After the "Suggestions and Applications on People from Remote and Impoverished Mountainous Areas Applying for Membership in the Minhong Association" was completed, Wang Zuo picked up his mobile phone from the table, leaving behind his almost ever-present Goldlion briefcase and even forgetting to pack the cigarettes and lighter on the table, and quickly left the office.
...
"What's going on with you all?!"
A sharp female voice rang out, particularly jarring in the otherwise quiet environment, causing Wang Zuo, who had just reached the door, to pause for a moment before continuing to walk inside.
"Why can't I become a member right away? Everyone else can get approved immediately, why do I have to go home and wait for the results? I still need to buy my medicine!"
It was the same arrogant female voice as before. "Call your manager! Give me an explanation, or I'm not leaving today. If you don't get it done right now, I'll shut you down tomorrow!"
"We're sorry, there are too many applications for Minhong membership. Some applicants may not be approved immediately and will need to wait in line. If you are selected, someone will contact you. Please make sure to use your frequently used phone number so that we can reach you in time. If you are not selected, we will also send you a text message or call you through an automated system."
The staff at Minhong were wearing sky-blue T-shirts and had sweet smiles on their faces. Their slender figures made them appear very gentle and graceful. They were not affected by the customer's bad attitude at all, and gave people a feeling of warmth and comfort, even though it was the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"No! You have to register it right now! I need to buy the medicine and take it home immediately!"
The middle-aged woman speaking caught Wang Zuo's eye. She was an acquaintance, the wife of the director of the Delan Town Police Station in Sandu County, surnamed Zhang. Wang Zuo didn't know her exact name, but he had a deep impression of this woman, whether at the card table or the dinner table. This woman, of average appearance, was definitely the one who stood out from the crowd.
Of course, this outstanding quality only applies when he is with people of the same or lower rank as the director of the Delan Town Police Station; at that time, the whole stage belongs to this Zhang XX.
"Sorry, the system cannot allow you to continue to the next step. Please go back and wait for notification." The staff member from Minhong was still very polite, but their smiling face did not stay on the woman for long before they quickly turned to the person behind her. "Next one, please come over."
"The system malfunctioned, so you told me to take the medicine home first. My family needs it urgently. Have your supervisor come out, or you can talk to the person selling the medicine over there and ask me to sell the medicine first."
The director's wife still refused to leave, hogging the spot and preventing the people in line behind her from getting close. She pointed at the staff member's face with a very arrogant expression.
Although there was a queue at the medicine shop, there was a checkpoint before entering the queue area, guarded by several men who looked like security guards. Only those who swiped their ID cards and passed through were allowed to enter; otherwise, they would be asked to leave by security guards wielding plastic batons without even a chance to explain. This was precisely why the director's wife stayed there to make things difficult for the staff responsible for member registration.
"Excuse me, please leave."
The smile on the Minhong employee's face vanished, replaced by a slight frown. He quickly pressed a button on the table. "Only Minhong members are eligible to purchase this special medication, and it must be taken on-site. No one is exempt. Ms. Zhang, please leave. I'm calling security."
The police chief's wife was displeased. She jumped up from her chair, put one hand on her hip, and pointed the other straight at the young woman behind the counter. Her face twisted in anger. "I'm warning you," she said, "my husband is the police chief of Delan Town Police Station. He's about to be transferred to the county seat, and he's best buddies with the leaders of the county's Industry and Commerce Bureau, Tax Bureau, and Health Bureau..."
Before she could finish speaking, a security guard in a dark uniform rushed over, grabbed the director's wife's arm, and pulled her outside, shouting, "Get out! Don't interfere with other people's business!"
"Oh my god! Someone's being hit! Minhong is hitting someone! I'm calling the police!" The police chief's wife reacted incredibly quickly despite being off-balance, her voice becoming even sharper and more piercing, like the screams of a sow about to be slaughtered, causing the people waiting in line to register to frown.
"Shut up!" the security guard shouted, silencing the station chief's wife who was throwing a tantrum like a bolt from the blue. "Go home and cause trouble! Don't make a scene here!"
At this moment, the director's wife had been pulled to an open area near the main entrance of the hall, very close to Wang Zuo, who was filling out an application form. The staff member next to Wang Zuo, who was instructing him on the precautions for filling out the form, frowned, and a flash of disgust crossed his face.
"You...you just wait! I'm not a Zhang if I don't tear this clinic down!"
The director's wife, though outwardly fierce, uttered a harsh remark. She had clearly analyzed the situation and realized she was at a disadvantage, both in terms of playing on foreign soil and in terms of physical strength. Yet, she refused to give up, because several family members had contracted the severe flu and needed medication.
The general-purpose "Nine People Pharmaceuticals" special medicine has risen to 345 yuan per dose in this small county. Although her husband can find a way to be included in the public medical expenses because of his special status, a large number of relatives in the family have to pay out of their own pockets. Even if she didn't need that little bit of money, she didn't want to pay out of her own pocket. Usually, people of much lower status than her can buy Minhong's medicine for only seven yuan. She refused to believe that this time she was determined to buy the medicine from Minhong.
As for her husband's constant advice against registering as a member at Minhong, she had long since forgotten it in the face of money. Although it was only a few thousand dollars in total, she mainly didn't believe in such nonsense, and was even more resentful that she, who usually enjoyed special treatment, was not even as good as a bicycle driver. No matter how she thought about it, she was furious.
"Please leave!"
The security guards paid no attention to the director's wife's thoughts or her threats. Minhong had been struggling for several years, and all the employees had developed considerable confidence and were remarkably calm. They had even confronted small groups of police officers before, let alone a troublemaking woman. As long as they were reasonable, well-founded, and restrained, they always had the great Minhong Pharmaceutical Company standing behind them, so the employees were not worried at all.
Wang Zuo sighed inwardly, muttered "foolish woman," and gripped his pen to continue filling out his work resume, because the staff next to him had said that if there were any discrepancies in his resume, he would be expelled from the Minhong membership.
"Secretary Wang, you're here too?"
The director's wife's voice suddenly rose again, as if she was worried that the people around her wouldn't hear her, making Wang Zuo suspect that she was practically shouting at him. Strangely, the shout was very shrill and high-pitched, "Let me tell you, there's something wrong with this clinic! I'm going to find Old Li right now and tell him to find someone to properly manage this place. It's practically a tyrannical clinic!"
Hello! You are...
Wang Zuo pretended not to recognize the director's wife, his face full of doubt as if he were looking at a passerby, while others felt that he was looking at a lunatic.
"Oh dear! Secretary Wang, you really have a bad memory. I'm the wife of Li Changtian, the director of Delan Town Police Station. We even had dinner and played cards together last time. Have you forgotten me already?"
The director's wife seemed to feel embarrassed that such a situation had occurred in public, and her voice immediately dropped two octaves, "I have something to do, so I'll take my leave first. Secretary Wang, you go ahead with your work, I won't bother you any longer."
Watching the director's wife sway and walk briskly, Wang Zuo muttered to himself, "She has such a good memory! Even though I'm so low-key, she still remembers my name, appearance, and position."
...
The staff member in charge of registration was the same one who worked with the receptionist's wife. Seeing Wang Zuo's densely filled application form, she gave him a strange look and said, "Please tap your ID card here."
With a beep, the second-generation ID card reader lit up with a green light, making Wang Zuo's heart tighten immediately.
Unlike the ignorant director's wife, he knew that the reason his identity failed to pass the membership registration was because the system had reserved numerous reports against him. Now, Minhong's member database is the largest and most comprehensive collection of personal behavior information in the country. Some netizens even joked that if someone commits adultery on their balcony today, it will appear in Minhong's database tomorrow as a stain on their life.
Although it's unclear how Minhong verifies fake ID cards that also have embedded sensors and personal photos, Wang Zuo knows that if he's told to go home and wait after swiping his ID card, it means he's been reported to Minhong, and at least three times. This pattern was discovered by some busybodies online, who reportedly lost several Minhong memberships as a result. Now, he wonders if those who lost their memberships because of their busybodies regret not taking it seriously enough, and will never again be able to enjoy the special medicine services provided by Minhong.
"you……"
The staff member's soft, pleasant voice made Wang Zuo's heart tighten even more. "Your job is very special. You need to be publicly announced before you can register as a member. The announcement period will be at least three days before you can enjoy the benefits of a member. The announcement period will take at least a week to end. After that, you will enjoy the same rights as all members and be able to change your permissions according to regulations. Do you have any objections?"
Thankfully… Wang Zuo's heart finally settled down, and it took him a while to come to his senses before he replied, "Thank you! No problem, please register me."
"Okay, please wait a moment." The staff member replied with a sweet smile, then buried her head and quickly typed in Wang Zuo's information on the keyboard. In less than two minutes, she finished typing all the information. "That's it. Please check the results online in three days. If you don't know how to use the internet, you can also check the results at the row of self-service kiosks at the entrance of the lobby. After becoming a member, you can exercise the relevant rights."
Have a pleasant day!