The Sweetness of the Seventies-Chapter 1152 - 1121: Declaring "Sovereignty

Soon the weekend came, and Zhou Yuanchao as well as everyone at the research institute were brimming with joy, all smiles.

Because tonight, the house allocation ceremony was taking place in the auditorium.

This time, a total of two hundred and sixty-seven people were allocated houses, accounting for sixty-three percent of the total number of people, solving the housing issue for many families within the research institute.

The remaining thirty-seven percent didn’t need a house, like Huo Yingjie and Zhou Yuanchao; they had good houses outside and didn’t need an additional one, nor did they want to compete with their colleagues—it was meaningless.

Another group, because their current housing conditions were quite good, opted for cash instead.

This was their own decision, and both Huo Yingjie and Zhou Yuanchao, the first and second in command, agreed.

Now the housing problem within the research institute had been satisfactorily resolved.

"Boss, if sister-in-law has time, she could also come," Zhou Yuanchao said. "There’s entertainment tonight, including performances by our own employees, and I’ve asked Wang Ying to invite Qi Xiaoyan over to sing a few songs."

After hearing this, Huo Yingjie couldn’t help but smile and said, "You sure know how to handle things!"

"Since we’re doing it big, we should do it thoroughly," Zhou Yuanchao replied. "Anyway, I’ve arranged everything. Those older experts, you know, they have poor living conditions."

"Based on achievements and experience, most of the experts can be allocated a small villa," Huo Yingjie mentioned. "Anyway, there’s still vacant land over there. In the future, anyone with achievements will also be awarded houses."

"Yes, indeed, we’re now starting with greening and sports facilities there. The small path on the mountain has also been improved and planted with peach blossoms," Zhou Yuanchao said. "Today, our especially talkative Director Zheng, actually slipped me a pack of cigarettes."

"Haha, that shows how happy he is," Huo Yingjie laughed. "It’s not the shortage that matters, but the fairness of distribution. We have to handle the allocation of houses cautiously in the future, to prevent those in charge from abusing their power."

"Mhm, noted," Zhou Yuanchao said. "The decision to allocate houses is not up to one person, it’s decided by a housing allocation committee of eleven members, and I’m among them. You’re so busy, so I didn’t bother you with this."

"Right, we should listen to the opinions of our comrades," Huo Yingjie nodded. "Alright, if Tiantian is free, I’ll bring her along."

At noon, Huo Yingjie gave He Tiantian a call.

With such an opportunity, He Tiantian certainly wouldn’t pass it up—she would definitely go.

He Tiantian intended to assert her "sovereignty", making those slutty people and butterflies know their place.

Although at a serious place like the research institute such situations were rare, that didn’t mean they were nonexistent.

Hearing that Qi Xiaoyan and Wang Ying would also be there, He Tiantian had them both come over, and the three women dressed up and went together.

As she was performing, Qi Xiaoyan’s makeup was particularly striking.

Niu Dajun had nothing to do, so he followed along as well.

Gaining entry to the research institute was no easy task. Even though Huo Yingjie and Zhou Yuanchao went to greet them personally, He Tiantian, Qi Xiaoyan, and the others still had to undergo strict checks.

After all, the institute was researching internationally leading-edge technologies.

The security staff at the research institute often caught suspicious individuals, so they were extremely cautious.

After thorough scrutiny, they let them inside.

Upon arriving at the auditorium, Huo Yingjie took He Tiantian and others to their designated seats.

Today’s host was Zhou Yuanchao and a forty-year-old sister from the logistics department.

Zhou Yuanchao went on stage and did some introductory remarks, which excited everyone, leading to resounding applause.

No matter what the host said today, it delighted the audience, earning them bursts of applause.

Even those usually reserved and older experts were no exception.

At first, when they were transferred here, they thought they were being relegated to a place nobody cared about, but it was only after they started working that they realized how fortunate they were.

Their income not only increased, but they also received many benefits, significantly improving their family’s standard of living.

That wasn’t all; the key was the excellent working environment here. Regardless of seniority or age, when a project came up, it wasn’t the boss who had the final say, but rather, everyone would discuss together and brainstorm to find many simple and effective ways, greatly enhancing research efficiency.

"Please welcome our Chief Engineer Huo to speak," said Zhou Yuanchao after offering some auspicious words, allowing Huo Yingjie to come up and speak.

Huo Yingjie was startled; Zhou Yuanchao hadn’t mentioned this before, and he hadn’t prepared anything at all.

He Tiantian looked up and, seeing Zhou Yuanchao’s mischievous smile, realized that Zhou Yuanchao was teasing Huo Yingjie.

Huo Yingjie clearly saw it too and could only get up with a wry smile, muttering softly, "This jerk just wants to see me embarrass myself."

He Tiantian chuckled and said, "Go on, just wing it."

Huo Yingjie stood up, buttoned his suit, bowed slightly, and walked up to the stage with a sprightly stride down the aisle.

Once on stage, Huo Yingjie’s demeanor shifted from serious to smiling.

"Since I haven’t prepared, I’ll just say a few words," Huo Yingjie began, speaking into the microphone, "Science is the primary productive force. This statement isn’t just talk; it’s verified by practice. Right now, we are in the midst of Huaxia Country’s reform tide. We may not have shrewd business minds or keen political awareness, but we have the spirit to dedicate ourselves to the scientific endeavors of Country H. However, while the nation benefits from everyone’s hard work, it will also try to improve our lives as much as possible. I can’t control other places, but I can assure you that here at the institute, everyone’s treatment will progressively improve. I hope you will all join me in working hard to create even more miracles."

Upon finishing, Huo Yingjie was met with intense applause from the audience.

These staff members, with their relatives and friends, had already made comparisons, and the welfare at their research institute was indeed excellent.

The envy of their former colleagues and friends was palpable.

All of this, they knew, was thanks to the young man Huo Yingjie’s efforts. At the same time, because Huo Yingjie and Zhou Yuanchao were not greedy or grabbing, and the people below were also honest, everyone got a bit more on their end.

Such leaders were hard to find even with a lantern; therefore, everyone worked hard, hoping to stay here for a long time.

After Huo Yingjie finished speaking and returned the microphone to Zhou Yuanchao, he glared at him from a corner out of sight.

However, Zhou Yuanchao didn’t care at all; after all, he just wanted to tease the Boss for a bit.

Then Zhou Yuanchao began reading out the list of experts who got villas. Although everything had been made public, whenever Zhou Yuanchao called out a name, the audience would burst into applause, followed by having the named individuals come up on stage to receive the keys.

No sooner had Huo Yingjie sat down than Zhou Yuanchao said, "Now, may I ask our Chief Engineer Huo to present the keys to everyone!"

Huo Yingjie was taken aback and felt like giving Zhou Yuanchao a good beating, thinking to himself that it was enough to just hand over the keys; why bother with these pompous antics.

He had never liked such ostentatious displays.