Chapter 541 - Political Security Cadets
Factories didn't hire every day, so Lu Cheng had to bide her time. Being somewhat older, she was ineligible for the various training programs at the Military-Political Academy. She didn't find this particularly regrettable, however. A neighbor's daughter had passed the Type-C Diploma exam and eagerly enrolled in the nursing class—enticed by the prospect of treating the sick—only to flee home in terror after her first encounter with a human anatomical specimen. Upon returning, she recounted such horrific stories that Lu Cheng had come to view "joining a unit" as a terrifying prospect.
Today, her father brought news: "Some Security Bureau is hiring. Go have a look tomorrow!"
"Security Bureau?" Although Lu Cheng was no longer unfamiliar with the Newspeak ubiquitous in Lingao, the endless stream of new terms still baffled her.
"I don't know either." Lu Bai pulled a towel embroidered with the red characters "Labor is Glorious" from around his neck, rinsed it in the washbasin Lu Cheng brought, and wiped his face. "Probably a place like the village militia or the local defense bureau!"
"Would a place like that want women?" Lu Cheng was doubtful.
"The Chiefs have deep thoughts; how can Dad understand? Anyway, it's just serving the Chiefs," Lu Bai said.
Lu Shouye added, "It's true; the notice is posted at the Farm Headquarters. Men and women, no limit. Age under 23, must have a Type-C Diploma—isn't that perfect for Younger Sister? Serving the Chiefs has to be easier than working in a factory; look how hard Mother works on three shifts!"
Lu Cheng was tempted. If she could secure a job, it would help the family immensely. The next day, she went to the Commune Farm Headquarters to inspect the notice.
Sure enough, a large notice was plastered on the bulletin board. A crowd had gathered, discussing it animatedly while a clerk from the Commune read it aloud. Lu Cheng had recognized a few characters back home, so after arriving in Lingao, she passed the Type-C Diploma without much struggle. Reading a notice was no problem.
The conditions listed were exactly as her brother had described: men and women, unlimited vacancies; unmarried; 16 to 23 years old; Type-C Diploma. And the pay? She glanced at the figures, and her cheeks felt hot: a 200 yuan settlement allowance upfront, 30 yuan monthly salary during probation, and 55 yuan in circulation coupons after formal hiring—that was a fortune! Her father, an accountant at the farm, only earned 60 yuan a month.
But reading further, the condition requiring work away from home dampened her enthusiasm. Lu Cheng worried immediately—a single woman going out to work alone was something she wouldn't have dared dream of when she was a sheltered girl in her boudoir. But months of wandering as a refugee had emboldened her. Still, working alone?
Finally, the desire to lighten the family burden prevailed. After discussing it with her family that night, she went to the village office the next day, obtained her household registration certificate, and went to Headquarters to apply. Several men in tight blue short jackets and sam browne belts checked her certificate and diploma, asked many questions, and made her read a Newspeak article and write a few characters on the spot. Then, inside a small room, she was ordered to strip naked before two nurses for a physical examination.
Height and weight were measured. Then the nurse ordered her to trot in place, jump, and perform leg kicks. Lu Cheng felt humiliated doing all this without a shred of clothing. As she hesitated, the older nurse's rattan cane lashed down.
"What are you shy about?! Jump!" Her buttocks, thighs, and back stung with the impact.
Wanting to cry but daring not to, Lu Cheng quickly completed the required movements. Finally, she was asked to look at a chart on the wall; she could barely make out the direction of the symbols on the smallest line.
"Vision: Excellent." The nurse noted something on the white paper clipped to her board.
Finally, the nurse's gaze fell on her feet—Lu Cheng had "liberated feet." She had bound them in the past, but during the months of wandering, small feet made walking difficult, and she had no time or energy to wash and bind them daily, so she had naturally let them out. After arriving at the refugee camp, foot binding was strictly forbidden. The Australian Chiefs were draconian about this: not only were girls forbidden to bind feet, but women with bound feet were compelled to unbind them. Those who refused faced coercion. In the quarantine camp, Lu Cheng had seen several women who would "rather die than unbind"; the Chiefs didn't kill them but sent their whole families to the labor reform detachments—every immigrant knew the horror of that fate.
"Pity about the liberated feet." Following this remark, a young man walked in from behind the curtain. Naked, Lu Cheng immediately squatted down in shame.
"Stand up!" the nurse shouted. "This is the Chief!"
Afraid of being beaten, Lu Cheng stood up slowly—the Australian Chief was her master, and it was heaven's law for a slave to obey—but shame compelled her to cover her privates and breasts with her hands as best she could.
The young man looked her up and down with clinical interest. The nurse barked again, "Put your hands down!"
Lu Cheng dared not disobey but covered her face in shame, her body trembling.
"Figure isn't bad!" the Chief commented, then sighed with regret. "The feet are a defect."
"Yes, but she unbound early. It seems the foot shape recovered well."
"Mm." The Chief seemed dissatisfied. "Can she walk and run properly?"
"According to Chief Head Nurse Zhang, it shouldn't affect much," the nurse said respectfully.
"Forget it, pass her," the Chief decided after a moment. "Too few girls applied."
So when she came out dressed, a blue stamp was already inked on her medical form. Five days later, she received the admission notice one evening.
"Congratulations, you're eating public rice now." The village resident police officer delivered the notice. The officer wore a tight black buttoned jacket that Lu Cheng found comical, a flat cloth hat like a plate, puttees, and a baton at his waist.
The resident police officer played a role similar to the fast-squad runners of the old county yamen, but he lived in the village with his family. He was amiable and didn't extort people like the classic runners.
As the only person in the village receiving "wages" and eating "public rice," the resident police officer commanded the awe of all villagers—even the village head and militia captain, who held the most power, only received allowances from the Commune. Only the Commune stewards—or "cadres" in Newspeak—received actual wages.
Hearing Lu Cheng was accepted, the whole family was happy but also sad—after all, she was leaving home to make a living. Lu Bai and his wife shed tears.
"Alright, don't be sad. Your daughter is going to the General Security Bureau," the officer shook his head. "That's the Chiefs' Praetorian Guard. I wanted to serve there but couldn't!" He turned to Lu Cheng. "Work hard; you'll prosper in the future!"
The officer instructed that he would pick Lu Cheng up early the next morning to take her to Headquarters. Lu Cheng knew two boys from the village had also applied and been selected.
"Don't bring anything; the public provides everything," the officer told her. "Whatever you bring will just be sent back. Just go in the clothes on your back."
Early next morning, the officer escorted the three from the village to the Commune seat. After a few comforting words, he left. The young Chief who had seen her naked was also at Headquarters; seeing him, Lu Cheng blushed.
A total of seven Security Bureau cadets were selected from Jialai Commune. Lu Cheng was the only female. The young Chief gave them a few words of encouragement. The seven were taken to the Commune station to wait for the oxcart sent specifically for them. Looking at the six strangers, blank-faced like herself, Lu Cheng realized this was her first time completely separated from her kin. Only her clothes were familiar. She stared blankly out the window at the road stretching into the distance.
Several oxcarts delivered the accepted cadets from Jialai Commune to the Fangcaodi Education Park. They were led into a courtyard guarded by sentries. Besides them, there were over thirty other teenagers and young adults.
"Line up! First Bairen Commune, Second Bopu Commune, Third Nanbao Commune, Fourth Jialai Commune." A clerk blown a sharp whistle, shouting to enforce order.
The cadets jostled into line. Another clerk at the gate held a clipboard and shouted names loudly:
"Bairen Commune, Ye LĂĽsu!"
A youth of eighteen or nineteen hurried forward.
"Idiot," he was scolded before he could stand steady. "Can't you shout 'Present'? Do it again!"
Ye LĂĽsu hurriedly shouted "Present!" and was admitted.
Jialai Commune was fourth. Lu Cheng waited nearly an hour before hearing her name. She quickly shouted "Present!"
Inside the main hall, several men looking like Chiefs sat behind a table. In the center was a white, fat Chief.
"Lu Cheng!" As she walked in and stood still, the clerk beside her began reading her registration data loudly. "Female, 20, unmarried. Registered: Jialai Commune. Status: Small proprietor. Education: Type-C Diploma."
The Chiefs flipped through the pages in front of them and scrutinized her. The young Chief suggested, "Ideally female—send to Secret Service Training Class?"
"No, assign to Security Cadre Training Class," the fat Chief in the center overruled.
So Lu Cheng was assigned to the Security Cadre Training Class. After a cursory review, all cadets were sorted into three short-term classes: "Reconnaissance Cadre Training Class," "Security Cadre Training Class," and "Secret Service Personnel Training Class." A few were eliminated—sent home directly without reason.
When she came out, a clerk handed her a small bamboo tag: "Wear it around your neck!"
Then every cadet received a large backpack. Carrying the heavy packs, the cadets were led to the backyard by a clerk.
"Females over here!" A female clerk arrived and beckoned Lu Cheng and a few other female cadets—they were taken to a side courtyard.