The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 705 Ke 6's Job Hunting Diary: Nanyang Coca-Cola Company

Led by a guide boat, the migrant boat slowly approached the dedicated migrant pier in Yangon Port.

Contrary to Ke Liu's expectations of chaos and shouting, the dock was unusually orderly.

The cement trestle bridge is sturdy and flat, and staff members wearing neat uniforms and armbands are busy going back and forth.

The loudspeaker broadcast a clear announcement in several languages, including Cantonese and Hakka, which Ke Liu could barely understand. Although the accents were a bit strange, the meaning was clear:

"New immigrants, please disembark in an orderly manner and follow the signs to the registration office for health checks. The United States of Nanyang welcomes our compatriots home."

"Go home?" Ke Liu's heart skipped a beat, and his nose tingled. Back in his hometown, they, the Tanka people, were driven away even when they came ashore to live; no one treated them as "compatriots."

The disembarkation process was much smoother than I had imagined.

There were no foreign customs officers who were fierce and aloof in Ke Liu's memory, nor were there petty officials who exploited people at every turn.

The doctor in the white coat did a quick check of my temperature and eyes, and asked if I had a cough or fever.

Then there was the registration desk, where a row of tables were set up by friendly-looking clerks.

When it was Ke Liu's turn, his palms were sweating with nervousness.

The clerk was a young Chinese woman with short, shoulder-length hair and glasses. She looked up and smiled, asking, "Name? Place of origin? Age? Can you read? What language do you speak? Do you know anyone here?"

Ke Liu stammered in response in Cantonese with a heavy Tanka accent:

“Ke...Ke Liu, from Guangdong Province...Panyu, a water town...twenty-six years old, knows...knows a few characters, his father taught him the Three Character Classic...can speak...speak our water town dialect, and...Cantonese...not quite authentic.”

Finally, Ke Liu said with some regret:

“I don’t know anyone here. I just came here to try my luck.”

The female clerk listened patiently, nodded, scribbled on the form, and then said in Cantonese, with a slight accent but still fairly clear:

"Brother Ke Liu, welcome to Southeast Asia. Here we have a 'Language Service Center for New Immigrants' with volunteers who understand local dialects to help you adapt."

This is your temporary identification slip. Please take it.

With this, you can get a basic necessities package, which includes a towel, toothbrush, soap, two sets of clothes, and three days' worth of meal tickets, allowing you to eat for free at the dockside canteen.

Over the next few days, there will be job information sessions and skills registration. Take your time, don't rush.

Ke Liu took the piece of cardboard, as if he were holding some kind of treasure, his hands trembling.

Free stuff? Meals included? And dedicated staff to help you?

He thought that since he had no relatives or friends here, he would be fine as long as he wasn't bullied, but he never expected this...

He followed the instructions to the distribution point, somewhat bewildered, and indeed received a sturdy coarse cloth package. Upon opening it, he found that although the contents were not exquisite, they were thick and complete.

Then we followed the guide to the main canteen, where the food consisted of brown rice, green vegetables, and a little salted fish, and it was all you could eat.

For Ke Liu, a boatman who often goes hungry, having an abundance of rice is like heaven.

After spending two days in the temporary resettlement area at the dock, Ke Liu took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and ate a few full meals, finally regaining some vitality on his face.

Over the past two days, if Ke Liu were to pinpoint the biggest difference between Southeast Asia and the Republic of China, it would be that in Southeast Asia, everyone treated each other as human beings. For the first time, this Tanka man experienced the dignity of being a human being, and his emotions were soothed.

He looked around this new world with curiosity: cranes roared on the docks, and giant ships were busy coming and going;

The buildings in the distant city, though not extremely tall, are neat and beautiful, and cars come and go on the streets;

People were well-dressed, walking briskly but full of energy.

What surprised him most was that the Chinese here could walk with their backs straight, and the dark-skinned locals (whom he later learned were called "Saka" or "Malay") worked and talked with the Chinese, seemingly without any barriers.

Slogans such as "Building Nanyang Together" and "All Ethnic Groups Are One Family" can often be seen on radio broadcasts and posters.

On the third day, many tents were set up in the dock square, serving as recruitment offices for various factories, plantations, and construction companies.

The crowds were huge, but the order was maintained. Staff members were keeping the queues in place, and loudspeakers were constantly broadcasting job information and precautions.

Ke Liu squeezed into the crowd, feeling both excited and bewildered. Aside from rowing a boat and fishing, he knew almost nothing. He wasn't very literate, but he was quite strong, though skinny, and didn't look like someone who could carry heavy loads.

He wandered aimlessly, when he was suddenly drawn to a particularly lively recruitment booth with brightly decorated decorations.

A huge banner hung above the shed, with red background and white lettering: "Nanyang Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Ltd. urgently needs operators, packers, and porters."

On the other side was strange, crooked foreign writing and a picture—a red circle with the white cursive words "Coca-Cola" inside.

Ke Liu didn't know any foreign languages, but he figured that with so many people queuing up, it must be a good job.

A crowd of people had gathered in front of the shed, and the recruiters were several young, energetic employees in white short-sleeved shirts and ties, who were using a tin megaphone to call out their recruitment pitches.

"Take a look! Nanyang Coca-Cola Company, a joint venture with White Eagle Corporation. The world's number one soft drink, is now building a factory in Yangon and recruiting its first batch of workers."

"The working environment is clean and hygienic, right in the factory building in the new industrial zone, so we don't have to worry about the wind and sun."

"Training and on-the-job training are provided, with experienced mentors to teach you. As long as you are willing to learn, experience is not a factor."

"Excellent benefits! Basic salary plus piece-rate bonus. If you do well, you can earn more than 50 yuan a month. One meal is provided, and there is employee dormitory."

Fifty yuan a month? Ke Liu's eyes widened in disbelief.

Back in my hometown, a month of hard fishing might only earn you a few silver dollars, and that's only when the market is good.

Fifty Nanyang dollars to start here? That must be more than ten silver dollars, right? And it includes food and lodging?

Ke Liu, who had only been there a short time, was not quite clear about the exchange rate of the Nanyang dollar, but he could tell from the prices at the dock that the Nanyang dollar was very valuable.

He was tempted, but also felt inferior.

Would such a good factory hire someone who knows nothing about watercraft?

At this moment, a recruiter noticed Ke Liu hesitating on the outskirts of the crowd and took the initiative to call out to him:

"Young man! Yes, you, come over here and see if you can read? Can you speak Mandarin?"

Ke Liu mustered his courage, squeezed forward, and said in his heavily accented Cantonese, "I...I know a few words...I can speak...I can speak our language and Cantonese..."

New factories are popping up all over Southeast Asia now, and Chinese-owned factories make up the majority of them. So, recruitment naturally leans towards Chinese people. It's not that the locals don't want to hire, but you have to be able to speak Mandarin, right?

So when Ke Liu spoke, the employee not only didn't look down on him, but actually laughed:

"His accent is quite heavy, but I can understand him."

Our factory has guys from all over the country, from Sichuan, Fujian, and Chaoshan. They all speak with their own accents, but you get used to it after a while.

The key is being willing to work hard and learn. Many of the machines on our production line came from Baiying; they're automated, and you can learn to operate them with simple training—it's much easier than rowing a boat to fish!

Ke Liu was surprised that the other person could tell at a glance that he used to be a fisherman, and even more surprised by the other person's peaceful and friendly attitude. He asked cautiously, "Really...really want me? I don't know anything..."

"Who is born knowing this?" The employee patted him on the shoulder. "As long as you have all your limbs, aren't stupid, and are willing to learn, we welcome you."

"Our Southeast Asia is undergoing construction everywhere, and we need young people willing to contribute! Come on, fill out a simple registration form, or even just leave your fingerprint. Tomorrow morning, bring your ID and meet here. We'll take you to the factory for a visit and interviews!"