Deputy earns his stripes with postal bar codes

Chai Shanshan, a new deputy to the National People's Congress and the youngest from the Shanghai delegation, said he never imagined an average postal worker like him would ever assume such an honor and responsibility.

He said he is one of the millions of workers who toil silently in the service industry in Shanghai on a daily basis, even without the notice of most citizens. "Our core mission is to guarantee that the letters and parcels reach recipients' hands safely and promptly," said Chai, 32, who works at a crucial postal transfer center near Shanghai Railway Station.

He was being too modest, though. He leads a team responsible for sorting all letters and parcels that arrive at the transfer center. Some of the items are transferred to other provinces and some remain in Shanghai.