Chapter 12 Factory Manager, how do I use this new machine?

Li Jiajun's shopping efficiency was terrifyingly high.

In just a single day, the equipment that had only existed on his procurement list yesterday began appearing one after another at the dilapidated front gate of the Li Family Toy Factory.

Leading the way was an extra-long flatbed truck, carrying a massive object covered in thick waterproof canvas; its silhouette alone suggested it was incredibly heavy. Following closely behind was a long line of box trucks bearing the logos of various international logistics companies, nearly blocking the already narrow road in front of the factory.

"Good heavens... did he move a whole shopping mall here?"

"Are... are these all for our factory?"

"Little Factory Director Li has truly struck it rich!"

The workers spontaneously poured out of the workshops and gathered at the factory gate. Watching the spectacular sight before them, they all craned their necks, their faces filled with shock and curiosity. The ecstasy from receiving their wages and bonuses yesterday hadn't fully faded, and today they were stunned again by this even grander gesture.

As a Master Craftsman of the factory, Wang Defa's face was flushed with excitement. He hurried to Li Jiajun's side, his voice trembling slightly: "Director, are... are these all the new machines you bought?"

"Of course," Li Jiajun said, a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he directed the forklifts and cranes to unload. He couldn't hide the pride on his face. "To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. Without good equipment, how can we create works of art?"

As the crane slowly lifted the first massive piece of canvas, a brand-new machine—shimmering in the sunlight and brimming with futuristic technology—finally revealed its true form.

It was a gargantuan machine painted entirely in grayish-white, even larger than the oldest Injection Molding Machine in the factory. Its body was covered in various incomprehensible buttons and interfaces, with the most prominent feature being a large glass dome containing an extremely complex multi-jointed robotic arm. On the machine's body, the German "TRUMPF" logo glistened in the sun.

"Holy crap... what on earth is this?" a young worker stared wide-eyed.

"It looks like... a machine tool? But why does it look like a space capsule from a movie?"

"It's all in foreign languages; I can't understand a single word."

The workers surrounded this German-imported Five-axis Machining Center like a group of primitive people observing an alien spacecraft—with both awe and bewilderment. They reached out, wanting to touch the smooth metal casing, but pulled their hands back in mid-air, afraid they might break it.

This machine formed a stark, almost cruel contrast with the grease-covered, rust-stained old partners in the workshop behind them. On one side was the cutting-edge technology representing Industry 4.0; on the other was industrial scrap metal that even a museum wouldn't bother collecting.

In Li Jiajun's livestream room, the hundreds of idle Netizens online also saw this scene through the lens, and the bullet chat instantly exploded.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! The Main Streamer actually bought that two-million-plus machine tool! I thought he was just bragging yesterday!"

"Is this thing a Five-axis Machining Center? It looks so badass; I feel like it's more expensive than my car!"

"Person above, be more confident and drop the 'feel like.' The final price of this thing could buy your family a whole fleet of cars!"

"I'm crying. I said the Main Streamer photoshopped the picture yesterday, and today I've been proven wrong. Top Supporter, you're my real father!"

...

Li Jiajun looked at the bullet chat, his mouth twitching, but he ignored them. He was busy directing the workers to carefully transport the new equipment into the workshop one by one.

The second one, the third one...

That Industrial-grade 3D Printer from the Ugly Country that could print metal; the Swiss-made Laser Cutting Machine that cut silently; and the high-tech fully automatic SMT Machine from Huawei...

Every time a new piece of equipment was moved into the workshop, it elicited a chorus of gasps from the workers.

They felt like they weren't in a toy factory, but rather visiting some national-level key laboratory. This "high technology" they had only seen on TV and in the news was now standing vividly before them.

After the excitement came a deeper sense of bewilderment and helplessness.

All the equipment was placed in designated positions in the workshop according to Li Jiajun's plan. The empty workshop was now packed full, but these brand-new, high-tech "iron lumps" stood like a group of strangers who didn't know each other, each standing alone, completely out of place in this dilapidated factory.

The workers circled these new partners over and over, looking at each other in confusion, but no one dared to step forward.

Finally, the most experienced Master Craftsman, Wang Defa, summoned the courage to walk up to the most expensive Five-axis Machining Center. Looking at the dense control panel that resembled an airplane cockpit, he felt his scalp go numb. Forget operating it—he couldn't even figure out how to turn it on.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally had to bite the bullet and walk over to Li Jiajun, who was livestreaming. His calloused hands nervously rubbed the hem of his shirt, like a schoolboy who had done something wrong.

"Director..." He scratched his graying hair, his face full of embarrassment. "Um... this... how do you turn this thing on?"

He pointed to the five-axis machine tool nearby: "It's all in foreign languages, and there are more buttons than stars in the sky. The manual... that manual is thicker than a dictionary, and we can't understand it either."

With Wang Defa leading the way, the other Master Craftsmen also gathered around, voicing their grievances all at once.

"Yeah, Director, for that 3D printer, we couldn't even find the slot to put the materials in."

"And that SMT Machine, the computer screen is on, but nothing happens no matter where we click."

"Director, these machines are too precious. We don't dare touch them randomly. If we break something, we couldn't pay it back even if we sold ourselves!"

Looking at the excited yet helpless faces before him, Li Jiajun didn't worry; instead, he was amused.

He patted Master Craftsman Wang Defa on the shoulder and comforted him: "Uncle Wang, don't worry, everyone, don't worry. It's new stuff; there's bound to be an adjustment period."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the advanced machines and the bewildered workers, then glanced at the livestream screen. That familiar, unconscious "narrator" mode activated once again.

Resting his chin on his hand, he looked at everything before him and muttered to himself: "Look, the chasm of knowledge is simply that difficult to cross. These hardworking old craftsmen—their skills are stuck in a previous era. And now, in this new workshop armed with top-tier technology, the only one who seems capable of taming these steel behemoths is me, the sole educated person here."

He paused, glanced at the scrolling bullet chat on the livestream screen again, and continued muttering: "Oh, and of course, I can't count on the friends in front of the screen either. After all, besides typing '666' and 'Main Streamer is awesome,' their understanding of real industrial technology is approximately zero. Sigh, it's lonely at the top."

His self-talk, as if no one else were there, was naturally heard by all the viewers in the livestream room.

The Netizens who were heatedly discussing the new equipment were instantly silenced by this sudden "official roast."

The bullet chat paused for two seconds, then completely exploded.

"Here it comes! Here it comes! The Streamer's damn charming, narrator-style sharp tongue is late but never absent!"

"Holy crap! Apologize to our Old Workers! And apologize to me too! I feel like I've suffered a double critical hit!"

"What do you mean 'understanding is approximately zero'? I can also type 'The Streamer is a huge idiot'!"

"Hahaha, I love watching this! Main Streamer, don't stop, keep talking! I just want to see how useless we are in your eyes!"

"That's cold-blooded! He didn't even bother talking to us; he just used a narrator AOE on all of us!"

Facing the wave of "denunciations" in the livestream room, Li Jiajun pretended not to see.

He knew in his heart that just buying a bunch of advanced machines was useless. It was like having a bunch of top-tier CPUs, graphics cards, and RAM sticks, but without a motherboard to perfectly integrate them, they were still just a pile of scrap metal.

The problem now facing him was how to design a "super motherboard" that could perfectly connect all the top-tier hardware—a brand-new, automated production line capable of producing the toy drones from his blueprints.

This was the real challenge.

He looked at the bewildered Old Workers and then at the cold machines standing silently, and took a deep breath.

Sigh.

This difficult problem, in the end, must be solved by me, the "sole educated person."