Chapter 147 The First Year of a Master Craftsman

Imperial Capital, First Ministry of Machine Building Industry, Conference Room No. 3.

"Bang!"

A document was slammed heavily onto the conference table.

"Are you blushing? Huh?"

Vice Minister Liu stood at the end of the long table, his knuckles rapping forcefully against the document.

The sound was exceptionally harsh at this moment:

"Everyone, look up! What is this?"

On both sides of the long table sat eighteen middle-aged men wearing zhongshan suits.

They were the proudest group of people in the country's industrial system—

The heads and deputy heads of the "Eighteen Arhats" machine tool plants.

In the past, these people always walked with their heads held high in the factory areas.

But today, they all buried their heads in their chests, like a group of students who had made a mistake.

"This is a letter of thanks sent by Liu Yuanchao of the Fifth Ministry of Machine Building!"

Vice Minister Liu shook the thin sheet of letter paper, making it rustle loudly:

"Thanking whom?"

"Thanking Quancheng No. 1 Machine Tool Plant! Thanking Lin Xi!"

"Thirty days, five hundred export machine tools, all delivered!"

"One hundred percent pass rate!"

"Liu Yuanchao told me over the phone."

"As long as Red Star Technology intervenes, it's an 'industrial miracle'."

Vice Minister Liu yanked open the collar button of his uniform; he was truly anxious:

"Comrades, is this a compliment?"

"This is a slap in our faces! It's a slap in the face of our First Ministry of Machine Building Industry!"

"What kind of foundation does Quancheng No. 1 Machine Tool Plant have?"

"Who here doesn't know?"

"Half a year ago, it was still in that half-dead state!"

"But what about now?"

"They used our production lines and our people, yet they achieved a production volume we couldn't."

"That kid Lin Xi, he even managed to develop micron-level mother machines in the Northwest, and what about you?"

"You have no technology, no efficiency."

"Occupying the best resources, taking state funding, and ending up being crushed by someone who works in aerospace!"

There was a deathly silence in the conference room.

Deputy Factory Director Ma of the Fengtian No. 1 Machine Tool Plant moved his lips, wanting to explain something.

But seeing the "battle record" on the table, he ultimately swallowed his words.

In the face of this solid data, any explanation was just sophistry.

"I don't care what difficulties you have, nor do I care about how much merit you had in the past."

Vice Minister Liu planted his hands on the table.

His gaze was like a knife, sweeping across everyone's face one by one:

"The Ministry has decided."

"The 'Eighteen Arhats' must lower their posture for me."

"Each plant will select its top technical backbone, as well as the deputy factory director in charge of production, to go to the Northwest!"

"To do what? To be students!"

Vice Minister Liu hammered the final decision:

"Go to Red Star Technology to apprentice! Go to learn!"

"Whether it's Lin Xi's SOP, the numerical control system, or even that scraping technique, you are to learn it all and bring it back!"

"Let me make this clear from the start."

"Whoever fails to learn it and comes back empty-handed,"

"I don't think you should continue being a factory director; you might as well go home and hold your grandchildren!"

...

A week later, at the Northwest Base.

The main entrance of Red Star Technology was livelier than during the New Year.

There were no red carpets, no welcome banners, not even a decent welcome banquet.

Several dust-covered Jiefang brand trucks were parked on the open ground.

The tailgate of the truck bed was pulled open with a "clatter."

A group of people carrying military-green canvas bags, with net bags and thermos flasks in their hands, jumped down.

They were no longer the leaders who gave orders in their factories on a daily basis.

Nor were they those technical masters surrounded by apprentices.

Here, they only had one identity—

Students.

"Old Wang? You're here too?"

"Oh, isn't this Chief Engineer Zhou of the Hanjiang Machine Tool Plant?"

"What, your plant couldn't withstand the pressure either?"

"Don't mention it, the factory director gave a strict order."

"If we don't master the principles of the m1 kit, our annual bonuses will be withheld."

In the crowd, everyone greeted each other with awkward yet polite wry smiles.

But in their eyes, there was clearly an unconcealable desire and defiance.

They had all spent their lives doing technical work; who didn't have a bit of pride?

If Lin Xi really had the skills, they would submit.

If he didn't, this group of "old veterans" would be able to tear the roof off Red Star Technology!

Lin Xi did not appear at the entrance to welcome them.

The person in charge of reception was He Zhenhua.

He held a megaphone, stood on the steps, and spoke in a booming voice:

"Colleagues, welcome to Red Star Technology."

"Time is tight, and the task is heavy."

"The course schedule and class lists are posted on the wall; please take a look for yourselves."

"In half an hour, classes will start on time in each classroom."

"Anyone who is late will have their training qualification canceled immediately and be sent back to their original unit!"

The crowd instantly erupted, swarming toward the bulletin board.

"This is too heartless…" someone muttered.

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and see where the class is!"

"I want to learn SOP management; I heard that can save lives!"

"I'm going to learn numerical control; that is the future!"

...

The base canteen was temporarily requisitioned as a classroom.

A wooden sign hung at the entrance—

【Principles and Applications of Numerical Control System Architecture】.

This was the highest-value and most hardcore course in the entire training.

The classroom was packed full.

It was filled with Chief Engineers and senior engineers from various plants.

Zhou Jianjun of the Hanjiang Machine Tool Plant, in his early fifties, was an authority in the field of domestic gear processing.

He had specifically snatched the seat in the middle of the first row.

He spread out his notebook, which had a worn-out cover, and gripped his fountain pen tightly.

"Hey, little comrade in front, could you please move aside?"

Zhou Jianjun had just sat down.

He saw a boy who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old sitting in the window seat in the front row.

The boy was wearing slightly oversized work clothes, with his sleeves rolled up several times.

He was looking down at a stack of handouts nervously, muttering to himself.

"Whose child is this?"

"How did he get here?"

Zhou Jianjun muttered to himself; this was technical training at a classified facility, how could family members be allowed in?

But he was also kind-hearted.

Seeing the boy sweating nervously, he assumed he was an Intern brought in by some employee, or someone here to audit the class.

"Little comrade?"

Zhou Jianjun leaned over.

His face crinkled into a kindly smile, as if he were coaxing his grandson:

"So young and already here to listen to such an advanced class?"

"Well done, doing technical work requires a bit of grit."

The boy suddenly looked up, revealing a youthful face.

His eyes showed a trace of panic:

"Ah? You… you mean me?"

"Yes."

Zhou Jianjun patted the boy's shoulder, speaking earnestly,

"But this course is not simple."

"If you don't understand later, don't be afraid."

"Just write it down first. After class, Uncle will explain it to you."

Several old engineers nearby also laughed kindly.

"Old Zhou, your old habit of acting like a teacher has flared up again."

"Little kid, listen well to Old Zhou; he's the sharpest blade at the Hanjiang Plant."

The boy's face turned bright red.

He scratched his messy hair and stammered:

"Tha… thank you, Uncle."

"I will… try hard to explain… explain it clearly."

"Explain it clearly?"

Zhou Jianjun was stunned, "Explain what clearly?"

Just then, the class bell rang.

The classroom instantly quieted down.

Everyone straightened up, their gazes fixed collectively on the door.

Waiting for the legendary Red Star technical master to enter.

However, the doorway was empty.

In Zhou Jianjun's astonished gaze.

The "Intern" boy beside him took a deep breath, grabbed the handouts on the table, and stood up slowly.

Then, he walked up to the podium step by step.