His face was deathly pale, his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his eyes were filled with struggle and immense fear.

He dared not look at his master's face, which was so gloomy it seemed to drip water, nor dared he meet the factory director's sharp gaze. He could only steel himself and speak to Liu Zhenshan in a trembling voice:

"Factory... Factory Director! Comrade Mingzhao!" He swallowed hard, his voice trembling even more violently, "No... it's not that we're not following orders! It's... it's these newly replaced knives..."

He pointed to the set of imported alloy knives gleaming coldly on the workbench, his voice trembling with tears.

"This...this is our workshop's most prized possession! It's the last brand-new, complete set of precision cutting tools that the factory went to great lengths to acquire, pulling countless strings!"

Xiao Liu's words were like a needle, instantly piercing the heavy atmosphere that the factory manager had just forcibly suppressed in the workshop.

The workers' faces showed deep empathy and helplessness. Some subconsciously touched the old, worn-down blades in their toolboxes, their eyes dimming.

“Master…Master is leading us not because he’s afraid of work, nor because he’s afraid of difficulties!”

Xiao Liu's voice became excited, and his eyes reddened, "We've been using those old knives that we've sharpened and re-sharpened to test them! Our hands are blistered and bleeding, and our eyes are almost blind from staring! We just wanted to conserve this new set, we just wanted to... we just wanted to use it as a last resort when we had absolutely no other choice! But... but Comrade Mingzhao's plan..."

He looked at Mingzhao, his eyes filled with pleading and immense anxiety. "These parameters are too... too extreme! What if... what if there's a mistake in the operation, or... or what if the material really can't withstand it and breaks the knife... then... then we'll really have no hope left! We won't even have a chance to try again! Master is... he's worried about the things, worried about the hard-won assets of the country!"

Xiao Liu's words struck Liu Zhenshan hard.

His expression was instantly replaced by a deeper sense of heaviness and helplessness.

Xiao Liu's words, like a heavy rag soaked in engine oil and sweat, slammed hard into Liu Zhenshan's heart.

The dignified look on his face was instantly replaced by a deep sense of heaviness and helplessness.

How could he not know the difficulties the factory was facing? Every set of precision cutting tools, every gram of special alloy, was the result of the workers tightening their belts and stretching every penny.

They even obtained it with great difficulty by using grain and local specialties from brother units and through limited import channels!

Wang Dachui's furious outburst was nothing less than a display of helplessness and outcry over the waste of many good materials under a high-precision solution architecture!

After wasting so many materials, it's understandable that Wang Dachui would doubt the accuracy of Mingzhao's plan!

However, Liu Zhenshan knew what Mingzhao had developed. Putting aside everything else, the wings of the Dongfeng-7 fighter jet were indeed better than before after being adjusted according to Mingzhao's plan.

So Mingzhao is a capable person! Capable researchers are precious these days, they need to be pampered.

Hearing what Xiao Liu said, the people around him also felt bad.

The air in the workshop solidified again, heavier than before.

A banner with the slogan "Self-reliance and hard work" hung on the wall, its bright red color stirring the hearts of everyone present.

Liu Zhenshan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He took a deep, long breath, as if he wanted to absorb all the oil and grime in the workshop into his body so that he could bear it all and finally turn it into the courage to burn his bridges!

He looked at Xiao Liu, and also at all the workers in the workshop who were staring at him expectantly.

The sound was not loud, but it carried immense power, clearly correcting the machine's noise.

“I know I’m struggling! I know we’re poor! But!” He suddenly raised his voice, his eyes blazing.

"Now is not the time to be petty! Now is the critical moment for us to build a more qualified and superior aircraft engine! It is the moment that determines whether our frontline soldiers can fly the best fighter jets to defend our country!"

He waved his hand decisively and said, "Do as Comrade Mingzhao says! Use this set of knives, go all out and do it! As for the equipment... I'll figure it out! Even if I have to risk my reputation and beg and plead, I'll get you a few better sets. Now, execute the order!"

"Yes, Factory Manager!" Xiao Liu was jolted by the power in the factory manager's words. He straightened up instinctively, and the panic on his face was replaced by a resolute determination.

He wiped his face hard, trying to erase all his remaining hesitation and fear, then turned around abruptly and strode toward the gantry milling machine.

All eyes were focused on this young and somewhat thin figure.

Wang Dachui remained standing still, like an iron tower as tall as a car, but his eyes were fixed on the hands his apprentice was using to operate the wrench. His hands gripped the wrench even tighter, and his nails almost dug into the rough skin of his palms.

Zhang Mingyuan felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat, fearing that Wang Dachui would do something reckless. Fortunately, Liu Zhenshan arrived.

After listening to Xiao Liu's words, Zhang Mingyuan also felt that the other party was in a difficult situation and could understand Wang Dachui's thoughts.

But then I got angry. Scientific research can't be successful the first time. It's always accompanied by endless failures. How can we keep worrying about things being wasted because we're so concerned about them?

Just because we can't bear to waste resources, are reluctant to spend money, or are afraid of failure, should we stop doing scientific research? How can the country make progress then? How can it have a future?

This shows a lack of progress in thinking, and it's wrong!

He stared intently at the slowly moving blade, each subtle cutting sound feeling like it was scraping against his taut nerves.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!