The brief silence in the meeting room was more unbearable than the argument that had just taken place. Liu Li could feel the gazes upon her—inquiring, suspicious, and even a hint of…among those who were watching her make a fool of herself?

Team leader Chen Siyuan finally spoke. He didn't look at Liu Li, but glanced at the people who had raised questions earlier, finally settling on Zhou Wei: "Engineer Zhou, what do you think? Theoretically speaking, is there any basis for Comrade Liu Li's idea of ​​'prestress compensation'?"

Zhou Wei adjusted his glasses, his tone cautious: "Team Leader Chen, purely from a mechanical perspective, actively applying reverse stress to counteract deformation is a plausible approach. Both elasticity and materials mechanics offer theoretical support. However…" He shifted his focus, looking at Liu Li, "the key lies in the precision control required for engineering implementation. The magnitude, direction, and point of application of the applied prestress must be highly matched to the deformation trend caused by the subsequent cutting force; the allowable error range may only be in the micrometer or even sub-micrometer range. This places extremely stringent requirements on the design, manufacturing, and adjustment of the fixture. With our current conditions…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear—the theory might work, but reality is harsh; your idea is too advanced and a bit impractical.

Team Leader Chen remained noncommittal, then looked at Sun Mei: "Engineer Sun, what's your opinion?"

Sun Mei put it more directly: "The idea is indeed very novel, breaking away from conventional thinking. But I'm worried about its stability. The properties of materials fluctuate between different batches, the wear of cutting tools changes, and even the temperature and humidity in the workshop can affect the final result. How can we ensure the stability and yield rate of such a delicate 'balancing' operation in mass production? We don't want it to end up as a pretty but useless vase in the laboratory."

Several other colleagues who held conservative views echoed this sentiment.

"That's right. What if the force is miscalculated, or the fixture is slightly off, and the part is ruined? Who will bear the loss?"

"Instead of spending time figuring out such a complicated device, it would be more prudent to focus on improving materials or optimizing existing processes."

The criticisms came like a barrage of cold raindrops. Liu Li gripped her hand tightly under the table, her nails digging into her palm. She knew it would be difficult, but she hadn't expected it to be this difficult. These criticisms weren't just baseless accusations; they hit the nail on the head, issues that she and Fu Jingchen were still struggling to understand and resolve.

She took a deep breath, raised her head, and said with a clear gaze, "Engineer Zhou, Engineer Sun, the questions raised by all the teachers are crucial, and they are precisely the core difficulties that this approach needs to overcome. I admit that it is not perfect yet, and the risks are significant. But if we don't try because it's difficult, we may never find a better solution. We've been using the existing approach for so long, and everyone has seen the results." She pointed to the stack of reports on the table reflecting the high scrap rate, "Why can't we give a new approach some room to explore?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable stubbornness.

No conclusion was reached on the spot. Team Leader Chen simply said, "This idea is worth recording, and we will discuss it later," and then ended the discussion.

After the meeting adjourned, everyone left the conference room one after another. Liu Li silently packed up her notebook, able to feel the subtle glances and hushed whispers behind her.

"They're really bold..."

"Being from a working-class background, I prefer practical things; my theoretical foundation is still a bit weak..."

"I heard she's getting quite close to Engineer Fu from the theory group; they've been hanging out together a lot these past few days. Who knows what she might be thinking..."

The tone trailed off, but Liu Li understood the implication. They were not only questioning her ideas, but also the origins of those ideas and her as a person.

Fu Jingchen came over, wanting to help her with her things, but Liu Li gently shook her head. She knew that at this moment, if they got too close, it would only fuel the gossip.

She walked out of the conference room alone, and the draft in the corridor made her shiver. The initial excitement and thrill of finding her way were mostly extinguished by this sudden chill.

She wasn't afraid of technical challenges, but she disliked the fearsome gossip that lurked behind professional skepticism.

This turmoil has only just begun.