The warm spring sunlight streamed through the glass window, illuminating Liu Li's desk. She had just finished reviewing a draft of performance evaluation rules submitted by the foundry workshop, formulated in accordance with the spirit of the "Liu Li Management Method." The rules detailed the reward and punishment methods for different positions, such as furnace operators and molding workers, based on output, quality, and consumption targets. Although still somewhat rough, the overall approach was correct. She picked up a red pen, preparing to write down her revisions, when the midday news broadcast from the loudspeaker outside the window delivered something different from usual, clearly reaching her ears.

"...The plenary session pointed out that practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. The focus of the Party's work should be shifted to socialist modernization..."

"...We must reform the economic management system and attach importance to the role of the law of value..."

"...link the success or failure of the enterprise to the material interests of the employees, and fully mobilize the workers' enthusiasm for production..."

The announcer's clear and resonant voice, carrying a solemn yet fresh air, echoed over the factory area.

Liu Li paused, pen in hand. She looked up, listening intently. These statements resonated so deeply with the core principles of the methods she was implementing in the workshop! She keenly sensed that this was no ordinary news broadcast; the information it conveyed carried a directional, fundamental shift.

She put down her pen and walked to the window. Downstairs, workers were making their way to the canteen in twos and threes. Some seemed to have heard the broadcast; they slowed their pace, listened intently, and looked on with a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity. The wheels of time were beginning to turn in a way that ordinary people had not yet fully perceived, yet could already hear their roar.

In the afternoon, she went to the factory library to check recent issues of the People's Daily. Sure enough, the tone of the articles in the newspaper was subtly shifting. Discussions about "emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts" had increased, and articles criticizing the drawbacks of "egalitarianism" and the "iron rice bowl" system had begun to appear. There were even proposals encouraging "some people to get rich first." Although the wording remained cautious, the intention to break free from constraints and seek new paths was clearly evident on the page.

When he got home that evening, Fu Jingchen was also paying attention. Holding a copy of the Guangming Daily, he pointed to an article about science and technology being the primary productive force and said to Liu Li, "Look, the spirit of the article has changed. It emphasizes economic development, the role of science and technology, and the principle of material interests. Lili, what you did in the workshop now seems to be ahead of its time and in line with this general direction."

Liu Li took the newspaper and read it carefully under the lamplight. Her heart was pounding with emotion. All along, her push for reform had been driven more by a technician's and manager's instinct to see and solve problems, and by a simple desire to improve the Hongxing Factory. Although she had the support of the factory leadership, deep down she hadn't been without a vague unease about whether the "direction was correct." Now, this voice from the highest level, conveyed through official channels, was like a bright light, dispelling the last vestiges of doubt in her heart and providing the most solid theoretical basis and political confidence for all her actions.

"It seems that the path we've been exploring is correct," she said softly, her tone carrying a certainty that had been proven by time.

However, she also clearly sensed that not everyone was happy to accept this spring breeze of change. The next day in the canteen, she overheard several older workers at the next table whispering among themselves.

"Judging from what they said on the radio, they're saying the 'iron rice bowl' system is being phased out? What are we old folks going to do then?"

"They want to expand enterprise autonomy? Won't that give factory leaders even more power? Won't they act recklessly?"

"I have a feeling that the wind direction is changing a bit too fast, and it makes me uneasy."

Some were excited, some were confused, and some were resistant. The clash between old and new ideas, along with the ever-growing winds of the times, was quietly taking place in every corner of the Red Star Factory and in the hearts of every individual.

Liu Li knew that a truly transformative era had arrived. It was no longer a distant, vague concept, but had become the sound of radio broadcasts, the words in newspapers, and the whispered topics among those around her. It brought unprecedented opportunities, but also unpredictable challenges. Standing by the office window, looking at the familiar scene of the factory still in operation, her mind already gazed far beyond. She knew that she, and the Hongxing Factory beneath her feet, were being swept up by this irresistible torrent, forced to adjust their course, brave the winds and waves, and sail towards that new sea full of hope yet fraught with hidden risks.

The winds of the times are blowing loudly.