Inside the factory leadership meeting room, Liu Li's thick "Proposal" was like a boulder thrown into a calm pond, stirring up a wave of debate far more intense and sharp than the factory-wide discussion. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, and everyone's face was etched with solemnity and contention.

The conservatives' counterattack was sharp and direct, carrying a resolute determination to defend tradition.

Chen, the senior deputy factory director in charge of logistics, was the first to challenge the proposal. He barely glanced at the details of the document, slamming his fingers on the table as he stared directly at Liu Li: "Comrade Liu Li! I admit you are capable and enterprising! But have you considered this? Our Hongxing Factory is a key enterprise built during the First Five-Year Plan! Our mission is to provide reliable basic components for the nation's industrialization! Now, you want us to lower ourselves and produce corn threshers and water pumps like those small township factories? Isn't this putting the cart before the horse? Isn't this losing the spirit of our state-owned factory?!"

His voice was loud and clear, filled with anger at having his dignity violated.

Another committee member, closely connected to the planning department, immediately followed up, his tone revealing his usual path dependence and deep concern: "Old Chen is right! Our advantage lies in technology-intensive products, which are allocated by the plan! Developing these low-tech civilian products now is playing to our weaknesses and avoiding our strengths! Moreover, this requires readjusting production lines, training workers, and purchasing new molds. How much investment is involved? How high are the risks? If it fails, who will take responsibility? Our funds are already so tight; investing what little we have left is just courting disaster!"

He looked at the factory director and the party secretary, and said earnestly, "Factory director, party secretary, we must be cautious! Taking too big a step can easily lead to problems! The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation and wait for instructions from higher authorities, rather than blindly transforming!"

The support from reformers is based on a clear understanding of reality and an urgent need to break the deadlock.

Old Qian, the sales manager, had long been fed up with the pressure of inventory backlog. He stood up excitedly: "Wait? Can we afford to wait? Can the goods in the warehouse turn into money on their own? Can the workers wait for instructions from above while they're hungry? Director Liu's suggestion is truly finding a way for our factory to survive! Yes, the corn thresher is not as technologically advanced as machine tool gears, but it can be sold! It can bring in money immediately! With money, we can pay wages, and the factory can keep running! Survival is more important than anything else!"

The deputy factory director of production also spoke up in a deep voice: "Our equipment and technology are our advantages, but if we can't use them, they're just a pile of scrap metal! I think Comrade Liu Li's suggestion of 'downsizing application' makes a lot of sense! Using our precision gear-making machines to process the rollers of threshing machines is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The quality and lifespan will absolutely crush all products on the market! That's where our competitiveness lies!"

Liu Li became the center of the storm. She listened quietly to everyone's remarks without interrupting, until all the opinions and emotions had been fully expressed.

When the argument subsided and all eyes turned to her again, she slowly stood up and walked to the factory site plan hanging in front of the meeting room. Her expression was calm, and her gaze was clear and firm.

She did not shy away from Old Chen's accusation of "losing her soul," but met his gaze with a calm tone:

"Director Chen, what do you think is the 'soul' of our Hongxing Factory? Is it the rigid model that can only produce a few fixed products? Or is it the 'craftsman spirit' of our skilled workers that enables them to overcome difficulties and adapt to changes? I believe it is the latter! Let our veteran craftsmen and our advanced equipment produce the products that the people urgently need and that we can make the best of. This is not losing our soul; it is the best way to inherit and carry forward our 'craftsman spirit'!"

Her words startled some people who were originally inclined to be conservative.

Then, she turned to the committee member who was worried about the risks, and instead of talking about confidence, she once again used her best weapon—data and logic.

"I have already calculated the investment and risks in detail in the proposal." She picked up the chalk and quickly wrote down a few key figures on the small blackboard next to her. "Using the three existing idle old lathes and one milling machine, plus part of the production capacity of the fitter team, we will set up a small-scale threshing machine pilot line. The initial investment in molds and materials will not exceed this amount." She wrote down a relatively small number that surprised many people in the room.

"According to market research, a reliable threshing machine can generate at least this much gross profit," she wrote down another figure. Comparing the two, the potential return is quite considerable.

“We don’t need to commit the entire factory at the beginning. It’s like fighting a positional war. We first send out a scout squad to scout and test the waters. We use the least cost to verify the market’s reaction. If we succeed, we will have a flagship product that can generate continuous revenue; if we fail,” she paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone, “we will also cut our losses in time, keeping the losses completely under control and never crippling us. This is the essence of ‘small steps, quick iterations, and trial and error’.”

With an extremely pragmatic approach, she broke down that seemingly risky transformation idea into a tactical action with controllable risks and clear steps.

Finally, she concluded: "Comrades, what we are facing now is not a question of whether or not we want to transform, but a question of life and death! If we stick to our current path, we are guarding a tomorrow with no hope in sight; if we change, at least there is a possibility of fighting our way out! We have such good equipment and talent, are we just going to let them rust and starve ourselves?!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a penetrating power, each word striking a chord in the hearts of the attendees. Her confidence, based on thorough research, her deep concern for the fate of factories and workers, and her clear and feasible path began to shake the resolve of many moderates.

Silence fell over the meeting room, with only the lingering smoke. The conservatives remained grim, but for the moment they struggled to find stronger arguments to refute the almost flawless proposal and Liu Li's meticulous responses. The reformers, on the other hand, were greatly encouraged, seeing a glimmer of hope.

All eyes finally turned to the factory director and the Party secretary, who sat silently in the main seats, listening and weighing their options. The final decision rested in their hands. This heated debate was about to reach its final verdict.