As soon as the test data for the ball joint device came out, the factory immediately took it seriously and decided to hold a technical observation meeting in the machining workshop. They also invited the heads of each workshop and engineer Zhou Zhenhua to come and take a look.

When the news reached the workshop, Liu Li spent several nights in a row at the factory. She disassembled and reassembled the equipment, tightening every screw perfectly, and even wiping and reapplying the lubricant on the slider, all in case something went wrong on the day of the observation meeting.

"Don't be so tense." Seeing that she was still adjusting the equipment in the middle of the night, Master Wang said something unusual. "You've done everything you should. The machine is more obedient than you."

Fu Jingchen often lends a hand, helping her organize the blueprints for the demonstration and check the data reports. Sometimes, when they are busy until late at night, he will bring hot buns from the cafeteria, and the two of them will sit by the machine tool and eat them with cold tea from an enamel mug—the buns are meaty and oily, but they are more fragrant than anything else.

"I never expected to be able to hold a demonstration meeting." Liu Li touched the connecting rod of the device, her tone a little incredulous.

“You did it all yourself.” Fu Jingchen looked at her, his eyes quite serious. “This isn’t luck; you deserve it because you spent so many nights squatting by the lathe thinking.”

On the day of the observation meeting, the workshop was ten times more lively than usual. The directors and key technical personnel of each workshop came, and even the factory director came dressed in a sharp Zhongshan suit. Engineer Zhou Zhenhua, with his hair neatly combed, followed Master Wang and Director Zhao, looking at the innovative achievements in each workshop, and finally stopped in front of Liu Li's machine tool.

"Is this the ball joint machining device?" Engineer Zhou bent down and gently touched the connecting rod with his fingers. "Quite a clever idea."

Liu Li took a deep breath and began her demonstration. She first disassembled the device and machined a ball head using the old method, but she was flustered and made a few minor flaws. Then she reassembled the device, turned a single handle, and machined a smooth ball head in less than three minutes. When the two workpieces were placed side by side, it was immediately obvious which one was better.

Engineer Zhou picked up a micrometer, measured the dimensions himself, and then touched the surface of the two ball heads. He nodded: "The smoothness has improved considerably. Did you design this device yourself?"

"The initial idea was proposed by Comrade Liu Li," Fu Jingchen quickly added. "Our technical department helped to improve the drawings and calculate some data."

Engineer Zhou nodded with a smile: "That's good! Frontline workers understand the practical aspects, and technicians understand the theory. Only when they come together can they solve real problems—that's the effect the 'Five Small' activities aim to achieve."

Suddenly, someone in the crowd spoke up: "Engineer Zhou, won't modifying this on an old lathe reduce the machine tool's precision?" It was Sun Peng's voice, which carried a hint of nitpicking.

The room fell silent; everyone looked at Liu Li.

Liu Li remained calm, her voice steady: "We've already considered this. All parts of the device are detachable, so there's no need to weld or drill on the machine tool. Once disassembled, it's exactly the same as before." As she spoke, she began to disassemble the device, tightening the wrench quickly and steadily. In less than five minutes, the lathe was back to its original state, without even a screw mark left.

“Moreover, we have measured it,” Liu Li added, “before installation and after disassembly, the spindle runout and the straightness of the guide rails did not change. The data is here.”

Fu Jingchen quickly handed over the prepared test report. Engineer Zhou flipped through it for a while and said to the factory manager, "It's very well thought out and can be promoted."

After the observation meeting, the factory director announced on the spot that this ball joint device would be a key factory-level project, and all workshops should learn to use it.

After most of the people had left, Engineer Zhou walked up to Liu Li and patted her on the shoulder: "Young man, work hard. Our country needs skilled workers like you who are willing to think and get hands-on to develop industry."

Liu Li felt a warm glow in her heart and couldn't speak, only nodding repeatedly.

That evening, the factory's broadcasting station announced the observation meeting and mentioned Liu Li's name. On her way back to the dormitory, many coworkers greeted her, and even Old Li, the usually quiet storekeeper, smiled and said, "Little Liu, well done."

"Lily, you're a celebrity in the factory now!" Zhang Shulan said, jumping for joy as she took her arm.

Liu Li wasn't so excited: "This is just the beginning. The device still needs to be modified. For example, can the slider be made more wear-resistant? We need to try again."

Before she could figure out how to improve, Fu Jingchen brought another message: "The factory wants to transfer you to the technical department to specialize in technological innovation."

Liu Li was stunned. Going to the technical department—not having to deal with engine oil every day, but being able to sit in an office drawing diagrams—this was an opportunity that many people longed for.

But in her mind flashed the sounds of machine tools in the workshop, the oilstone that Master Wang handed her, and the joy she felt when she produced her first qualified part.

"I... need to think about it," Liu Li said softly.

That night, Liu Li couldn't sleep. She stood by the dormitory window, looking at the shadow of the workshop in the distance, her heart pounding—should she go to the technical department or stay in the workshop? She couldn't make up her mind.