The ball joint assembly became a model for the factory, and Liu Li's name became well-known. The factory newspaper devoted a full page to her story, with the headline printed in the largest font—"The Great Wisdom of a Small Female Worker—A Record of Young Technician Liu Li's Path of Technological Innovation," accompanied by a photo of her standing in front of the lathe. On the workshop's honor roll, her photo was posted in the most conspicuous place, below which were lines of data: "Efficiency increased by 140%, pass rate reached 98%, and monthly labor hours saved by 230 hours."

At the end-of-month commendation meeting, Liu Li received the red certificate of "Technical Innovation Expert" from the factory director, along with a thick red envelope—she later secretly counted it; it contained fifty yuan, equivalent to half a month's salary. The applause from the audience was deafening, and some people were taking pictures, the flashes making her eyes blurry. From that day on, she became a role model for the young people in the factory.

"Lily, you've really made us female workers proud!" Zhang Shulan was even more excited than her, mentioning it to the cafeteria staff during meals, "I knew she could do it!"

Even Master Wang, who rarely showed any displeasure, met her in the workshop that day and said, "You didn't embarrass me."

But under that spotlight, Liu Li always felt uncomfortable. The way her coworkers looked at her had changed—they used to complain about how tiring the work was, but now they were all very polite to her; the experienced workers who used to joke with her now spoke with a respectful "you" in their tone. She still arrived at the workshop early every day to clean the machine tools, and she still carefully spun every part, but the atmosphere around her was just different.

What truly troubled her was Friday afternoon. Director Zhao called her into his office, where Section Chief Wu from the technical department was also present. Director Zhao poured her a cup of hot water and said with a smile, "Liu Li, I need to discuss something with you. The factory leadership has decided to transfer you to the technical department, specifically to work on technological innovation. What do you think?"

Liu Li's heart skipped a beat. Going to the technical department—no need to get involved with machine oil, no need to listen to the noise of machines, being able to sit in the office and draw diagrams—this was an opportunity that many people longed for.

Section Chief Wu chimed in, "The technical department is in dire need of someone like you. You're capable and resourceful. If you go there, you won't have to suffer in front of the machine tools every day."

"Can I...think about it?" Liu Li held the water glass, her palms slightly sweaty.

"Of course," Director Zhao nodded. "Just send me a message next Monday."

Liu Li didn't sleep well that weekend. Her family was overjoyed when they heard. Her mother held her hand and said, "This is a cadre position! So many people would kill for it!" Her younger brother added, "Sis, you'll be sitting in an office from now on!"

Only Zhang Shulan noticed her thoughts: "Lily, you don't want to go?"

Liu Li gazed at the old locust tree outside the window, saying nothing. She recalled the nervousness of her first time touching a lathe, the joy of producing her first qualified part, and how Master Wang guided her hand as he adjusted the micrometer scale bit by bit. The workshop was tiring, but everything here felt familiar and reassuring.

On Monday morning, Liu Li arrived at the workshop half an hour early. The morning sunlight streamed in through the high windows, casting streaks of light on the floor. She walked to her C616 lathe and gently placed her hand on the guide rail—the cool iron, carrying a hint of machine oil, immediately calmed her down.

"Have you thought it through?" Master Wang appeared behind her without her noticing.

Liu Li turned around and nodded: "Master, I want to stay in the workshop."

Wang Jianguo paused for a moment, then regained his usual seriousness: "Think it through? Opportunities in the technical department don't come every day."

“I’ve thought it through.” Liu Li’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was steady. “I feel like my roots are here. Here, I can touch the parts, hear the machine tools, and know immediately if something is wrong. You can’t feel these things sitting in an office.”

Master Wang didn't say anything, stared at the lathe for a long time, and finally patted the bed: "If you've thought it through, then do a good job."

When Liu Li told Director Zhao about her decision, Director Zhao was stunned: "Liu Li, aren't you going to reconsider? If you miss this opportunity, you won't have another chance."

“No need to think about it,” Liu Li said. “I can be more useful in the workshop.”

When the news got out, many people in the factory talked about it. Some said she was foolish, giving up a good life; some said she was pretending; and some veteran workers said, "This girl hasn't forgotten her roots."

When Fu Jingchen found her, his expression was quite complicated: "I heard you didn't agree to the transfer order?"

"Hmm." Liu Li was sharpening her knives and didn't look up.

“But…” Fu Jingchen paused, “If we go to the technical department, we can do more things together.”

Liu Li stopped what she was doing, looked up at him, and said, "Technician Fu, I can innovate just as well in the workshop. Besides, we're closer to the problems here."

Looking at the determination in her eyes, Fu Jingchen finally nodded: "I respect your choice."

This decision, in fact, earned her even more respect from her coworkers. Many veteran workers said, "This girl is truly honest."

But to everyone's surprise, Master Wang gave her a new task. That day, near the end of the workday, Master Wang said, "Starting tomorrow, spend two hours every day learning how to repair equipment with me."

Liu Li was stunned—equipment maintenance is a core skill in the workshop, usually taught only to experienced workers with over a decade of experience, and she had never heard of it being taught to new employees.

"Why are you teaching me this?" she couldn't help but ask.

Looking at the rows of machine tools in the workshop, Master Wang said in a deep voice, "Just knowing how to operate a machine tool makes you a good worker at best. To truly learn, you need to know why they turn and why they stop. Only when you understand these things can you be considered to truly understand machines."

Liu Li's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly realized that her decision to stay in the workshop might lead her down a different path—a path that was more difficult, but also more practical.