Before the excitement of the emergency repairs had even died down, the factory issued an official document, which was posted on the bulletin boards of each workshop—to establish "Quality Management Teams," or QC teams. The broadcast station repeatedly announced this at noon, saying it was to "learn from good foreign experiences, mobilize everyone to come up with ways to improve quality, reduce waste, and do more work." It even included new terms like "PDCA cycle" and "fishbone diagram." The veteran workers scratched their heads, muttering as they squatted in the corner smoking, "What QC stuff? It's just about figuring out how to do things better and make fewer mistakes. Why all this foreign stuff?"

Liu Li was stunned when she heard this—she had heard these terms every day when she was working on quality improvement in a factory in her previous life, and she never expected that this was still being done in this day and age. She felt a surge of excitement. She understood that this was not some empty task, but a real opportunity: she could put her skills to practical use and also get everyone involved, so she wouldn't have to work alone anymore.

A few days later, at the workshop's routine meeting, Director Zhao brought up the QC group again, slamming his hand on the table and saying, "The factory attaches great importance to this, and our workshop can't fall behind! Especially us young people, don't be afraid, if you have ideas, go for it, the workshop will support you!" As he spoke, he glanced at Liu Li.

When the meeting ended, Liu Li didn't leave. She waited for Director Zhao and Master Wang to pack up their things, then leaned over and said, "Director, Master, I have an idea about the QC team."

Director Zhao's eyes lit up: "Oh? Little Liu has an idea? Tell me quickly!" Master Wang didn't speak, but held the chipped enamel mug and drank the cold tea, while his eyes gestured for her to continue.

“I’m thinking that when we do QC, we should start with practical problems,” Liu Li said decisively. “First, we should keep an eye on the C620 lathe that was just repaired, as well as other machines of the same model. Sun Peng’s accident this time was ostensibly due to improper operation, but it was actually because he didn’t keep up with the regular inspections and maintenance. We need to establish clear rules about when to check, what to check, and how to maintain the machines, so that we don’t let them work ‘with defects’ again.”

Master Wang put down his teacup and nodded: "Treating the root cause rather than the symptoms, that's the right approach."

"Secondly, there are the current export orders," Liu Li continued. "The precision of the parts is sufficient, but the surface gloss of some parts is unstable, and rework is sometimes necessary, which is both time-consuming and risky. We can figure out whether the tool is not adjusted properly, the cutting fluid concentration is incorrect, or the machine is shaking a bit, and try to produce more good parts."

"Good! This is what it means to get things done!" Director Zhao slapped his thigh. "Old Wang, look at your apprentice! He not only knows how to repair machines, but he also knows how to come up with solutions! Xiao Liu, you take the lead, and the workshop will support you in everything! You decide what the team should be called and who should join!"

Master Wang looked at Liu Li and instructed her, "If you're going to do this, do it properly, don't just do it half-heartedly. Choose honest people who are willing to get things done, and establish the rules from the beginning."

With these words in mind, Liu Li immediately took action. She first found Zhang Shulan, and when she told her about it back in the dormitory, Zhang Shulan immediately jumped up: "I'll work with you! Although my skills are not as good as yours, I'm good at running errands, remembering things, and supervising people to do their jobs! If anyone tries to slack off, I'll be the first to confront them!" Liu Li was amused by her and felt warm inside—having a reliable friend by her side made her feel at ease.

Then, Liu Li hesitated for a moment, but still went to the technical department. The office door was ajar, and the smell of ink filled the air. Fu Jingchen was hunched over his desk drawing blueprints, while technician Xiao Zhou was organizing data beside him. Liu Li knocked on the door, and Fu Jingchen looked up and saw her, startled: "Comrade Liu Li? Is there something you need?"

"Mr. Fu, I'd like to ask you for a favor." Liu Li explained the matter of setting up a QC team, "I'd like to ask you to be a technical consultant, to help with the accounting and problem analysis."

Fu Jingchen's eyes lit up immediately, and he pushed up his glasses: "This is great! I'll definitely help improve production using scientific methods!" He then turned to Xiao Zhou and called out, "Zhou Wei, haven't you always wanted to learn through practice? Join us!" Xiao Zhou quickly nodded: "Yes! Sister Liu Li, I can help organize the data and draw tables!"

Liu Li then went to find Li Dashan from the machine repair team. Old Li was squatting on the ground repairing a water pump, his hands covered in grease. After listening to Liu Li's explanation, he pondered for a while, a cigarette dangling from his lips, then grinned and said, "Alright! You're a straightforward girl, no gimmicks. Following your lead and getting involved in this new trick might actually reduce the equipment's problems and save us from having to put out fires every day!"

Finally, Master Wang reminded her, "You need to find an experienced old worker to oversee things; don't let young people assume things." So Liu Li went to find Master Li Weidong—Master Li was a man of few words, but had worked in the workshop for over twenty years and knew the quirks of every machine inside and out. At first, Master Li declined, saying, "I'm not very literate; I don't understand these new gadgets you're making. Don't cause trouble." Liu Li sincerely said, "Master Li, you're very experienced and know where problems are likely to occur. With you here, we can avoid a lot of detours." Master Li thought for a while and finally nodded, "Okay, I'll watch and see. I'll tell you if anything is wrong."

In this way, the QC team consisted of seven people: Liu Li led the team, Zhang Shulan did odd jobs and errands, Fu Jingchen and Xiao Zhou handled the technical aspects, Li Dashan was in charge of machine repair, and Li Weidong served as an advisor. After thinking for a while, Liu Li named the team "Machinery Pioneer QC Team"—hoping that everyone would dare to take risks and try new things, and set an example.

The first meeting was during lunch break. Since there was no meeting room, everyone moved a few tool boxes from a corner of the workshop to use as stools. An old tarpaulin was spread on the floor. Liu Li wrote her ideas on the back of scrap blueprints, her handwriting neat and tidy. She first explained to everyone what QC was about, emphasizing "use data to speak, fix problems, and then check again," and not to overthink things.

Zhang Shulan listened with wide eyes, occasionally interjecting, "So, what you're saying is that when we work in the future, we not only have to do it well, but we also have to remember where problems are likely to occur, right?" Fu Jingchen and Xiao Zhou nodded repeatedly, while Li Dashan and Li Weidong were more concerned about how to do it specifically.

"Let's focus on the first thing: figuring out how to inspect and maintain the lathe." Liu Li pointed to the words on the blueprint. "Foreman Li, Master Li, could you two tell me what problems the C620 lathe is most prone to? What parts are easily overlooked during inspection?"

Li Weidong, puffing on his hand-rolled tobacco, said slowly, “The spindle box makes a lot of noise, the slide block is prone to loosening, and the cooling pump is always getting clogged; the foundation bolts also need to be checked frequently, otherwise the machine will shake.” Li Dashan added, “And when it comes to changing the oil, you not only have to check if there’s enough, but also if the oil is dry, and the filter screen also needs to be cleaned frequently, otherwise if the oil gets clogged, the bearings will easily burn out.”

Fu Jingchen took notes in a small notebook, asking questions every now and then: "When does the spindle box usually start making noise? Does it start as soon as you turn it on, or does it start after a while?" Liu Li was drawing a table next to her, saying as she drew: "Let's categorize these things to check, what to check before work each day, what to check on weekends, what to check at the end of the month, make a list, and the operators can check it according to the table, check it, and report any problems immediately, so that nothing is missed."

Everyone thought it was a good idea, and Zhang Shulan immediately raised her hand: "Leave the work of drawing tables and copying things to me! I write fast, and I guarantee that I can copy it clearly!" Xiao Zhou also said: "I can make the tables more standardized and print them out for everyone to use."

The meeting lasted for almost an hour before it ended when the bell rang. No one was talking nonsense; everyone was thinking about how to solve the problem, and everyone had a fresh and exciting look on their faces—before, everyone was doing their own thing, but now that they were all working together to find solutions, it felt different.

Looking at the people around her, Liu Li felt extremely reassured. Now she wasn't alone; Fu Jingchen was technically skilled, Master Li and Foreman Li were experienced, and Zhang Shulan was also helping out. They could overcome any difficulty. She knew that QC was definitely not easy; some people might not understand or cooperate, but as long as she genuinely solved problems and achieved results, everyone would eventually recognize her efforts. This path of working together and improving together had only just begun, and she was confident she could continue.