Master Wang's skill in filing keys in the shadows that night, and his words about "mind and hand as one," inspired Liu Li to practice diligently for a few days. At first, things went smoothly; she could occasionally insert the keys smoothly in a "blind copy," and the soft "click" sound was particularly pleasing. But after a few days, a new hurdle arose—Master Wang's requirements became stricter. Not only did the parts have to fit, but they also had to fit smoothly and fit perfectly; even the slightest deviation was unacceptable.

Now Liu Li was in a dilemma. The keys she made looked fine, but either one of the bevels wasn't rounded enough, making the parts a little sticky when inserted; or the key base and the "lock cylinder" weren't properly aligned, making them feel rough to the touch. These problems were almost invisible to the naked eye, but Master Wang could tell as soon as he touched them—he would run his rough fingers over the key a couple of times and say, "There's play here, don't you feel it?"; or he would insert and remove the key dozens of times, frowning and saying, "The sound is muffled, it's rubbing against something inside, let's fix it."

Liu Li followed her master's instructions, but she kept making mistakes. She'd fix one thing, and another would appear; the file in her hand seemed to have a temper, nothing she did felt right. The calipers were even worse; she had to guess the readings, and the more she guessed, the less confident she became. Frustration overwhelmed her. She was exhausted from working during the day, and even more exhausted from practicing at night. She couldn't sleep well, her mind filled with thoughts of the file and the keys. Even when Zhang Shulan told jokes in the canteen, she couldn't laugh; her eyes were as dark as a panda's.

"Lily, what's wrong with you lately? You look terrible, and your dark circles are practically falling off the ground." Zhang Shulan picked at the rice in her bowl, looking worried. "It's just a martial arts competition, don't wear yourself out."

Liu Li forced a smile but didn't say anything—she knew Shulan meant well, but for her, this competition wasn't just about skill; it was about proving herself that she could do it, and she couldn't afford to lose.

That evening, Liu Li stumbled again. In trying to correct a minor flaw pointed out by Master Wang, she ruined three key blanks in a row. Looking at the pile of useless copper blocks on the table, her anger flared up. She slammed the file down on the workbench with a loud clang in the quiet workshop. She braced herself against the workbench, head bowed, panting heavily, her chest pounding like a rabbit's, her fingers trembling violently, the calluses aching from the friction.

"I can't... I really can't..." These words filled her mind. "I can't grasp those lousy feelings at all!" She even felt a little resentful towards Master Wang—was he being too harsh? Were those minor flaws really that important?

Just then, the workshop door creaked open, and Fu Jingchen walked in carrying two books, seemingly having just returned from working overtime in the technical department. He paused, surprised to see Liu Li's appearance, and softened his steps: "Liu Li?"

Liu Li looked up abruptly, her eyes a little red. She quickly turned around, wiped her face with her sleeve, and said in a hoarse voice, "Engineer Fu... you haven't left yet?"

Fu Jingchen walked over to her, without looking at the broken key on the table or asking her what was wrong, and handed her a book: "This is 'Metalworking Science' that I borrowed from the library. It talks about the properties of copper and the tricks of filing. Maybe it can help you understand the feel of your hands."

Liu Li took the book; it was thick and still smelled of old paper and ink. Her mind was a mess, and she had no interest in reading, but Fu Jingchen's words sounded quite honest: "I... I can't concentrate on reading right now."

"It's alright, no rush." ​​Fu Jingchen smiled. "Sometimes when you get stuck on a rut, it's better to change your perspective. Master Wang wants 'perfection,' which is his decades of experience. It's normal that we can't reach that level right now. It's better to figure out why we can't reach it than to practice blindly."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the fire of anxiety in Liu Li's heart. She had always been struggling with her "feelings," but had never considered—why was it stuck here? Was the angle of the file wrong? Was the brass too soft, and should she be gentler?

Fu Jingchen didn't linger, saying, "Get some rest; your skills will suffer if you're not in good spirits," before leaving. The workshop quieted down again. Liu Li looked at the book in her hand, then at the file and discarded keys on the table, and took a deep breath. She knew she had lost her composure; Master Wang disliked being easily agitated, but she simply couldn't help it.

She stopped using the file and sat down on a small stool, turning the pages of a book under the dim light. She didn't expect to find the answer immediately; she just wanted to calm herself down and stop getting stuck in a dead end. As her fingers traced the diagrams on the pages, the turmoil in her mind slowly subsided, but the bottleneck was still there—breaking through it wouldn't be easy.

As night deepened, she was left alone in the workshop, clutching a thick book and facing a pile of copper blocks. She knew in her heart that she had to overcome this hurdle herself; no one could help her.