At night, not all workshops at the Hongxing Factory are dark. Some workshops, operating on a three-shift system, are still brightly lit late into the night, with machines humming away. But tonight, the sound of the machines in Workshop No. 3 carries a sense of urgency, unlike usual, and it weighs heavily on one's heart—the B215K gantry planer is like a paralyzed giant, completely motionless.

Liu Li followed Section Chief Chen and Fu Jingchen into the workshop. As soon as she pushed open the door, she sensed something was wrong: the lights were brighter than during the day, making her dizzy, and the smell of machine oil mixed with sweat hit her in the face. The gantry planer, which could usually plan workpieces half a person's height, had its ram stuck in the middle of the bed, with a large box that hadn't been planed yet pressed underneath it—it was an urgent part of an aid project, a military order, and it couldn't be delayed even for a day.

"What's going on?!" Section Chief Chen pushed through the crowd, raising his voice.

Master Wang, who was operating the planer, was still gripping the control lever, his face pale and his voice trembling: "Section Chief Chen, leaders... it was working fine just now, and suddenly there was a muffled 'bang,' like something inside broke, and the machine immediately alarmed and stopped! The slide can't move, it can't move forward or backward! This workpiece is only half planed!"

The deputy production manager stood in front of the control panel, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly: "At first glance, it seems there's a major problem with the feed or main drive! The key issue is that the ram is pressing down on the workpiece. This workpiece is extremely valuable, and it's an urgent order! If we forcibly disassemble and move it, and it gets bumped or damaged, the machine will break down even more severely, and the losses will be huge!"

"How about we try moving it in the opposite direction? Slowly pull it out?" Senior Engineer Li, whose hair had turned white, interjected.

The foreman immediately shook his head: "We tried it! The motor just makes a 'buzzing' sound and won't turn! It's definitely stuck inside, and stuck pretty tightly!"

"Is the main drive shaft broken? Or is the gearbox faulty?"

"Maybe the worm gear in the lifting mechanism is worn out!"

"I think there's a problem with the lead screw inside the slide block!"

A group of people started arguing and split into two factions: the old experts said to be cautious and quickly contact the manufacturer or the department's repair team, instead of messing around on their own to avoid making a mess; Zhao Dahai and several experienced workers were so anxious that they said waiting for outside help was too slow and the project schedule could not be delayed, so they should disassemble and check it themselves, since the people in the factory could not be ignorant of their own machines.

The two groups argued heatedly, their faces flushed, and the air in the conference room was thick with smoke, almost making the atmosphere thick and heavy.

Liu Li didn't get involved. She knew she was inexperienced and that interrupting at this point would only annoy people and no one would listen. She just stood there, her eyes scanning the motionless behemoth like a minefield. She walked around the machine twice, ignoring the noisy people, focusing solely on the equipment—a green light was flashing on the control cabinet, indicating the lubrication system; she crouched down to examine the gap between the slide and the guide rail, finding no metal filings; she listened intently, but apart from human voices, there were no other sounds coming from the machine.

Suddenly, she noticed a small oil stain behind the slide block and under the feed gearbox. The oil was new, a darker color than usual lubricating oil, making it stand out against the clean surface. Liu Li squatted down, rubbed the oil with her finger, and smelled it—it wasn't the usual lubricating oil smell; it had a slightly burnt smell and was a bit pungent.

Her heart skipped a beat: This isn't lubricating oil! It looks like hydraulic oil, or insulating coolant used in the control system!

A thought suddenly popped into my head: everyone was focusing on the mechanical parts—spindle, gears, lead screw—but what if the problem wasn't with these "power-generating" parts, but with those small "control" components? This planer is a newer model with a speed control system that combines electrical and mechanical components. If the servo valve inside gets stuck, or the connecting rod falls off, causing the signal to be transmitted incorrectly, it might misinterpret the machine and lock itself up!

The thought made Liu Li's breathing quicken. If that were true, the fault wouldn't be that significant, and the repair wouldn't be that risky! But if she said this, people would definitely think she was talking nonsense—a group of senior experts were focused on the machinery, and she, a young technician, was saying the problem was in the control unit? Who would believe that?

She glanced up and saw Fu Jingchen looking in her direction, his eyes filled with worry; Master Wang was also standing to the side, silent, just watching the scene with his old eyes, and also watching her.

The deputy factory manager here seems to want to listen to the old expert, and he picked up the phone to contact outside help.