Operating the bench drill felt like opening a new door for Liu Li. Unlike filing iron by hand, operating the machine required strict adherence to rules, constant attention to precision, and constant vigilance against danger; there was no room for carelessness.

Master Wang was strict in his teaching. He first made her memorize the safety regulations for a whole day—cuffs had to be tied tightly, gloves were not allowed, the workpiece had to be clamped securely, the speed had to be selected correctly, and he even went over how to stop the machine in an emergency if a problem occurred. “Machines don’t recognize people,” he said, tapping the drilling machine in a very serious tone. “If you follow the rules, it will work for you; if you dare to cheat, it can bite off your fingers!”

Liu Li felt a tightness in her chest as she listened, absorbing those words to the core. During the practical session, starting with drilling positioning holes in soft steel plates, Master Wang demonstrated how to clamp the workpiece and crank the feed handle. The hissing sound of the drill bit cutting into the metal had a more methodical quality than when grinding drill bits, which sounded reassuring. She learned diligently, and the holes she drilled were accurate and smooth. Master Wang looked on with even more satisfaction.

Before she could master tapping (making internal threads), the factory's union's night school started. It mainly taught Chinese, math, and physics to improve her basic literacy, and the workshop encouraged new apprentices to sign up. Liu Li signed up without hesitation—if she wanted to go far in her technical career, she couldn't do without education, and this was a good opportunity to bridge the gap between her and the times.

The first night was physics class. The classroom was in a bungalow of the factory-run primary school. The lights weren't very bright, and the desks and chairs were low, but it was full of young people. Liu Li and Zhang Shulan sat in the middle. The teacher, Mr. Wu, wore thick glasses and explained things quite clearly. That night, they talked about mechanics and even gave a problem: Using an unequal-arm lever and a counterweight of known weight, weigh an irregular workpiece.

The classroom quieted down, and many students frowned as they scribbled on paper. Liu Li glanced at it and realized it was just a matter of torque balance; not too difficult. She pondered for a moment, then wrote out the equation, clearly outlining the steps.

Teacher Wu glanced around and saw that her paper was full of writing, so he called on her: "That lady, come up and talk about it?"

Everyone looked over, but Liu Li remained calm. She walked to the front of the class, picked up a piece of chalk, and began drawing a force diagram while explaining. She went from the concept of torque to how to find the fulcrum and set up the equations, not only providing the answer but also thoroughly explaining the principles. Teacher Wu nodded repeatedly: "Well done! We need to learn this kind of 'knowing not only what, but also why' spirit!"

She didn't notice as she returned to her seat, but Fu Jingchen in the back row of the classroom saw everything. He came to night school to review what he had learned, but he didn't expect Liu Li to be so capable. He was even more impressed with this girl who was so focused on learning her skills.

As I walked out after class, I was stopped by several people at the dimly lit intersection. Leading the group was Sun Peng, who had also attended the class. He grinned sarcastically, "Hey, Technician Liu, you're doing well at night school! You're even giving lectures now? 'Exchanging ideas' with the technical staff really makes a difference; your skills improve so quickly!"

He emphasized the word "exchange," and his two henchmen beside him sneered. Zhang Shulan immediately exploded: "Sun Peng, watch your mouth!"

"How am I unclean?" Sun Peng raised his voice, attracting the attention of passersby. "I'm just curious, why does Technician Fu like to 'discuss issues' with you? It's so late at night, do you want to go to the technical department for some 'in-depth discussion'?"

These words were like knives, making Liu Li tremble with anger. She knew that arguing here would only make things worse. Just as she clenched her fists, trying to figure out how to respond, a clear voice came from behind her: "Comrade Sun Peng, please don't speak in a vague and ambiguous way!"

It was Fu Jingchen, pushing his bicycle over, his face quite serious: "Learning culture at night school is encouraged by the factory. Comrade Liu Li has learned well and is willing to share, which deserves praise. What I talked to her about was all technical work-related matters, nothing like the dirty stuff you're thinking!" He pushed up his glasses, his tone even harsher, "Slandering a comrade's reputation and undermining unity is wrong! If you're interested in technology, come to the technical department to talk, don't spread rumors here!"

As soon as Fu Jingchen spoke, Sun Peng immediately wilted. He hadn't expected Fu Jingchen to step forward so directly, and even accuse him of "undermining unity." He opened his mouth, his face flushed red, but he couldn't utter a word. Those around him chimed in, "That's right, don't overthink it!" "What's wrong with discussing technology?"

Sun Peng had no choice but to mutter "Who cares?" and leave with his men.

"Comrade Liu Li, don't take it to heart." Fu Jingchen turned to her, his tone softening.

"Thank you, Technician Fu." Liu Li sincerely thanked him; the panic she felt earlier, of feeling isolated and helpless, had completely dissipated.

"Of course." Fu Jingchen waved his hand and said, "By the way, your torque analysis was very clear. Our department is organizing the machining process cards, and we need to calculate some positioning and clamping forces. We'd like to hear your thoughts."

Moonlight streamed down the road as the three walked back. Zhang Shulan, quick-witted, made an excuse to go back to her dorm first, leaving the two alone. Liu Li and Fu Jingchen pushed their bikes side-by-side, initially silent, but later starting to talk about technology. Fu Jingchen said he was designing a small clamp, but he couldn't accurately calculate the force on the lever clamping mechanism. Liu Li listened, and drawing on what she had learned in class, offered him an analytical approach.

"That's a great idea! How come I didn't think of such a simplified calculation!" Fu Jingchen's eyes lit up. "Comrade Liu Li, your understanding of mechanical principles is truly remarkable."

Under the moonlight, he turned his head to look at her, his eyes behind his glasses particularly sincere. Liu Li lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, her heart filled with a mixture of sweetness and trepidation—since transmigrating to this place, this was the first time she had met someone with whom she could have such a congenial technical conversation. Yet, she also vaguely felt that after tonight, something different seemed to have grown between her and Fu Jingchen, not just technical appreciation, but also a kind of inexplicable affection.

Will this affection that blossomed under the moonlight in the steel factory be good or bad for her future? Liu Li looked at the two shadows on the ground, elongated by the streetlights, occasionally overlapping, and felt both sweet and a little uneasy.

Chapter 10 The First Test of Independent Operation

Although the night school incident was over, Liu Li knew in her heart that Sun Peng wouldn't let it go so easily. She suppressed her inexplicable feelings and focused all her attention on learning drilling and tapping—she needed to become proficient as soon as possible so that she could truly work independently in the workshop.

Master Wang became stricter with her, no longer teaching her step by step, and mostly letting her figure things out on her own. He would only give her a hint at key points, or if she made a mistake, he would glance at her and let her find the problem herself. "A feel for something is developed through practice, not by watching," Master Wang said bluntly. "Once you understand it in your mind, your hands have to follow."

Liu Li understood her master's meaning and studied diligently like a sponge. She practiced drilling and tapping repeatedly on cast iron, low-carbon steel, and brass, memorizing different speeds and feed rates. She even carefully studied the feel of her hand while tapping—smooth at first, difficult in the middle, and a slight "emptiness" at the very end—and memorized it all. More and more qualified parts accumulated on her workbench, with very few defective products. Seeing this, the experienced workers in the workshop privately told Master Wang, "Old Wang, your female apprentice has truly dedicated herself; she can really get to work."

That morning, Director Zhao hurriedly walked to the fitter group with a work order in hand: "Old Wang, urgent work! The assembly workshop is short of thirty connecting brackets, waiting for assembly and testing! The drawings are here, mainly drilling and tapping, the precision is not low, take a look..." He glanced at the young workers and hesitated a bit - the veteran workers all had work on their hands and couldn't spare the time.

Master Wang took the blueprints and glanced at them. The workpiece wasn't large, and its structure was simple, but it had several threaded holes of different specifications, requiring high precision in position and perpendicularity, which would be difficult for a novice. His gaze swept over the apprentices, finally settling on Liu Li: "Liu Li."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the surroundings for a moment. "Master," Liu Li said, putting down her work and standing up straight.

“You’ll do this batch of work,” Master Wang handed her the blueprints and work order. “From material collection and marking to drilling and tapping, do it all yourself. Submit it for inspection before you leave work today.”

Whispers immediately broke out around them—taking on a formal production task independently was a first for them, among their group of apprentices! Sun Peng's face darkened instantly. He had joined the factory a few days earlier than Liu Li and had never taken on this kind of work.

Liu Li's heart pounded; she was nervous, excited, and a little pressured. She took a deep breath, took the item, her nails clenched so tightly they turned white, but her voice was crisp: "I guarantee I'll complete the mission, Master!"

"Hmm." Master Wang nodded and turned to go about his business—this was trust, but also a heavy test.

Without delay, Liu Li quickly went to the warehouse to collect the raw materials. Back at her workstation, she didn't rush to start; instead, she spent half an hour thoroughly reviewing the drawings, memorizing every dimension and tolerance, and even drawing the process flow on paper to avoid confusion later. Then came the marking. She used a height gauge and scriber, her hand barely daring to tremble. After marking, she even used a center punch to check—if the marking was wrong, all the subsequent work would be wasted.

After getting ready, she started the drill press, and the familiar roar made her heart race. She clamped the first workpiece according to the procedure, selected the drill bit and adjusted the speed. The first hole was drilled very slowly. Only when the drill bit cut in smoothly and the iron filings were discharged did she breathe a sigh of relief.

One, two... She followed her planned steps, checking herself after each step—measuring the hole diameter with calipers after drilling, confirming the bottom hole diameter before tapping, feeling the force of the handle while tapping, removing chips in time, and even applying vegetable oil to the tap for lubrication.

Everyone in the workshop watched quietly; some were worried, some were curious, while Sun Peng secretly hoped she would make a mistake.

Time flew by. Liu Li's forehead was covered in sweat, and her work clothes on the back were soaked, but she didn't notice at all, her eyes only on the workpiece and tools. Her movements became more and more skilled, and her rhythm became steady, as if she had forgotten her surroundings. She finished eating lunch in ten minutes and immediately returned to her workstation to continue working.

Tapping in the afternoon is the most grueling part. The taps are very brittle; if you don't apply the right amount of force or don't remove the chips properly, they might break inside the hole, ruining the workpiece. Liu Li is completely focused, being extra careful with every turn and retraction.

After tapping the last threaded hole on the last workpiece, Liu Li used compressed air to blow away the iron filings and placed it in the inspection area. There was still half an hour before she got off work. She breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body felt weak, and her arms and shoulders were sore and numb, but looking at the thirty neatly arranged connecting brackets, she felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Director Zhao arrived with Old Li from the quality inspection department. Old Li checked everything one by one with calipers and thread plug gauges, and everyone watched. Master Wang also stopped working and stood to the side.

"Hole diameter is acceptable." "Hole spacing is acceptable." "Thread go/no-go gauge passes." "Perpendicularity is acceptable..." Old Li's voice, reporting the data, slowly changed from calm to surprise—out of thirty workpieces, not a single defective one, all the key dimensions were within tolerance, and many were even within tolerance!

"Great! Excellent!" Director Zhao clapped his hands and laughed. "Comrade Liu Li, well done! Zero defects on your first independent operation, you've brought honor to the workshop!"

A round of applause erupted around them, and the experienced craftsmen nodded in approval, their eyes filled with recognition as they looked at Liu Li. Liu Li blushed and looked at Master Wang.

Master Wang remained expressionless, casually picking up two workpieces to examine them, feeling the threaded holes—no burrs, the workmanship was quite neat. He put the workpieces down, looked at Liu Li, and slowly nodded: "Next month, we'll start learning to use a lathe."

Lathe! That's the core equipment in machining, called the "mother machine of industry." Only by learning it can you truly enter the world of machining! Liu Li's heart warmed instantly, all her fatigue disappeared, and she was filled with anticipation.

But she also noticed that Sun Peng, standing outside the crowd, looked at her with a gaze that was not just jealous, but also gloomy—as if he knew the gap between them was too big, and he was unwilling and resentful.

Liu Li's success this time was like a stone thrown into water, stirring up praise but also unleashing deeper undercurrents. The path to learning to operate a lathe will certainly not be easy.