Carrying the lingering warmth of home, Liu Li returned to the Hongxing Machinery Factory. The moment she stepped into the technical department office, she keenly sensed that the air was different from usual.

The lingering sense of distance, like morning mist dispelled by the sunlight, vanished completely. It was replaced by a mixture of admiration, curiosity, and even a touch of cautious intimacy.

"Engineer Liu, you're here!" A technician a few years older than her greeted her with a smile, naturally using the respectful title "Engineer" usually reserved for senior technicians.

"Good morning, Engineer Liu!"

"Engineer Liu..."

The repeated calls of "Engineer Liu" made Liu Li slightly uncomfortable, but she still smiled and nodded in response. She walked to her desk and found that the enamel mug had been filled with hot water, and the files piled on the corner of the desk had been tidied up and arranged neatly.

She had just sat down when the old technician at the opposite desk, the one who had previously been quite critical of her "showing off" at the fault analysis meeting, walked over somewhat awkwardly with a few drawings in hand.

“Xiao Liu… ah, no, Engineer Liu,” he cleared his throat, a somewhat unnatural smile on his face, “I have some questions about the dimensions on this part drawing. Could you take a look? You have a good eye and are very meticulous.”

Liu Li paused slightly, then readily accepted the drawings. She knew this wasn't just a simple request for advice, but rather a gesture, a form of recognition. She examined them carefully, quickly pointing out two potentially ambiguous annotations and offering clearer alternatives.

"Oh! Yes, yes, yes! This way of marking is much clearer! Thank you, Engineer Liu!" The old technician suddenly realized, thanked him repeatedly, took the drawings and went back, looking much more relaxed.

A moment later, the deputy team leader in charge of process drafting came over and placed a document on her desk. His tone was more serious than ever before: "Comrade Liu Li, this is a new batch of urgent orders. The parts have some special structures and there are a few difficulties in the process. The section chief has instructed that you be primarily responsible for overseeing the drafting and review of this process sheet."

This clearly indicates that a more core and technically demanding task has been assigned to her. Not long ago, such tasks were not even within the reach of a trainee technician with a "worker's background".

This was especially noticeable during lunch breaks in the cafeteria. Previously, she usually sat with Fu Jingchen, or occasionally with Zhang Shulan. Today, as soon as she got her food, several colleagues from the technical department warmly invited her to sit down. The conversation was no longer casual chatter, but focused on specific technical issues. Everyone listened attentively to her opinions, and some even engaged in lively discussions about particular details. Fu Jingchen sat diagonally opposite her, watching her calmly interact with her colleagues, his eyes filled with a gentle smile and a sense of pride.

In the afternoon, the technical department held a brief technical discussion on how to optimize the turning process of a certain type of thin-walled parts and reduce deformation. When the department head raised the topic, almost everyone's eyes turned to Liu Li.

"Comrade Liu Li, you've worked on similar precision machining in the project team. What are your thoughts?" The section chief addressed her directly, his tone more of a solicitation than a command.

Liu Li did not refuse. Drawing on her experience in ministry project teams and her insights from actual workshop operations, she systematically analyzed several key factors affecting deformation and proposed several practical suggestions for process improvement. Her explanation was clear, concise, and well-supported by theory while closely aligned with production realities.

When she spoke, the meeting room was completely silent, except for the scratching of pens on notebooks. After she finished speaking, the section chief led the applause, and the others nodded in agreement. The subsequent discussion mainly focused on deepening and refining the suggestions she had made.

At the end of the meeting, the section chief walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder: "Liu Li, you'll have to take on more of the technical difficulties in the section in the future."

All these changes were subtle yet crystal clear. Liu Li knew that the thrilling equipment repair, the weighty "Special Contribution Award" medal, and the story published in the factory newspaper and the city's industrial bulletin had completely transformed her situation in the technical department.

She was no longer the "newcomer" who needed to carefully prove herself, but a key technical member genuinely recognized by her colleagues and entrusted with important responsibilities by her superiors. Her opinions were valued, and her abilities were seen as a "trump card" for solving complex problems.

Her position wasn't secured through promotion, but rather through solid technical skills and remarkable achievements. Liu Li walked back to the workshop, the setting sun casting a long shadow. She took a deep breath, feeling the heavy trust and expectations placed upon her shoulders, and her steps became increasingly firm and steady. The road ahead was long, but at least here, she had laid a solid foundation through her own efforts.