Time flies like the tightly meshed gears in a factory, clattering and turning rapidly. Before we know it, the calendar for 1973 is almost over.

The weather was getting colder, but the workshop was surprisingly warm. Liu Li rubbed her slightly frozen fingers, preparing to finish the last drawing, when the loudspeaker in the corner crackled to life, breaking the afternoon's stillness. Everyone was used to the noise; they went about their business as usual, and few looked up.

But today, broadcaster Lao Chen's voice seemed louder than usual, carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

"...According to our station, my country has recently reached important cooperation agreements with several foreign companies to import several sets of large-scale complete sets of chemical fiber equipment and fertilizer production facilities...This move will greatly alleviate the tight supply of textile raw materials in my country, enhance agricultural production capacity, and meet the growing material needs of the people..."

The broadcast continued, using terms like "modernization," "technology import," and "filling gaps."

The drawing pencil in Liu Li's hand fell gently onto the drawing paper with a "thud".

Chemical fiber equipment! Fertilizer equipment!

These words struck her heart like a gentle tap with a small hammer. She abruptly looked up at the small, dusty loudspeaker, as if she could see further through it.

In the workshop, most people were still busy with their work. The veteran workers were engrossed in their tasks, while the younger workers chatted and laughed as they packed up their tools to go home. They didn't seem to notice anything different about the announcement. At most, someone might mutter, "They've brought in foreign machinery again? When will they get some new stuff for our workshop too?"

But in Liu Li's heart, it was as if a stone had been thrown in, causing ripples to spread outwards.

She knew all too well what this meant. In her time, it was practically common sense—the mid-to-late 1970s was a crucial period for the country to massively import Western technology and equipment in an attempt to rapidly upgrade its basic industrial capabilities. Chemical fibers could solve the problem of clothing, making "Dacron" less of a rarity; chemical fertilizers could increase grain production and fill stomachs. These were the most practical and urgent needs.

The import of such massive equipment inevitably presents a huge challenge to China's machinery manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and assimilation capabilities. Those foreign machines can't simply be brought back and plugged in to run.

"Lily, what are you daydreaming about? It's time to get off work!" Zhang Shulan's loud voice rang in her ear, and she casually patted her.

Liu Li snapped out of her daze and forced a smile: "Oh, I'll be going then."

She slowly packed up her tools, her mind in turmoil. She remembered when she first arrived, needing ration coupons to buy cloth and calculating every penny for fine grains. Most of the factory's equipment was outdated Soviet-style machinery, lacking precision and efficiency. And now, the broadcasts were already announcing the introduction of more advanced complete sets of equipment.

The pace of this era may seem slow, but once it starts moving, it is both rapid and powerful.

On her way to the canteen to get food, she overheard two elderly workers chatting.

"Have you heard? They're going to import foreign machinery, specifically for synthetic fibers!"

“That’s great news! My husband has been talking about buying some good material to make pants for half a year now.”

"It's good, but can we handle those foreign gadgets? Don't let it end up like before, just sitting there like an ancestor to be worshipped."

These words, like a small thorn, gently pricked Liu Li.

That evening, instead of going straight back to her dormitory as usual, she went to the factory's reading room. There were several newspapers and industry reference articles there. She flipped through the recent issues and, sure enough, found more reports and discussions about technology imports and equipment upgrades in some inconspicuous corners. Between the lines, she could sense a surging undercurrent of eagerness to change the status quo.

She closed the newspaper and walked to the window. Outside, the factory lights twinkled, and the distant city silhouette appeared blurry and quiet in the winter night. But Liu Li seemed to hear another sound, a deep and powerful rumble, coming from a more distant place—the sound of the wheels of time accelerating.

An individual's efforts are like a screw in a factory; only when screwed into the great machine of the nation can they truly play a role. All her previous struggles, studies, and research seemed to be unconscious preparations for a larger, upcoming stage.

Chemical fiber equipment... textile machinery... how many precision machining and automatic control problems need to be solved here? She subconsciously clenched her fist, her palms feeling a little hot.

"Can you feel the wind direction?" a gentle voice sounded from the side.

Liu Li turned her head and saw that Fu Jingchen had also come to the reading room at some point and was standing next to her, also looking out at the night.

"Hmm," Liu Li responded softly, "the wind seems to be getting stronger."

Fu Jingchen smiled, his eyes shining brightly under the light: "Yeah. Tech people need to have a keen sense of smell. There's the smell of ink and blueprints in this wind, maybe... there's still a chance for us."

Neither of them spoke again, standing quietly by the window. The cold glass blocked out the chill from outside, but it couldn't block the increasingly clear pulse of the times, which was seeping into their hearts through the ground beneath their feet.

Liu Li knew that it was time for her little boat, which had been struggling in the Red Star Factory for so long, to try to see the waves in wider waters.