Liu Lu suppressed her anger and tried her best to calm herself down.

She understood that the most important thing now was to prepare for the selection process, not to be defeated by these rumors.

Taking a deep breath, she returned to her office and began preparing the materials.

Turning on her computer, the densely packed documents gave her a headache.

Industry standards, technical specifications, innovative achievements...

The amount of information she needed to prepare was vast and complex, like a mountain pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

To make matters worse, with the selection process imminent and time extremely tight, she also had to juggle her daily work, leaving her with almost no time to spare.

The title of "Outstanding Engineer" is not something that can be earned casually.

This selection is not only an affirmation of individual abilities, but also a recognition of the factory's technical strength.

Factory Director Wang had high hopes for her, and she also wanted to bring honor to the factory and prove herself.

But how easy is that?

Liu Lu rubbed her temples, feeling a wave of weakness wash over her.

She picked up the phone and dialed Director Wang's number: "Director Wang, I would like to ask for a few days off to focus on preparing for the selection."

"Approved!" Factory Director Wang's voice was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation. "You've worked hard these past few days. Focus on your preparations; the factory will fully support you!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Lu felt a little more at ease.

However, she did not expect that the news of her request for leave would cause a stir in the factory.

"Oh, you haven't even been awarded the title yet, and you're already putting on airs?"

"Exactly, it's just a selection process, why is she taking leave? I think she's too arrogant!"

"Who knows? Maybe they're feeling guilty and afraid of being exposed!"

These idle gossips pierced Liu Lu's heart like needles.

She knew that some people were jealous of her and couldn't stand to see her doing well.

She quietly packed her things, preparing to go home and work overtime.

Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Technician Sun walked in.

"Engineer Liu, don't listen to those gossips, I believe in you!" Technician Sun said sincerely. "If you need any help, just let me know!"

Liu Lu looked at him gratefully, her eyes slightly moist.

She took a deep breath, fighting back tears, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Sun. I'm fine, I'll prove them right!"

Back home, Liu Lu plunged into piles of documents and began a long and arduous preparation process.

On the table, the lamp cast a dim yellow light, illuminating her tired face.

Suddenly, a small hand gently stroked her cheek...

"Mother……"

Liu Lu was brought back to her senses by her daughter Liu Bei's innocent voice.

She looked up and saw her daughter looking at her with big, concerned eyes.

Liu Bei climbed onto the chair with a sensible gesture and used her little hands to help her mother tidy up the documents scattered on the table, saying in her childish voice, "Mommy, let me help you." Liu Lu felt a warmth in her heart, hugged her daughter, and gently kissed her forehead.

The mother and daughter snuggled together, a heartwarming scene that touched many.

The next day, Technician Sun brought bad news.

"Engineer Liu, I heard that one of the judges, Judge Lin, seems to have some issues with our factory and might deliberately make things difficult for you during the evaluation." Technician Sun said with a serious expression and a worried tone.

Liu Lu's heart sank, but she did not back down; instead, she became even more determined.

"We'll meet force with force, and we'll dam water with earth." Liu Lu's eyes were firm. "I will do everything in my power and will never let those who look down on us succeed!"

In the days that followed, Liu Lu devoted herself even more tirelessly to the preparations.

She carefully studied industry standards, meticulously analyzed technical specifications, and revised and improved her report again and again.

She was like a tireless spinning top, constantly turning, wanting to do everything perfectly.

Just when Liu Lu thought everything was ready, she suddenly discovered a serious problem: a crucial piece of experimental data was missing!

This data is the core support for her research results; without it, all her efforts would have been in vain.

“The data…where is the data…” Liu Lu searched through all the documents, but still couldn’t find that crucial data.

She paced anxiously back and forth, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Could it be...could it really all be for naught?" Liu Lu murmured to herself, a hint of despair flashing in her eyes.

Suddenly, as if she had just remembered something, she abruptly looked up, her gaze fixing on a long-forgotten cardboard box in the corner of the office…

"etc……"

Liu Lu rushed to the cardboard box, lifted the thick layer of dust, and began rummaging through it.

The cardboard box was crammed with all sorts of old documents and materials, and was in a mess.

Liu Lu didn't care about anything else. Like a diligent little bee, she rummaged through the pile of papers, hoping to find the missing data.

Time passed second by second, and the contents of the cardboard box dwindled, but the crucial data remained nowhere to be found.

Liu Lu's heart sank, and a wave of despair washed over her.

"Is it really impossible to find it?" Liu Lu slumped to the ground, holding her head in her hands, feeling as if her whole world had collapsed.

Just then, Factory Director Wang pushed open the door and walked in.

Seeing Liu Lu's distraught appearance, he asked with concern, "Liu Lu, what's wrong?"

Liu Lu raised her head and told Director Wang the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Director Wang frowned, knowing the importance of this data to Liu Lu.

"Don't worry, let's think of a solution together," Factory Director Wang comforted her.

He immediately called several old friends and inquired about the whereabouts of the data.

Persistence pays off. After much effort, Director Wang finally contacted a retired engineer who had participated in the research and might still have the original data.

Factory Director Wang immediately drove to the old engineer's residence and, after some pleading, finally obtained the valuable data.

When Director Wang returned to the factory with the data and saw Liu Lu anxiously waiting, his heart finally settled down.

"Found it!" Factory Director Wang shouted excitedly, handing the data to Liu Lu.

Liu Lu received the data as if it were a priceless treasure, and was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes.

She held Director Wang's hand tightly, choking back tears, and said, "Thank you, Director Wang, you are truly my savior!"

With this data, Liu Lu's preparation work could finally proceed smoothly.

She worked tirelessly, organizing all the data meticulously and flawlessly.

Those who were waiting to see her fail were dumbfounded. They never expected that Liu Lu would be able to overcome so many difficulties and complete this seemingly impossible task.

Liu Lu submitted the prepared materials to the selection committee with a confident smile on her face.

She took a deep breath, turned to leave, but heard a sarcastic voice behind her: "Oh, all ready? I'd like to see what you've got up your sleeve..."

As expected, after Liu Lu submitted her materials, Judge Lin began to make things difficult for her.

One minute they say the format is wrong, the next they say the data isn't detailed enough, and then they say the charts aren't clear enough.

Liu Lu patiently revised the document again and again, carefully adjusting it each time according to Judge Lin's requirements, striving for perfection.

However, after each revision, Judge Lin always managed to find new faults, as if nitpicking, and it never ended.

"The font is too small to read," Judge Lin said, adjusting his glasses with a harsh tone.

Liu Lu took a deep breath and enlarged the font.

"The line spacing is too narrow, it's tiring to read." Judge Lin found another fault.

Liu Lu revised it again, adjusting the line spacing.

"The chart colors are too flashy and not professional enough," Judge Lin said, still dissatisfied.

Liu Lu suppressed her anger and changed the chart's color to black, white, and gray.

After this happened several times, Liu Lu finally realized that Judge Lin wasn't offering any suggestions at all, but was deliberately making things difficult for her.

She recalled Technician Sun's reminder, and a surge of anger rose within her.

Am I really going to be at their mercy?

No, she would never admit defeat!

Liu Lu decided to take the initiative and meet with Judge Lin in person.

She wanted to find out why Judge Lin was making things so difficult for her.

The next morning, Liu Lu arrived at the door of Judge Lin's office.

She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Come in." Judge Lin's voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotion.

Liu Lu pushed open the door and entered, seeing Judge Lin sitting at his desk with her documents in his hand.

"Hello, Judge Lin, I'm Liu Lu." Liu Lu tried her best to keep her tone calm.

Judge Lin looked up, sized Liu Lu up and down, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "I know who you are. Tell me, what brings you here?"

"I'd like to talk to you about the selection process," Liu Lu said, getting straight to the point.

"Selection? What else do you have to talk about? I've looked at your application; it's full of flaws and doesn't meet the selection criteria at all." Judge Lin's tone was firm and uncompromising.

"Judge Lin, I know my materials still have some shortcomings, but I have tried my best to revise them. If you have any further comments, please let me know directly, and I will continue to improve." Liu Lu tried her best to control her emotions and spoke sincerely.

"Improve? You think you still have a chance to improve?" Judge Lin sneered. "Let me tell you, you have no chance in this selection!"

Liu Lu's heart tightened, but she did not give up. "Judge Lin, I hope you can give me a fair chance to compete. I know you have some opinions about our factory, but that should not affect my efforts to win the selection."

"Opinion? What opinion do I have?" Judge Lin's eyes flickered. "I'm just stating the facts; your materials are indeed not good."

"Judge Lin, are you really just stating the facts?" Liu Lu stared intently at Judge Lin. "Or do you have ulterior motives?"

Judge Lin's expression changed. "What do you mean?"

Liu Lu stepped forward, her tone firm, "My meaning is very clear: I hope you can treat me fairly and justly, and not let personal reasons affect the selection results."

Judge Lin remained silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He spoke slowly, "Liu Lu, you are very smart and brave. However, there are some things that are beyond your control."

"Is that so?" Liu Lu sneered. "Then we'll see."

After saying that, Liu Lu turned and left, leaving Judge Lin alone at his desk with a gloomy expression...

He picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Hello, it's me... The plans have changed..."