At noon, sunlight streamed through the windows into the small canteen of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, filling the air with the aroma of food and cheerful laughter.
The technicians sat together, discussing technical issues in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the leaders sat down at a table in a private room and enjoyed a sumptuous lunch.
Originally, Sun Zhengguo didn't plan to drink alcohol because he had a busy afternoon ahead of him, so as not to affect his work efficiency.
However, news from an unknown source informed several leaders that he had a good capacity for alcohol.
Faced with the enthusiastic invitation from several leaders, Sun Zhengguo found it difficult to refuse and ultimately had no choice but to have a few drinks with them.
As the banquet progressed, the conversation flowed more freely, and Director Yang, emboldened by the alcohol, began to chat.
"Deputy Section Chief Sun, how long will this equipment upgrade take?"
Sun Zhengguo pondered for a moment before answering.
"Director Yang, it's really hard to say for sure. If everything goes smoothly, it will probably take about ten days to half a month. But if we encounter some difficulties or need more debugging, then it's hard to say."
He didn't make any definitive statements, because this is currently only a theoretical plan and has not yet been put into practice or tested.
Only after they see the finished product and try it out themselves can they determine whether the modification was truly successful.
"That's good, that's good. Deputy Section Chief Sun, please don't misunderstand, we were just asking casually."
Director Yang's words were cryptic and left everyone confused.
Although Sun Zhengguo had some doubts, he didn't pay much attention to it, thinking it was just ordinary small talk.
So he smiled and replied, "Oh, it's okay, I won't misunderstand." Then he continued eating.
Actually, there must have been a reason why Director Yang asked that question.
He didn't have high hopes for Sun Zhengguo's ability to successfully modify the machinery.
What Director Yang was most worried about was that Sun Zhengguo wouldn't be staying here for long, and he wouldn't know who to ask to repair his warehouse full of junk.
Now that they knew the exact time, there was finally hope for the dilapidated warehouse. Director Yang was in high spirits and had a few more drinks with Sun Zhengguo.
Seeing that the factory director was personally toasting everyone, the other leaders followed suit and toasted Sun Zhengguo as well, bringing the banquet to a climax.
After lunch, the leaders saw that Sun Zhengguo was acting as if nothing had happened and was working normally as usual. Only then did they believe that the rumors were true and that he really did have a huge capacity for alcohol.
In the afternoon, the first hot rolling mill was successfully repaired, but many complex parts were still being processed. Sun Zhengguo and his team then began repairing the second machine.
After a while, three more people arrived, all of them technicians who were stationed at the factory below.
Through their self-introductions, Sun Zhengguo learned their names.
The most skilled technician among them is named Zhao Guoping, who is currently at technician level 11.
Sun Zhengguo tested him again and found that his skills were about the same as Senior Brother Chen's, so he asked curiously.
"Comrade Zhao Guoping, I've noticed that your skills are far beyond your usual level. Can you tell me why?"
Upon hearing this question, Zhao Guoping was taken aback. He had just returned from a field trip to a steel plant and hadn't even gone back to the Ministry of Metallurgy, so he had no idea what the situation was.
"Deputy Section Chief Sun, I..."
Seeing Zhao Guoping's stammering expression, Sun Zhengguo understood that this must be another mess caused by Huang Guangquan.
"It's alright, speak freely. Section Chief Huang has been arrested. Now I'm in charge of Section One, and no one will make things difficult for you anymore."
Seeing that Zhao Guoping was still hesitant and seemed not to believe Sun Zhengguo's words, a colleague from the Second Section quickly explained.
"Guoping, don't worry, Deputy Section Chief Sun didn't lie to you. Section Chief Huang was indeed arrested. The Ministry of Metallurgy posted a notice today. I saw it with my own eyes. I reckon he's going to get shot this time."
Seeing his colleague's confident assertion, Zhao Guoping finally lowered his guard and began to recount his past.
It turned out that Zhao Guoping's family had elderly parents and young children, a total of seven or eight people, and they all relied on his salary to make a living. They simply didn't have any money to give to Section Chief Huang.
In addition, he was not good at flattery, so Section Chief Huang suppressed him, making him frequently go to the factory to stay on-site, and not registering him for the assessment, saying that his skills were not up to par and that he needed to study more.
"Are you two in the same situation?"
After hearing Zhao Guoping's story, Sun Zhengguo asked about the remaining two technicians.
The two technicians are named Ma Weidong, a level 12 technician, and Li Baocai, a level 13 technician.
At this moment, Ma Weidong's eyes were red, and he kept nodding, while Li Baocai said through gritted teeth.
"That beast surnamed Huang deserved to die. If it weren't for my seriously ill mother, I would have quit working under him a long time ago."
Seeing their aggrieved expressions, Sun Zhengguo quickly said something in an attempt to win them over.
"Don't worry, I will report this matter to Vice Minister Bai truthfully and ask him to take charge for you."
"Thank you, Deputy Section Chief Sun."
They all said in unison.
"Oh! Right, I remember there were four people staking out the place. Why didn't the other one come to report?"
Upon hearing Sun Zhengguo mention this legendary figure, the group exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond.
"What? Did I remember wrong?"
“Deputy Section Chief Sun, if you remember correctly, there is indeed another person. His name is Wang Lefeng. He is stationed at Hongqi Steel Plant. It may be a bit far away, so he won’t be able to arrive until tomorrow.”
Zhao Guoping stepped forward to explain.
"What were your expressions like just now? Is there something wrong with Wang Lefeng?"
“Deputy Section Chief Sun, you may not know this, but the three of us were forced to go down to the front lines. Wang Lefeng, nicknamed Crazy Wang, usually likes to study steel. He volunteered to go down to the front lines, saying that staying in the ministry was meaningless. Over time, he was like a forgotten person.”
"Oh~!"
Hearing Zhao Guoping's explanation instantly piqued Sun Zhengguo's curiosity.
People who can be called madmen are often capable of doing amazing things; they remain silent until they make a stunning statement.
"Could you tell me more about this person?"
“Deputy Section Chief Sun, what about Wang Lefeng? You might say he’s crazy, but he’s not really crazy. At work, if no one reminds him, he won’t even go to eat.”
"All he does is conduct research, but some of the things he does are so incomprehensible that even Section Chief Huang avoids him like the plague. In the end, he was assigned to work at the Hongqi Steel Plant as he wished. We don't know the specifics of his situation."
After hearing Zhao Guoping's analysis, Sun Zhengguo felt that this person was either a madman or a great talent, but it was just a matter of waiting for someone to discover him.
But what kind of person is Wang Lefeng?
Sun Zhengguo didn't know, but he was very much looking forward to it.
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