The ruler is sharp and the tung tree is not fair.
The success of the first beam and Mr. Mo's signature of approval gave Lan Tongtong a boost of confidence. She began to work even more actively, spending her days on-site familiarizing herself with the process and her nights cramming the manuals and specifications Mr. Mo had given her. She looked forward to completing the next inspection with even greater perfection, leaving no room for criticism.
However, reality quickly dealt her a cold shoulder. Next came the inspection of the steel reinforcement binding for several pier foundations. The on-site supervisor responsible for this section was Liu Feng. Lan Tongtong felt she had been thoroughly prepared, having strictly followed the drawings for the steel bar specifications, spacing, and protective layer spacers. After passing her self-inspection, she confidently approached Liu Feng, who was drinking tea in the construction site office.
"Mr. Liu, the steel bars of the No. 3 pedestal have been tied. Please go and inspect them." Lan Tongtong said politely.
Liu Feng slowly put down his teacup and glanced at her: "Oh, Xiaolan, unfortunately, I still have some information to sort out here. You go back first, I'll come over when I'm done."
This wait lasted two hours. It wasn't until Lan Tongtong went to ask him a second time that Liu Feng finally arrived, cigarette in hand, staggering onto the scene. He measured here and there with a ruler, his brow furrowed.
"Xiao Lan, look at the lap length of this steel bar. Isn't it a bit tight?" Liu Feng pointed at a weld and said with an exaggerated questioning tone.
Lan Tongtong's heart tightened, and she quickly took out the drawing and checked it with the specification: "Engineer Liu, the specification requires 35d, and here it is 28cm, which is completely satisfied."
"I'm satisfied, but look at the quality of the weld. It's a little lacking in fullness." Liu Feng kicked the rebar with his toes, noncommittal. "And over there, the spacer isn't tied securely enough. It's likely to shift when we pour the concrete. Fix it first, and call me when you're done."
Lan Tongtong looked at the welds and the solid pads that met the requirements perfectly and wanted to argue, but Liu Feng had already walked away, hands behind his back. She swallowed her anger and had the workers reinforce the pads a second time, even though she felt it was unnecessary.
When Liu Feng again submitted the application for inspection, he refused, saying that the template was not clean enough and had some rust on it. Lan Tongtong swallowed her anger and directed the workers to polish the template thoroughly with a grinder, leaving it spotless.
The third time, Lan Tongtong, almost suppressing her anger, asked Liu Feng to come over. Liu Feng walked around, but this time he couldn't find any obvious flaws. He said in an official tone, "Well, it looks better this time. But after all, construction should pay attention to overall quality. I'll take another look and we'll talk tomorrow."
Tomorrow? The pouring team and equipment are waiting. Every day of delay is a day of loss! Lan Tongtong finally couldn't help it: "Engineer Liu, please clearly point out what is not up to standard, and we will correct it immediately! If this drags on, who will be held responsible for the delay?"
Liu Feng's face darkened, and his voice rose eight degrees. "What's with that attitude? Do you take project quality for granted? I said I'd observe it again, and I meant it! You're just a new construction worker, what do you know? Let your Manager Liu tell me!"
The atmosphere froze instantly. At this moment, a calm voice sounded behind them: "What's going on?"
Lan Tongtong turned around and saw Mo Zhichi standing there. His face was calm, but when his eyes swept over Liu Feng, the latter unconsciously shrank his neck. He was obviously on his routine inspection of the construction site and happened to pass by.
Lan Tongtong was overwhelmed with frustration, anger, and a glimmer of hope. She couldn't care less. Pointing to the foundation, she quickly but clearly recounted the three unreasonable delays in submitting the inspection. Finally, she emphasized, "Mr. Mo, we constructed the rebar, formwork, and spacers strictly according to the drawings, and they've definitely passed self-inspection! Engineer Liu...he keeps saying he'll have to take another look and won't accept it!"
After hearing this, Mo Zhichi's face showed no emotion. He turned to Liu Feng and asked calmly, "Engineer Liu, is that so? What specific problems exist? Point them out to me."
Liu Feng suddenly panicked and stammered, "Boss Mo, this...is mainly because I feel they are young and need to improve their quality awareness. I want to put more pressure on them so that they will pay more attention..."
"Squeeze it down?" Mo Zhichi interrupted, his voice still steady but with a hint of coldness. "Project quality is determined by standards and data, not by personal feelings. The acceptance procedures are clearly written. If it passes, it's signed. If it fails, specific problems are pointed out and rectified within a specified time limit. Tell me, which part of this foundation steel bar doesn't meet the specifications?"
Liu Feng's forehead was covered in sweat, and under Mo Zhichi's sharp gaze, he couldn't utter a word. His previous thoughts were exposed in the face of Mo Zhichi's professionalism and integrity.
Mo Zhichi stopped looking at him and walked straight to the pier. He pulled his signature steel ruler from his pocket and personally checked the key dimensions. After measuring, he put the ruler away and said to Lan Tongtong, "The rebar spacing, cover, and welding quality all meet the design requirements. We can proceed to the next step."
After saying this, he took the inspection report from Liu Feng and signed his name in the supervisor's acceptance column. Then, he looked at Liu Feng, whose face was ashen, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Engineer Liu, come with me back to the project office."
Mo Zhichi nodded to Lan Tongtong again, and a hint of imperceptible approval seemed to flash in his eyes, as if saying "You did the right thing", and then he left with the dusty Liu Feng.
Watching the two figures walk away, Lan Tongtong breathed a sigh of relief, the pent-up depression in her heart vanishing. She clutched the inspection report signed by Mo Zhichi tightly, feeling it weigh even more heavily than the first article report. This not only signified acceptance, but also a symbol of support and righteousness.
She understood that Mo Zhichi's "ruler" measured not only the millimeter differences in the project, but also the justice and right in people's hearts. This experience also made her more determined to continue in this industry, not only to learn the technology, but also to adhere to the bottom line.
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