Fu Jingchen's changes to the process parameters were like pointing out a clear path for someone who was lost. Liu Li suppressed her excitement and focused intently on the trial machining—increasing the spindle speed, decreasing the feed rate, and using the friction heat generated by the tool tip against the special steel surface to soften the hard outer shell. The chips were no longer just small fragments, but short, violet-colored spirals that fell smoothly downwards, and the workpiece surface was much smoother, looking much more pleasing.
What's even more reassuring is that the blades are sharpened more slowly. Liu Li gripped the handwheel, feeling its steady strength, and felt much more at ease; the previous anxiety had completely dissipated. She dared not slack off, noting the wear and surface condition of the blades after each piece was finished, making small adjustments to the parameters, just to maintain this good condition.
Fu Jingchen inspected a few parts, confirmed the parameters were working, and then quietly left. Liu Li was left alone in the workshop again. The machine tools roared and circled in the empty room, but she didn't feel lonely at all—struggling with these steel lumps gave her a sense of peace, like a dancer who had found her rhythm, working more and more smoothly between the blade and the steel.
Before she knew it, dawn was breaking, and the first rays of sunlight were beginning to appear outside the window. The first rays of sunlight streamed in through the high window, falling on the floor covered in iron filings. Liu Li had already finished machining five parts, much more efficient than yesterday afternoon. She was so tired that her arms could barely lift, but she was full of energy. She cleaned the machine tool, neatly stacked the finished parts, and then dragged her numb legs back to the dormitory.
She originally thought that once she overcame the technical difficulties, everything would go smoothly from there, but she didn't expect that people's hearts are harder to deal with than steel.
After a day's rest, Liu Li returned to the workshop in the afternoon. As soon as she entered, she sensed something was wrong—the way they looked at her had changed. It was no longer the suspicion or curiosity of yesterday; there was an indescribable undertone. Some looked at her with disdain, some were secretly eyeing her, and some were laughing together, making her extremely uncomfortable. When she went to get the micrometer, two female workers were talking, but they immediately shut up when they saw her, their eyes darting around. When she went to get hot water, several young male workers saw her, exchanged glances, and chuckled softly—a laugh that sounded grating.
Zhang Shulan rushed over, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to a corner, her voice barely audible and filled with panic: "Lily! Did you work overtime last night?"
Liu Li's heart sank, and she nodded: "Yes, what's wrong?"
"Did Technician Fu go too?" Zhang Shulan's voice was even lower, her eyes filled with anxiety.
Liu Li understood instantly, a chill running from her feet to the top of her head: "Yes, he changed the process parameters for me, gave me some technical guidance, and we talked about work. What's the problem?"
"This is a huge problem!" Zhang Shulan stamped her foot, her eyes reddening. "It's all over the workshop now! They're saying you two were in the workshop late at night... a man and a woman alone, doing something inappropriate! They're also saying you got this job not because of your own ability, but because of Technician Fu, that you took some shortcuts! They're saying really nasty things!"
Liu Li's face turned deathly pale, as if all the blood in her body had suddenly turned cold. She never imagined that a legitimate technical request for help and overtime work to meet a deadline would be twisted into such a sordid affair! This was even more painful than Sun Peng verbally abusing her to her face—not only was her reputation ruined, but all the sleepless nights she had stayed up, the sweat she had shed, the trust of Master Wang, and the help from Fu Jingchen were all trampled underfoot!
"It must have been Sun Peng who spread it!" Zhang Shulan gritted her teeth. "I saw him whispering with someone this morning, and he shut up as soon as I went over. He was looking all furtive!"
Liu Li bit her lower lip until it almost bled. She forced herself to calm down—if she made a scene now, it would only spread the rumors more wildly, and she would fall right into Sun Peng's trap.
She didn't say anything, silently returned to her workstation, wanting to get to work quickly and put those annoying things behind her. She reached for the coolant container, intending to add some water to the machine tool, but as soon as she lifted it, she suddenly stopped—the water in the container looked clear, but why did it seem a bit artificially brighter than yesterday? It also smelled a bit strange, not the usual water mixed with machine oil smell, but with a slightly pungent odor, though not obvious.
Is it just my imagination? Or...?
A frightening thought suddenly popped into her mind—like a venomous snake crawling in: Sun Peng sneaked into the workshop last night not only to see her and Fu Jingchen, but also to see if he might have tampered with the coolant.
If there's something corrosive or that could damage the lubricant in the water, then all the blame will fall on her for things like sharpening the tool, making the workpiece surface rough, or even breaking the machine tool guide rails during her processing last night and today! Not only will the project fail, but she'll also be unable to defend herself, and she'll be forever branded as "incompetent" and "relying on connections"!
This is far more insidious than spreading rumors! They want to uproot her from the factory!
Liu Li gripped the rim of the bucket until her knuckles turned slightly white, then calmly put the bucket back. She needed to confirm, but she couldn't alert Sun Peng—without evidence, he certainly wouldn't admit it and might even turn around and accuse her; but if there really was a problem, continuing to use it would have unimaginable consequences.
Technical problems can be solved by thinking and hard work, but these hidden arrows left her feeling panicked and helpless.
She'd just found her footing on the edge of the knife, but the path beneath her feet seemed fraught with pitfalls; one wrong step and she'd explode. What should she do? Continue using the water, gambling that she was overthinking things? Or stop what she was doing, risking delays and being accused of making a mountain out of a molehill, and seek help?
Liu Li stood in front of the lathe, looking at the machine whose temperament she had just gotten used to, and felt that it was a bomb that could explode at any moment. The whispers and strange looks in the workshop were like the fuse around the bomb, ready to ignite at any time.
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