When the news came from the factory office building, Liu Li was squatting in the workshop, struggling with a stuck bearing. Her hands were covered in oil, and her forehead was streaked with black and gray.
Xiao Zhao from the technical department rushed in, panting. Ignoring the dirt, he grabbed her arm: "Engineer Liu! Stop! The factory manager wants you to go to his office right away, it's urgent!"
Liu Li's heart skipped a beat, thinking that some equipment had malfunctioned again. She hastily wiped her hands and hurried to the factory office. Her mind was in turmoil the whole way, wondering which tasks she had recently completed might have gone wrong.
Pushing open the door to the factory manager's office, I found it filled with smoke. The factory manager, the chief engineer, and several heads of the production department were all there, their expressions not exactly serious, but rather... indescribably excited?
"Comrade Liu Li, come, come, have a seat!" The factory director, unusually, did not sit behind the large desk, but stood by the coffee table with a few pages of paper in his hand. He greeted her as soon as she came in.
Liu Li sat down, somewhat bewildered, her heart pounding.
The chief engineer smiled and handed over a glass of water: "Don't be nervous, it's good news." He pointed to the paper in the factory director's hand, "The experts from the Ministry of Light Industry have seen your article published in 'Mechanical Manufacturing'!"
"Huh?" Liu Li was even more confused. An expert from the ministry? She read her article?
The factory manager handed her the few pages of paper, his voice tinged with excitement: "Look, the Ministry's Science and Technology Department sent it directly to the provincial department, and then the provincial department forwarded it to our factory! The experts there are very interested in your fault analysis methods and repair strategies, especially the 'system analysis method' and 'precision compensation technology,' which they believe have great potential for widespread application! They specifically requested your detailed technical report and original data!"
Liu Li took the few pages of official documents, stamped with a red seal and meticulously worded, her hands trembling slightly. Those thin pages felt as heavy as a jack. The words "Ministry…Beijing…" buzzed in her mind. When she wrote that article, her greatest hope was simply to alert her colleagues; she never dared to imagine it would alarm such a high-ranking authority.
"Liu Li, you've really brought honor to our factory, no, to our entire provincial industrial system!" The factory director beamed from ear to ear. "The attention from experts from the ministry is of extraordinary significance!"
The chief engineer added from the side, "This shows that your technical thinking is ahead of its time and has been recognized at the national level. Our previous 'dynamic balancing device' and our experience in repairing the gantry planer have become typical examples!"
The other leaders in the office were also chatting amongst themselves, their eyes shining as they looked at Liu Li. Who would have thought that such a young female technician would cause such a commotion without making a sound?
Hearing everyone's praise, Liu Li's face burned with embarrassment, and her heart pounded like a rabbit's. She tried to calm herself before speaking, "Factory manager, chief engineer, then... what do I need to do now?"
"Get the materials ready right away!" the factory manager waved his hand. "Organize all your records, data, sketches, and even the drafts of the articles you wrote later. The more detailed the better! The factory will fully cooperate with you; we'll provide the manpower and time you need! This is a political task, and it must be done well!"
Stepping out of the factory manager's office, Liu Li felt as if she were walking on cotton, her steps uneven. The sunlight outside was a bit dazzling. Standing on the steps of the factory office building, looking at the familiar workshops and factory buildings in the distance, she was still a little dazed.
So... she'd been singled out by the ministry? She looked down at her still-greasy fingers, then thought about the official letter from Beijing, and a feeling of utter unreality washed over her.
Fu Jingchen, having somehow gotten wind of the news, came looking for her. Seeing her standing there in a daze, he smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Were you scared by the big boss?"
Liu Li turned her head, her eyes still a little unfocused: "Technician Fu, do you think... this is true? It feels like a dream to me."
Fu Jingchen smiled understandingly: "It's all in black and white, with the official seal. How could it be fake? Liu Li, your stage might be much bigger than you imagine."
Liu Li didn't speak, but took a deep breath. The air was filled with the familiar smell of steel and machine oil, yet it seemed a little different.
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