Wang Jianguo's simple statement, "Let her give it a try," caused an uproar in the workshop—more exciting than pouring cold water into hot oil. The work order hadn't even been posted yet, but the news had already spread throughout the entire workshop, even reaching people in the neighboring assembly workshop.
Liu Li felt a tightness in her back wherever she went, as if countless eyes were glued to her. When she went to the tool cabinet to get a micrometer, she heard someone whispering behind her as soon as she opened the cabinet door: "Her? She's only been working on the lathe for a few days, don't ruin the special steel." When she went to the washroom to wash her hands, two female workers huddled around the faucet, their voices low, but every word drilled into her ears: "Sun Peng didn't even get a turn, why should it be given to her? Master Wang must be senile."
These words stung like tiny needles, turning Liu Li's hands white as she gripped her tools. She didn't turn around, but instead cranked the lathe up, trying to drown out the gossip with the roar of the machine. But the panic in her heart and the warmth of being recognized were tangled together like a knotted ball of yarn, impossible to unravel.
In the afternoon, the workshop held a mobilization meeting in the fitter's open space. Director Zhao, clutching a folder, his face tense, repeatedly emphasized the importance of the task and the tight deadline. When the list of participants was read out, the entire room fell silent at the mention of "Liu Li," even the machines seemed to quiet down. All eyes turned to her, some surprised, some suspicious. Zhang Shulan secretly gave her a thumbs-up from the crowd, but Sun Peng's gaze was like fire, fixed on her, making her scalp tingle.
"Director! I disagree!" Sun Peng stood up abruptly, raising his hand high, his voice cracking. "Why should she be chosen? I joined the factory earlier than her and have done a lot of work. Shouldn't we experienced men be considered first for such important tasks? Sending a female apprentice is treating a national task like a joke!"
The moment those words were spoken, the workshop erupted in chaos. Several young male workers who had always disliked Liu Li joined in the commotion: "That's right! Female workers are weak, and special steel is so hard, she can't even feed the knife in." "If she messes it up, our whole workshop will get criticized."
Liu Li's face turned deathly pale, blood rushed to her head, and her ears rang. Sun Peng's words were so venomous; not only did he deny her abilities, but he also brought up the issue of "men and women," trying to completely exclude her from technical work. She clenched her fists, her nails digging painfully into her palms, and almost rushed forward to argue.
I will take responsibility.
Suddenly, Wang Jianguo stepped out from behind the crowd, his voice as cold as if he had just been pulled from ice water, instantly silencing all the noise. He walked to Director Zhao's side, his face still expressionless, but when his eyes swept over Sun Peng and the jeering crowd, there was an intimidating force in them.
“When I, Wang Jianguo, take on apprentices, I don’t care if they are male or female, I only care if they can do the work.” His voice was not loud, but every word was clear. “Liu Li independently made 30 connecting brackets with zero defects; the cube she hand-filed had a precision better than required; since learning to use a lathe, her defect rate has been the lowest among her apprentices. Her work tickets and inspection records are all posted in the labor and personnel department, and anyone can check them.”
He paused, his gaze falling on Sun Peng's face, which flushed red. Sun Peng was about to speak when Master Wang spoke again: "You say you're experienced? What was the scrap rate for the flanges you worked on last month? How much were the dimensions off? Didn't your master tell you?"
Sun Peng opened his mouth but couldn't say anything—last month, he ruined three pieces of work because he was distracted, and was scolded severely by his master. Many people in the workshop knew about this.
Wang Jianguo ignored him and turned to everyone: "This trial production requires hard materials and high precision. It requires meticulousness and the ability to figure things out, not just brute strength. Liu Li is being sent to do the material cutting and rough machining, leaving a two-millimeter margin, with an experienced master craftsman overseeing it. This is an order, no further discussion is needed."
He looked at Director Zhao: "Old Zhao, it's settled then."
Director Zhao sighed, and seeing that Sun Peng didn't dare to say anything more, he nodded: "Alright! Meeting adjourned! Those who participated, stay and assign tasks!"
The crowd slowly dispersed. Sun Peng glared fiercely at Liu Li, his eyes dark and menacing, as if he wanted to devour her. He stomped his foot, turned, and left. Liu Li's legs felt weak. The argument had felt like a battle. Master Wang's words had been a reassuring presence, but Sun Peng's gaze sent a chill down her spine—this was definitely not over.
Besides Master Wang, two experienced craftsmen and Liu Li remained. Master Wang handed over the blueprints and process cards: "Lili, you're in charge of cutting twenty sets of blanks and rough turning the outer diameter, leaving a two-millimeter allowance. Just one thing: make sure the dimensions are correct, the end face is flat, and there are no horseshoe edges. Can you do that?"
Liu Li took a deep breath, took the blueprints; the pages were heavy. She looked up at Master Wang and said in a steady voice, "Yes, Master!"
"Okay." Master Wang nodded. "Let's look at the blueprints today, and get the materials and start work tomorrow."
Liu Li carried the blueprints back to her workstation, turning the pages one by one, her heart filled with both tension and excitement—from today onwards, she was no longer just an apprentice practicing; every cut had to be precise, without the slightest mistake.
But she didn't notice that in the shadows around the corner of the warehouse, Sun Peng was pulling the warehouse clerk, Xiao Liu, close to his ear and whispering something while slipping a pack of cigarettes into his hand. Xiao Liu frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then put the cigarettes in his pocket. Sun Peng patted him on the shoulder, his smile sinister, his eyes gleaming with malice.
The wind seemed to have stopped, but the undercurrents beneath were even more frightening than the previous commotion. Liu Li stared at the dimensions on the blueprints, a sense of unease creeping into her heart—this "trial production" project was likely not going to be easy.
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