The factory's official document, written in black and white and worded with utmost care, stirred up quite a stir throughout the entire Hongxing Factory—"Decision on Promoting Comrade Liu Li to Engineer by Exception."
The document details Liu Li's outstanding contributions since joining the factory: from diligent study during her apprenticeship to key technological breakthroughs in ministerial-level projects, to leading the establishment of the technology center, and especially recently, in the battle to secure export orders, she led her team to overcome world-class technical challenges with exceptional technical insight, innovative process solutions, and outstanding organizational and coordination abilities, winning honor for the factory and the country. With special approval from the higher authorities, she was promoted to engineer.
Engineer. In this era that values professional titles and seniority, these three words represent outstanding technical skills, a high professional status, and a weighty social recognition. For countless technicians, this may be a goal that takes more than a decade to achieve. But Liu Li, with her solid achievements, broke through the conventional seniority barrier and obtained this honor at such a young age.
Upon hearing the news, her colleagues in the technical department and workshop congratulated her with genuine smiles. When Master Wang Jianguo heard the news, he was instructing a young worker at the lathe. He simply grunted in response and continued watching the rotating workpiece, but the slight upturn of his chin and the fleeting glint in his eyes conveyed his joy more clearly than any words. Zhang Shulan excitedly grabbed Liu Li's hand, repeatedly saying, "It should have been you long ago!"
Fu Jingchen gently placed the factory newspaper containing the promotion notice on Liu Li's desk, his gaze behind his glasses filled with a warm smile and undisguised admiration: "Well deserved."
Looking at the document, Liu Li's heart was not without turmoil. She recalled the confusion and struggle she had felt when she was first reborn into this era, the cramped dormitory, the tedious grinding of drill bits until her fingers went numb, the tension and excitement of making her first cut on the lathe, the trouble caused by rumors, and the ecstasy after overcoming difficulties and the moments of high-fives with her team... Scenes flashed through her mind like film reels. From an apprentice factory worker who desperately seized every opportunity to avoid going to the countryside, to a key technical worker with an engineer's title, she had walked this path in less than ten years. Every step was soaked in sweat and shone with the light of struggle.
She didn't dwell on her feelings. Gently putting the documents into the drawer, her gaze fell on the technology development plan of the Red Star Factory on the wall. Engineer—it's not just a title, but a responsibility, a brand new starting point. It means she can no longer limit herself to solving specific technical problems, but needs a broader vision to consider the technological development direction of the entire factory and even the industry, to lead technological innovation, and to cultivate more technical talent.
She walked to the office window. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the vast factory area in a golden-red hue; the towering chimneys, neat factory buildings, and crisscrossing pipes created a magnificent industrial scene. The faint rumble of machines emanating from the workshops no longer sounded like noise to her, but rather the resounding footsteps of progress.
She saw the machining workshop where she first worked, the small building of the technical department where she later poured her heart and soul into, the booming construction site of the technical center, and the undeveloped land reserved for future factory development further away. Her vision was no longer limited to a lathe or a workshop.
"Riding the waves and braving the wind..." she murmured, savoring the four words.
Looking back on her journey, from initially showcasing her talent in national project teams to driving technological innovation back at the factory; from navigating emotional choices to leading the entire factory through challenges during a time of crisis, she has evolved from a passive follower of the times into a "helmsman" capable of keenly judging market trends, navigating the technological landscape, and even guiding the flow of a field. With her solid technical foundation, fearless innovative spirit, and increasingly mature management wisdom, she truly possesses the confidence and ability to "brave the waves."
The ocean of technology is vast and boundless; the road ahead will surely bring even fiercer storms and broader horizons. Holding the engineer's certificate is like holding a chart to navigate the deep blue sea. Liu Li took a deep breath, her eyes resolute and bright.
She turned around, returned to her desk, and spread out the research and development plan for the next phase of the technology center.
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