Chapter 178 The Problem Has Been Found
Sunlight struggled to penetrate the tall windows of the textile factory, while the deafening roar of the machines was the constant background noise of the workshop.
But at this moment, the crucial jacquard loom near the east wall was out of commission, lying silently like a lifeless steel behemoth.
It was surrounded by several densely packed people, the air heavy and tense, drowning out the sounds of the other machines still running.
The loom was complex in design, and at that moment its interior seemed to be an unsolvable mystery.
Several of the most experienced mechanics surrounded it, their brows furrowed in worry. They moved back and forth between wrenches, screwdrivers, and oil-stained blueprints, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, yet they seemed unable to find the root of the problem.
Xu Zhili stood on the outer edge, her figure appearing somewhat slender among the massive machines and burly workers.
She was originally commissioned by the county machinery factory to repair machinery and improve traditional textile patterns at the textile mill, but unexpectedly stumbled upon this breakdown scene.
She observed quietly for a moment, her gaze calmly sweeping over every exposed part of the machine.
With almost no conscious effort, the system performs high-speed analysis in the mind, quickly highlighting several suspicious fault points.
"Technician Liu," she cleared her throat, her voice not loud, yet strangely penetrating the lingering hum of the machine and the cacophony of human voices.
"Look at the meshing clearance of this transmission gear set, isn't it a bit larger than the standard value? Also, the return spring of this jacquard needle set looks very fatigued, it might already be..."
The man called Technician Liu was a man in his forties wearing a dark blue worker's hat; he was a key technical staff member in the factory.
Just as he was in a state of panic, he was interrupted by a young girl. He looked up and caught a glimpse of Xu Zhili's young face and the faded, patched educated youth's clothes she was wearing. His eyes immediately showed undisguised contempt and impatience.
"Go! Go! Go!"
He waved his hand forcefully as if shooing away a fly, his tone extremely aggressive, "Where did this little girl come from? Don't cause trouble here. The machine breaking down is a technical problem, do you even understand that? Go away."
A young apprentice learning alongside him seized the opportunity to chime in with a sneer: "That's right, Master."
"This isn't like the shoe-making or spinning wheel you use in your village; this is a precision machine! It's expensive! If you accidentally break it, can you afford to pay for it?"
Xu Zhili pursed her slightly chapped lips, ignoring the harsh words. The system's prompts perfectly aligned with her own judgment.
She spoke again, pointing to another location: "If it's not a problem with the gear set, then it might be the cam set that controls the jacquard sequence."
"I see a slight deviation in the trajectory of the third cam. The wear has probably exceeded the tolerance range, which could easily lead to a disorder in the sequence and eventually jamming..."
"Hey kid, are you ever going to stop?"
Technician Liu was furious. He slammed the wrench into the toolbox with a loud clang. "You think you can show off just because you know a few terms? You were playing in the mud when I was fixing the machine! Get out of here! Don't get in our way!" He was practically spitting as he spoke.
He turned back around and continued arguing with several experienced workers about which circuit module might be malfunctioning or if there was a slight deviation in the main drive shaft, completely ignoring Xu Zhili.
Her suggestion was absorbed without a sound, like dust falling into a thick layer of cotton wool.
Once, twice, three times.
Every time Xu Zhili tried to get closer to point out the problem, she was interrupted and ignored even more rudely.
The gazes of the other workers around them gradually shifted from initial curiosity to mockery, as if they were watching a joke unfold.
Her fingertips, hanging by her side, curled slightly. The "crazy" energy in her heart, which was almost impossible to suppress, made her want to just walk away and ignore this mess, letting them deal with it themselves.
Just then, a deep, authoritative voice came from outside the crowd:
"What are you all doing gathered here? Have you found the problem?"
The crowd seemed to be parted by an invisible force, automatically making way for a narrow path.
Xie Yunze, dressed in a crisp military green cadre uniform, strode in with a slight frown.
He stood ramrod straight, exuding a cool, soldierly aura.
Beside him was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, the buttons fastened meticulously, his face bearing his usual seriousness; this was none other than Director Bai of the textile factory.
Xie Yunze was asked by the factory director's old friend in the army to come to the factory to discuss some matters. When he passed by the workshop, he heard a commotion that was much louder than usual, so he came over with Director Bai to take a look.
Upon seeing them, Technician Liu's impatience and anger vanished instantly, replaced by a fawning and even obsequious expression: "Company Commander Xie, Factory Director Bai, what brings you two here in person? This loom has encountered a tricky problem, and we're working on it right away..."
Factory Director Bai's stern gaze swept over the frozen machine, then over Xu Zhili, whose face was calm but whose eyes were cold, before finally settling on Technician Liu.
His voice turned somber: "After investigating for so long, have you come up with a solution yet?"
He was actually a little worried. He had received news that Xiangyang Brigade had recommended a supposedly very capable educated youth to come and exchange techniques. But judging from the situation, it seemed that Technician Liu had once again made the mistake of relying on his seniority and acting on his own initiative, leaving the other person standing aside.
This caused a clear look of displeasure to cross his face.
"This... we're still looking into it. It could be a problem with the circuit, or it could be the spindle..." Technician Liu stammered, sweat beading on his forehead, unable to give a clear answer.
What did she just say?
Xie Yunze suddenly interrupted him, turning his gaze to Xu Zhili, tilting his chin slightly in her direction, and asked, "And who is this?"
Factory Director Bai seemed to have just noticed Xu Zhili and took over the conversation, introducing her: "Oh, this is Comrade Xu Zhili, an educated youth from Xiangyang Brigade who went to the countryside."
"The team highly recommended her, saying that she has some unique insights into mechanics. I invited her here today to exchange ideas and learn from her, and to see if she could help us solve some old problems."
He spoke politely, but his eyes also held a hint of inquiry, after all, Xu Zhili was too young.
Upon hearing this, Technician Liu's face flashed with even greater embarrassment and disdain. A sent-down youth?
What unique insights could she possibly have? He forced himself to say, "Her? She just mumbled a few things, like gear clearance, spring fatigue, and cam wear... She's just pretending to know what she doesn't..." His tone was full of disdain.
"What exactly did she say? About cam wear."
Xie Yunze repeated the question, his tone still calm, yet carrying an irresistible pressure, his sharp gaze fixed on Liu, the third surgeon.
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