Chapter 179 Textile Factory Repair
Under that gaze, Technician Liu felt a pang of anxiety. Helpless, he could only vaguely and reluctantly recount Xu Zhili's guess about the excessive wear of the third cam, omitting many "technical terms" in the process.
After hearing this, Xie Yunze turned to look at Xu Zhili. His eyes held no doubt, only a calm inquiry: "Comrade Xu Zhili, how confident are you?"
Xu Zhili met his deep gaze and answered clearly and confidently: "Eighty percent. We need to remove the third protective panel on the left to confirm."
"dismantle."
Without any hesitation, Xie Yunze gave the order directly to Technician Liu.
"Company Commander Xie, this...this is not in accordance with the rules."
Technician Liu grew anxious, his voice rising slightly, "Besides, this protective panel is very troublesome to remove. There are many wiring components inside. If the problem isn't there, haphazard disassembly and reassembly might cause new problems..."
He wanted to argue, trying to maintain his pitiful authority and face.
"Demolish." Xie Yunze uttered only one word, decisive and leaving no room for doubt.
Factory Director Bai nodded with a stern face, indicating that he would do as instructed.
The tools were quickly brought over by the apprentice, who was quite nervous.
Under the watchful eyes of Xie Yunze and Factory Director Bai, Technician Liu looked ashen and reluctantly began to disassemble the screws.
The heavy protective panel was carefully removed, revealing the intricate, oil-stained mechanical structure and wiring inside.
Xu Zhili stepped forward without hesitation, ignoring the murderous glare of Technician Liu, picked up a thin iron shovel from the tool rack next to her, and precisely probed into the machine, pointing to one of the unassuming cam components that was also covered in oil.
“Here,” she pointed the tip of her iron bar firmly at a certain spot on the edge of the cam, “the wear marks are of inconsistent depth, and the most severe one appears to exceed the limit by more than 0.5 millimeters. This causes it to be unable to accurately push the linkage when it rotates to a certain angle, resulting in a disordered jacquard sequence and ultimately jamming.”
Several experienced workers and technician Liu, who were nearby, squinted and looked carefully in the direction she pointed.
Although the light was dim, the exceptionally clear wear mark contrasted sharply with the smooth surface around it, just as Xu Zhili said, it was exactly the same!
It's not some mysterious circuit problem at all, nor is it a spindle deviation that's hard to adjust. It's just a seemingly "simple" mechanical wear that's extremely difficult to detect because of its hidden location!
Technician Liu's face instantly turned a deep liver color. His mouth was open, and a gurgling sound came from his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word.
All his previous contempt, mockery, and impatience now turned into the most scorching slaps, resounding against his own face.
The workers who had been watching the spectacle were now speechless, exchanging bewildered glances, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
"Do you have spare parts in the warehouse?" Xu Zhili asked calmly, seemingly oblivious to Technician Liu's embarrassment.
"Yes...yes, I remember I have some, I'll go get it right now."
The apprentice who had previously scoffed at Xu Zhili reacted the fastest at this moment, rushing towards the warehouse before he even finished speaking.
The spare part was quickly retrieved.
This time, no one dared to ignore Xu Zhili's words.
Under her clear and calm guidance, the worn-out old cam was successfully removed, and the new one was carefully installed.
She explained the key points of each step concisely, and even adjusted a slightly loose connecting rod next to her.
The tools were neatly packed away, and the heavy protective plates were reinstalled and tightened.
Technician Liu's hands trembled slightly as he struggled to switch the power on, under the watchful eyes of everyone.
"Buzz—"
The machine first emitted a smooth, gentle sound, as if waking from a deep sleep, and then a powerful and rhythmic roar filled everyone's ears once again.
The jacquard needles, which had previously been stuck and stiff, began to rise and fall with unparalleled precision, and the gorgeous and intricate patterns were once again smoothly and slowly unfolded between the warp and weft threads, giving birth to something new.
It was a success.
There was a moment of silence, followed by a burst of heartfelt, delighted exclamations and thunderous applause from the workers.
Many people's gazes toward Xu Zhili changed completely, filled with surprise and admiration.
As Technician Liu gazed at the machine, now running smoothly and efficiently again, his face flushed and paled in turns, his expression shifting for a long time.
Finally, with great difficulty, he turned to Xu Zhili, his lips trembling for a long time before he managed to squeeze out three words, barely audible, from between his teeth: "...I'm sorry."
Xu Zhili didn't even lift her eyelids at him, as if she hadn't heard him.
She simply turned and walked to the table next to her, picked up the draft proposal that had been completely forgotten and even had some oil stains on the edges, and carefully and gently dusted off the lint and dust that had fallen on it, her movements unhurried.
Xie Yunze walked to her side, looked at the machines roaring back to life, then glanced at her calm profile. A faint but genuine smile flickered in his eyes as he whispered:
"Comrade Xu Zhili, it seems you can not only repair machinery in the machine factory, but also machinery in the textile factory."
His words seemed to carry a hidden meaning that only the two of them could understand.
Xu Zhili finally looked up at him. Sunlight streamed in through the high window, casting dappled shadows on her eyelashes.
The corners of her lips curved into a barely perceptible smile, and her voice, though clear, was no longer directed only at him:
"Director Bai, would you like me to take a look at the other 'troublesome' machines in the factory?"
The enormous roar in the workshop remained, as did the cold steel, but something invisible and solid had quietly changed.
Countless gazes focused on the young female educated youth dressed in old clothes, their expressions complex, inquisitive, and filled with new expectations.
"Haha, Comrade Xu Zhili, you are truly a genius in mechanical engineering."
Factory Director Bai laughed heartily, his eyes full of approval. "Since you have such ability, we'll leave all the minor problems with these machines in the factory to you."
Xu Zhili's eyes lit up, and she readily agreed, "Alright! Don't worry, Director Bai, I guarantee I'll tame all these stubborn guys."
She followed Director Bai deeper into the workshop, and the rusty machines that occasionally made strange noises seemed to her to be living objects.
Walking up to a jammed punch press, Xu Zhili bent down to examine it for a moment and quickly found the problem: "The transmission gears are worn unevenly. We need to replace them with new ones and recalibrate the angles."
Factory Director Bai watched from the sidelines, nodding repeatedly, increasingly admiring the young woman's abilities. "With you here, these old guys in the factory can finally catch their breath."
Xu Zhili smiled, picked up her tools, and got to work, the crisp metallic clanging echoing throughout the workshop.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com