When Wang Baiqiang looked over, Weng Gongliang spoke frankly about why they had come looking for Engineer Lu.
Under the usual arrangement, once students reached their third year, they would gradually begin practical training courses. During that process, they would rotate through the various workshops in the Hongqi Factory to gain firsthand experience of how the entire factory operated.
It also gave the students an opportunity to get to know the senior technicians who were not involved in teaching at the school.
It was a process of mutual selection.
However, Lin Qiaozhi was a special case.
She had graduated early in her first year, skipping that entire process. To everyone else, what did that mean? It was practically the same as Wang Baiqiang swooping in and snatching her halfway through!
After making all of that clear, Weng Gongliang continued, “Baiqiang, we’re all technical people. Sometimes we need to broaden our horizons a little. Look at Lin Qiaozhi. With her rate of improvement and natural talent, if she devoted herself to high-precision moldmaking, there’s a real chance she could surprise the country.”
“Do you remember that Seventh-Grade young worker who was transferred out of the East City Instrument Factory seven or eight years ago? When our country was first established, the military industry was almost built from scratch. Everything had been wiped out during the war. We had nothing. The country needs people with expertise in this field, and I don’t need to tell you how important those classified projects are.”
“Lin Qiaozhi is only sixteen this year. She’s practiced for just one year, yet she’s already capable of producing the Tieniu 55 engine side cover mold to first-class quality. She’s clearly invested an enormous amount of time and effort into it. Having her follow you to work on tractors is simply wasting that talent.”
After finishing, Weng Gongliang still smiled calmly as he said, “Of course, since you’ve already discussed this with both Lin Qiaozhi and Engineer Lu, we’ll still go with whatever you think.”
After hearing all that, Wang Baiqiang was completely dumbfounded. Weng Gongliang kept saying it was up to him, but was there a single word in that speech that actually sounded like his opinion mattered?
Weng Gongliang was something of a special case. He was considerably older and, in truth, belonged to the same generation as Engineer Lu. He had been a fitter at the Hongqi Factory before Engineer Lu ever arrived and had kept pace with the factory’s development. Now he was also a Fifth-Grade worker.
At that moment, anyone with less seniority or experience than him didn’t even dare speak.
Wang Baiqiang’s face darkened. After a long silence, he finally said, “Engineer Weng, what you’re talking about is indeed important. But it’s also still far off in the future. We have to focus on the present. Lin Qiaozhi has never mentioned wanting to specialize in technical research to me.”
“That said, her technical skills really have improved remarkably fast. Not only is her technique excellent, she also has her own understanding of machinery.”
Wang Baiqiang turned to Qiao Yuan and asked, “Old Qiao, have you ever heard Lin Qiaozhi say she wants to specialize in technical research?”
Qiao Yuan naturally shook his head. “No.” He wasn’t about to let the meal he’d been treated to go to waste either. “I invited her once before, and she turned me down.”
After saying that, Qiao Yuan smiled at Weng Gongliang.
Of course, Weng Gongliang understood. The two of them were playing off each other to make him give up the idea.
“Baiqiang, young people sometimes lack experience and often make immature decisions. That’s when teachers need to shoulder the responsibility of guiding them. If Lin Qiaozhi truly had no interest in making high-precision molds, why would she work so hard and devote herself to practicing her skills? And she genuinely has the talent for it.”
“Of course, I’m only expressing my opinion. You can think it over carefully.”
With that, he stood up, patted Wang Baiqiang on the shoulder, exchanged a few brief words with Engineer Lu about work, offered Wang Baiqiang, who was still struggling with the hilly terrain technology, a few words of encouragement, and then left.
Several other senior technicians also expressed their views, each making perfectly reasonable arguments.
After all these fellow apprentices had left, Wang Baiqiang’s feelings became rather complicated.
When he first set the condition for early graduation, he had honestly intended to make people back down in the face of the challenge.
But afterward, Wang Baiqiang had done something that almost no one noticed. He quietly kept track of Lin Qiaozhi’s progress and technical development. Whenever he found time during his weekly inspection rounds at the school, he would make a point of seeing what she was practicing.
To be honest, it was always the same things.
The same exercises every student practiced.
Yet what amazed him was that every time he checked on her after a while, it was as though she had become a completely different person.
She improved step after step, and each step was a leap.
Take her recent precision control, for example. He had watched her, with his own eyes, advance toward 0.10 millimeters at a visibly rapid pace, quickly break through that major hurdle, and then, after a single winter break, improve by another two levels of precision.
It had only been two months, and she had already completed the curved side cover mold as well. Even he hadn’t been that fast back then…
Still, there was one thing Engineer Weng had said that made perfect sense.
A person’s time and energy were limited.
If Lin Qiaozhi devoted more of her attention to his team, her technical progress would certainly not be as rapid as if she buried herself exclusively in making high-precision molds.
Wang Baiqiang looked at Engineer Lu and said with a headache, “Engineer Lu, I really hadn’t thought this far ahead before. But the more I think about it, the more I realize Engineer Weng’s analysis isn’t without merit.”
No wonder Master’s attitude had been so hesitant just now.
Lu Feng, however, said, “There’s more. A couple of days ago, Engineer Qi came to see me too. Isn’t that Xiao Qin he teaches working at your school now?”
“He also hopes we’ll consider letting Lin Qiaozhi join their side. Our tractors are still behind the world’s leading technology. Skilled technicians are easy enough to find, but people with minds this sharp and flexible are rare.”
After saying that, Lu Feng felt the whole matter had become hopelessly tangled.
Wang Baiqiang had been stunned from the very beginning. Leaning back, he said, “How did even Engineer Qi find out? Qin Qi didn’t say a word, yet he still went to ask the old senior for advice?”
Although Qin Qi and his teacher weren’t particularly prominent figures around the factory, they truly were highly capable and had even participated in one or two classified national projects.
Just hearing that made Wang Baiqiang’s scalp tingle.
Seeing his expression, Lu Feng said, “If Xiao Qin found a student he really liked, how could he not mention it to Engineer Qi? Their group is already small to begin with. Most of the younger generation prefer hands-on practical work. Very few are willing to devote themselves to this kind of research, and even fewer are truly gifted. They’re starting to have a gap between generations.”
“The only one they can really count on now is Xiao Qin. The generation after him hardly has anyone left.”
After analyzing the situation from every angle, Lu Feng simply said, “This isn’t an easy problem to solve. Why don’t you find some time to have a proper talk with Xiao Lin? There’s no need to hold back. Explain everything clearly and ask what she wants.”
When it came to heart-to-heart talks, Wang Baiqiang really wasn’t any good at them.
He thought it over again and again.
Before he even found time to speak with Lin Qiaozhi, someone else raised the matter first at the factory meeting.
Director Meng, together with the Publicity Department, was the first to speak.
“This would also be excellent publicity for our factory.”
After all, only a major factory with strong capabilities, deep foundations, and a genuine commitment to cultivating young reserve talent could provide the environment that produced a young talent like this.
If there hadn’t been such an opportunity, that would have been one thing. But now that there was a gap in their publicity efforts, they naturally hoped the school would act quickly.
Then Director Qi Shaoning of the Production Department joked with a smile about boosting production enthusiasm.
…
As Wang Baiqiang left the main conference room, even the factory director, who had been persuaded by all sides, came over and patted him on the shoulder, telling him to hurry up.
Wang Baiqiang: “…”
It was that all-too-familiar feeling of being chased and hounded again.
He recalled when he had first met that girl. Back then, people had hounded him the same way.
“Seven si precision?”
“What was the exact score?”
Could Lin Qiaozhi’s zodiac sign possibly be Dog?
…
When Wang Baiqiang told her all this, Lin Qiaozhi stood frozen in shock.
“Really?”
She could hardly believe her own ears.
With a serious expression, Wang Baiqiang replied, “Of course it’s true.” Then, not wanting to put too much pressure on the young girl, he added, “Everything they said does make sense, but some of them simply want you on their team too. Our factory has good benefits, and many achievements are evaluated by team.”
For example, whenever their team overcame a technical bottleneck, every stage was indispensable. It was difficult to say who had contributed more or less, so everyone on the team shared the credit.
“Think it over carefully. There’s no need to give me an answer right away.”
Keeping a stern expression, Wang Baiqiang made sure none of the complicated emotions in his heart showed on his face.
…
Midterm exams were just around the corner.
The school simply combined all of Lin Qiaozhi’s remaining untested subjects into a single comprehensive examination.
Lin Qiaozhi scored 90 points.
With that, she had fulfilled all three revised requirements for early graduation that had originally been posted on the notice.
All that remained was for her to make her choice.
Lin Qiaozhi took out a notebook and listed the advantages and disadvantages of each option one by one.
After comparing them, she still decided to choose Engineer Wang’s team.
First, because it was what she genuinely liked.
Second, because she dreamed, and in those dreams there was a far greater world waiting for her to explore. But before she could do that, she first had to learn how to explore and uncover things herself, from identifying a need all the way to making it a reality.
Finally, there was a small selfish reason of her own.
She wanted her future working environment to be a little simpler.
She knew her own personality well enough. She was somewhat stubborn and straightforward. She wasn’t good at saying things indirectly. When people said she had a fierce temperament, they weren’t entirely wrong.
When Ning Zhenzhu heard her reveal this little bit of her inner thoughts, she rolled over onto her stomach on the pillow and stared at her in astonishment.
“You think you’re fierce, and you’re still choosing Engineer Wang? He’s famous for having a fierce temper! Everyone calls him the Black-Faced Yama. If the two of you end up together, how’s that supposed to work?”
Lin Qiaozhi burst out laughing and joked, “Who’s to say I won’t be the one who wins?”
Unable to hold back, Ning Zhenzhu reached out and felt Lin Qiaozhi’s forehead.
“Did you kick your blanket off last night and get a fever?”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
“Hahaha…”
“What are you laughing at? I was worried about you, and you’re making fun of me instead!”
Ning Zhenzhu reached out and started tickling her.
With nowhere to hide, Lin Qiaozhi laughed until her stomach hurt, rolling all the way into the corner of the bed.
“Alright, alright. I’m done joking.”
The two of them lay huddled beneath the blanket, sharing the private thoughts and whispered secrets of young girls.
In a quiet voice, Lin Qiaozhi said, “The fact that Engineer Wang and Engineer Qiao were chosen to oversee the school at least proves that, in everyone’s eyes, and in Engineer Lu’s as well, there’s nothing wrong with their character. I don’t know what the other senior technicians are like at all. And besides, you know I’m not very good at dealing with people.”
By the time she reached those last two sentences, her voice had become somewhat subdued.
Human relationships and social etiquette really were incredibly complicated things. Someone like her, who had fought her way through life while being scolded as a “wild girl” every step of the way, how could she possibly understand them? No one had ever taught her.
Besides, with her personality, she probably wouldn’t be able to learn even if she tried.
On the pillow, the two girls’ heads were close together, resting against each other.
Lin Qiaozhi whispered to her with barely concealed delight, “Don’t let Engineer Wang’s fierce personality fool you. He’s actually just strict and takes everything seriously. And honestly, I think he’s pretty easy to bully sometimes! He’s incredibly capable, and he never keeps his knowledge to himself. He teaches people everything. The atmosphere in his whole team should be about the same.”
When you were just starting out, having someone like that to guide you meant you’d improve quickly and build an exceptionally solid foundation.
Ning Zhenzhu was dumbfounded.
Wang Baiqiang was easy to bully?
Did that even sound like something a sane person would say?!
But after thinking it over, she felt that was actually good. Just looking at how Engineer Weng’s personality had influenced their factory made it obvious. A leader’s style shaped the people under them. With Engineer Wang’s personality, no one in his team would secretly make life difficult for others behind a smiling face.
“All right, then it’s settled! We’ll choose Engineer Wang!” Ning Zhenzhu declared firmly.
“Engineer Wang it is!”
Lin Qiaozhi also cheered herself on.
Once she had truly, completely made up her mind, Lin Qiaozhi felt her whole body relax.
What followed was an overwhelming surge of joy.
Grinning from ear to ear, she grabbed the quilt and rolled back and forth across the bed before throwing her arms around Ning Zhenzhu and shouting, “Ahhh, Zhenzhu, I’m really going to have a job!!”
“That’s wonderful!” Ning Zhenzhu bounced twice on the bed in excitement. “The factory was even going to contact the newspaper for publicity! It wouldn’t end up like the articles they had submitted themselves, disappearing without a trace.”
A knock sounded at the door.
The two girls immediately froze. Shrinking their necks, they guiltily clapped both hands over their mouths, exchanged a look, then couldn’t help muffling their laughter.
“Keep it down. Some people in the building worked the night shift and are still sleeping,” Mother Ning reminded them helplessly from outside the door.
“Okay!”
“Got it!”
Lin Qiaozhi lay flat on her back on the bed. “Should we get up?”
It had been so long since she’d slept in that she actually felt a little unaccustomed to it.
Ning Zhenzhu refused. “It’s finally the weekend, and you actually have time off. Why get up so early?” She wanted to enjoy the wonderful feeling of lazing in bed with her best friend.
Lin Qiaozhi suddenly turned her head to look at her. “Zhenzhu, have you ever thought about what kind of job you’d want if you didn’t go to college after graduating from high school?”
Ning Zhenzhu was caught completely off guard.
She had honestly never thought about that.
Ever since they were little, she and Qiaozhi had planned to get into college together and then become cadres like Director Meng.
She thought hard for a moment before answering hesitantly, “If I could do women’s affairs work like Director Meng, I’d definitely choose that first. But if I didn’t have the chance…”
So Zhenzhu’s first choice hadn’t been the iron rice bowl from the dream either.
“What about the supply and marketing cooperative?” Lin Qiaozhi asked tentatively.
Ning Zhenzhu clapped her hands and laughed. “That would be great! The stethoscope, the steering wheel, and the sales clerk. What could be better? I’d even be able to buy discounted imperfect fabric to make pretty dresses.”
She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Qiaozhi, believe it or not, my family actually knows someone who works at the supply and marketing cooperative.”
Looking at the furtive little expression on her face, Lin Qiaozhi thought of everything that had happened in the dream.
Zhenzhu had indeed gotten into the supply and marketing cooperative, but it had reportedly cost the last favor her father had left behind, along with quite a bit of money.
Things had been incredibly tense by then.
The other party had taken a huge risk to make it happen.
If only they could seize an opportunity now, just after classes were suspended but before the Down to the Countryside policy began. Then that favor could be saved and used to protect Zhenzhu again in the future.
And if she still wanted to do women’s affairs work later, she could always change jobs then.
If she wanted to find a job as soon as classes were suspended, she absolutely had to do well on this semester’s final exams!
Only then would she have the confidence and qualifications to find work.
Deep in thought, Lin Qiaozhi pulled her up, preparing to get out of bed. “Come on. Let’s go find A Shui and Wanwan and look for somewhere to study.”
Burying her face in the pillow, Ning Zhenzhu mumbled, “Waaah… I don’t want to get up…”
She seriously suspected the factory school was enchanted. How had Qiaozhi become so obsessed with studying?
Lin Qiaozhi pulled her to her feet.
Ning Zhenzhu let out a mournful cry, still clutching the quilt. “How did you get even stronger?”
…
Once Lin Qiaozhi had made her decision, she never changed it.
She still chose Wang Baiqiang’s team.
Submitting paperwork, transferring her personnel file and household registration, getting her grain and oil ration booklet… It took about three or four days.
At last, Lin Qiaozhi had completed every procedure.
[Lin Qiaozhi]
[Mold Fitter, Second-Grade Worker, Years of Service: 0, Salary: 38.29]
Looking at the words before her, she broke into a broad, toothy grin.
And there was her grain and oil ration booklet too!
From now on, she wouldn’t have to keep busy fixing things for other people just to make ends meet. She could simply eat three delicious meals a day in the factory cafeteria.
The personnel clerk behind the desk asked, “Have you checked everything? If it’s all correct, sign here.”
“Oh, one more thing. Will you be collecting your wages yourself, or will your parents collect them for you?”
These days, families had many children and heavy financial burdens. Before getting married, it was common for the wages of older sons and daughters who started working first to be collected by their parents, with only a few yuan left to them as pocket money.
After confirming there were no problems, Lin Qiaozhi signed her name at the bottom of the form and said, “Of course I’ll collect my wages myself.”
The personnel clerk knew her, so he wasn’t surprised. He took a red stamp and pressed it over her signature, marking it as self-collection.
“You can report to the workshop tomorrow. Since it’s all within our own factory, I won’t bother taking you over to show you the way.”
Lin Qiaozhi carefully packed all the paperwork into her shoulder bag, patted it, and said, “No need for that. I couldn’t get lost even if I walked with my eyes closed.”
After finishing the paperwork, Lin Qiaozhi checked the time and hurried toward the office building.
It was almost time for the scheduled interview and photographs. The factory had specially arranged for the Jiangcheng Evening News to cover her.
She had only been waiting a short while when the reporter and photographer arrived.
“Hello, I’m Zhong Qing from the Jiangcheng Evening News, and this is my photographer, Tao Xiaoxiao,” the reporter in front said with a smile.
“Hello,” Director Du from the Publicity Department stepped forward to shake hands, smiling as he said, “Reporter Zhong, you’re every bit as sharp and capable as I’d imagined. I’ve read your articles before. I never expected we’d actually be able to invite you here.”
Reporter Zhong smiled as well. “Hongqi Factory is one of Jiangcheng’s most renowned factories. It’s an honor for me to cover this story.”
After exchanging a few polite remarks, Director Du introduced her. “This is Lin Qiaozhi.”
Lin Qiaozhi smiled at her. After introducing herself, she chatted with her for a couple of minutes before Zhong Qing said, “How about this? Xiao Tao can take Qiaozhi to get the photos done first, while Director Du and I go over the details of the publicity plan.”
“Sounds good.”
The photographer, Tao Xiaoxiao, looked delighted. She studied Lin Qiaozhi curiously as she took out a large black camera. “Let’s go. Where would you like to have the photos taken?”
Lin Qiaozhi asked, “Can I choose the location myself?”
She had assumed it would already have been decided.
“Of course you can,” Tao Xiaoxiao replied immediately. “Sister Zhong said the place you like best will naturally be the one that best reflects the spirit and image you want to present.”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Qiaozhi said happily, “Then let’s do it at the front gate of Hongqi Factory!”
The moment Tao Xiaoxiao heard the location, she understood. “Sure. I’ll make both you and Hongqi Factory look great. You’re bringing honor to the factory, after all. It’s something to be proud of.”
Sensing her goodwill, Lin Qiaozhi struck up a conversation with her as they walked toward the factory entrance.
Tao Xiaoxiao revealed, “Actually, Sister Zhong was the one who volunteered for this interview. She really loves the theme of your publicity campaign.”
When they reached the gate, Tao Xiaoxiao pulled an eyebrow pencil from inside her coat. “Let’s tidy up the edges of your eyebrows and darken them a bit. It’ll make you look more spirited in the photos.”
Lin Qiaozhi’s features had never belonged to the soft, gentle type. With a serious expression, she naturally looked rather intimidating. Darkening her eyebrows just a little and defining their shape more clearly made her gaze look especially powerful.
The kind of face people remembered at first glance.
Tao Xiaoxiao first took one photo with a serious expression, then another with a smile before directing her again. “That’s it. Just stand there. Then when I call your name, turn around quickly and look at me.”
After they finished taking the photos, they walked back together.
Tao Xiaoxiao’s steps were so light that anyone could tell how happy she was just by looking at her from behind.
Walking beside her, Lin Qiaozhi asked curiously, “You’re that happy?”
Tao Xiaoxiao nodded. “Sister Zhong specifically asked for me and even reminded me to capture that sense of presence, something that conveyed strength. I’d been worrying about it before, but not anymore. I think the shots turned out really well.”
That only made Lin Qiaozhi even more curious.
She wondered how the photos had come out.
By the time they returned to the office building, Director Du had already left. When Zhong Qing saw Tao Xiaoxiao give her a subtle nod, the tension immediately melted from her face.
She motioned for Lin Qiaozhi to take a seat again.
“Qiaozhi, these are the interview questions. Take a look first.” Smiling, Zhong Qing handed her a sheet of paper before adding, “I’ll be taking shorthand notes during the interview, but don’t be nervous. If you say anything wrong, it won’t be published.”
“Okay.” Lin Qiaozhi accepted the sheet.
There were quite a few questions written on it. Reporter Zhong had beautiful handwriting. After reading through them, Lin Qiaozhi found herself believing that Zhong Qing truly liked the theme of the publicity campaign and had volunteered for this interview because of it.
For example: Why did you choose to become a fitter in the first place? Did you ever hesitate?
Another asked: As the first student in Hongqi Factory’s history to graduate with outstanding results after only eight months of training, how did you accomplish it, and how do you feel about it?
All twenty questions revolved around Hongqi Factory and Lin Qiaozhi.
Once paired with the photographs in the newspaper, those seemingly simple questions might become incredibly impactful.
The interview went very smoothly.
So smoothly that it was almost unbelievable.
Sometimes, liking something defied reason and logic. It recognized only resonance.
“You’re even more remarkable than I imagined.”
Closing her notebook, Zhong Qing stood and smiled as she extended her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Comrade Lin Qiaozhi.”
She was already looking forward to the finished article, eager to see such a brilliant sun slowly rise.