"..."
Li Guodong could only resign himself to taking over, watching as Wang Lisheng left.
Not two minutes after Xie Changning notified him from the lab, Wang Lisheng arrived at the door, looking as if he'd run a hundred-meter dash. "Sister Changning, is it a success?"
'It has to be a success!'
Xie Changning walked out of the lab with a package, locked the door behind her, and then handed it to Wang Lisheng. "Yes. These are the samples for Director Zhao."
Wang Lisheng looked at Xie Changning's somewhat haggard face. "You've worked hard."
"It was nothing. This is all for the position!"
Xie Changning made no secret of her interest in the vice factory director position. She was doing all this because she wanted the job; otherwise, she would have long since given up and started coasting.
The things she had brought with her from Shanghai were more than enough for her to live a comfortable life.
Wang Lisheng clutched the screws, trembling with excitement. He could already picture the look on Director Zhao's face when he saw this bag of screws!
The Industrial Bureau
Director Zhao was just about to leave for a meeting when he saw Wang Lisheng and Xie Changning hurrying over.
The moment he saw them, he knew the screw experiment was almost certainly a success.
So, he waved them over. "Since you're here, come with me." The meeting was for the Industrial Bureau, and all of Chuncheng's mechanical experts would be there.
It was the perfect opportunity to have the screws from Xie Changning's experiment appraised to see if they met the standards.
With an invitation from Director Zhao, how could Wang Lisheng and Xie Changning refuse? So, the two of them followed the director into the car.
As soon as they got in, Director Zhao couldn't hold back. "Success?"
Wang Lisheng proudly handed him a bag of screws. "Why don't you see for yourself?"
Director Zhao quickly took out a screw and examined it closely by the light from the car window. He had also been promoted from the factory floor, so he was no stranger to the materials used in screws.
The surface of this screw was smooth and had a fine luster, visibly different from an ordinary screw.
"Alright. I'll take this to the meeting in a bit. You two wait for me in the car."
Wang Lisheng nodded, indicating it wasn't a problem.
This meeting was hosted by the provincial bureau. The group arrived at the entrance of the Provincial Industrial Bureau, and Director Zhao got out of the car, tucked his briefcase under his arm, and strode inside.
In her past life, Xie Changning had often attended provincial and national bureau meetings.
But this was her first time seeing a provincial bureau building from the 1970s. It was a two-story adobe brick building with a triangular roof, in the center of which was a red five-pointed star.
Beneath the star, three large words were written in flamboyant calligraphy: Serve the People.
Seeing this building, even though it was dated, filled Xie Changning with a sense of warmth. This was unique to her China!
Provincial Bureau Office
Director Zhao sat in his designated seat, placed his things on the vermilion desk, and waited for the provincial bureau director to arrive.
The main topic of this meeting was, in fact, the very screws Director Zhao now held.
The provincial bureau wanted to see if any of the municipal bureaus had made any progress or advancements so everyone could discuss them together.
Several dozen people sat in the conference room. As if by unspoken agreement, each person took the fountain pen clipped to the pocket of their Zhongshan suit and placed it on the desk in front of them. Beneath each pen lay a well-prepared notebook.
Every notebook was filled with handwriting. Once the front of a page was full, it was flipped over to use the clean back.
The virtue of frugality was embodied by every single person here.
When the provincial bureau director arrived, everyone rose to their feet. The director raised a hand. "Please, be seated."
"I'm sure you all are clear on the topic of today's meeting..."
The provincial bureau director got straight to the point, speaking concisely.
The situation was critical. The parts were urgently needed, and the provincial bureau hoped everyone could produce them as quickly as possible.
One by one, everyone reported their insights and recent progress to the provincial director. Only Director Zhao remained silent in his seat, not moving a muscle.
Seeing him stay still, the others instinctively turned to look at him.
Only after everyone else had finished reporting did Director Zhao finally rise. He took a bag of screws from his pocket. "Our bureau has just developed the first batch of titanium alloy screws. I'd like to ask the experts and the director to take a look and appraise whether they meet the standards."
As he spoke, Director Zhao walked around, distributing the screws.
Director Zhao's words sparked a wave of low murmurs. Those who received a screw began to study it, while those who didn't crowded around their neighbors to get a look.
For a moment, everyone was completely focused on the screws in their hands.
"We'll need to run tests to know for sure, but... Old Zhao, you've done well this time..."
The provincial bureau director praised Director Zhao.
Director Zhao rose humbly and handed the materials list Xie Changning had given him to the provincial director. "This is the materials data used by our R&D talent when the experiment succeeded."
The materials list from Xie Changning was thick, filled with handwritten notes and precautions.
The provincial bureau director was surprised. He truly hadn't expected someone under Director Zhao to hand over this material data.
Sensing the provincial director's thoughts, Director Zhao explained, "She said that she's still young and not as experienced as the experts here, so she specifically wanted to present this for discussion with all of you..."
As Director Zhao said this, his voice couldn't help but swell with pride.
He was proud of having unearthed such a treasure. (Even though it was Wang Lisheng who convinced him, hadn't he been the one to agree in the end!)
The experts exchanged glances. The provincial bureau director gestured for his secretary to pass the material data to the nearest expert for them to review.
For a moment, the conference room fell silent once more.
"The direction of the data... it's correct!" You can always tell an expert by their work!
"That's right! Why didn't I think of that!?"
One expert slapped his thigh.
From their fragmented comments, it was clear that this material data was the most complete set available. Once the experts finished their analysis and the screws were tested, they would have a definitive result.
The meeting ended before the tests had even begun, but Director Zhao wasn't worried.
He felt his bureau had this in the bag.
Before he left, the provincial bureau director stopped Director Zhao. "I heard that one of the factories under your bureau is employing someone with a... complicated background?"
The provincial director's words made Director Zhao's expression change slightly.
He silently cursed whoever had such a big mouth. He explained to the provincial director, "I will give you an explanation for this matter later. As soon as the tests are finished, I will come to you and accept full responsibility!"
'By then, I'll have some leverage!'
The provincial bureau director gave Director Zhao a long, hard look, understanding the meaning behind his words. A profound look appeared in his eyes. "In that case, we will see each other after the tests are concluded."
Director Zhao left the provincial bureau and returned to the car, his head covered in sweat.
"You've been waiting long, haven't you? Let's go get something to eat first."
Director Zhao showed no intention of heading back, which made Wang Lisheng frown. "Director, aren't we going back to wait for a call?" 'Don't experiments like this take anywhere from two or three days to half a month to get results?'
"We'll stay here for the night. We'll have the results by tomorrow morning."
Special circumstances call for special measures. The provincial bureau couldn't wait.
The three of them had dinner and then stayed the night at the guesthouse next to the provincial bureau.
Early the next morning, the provincial bureau director's secretary knocked on Director Zhao's door. "Director Zhao, the director wants to see you!"