Major Heavy Industry: Starting with a Fake Marriage

Chapter 75 A Long Time

Jiang Cheng was taken aback. He hadn't expected Engineer Shen to agree so readily.

"But—" Engineer Shen added another "but," "I have one condition."

"Please speak."

"I want to stay and watch you finish the first batch with my own eyes. I want to see every single step, from coating to inspection."

Chief Engineer Zhao chimed in from the side, "Engineer Shen, you're so busy—"

"I have to check it even if I'm busy," Engineer Shen interrupted him. "This is a part of an airplane, it's not something to be taken lightly. I won't feel at ease if I don't see it with my own eyes."

Looking at Engineer Shen, Jiang Cheng suddenly realized that the old man wasn't so difficult to deal with after all. He wasn't there to cause trouble; he was there to oversee things. His "difficulty" stemmed not from distrust, but from a sense of responsibility.

"Engineer Shen, you're welcome to stay," Jiang Cheng said, "but our conditions aren't good. We're staying in a guesthouse and eating in the canteen."

Engineer Shen waved his hand: "I spent five years in the Third Front, what hardship haven't I endured? Don't worry about me, just focus on your work."

From that day on, Engineer Shen lived in Shenyang. He arrived early and left late every day, spending all his time in the laboratory watching Jiang Cheng and the others work. He didn't talk much, but he had a keen eye; no detail escaped his notice.

One day, when Sun Deming was grinding, the feed rate was a little too high, and the surface roughness was slightly worse—within the acceptable range, but not good enough. Engineer Shen saw this, but instead of saying anything to Sun Deming, he went to Jiang Cheng.

"Comrade Jiang Cheng, your workers are not operating according to regulations."

Jiang Cheng went over to take a look and figured it out. He called Sun Deming over: "Deming, the cut was too deep, the surface isn't smooth enough. Let's start over."

Sun Deming glanced at Engineer Shen, then at Jiang Cheng, nodded, and started again. This time, the feed rate was reduced by half, and the resulting surface was like a mirror, reflecting one's image.

Engineer Shen walked over, touched the area with his finger, and then checked his fingers for any marks. No. He nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and turned to leave.

After Shen Gong had walked away, Sun Deming whispered to Jiang Cheng, "Brother Jiang, is that old man dissatisfied with me?"

"No," Jiang Cheng said. "He's not satisfied with the work itself. He'll be satisfied once the work is improved."

Sun Deming scratched his head, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Huang Deqing squatted in the corner, watching everything without saying a word. After Engineer Shen left, he stood up, walked up to Sun Deming, and said, "Well done."

Sun Deming was stunned. This was the first time Huang Deqing had ever praised someone.

"Master Huang, what's wrong?"

"I said you did a good job," Huang Deqing repeated. "The second time was better than the first. Next time, if you do it like this the first time, you won't need to do it a second time."

Sun Deming opened his mouth, unsure what to say. Huang Deqing had already turned and left, his shadow stretching long in the lamplight.

Engineer Shen stayed in Shenyang for half a month. During that time, he oversaw the entire production process of the first batch of ten landing gear units. He personally verified the data for each unit and inspected every step of the process. On the last day, he called Jiang Cheng to his office and closed the door.

"Comrade Jiang Cheng, please sit down."

Jiang Cheng sat down. Engineer Shen took a document out of his bag and handed it to him.

"These are the review comments. I've signed them."

Jiang Cheng took it and opened it. The opinion was written very simply, only a few lines: "After on-site inspection, the landing gear repair plan of the Shenyang Promotion Center is scientifically feasible, the operation is standardized, and the quality is reliable. It is recommended to approve its deployment." Below was Engineer Shen's signature, the handwriting neat and precise.

Jiang Cheng looked at the document, his hands trembling slightly.

"Thank you, Engineer Shen."

Engineer Shen shook his head: "No need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank yourself. Your skills are better than I expected. And you're a better person than I thought."

He paused, looked at Jiang Cheng, and there was something indescribable in his eyes: "Comrade Jiang Cheng, I have a question for you."

"Please speak."

"Where did you learn these skills? I asked Chief Engineer Zhao, and he said you started as a fitter and never went to university. But your solutions have a very solid theoretical foundation, unlike what someone who didn't go to university would write."

Jiang Cheng's heart tightened. He had been asked this question many times before. Every time, he had said "self-taught." But this time, facing this seasoned expert who had seen countless people, he felt that the word "self-taught" was too weak.

"Engineer Shen," he said, "I did not go to university. But I read a lot of books. My father left me some books on mechanics, and later my father-in-law helped me find many more. When I read, I had a habit—if I didn't understand something, I would go to the workshop to find the answer. Machines don't lie. Whether what's written in the book is correct or not, you can find out by trying it."

Engineer Shen looked at him and remained silent for a long time. Then he smiled. The smile wasn't deep, but it was genuine.

"Good. Self-taught, that's impressive."

He stood up and extended his hand.

Jiang Cheng grasped his hand. The old man's hand was thin, with prominent knuckles, but it was very strong.

Engineer Shen left. The black sedan disappeared around the street corner, kicking up a cloud of dust. Jiang Cheng stood at the door, clutching the review report in his hand, standing there for a long time. The wind was strong, making his coat flutter loudly, but he didn't feel cold.

Huang Deqing walked over from the courtyard and stood next to him.

"Gone?"

"I'm gone."

"What did you say?"

"They said our plan was fine."

Huang Deqing nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Then he turned and walked back to the yard to continue working. Jiang Cheng watched his back and suddenly felt that as long as his master was there, he wouldn't panic even if the sky fell down.

He folded the review comments, put them in his pocket, and turned to walk into his office. He sat down, picked up a pen, and began writing down a production plan for a batch of landing gear.

Outside the window, the poplar branches swayed in the wind, bare like an old man's fingers. But spring is not far away. When spring comes, they will sprout again, turn green again, and grow new leaves.

He wrote a sentence on the last line of the plan: "After the first batch is completed, summarize the experience and problems, and formulate standard operating procedures. Starting with the second batch, strictly follow the standard operating procedures."

After writing the last word, he put down his pen and leaned back in his chair. Sunlight streamed in through the window, warming his face. He closed his eyes, and the old expert's face appeared in his mind—gray hair, a thin face, black-rimmed glasses, and a slight downturn at the corners of his mouth. But when they shook hands at the end, the corners of his mouth turned up.

This detail made Jiang Cheng feel that all the hard work was worthwhile.

He opened his eyes, stood up, put on his coat, and walked out of the office.

In the courtyard, Sun Deming was moving equipment with Wang Xiaojun. Old Zhao was squatting on the ground repairing a testing instrument. Huang Deqing stood by the window, holding a scraper in his hand, seemingly lost in thought.

The sunlight shone on everyone, casting their shadows on the ground—some long, some short, some plump, some thin. But every shadow was moving, busy, and doing its own thing.

Jiang Cheng stood at the door, looking at these people for a long time.

Then he laughed.