Major Heavy Industry: Starting with a Fake Marriage

Chapter 57 The meeting room fell silent.

The meeting room fell silent. The leaders exchanged glances. The vice dean thought for a moment and said, "Okay, we'll do it your way. Come to the Academic Affairs Office tomorrow morning, and we'll set the questions on the spot."

Jiang Cheng nodded: "Okay."

The next morning, Jiang Cheng arrived at the Academic Affairs Office on time. The room was full of people—teachers from the Academic Affairs Office, professors from the Mathematics Department, and a few onlookers. The Vice Dean was personally supervising the exam.

The exam was given on the spot, consisting of five questions, all of which were difficult advanced mathematics problems, even harder than the final exam. Jiang Cheng received the exam paper, glanced at it, and felt confident. He picked up his pen and began to answer the questions.

The first question, ten minutes. The second question, fifteen minutes. The third question, twenty minutes. He wrote very quickly, his handwriting was neat, and his steps were clear. When he got to the fourth question, he paused, thought for a moment, and changed his solution.

I answered all five questions in two hours.

The professor from the mathematics department graded the papers on the spot. After finishing, he looked at the papers and his expression changed.

"What score?" the vice dean asked.

The professor looked up and adjusted his glasses: "Full marks."

The room erupted in uproar.

The vice dean took the exam paper and looked at it question by question. After finishing, he remained silent for a long time, then said to Jiang Cheng, "Jiang Cheng, I'm sorry, we misunderstood you."

Jiang Cheng stood up: "It's alright. As long as my innocence is proven, that's enough."

He walked out of the academic affairs office, the sunlight so bright he squinted. The leaves of the sycamore trees rustled in the wind, like applause. He stood under a tree and took a deep breath. The air smelled of grass mixed with the earthy scent of fresh rain.

He looked up at the sky. The sky was blue, and the clouds were white, floating in the air like cotton candy. He suddenly felt like crying, but he held it back.

He won this battle again. But he knew there would be another.

Jiang Cheng graduated successfully at the end of June.

The graduation ceremony was held in the college's auditorium. Jiang Cheng, wearing a borrowed Zhongshan suit, stood on the stage and received his diploma from the vice dean. More than three hundred students and their families sat below the stage. Jiang Cheng looked down and saw Zheng Yanxi—she was holding Jiang Yuan, standing in the last row, smiling at him.

He stepped off the stage and walked over to them. Jiang Yuan saw him, stretched out her two little hands, and cried out, wanting him to hold her. He took the child and bounced her around in his arms. The little one had gotten heavier, chubby and round, like a bag of flour.

"Graduated?" Zheng Yanxi asked.

"I've graduated."

What will you do in the future?

Jiang Cheng thought for a moment: "Let's go back to the factory first. The technical innovation team's work still needs to continue."

He knew perfectly well that the country's industrial foundation was now solid, and in this crucial initial stage, as long as the technology innovation team continued its work, the saved budget would be considerable. At that time, he could then seek opportunities to go to research institutes to develop new equipment, and things would naturally fall into place.

Zheng Yanxi nodded without saying anything.

After the graduation ceremony, Jiang Cheng treated Huang Deqing, Factory Director Zhou, and Director Ma to dinner at a small restaurant near the factory gate. There wasn't much food, but plenty of alcohol. Huang Deqing drank quite a bit, his face turning as red as Guan Yu's.

"Chengzi," he said, holding his wine glass, his tongue a little thick, "you are the best apprentice I've ever trained. In thirty years, you're the only one I've mentored."

Jiang Cheng raised his glass: "Master, without you, I wouldn't be where I am today. I toast you."

The two men touched hands and drank it all in one gulp.

Factory Director Zhou said from the side, "Xiao Jiang, you can continue working on the technical innovation team when you get back. The factory supports you. If anyone tries to sabotage you again, I'll be the first to object!"

Director Ma slammed his fist on the table, "That's right! Anyone who dares to mess with Jiang Cheng is going against our foundry workshop!"

Looking at these people, Jiang Cheng felt a warmth in his heart. He knew he wasn't alone in this factory. He had a mentor, fellow workers, and leaders who supported him. These things, known as popular support, were something no rival could take away.

It was quite late when the party ended. Jiang Cheng helped Huang Deqing walk back. Huang Deqing was drunk and walked unsteadily, muttering something under his breath.

"Master, what did you say?"

Huang Deqing stopped, looked at him, and his gaze suddenly became clear: "Chengzi, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Qian Zhiguo's side has been making moves lately. He's got several people in the province involved, trying to sue you. For what? 'Sabotaging imported equipment' and 'Unauthorized alteration of state property.'" Huang Deqing's voice was low. "You need to be careful."

Jiang Cheng's heart sank: "Master, how did you know?"

"I have connections at the heavy machinery factory," Huang Deqing said. "They told me. Qian Zhiguo said he would definitely bring you down."

The night wind was cool, feeling like knives on his face. Jiang Cheng stood under the streetlamp, looking at his master's face. Huang Deqing's face was deeply lined, each wrinkle like a road leading to a place he didn't know.

"Master, I'm not afraid," he said. "Everything I've done has been done with a clear conscience. Let them sue if they want."

Huang Deqing looked at him and suddenly laughed: "Fine, you've got guts."

He patted Jiang Cheng on the shoulder, turned and walked away. His shadow stretched longer and longer under the streetlights, finally disappearing into the darkness.

Jiang Cheng stood under the streetlamp for a long time. The dim light shone on him, casting his short, thick shadow on the ground, like a stubby post. In the distance, the whistle of a train sounded, one long note followed by another, like some ancient warning.

He looked up at the sky. The moon was round, but a cloud was slowly moving in, obscuring its edge. The sky darkened, and the wind picked up, making the leaves of the sycamore trees rustle as if they were whispering secrets.

He didn't know what was hidden behind that cloud.

On the day the investigation team entered the Hongxing Factory, Shenyang experienced a rare June snowfall.

Of course, it's not real snow. It's poplar catkins. The entire city is filled with poplar catkins at the same time this season, a vast expanse of white, settling on rooftops, car roofs, and people's shoulders like a thin layer of frost. The air is filled with tiny fluffy particles, tickling the nose and making one involuntarily sneeze. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the catkins, becoming fuzzy, like looking through a veil.

Jiang Cheng stood by the window of the technology innovation team's office, looking at the white expanse outside, and felt a sense of calm.

What was bound to happen has finally happened.

The investigation team consisted of four people. The leader, surnamed Wei, was in his early forties, with a square face and thick eyebrows. He spoke slowly and deliberately, but every question he asked hit the nail on the head. He was the deputy director of the Second Division of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and it was said that he had handled cases for many years without ever making a mistake. Following him were three young people, one man and two women, all wearing dark blue Zhongshan suits, carrying briefcases, and looking as serious as if they were going to a funeral.

Factory Director Zhou led them into the conference room, poured them tea, and exchanged a few polite words with a forced smile. Director Wei didn't really respond, only nodding before asking, "Is Comrade Jiang Cheng here?"