Major Heavy Industry: Starting with a Fake Marriage

Chapter 27 Jeep

On the day BJ sent the letter, Jiang Cheng was in the workshop debugging a modified punch press.

The letter was delivered by Zheng Yanxi. She stood at the workshop entrance, holding a kraft paper envelope stamped with the red seal of the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. When Jiang Cheng took it, his hands were still covered in machine oil, leaving several black handprints on the envelope.

He opened the letter; inside was only one page, the handwriting neat and strong:

"Comrade Jiangcheng: It has been several months since we last met. I have been following your work at the grassroots level. I read the article in the provincial newspaper; it was excellent. I have something to discuss with you: the national key project on 'Technical Upgrading of Old Equipment' that I am responsible for has entered a critical stage and urgently needs experienced personnel from the front lines. If possible, I hope you will come to Beijing for a meeting. You can set the time; I will be waiting at any time. Zhou."

Jiang Cheng read the letter twice, his heart stirred. He knew the weight of the invitation from Old Zhou himself.

Several coworkers gathered around: "Who sent the letter?"

Jiang Cheng folded the letter and put it in his pocket: "An old friend."

He didn't tell anyone about the letter, not even Huang Deqing. After get off work, he sat alone by the railway tracks behind the factory, staring blankly at the sunset.

What does going to Beijing mean? It means a bigger stage, more important projects, and higher-level connections. Old Zhou's letter was subtle, but the phrase "national key project" says it all. If he could participate, he would no longer be just a technical innovation team leader in a factory, but a participant in a national-level project.

But he also knew in his heart that this trip might not be a matter of just a few days. What would happen to the factory's technical innovation team? What would happen to his mentor? What would happen to Yan Xi?

More importantly, now that he's gone, will Zhou Chuanming's side take the opportunity to make a move?

"What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Cheng turned around and saw Zheng Yanxi standing behind him, carrying a lunchbox.

"Why are you here?"

"I guessed you were here since you hadn't come back for dinner." Zheng Yanxi sat down next to him and handed him the lunchbox. "Whose letter was it?"

Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment, then handed her the letter. Zheng Yanxi read it, remained silent for a while, and then said, "Are you going?"

"I'm thinking."

Zheng Yanxi returned the letter to him: "Go."

Jiang Cheng looked at her: "Aren't you afraid I might never come back?"

Zheng Yanxi didn't answer. Instead, she looked at the distant railway tracks and said softly, "Jiang Cheng, do you know why I chose you in the first place?"

She had asked this question once, but she hadn't answered it then. Jiang Cheng shook his head.

"Because once, the factory held a skills competition, and you came in third place. Everyone else was bragging, but you were squatting in front of that broken lathe, watching and taking notes. I glanced at it when I passed by, and the drawings in your notebook were more professional than those of the technical staff."

She turned to look at him: "I knew then that you were no ordinary person. You were different from everyone else in this factory."

Jiang Cheng was stunned. He hadn't expected Zheng Yanxi to have observed him for so long and so meticulously.

"So," Zheng Yanxi stood up, brushing the dust off her skirt, "go ahead. This factory can't hold you back. You should go somewhere bigger."

She stood up too, looking into his eyes: "But remember, wherever you go, there's someone here waiting for you."

A surge of warmth welled up in Jiang Cheng's heart. He reached out and took her hand. The two stood by the railway tracks, the setting sun casting long shadows of them.

The next day, Jiang Cheng went to find Huang Deqing.

Huang Deqing was squatting in the corner of the workshop repairing an old-fashioned milling machine. Hearing footsteps, he didn't even look up: "You're here?"

Jiang Cheng squatted down beside him and told him about the letter. After listening, Huang Deqing continued working, and only after a while did he say, "Go."

"Master, aren't you going to stop me?"

Huang Deqing put down the wrench and turned to look at him. On that wrinkled face, there was an expression Jiang Cheng had never seen before—not relief, not pride, but a calm relief.

"Chengzi, do you know why I haven't let you leave?"

Jiang Cheng shook his head.

"Because you're not ready yet," Huang Deqing said. "Going to the provincial capital would just make you a decoration. They want your reputation, not your ability. But Beijing is different. Someone like Old Zhou won't waste your time."

He stood up, brushing the dust off his knees. "Now you're ready. Go."

Jiang Cheng's nose tingled: "Master, the Technology Innovation Team—"

"Leave it to me," Huang Deqing interrupted him. "The sky won't fall if you leave. I may be old, but I can still hold on for a while."

Jiang Cheng stood up, looked at his master, and bowed deeply.

The day before he left, Jiang Cheng went to see Factory Director Zhou. After listening to his story, Factory Director Zhou remained silent for a long time before saying, "Jiang, let me tell you the truth. I'm uneasy about you leaving."

Jiang Cheng said, "Factory Director, I'm just going to Beijing for a visit, not transferring. The technical innovation team has experienced mentors; there won't be any problems."

Factory Director Zhou sighed: "I'm not worried about the technology. I'm worried about Zhou Chuanming. With you gone, he's even more unscrupulous."

Jiang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Factory Director, I have an idea."

He took a letter out of his pocket and handed it to Factory Director Zhou: "This is a letter to Vice Minister Li. If Zhou Chuanming takes any action, give this letter to him. He will handle it."

Factory Director Zhou took the letter, glanced at it, and nodded: "Okay. Go ahead, leave the factory affairs to me."

In the autumn of 1979, Jiangcheng boarded a train bound for Beijing.

The green train rumbled forward, and fields, villages, and factories flashed by outside the window. Jiang Cheng leaned against the window, his mind racing. He knew that this trip to Beijing wasn't just about participating in a research project, but also an opportunity—to get involved in more important projects and gain greater influence for himself.

Zhou Chuanming's experience taught him a lesson: in this system, ability alone is not enough; you also need connections.

Only in this way can we stand more firmly and realize our ambitions and aspirations.

The train traveled for a day and a night, arriving at BJ Station the next morning.

Jiang Cheng carried his luggage out of the station and immediately saw the person who was there to pick him up—a young man in his early thirties wearing glasses and holding a sign that read "Comrade Jiang Cheng".

"I am Jiang Cheng."

The young man warmly extended his hand: "Hello, Comrade Jiang! My name is Chen Siyuan, and I am Professor Zhou's graduate student. Professor Zhou asked me to pick you up."

The jeep wound its way through the streets and alleys of Beijing in the morning light. Jiang Cheng looked out the window at the city, a strange feeling stirring within him—he knew Beijing forty years later all too well. But Beijing in 1979 was a completely different story. There were no skyscrapers, no bustling traffic, just drab buildings and bicycles everywhere.

But there is one thing that Beijing forty years later lacks—a vibrant and upward spirit, a hope for rebuilding from scratch.