Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1073 Level 4 Fitter

The examination room was quickly set up in the open space of the workshop. Three senior fitters from the technical department were invited to act as examiners. They immediately presented a drawing of considerable difficulty and a workpiece to be processed—a precision gear component with extremely high requirements. It was necessary to ensure both dimensional accuracy and surface finish of the gear teeth, which was the ultimate test of skill.

Gu Nan picked up the file, his wrist twirling smoothly and effortlessly. He first carefully measured the dimensions of the rough workpiece, marking the areas requiring grinding on the drawing. Then, he made steady, precise, and powerful cuts, each stroke perfectly executed, the shavings falling evenly into the metal tray. When grinding crucial areas, he didn't even need measuring tools; he could judge the error by feel alone, occasionally using a micrometer for calibration, always achieving measurements accurate to three decimal places. In less than half an hour, the originally rough workpiece was polished to sharp edges and even teeth. A test on the testing instrument showed it perfectly met the precision required by the drawing. Even the experienced craftsmen watching couldn't help but nod in approval: "This work is beautiful! Truly the work of a senior engineer!"

Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai was completely flustered, like a factory apprentice. His hand holding the file trembled uncontrollably; he either pressed too hard and over-grinded, or the angle was wrong, resulting in incorrect dimensions. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead like broken beads, splashing onto the workpiece and spreading into small patches. The more anxious he became, the less his hand obeyed his commands, until he almost dropped the file on the ground in desperation.

When the final measurement results came out, the difference was immediately apparent: Gu Nan's workpiece met all the standards, even the most difficult-to-control tooth flank clearance was accurate; while Yi Zhonghai's work, let alone reaching the standard of a level 5 fitter, barely even reached level 4, the key dimensions were nearly one millimeter off from the drawing requirements, and the tooth surface was worn pitted and uneven. If it weren't for the fact that he was a veteran worker of several decades, he would only be rated as level 3 according to the rules.

Yi Zhonghai slumped in a wooden chair in the corner of the workshop, his back hunched like a stone bridge collapsing under a thousand-pound weight, his shoulders slumped as well. His face was ashen, as if covered in years of dust, with a deathly bluish tinge; even his lips had lost their former rosy hue, turning a sickly white. His eyes were vacant as he stared at the worn-out file in his hand—its blade covered in fine scratches, its edges rounded. It was his old partner from decades of working as a fitter, but now, those scratches looked like gaping mouths, silently mocking his incompetence.

This is it, he's completely finished. Not only have his previous anonymous accusations against Gu Nan for "lacking experience and getting promoted through connections" become a huge joke, but even his technical skills, which he was so proud of in the factory, have been completely exposed. From now on, he'll probably find it difficult to even look up at people in the factory; those young workers who used to be superior to him are probably gossiping about him behind his back.

When the final assessment results were posted on the bulletin board, the red background and black lettering were particularly glaring. Next to Yi Zhonghai's name were the four large characters "Level 4 Fitter." He froze, staring intently at those three words, his eyes stinging as if pricked by needles—he had managed to reach Level 7 in his youth, and although he had relied on his seniority to get by in the workshop over the years, his skills had become somewhat rusty, he never imagined he wouldn't even retain Level 5, plummeting directly back to Level 4. This wasn't just a demotion; it was a humiliation, a complete disgrace, leaving him utterly undignified.

The top leader stood in the center of the meeting hall, holding the heavy performance evaluation report in his hand. His sharp gaze swept over the sea of ​​steel mill employees below the stage, and his voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, carried an undeniable authority: "Now everyone sees clearly, right? Deputy Factory Director Gu Nan's title of Senior Engineer is well-deserved, with excellent theoretical and practical skills, unanimously approved by the expert panel! But this Master Yi Zhonghai is quite a disappointment—not only did he fail to retain his Level 5 fitter qualification, but he also dropped to Level 4. His skills must have long since become as rusty as a piece of iron, right?"

A hush fell over the audience; you could hear a pin drop. The employees exchanged glances, their faces a jumble of complex emotions, unsure what to say. Some, initially emboldened by Yi Zhonghai, had been harboring resentment towards Gu Nan, thinking it unacceptable for a young man to rise so quickly. But now, with city leaders present and Gu Nan's skills on full display—even the provincial experts couldn't find a single flaw—their gossip naturally died down. Looking at Yi Zhonghai's dejected expression, as if he wanted to disappear into the ground, everyone understood—it wasn't Gu Nan who had the problem; it was Yi Zhonghai himself who had failed, his jealousy backfiring, resulting in a complete loss of face.

Deputy Factory Director Li stood at the back of the crowd, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the cigarette pack in his pocket, secretly calculating: this matter should have ended here. His original intention was to use this assessment to stir up trouble, to destabilize Gu Nan's senior engineer title, and ideally, to bring the kid down so he could seize the opportunity to move up himself. Now that the higher-ups have come forward to support Gu Nan, there's no need for him to keep pursuing the matter; knowing when to stop is the best policy, lest he get burned.

But just as he breathed a sigh of relief, before he could even put the cigarette pack back in his pocket, he heard the senior leader change the subject, his gaze falling on him like a searchlight: "Gu Nan's matter is settled. However, Deputy Factory Director Li, there are still some things that need to be discussed with you."

Deputy Factory Director Li's heart skipped a beat, as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he was completely stunned—this whole thing was aimed at Gu Nan from beginning to end, so how did it suddenly involve him? He forced a stiff smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes trembling, but his heart was pounding like a rabbit, but facing the big boss, he could only bite the bullet and reply, "What are your orders, sir?"

Little did he know that the few people he had secretly asked to help "put pressure" on him had already slipped away the moment the city-level leaders appeared—they were just middle-level managers in the factory, how could they dare to act presumptuously in front of the big leaders? Staying would only make them pawns and invite trouble, only a fool wouldn't run away.

Deputy Factory Director Li immediately became obedient, his back involuntarily bending slightly as if his bones had been removed. He cautiously asked, "Sir, is there anything else I need to do? I... I've been diligently performing my duties lately and haven't caused any problems."

The senior leader didn't answer directly, but turned to look at Gu Nan, his tone becoming more gentle: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, you come along too. Perfect timing, let's have a good chat about Deputy Factory Director Li's 'achievements' in the factory over the years, especially those shady 'accounts'."