MM Racing Chapter 1054 Queueing Assessment
Chapter 1054 Queueing Assessment
Gu Nan stepped forward and extended his hand: "Hello, teachers. I am Gu Nan, the deputy director of the steel rolling mill. I would like to thank you for making this trip for the assessment."
The older teacher at the head of the group shook his hand; his palm was rough but strong, and he had a gentle smile on his face. "Deputy Factory Director Gu, you're too kind. This is a task assigned by our superiors; it's what I should do." He raised his wrist to look at his Shanghai brand watch. "I wonder when we can begin, Deputy Factory Director?"
"It'll be ready soon." Gu Nan smiled, turned to the side and pointed to the door. "I'll go and call the people who are taking the test over to prepare. Please wait a moment, have a drink of water and rest your feet."
The three teachers nodded and said nothing more. They had been conducting assessments for many years and had seen a lot of factional disputes in factories. They knew exactly what was going on—they were only responsible for assessing according to national standards. Whoever's workpiece had sufficient precision and whoever understood the drawings thoroughly would pass. There was no need to get involved in other personal grudges and conflicts.
Sunlight streamed through the workshop's high windows, casting bright spots of light on the concrete floor and reflecting off the gleaming measuring tools. Zhang Zhi had already led more than twenty engineers in. Some were nervously rubbing their hands, some were stealing glances at the evaluators, and others were staring down at their work shoes, as if trying to bolster their own morale.
An assessment that would determine everyone's future was about to begin. The workshop was filled with the strong smell of machine oil, mixed with the metallic odor of cooled metal, and a faint hint of gunpowder—the tension and anticipation brewing in the hearts of the thirty-odd engineers participating in the assessment. Even the old ceiling fan on the workshop ceiling whirred with an indescribable sluggishness, as if infected by the atmosphere; the whooshing sound of its blades cutting through the air was full of tension, making the discarded newspapers in the corner tremble.
As Gu Nan came out of the office, he bumped into Zhang Zhi gathering people. Zhang Zhi was holding a crumpled list and calling out names on tiptoe. Most of those whose names were called were clutching their tattered notebooks, their fingertips rubbing the pages until they shone, their faces showing a mixture of excitement and trepidation, as if they were holding a hot iron. When they saw Gu Nan approaching, everyone hurriedly stopped talking and surrounded him, their steps somewhat restrained, even their breathing becoming softer.
Gu Nan knew their anxiety—these days, the factory's technical rating was directly linked to wages. Each promotion meant an extra five or eight yuan a month, making life much easier for the family: the children could have more formula, the elderly could get a patched-up coat, and they could even buy a couple of pounds of meat to make dumplings for the New Year. He raised his hand to urge them on, his voice as steady as a roller rolling over a steel plate: "Everyone, line up according to the list, don't panic. The exams will be conducted one by one. The blueprints and tools are all new, ensuring fairness. No one can get special treatment."
Zhang Zhi watched as Deputy Factory Director Li's figure disappeared around the corner of the workshop—he had just seen him peeking around in the distance, but now he was long gone. His hesitation vanished instantly, and the cold sweat on his back dried a little. He thought to himself: What good are the benefits Deputy Factory Director Li promised compared to a solid performance evaluation? If the exam is ruined, the first to suffer will be technicians like himself without connections. This assessment, presided over by Deputy Factory Director Gu, is the real opportunity to stand tall.
He stood there lost in thought, unsure what to do with his hands and feet, his fingers unconsciously fidgeting in his work clothes pockets like a rabbit running around in its mouth. Seeing his restless state, Gu Nan went over and said in a gentle tone, "Zhang Zhi, what's wrong? Is something bothering you? If you're nervous, go get some water and calm down."
Zhang Zhi suddenly snapped out of his daze, jumping up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and quickly glanced around. Seeing the engineers waiting for the exam gathered in twos and threes, their eyes filled with curiosity, and some even whispering among themselves, he quickly lowered his voice, took half a step forward, almost whispering in Gu Nan's ear: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, I have something I want to tell you, about... about the exam."
Gu Nan raised an eyebrow and pointed to the open space next to him: "Let's talk here. It's all factory business. There's nothing we can't hear."
Zhang Zhi was still uneasy, his Adam's apple bobbing. He wasn't sure if any of the engineers were people planted by Deputy Factory Director Li—he'd heard before that Old Wang from the equipment department was close to Deputy Factory Director Li, and had even winked at him earlier. If a word got out and Deputy Factory Director Li held a grudge, he might not even be able to get a part in the factory anymore. He gritted his teeth, looked into Gu Nan's eyes, and pleaded, "Deputy Factory Director Gu, could we speak in private for a moment? Just one minute, I promise it won't delay anything."
Seeing his cautious demeanor, Gu Nan had a general idea of what was going on, so she nodded and said, "Okay, let's go."
The two walked to the corner at the end of the workshop, where piles of discarded parts boxes lay. The rusted metal boxes blocked the view from outside, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the cracks in the walls, casting long, thin patches of light on the ground. Gu Nan stopped and leaned against the cold boxes: "Now you can tell me, what's the matter?"
Zhang Zhi took a deep breath, as if he had made a huge decision, and the veins on his forehead throbbed: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, Deputy Factory Director Li came to me a couple of days ago and slipped me a pack of filtered cigarettes behind the warehouse—the kind that costs 1.2 yuan a pack from a major manufacturer. He also said that once things are settled, he'll get me a bicycle voucher. He wants me to... deliberately do something underhanded during the exam, like mixing up different models of blueprints, or putting some machine oil on the measuring instruments to make the readings inaccurate—basically, to ruin the assessment. But I didn't agree!" As he spoke, he took the unopened pack of cigarettes from his pocket and stuffed it into Gu Nan's hand. "Look, the cigarettes are still here. I know you're doing this for the good of the factory, wanting to promote some truly capable people, but we can't let him succeed!"
Looking at the earnestness in Zhang Zhi's eyes, Gu Nan, his fingers gripping the sturdy cigarette pack, wasn't surprised—Deputy Factory Director Li always resorted to these underhanded tricks; when he couldn't stop them openly, he'd start making things difficult. He just hadn't expected Zhang Zhi to bring it up himself; it showed more backbone than he'd anticipated. He pushed the cigarettes back, patted Zhang Zhi's shoulder, and said firmly, "Okay, I understand. I'll be prepared. Don't worry, focus on your exam, and don't let it affect you. If you do well, you'll be given priority in the performance evaluation."
Zhang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, a grateful smile spreading across his face, his eyes even a little red: "Thank you for your trust, Deputy Factory Director Gu! I will definitely perform well and will never let you down!"
Gu Nan nodded, turned around, and went back to wait in line. He didn't try to get special treatment just because he was the deputy factory director; instead, he stood obediently at the end of the line, just like the other test takers, looking down at his notes and waiting for his number to be called. Sunlight streamed in through the high window, casting a square patch of light at his feet, like a clean canvas.