Reborn as a comedic artist

Chapter 125 Stay calm, stay calm

Inside the office of Zhao's Precision Steel Factory, the air was so murky it felt like a pot of boiling paste.

Smoke swirled around.

The cigarette in Zhao Gang's hand had burned down to the filter, making him shudder. Ashes fell onto the greasy ledger.

His pupils were somewhat unfocused as he stared intently at the stack of newly printed remittance slips in front of him.

All of them are green coins.

"Uncle, calm down."

Cheng Ming sat on the sofa opposite him, playing with a finely crafted gas cylinder model in his hand. It was a "commemorative edition" that the factory technicians had rushed to make overnight.

"Calm down my ass!"

Zhao Gang jumped up suddenly, his blood pressure so high that the veins on his forehead throbbed: "Xiao Cheng... look at this note!"

"A specially designed shape, powered by a high-pressure airflow propulsion system!"

He grabbed an order form, his hands trembling like leaves: "This one's even more outrageous! The notes specify that the inner wall of the steel pipes must be engraved with 'spiral water-guiding patterns,' supposedly to increase the centrifugal force of the water flow... What is that if not rifling?!"

Cheng Ming sighed, put down the model in his hand, and got up to pour Zhao Gang a glass of cold tea.

"Uncle, that's not right of you. We're in business, and we believe in putting the customer first."

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Cheng Ming walked to the window and gently parted a corner of the blinds with his fingers.

Downstairs, Wang Shuo was leading several security guards, struggling to maintain order.

Several bearded Middle Eastern men dressed in white robes and wearing turbans were waving checkbooks, creating a scene that was quite "harmonious."

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"The spiral pattern is indeed for guiding water. The faster the water flows, the higher the irrigation efficiency. This is fluid mechanics, science, and art."

Cheng Ming turned around, his expression so sincere it made you want to call the police: "As for that support frame, it's to help farmers find the field ridges accurately at night. That's called a human-centered design."

Zhao Gang opened his mouth, but was speechless.

The logic is complete.

He runs a factory, so he's not stupid!

Especially the thought of a big-bearded man standing in the desert, carrying steel pipes produced by their factory, blasting a wrecked jeep hundreds of meters away into dust with a "high-pressure water jet".

"Alright, Uncle, with the city's backing, what are you panicking for? Remember one thing: we're selling civilian goods, and the right to interpret everything belongs to Zhao's Precision Special Steel Factory."

Cheng Ming patted Zhao Gang on the shoulder, turned and walked towards the door: "I'm going to the workshop to check the quality control. If even one pipe in this batch has an error of more than 0.1 millimeters, it's a desecration of art."

Watching Cheng Ming's tall figure disappear through the door, Zhao Yufeng, who had been sitting silently in the corner, remained silent.

She stared at the swaying wooden door, her expression complex.

These past few days, or more precisely, since she set off for Qin Province, apart from providing background music and making temporary cameo appearances, she's been like an outsider.

Even though it was her own factory, and she was clearly the young lady of the place, watching Cheng Ming strategize and effortlessly transform what was once a near-bankrupt mess into an international focus, she suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of distance.

Back in school, we rehearsed together and ate barbecue together. Although Cheng Ming was dazzling back then, at least he was within reach.

But now....

Cheng Ming stood at the forefront of the storm, exuding a kind of magic that could captivate men and drive women crazy.

Zhao Yufeng subconsciously touched his chest.

It's a bit stuffy there.

She felt she had gone a bit too far!

Is it a done deal?

In the past, she might have cornered Cheng Ming against the wall and asserted her dominance in the most direct way.

Zhao Yufeng was never one to be coy; if she liked something, she liked it; if she wanted to sleep with someone, she wanted to sleep with them.

But not now.

Cheng Ming flew too fast.

It was so fast that she not only couldn't keep up, but she also began to worry that her approach might become a burden to him.

Now, Cheng Ming is surrounded by international buyers, provincial leaders, and countless eyes watching him.

Zhao Yufeng turned his head and glanced at Lin Yiyi, who was helping Zhao Gang organize his documents.

He kept his head down from the beginning, silently doing the most trivial things.

"Alright, let's do what we can first!"

Zhao Yufeng stood up, walked over to Zhao Gang, grabbed the still-vibrating phone, and said in a cold voice, "Dad, go and rest. I'll take the rest of the calls. Tell the workshop director that if the molds on Line 3 have any more problems, I'll personally break his legs."

In that instant, Zhao Gang seemed to see his younger self, no, even more ruthless and decisive than he had been then.

Inside the workshop, sparks from welding filled the air like daytime.

The deafening roar drowned out all other noise.

Lin Yiyi stood five meters away from Cheng Ming, holding a thermos.

She looked at Cheng Ming's focused profile.

Lin Yiyi looked down at herself.

He was wearing grey sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt, and his clothes were still a bit dusty from helping to move things earlier.

"What can I do?"

Lin Yiyi asked herself this question in her heart.

Compared to the valiant and heroic Zhao, she was practically useless in action.

Compared to the aloof and shrewd strategist, she seemed like a child who hadn't grown up yet.

Not to mention the mature, charming, and highly skilled Chen Yao.

She didn't understand the complexities of international trade, nor did she know anything about fluid mechanics. She couldn't even help Cheng Ming fend off drinks because she would pass out after just one glass.

All she seemed to be able to do was hand Cheng Ming a glass of warm water when he was tired, and cook him a bowl of not-so-delicious noodles when he was hungry.

or----

Lin Yiyi seemed to have thought of something, bit her lip, and an unnatural blush rose on her cheeks.

"What are you spacing out for?"

A warm, large hand suddenly covered her head and gently rubbed it.

Lin Yiyi snapped back to reality, looked up, and met those smiling eyes.

Cheng Ming walked over at some point, holding a thermos cup that was already more than half full.

"The water temperature is just right, thanks."

Cheng Ming said casually, but his eyes were still fixed on a CNC machine tool not far away.

"No...it's okay, I'll go pick it up again."

Lin Yiyi frantically tried to take the cup back.

"No need, take a break. Look how busy you've been, your face is all dirty."

Cheng Ming pressed down on her shoulder and led her to a relatively clean corner to sit down. As he spoke, he extended his thumb and naturally rubbed it against the tip of Lin Yiyi's nose, wiping away a speck of black ash.

Buzz—

The delicate touch of his fingertips gliding across her skin made her feel completely relaxed.

"Ming... Brother Ming..." Lin Yiyi's voice was barely audible.

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

Cheng Ming responded casually, his mind clearly still on the rifling of the steel pipes.

"No, it's nothing, it's just that...you feel so far away from us right now."

Cheng Ming was taken aback.

He turned his head.

The workshop lights were very bright, making Lin Yiyi's exposed neck appear white and shiny, with the fine, soft downy hair clearly visible.

He could clearly sense Zhao Yufeng's restraint these past few days, Lin Yiyi's inferiority complex, and even the seemingly businesslike but actually awkward WeChat messages from Gu Xiao.

"Is it far?"

Cheng Ming suddenly leaned closer and whispered in her ear.

Lin Yiyi froze, clearly feeling the man's hot breath on her ear.

"Don't forget, if it weren't for you back then, I wouldn't be enjoying this fame and fortune now. We should never forget those who helped us, especially now. So calm down, calm down, don't feel pressured!"

Cheng Ming dropped his nonchalant expression, his eyes unusually serious.

"Okay, I understand."

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