Courtyard House: Starting as a mediocre engineer

The kitchen was filled with smoke as the students prepared for their exam.

Behind the trainees sat five examiners in the front row. These were all chefs, all of them at least first-class chefs, with the leader, Master Han, being a special-grade chef.

This shows that the examination team members were of a very high standard.

Unlike later times, when top-level chefs and master chefs seemed to have become commonplace, in this era, such chefs were extremely rare. It was only in Beijing that such a super-luxurious team could be assembled. If it were in an inland province, perhaps the entire province wouldn't find more than a handful.

So, you should all know how difficult it is to get a Beijing household registration and a job in Beijing these days, right?

But any top-tier chef is highly sought after by various organizations in Beijing. Not only do they enjoy the benefits of a top-tier chef, but they also receive assistance with family residency, housing, employment for family members, and schooling for their children…

Just one chef is enough to elevate the whole family to a high position.

In the back row sat Zhuang Zhongchen and Huang Ya, the two proctors. Also present was Sister Li. Sister Li was an administrative staff member in the General Affairs Department; she was responsible for some logistical matters for the examination group.

At this moment, Zhuang Zhongchen was already lost in thought. He was recalling the events before he transmigrated.

Zhuang Zhongchen majored in mechatronics and, after graduating from university, was fortunate enough to become a factory worker. He toiled away in the machinery every day, working like a dog, and was a "greasy man" all year round.

After working for several years, Zhuang Zhongchen has already accumulated a wealth of experience in the field of mechanical equipment repair and maintenance.

Just then, Zhuang Zhongchen suddenly discovered a business opportunity—domestic industrial relocation, with a large number of coastal factories moving to the inland areas.

So Zhuang Zhongchen decisively resigned and started his own business. Leveraging his past connections and professional skills, he began relocating, installing, and debugging secondhand production lines and equipment. He successfully completed several projects and gained some recognition in the industry. He also made his first fortune.

But not long after, those bastards in China started to compete fiercely, and business became much harder.

Fortunately, at this time, Zhuang Zhongchen once again keenly discovered a great business opportunity—the export of domestic second-hand production lines and equipment!

Interestingly, at that time, official and online media in China frequently used phrases like "catching up with advanced foreign levels," "reaching advanced foreign technology," and "keeping pace with advanced foreign technology."

There are even short essays that frequently appear, with topics like "ballpoint pen refills," "chips," and "lithography machines," and so on.

It seems that China's industrial technology is still lagging behind, and is far behind that of developed countries.

However, in real life, with the overall upgrading of the domestic industrial system, technology has become increasingly advanced, and the pace of innovation and replacement can be dazzling.

In the equipment sector, equipment from five years ago is basically obsolete. And the equipment currently in use will almost certainly be obsolete in a few years.

Imagine what this means? This is infinite evolution!

The evolution has become so advanced that even many engineers can't understand it, creating a strange and inexplicable sense of unease. This is why a new term later emerged—Industrial Cthulhu!

The average Chinese citizen is completely unaware of the rapid development of industrial technology; they are entirely out of touch with the times. This includes many officials and media outlets as well.

Didn't they conduct a large-scale industrial survey later? It was precisely because even the government couldn't understand it. What kind of nonsense have you engineering dogs come up with?

It's no exaggeration to say that in many industries, the technology and equipment we use are far ahead of what we call "advanced international standards."

Here's a true joke: Because technology is developing so fast, there are no professional English terms available, so in the end, a large number of professional Chinese terms are simply created.

This situation is quite alarming. Previously, foreign technology was more advanced, so they used a lot of English terms, like IT, GDP, NTR... Okay! Not NTR! Anyway, English has become increasingly dominant, constantly invading other languages.

But what about now? If you don't understand Chinese, you simply can't learn domestic technology, which is the world's most advanced industrial technology? Industries like new energy and electric vehicles have already seen explosive growth in this area.

Zhuang Zhongchen seized this opportunity. He was surprised to find that the production lines and equipment that had been phased out domestically were far more advanced than those abroad!

Furthermore, these used equipment items are incredibly cheap. Domestic factories are upgrading their equipment so quickly that they can't even get rid of obsolete equipment in time. On the contrary, they can easily sell these used equipment for exorbitant prices overseas.

As a supplier of integrated used equipment, Zhuang Zhongchen has dominated this niche market.

Those who understand technology don't understand English as well as he does, and those who understand English don't understand technology as well as he does. Many people who understand both English and technology still hold onto their foreign-worshipping views and believe that China is very backward. As for those who have everything, their capital isn't as abundant as Zhuang Zhongchen's…

Before long, Zhuang Zhongchen became the king of this niche field, making a fortune...

However, at this moment, Zhuang Zhongchen was somewhat frustrated. All the experience he had before transmigrating was completely useless in this era.

From a work perspective, I'm an engineer in a government agency, not a factory engineer. Even if I had a wide range of skills, there's nowhere to use them.

From an economic perspective, I'm deeply in debt. Even if I were able to earn money, I would never dare to repay it early. I certainly couldn't explain the source of my income.

Do you really think that "the eyes of the people are discerning" is just a joke?

From a historical perspective, a few years from now will be a period of turmoil. To weather this storm peacefully, we can't afford to act recklessly and haphazardly, can we?

From a marital perspective... forget it. Given my financial situation, I shouldn't ruin other girls' lives. I can't really become a kept man; I can't afford to lose face like that!

I'm exhausted! Time to give up!

I'll just try to get through these 20 years. Anyway, I have a long lifespan. I'll find a chance to regain my former glory after the 80s!

……

Just then, Sister Li nudged Zhuang Zhongchen, saying, "Little Zhuang, the exam is about to start."

"oh oh."

"I have a question for you. Do you have a boyfriend? Do you need me to introduce you to someone?"

"Big sister, I'm not old enough yet."

"What's the big deal? Let's keep talking."

"It's really not going to work. We have too much debt at home, that's the amount."

"Huh? How did you end up owing so much?"

"My mom still has medical debts from back then. So I'm really not in the mood for dating. I'll think about it in a few years!"

"That hole is indeed too big. Never mind, let me ask you again..."

"..."

You know what, Zhuang Zhongchen has always been very popular with women. As long as he doesn't talk about borrowing money, he can charm women of all ages.

So before long, the two of them started chatting and laughing...