Courtyard House: A Major Power's Heavy Industry, Hand-Crafted Nuclear Fusion

The words "repair the eccentric shaft" from the loudspeaker were still echoing in the workshop, but the workers below were already in an uproar.

"This isn't an exam, it's a joke!"

"A Level 1 engineer exam on eccentric shafts? That's like asking an elementary school student to solve calculus problems—have you no shame?"

Even the most straightforward veteran fitters couldn't help but frown.

Although technical skills competitions emphasize difficulty, the difficulty should be targeted precisely.

Eccentric shafts are non-standard, irregularly shaped parts. In normal production, they are usually fixed on a lathe with special fixtures. Who would take a file and try to repair them?

This isn't a test of skills; it's a test of "who can get more into a rut."

The atmosphere at the competition site was tense for a time.

At this moment, everyone noticed Su Zheng's actions.

The latter was walking through the crowd, heading straight for the temporary meeting area to the side of the stage.

There, Yi Zhonghai was talking quietly with workshop director Lao Zhang and several judges, his face bearing his usual "for the greater good" expression.

"Director, judges."

Su Zheng's voice abruptly interrupted their conversation.

Yi Zhonghai's eyelids twitched, and he turned around: "Su Zheng? This is the judges' area. Family members of the contestants and unrelated personnel are not allowed to approach. What, are you here to plead for your apprentice? If you think it's difficult, you can withdraw."

"Abstain?"

Su Zheng smiled, but his eyes were as cold as ice. "Master Yi, you're overthinking it. I'm not here to plead for mercy; I'm here to 'seek justice.'"

He turned to Old Zhang, the workshop foreman, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Director Zhang, the original intention of the skills competition should be to select people with excellent skills and solid foundations, not to select 'eccentric geniuses' who can use tricks and resort to unorthodox methods, right?"

Old Zhang nodded: "Of course."

"In that case," Su Zheng pointed to the broadcast direction, "this 'eccentric shaft repair' topic is not only beyond the scope of the curriculum, but also has no practical significance. In the modern industrial system, there are specialized processes for repairing eccentric shafts. Relying on manual filing to restore the concentricity of the two shafts is nothing more than a waste of time and proves nothing. This is not increasing the difficulty, this is 'making things difficult'."

"Su Zheng! Watch your attitude!"

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened. "What do you mean by 'making things difficult'? The standards for an eighth-grade worker include processing irregularly shaped parts! What, your apprentice can only do standard parts, and he's completely lost when faced with special situations? So, when he gets to his job, he'll tell his supervisor that any problems he encounters are 'making things difficult'?"

This accusation against Yi Zhonghai is quite severe, directly elevating it to the level of "work attitude".

Su Zheng remained unmoved.

"Master Yi, don't try to twist the facts."

Su Zheng retorted sharply, "Being capable at the eighth level doesn't mean that the first level worker needs to be assessed. It's like saying that being able to carry a 200-pound sack doesn't mean that kindergarten sports meets will include a sack-carrying competition. That goes against the laws of education and the laws of skill development."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

An elderly judge with gray hair spoke up.

He is the factory's chief engineer, surnamed Li. He rarely speaks, but his word is law when it comes to technical matters.

Su Zheng bowed slightly to Chief Engineer Li: "Chief Engineer Li, I don't object to increasing the stakes. Since everyone feels that the first round was too easy and didn't show the difference, let's add the real 'hard stuff'."

"Oh? What's a main dish?" Chief Engineer Li asked with great interest.

"Cancel the obscure topic of 'eccentric shaft repair'," Su Zheng said firmly. "Replace the exam with the highest level of fitter skill—precision assembly of components."

"Compatible components?"

The judges present were all stunned for a moment.

This is widely recognized as the "gate of hell" in fitter's assessment.

It requires candidates to process two or more parts into specific shapes (such as convex-concave fit, dovetail fit, triangular fit) and then assemble them together.

The difficulty of this type of question lies in the word "cooperation".

No matter how beautiful a single piece is, it's useless if the two pieces fit together perfectly.

If the gaps are too large, it's a defective product;

The gap is too small; it won't fit.

Furthermore, after assembly, the overall geometric tolerances must be guaranteed.

This not only tests your accuracy with your hands, but also your logic and ability to control errors.

"You mean... take the blind match test?" Yi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes.

"No, blind matching is just child's play." Su Zheng shook his head. "If we're going to escalate things, let's go all the way."

He walked to the table, picked up a pen and paper, and quickly drew a shape.

"Hexagonal transposition matching".

Su Zheng pointed to the blueprints and said, "Make two regular hexagonal prisms, one convex and one concave. Requirements: They must be able to slide in smoothly regardless of the angle (60-degree rotation) from which they are inserted, and the gap between them must not exceed 0.02 millimeters. At the same time, in the middle of this hexagon, fit a triangular core, with the same requirements."

hiss--

Even Chief Engineer Li couldn't help but gasp when he saw this picture.

Hexagonal transposition and matching! And then a nested triangle!

This means that candidates must achieve the ultimate symmetry and unity in all six faces, twelve corners, and the three central faces.

If even one side is off by 0.01 millimeters, it won't fit if you turn it at an angle!

This is absolutely hellish difficulty!

"Su Zheng, are you crazy?"

Yi Zhonghai looked at him in disbelief. "Even a fourth-level worker might not be able to solve this kind of problem! You're letting your first-level apprentice do it?"

"Master Yi, didn't you just say you were selecting top talent?"

Su Zheng calmly retorted, "If you think your apprentice can't do it, then you're truly 'blind.' As for my apprentice..."

Su Zheng paused, a hint of arrogance flashing in his eyes.

"This is the basic skill they practice every day."

The core of the so-called SOP training method is "standardization" and "consistency".

"Transposition and intermatch" is the ultimate touchstone for testing "consistency".

Yi Zhonghai was speechless. He stared at the blueprint, pondering in his mind.

Although his apprentice had never practiced this, he had done a lot of mold repair work and had a feel for it.

On the other hand, although Su Zheng's performance in the first round was amazing, such complex combinations cannot be handled by simply memorizing the SOP; it requires extremely high on-the-spot adaptability and fine-tuning ability.

More importantly, if he doesn't agree, it means he's admitting that his apprentice is incompetent and that his earlier suggestion of an "eccentric axis" was indeed deliberately making things difficult for him.

"good!"

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, "Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish! This is the exam! But I have one condition: you only have three hours!"

"No problem," Su Zheng agreed readily.

The workshop foreman looked at the two of them and finally nodded: "This question is good. It tests both basic skills and precision, without being overly difficult or obscure. It's fair and just."

"Furthermore, since we've already used this level of difficulty in the second round, there's no need for a third round. Let's just change the three matches into two!"

"Old Li, go and announce it!"

……

Five minutes later.

"Attention all workers! After an emergency consultation by the judging panel, the three rounds of assessment have been reduced to two, and the topic for the second round has been changed to: Hexagonal Interchangeable Components!"

"Whoosh—!"

The workers in the factory erupted in excitement upon hearing the announcement.

"Holy crap! Interpositional matching? Isn't this a question from the Level 5 Technician Exam?"

"That's incredible! If this were actually made, it would be a masterpiece!"

Although the questions were incredibly difficult and outrageous, this time, there were fewer complaints and more exclamations of amazement.

Because anyone with eyes can see that although the question is difficult, it is also rare to find one that is "upright and aboveboard".

This is a true clash of technical prowess, with no room for gimmicks.

Zhao Ming stared at the blueprint, stunned.

However, he was not intimidated. Instead, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and quickly went through the SOP process in his mind.

[Advanced SOP: Polyhedral Machining Sequence]

Step 1: Establish the reference plane. Use the bottom surface as the reference plane, ensuring a verticality of 0.005.

[Step 2: Angle Division. Using the principle of the dividing head (manual simulation), establish a 60-degree angle.]

Step 3: Symmetrical cutting. Face 1 and face 4 are processed simultaneously, face 2 and face 5 are processed simultaneously...

When the gong rang again, Zhao Ming moved.

This time, his movements were still not fast, but they had an indescribable sense of rhythm.

If he was as precise as a machine in the first round, then in this round he is like an artist sculpting a work of art.

The file seemed to lose its weight in his hands; each push and pull was light and firm.

On the other hand, Yi Zhonghai's apprentices were truly panicked at this moment.

They had at least heard their master talk about eccentric shafts, but they had never practiced "interposition matching" much before!

"A hexagon... how do you draw a hexagon again?"

"Oops! I've used too many angle files!"

"Oh no, it won't fit!"

When your mindset collapses, your hands become even more chaotic.

Ma Hua was sweating profusely as he tried to force the workpiece in with brute force, but with a "crack," the corner broke off.

Time passed second by second.

Two hours later.

A crisp "click" sound came from Zhao Ming's workstation.

That was the sound of metal fitting together perfectly.

He picked up the finished component and gave it a gentle turn.

Slide out.

Rotate 60 degrees.

Slide in.

It fits perfectly, without the slightest obstruction or wobble. It's as if the bump itself grew out of the groove.

Turn it another 60 degrees.

Still perfect.

"carry out an assignment!"

Zhao Ming's voice was a little hoarse, but it revealed an undisguised pride.

He was the first to hand in his paper.

At this moment, Ma Hua was still staring blankly at the piece of junk with a chipped corner.

The judges quickly gathered around. Chief Engineer Li personally inspected the equipment.

He picked up Zhao Ming's work, first looking at it, then touching it, and finally testing it.

With each turn, his eyes brightened a little more.

Six rotations, six perfect plays.

The central triangular core also underwent three rotations, achieving perfection three times.

This is no longer a simple industrial product; it is a work of art that showcases the ultimate precision of handcraftsmanship!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Chief Engineer Li said "good" three times in a row, his beard trembling with excitement.

"I've worked in the factory for thirty years, and I've never seen a first-class worker do this job so well! Even when I was young, I wasn't any better!"

This evaluation is absolutely amazing!

Yi Zhonghai stood to the side, his face ashen.

He looked at the hexagonal component that gleamed with a cold, metallic luster, as if it were a five-fingered mountain pressing down on his heart.

He knew that this time he had truly lost.

Not only did he lose technically, but his attempt to regain the upper hand through underhanded tactics was also crushed by Su Zheng's absolute strength.

"Su Zheng..."

Yi Zhonghai looked at the still calm and composed young man and felt a sense of fear for the first time.

This young man is terrifying.

He is not only technically unfathomable, but also meticulous and methodical.

Every move he made seemed to be within his calculations, and in the end, it became a stepping stone for his disciple to gain fame.

"In this competition, the first place winner is undoubtedly Zhao Ming!"

When Chief Engineer Li announced the winner of the competition on the spot...

The audience erupted in thunderous applause that lasted for a long time.

The air in the entire workshop seemed to freeze for a second.

Immediately afterwards, the applause erupted and almost lifted the roof off the workshop.

"Zhao Ming! Zhao Ming! Zhao Ming!"

His coworkers shouted his name, some hoisted him onto their shoulders, others patted him hard on the back. The genuine excitement and recognition brought tears to the eyes of this usually quiet young man.

But what truly shocked everyone was not Zhao Ming's victory alone.

As Chief Engineer Li continued writing the names of the second and third place winners on the blackboard—

Second place: Wang Tiezhu (Su Zheng student)

Third place: Qian Weidong (Su Zheng student)

The audience erupted in even more shocking gasps.

"My God! The top three are all Master Su's apprentices?!"

"That's too ruthless! They swept the top three spots!"

"This isn't a martial arts competition, it's practically a showcase of teaching achievements!"

Sun Jianguo and Qian Weidong were also visibly excited. Although they didn't win first place, achieving a top-three finish in such a highly competitive event was something they never dared to dream of. Keep in mind, they had only been learning from Su Zheng for a little over a month.

In just over a month, he went from being a "scrap worker" looked down upon to one of the top three in the factory's skills competition.

The thrill of this comeback is even more exciting than winning the lottery.

On the judges' panel, the veteran craftsmen exchanged glances, their eyes filled with complex emotions. There was shock, confusion, and an indescribable sense of crisis.

What do these "master craftsmen" who have been working in the factory for over a decade or two rely on? They rely on experience, their feel for the work, and their "secret skills" that are not easily passed on to outsiders.

But now, Su Zheng used a set of "SOP training methods" that anyone can learn to train three ordinary young workers into experts who can crush their apprentices in just one month.

What does this mean?

This means that their proud "experience barrier" has been broken.

This means that in the future, "seniority" will no longer be the only qualification in this factory; "method" will be.

Those who master the "method" become the new rule-makers.

Yi Zhonghai stood in the corner of the judges' panel, his face ashen. His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

His apprentice, Ma Hua, didn't even make the top ten.

The "successor" who had followed him for five years and on whom he had placed high hopes was not even as good as a newcomer who had followed Su Zheng for a month in this competition.

This is practically a public slap in the face.

What he found even harder to accept was that the way his fellow workers looked at him had changed from respect to suspicion and scrutiny.

"What exactly has Master Yi taught his apprentices over the years?"

"Master Su can produce top three students in just one month, while Master Yi's students, even after five years, can't even get into the top ten?"

"Is Master Yi deliberately holding back, unwilling to teach his true skills?"

Although these whispers were not loud, each word was like a knife stabbing into Yi Zhonghai's heart.

He wanted to refute, to explain, to say that this was unfair, that Su Zheng's SOP was simply opportunistic...

But when he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn't say anything.

Because the results speak for themselves.

Data doesn't lie, precision doesn't lie, and the hexagonal component that perfectly rotated six times in front of everyone certainly doesn't lie either.

Just then, the crowd automatically parted to make way.

Factory Director Yang walked in from outside.

He was dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit today, with an undisguised smile on his face. Although the competition was an internal workshop matter, he had already heard the results of the top three winners over the loudspeaker.

"Okay! Okay! Okay!"

Factory Director Yang walked to the results board, looked at the three names, and said "good" three times.

"Comrades, I've been listening to this competition on the radio the whole time. To be honest, in all my years as factory manager, this is the first time I've seen such a thrilling and inspiring technical contest!"

He turned around and his gaze swept over all the workers present.

"What is technological progress? What is talent cultivation? Today, Comrade Su Zheng and his trainees have given our entire factory a vivid lesson!"

"Some people always feel that skills shouldn't be passed on, fearing that teaching an apprentice will lead to the master's downfall. So when they teach apprentices, they hold back some knowledge, afraid that their apprentices will surpass them."

Director Yang's words were very strong. Although he didn't name names, everyone present knew who he was talking about.

"But what did Comrade Su Zheng do? He taught his methods to his apprentices without reservation, and even compiled them into a book so that more people could learn them. And what was the result? His apprentices became stronger, and his own prestige actually increased!"

"This is the true demeanor of a teacher! This is the spirit of technological inheritance that our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill should promote!"

Director Yang's words were powerful and resounding, each sentence striking Yi Zhonghai's heart like a heavy hammer.

"I hereby announce that, starting today, Comrade Su Zheng's 'SOP Training Method' will be adopted as the standard training material for the entire factory and promoted in all workshops. At the same time, Comrade Su Zheng will be appointed as the factory's chief technical training consultant, responsible for guiding the technical training work in each workshop!"

wow——

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause once again.

This is not only an endorsement of Su Zheng personally, but also an endorsement of a new model for technical training.

Yi Zhonghai wanted to say something, to stand up and say a few polite words, such as "The young man is good" or "We should guard against arrogance and impetuosity."

But as soon as he stood up, ready to speak, a wave of applause surged around him, completely drowning out his voice.

His mouth was open, like a fish out of water, but he couldn't make a sound.

At that moment, Yi Zhonghai felt an unprecedented sense of isolation.

It wasn't others isolating him, but the times that were abandoning him.

At this moment, Su Zheng, who was the focus of attention, stood quietly in the center of the crowd, with no smug expression on his face.

His heart was as calm as still water.

Because from the very beginning, this duel was part of his calculations.

Is Yi Zhonghai trying to use the untitled term "eccentric shaft" to conduct underhanded operations?

Then just flip the table and switch to a standard question like "precision matching," leaving him speechless.

Is Yi Zhonghai trying to intimidate people with his "seniority" and "experience"?

Then let's use the apprentice's achievements to prove that "method" is more important than "seniority".

As for the applause, the praise, the awe...

It was just a byproduct of the plan.

What he wanted was never empty fame, but real power.

However, he was too young, and even though he had an eighth-level fitter's certificate and skills, his status was still limited.

Under normal circumstances, Su Zheng would have to stay at the factory for at least a few more years.

However, to improve rapidly, one must wait for a specific opportunity...

Just then, a very discordant voice broke through the surrounding noise and entered Su Zheng's ears.

"Click...sizzle—"

The sound was extremely faint, like the groan of metal before it breaks due to fatigue, or the scream of gears after they have misaligned.

And it lasted for less than half a second before being drowned out by cheers.

No one heard it except Su Zheng.

They looked in the direction of the sound.

Su Zheng's gaze seemed to possess penetrating power, instantly pinpointing the source of the sound—

The most crucial and confidential place in the entire factory is the third workshop.

That place is also the heart of the entire factory.

So, the problem was with the high-precision grinding machine imported from East Germany?

Thinking of this, Su Zheng couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth slightly.

It seems his opportunity... is about to arrive.