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

When the door to the third workshop opened again, it was already 2 p.m.

The news that Su was hand-rolling a 0.5-micron or even 0.1-micron spindle had spread like wildfire throughout the entire Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill and even neighboring brother units!

"Have you heard? That newly promoted level eight craftsman, Su Zheng, really managed to 'round' the main shaft!"

"How could that be? That's a German technological barrier!"

"It's true! It's all over the news, people say the precision is a hundred times finer than a hair!"

......

Amidst this fervent public opinion, the entire third workshop was no longer an ordinary maintenance site, but had become a "judgment seat" under the spotlight.

Inside the workshop, red warning tape surrounded the disabled M1320 grinding machine in the center.

Outside the cordon, a large crowd had already gathered.

Factory Director Yang, Deputy Factory Director Li, Chief Engineer, and almost all the technical backbones from each workshop were present.

Unwilling to give up, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong still stood in the most conspicuous position.

After several hours of self-hypnosis, Yi Zhonghai regained his confidence and once again put on his "technical authority" air, with his hands behind his back and a sneer on his lips.

"Master, do you think Su Zheng will be able to install it?"

Behind him, his apprentice Ma Hua lowered his voice and asked, "I heard from other factory workers that he modified the original bearings. Will they still be compatible?"

"Match it?"

Yi Zhonghai sneered, his voice hoarse, "Installing it will only be the beginning of a nightmare. The fit between the dynamic and static pressure spindles is only a few micrometers. Even the slightest misalignment or surface flaw will cause it to seize up instantly at high speeds. The explosion will be even more devastating than last time!"

"that is!"

Liu Haizhong also nodded in disbelief.

He not only didn't believe it, but he even cursed it secretly in his heart.

If Su Zheng fails to assemble the equipment, even if it's just a slight lag, he'll immediately jump out and pin the huge accusation of "sabotaging military production" on Su Zheng!

Just then, the crowd suddenly fell silent.

"They're here!"

With a low shout, Su Zheng, leading Zhao Ming, pushed a small shockproof cart covered with a white sheet and slowly walked into the cordon.

The "Chinese Heart," born in the laboratory and the culmination of countless efforts, now lies quietly on a specially made V-shaped frame. Although covered by a dust cloth, everyone can feel the solemn atmosphere emanating from it.

Su Zheng's expression was calm, even somewhat indifferent. He didn't look at the crowd of onlookers, nor at Yi Zhonghai, who was waiting to see him make a fool of himself. In his eyes, there was only the machine waiting to be reborn.

He walked to the machine tool and, like a surgeon about to perform brain surgery, slowly removed the dust cover.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp rang out from the crowd.

The silver spindle reflected a chilling gleam under the workshop lights. Its luster transcended people's understanding of "metal," resembling more like a piece of flowing obsidian, deep and pure.

"Prepare for hoisting."

Su Zheng's voice wasn't loud, but it could be heard clearly in the deathly silent workshop.

"yes!"

Zhao Ming took a deep breath and operated the crane, slowly lowering the hook. Although he was only a level-two worker, under Su Zheng's rigorous training, his operation at this moment was as steady as that of a master craftsman with decades of experience.

All eyes were focused on the slowly rising main axis.

Factory Director Yang was so nervous that his palms were sweaty, and he subconsciously gripped Deputy Factory Director Li's arm tightly.

Clean the shaft hole.

Wearing his signature white gloves, Su Zheng picked up a lint-free cloth soaked in a special cleaning agent and carefully wiped it inside the spindle box of the machine tool.

Once, twice, three times.

His movements were extremely gentle, as if he were wiping not cold cast iron, but his lover's tears.

After each wipe, he would check with a strong flashlight to make sure there was no fiber or dust left behind.

"oil."

Zhao Ming handed over a bottle of golden-yellow special lubricating oil.

This is not ordinary engine oil, but a low-viscosity anti-wear hydraulic oil specially formulated by Su Zheng based on the characteristics of "dynamic and static pressure".

Su Zheng applied it evenly to the surface of the main shaft and the inner wall of the bearing.

The oil layer spread out, forming a nearly invisible thin film on the metal surface.

"fall."

The vehicle descended slowly.

The lower end of the spindle is now aligned with the bore of the spindle box.

The most crucial moment has arrived.

This is also the moment Yi Zhonghai has been most looking forward to.

Liu Haizhong was screaming in his mind, "Stop! It has to be stuck! If it's even slightly crooked, it absolutely won't go in!"

However, reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.

The moment the spindle touched the orifice, Su Zheng did not exert any force; he simply extended a finger and gently tapped the top of the spindle.

It's like a dragonfly skimming the water.

The next second, a scene that would be unforgettable for everyone in the know unfolded.

The main shaft, weighing tens of kilograms, did not fall down with a "bang" as everyone had imagined, nor did it get stuck due to excessive tolerance.

It seemed to be suspended on some invisible medium, slowly and steadily sliding down with an extremely pleasant, extremely slight "hissing" sound.

"puff--"

A very short, yet very crisp sound rang out.

That's the sound of the main shaft falling under gravity, only to be bounced up by the air cushion at the bottom.

Air spring effect!

The entire room fell silent.

The workers who didn't know the ropes were still wondering why there was no movement, but the veteran technicians and engineers standing in the front row, as well as Chief Engineer Li standing next to Director Yang, all had their mouths agape and their eyes practically popping out.

"This...this is..."

Chief Engineer Li's voice trembled as he grabbed Factory Director Yang's arm. "Director! Did you hear that? That voice!"

"I heard it." Although Factory Director Yang didn't understand, he thought the voice was very pleasant. "What's wrong?"

"That's an 'air spring'!"

Chief Engineer Li was so excited he was almost incoherent. "Only when the fit gap is less than 3 micrometers, and the roundness and cylindricity are perfectly perfect, can this spring-like effect be created because the air doesn't have time to escape! This is... this is the legendary 'zero-gap fit'!"

"Zero gap? Does that mean it can't move?" Factory Director Yang was startled.

"No! This is the highest level!"

Chief Engineer Li's eyes were filled with fervor. "It moves as smoothly as silk, and it's as stable as a mountain when it stops! Su Zheng... he really did it! This precision is even higher than the original German manufacturer!"

Yi Zhonghai stood to the side, his face instantly turning ashen.

As an eighth-grade fitter, he certainly knew what that sound meant.

That was a realm he had pursued his whole life but had never reached.

That voice was like a heavy hammer, shattering all his pride and illusions.

As for Liu Haizhong standing to the side, his face was also filled with disbelief:

"What a prodigy... this Su Zheng is simply a prodigy!"

"Click".

With a final soft click, the air was finally expelled, and the main shaft was completely in place.

It fits perfectly, as if it had always been there.

Su straightened up, took off his gloves, and casually handed them to Zhao Ming.

"Connect the wires, seal the cover."

The following process was like a smooth and flowing performance.

Su Zheng controlled the tightening force of every screw, the direction of every oil pipe, and even the thickness of the sealant application with textbook precision.

The workers watching were completely mesmerized.

They never knew that assembling machines could look so good, so...artistic?

Half an hour later.

With the last screw tightened, this grinding machine, which had once been paralyzed, smoking, and sentenced to death, once again stood intact before everyone.

Although it looks the same, everyone feels that it seems to have changed.

The lifeless feeling disappeared, replaced by a sharp edge poised to be unleashed, like a lion awakening.

"Factory manager."

Su Zheng turned around and looked at Director Yang, whose palms were already sweating. His tone was as calm as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"Assembly complete, test drive is now possible."

"That's... all done?"

Factory Director Yang seemed somewhat incredulous. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Don't we need... some more break-in? Like, running it at low speed for two hours?"

"unnecessary."

Su Zheng said calmly, "My precision doesn't need a break-in period."

mad!

That's absolutely outrageous!

But at this moment, no one thought he was exaggerating.

"Okay! Then... turn it on!"

Factory Director Yang took a deep breath and walked to the control panel.

His hand trembled slightly, but he still pressed the green start button hard.

But I still pressed the green start button hard.

"Buzz—"

The sound of the motor being powered on rang out.

Everyone instinctively held their breath, and some even covered their ears, afraid of hearing that terrifying metallic shriek from last night again.

Liu Haizhong stared intently at the spindle box, his eyes bloodshot, still making a final mental struggle: once the machine starts spinning, it'll definitely overheat! It'll definitely seize up!

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

All indicator lights are green.

The oil pressure gauge pointer remained stable at 2.5 MPa.

but……

Why is there no sound?

Deputy Factory Manager Li couldn't help but ask, looking puzzled, "Factory Manager, did you not press it all the way down? Why isn't the motor turning?"

"Yeah, why isn't there any sound at all?"

"Is the power switch not turned on?"

The workers began to stir.

How could such a big machine, with a speed of over 2,000 RPM, be silent when turned on?

In the past, when this machine was running, even when it was idling, it made a rumbling sound like muffled thunder!

Factory Director Yang panicked and quickly looked at Su Zheng: "Xiao Su, what's going on...?"

Su Zheng didn't say anything, but simply took out a one-cent coin from his pocket.

Amidst hundreds of questioning gazes from the audience, he walked to the rapidly spinning (though it appeared stationary) spindle box, found a flat spot, and gently stood the coin upright.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, forgetting even to breathe.

The coin stood there steadily.

Not moving.

There wasn't even the slightest tremor.

"boom--!"

This time, it wasn't the roar of machines, but the gasps of surprise erupting from the crowd, like a giant wave that ripped off the roof.

"Holy crap! It stood up?!"

"That's two thousand spins! And the coin didn't even tip over?!"

"How incredibly stable is that?! That's unbelievable!"

Chief Engineer Li was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He knelt down with a thud and pressed his ear to the base of the machine tool to listen.

"I heard it! I heard it!"

He shouted like a child, his face full of fervor, "Only the sound of wind! Only the sound of cutting fluid flowing! No gear clashing! No bearing friction! It's so quiet! This is simply... this is a work of art!"

Mute.

This is the power of a hybrid dynamic and static pressure spindle.

Although the original hydrostatic spindle had high precision, it had poor rigidity and would vibrate slightly when rotating at high speed.

Su Zheng's modified version uses dynamic pressure to eliminate vibration and static pressure to ensure suspension.

At this moment, the spindle is as if it is suspended in the air, with no metal contact at all, so where does the noise come from?

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

Factory Director Yang, his face flushed with excitement, grabbed Su Zheng's hand. "Little Su! You didn't just fix it, you... you made it immortal!"

Su Zheng smiled slightly, withdrew his hand, picked up a towel, and wiped away non-existent sweat.

He turned his head, his gaze passing through the cheering crowd, and landed precisely on the ashen-faced figure in the corner.

Yi Zhonghai was completely slumped against Liu Haizhong's body at this point.

He stared at the upright coin, at the eerily quiet machine, and felt his vision blur and his chest tighten.

He knew that his "era of being an eighth-grade worker" had come to a complete end at this moment.

I lost.

We lost completely and utterly.

Compared to Su Zheng, I am the joke now!

"Factory manager..."

Su Zheng's voice remained clear amidst the cheers.

He did not become ecstatic because of his success; instead, he became even more composed.

He pointed to the control panel, his eyes gleaming.

"Don't be so happy yet. This is just the beginning."

"This is just idling. The real test is cutting."

"Load the workpiece."

"Let everyone see what...a true industrial miracle is."