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

"What?! Skip to level eight?!"

The clerk's voice became shrill with shock, instantly piercing through the entire hall.

The previously noisy registration area instantly fell silent.

All eyes, like searchlights, were fixed on Su Zheng.

"Is this guy crazy? A level one worker going straight to level eight?"

"Is that Su Zheng? He's usually so quiet, why is he acting like this today?"

"An eighth-grade worker? That's Yi Zhonghai's level! There are only a handful in the whole factory! He's just a greenhorn in his early twenties, dreaming!"

"I think he's desperate for fame!"

Yu Haitang, a radio announcer who was passing by on the outskirts of the crowd, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She had originally come here to post notices, but upon hearing the commotion, her large, news-sensitive eyes instantly lit up.

"A first-level worker skipping eight levels? That's big news!"

Yu Haitang immediately squeezed into the crowd, took out her notebook, and prepared to record this firsthand information.

The clerk snapped out of his daze, slammed Su Zheng's employee badge on the table, and said sternly:

"Comrade Su Zheng, stop causing trouble! There are still so many people in line behind you. According to factory regulations, promotions are based on passing exams one level at a time; there's no such thing as instant advancement. Change your application immediately and apply for level two, or just leave!"

Just then, Uncle Liu Haizhong strolled over with his hands behind his back.

He heard the commotion and his fat face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Oh, isn't this Su Zheng?"

Liu Haizhong pushed through the crowd, walked up to Su Zheng, and sized him up, his gaze as if he were looking at a clown. "Su Zheng," he said, "it's good that young people are ambitious, but you need to know your place. You want to take the Level 8 exam? Do you even know what a Level 8 worker needs to know? Do you know what tolerance matching is? Do you know what micron-level machining is? I bet you don't even know how to hold calipers properly! Hahaha!"

The surrounding workers also joined in the laughter.

In their view, Su Zheng was a typical example of someone who was ignorant of his own limitations.

Despite the mockery in Liu Hai's hair and the laughter of the crowd, Su Zheng didn't even flinch.

He simply looked calmly at the clerk, his tone steady yet firm:

"Comrade, please turn to Article 5 of Chapter 3 of the 'Regulations on Technical Assessment and Management of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill'."

The clerk was taken aback: "What?"

"Article 5 of Chapter 3," Su Zheng repeated, "'All employees of this factory with three years or more of service may apply for a promotion beyond their current level if they possess special technical expertise. However, they must bear the cost of the assessment materials themselves, and if they fail the assessment, they will not be allowed to apply for promotion again for three years.'"

When Su Zheng recited this rule, he did it perfectly, word for word, and even the pauses in the punctuation were just right.

The clerk was somewhat skeptical. He pulled a dusty booklet from his drawer and turned to that page.

Upon looking at it, I was dumbfounded.

There really is such a thing!

However, this rule was long forgotten because the conditions were too harsh (the penalties for failure were severe) and almost no one dared to do it.

"This..." The clerk was in a bit of a dilemma.

There are regulations, but he really doesn't dare accept this application form. What if Su is causing trouble? If the higher-ups blame him for not being careful in his work, he'll be in trouble too.

"Even if there are regulations, I can't reimburse you," the clerk said, forcing a smile. "You need the workshop foreman's signature, and you also need..."

"unnecessary."

Su Zheng interrupted him, "It's clearly written in the regulations that as long as the person concerned bears the consequences, that's fine. If you refuse to accept it, that's acceptable."

Su Zheng took out a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket and slapped them on the table.

"Please write this on this piece of paper: 'Due to personal reasons of clerk [name], employee Su Zheng's application for a performance review beyond his authorized level is rejected,' and then sign your name. I'm taking this to the factory manager's office now and asking Manager Yang whether the factory's rules and regulations still hold true."

This move of "forcing the emperor to abdicate" was absolutely devastating.

The clerk broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

Sign it? Would he dare to sign it?

If this gets reported to the factory director, it would be considered an obstacle to talent promotion and a serious bureaucratic mistake! Would he even keep his job?

"No, no, no... Comrade Su Zheng, let's talk this out."

The clerk immediately changed his tune, frantically grabbing the stamp. "I'll reimburse you! I'll reimburse you, okay? But let me make this clear first: the material costs will be deducted from your salary, and if you fail the exam, you won't get a raise for three years!"

"Decline," Su Zheng said succinctly.

"Snapped!"

The red stamp was heavily stamped on the registration form.

[Assessment Level: Level 8 Fitter (Surpassing the previous level)]

These words were glaringly red.

Su Zheng put away the receipt and turned around.

Looking at Liu Haizhong's blank expression, Su Zheng's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile:

"Second Uncle, you just asked me if I knew what micron-level processing was?"

"Remember to arrive early to secure a seat at the assessment tomorrow."

"I'll give you a lesson right here."

After saying that, Su Zheng pushed through the crowd and strode away.

"Insane! Absolutely insane!"

Liu Haizhong was so angry that his fat jiggled. "You little brat, I'll see how you embarrass yourself tomorrow! Level 8 worker? If you can pass the Level 8 exam, I, Liu Haizhong, will change my name!"

In the crowd, Yu Haitang's eyes shone brightly.

She quickly wrote the title in her notebook:

Shocking! A Level 1 Worker Challenges an Level 8 Worker? Is it the Rise of a Genius or a Ridiculous Ambition? — A Look Inside the Most Exciting Annual Assessment at Red Star Steel Rolling Mill!

She knew that this news would definitely cause a sensation throughout the entire factory!

Ten minutes later.

The factory's loudspeaker blared.

Yu Haitang's clear and passionate voice echoed throughout every workshop and every corner:

"Attention, fellow workers! Attention, fellow workers! Breaking news! Su Zheng, an employee of Workshop 1, has officially applied to skip the Level 8 fitter exam during today's registration! This is the first case of its kind since our factory was established..."

Jia Dongxu, who was dawdling in the workshop, heard the broadcast and dropped the file in his hand with a "clatter" onto his foot.

Yi Zhonghai, who was drinking tea in his office, accidentally spilled scalding hot tea all over his crotch.

Sha Zhu, who was cleaning the toilets, stared blankly at the loudspeaker: "This bastard... is he crazy?"

The entire factory was in an uproar.

At this moment, the name Su Zheng resounded throughout the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill.

Meanwhile, Su Zheng was sitting at his workstation with his eyes closed, simulating the processing technology of tomorrow's "regular dodecahedron" in the hyperspace laboratory in his mind.

As he said.

It’s just a good show.