Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

When Lin Xiuhe entered the meeting room carrying her business trip bag, it was already noisy inside.

"The car is already waiting downstairs. How am I supposed to explain not going to the factory manager now?"

The speaker was Engineer Sun.

He designed the renovation plan for the cannery.

The drawings covered half the table, with the budget sheet pressed down beside them. The edges of the paper were already frayed from being turned over so many times.

Zhao Wenbo sat by the window, holding the three-day record sent by the cannery in his hand.

"The factory manager making a phone call doesn't mean the project should be approved."

Engineer Sun dragged the budget sheet closer to himself.

"The equipment has been used for so many years, and the packing speed can't keep up. What's wrong with the factory proposing upgrades?"

"The day before yesterday, we stopped for four hours, two of which were spent waiting for cardboard boxes."

"The cardboard box was late only once."

"Three people were missing during the night shift, is that considered a single incident?"

"Automation is even more important when there are fewer people."

Zhao Wenbo turned to the last page of the record.

"The filling speed was adjusted twice in one day, and all the canned goods were pushed to the back. Even if you switch to a new line, you still have to make room for them."

Mr. Sun's face stiffened.

"So, according to you, we don't need to change anything at the factory; we can just go back and hire a few more people?"

"I didn't say that."

"So what do you mean?"

The two of them kept talking, neither willing to give in.

The deputy director sat in the middle and tapped the table with his pen.

"Alright. We've been arguing for ages, and we haven't gotten anywhere."

Only then did Engineer Zheng notice Lin Xiuhe at the door.

"You're here?"

"Um."

"sit down."

Lin Xiuhe placed her business trip bag next to the chair.

The bag contained a measuring tape, a notebook, and two red and blue pencils that had just been sharpened the night before.

She had thought she would be going to the cannery today.

I was reviewing materials until 11 p.m. last night, and I even made a list in my notebook of which workshops to visit first and which people to ask when I got to the factory.

The deputy director picked up the records from the cannery.

"Did you tidy this up yesterday?"

"Yes."

"What did you figure out?"

Mr. Sun leaned back in his chair.

"Perfect timing. Young people are quick-witted. Tell me, should this line be changed or not?"

Everyone in the conference room looked at her.

Lin Xiuhe opened the record.

"We're short three people for the night shift. Can we make up for it by modifying the equipment?"

Engineer Sun said, "Automation will reduce the need for manpower."

"Why are the cardboard boxes late?"

"The cardboard boxes are under the supply management."

"Why is the filling speed so inconsistent?"

That's part of the production schedule.

"These can be handled separately; in the end, only three instances of equipment lag remain."

Mr. Sun's hand was still pressing on the budget sheet.

"Getting stuck three times isn't a problem?"

"Calculate."

"Then why can't it be changed?"

"The factory's equipment department can handle the first instance of the belt coming loose. The other two times, the belt jammed after the goods in front of it had piled up."

Lin Xiuhe pushed the record in front of him.

"If we change it now, all twenty-plus budget items will be spent. We're still short-staffed for the night shift, cardboard boxes might still arrive late, and the delivery speed at the front will be inconsistent, causing congestion at the back as well."

Engineer Sun stared at the few sheets of paper.

"The factory waited for half a month."

"So we can't let them waste their money."

The deputy director asked, "What's your opinion?"

"Go back first."

Mr. Sun sat up abruptly.

"Go back?"

"Let the factory streamline the personnel and processes first, then give them a month to prepare. If the equipment still can't keep up after a month, then we can discuss project approval."

"You only arrived yesterday. Do you know how long the factory has been waiting for this plan?"

"Know."

"You knew that, yet you still dared to cancel?"

"Why are you afraid if the problem isn't clear?"

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Zhao Wenbo put down the pencil.

Engineer Zheng took the budget sheet and flipped through it from beginning to end.

"Twenty-seven reforms."

He looked up at Engineer Sun.

"How many of these modifications actually involved the equipment?"

Sun's lips moved slightly.

Five items.

"What about the rest?"

"Adjust the delivery location, rearrange the packing stations, and—"

"The research institute does these things for them?"

Mr. Sun fell silent.

The deputy director wrote a few lines on the last page of the application.

"Return it first. Let the factory make internal adjustments, and submit the records a month later."

Put the pen cap on.

The cannery project was decided.

Engineer Sun rolled up the blueprints.

The paper wasn't aligned properly, so he rolled it up again.

He stopped at the door.

"The factory's vehicles are still downstairs. Who's going to tell them?"

Engineer Zheng pointed to the business trip bag at Lin Xiuhe's feet.

"She was preparing until 11 p.m. last night, but she still didn't get on the bus today."

Mr. Sun's face darkened even further.

"I spent half a month working on the plan."

"That's why I'm sending you to say it."

Engineer Zheng's tone wasn't harsh.

"You can't make a mistake in the plan and then expect the new guy to take the blame for it."

Engineer Sun left with the blueprints.

After the door closed, the deputy director picked up his enamel mug and took a sip of water.

"The young people canceled the older employees' projects on their very first day."

He said this with a slight smile.

Lin Xiuhe did not laugh.

"The project should never have been taken in the first place."

The deputy director glanced at Engineer Zheng.

"The people you lead have the same temperament as you."

Engineer Zheng packed the cannery's materials back into kraft paper bags.

"I didn't train her. Today is only her first day."

He handed the paper bag to his secretary.

"Keep one copy for record-keeping, return the rest."

Lin Xiuhe picked up her business trip bag.

Engineer Zheng noticed the ruler sticking out from inside.

"Did you bring everything?"

"Um."

"Put it in the office first."

He walked towards the door.

"You'll have your turn to run around from now on."

The automatic control research lab on the second floor is much more chaotic than the one downstairs.

Drawings were spread out on the drafting table.

Several disassembled parts were piled up next to the filing cabinet.

The machines in the adjacent laboratory were running, and every now and then, a muffled thud could be heard.

As soon as Engineer Zheng went in, an experienced worker in a blue work uniform came out of the testing room.

"Are you still going to renovate your control room?"

He was holding a piece of steel belt that had been delivered crookedly.

"Two sets of feeding racks have already been reworked. If we make a third set, the workshop foreman will make me provide the materials myself."

Zhao Wenbo followed behind.

"The signal is not the problem."

The experienced craftsman placed the steel strip on the table.

"The signal is fine, so it'll probably move to the side on its own?"

The mechanics team is looking at the blueprints.

Hearing this, he also raised his head.

"The frame was made in the pilot production workshop. The dimensions are not right, so don't try to fit it onto the blueprints."

The experienced chef suddenly became famous.

"You come down and do it."

"What?"

"Make one for me based on your drawing. If you can do it, I'll call you master from now on."

The faces of the mechanics team also froze.

Engineer Zheng placed the folder on the table.

"The final assessment is scheduled for the end of the month, with only nine days left."

He looked at this, then at that.

"Are you two planning to use the entirety of the nine days to argue?"

The house finally quieted down.

Engineer Zheng waved to Lin Xiuhe.

"The newcomer is Lin Xiuhe."

The old master looked at her.

"College student?"

"Just graduated."

"You're taking on this mess on your very first day?"

I didn't let her answer.

Engineer Zheng pointed to the filing cabinet.

"First, organize the experimental records."

The old master craftsman sighed.

"More records. I've filled about ten notebooks with them; the amount of waste paper I sold could buy a pack of cigarettes."

Zhao Wenbo took a stack of notebooks out of the cabinet.

"The last ten consecutive tests have all taken place here."

He placed the notebook in front of Lin Xiuhe.

"We sorted by the number of runs before and didn't see the problem."

"Let's try a different arrangement."

"How should we arrange them?"

"By material roll".

The experienced craftsman heard it.

"The materials were all delivered according to the same specifications."

"Same specifications, different results."

The old master looked at her for a while.

"Okay, go ahead and check."

Engineer Zheng left only one sentence.

Give me the watch tomorrow morning.