Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

"It's good to have challenges, because it means you are making progress," his father encouraged. "But don't let the pressure overwhelm you. Everything has its limits, and knowing when to relax is a skill."

Wang Qiang is already well-known in the factory, but he knows that benchwork skills are a field that requires constant updating and learning. Recently, the factory received a batch of special orders that required the use of new materials for processing. The properties of these materials are completely different from those of ordinary metals. In order to better cope with these new challenges, the factory arranged for him to go to the steel rolling mill for a two-week special training.

On the morning of the training day, he changed into the work clothes distributed by the factory. Before leaving, his father patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't be nervous, study hard, and tell me your experience when you come back." But he felt a little complicated. He knew that this training was of great significance. It was not only to master the processing methods of new materials, but also an opportunity to improve himself and broaden his horizons. As a young technician with high hopes in the factory, Wang Qiang felt that the responsibility on his shoulders was getting heavier.

The training was conducted in a large workshop of the steel mill. When Wang Qiang first walked into the workshop, he was shocked by the scene in front of him. The huge machines were roaring, and the whole workshop was filled with the smell of hot steel. The rolling mills, operated by the workers, made a low roar, as if proclaiming an irresistible force.

Wang Qiang stood aside, feeling a little nervous. Although he already had considerable experience in benchwork, facing this new environment and huge equipment, he felt like a novice who needed to learn everything from scratch.

On the first day of the training, the lecturer was a 50-year-old technician named Master Zhao. Master Zhao was not tall, but he had a strong aura and his eyes were shrewd and wise. He briefly introduced his experience, then went straight to the point and began to explain the characteristics of the new material and the precautions during the processing.

Wang Qiang stood in the line of students, listening attentively. He wrote down the key points while thinking about how to apply this knowledge to actual operations. When Master Zhao talked about some key details, Wang Qiang frowned slightly, obviously trying to connect this new knowledge with his existing experience.

"This new alloy material has extremely high hardness and strong wear resistance, but it also increases the difficulty of processing. Traditional processing methods cannot adapt to the characteristics of this material, and new process flows must be adopted." Master Zhao's voice echoed in the workshop, and every word was clear and powerful. Every sentence echoed in his mind. He knew that this training was not only an infusion of knowledge, but also a reshaping of his way of thinking. He had to put aside past experience and look at these problems from a new perspective.

On the second day of the training, the trainees were divided into groups for practical operation. Wang Qiang was assigned to a brand new steel rolling mill. He was in the same group with two young technicians who seemed to be experienced colleagues. After a brief greeting, the three of them began to engage in intense operation.

The operation of the rolling mill is not simple. Each step requires precision. If you are not careful, the workpiece will be scrapped. Wang Qiang held the tool and stared at the feed port of the rolling mill with concentration. His hands were also very steady. Although it was his first time to operate this machine, he quickly got into the state with his years of experience.

However, just when he thought everything was going well, the machine made a strange sound. Wang Qiang's heart tightened, and he quickly stopped the operation and glanced at the parameters on the display screen, and found that one data was obviously out of the normal range.

"What's going on?" asked a companion beside him, with a hint of worry on his face.

Wang Qiang frowned and quickly analyzed the possible situation. "Maybe the temperature of the material is wrong, or the pressure of the roller is not adjusted properly." As he said, he quickly adjusted the parameters to try to find the root cause of the problem.

But no matter how he debugged, the problem still existed. Wang Qiang's forehead was covered with sweat, and he realized that the problem was more complicated than he thought. At this moment, Master Zhao came over, saw the situation of their group, and nodded slightly. "Master Zhao asked, his tone calm, but with a hint of majesty that could not be ignored.

Wang Qiang stopped what he was doing, looked directly into Master Zhao's eyes, and answered honestly, "Teacher, the machine's parameters are suddenly abnormal, and I haven't found the reason yet."

Master Zhao walked over to the machine, checked it carefully, then said with a smile: "You did a good job and found the problem in time, but you missed one thing." As he spoke, he adjusted an inconspicuous small switch, and in an instant, the abnormal sound of the machine disappeared, and the parameters returned to normal.

Wang Qiang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that the problem was due to a subtle setting. He was a little annoyed, thinking that he had neglected such an important detail. But Master Zhao did not blame him, but patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, this is why you are here. Every machine and every material has its own unique temperament. Only by truly mastering these details can you be called a qualified technician."

This sentence deeply touched Wang Qiang. He realized that he still had a lot of shortcomings in his skills, especially when facing new environments and new materials, there was still a lot to learn. This small mistake not only made him see his limitations, but also made him more determined to continue learning. Wang Qiang devoted himself to learning more attentively. He practiced repeatedly, carefully observed every reaction of the machine, and tried his best to understand every subtle change. He knew that Master Zhao was right. The real skill is not only the surface operation, but also the grasp of every detail. After the training, Wang Qiang walked alone on the street outside the steel mill. The evening breeze blew gently, and he felt a little heavy in his heart, but full of strength. He benefited a lot from the study in the past few days, but also made him deeply realize that the improvement of skills is far more complicated and difficult than he imagined.

"Skills are something you need to study for your whole life," Wang Qiang said silently in his heart. He had heard his father say this many times, but this time, he seemed to understand the meaning more deeply.

The second week of training came to an end, and Master Zhao began to lead the trainees in more complex operation exercises. These exercises not only required the trainees to have solid basic skills, but also required them to be able to quickly judge and solve unexpected problems. This was undoubtedly a huge challenge for Wang Qiang.