Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Watching Gu Nan's retreating figure, Yi Zhonghai's forced smile froze instantly. His lips twitched downwards, and he cursed inwardly, "That unreasonable brat!" But cursing was useless. He squeezed the enamel mug in his hand; the chipped rim hurt his palm, but the dull pain brought him back to his senses—it seemed he couldn't avoid the exam. Gu Nan was impervious to reason; trying to get by with politeness was out of the question.

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and head towards the steel rolling mill, mentally calculating his options: he'd find a few of his former students for some last-minute cramming. Those young people were quick-witted and had good memories; he could have them recite the frequently tested blueprints and process details, memorizing as much as they could. He wasn't seeking promotion anyway; keeping his current position as a level-five fitter, with a stable pension after retirement, was enough for him—better than being laid off and losing his job.

When Gu Nan arrived at the steel rolling mill, a number of workers who had come to take the assessment had already gathered at the entrance. They were huddled together in twos and threes, some nervously flipping through their notes, others pacing back and forth, wringing their hands. At this moment, Deputy Factory Director Li walked over, fanning himself with a smile on his face: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, judging from this, you've prepared everything for the assessment?"

Gu Nan looked at him, knowing perfectly well that Deputy Factory Director Li already knew about this, and he hadn't intended to hide it from him. Although Deputy Factory Director Li wasn't directly in charge of production, he had been planting his own people in the workshops lately, from team leaders to warehouse managers, several of whom were his distant relatives or former subordinates, accumulating considerable influence both openly and secretly.

He smiled and said calmly, "You know the situation in the factory right now. Those senior engineers have been temporarily transferred by the higher-ups to support key projects, and the only engineer, Liu Wen, is sick. The workshop is short of technical backbone who can take the lead. Let's take this opportunity to bring in a batch of people so that the production line can run more smoothly."

Deputy Factory Director Li's heart skipped a beat. He had originally planned everything perfectly—Liu Wen was his longtime "friend," and the factory only had one capable senior engineer. When the factory director's position became vacant, this connection would give him the best chance of taking it. But now, things were messed up. Liu Wen had been sent away by Gu Nan under the pretext of "recuperating." If the evaluation really did select several new senior engineers, wouldn't they all become Gu Nan's people? At that point, his little bit of influence would probably be even less significant.

But he didn't show it on his face at all. Instead, he nodded in agreement: "Deputy Factory Director Gu has thought things through. This method is indeed good and can inject some fresh blood into the factory."

Gu Nan knew what he was thinking, but didn't expose him. Instead, she turned to Zhang Zhi and said, "Alright, it's almost time. Call them to assemble. I'll go check if the equipment in the exam room is ready, just in case something goes wrong."

Zhang Zhi was a technician promoted by Gu Nan. He was always efficient and immediately replied, "Okay, Deputy Factory Director Gu."

Gu Nan nodded and turned to walk towards the workshop. Sunlight streamed through the factory windows, casting long patches of light on the ground. His steps were steady—this assessment was not only to fill technical gaps, but also to take the opportunity to replace the factory's technical backbone with people he trusted. Only in this way could future reforms be implemented with fewer obstacles.

As soon as Gu Nan's figure disappeared through the workshop door, Zhang Zhi's hand crumpled the assessment registration form, the corners of the paper curling up. His chest felt like it was being pounded by a drum, and sweat trickled down his temples, staining his work uniform collar with a small dark patch.

This opportunity was incredibly important to him. He had toiled for fifteen years as a technician, his hair turning mostly white, all in the hopes of being promoted to intermediate engineer. A fifteen-yuan raise each month would be enough to buy his wife a sewing machine and his son a new school uniform; more importantly, it would mean a pension based on his intermediate engineer title, an extra twenty-odd yuan a month, providing him with real security for the rest of his life and freeing him from having to depend on his children.

He had already cleared his throat, ready to call the engineers participating in the assessment to assemble, but the footsteps behind him made him freeze instantly. Deputy Factory Director Li strolled over slowly, carrying an enamel mug with the words "Model Worker" printed on it. There were still some tea stains on the rim of the mug. His eyes swept over his face twice, as if he were weighing something in his hand.

"Zhang Zhi, don't forget the plan we agreed on before." Deputy Factory Director Li took a sip of tea, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable weight.

Zhang Zhi's heart tightened, and the sweat on his back instantly soaked through his undershirt. He knew exactly what the other person meant—during the assessment later, he would find a way to trip up the young people Gu Nan had promoted, such as changing their drawings to be more complex or tampering with the measuring tools; while the old guys trained by Master Liu Wen would be assigned the simplest workpieces to ensure they occupied more spots.

He forced a smile, nodded to Deputy Factory Director Li, and whispered, "Don't worry, Deputy Factory Director Li, I've got your plan covered, it won't go wrong." Only he knew how much false positivity was hidden in those words.

Deputy Factory Director Li wanted to say something more, such as reminding everyone not to let anyone see when changing drawings and that the error of measuring tools is least likely to be detected if it is controlled within half a millimeter, but Zhang Zhi suddenly turned around and shouted, "Everyone participating in the assessment, come and assemble! Deputy Factory Director Gu said it's about to start, everyone line up in the designated area!" His voice carried a deliberate urgency, as if he was trying to avoid something.

Deputy Factory Director Li watched Zhang Zhi's hurried departure, his brows furrowing slightly. Zhang Zhi's eyes had been darting around, as if he were preoccupied with something. But then he thought he was just overthinking it—Zhang Zhi was, after all, Liu Wen's personally trained apprentice, and Liu Wen had even promised his daughter to him years ago; their bond was closer than that of a father and son. Although Liu Wen had been temporarily transferred to another region to support construction, as long as he returned, Zhang Zhi would never dare to betray his master. With this thought, his doubts dissipated. He leisurely strolled to the edge of the assessment site, carrying his enamel mug, finding a corner with a clear view, ready to watch how Gu Nan would "stumble" in front of these veteran technicians.

Meanwhile, Gu Nan had already arrived at the assessment site. The temporary assessment area was marked with white lime, and inside were eight rows of brand-new tool tables. The tables were covered with green rubber mats, and calipers, micrometers, and steel parts waiting to be processed were neatly stacked on them. Even the wrenches were arranged in order of size.

Three middle-aged men in Zhongshan suits were standing aside, talking in hushed tones. They were assessment teachers sent by the higher-level unit from the mechanical research institute. They were said to be veteran experts who had spent their entire lives working in mechanics, with very sharp eyes that could not hide even a half-millimeter error.