Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

Li Guohui remained frozen in his seat, secretly glancing at Lin Dong beside him through the rearview mirror.

Too young... He looks like a high school graduate.

What they said sounded really nice, but... could it be a lie?

These days, there are plenty of bosses who say they "want to make good products," but the moment they see the cost report, their faces change faster than a dog's.

The more he thought about it, the more uncertain he felt, and he was filled with regret.

Or... should we have the driver stop the car now, go back and apologize to Fatty Wang?

You just said you had heatstroke and were talking nonsense?

Although it's embarrassing, at least...

Just then, Lin Dong seemed to sense his impending unease and regret, turned his head, and looked at him calmly.

Eyes facing each other.

Li Guohui was caught red-handed, and he trembled with fright, quickly averting his gaze, his face burning with embarrassment.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to ease the awkward atmosphere, or to test the waters of this CEO Lin, but his mind went blank.

After struggling for a long time, this honest man, who could be precise down to the micrometer on technical drawings but was clumsy in interpersonal relationships, finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from his throat, his face turning red:

"Um...that...Boss Lin..."

Lin Dong looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Li Guohui swallowed hard, his eyes darting around, his voice barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz:

"...Is it too late for me to go back and retrieve my work clothes?"

The carriage was silent for a second.

Then--

"puff."

Zheng Hao, who was driving in the front seat, couldn't help but burst out laughing. He quickly pursed his lips, his shoulders shaking suspiciously.

Lin Dong was also taken aback.

He looked at the experienced technician in front of him, whose face seemed to say, "Did I do something really stupid?" and "My work clothes!" For the first time, a genuine smile appeared in his calm eyes.

I found the treasure.

These three words flashed through Lin Dong's mind.

A person who might impulsively throw their work clothes to vent their anger, but whose first reaction upon calming down is to feel sorry for losing a piece of work clothes, may lack social skills, be a bit stubborn, or a bit naive, but they are definitely genuine.

What he wanted was this kind of pure, almost "foolish" tech fanaticism.

"No need to pick up the work clothes."

Lin Dong's voice still carried a hint of laughter, but he said in a very serious tone, "The new factory will send you new ones, three sets, both summer and winter styles."

"However," Lin Dong changed the subject, his smile deepening, "you have to tell me first, at Yongxin factory, were the vernier calipers they used digital? How accurate were they?"

Li Guohui's attention was instantly drawn back to the technical field. His eyes lit up, and his previous unease vanished, replaced by an instinctive excitement and... urge to complain when professional issues were mentioned.

"Ugh! Don't even mention it!"

His voice rose a few decibels, filled with obvious disdain, "It's just that kind of old-fashioned mechanical caliper, the markings are worn so badly they're almost illegible!"

I've said several times that we should replace them with a new batch, at least one with a digital display. Fatty Wang insists that "an experienced craftsman can tell just by touching them," which is pure nonsense! Precision? We'd be lucky to get plus or minus five microns (0.05mm)!

He got more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly with his hands: "With this level of precision, you can barely make the casing for a knock-off phone, let alone precision structural parts? Dream on!"

Lin Dong listened quietly to his complaints, nodding occasionally, feeling increasingly satisfied.

The car was driving smoothly towards Jingcheng Mold Factory.

Inside the car, Li Guohui had already discussed everything from the deposit for work clothes to the advantages and disadvantages of different brands of measuring tools, and then from heat treatment processes to the details of CNC programming.

He had no idea that he had transformed from an "unemployed person who regretted throwing away his work clothes" into a prospective employee who was "enthusiastically explaining technology to his new and old bosses."

Lin Dong occasionally chimed in with a question or two, always hitting the nail on the head, which only emboldened Li Guohui to continue talking.

Zheng Hao looked at the scene in the back row in the rearview mirror, and the corners of his mouth curved up again.

This Engineer Li... is quite interesting.

The car turned onto a relatively quiet street, and the outline of Jingcheng Mold Factory came into view in the distance.

Li Guohui finally snapped out of his technical discussion, looked out the window at the sizable factory area, and paused for a moment: "Have we arrived?"

"arrive."

Lin Dong opened the car door. "Come on, Engineer Li, let me show you our new work environment. By the way..." He glanced back at Li Guohui, "...and meet the former factory manager who might need your 'persuasion'."

Li Guohui took a deep breath and got out of the car.

This time, his eyes showed no hesitation or fear, only the focus and eagerness of a technician facing new equipment and a new environment.

As for that work uniform...

Yeah, the new boss said he'd make it up to him and give him three new sets.

This move... seems like a good deal?

The last bit of unease in Li Guohui's heart dissipated, and he straightened his back and quickly followed Lin Dong.

"Engineer Li," Lin Dong said in a low voice as he walked, his tone returning to its usual calm, "Once you get to the factory, just do whatever I tell you to do. Don't worry about anything else."

"Okay." Li Guohui nodded without hesitation.

He's a simple person; since he's working for this new boss, it's only natural for him to obey and do his job.

Moreover, it's in the field he's most familiar with.

The three of them walked into the workshop of Jingcheng Mold Factory.

The workshop was filled with the constant roar of machines, and the air was thick with the smell of cutting fluid and metal dust.

At this moment, Zhao Dezhu stood with his hands behind his back next to a CNC machine, spitting as he spoke to a young operator:

"...How many times have I told you! This parameter doesn't need to be adjusted so precisely! Just get it close enough! Do you know how much more electricity and time it wastes if you run an extra cut? Are you going to take responsibility if it delays the delivery date?!"

The operator kept his head down, not daring to utter a sound.

Zhao Dezhu caught a glimpse of the people entering through the door out of the corner of his eye. His impatience instantly transformed into a warm smile as he turned to greet them: "Oh! President Lin! You're back so soon? And this is…"

His gaze fell on Li Guohui behind Lin Dong, and his smile froze almost imperceptibly.

Li Guohui?

He knew this person; in fact, in the small circle of precision machining businesses in Chang'an Town, Dongguan, there were few bosses who didn't know this "Engineer Li."

His technical skills are truly exceptional; it's said that Motorola specifically praised the samples he made back then.

But her temper and standards... are notoriously "difficult to please".

They insist on using the best materials and the most expensive knives, and they also want to extend the production time.

Several bosses who wanted to hire him were ultimately scared off by his "high standards".

What does it mean that President Lin brought him here?

Zhao Dezhu's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, still smiling warmly: "This person looks familiar...you must be Engineer Li? It's an honor to meet you!"

Li Guohui nodded somewhat reservedly: "Director Zhao."

Lin Dong ignored the pleasantries, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat noisy workshop. He spoke directly, his voice clear and powerful, drowning out the machine noise: "Factory Director Zhao, Engineer Li. Since everyone is here, I have an announcement to make."