Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

What lies on the workbench is less a mobile phone frame component and more a cold work of art.

The silver-white aluminum alloy surface has a delicate and uniform matte luster, and the flatness of each plane is astonishingly high. The curved transitions of the side walls are smooth without any hesitation.

What's most amazing are those tiny holes and slots, with edges as sharp as a knife cut and inner walls as smooth as a mirror, with almost no trace of processing visible to the naked eye.

What shocked Zhao Dezhu even more was that detail he was all too familiar with: the 0.3-millimeter thin-walled structure on the edge of the part that required extremely high machining precision.

On that old No. 5 machine at Yongxin Factory, whose power had been artificially reduced, it would be impossible to produce such uniform and perfect results under normal circumstances!

"impossible!"

Zhao Dezhu practically roared. He rushed to the workbench, grabbed the part, and exclaimed, "This old No. 5 machine simply can't produce this effect! It's not powerful enough! I...I've personally witnessed it vibrate when machining this kind of structure!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had let something slip, and his face turned deathly pale.

The workshop was eerily quiet.

Several experienced workers who were originally preparing to continue flattering him also sensed something was wrong and shut their mouths.

Lin Dong raised an eyebrow slightly and calmly looked at Zhao Dezhu: "Oh? How did Factory Director Zhao know that this machine is 'not powerful enough'?"

"I...I mean..."

Zhao Dezhu broke out in a cold sweat. "It's an old machine, its condition is inconsistent, as the factory manager, of course I know that..."

That's enough.

Lin Dong interrupted him and turned to Li Guohui, who had been standing quietly to the side, "Engineer Li, you speak for yourself."

Li Guohui stepped forward, picked up the part, carefully inspected it, and measured several key dimensions with calipers before looking up, his face still showing that honest and focused expression.

"Mr. Lin, it's finished. In terms of precision, the main dimensional tolerances are within ±0.01 mm, the flatness is 0.02 mm, and the surface roughness Ra is 0.8 micrometers. According to the standards for this product, the yield rate... should be above 97%."

The number Li Guohui reported was like a pebble thrown into a calm pond, creating ripples in the workshop.

"Really? 97%?"

"let me see!"

Several bold young workers couldn't help but gather around. As the near-perfect part was passed from hand to hand, every gasp of amazement felt like a knife stabbing into Zhao Dezhu's heart.

"Holy crap... the gloss, the edges..."

"Zhao, I mean, Old Zhao, look at the smoothness of this inner wall. Could our old No. 5 machine produce something like that?"

"Mr. Li, your craftsmanship... is truly exceptional!"

A middle-aged craftsman wearing glasses finally couldn't resist and stepped out from the crowd. He almost leaned over the workbench to observe carefully, his voice trembling.

"Good heavens... In our factory, let alone 97%, there are only a handful of experienced craftsmen who can consistently achieve a 85% yield rate... This, this is simply..."

His words ignited the emotions of many more people.

"If we could produce this normally, our orders would triple!"

"Exactly! We used to always complain about how picky our clients were, but it turns out it was us who weren't good enough..."

With each exclamation of praise, Zhao Dezhu's face paled even more.

His carefully cultivated "factory manager authority" crumbled in the face of this tangible work of art.

The workers who usually fawned over him now had a gleam in their eyes—the excitement of seeing real technology and real possibilities, something he couldn't suppress by any means.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Zhao Dezhu completely lost his composure. "I know this machine too well! It's simply..."

"What is it at all?"

Lin Dong's voice turned cold. "How could you possibly produce something like this when the power output was reduced?"

Zhao Dezhu was struck dumb, frozen in place.

Lin Dong stopped looking at him and turned to the workers in the workshop: "Everyone saw the competition just now. Everyone knows the result, who was better and who was worse. Anyone who feels it was unfair, or has any objections, can stand up and speak now."

The workshop was deathly silent.

The workers looked at each other, but no one dared to speak.

Those few of Zhao Dezhu's confidants all had their heads down at this moment, wishing they could hide in the ground.

"It seems that no one has any objections."

Lin Dong nodded. "Then, let's follow the rules we agreed on before."

"No! Mr. Lin! You can't do this!"

Zhao Dezhu finally snapped out of his shock and rushed to Lin Dong, his voice trembling with tears, "I've worked for this factory for so many years, I've done my part, even if I haven't made any great contributions!"

I was confused just now, I...I admit my mistake! Please give me another chance, I promise...

Lin Dong looked at him, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Rules are rules."

He said, "You rigged the competition, that's one thing. Your product is inferior, that's another. And you're trying to deny it because you're less skilled, that's the third. Director Zhao, you should know what's most important in our line of work?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "It's about trust. Trust in customers, trust in craftsmanship, and trust in what you've said."

"Since I said we should follow the rules, we must follow the rules."

Zhao Dezhu's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground. He knew he was finished.

When Zheng Hao stepped forward and carried him away, he didn't even struggle.

The workers gradually dispersed, but the way they looked at Li Guohui changed; it was a kind of awe for a true technical expert.

Lin Dong called Li Guohui to the office on the side.

"Engineer Li, I completely trust you with the technical matters," Lin Dong said bluntly. "However, the position of factory manager involves more than just technical skills."

He saw it clearly: Li Guohui was the kind of person who could perfect a product to 99 points, but asking him to manage dozens of people, handle complex interpersonal relationships, negotiate with suppliers, communicate with customers, and schedule production...

These jobs, which require finesse and emotional intelligence, might be even more difficult for him than making precision parts.

This person is too pure and too honest.

His pure craftsmanship is his strength, but also his weakness in management.

"I see."

Unexpectedly, Li Guohui nodded, showing no disappointment on his face. Instead, he rubbed his hands together somewhat embarrassedly.

"President Lin, actually... I don't want to be a factory manager. I just want to make good products. I... I really can't handle things like managing people, keeping accounts, and socializing."

He looked at Lin Dong, hesitated for a moment, then mustered his courage: "Um... Mr. Lin, if you're free tonight... could you... come to my house for a casual meal? I'd like to thank you..."

Lin Dong paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay."

He originally planned to call Uncle Cai and ask him to find a suitable manager to partner with Li Guohui as soon as possible.

But looking at Li Guohui's focused face, Lin Dong suddenly realized something.