The moment the Bureau Chief saw Wang Lisheng, he knew the purpose of this visit was the promotion.
"Wang Lisheng! You should know the country's current policies. As Party members and local cadres, we have an even greater responsibility to answer the nation's call!" the Bureau Chief chided Wang Lisheng.
The Bureau Chief thought the same thing Li Guodong had at first. She was a young woman, only two months out of college, with such a sensitive background. How could she possibly be a factory's deputy director?
How could she possibly earn their respect?
Besides, was the position of deputy factory director something to be handed out so frivolously?!
The Bureau Chief knew Wang Lisheng's character well, and Wang Lisheng, in turn, knew his. That was why he began pulling all sorts of things from his briefcase.
The sight of him pulling things out made the Bureau Chief leap from his chair.
"Wang Lisheng! If you're trying to bribe me, you'd better believe I'll..."
Before the Bureau Chief could finish, he saw that Wang Lisheng had only produced two bags of screws, a pair of welded pieces, and two files.
Seeing this, the Bureau Chief sighed in relief and sat back down.
'He'd just been wondering... if Wang Lisheng were really trying to bribe him, should he let it slide just this once...?'
"You've misunderstood, Chief. I just wanted to show you what kind of talent I'm recommending." With that, Wang Lisheng opened the two bags of screws and placed them in two separate spots.
"Take a look, Chief. Which bag has the better screws?"
The Industrial Bureau Chief had also come up through the factories, so he knew a thing or two about this stuff. A single glance was all it took for him to see which bag contained the superior screws.
The Bureau Chief frowned but didn't reply.
Seeing that the chief understood, Wang Lisheng placed the two welded pieces in front of him. "What about these?"
If the screws gave the Bureau Chief a basic grasp of Xie Changning's technical skill, the welded pieces absolutely stunned him.
The seam on one piece was rough, like a centipede's back. The other, in contrast, was perfectly even. It felt incredibly smooth to the touch, with no concavities.
The Bureau Chief snapped out of it and withdrew his hand.
"I know that even if you appreciate her skills, you might not change your mind. But she's an R&D talent, Chief. We can't let our factories remain constrained by other countries."
Wang Lisheng slapped the two files down in front of the Bureau Chief.
One detailed Xie Changning's personal history and academic credentials. The other outlined her performance at Beijing University, including her achievements on various project teams.
When the Bureau Chief saw that Xie Changning had participated in several major projects, he had to admit he was intrigued.
"Chief, we can't let her slip through our fingers..." Wang Lisheng looked at him earnestly, hoping the chief would bend the rules and give this incredibly talented young woman with a complicated background a chance.
Give the Chuncheng Screw Factory a chance.
Wang Lisheng's words finally swayed the Bureau Chief. He set down his pen. "Tell me, what has she been doing at the screw factory for the last couple of days?"
'He did have a particularly difficult project on his plate, and he'd been hesitating for a long time over which factory to assign it to.'
'None of the factories had the technology required for this project.'
'Now, seeing Xie Changning's file,' the Bureau Chief thought, 'should I give it a shot? What if she pulls it off? That would be a massive breakthrough for China!'
'They wouldn't have to go begging and pleading with those foreigners to sell them this type of screw anymore...'
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Lisheng immediately launched into a detailed account of the last two days, especially his description of how Xie Changning had modified the boiler. He wished he could convey every single little thing she did to the chief in painstaking detail.
'Wang Lisheng deeply regretted not paying more attention in his language arts classes. If he had, he wouldn't be struggling for the right words now.'
'He just couldn't do justice to how brilliantly she had performed that modification!'
"Since she's that impressive, give her this file. Tell her that if she can meet the requirements detailed inside, the position of Deputy Director of the Chuncheng Screw Factory is hers!"
"Really?"
Wang Lisheng asked tentatively, watching as the Bureau Chief retrieved a file from a locked cabinet.
"Of course!"
"And you'll take the heat?"
"You old rascal, you want me to tan your hide?" the Bureau Chief chided with a laugh, pushing the file across the desk to Wang Lisheng. "Go on, get out of here. The sight of you is giving me a headache! Oh, and don't let anyone else see this file. Got it?"
"Got it!"
Wang Lisheng snatched the file and bolted without a backward glance.
'This was a golden opportunity. He had to hurry and give Sister Changning the good news!'
Xie Changning, who had been killing time in the director's office at the Chuncheng Screw Factory all morning, had just returned from lunch and was preparing to kill time all afternoon when Wang Lisheng came back.
He bounded back to his office, briefcase in hand.
"Sister Changning, we got it! We got it!"
Wang Lisheng started shouting the moment he got upstairs, drawing the attention of several other managers. They all tried to follow him into his office, but he blocked them at the door. "Alright, alright, let me talk business with the young lady first. I'll let you all in after we're done."
'The file from the chief was clearly confidential, something for R&D.'
'He couldn't leak anything yet. He had to wait for a firm answer from Xie Changning before telling everyone else.'
The others stared at Wang Lisheng, speechless.
"Alright, alright! Go on in!"
They made way for Wang Lisheng to enter.
Wang Lisheng pushed the door open and hurried inside. The moment he was through, he eagerly pulled out the file. "Sister Changning, this is the test the Bureau Chief gave me for you. He said that if you can pass it, the deputy directorship of the Chuncheng Screw Factory is yours!"
Xie Changning was genuinely surprised.
She hadn't held out much hope and didn't think Wang Lisheng would return with good news.
Wang Lisheng had taken a request that was sure to be rejected and turned it into a test. Xie Changning was incredibly grateful to him. This was the unique charm of the people from this era.
'They were all wholeheartedly devoted to the nation! Utterly selfless!'
"Let me see." Xie Changning's demeanor became serious. She took the file from Wang Lisheng, sat back down, and began to read it carefully.
Wang Lisheng sat beside Xie Changning, quietly waiting for her response.
'He was dying to know what was in that file and whether she could actually do it.'
The only sound in the room was the rustle of pages as Xie Changning read. She studied the file for a long time before closing it. Turning to Wang Lisheng, she said, "Brother Wang, I accept this challenge!"
'They had presented her with a task right in her area of expertise. There was no way she was going to pass up this opportunity!'
A look of delight instantly spread across Wang Lisheng's face. "You... you can do it?"
From her expression, Wang Lisheng knew she could do it!
"Isn't this exactly my field of study?" A calm confidence settled on Xie Changning's face.
'This screw was for the J-series fighter jets. It required special materials that were difficult to procure and would need support from the higher-ups.'
'But since the Industrial Bureau Chief himself had issued the test, he would surely provide his full support. She was confident she could pull it off!'