Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

Minister Jiang's office is at the end of the corridor, with the words "Minister's Office" written firmly and powerfully on a red wooden sign.

Deputy Director Zheng stood in front of the door, took a deep breath, suppressed the surging excitement in his chest, and raised his hand to knock three times on the door.

"Please come in."

A deep and steady voice came from inside the door.

Deputy Director Zheng pushed open the door and entered. He saw Minister Jiang wearing reading glasses, sitting behind a large desk, holding a blue pen and marking up a document.

The office was simply furnished with a desk, several filing cabinets, a sofa and coffee table for guests, and a map on the wall. There were no other decorations, and the office exuded a simple and rigorous atmosphere.

Upon seeing that it was Deputy Director Zheng, Minister Jiang put down his pen, took off his glasses, rubbed his temples, and smiled gently: "Oh, it's Xiao Zheng. What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"

"Minister Jiang, great news! Huge news!" Deputy Director Zheng strode to the desk, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

He gently placed the documents on the table, but instead of letting the minister see them, he chose to convey his joy in his own words as soon as possible.

"Is it the Five Star Ceramics Factory project?" Minister Jiang leaned forward slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of concern.

He kept in mind the project that he had personally approved and that Deputy Director Zheng had strongly supported.

"Yes, Minister!" Deputy Director Zheng nodded vigorously. "Just now, Director Zhu from Wuxing Ceramics Factory called to say that the second phase of the project and the first phase of the technical upgrade project have passed the full-line joint test on the first try!"

"Hmm, not bad." Minister Jiang nodded, a look of approval on his face. "Passing on the first try means that the preparations were very thorough and there were no technical errors."

Li Feng, that young man, and all the colleagues at the factory, have worked hard.

His reaction was calm, as if the result was expected.

After all, the success of the first phase of the project had already proven Li Feng's capabilities.

However, Deputy Director Zheng knew that the real climax was yet to come.

He paused deliberately, waiting until Minister Jiang's gaze was fully focused on him, before speaking clearly and distinctly, word by word: "Minister, this is not the most important thing."

"Most importantly, according to preliminary data from the joint testing, the production efficiency of the second phase of the project is twice that of the manufacturing speed of the first phase!"

"Double!"

“Yes, Minister, exactly double!” Deputy Director Zheng repeated firmly.

Minister Jiang's expression finally changed.

For the first time, his eyes, which had weathered many storms and were usually calm and composed, revealed an expression of disbelief and shock.

He leaned back abruptly in his chair, as if he needed support to process the astonishing news.

"Xiao Zheng, say it again? Doubled?" Minister Jiang's voice unconsciously rose a few decibels. "Is this data accurate? Has Director Zhu confirmed it?"

As the head of the Ministry of Light Industry, he was all too aware of the weight behind the word "double".

In industrial production, every percentage point increase requires the tireless efforts of countless engineers and workers, day and night. An increase of ten percent is a remarkable achievement.

A 20% increase would qualify you for the National Model Worker award. Doubling it all?
This is no longer a technological upgrade, this is a technological revolution!
“Absolutely true!” Deputy Director Zheng straightened his chest, his face beaming with pride. “Director Zhu’s voice trembled with excitement on the phone. He said that this data was verified three times by all the factory’s technical backbone, and there is absolutely no mistake!”

There was a brief silence in the office.

Minister Jiang slowly took off his glasses and carefully wiped them with a velvet cloth. This slow movement revealed his inner turmoil.

He pondered, muttering to himself, "The automated production line in the first phase was already far more efficient than traditional handicraft workshops. How did the second phase manage to double that efficiency again? This doesn't make sense..."

This is exactly the issue that Deputy Director Zheng was waiting for.

He lowered his voice, with a sense of mystery and excitement as he said, "Minister, the key lies with Li Feng, this young man. His vision has exceeded all of our expectations."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Minister Jiang stopped wiping his glasses and looked up with interest.

"According to Director Zhu's report, Li Feng did not simply repeat the model of the first phase in the design of the second phase project. Instead, he introduced a brand-new concept called 'system integration'. He integrated all the steps such as blank making, drying, glazing, and firing. Li Feng seamlessly connected the various steps, which greatly reduced the time for material transfer and waiting, and achieved true assembly line operation."

Deputy Director Zheng paused for a moment, then dropped an even bigger bombshell.

"Moreover, what I admire most is that when Li Feng was planning the civil engineering and equipment layout at the very beginning of the second phase of the project, he had already reserved the installation locations, cable ducts, and even the foundation and ventilation system of the central control room were designed in one go!"

"In other words, from the very beginning, he wasn't aiming for simple equipment upgrades, but rather for building a fully automated smart factory! What we saw initially was just the first step in his plan, and now he's truly revealing his trump card!"

"hiss……"

Minister Jiang gasped.

If the doubling of production efficiency shocked him, then Li Feng's far-sighted planning ability, which allowed him to think three steps ahead, truly impressed him.

A young man in his early twenties not only possesses world-leading technology, but also has such a long-term strategic vision and planning ability. This can no longer be described as "genius".

This is a genius! A genius capable of leading an era and shaping an industry!

"Excellent! Excellent, Li Feng!" Minister Jiang slammed his hand on the table, his initial shock completely transforming into immense joy and admiration. "This young man thinks deeply and sees far ahead! We old folks who have spent our whole lives in industry are only thinking about how to fix things up, but he has already begun paving the way for development over the next few decades! Rare indeed!"

He stood up, paced back and forth in the office, and could no longer suppress the smile on his face.

"Xiao Zheng, this time you've discovered a tremendous treasure for me and for our Ministry of Light Industry!" Minister Jiang turned around, patted Deputy Director Zheng's shoulder forcefully, and his eyes were full of praise.

That simple address of "Little Zheng" warmed Deputy Director Zheng's heart. He knew that from this moment on, his importance in the minister's heart had completely changed.

"This is all thanks to your visionary leadership and strong support, Minister," Deputy Director Zheng said modestly.

Minister Jiang waved his hand, then turned his gaze back to the window, his eyes becoming deep and sharp.

"What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand," he said in a deep voice. "Such a major technological breakthrough cannot be achieved by simply listening to reports."

I need to see for myself what this production line, which has doubled productivity, actually looks like.

He turned back, looked at Deputy Director Zheng, and made his decision.

"Go and make the arrangements now. Tomorrow, no, this afternoon! You'll come with me to the Five Star Ceramics Factory! I want to see this production line that created a miracle with my own eyes, and even more so, I want to see our remarkable young hero, Li Feng, once again!" (End of Chapter)