The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

Li Kaixin had just arrived at the workshop where his father worked.

Lin Yunhai and Liu Cheng, the two security officers standing at the entrance, recognized him at a glance.

Lin Yunhai, one of the older men, was the first to greet him: "Comrade Li, you've come to see your father again?"

"Yes, Brother Lin!"

Li Kaixin nodded, took out two Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket, and handed them over:

"I was assigned to proctor the exam again today, and now that I'm free, I thought I'd come and see my dad."

Liu Cheng, who followed behind, took the cigarette, his face full of envy.

"Comrade Li, you're really impressive. You've become a driving test examiner at such a young age. I've seen many experienced drivers in our factory who aren't even qualified."

"Little Liu, you don't understand."

Lin Yunhai, who was standing next to him, tucked a cigarette behind his ear and said slowly:

"Comrade Li and his drivers are ranked. Only drivers who have passed the third-level professional qualification are qualified to be examiners. It's not something you can just do if you want to."

"I see!"

Liu Cheng suddenly realized that he had thought Li Kaixin was able to become an examiner at such a young age because of his relationship with the deputy factory director, Li Huaide.

Seeing that Liu Cheng understood, Lin Yunhai chuckled and patted him on the shoulder:

"Xiao Liu, you've only been discharged from the army for a few months, so you don't know how capable Comrade Li is. He passed the deputy second-level assessment in just two months, and he was even in the newspapers back then."

"Comrade Li, is he that amazing?" Liu Cheng's eyes widened immediately.

"Brother Liu, don't listen to Brother Lin's nonsense, it was just a coincidence."

Li Kaixin humbly chimed in, glancing again into the workshop, "By the way, is my dad busy right now?"

"It's not time for work yet!"

As Lin Yunhai spoke, he casually pointed in one direction in the workshop, "Your dad should be resting over there, you can go in."

Li Kaixin didn't go in; instead, she asked in confusion.

"Brother Lin, isn't this against the rules? Why don't you call my father out?"

The main reason was that he hadn't been allowed in the previous two times he came, so his sudden refusal this time made him feel uneasy.

"It's alright, Comrade Li. The factory isn't rushing to finish these days. Just come out before the workers start their shift."

Lin Yunhai looked around, then leaned closer and whispered:

"Deputy Factory Director Li gave prior notice that you are welcome to come in whenever you have free time."

Li Kaixin understood, thanked the two of them, and then went into the workshop.

Inside the workshop, rows of lathes and parts were neatly stacked, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of steel and machine oil.

The steel mill workers had just finished lunch and were chatting and boasting in small groups, completely unaware that someone had walked in.

Following the direction Lin Yunhai had pointed out, Li Kaixin indeed saw his father, Li Mingde, sitting with his eyes closed against the corner of the wall.

Not far from him, at the lathe, a young man was busy working, occasionally glancing back at what was behind him.

"Dad, you seem to be having a good time?" Li Kaixin walked over in a few steps.

Father Li Mingde opened his eyes and was taken aback when he saw it was his eldest son: "Kaixin, how did you get in? Didn't the security guards at the door stop you?"

"Why are you stopping me? We're pretty close now," Li Kaixin said casually, plopping down next to his father.

Father Li Mingde stood up and looked towards the door:

"Come on, why are you still sitting down? No matter how familiar the security guards are with you, if the leaders see you, they and your old man will all get criticized."

"It's alright, Dad. Sit down. Uncle Li has already spoken to you."

Father Li Mingde naturally knew who the Uncle Li his eldest son was talking about was. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down.

"What do you want? Aren't you proctoring the exam this afternoon?"

"It's not time to invigilate yet, I came to see what's wrong with you."

Li Kaixin responded, looking her father up and down:

"I just didn't expect that you were living a pretty comfortable life at the factory. Sitting here, you're becoming more and more like a leader."

"Get lost, stop making fun of your father."

Just as the father and son were talking.

A young man standing next to the lathe walked over with a smile on his face, carrying something in his hand.

"Master, Master, I've finished this part. What do you think?"

Father Li Mingde immediately stopped talking, reached out and took the parts from his apprentice's hands, and began to examine them carefully.

Li Kaixin took this opportunity to start sizing up the young man in front of him.

He looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, with dark skin and an ordinary appearance, but he was very energetic.

After a short while, Father Li Mingde put down the parts he was holding and nodded in satisfaction:

"Maocai, you did a good job this time. The dimensions are all within the required range, much better than last time."

"It's all thanks to my master's excellent teaching," the young man said with a smile, scratching the back of his head.

At this moment, Li Kaixin interjected, "Dad, when did you take on your apprentice?"

"What? I'm a level six fitter now, and I can't take on apprentices?" Father Li Mingde glared at him irritably.

After listening to the two talking, the young man immediately extended his hand to Li Kaixin:

"Hello, Brother Kaixin, my name is Sun Maocai. I've only been working at the factory for a few months. It's nice to meet you."

"Hello, hello!" Li Kaixin stood up and shook hands with him.

Upon seeing this, Li Mingde, the father, laughed and scolded, "Maocai, doesn't Kaixin seem younger than you? Why are you calling him 'brother'?"

"Master, isn't it because Brother Kaixin is so capable?" Sun Maocai chuckled.

"Besides, don't you always say that those who are accomplished are teachers? It's not like I'm losing out by calling you 'brother'."

"You little rascal, you've got a sharp tongue." Father Li Mingde couldn't help but laugh out loud, waving his hand:

"Alright, go practice some more and try to get promoted as soon as possible."

"Okay, Master!" Sun Maocai replied, jogging back to the lathe and getting back to work.

Watching his retreating figure, Li Kaixin said to her father, "Dad, you have quite the eye for talent!"

"Of course! When has your father's judgment ever been bad?" Father Li Mingde puffed out his chest proudly.

"Okay, okay, you're amazing."

The father and son chatted for a few more minutes.

Li Kaixin checked the time and stood up, saying, "Dad, the proctoring is about to start, so I'll be going now."

"Go on, go on!" Father Li Mingde waved his hand. "After you're done proctoring the exam, remember to wait for me. We'll go pick up your mother together."

"Got it." Li Kaixin patted the dust off his backside and turned to walk towards the workshop door.

Just as he reached the door, he turned around and saw a man in a steel mill uniform walk up to his father and whisper something.

Li Kaixin glanced at it from afar, but didn't pay much attention, and stepped out of the workshop.

Lin Yunhai and Liu Cheng were still guarding the main gate.

Li Kaixin handed over two more cigarettes, thanked him, and then walked along the factory area toward the steel rolling mill's transport team.