I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

Zhou Weiguo said with a wry smile, "Director Wang, I still have to go to school. Didn't Uncle Song tell you?"

Director Wang smiled and said, "It won't delay you. Many people work and study at the same time these days, especially since you're pursuing a PhD. No rush, take your time to think it over. Chief Engineer Song said you're taking a proficiency test today; which one are you preparing for?"

Zhou Weiguo looked at Uncle Song with a blank expression.

Chief Engineer Song explained with a smile, "Director Wang, this isn't Weiguo's fault. I registered him for the assessments, specifically the eighth-level fitter assessment and the intermediate engineer assessment."

Zhou Weiguo was completely stunned when he heard this: He could take the engineer exam? Shouldn't engineers need project experience? Did Uncle Song already know what he did with Da'e at Harbin Institute of Technology? With his current knowledge, plus his god-level fitter skills, it seems like he could really give it a try.

As he was pondering this, Director Wang pulled him to the other side: "Weiguo, come, come, let me introduce you to Lou Zhenhua, the chairman of the steel rolling mill."

Zhou Weiguo looked up and saw that the person Director Wang was talking about was wearing a suit and looked every bit the successful person in this era. There was also a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl standing next to him—wasn't that Lou Xiao'e?

What surprised him even more was that Lou Xiao'e was actually wearing a formal dress. Zhou Weiguo wondered to himself: Had the Lou family gone mad? Although the dress looked quite dignified, dressing like that in this day and age, wasn't she out of her mind?

While his thoughts were racing, Lou Zhenhua was also curiously observing him, and Lou Xiao'e was staring intently at the handsome Zhou Weiguo with bright, sparkling eyes.

Seeing the three men sizing each other up without speaking, Director Wang quickly smoothed things over: "Director Lou, this is Zhou Weiguo, an associate doctor from Tsinghua University, a true young talent."

He patted Zhou Weiguo on the shoulder and said, "By the way, this is Lou Xiao'e, Director Lou's daughter. You young people should have a lot to talk about."

Zhou Weiguo then came to his senses and hurriedly cupped his hands, saying, "Hello, Chairman Lou, hello, Miss Lou. Director Wang, you flatter me. I'm still a student, and there are many things I don't understand."

Director Wang joked, "You know absolutely nothing, yet you're planning to take the exams for Level 8 worker and engineer? Tell me, who knows more than you?"

Upon hearing this, Lou Zhenhua immediately became interested and stared at Zhou Weiguo, saying, "Comrade Zhou Weiguo, you dared to take the engineer and level eight worker exams at such a young age, that's truly remarkable! Xiao'e, look at him, and then look at yourself, idle at home all day. You need to learn to contribute to the country!"

Lou Xiao'e blushed at his words and lowered her head, whispering, "I will learn diligently from Comrade Zhou Weiguo."

Just then, a man who looked like a leader jogged into the reception room, glanced curiously at Zhou Weiguo, and said to Director Wang, "Director Wang, Director Lou, the grading assessment mobilization meeting is ready. We can begin."

"Alright, alright, Xiao Yang, let's go now, don't keep everyone waiting." Director Wang said, leading the way out.

Next came the tedious mobilization session, but fortunately, Director Wang went up and said a few words before coming down.

Next to take the stage was the man who had called people earlier, and Zhou Weiguo then realized that he was none other than the legendary Factory Director Yang Weimin.

As soon as Director Yang stepped onto the stage, he seemed to be standing on a sticky mouse trap, talking non-stop for almost half an hour.

Zhou Weiguo shook his head inwardly: No wonder Director Wang was able to advance, while you haven't improved at all in ten years and have to clean toilets. You have no self-awareness at all.

At this moment, he was unaware that Yang Weimin had previously rejected Song Gong's suggestion to give him a consultant title; otherwise, he would probably be even more restless now.

Finally, after Yang Weimin finished reading his "epic" manuscript, the qualification exam officially began. The first test was for the engineers from the technical department. Eight or nine people wearing glasses, who looked like senior technicians, stood in front, with Chief Engineer Song standing to the side.

What Zhou Weiguo didn't know was that, according to regulations, engineers had to go to the ministry or higher-level unit for assessment to be graded. It was only because the steel rolling mill had just become a joint state-private enterprise that the technical department already had several engineers and technicians, so the higher-ups arranged for this assessment to be conducted at the same time as the workers' grading.

Just as the exam was about to begin, Zhou Weiguo was still loitering around watching the excitement when Chief Engineer Song grabbed him and pushed him into an empty seat.

Zhou Weiguo looked at the eight or nine people around him, including Xiao Wang, and was immediately dumbfounded, feeling like he had been forced into this situation.

As soon as Chief Engineer Song retreated back into the crowd, someone approached him and asked, "Chief Engineer Song, who is that young man? Is he your son?"

"That kid has absolutely nothing to do with our factory," Chief Engineer Song said with a smile, waving his hand.

These words immediately piqued everyone's interest.

Chief Engineer Song lowered his voice and said, "His name is Zhou Weiguo. He graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology and is said to be an associate doctor who just reported to Tsinghua University this year. I don't know why, a few days ago, Old Zhang from Beijing University of Technology dragged him to my place and insisted on lending him my best machine tool."

When I first saw he was just a young kid, I wasn't too keen, but then he showed off his skills right there and then—let me tell you, this kid's machine tool skills are... wow, I've never seen anything like it in my life! And I'm not exaggerating, you'll see for yourselves in a bit.

Several people in the crowd looked at him with a "I don't believe you" expression, but no one noticed that among the engineers was an elderly man who looked the oldest, who was looking at Zhou Weiguo with a strange expression.

Chief Engineer Song chuckled, "Don't believe me? Go see for yourselves, go ask them!"

These words infuriated the group of technical experts. Most of the engineers were associate senior engineers at levels 5 to 7, with one senior engineer at level 3 leading the group, while engineers at levels 8 or 9 and below were standing below.

Several people immediately gathered around Zhou Weiguo's table. When they looked at the test paper, they were surprised to find that he had already finished answering it.

Everyone looked at it from all sides, but they couldn't find any obvious problems.

Surrounded and bewildered, Zhou Weiguo asked somewhat nervously, "Excuse me, seniors, is there...is there something you need?"

The elderly man leading the group spoke up: "I am a Level 3 Mechanical Engineer from the Ministry of Machinery Industry, and I am the approver for this assessment. We would like to ask you a few questions."

Zhou Weiguo was stunned when he heard this. A Level 3 Senior Mechanical Engineer? Good heavens! Are we just rotten potatoes? Rotten eggs? Do we really need to send in an approver of this level?

For the next half hour, Zhou Weiguo was bombarded with questions by several engineers in front of him, until his lips were almost worn out.

Zhou Weiguo belatedly realized that he could only barely answer three of the four questions asked by the Level 3 engineer, and he only managed to get by with the rest thanks to his knowledge from both lifetimes and the system's support.

He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking these people would go ask someone else, but to his surprise, the Level 3 engineer said to the assistant engineer next to him, "You take those Level 8 and 9 engineers and continue with the Q&A. We'll take this kid to try out some practical skills. I want to see what he's made of."

Zhou Weiguo almost broke down upon hearing this, looking at the crowd with a look of utter despair. Uncle Song, surprisingly, was at the very back, covering his mouth and chuckling.

The group followed Engineer Song into the workshop, where ten machine tools were set up.

The Level 3 engineer said in a serious tone, "Xiao Zhou, right? You need to fix all 10 machine tools to pass the assessment."