In the 90s, you could acquire max-level skills every 14 days.

In the afternoon, the sun beat down on the tin shed, turning it into a steamer. The scrapped 130 diesel engine had already been lifted onto the dismantling platform by two factory workers.

The machine was covered in a layer of sludge, and the bolts on the cylinder head were rusted so badly they looked like they were embedded in the iron.

Old Zhao gestured with his lip toward the tool rack.

"Choose your own tools. Don't use anything you don't recognize first."

Zhang Yong didn't rush to start, but first slowly circled the diesel engine.

He had seen a cross-sectional diagram of this 130 diesel engine in a book; it was a four-cylinder inline engine, water-cooled, with a displacement of just over four liters. But the lines in the book were clean, while the one in front of him was alive—various pipes were wrapped around its exterior, and sludge and rust had covered the edges of the parts.

Zhang Yong took a deep breath and took a size 14 box wrench and a flathead screwdriver from the tool rack.

Go dry.

First, dismantle the outer pipes.

He disassembled the oil pipes one by one, and it took several turns to loosen the clamps at the joints.

After removing the pipes, arrange them in order on the left side of the disassembly table—to the left of the inlet pipe and to the right of the return pipe.

Then disassemble the thermostat housing and water pipes.

Two of the four bolts on the cast iron casing were impossible to tighten. Zhang Yong found a lever, attached it to the wrench, pressed down on it, and with a click, they loosened.

He carefully removed the thermostat; the paraffin temperature-sensing element inside was deformed, no wonder it was unusable.

Next, remove the valve cover.

Rocker arm, push rod, valve spring—after disassembling each part, wipe it with cotton yarn soaked in oil, and then place it on the disassembly table.

There are eight push rods, four in a row, and two groups on the left and right.

There are sixteen valve springs, eight for intake and eight for exhaust.

Zhang Yong glanced at the panel as he disassembled it.

[Auto Repair Lv.0 - Beginner Progress: 52% → 58%]

It went up.

Each time you disassemble a part or touch a real component, your progress jumps up a little.

He was overjoyed and didn't stop working.

Loosen the ten cylinder head bolts in a diagonal sequence.

He saw this order in the book "Basic Automotive Structure" published by Xinhua Bookstore—the cylinder head cannot be unscrewed sequentially, but must be loosened diagonally, otherwise the cylinder head will deform and become unusable.

"Oh?" Old Zhao finally stood up from his workstation, walked to the dismantling table, and glanced down at Zhang Yong's movements.

"Who taught you this screw-tightening sequence?"

"It's written in the book."

"What? The book even mentions this?" Old Zhao scratched his head and muttered, "I've always started turning it from the right side, and I've been doing it for over thirty years."

"That's because you applied even pressure," Zhang Yong continued, "If someone else had done it your way, the cylinder head would have popped off long ago."

"Hey, don't glare at me! Really! It's written in the book too."

Old Zhao snorted, turned around and sat down, seemingly sulking.

With a soft click, the cylinder head opened.

Four cylinders were exposed.

The cylinder wall is engraved with a dense network pattern. These are the intersecting lines left by honing, used to store lubricating oil.

But the cylinder wall of the machine in front of us has very shallow grooves, and you can even see a thin vertical scratch.

Scratching.

Zhang Yong understood. The reason this big machine was scrapped was because of cylinder scoring; the piston rings and cylinder walls had failed.

……

After several hours of work, dozens of parts were arranged on the disassembly table in the order of disassembly, their positions neatly distributed.

Various parts are divided into different sections.

Piping and cylinder head assembly each occupy a corner, valve mechanism is placed next to piston connecting rod, and the remaining crankshaft is stacked separately.

Each part was neatly arranged, and all the matching bolts were placed next to their respective parts.

This scene is pleasing to the eye.

Old Zhao walked around the stage once.

"You disassembled it?"

"first."

"Bullshit." Old Zhao cursed as he counted the parts, but didn't ask any further questions.

Old Zhao checked each part one by one and found no missing or mixed parts.

"Good, put it back."

"Huh? Today?"

"Tomorrow, tomorrow. Soak the parts in kerosene overnight to remove the grease. You can go back now."

Zhang Yong wiped his hands with cotton gauze, but his fingers were still black, and his fingernails were full of rust particles.

Zhang Yong looked down at the control panel.

[Auto Repair Lv.0 - Beginner Progress: 58% → 73%]

After an afternoon of hands-on practice, the progress increased by 21 percentage points.

Zhang Yong made a mental estimate.

If we reassemble it tomorrow, the progress can at least be increased a little more.

It's 100% the unlock line.

Just then.

A blue notification pops up at the bottom of the panel.

[System detection: Auto repair skill entry progress is nearing the threshold. It is estimated that the parking space binding can be unlocked after 1-2 complete disassembly and assembly cycles.]

Zhang Yong couldn't help but curl up his lips.

almost.

……

evening.

Zhang Yong rode his bicycle back to Jinsong Community. Before going upstairs, he went to the gatehouse to return Grandpa Chen's air pump.

"Xiao Zhang, I have two phone numbers for you!" Grandpa Chen pulled two slips of paper from his drawer. "One is surnamed Zhao, and the other is surnamed Fang. They both called this afternoon and asked you to call back."

Zhang Yong moved a small stool to sit in the guard room and dialed Zhao Huaijin's number first.

"Hey? Teacher Zhao, this is Zhang Yong."

"Hey! Zhang Yong!" Zhao Huaijin's voice was very enthusiastic. "How's your decision? The adult education college starts in September, and there are only twenty days left to register. You'd better hurry up."

"I plan to go," Zhang Yong said directly.

Immediately following the call was Zhao Huaijin's barely suppressed laughter.

"Great! That's wonderful! I'll submit your application materials for you tomorrow! What about your major? Have you decided yet?"

"My major... I haven't decided yet, let me think about it some more."

Zhao Huaijin's voice immediately turned serious.

"Zhang Yong, let me be frank with you. I truly acknowledge your talent for writing!"

"If you get into the Chinese Literature Department, after three years, not only will you be able to write novels, but you'll also have opportunities in literary criticism, editing and publishing, and even journalism and communication."

"I will definitely treat you like my own student!"

He paused for a moment.

"Don't listen to Fang Qiming, that mechanical engineer, trying to fool you! Those engineering folks spend all their time taking parts apart and tightening screws. It's a waste of talent to drag a genius like you, who can write front-page articles, into the workshop to be a greasy monkey!"

Zhang Yong almost burst out laughing.

"Teacher Zhao, I've got it. Let me think about it again."

"Okay, just contact me when you've made up your mind! Anytime is fine."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yong dialed Fang Qiming's number again.

He answered the call after it rang twice; Fang Qiming had clearly been waiting for it.

"Zhang Yong? Have you made up your mind?"

"Teacher Fang, I'm planning to attend an adult education college."

"Okay!" Fang Qiming's voice was even more decisive than Zhao Huaijin's. "Have you decided on your major yet?"

"not yet."

"Then I'll be blunt." Fang Qiming's speech quickened. "Then come to the Mechanical Engineering Department. The technical route you described in that article shows that you have a complete industrial picture in your mind. If you don't go into the lab and get on the lathe, just writing articles is just empty talk."

"Come work for me, and within six months I'll let you get hands-on experience with all the equipment in the department—turning machines, milling machines, planers, grinding machines, and CNC programming. If you really want to work in the industrial field, you have to be skilled with your hands."

Fang Qiming lowered his voice.

"Don't listen to Zhao Huaijin trying to trick you into going to his Chinese literature department! All he does is recite classical poems, all pedantic and pretentious. We can't learn from him! You have your own skills; we need to connect with the working class!"

"When you come to me, I'll have your master's wife stew fried tofu for you every day!"

This time, Zhang Yong really laughed.

"Teacher Fang, I'll think about it seriously."

"Okay, call me when you've made up your mind. I've already made a key for the lab for you."

The phone hangs up.

Zhang Yong put the receiver back and leaned it against the wall.

Chinese Literature Department and Mechanical Engineering Department.

Penholder and wrench.

Actually, both teachers made sense, but Zhang Yong already had the answer in his heart.

Go, everyone!