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

Holding the pen, Zhang Yong felt wide awake.

He first glanced at his own panel.

[Writing Lv.4: Progress 37% (Fixed)]

[Driving Lv.6: Progress 6% (fixed)]

[Auto Repair Lv.5: Progress 8% (AFK... 30x speed)]

Sure enough, after reaching Lv.5, the time required for each level increased, and the speed slowed down.

Zhang Yong sat in the dark for a while, then turned on the light and took out the sample copy of "The Ingenuity of a Great Nation" from the bottom of the drawer. He placed it on the table side by side with the blank manuscript paper with the words "Corrections" written on it.

This article, "The Great Power," was written when I had just unlocked Writing Level 3.

Back then, he hadn't even started learning auto repair yet, and his driving skill was only at level 4. All he could think about were the educational videos he'd watched back then.

Moreover, when it comes to memory, after so much time has passed, no one dares to confidently say that they haven't misremembered a single number.

But things are different now.

Auto Repair Level 5, Driving Level 6.

The combination of these two skills has made Zhang Yong's abilities far exceed those he had when he was writing articles.

Now, when he sees those numbers, the corresponding physical images and parameters automatically pop into his mind.

Zhang Yong opened the sample copy and began searching word by word for places that might attract attention.

I saw it within two pages.

In the section on vacuum degassing casting, he wrote the pouring temperature as "1580–1620℃".

Zhang Yong closed his eyes and recalled the casting knowledge framework that came with Auto Repair Level 5 in his mind.

The standard range in the textbook should be "1560–1640℃", which is about 15 degrees wider than what he wrote.

Why did he write it too narrowly back then?

Zhang Yong thought for a few seconds and then remembered.

When he wrote this, what came to mind was a live stream of a workshop filmed by a content creator on Bilibili.

That was a niche content creator who simply documented his life. He casually mentioned that the operating temperature of his old machine was between 1580 and 1620 degrees Celsius.

The experienced workshop workers don't read textbooks.

They rely on experience—if the temperature is too low, the molten steel has poor fluidity and cannot be filled into the mold cavity; if the temperature is too high, the scrap rate of shrinkage cavities and porosity will increase.

After more than a decade of work, they've figured out the practical range, and this is the limit.

Zhang Yong wrote a line of small print next to this paragraph with a pencil: "This popular science article is aimed at industrial workers and uses actual workshop data."

The second place.

Alloy grade.

He mixed up Japanese and Chinese standard trademarks in a certain section.

Zhang Yong frowned; this was indeed an easy target for criticism.

But then he immediately thought of something else.

In 1990, China's metallurgical industry was in a period of transition between old and new standards.

On many drawings and material lists from front-line factories, Japanese and Chinese standards are used interchangeably, and even Soviet GOST standards are sometimes used, which confuses the technicians themselves.

Zhang Yong had also seen those craft cards in Old Zhao's shed.

The parts comparison chart that Old Zhao posted on the wall had "45 steel = S45C = Сталь 45" drawn crookedly.

Three sets of standards, one table.

This is the true picture of China's grassroots industry in 1990.

Zhang Yong breathed a sigh of relief and added a note next to this paragraph: "Industrial site conditions in 1990, old and new standards were used concurrently, not a typo."

The third place.

The fuel injection pressure of electronically controlled direct injection is measured in kilograms per square centimeter.

This is even simpler.

In 1990, how many skilled workers knew what megapascal was?

When Old Zhao tightens the torque gauge, he says "kilogram-force," and when he adjusts the air pressure, he says "a few atmospheres." If you tell him 0.1 MPa, he won't even blink.

If you tell him one atmosphere of pressure, he'll immediately know what to do.

Zhang Yong finished marking all three places, put down his pencil, and leaned back in his chair.

He let out a long breath.

Neither of them is wrong.

None of these three so-called fatal flaws are actually mistakes.

There is a good reason for every single one.

But Zhang Yong also knew that Chen Ping would definitely use academic standards to define these as errors.

Someone who has spent several years in an overseas laboratory is holding textbooks and international journals, and their eyes are focused on standard parameters and experimental data.

He would naturally assume that anything that doesn't conform to the textbook is wrong.

Zhang Yong stared at the ceiling for a while, and a framework for a counterattack slowly emerged in his mind.

First of all, there's no need to admit fault.

But you should proactively explain why you wrote it this way.

We must beat Chen Ping so badly he can't jump up anymore—

It is highly unscientific for someone working on precision materials in an overseas laboratory to apply laboratory parameters to grassroots industrial sites in China in 1990.

The best defense is the best offense.

Zhang Yong picked up his pen and wrote the first line on the proofreading paper.

"A note to readers: Explanation of some technical statements in 'The Ingenuity of Great Craftsmen'"

After writing this line, he stopped writing and crossed it out heavily.

not enough.

Explanation alone is not enough.

You need a hammer.

He needed to confirm exactly what Chen Ping said at the welcome meeting, what points he refuted point by point, whether he had real skills, or was just reciting data from textbooks.

Zhang Yong glanced at the clock on the wall.

1:28 a.m.

He hesitated for two seconds, then stood up and tiptoed downstairs.

The lights in the guardhouse were still on.

Grandpa Chen had already fallen asleep in the inner room, snoring softly.

Zhang Yong picked up the receiver and dialed Liu Jian's home number.

The phone rang seven or eight times before it was answered.

"Who...who is it..." The voice was muffled, clearly indicating that the person had been woken up.

"Editor Liu, it's me, Zhang Yong."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of someone sitting up and the spring mattress creaking.

"Why are you calling? What happened?"

"Nothing happened. There's something I need to ask you."

Zhang Yong lowered his voice.

"Can you get a copy of Chen Ping's speech at the welcome meeting, including the specific content he mentioned?"

Liu Jianguo was stunned for a moment.

"Do you want my chat log?"

"Yes. The more details the better. I need to know which points he refuted, and what his exact words were."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"This... is a bit tricky, since I wasn't there."

"but--"

Liu Jianguo paused for a moment, a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Lin Xuechang has a copy of the meeting minutes. He attended that symposium and was present when Chen Ping spoke."

Zhang Yong's heart skipped a beat.

Lin Xuechang.

Deputy editor of "October".

The person who personally drove to Jinsong to find him.

What is the relationship between Lin Xuechang and Chen Ping?

Liu Jianguo hesitated for a moment.

"It's hard to say. The day Chen Ping arrived, Editor-in-Chief Lin personally picked him up. The two chatted for quite a while, and I heard they even had a meal together."

Zhang Yong tapped the receiver twice with his fingers.

"Could you find a way to make a copy of that record?"

"I...I'll give it a try. I can go into Editor-in-Chief Lin's office; we've been working together for many years, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Editor Liu," Zhang Yong instructed, "be careful when you copy. Don't let anyone see you. Especially Lin Xuechang."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Okay. I'll do it tomorrow morning when they're in a meeting."

"Thanks. I'll pick it up after I'm done copying; give me a call then."

"Okay, I'll try to get it to you during the day."

......