Returning to 1949, I decided to hand it over to the state.

Not far ahead is the steel rolling mill.

To be precise, this is not a particularly large, complete steel rolling mill; it is more like a medium-sized rolling workshop located next to the No. 1 blast furnace.

This arrangement is quite normal.

After the blast furnace taps iron, whether it is sent to steelmaking or transferred to the next stage of processing, the closer the distance, the more convenient the transportation and the easier the organization.

Especially now, when production has just resumed and there is a shortage of equipment, manpower, and scheduling capacity everywhere, placing the rolling process as close as possible to the blast furnace and main production area is the most realistic approach.

This place isn't particularly big, but it's definitely not small either.

One side of the factory building is connected to the material loading and transfer area, and you can still see many tracks that have been repeatedly rolled over and traces left by dragging steel materials on the ground.

At the other end is the location of the rolling mill. The frame, roller conveyor, transmission system and supporting area are arranged in a line. Although many places still show signs of repair and maintenance, the basic framework has been erected.

What has been restored here is not the kind of high-precision rolling capability.

To be more practical, we should first get the most basic and urgent work done, and quickly move the steel materials that come out earlier down the line to be rolled into profiles, bars or plates that can be directly allocated and used.

The products don't necessarily need to be complicated, but as long as they can consistently produce finished products, it will be a real step towards the recovery of the entire factory.

Workers were busy both inside and outside the factory at this time.

Some were counting steel billets and materials, some were tidying up the debris and tools next to the roller conveyor, some were making final preparations for starting the equipment, and others were squatting on the ground checking the feet, bearing seats and transmission connections. They were all obviously waiting for Zhou Chunsheng and his technical support staff to come and confirm the status.

Jiang Fan followed him inside, but his gaze did not immediately fall on the machine.

Because almost as soon as he entered the door, he saw a familiar figure.

The man was wearing ordinary work clothes and was talking to someone. His profile and posture gave Jiang Fan a sudden shock.

Jiang Daiji!

The person I saw in the office yesterday.

The person who felt instantly familiar to him, and who even seemed to have some inexplicable connection to him.

What a coincidence!

It's amazing that we could run into each other here, given how big Ansteel is!

Almost at the same moment Jiang Fan saw him, Jiang Daiji also looked up and glanced in this direction.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Jiang Fan's mind was racing.

Zhou Chunsheng was also in the office yesterday.

In other words, if I act too strangely now, it will easily arouse suspicion.

You have to act naturally, or you'll be in trouble if someone sees through you.

Thinking of this, he almost instinctively suppressed his emotions and spoke first, forcing a familiar smile onto his face:

"Uncle Jiang! Uncle Jiang, you're here!"

Jiang Daiji was clearly taken aback for a moment, then quickly responded.

"Hey, hey, it's here."

His expression clearly carried an indescribable strangeness, so he could only turn his gaze to Zhou Chunsheng first.

"Zhou, Hu Zi, are you here for maintenance?"

Zhou Chunsheng nodded, his tone familiar.

"Yes, Uncle Jiang, we're about to officially start work here, so we came over to check on the equipment first, just in case it breaks down."

As he said this, he naturally stepped aside.

"You guys keep busy. Engineer Jiang and I will go inside and take a look around first. You can come out and chat after we're done."

Jiang Fan quickly nodded to Jiang Daiji and greeted him with a smile.

"Uncle Jiang, you go ahead with your work. I'll come out and talk to you again in a bit."

"Okay, okay."

Jiang Daiji agreed verbally, but his gaze couldn't help but linger on Jiang Fan's face for a couple more seconds.

The more I look at it, the more familiar it seems.

As for Jiang Fan, although he had already followed Zhou Chunsheng further inside, his mind was clearly not as calm as before.

Jiang Daiji...

Jiang Fan always felt that there was something wrong with the way Jiang Daiji looked at him.

He couldn't quite describe the feeling; it was like repeatedly trying to identify something, which made him feel a little uneasy.

Did he sense something?

Yesterday, after all, it was in the office, with the leader present and many people around. Even if Jiang Daiji really felt something was wrong, it was impossible for him to be questioned in detail in front of so many people.

But today is different. Today we are in the factory, in a private setting. People are coming and going, but it doesn't have the same formal atmosphere as yesterday.

If Jiang Daiji really gets interested, he might find a moment to pull me aside and casually ask a few questions about my background, family, where I grew up, and whether I knew anyone before...

If even one word doesn't match, it goes beyond just being a "blooper".

It's 1949 now.

Although the Northeast had been liberated, order had not been fully stabilized.

Enemy agents, spies, saboteurs—these terms may exist more in films, television dramas, and historical materials in later generations, but in this era, they were real and tangible problems.

Places like Ansteel are especially important.

This vital industrial artery is under the watchful eyes of countless people.

When a factory hires someone, they have to verify their identity repeatedly.

Someone like me, whose origins are vague and whose statements are entirely improvised, would face unimaginable consequences if someone were to label me as having a "suspicious identity."

The more Jiang Fan thought about it, the more a chill ran down his spine.

Or... should we find a place to hide for a couple of days?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he immediately suppressed it.

No.

You can't hide.

The more they hide, the more suspicious they become.

If we start avoiding Chiang Dai-chi now, that would be telling him "I have a problem".

At times like these, it's better to take the initiative and pull the line closer, ideally until Jiang Daiji is completely convinced that he truly knows him and is at least not a bad person.

Even if you can't completely dispel the other party's doubts, you must first rule out the possibility of them being a "dangerous person".

Jiang Fan's mind raced with thoughts.

Ok……

After I finish things here, I still need to go to Aunt Su's house.

As long as this identity is filled in more completely, I will be able to be more at ease no matter who asks me in the future.

Thinking of this, he finally felt a little more at ease.

Just then, a wave of heat hit him, instantly pulling his thoughts back to the present moment.

They have officially entered the steel rolling mill workshop.

The steel rolling mill has a large interior space with a high ceiling. Several rows of ventilation windows at the top let in the outside light, illuminating the entire work area.

As Zhou Chunsheng walked inside, he took out a small notebook from his toolbox, flipped through a couple of pages, and began to talk about today's arrangements.