Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

Suddenly, a burst of anxious discussion came from the computer group.

"This is really strange!" An assistant engineer, beads of sweat on his forehead, pointed at the screen. "Why is the synchronization deviation getting bigger and bigger? Repeated calibrations don't help!"

Several heads immediately crowded around.

The group argued about the CNC system for a long time, but still couldn't come up with a solution.

"Stop arguing, let's ask Engineer Liu to take a look."

A young assistant engineer looked at the figure not far away, his tone filled with natural trust—this had become their standard procedure when encountering problems.

Not long after Liu Guangqi finished explaining the assembly points of a certain part to the mechanical group, he was hurriedly invited to the computer group.

He glanced at the machine tool's parameter panel, not even bothering to examine the drawings closely, his finger already hovering over a certain spot:

"The spindle bearing preload is set incorrectly. Recalibrate it according to this value."

Then, he recited a series of parameters accurate to three decimal places.

The assistant engineer paused for a moment, then entered the numbers into the system with slight hesitation.

When he restarted the test program—

The shrill alarm blared abruptly. The previously wildly fluctuating trajectory on the monitor instantly converged into a straight, sharp line, hovering steadily below a one-millimeter scale.

He was stunned, his lips parted slightly, and he couldn't close them for a long time.

The astonishment on this end has not yet subsided.

On the other side, Engineer Fu was facing a tangled mess of problems. "This tough nut to crack... it's really hard to swallow." He sighed, took off his glasses, and pressed his aching brow bone with his knuckles. "The multi-axis synchronization algorithm always gets stuck at critical nodes. I tried to port the logical framework of the three-coordinate system and modified it repeatedly, but once it runs, the system immediately freezes."

Liu Guangqi's footsteps approached from afar. He stopped behind Fu Gong, leaned forward slightly, and glanced at the screen filled with coded characters, lingering for a moment.

"Mr. Fu, there's a missing interrupt handling unit here." He moved closer and calmly pointed out the crux of the problem: "The spindle and the oscillating head are competing for signals, but there's no priority decision mechanism set. Try embedding this subroutine module."

Fu Gong made the changes as instructed. The cursor on the screen, which had been frozen, suddenly started moving again. He looked up, his gaze towards Liu Guangqi a mixture of shock and realization.

This scene caused several assistant engineers nearby to exchange glances. Their gazes quietly shifted to Liu Guangqi, who was analyzing the structure of a part with the mechanical team not far away, and admiration silently rose in their eyes.

Engineer Cheng stood quietly in the shadows a short distance away, taking it all in. He adjusted his glasses, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. He turned to Engineer Fu beside him, his voice low: "Old Fu, at this rate, our return to the Institute of Computing Technology will likely be significantly delayed." Then, he raised his voice to his usual volume, "Notify everyone to assemble in the conference room at 3 PM. We need to discuss the next phase of our work."

As noon approached, the ministry's canteen was bustling with activity. The warm aroma of food mingled with the lively chatter, occasionally punctuated by the crisp clinking of aluminum lunchboxes against enamel bowls and plates. Notably, due to their involvement in the five-axis linkage research and development project, the research staff not only enjoyed the official canteen but also had access to a special private kitchen—after all, the intense mental exertion required additional nutritional support.

Liu Guangqi had just finished getting his food and found an empty seat in the corner. He had just sat down, swallowed a few mouthfuls of rice, and was about to scoop up a spoonful of milky white crucian carp soup when the long wooden bench opposite him suddenly sank.

Several figures sat down side by side.

"Comrade Guangqi," a greeting rang out.

Liu Guangqi looked up and saw Engineer Cheng's face, weathered by years of desk work and technical challenges, yet now beaming with a smile. Beside him were Engineer Fu and several young-looking assistant engineers.

"Engineer Cheng, Engineer Fu, please have a seat." Liu Guangqi gestured with a smile. "How are you all finding the food here?"

"It's so good, so incredibly good!" Engineer Cheng picked up a piece of glistening braised pork and ate with a satisfied expression. "It's so juicy and flavorful, far superior to what we get in the institute's canteen."

Fu Gong nodded repeatedly, his mouth full of food, his voice a little muffled: "There's meat and vegetables, hot food, that's enough."

It was clear that these people who came from the research institute didn't have many demands in their lives. Liu Guangqi smiled knowingly. He knew these researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences who dedicated themselves to scientific exploration: they were a group of "fanatics" who could eat simple meals every day, yet would squeeze out every penny of funding to invest in experiments and data. For them, material enjoyment was always secondary; exploring the unknown was the nourishment for their souls. This purity was truly admirable.

Liu Guangqi didn't respond, but simply ate his meal quietly.

After a brief silence, Engineer Cheng pushed his rice bowl aside, leaned forward, and revealed that characteristic of a technical researcher—a tenacious spirit that once he grasped a problem, he wouldn't let it go.

"Comrade Guangqi," he began, his tone inquiring, "you are an expert in the field of mechanical engineering, but how come you are also so familiar with the underlying algorithmic logic of computers? The stack structure optimization idea you mentioned yesterday was clearer and more profound than the explanation given by the senior engineer in our institute who specializes in this field."

Fu Gong swallowed the food in his mouth and lowered his voice to ask, "I heard you neither went to the Soviet Union nor stayed in the United States? Then what about your skills...?"

As soon as the conversation started, several young assistant engineers nearby couldn't contain their curiosity and leaned closer, their words flowing out like a thawing stream:

"Yes, Engineer Liu!"

"How exactly did you study?"

"We spent a whole week consulting with the level-five engineers in our institute about a data redundancy problem, and the insights we gained were not as thorough as the ten minutes of casual advice you gave us yesterday after dinner!"

"Your knowledge base doesn't feel like it came from someone who just graduated; it's more like... it's been accumulated over half a lifetime."

Surrounded by curious and admiring gazes, Liu Guangqi simply smiled calmly.

"It's not that mysterious." He said calmly and sincerely, "In the end, it's just about reading more books and thinking about more issues."

Cheng Ming had never wasted the time he had accumulated in his previous life; in this life, he did the same in the library of Tsinghua University. He devoured all kinds of technical works, from basic mechanical theory to the latest foreign computer literature—he read every book he could find. Some of the more difficult content even took him more than ten days to fully understand.

Hearing this, Engineer Cheng couldn't help but laugh: "You're not just good at reading books—true skill lies in being able to truly integrate mechanical manufacturing and computer systems. In our line of work, those who work with computers often don't understand the structure of machine tools, and those who work with machinery often can't grasp the logic of programs. It's rare to find someone like you who is proficient in both."

Cheng Ming simply shook his head: "The more you learn, the fewer detours you'll take on the research and development path."

These words, though spoken softly, sounded remarkably composed to those around them. Those who truly accomplish great things never need to boast with words; their sole purpose is to move things forward.

Engineer Cheng watched his profile as he focused intently on his meal, and secretly admired him. No wonder even a rigorous scholar like Professor Lu praised him highly, and even someone like Elder Hua paid special attention to him—who wouldn't value such a talent?

In the afternoon, Cheng Ming had just finished organizing the drawings at hand when there was a knock on his office door.

"Engineer Cheng, we've produced twelve CNC machine tools this month—a record-breaking achievement!"

Wang Jianguo pushed open the door and came in, holding a transfer order in his hand, his face beaming with barely suppressed joy: "Director Lin has already signed the order."

Cheng Ming took it. The two large characters "Twelve" on the ministry-issued paper were particularly striking, below which was Director Lin's powerful signature. These devices would be distributed to various important departments.

His fingertips gently traced the line of numbers, and a slight smile finally appeared on his lips.

"From four units in April to twelve units now, they have finally mastered the technology completely."

As he spoke, he picked up a pen and neatly signed his name in the "Chief Engineer" column.

"Old Wang, you personally oversee this shipment." Cheng Ming handed the order back, his tone calm but leaving no room for negotiation. "It was agreed beforehand that priority should be given to the steel rolling mills in the metallurgical system. They are rushing to produce special steel for the new fighter jets, and not a day can be wasted."

"When the transport team arrives at the factory tomorrow, make sure to give them clear instructions—all precision parts must not be damaged in the slightest."

As the factory's technical director, Cheng Ming was responsible for building the CNC machine tool workshop from scratch. The monthly output figures, from spring to autumn, chronicled this journey. Cheng Ming knew that with the current manpower and equipment, producing twelve machines per month was the limit. If they wanted to improve, they couldn't rely solely on this one workshop—they had to spread the technology and get more machine tool factories involved.

If all goes well, the ministries will launch a bidding process next year to review qualifications and set up production lines across the country.

Just then, Wang Jianguo rubbed his hands together, leaned closer, and chuckled:

"Engineer Cheng, the order is for ten units... Could you... reserve one of these extra two for our factory?"

Cheng Ming looked up from the blueprints, glanced at him, and looked amused.

"You've got some nerve," he shook his head. "CNC machine tools are strategic materials now. Every single one in the ministry is registered, and if even one is missing, we'll have to investigate. Director Lin's signature is a matter of responsibility, not a joke."

"The three machines that the factory already has are all properly registered. Keeping any more would be a violation of regulations."

Wang Jianguo shrank back and gave an embarrassed smile: "I just asked casually..."

Cheng Ming stood up and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry. Once the five-axis linkage technology is perfected, production can be increased even further. At that time, we will definitely prioritize upgrading the equipment for our factory."

"Right now, let's prioritize the needs of the defense and metallurgical sectors."

Wang Jianguo felt a warmth in his heart and nodded repeatedly: "You've thought of everything so thoroughly! I'll go and arrange the transportation right away."

November drew to a close in the air thick with the scents of engine oil and rosin.

Liu Guangqi leaned over the control panel, his fingertips tracing the waveforms on the oscilloscope. For the past two weeks, he had not only overseen the overall process but also immersed himself in every step of the computer assembly's workflow. Steps that required repeated calculations by others often only required a single adjustment in his hands. The CNC module, originally expected to be completed by the end of the month, saw its last indicator light illuminate a stable green glow on the fourteenth working day after his involvement.

On the east side of the laboratory, Engineer Cheng stared at the screen that had just updated its parameters, remaining silent for a long time. The timing deviation that had been troubling the team all day had been pinpointed to its root cause by Liu Guangqi within 45 minutes. "The spindle command is seven milliseconds delayed compared to the preset value," he said without looking up, the soldering torch drawing fine silver lines between the circuit boards. "And the power monitoring module—it lacks a buffer protocol for voltage sags. We need to add a threshold judgment program here."

Fu hurriedly grabbed his notebook to jot down the notes, the paper scratching softly from the pen nib. The corrected code was loaded into the system, and the two rows of indicator lights on the control panel lit up simultaneously, without the unsettling flickering anymore.

A low murmur of amazement rippled through the machine room. The team, led by two Level 7 engineers, was already accustomed to Liu Guangqi's presence—this technical lead, with a background in mechanical engineering, could deduce bearing preload parameters from current waveforms and build bridges between mechanical transmission and digital control that were unimaginable to others. "Engineer Liu has the entire technology chain mapped out in his mind," the young assistant engineer chuckled, wiping his glasses. "While we're still wandering in the maze, he's already standing at the exit marker."

On the afternoon the first CNC system was packaged and sent to the Institute of Computing Technology, Professor Lu Hai made a special trip from Xishan. The old man grasped Liu Guangqi's hand and shook it again and again: "Guangqi, the parallel verification architecture you proposed has been praised by several experts in the institute as a groundbreaking approach." His glasses gleamed with eagerness, "The second-generation transistor project urgently needs talents like you who are well-versed in multiple disciplines. Come to us; the research and development progress can be accelerated by at least one-third."

Liu Guangqi looked out the window. Dusk was bathing the nascent machine tool frames in the testing workshop, the silver-gray guide rails and servo motors gleaming warmly in the sunset. He turned back and shook his head, his smile slight yet unwavering: "Professor, the work here is just beginning to see the light of day."

Lu Hai followed his gaze and let out a long breath. The unfinished pillars and turntables stood silently in the dim light, like half a long poem waiting to be written. The old man finally patted him on the shoulder, all the unspoken words contained in that pat.