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

So the two of them, one after the other, walked familiarly toward the backyard under the astonished gazes of the neighbors.

Throughout the entire process, Li Huaide's gaze remained fixed solely on Liu Haizhong, sparing no attention whatsoever to the other steel rolling mill workers in the yard.

Before long, after the two figures disappeared behind the moon gate, the central courtyard erupted in chaos, like cold water poured into a hot oil pan.

"God!"

"Did Deputy Factory Director Li come here specifically to see Guangqi today?"

Someone squeezed through the crowd to Yi Zhonghai's side, speaking in a low voice: "See that? He's carrying something! An oil paper package, a tin can, it must be something rare!" The man nudged Yi Zhonghai with his elbow, "Old man, can you figure this out? Does Director Li want to transfer Guangqi back to the steel rolling mill?"

Yi Zhonghai remained silent.

His eyes were fixed on the gift bag in Li Huaide's hand, his mind already in turmoil. Others might have thought it was just a normal courtesy, but he saw much more—Li Huaide's manner suggested he had come specifically for this purpose, not just passing by!

backyard.

Liu Guangqi was half-squatting on the ground, holding a small wooden train in his hand, teasing two toddlers who were learning to walk. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Li Huaide following behind his father, Liu Pangpang.

He smiled, stood up calmly, and gently put Ruixue down from his arms.

"Director Li, what brings you here today?"

Liu Guangqi spoke calmly, a slight smile playing on his lips, showing no sign of nervousness, as if the visitor wasn't a deputy factory director but merely a familiar acquaintance. Having reached this point, he was now at a level to sit on equal footing with the other party, and thus remained naturally composed.

As his gaze swept over, he noticed that Li Huaide was indeed carrying some things, such as milk powder and beef jerky. They weren't particularly valuable, but it was clear that he had put thought into choosing them—not something to cause gossip, yet presentable enough.

Looking at the excessively young face before him, Li Huaide felt a surge of emotions.

Last year, when Liu Guangqi was seconded to the steel rolling mill, although he held the title of Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry, he was ultimately still Liu's subordinate in Liu's eyes. And now?

Times have changed.

He knew better than anyone that Liu Guangqi had crossed the crucial threshold of administrative level fourteen and officially entered the ranks of senior cadres. He had long known that this young man had a limitless future, but he hadn't expected this day to come so quickly, so quickly that he was almost in a daze.

Who could have predicted that this round of mergers and reorganizations at Hongxing Factory would allow Liu Guangqi to leap over the hurdle between administrative level 14 and level 10, a hurdle that many people cannot overcome in their entire lives?

What does this mean?

In terms of administrative rank alone, Liu Guangqi was practically on par with him, the deputy factory director of a department-level unit. Although levels 11, 12, and 10** were still considered the same rank, differing only depending on the position, Liu Guangqi was a member of a ministry. He, on the other hand, was merely the deputy factory director of a subordinate factory. If we were to consider the unspoken rule that ministries were half a rank higher, he might even be half a head lower than Liu Guangqi.

This doesn't even include Liu Guangqi's significant title as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

To put it bluntly, this young man in front of him has reached a position where even Li Huaide has to show him some respect.

After all, Liu Guangqi not only rose to the ranks of high-ranking officials, but also had two powerful in-laws with military backgrounds. With such connections, even if his own father came in person, he would have to treat them with utmost courtesy and smiles.

"Comrade Guangqi!" Li Huaide smiled and offered the gift, his tone more polite than usual. "I heard you were promoted recently, so I came to congratulate you. It's a small token of my appreciation for the children and the elderly."

"Director Li is being too polite."

Liu Guangqi still had a faint smile on his face, but he did not reach out to take it.

Just as Li Huaide's hand was suspended in mid-air, in that delicate moment, Zhao Mengyun made a move.

She rose gracefully, accepted the gift from Li Huaide with a natural smile, and placed it on the stone table in the courtyard. Her movements were fluid and effortless: "Director Li, Guangqi often mentions that we got along quite well back at the steel mill; we're old friends. You're here, so why bring anything? We don't do that kind of thing between us."

The words were polite, but the meaning was clear: I'll accept the gift now to save face for you. But whether you keep it or not depends on what you want to discuss and what you want to accomplish next. If we can't reach an agreement, you'll have to take it back with you when you leave.

This is Zhao Mengyun's confidence—a sense of propriety she has cultivated over the years in the General Logistics Department compound.

There are certain social obligations that she must fulfill, and without her presence, Liu Guangqi's reputation would be severely compromised.

Having run a steel rolling mill for decades, Li Huaide was a shrewd and calculating man; he was quick to pick up on the barbed words. His smile froze for a moment, then he relaxed, becoming even more respectful than before, not daring to show the slightest hint of displeasure. Even if Zhao Mengyun had simply placed the gift box lightly on the table, or even thrown it on the ground in front of him, he would still have to smile and bow to pick it up.

There was no other reason than that her surname was Zhao—the Zhao family, whose name he felt aches and his neck ached even when he stood on tiptoe and looked up at them.

"Director Li is being too kind; I feel bad about it." Liu Guangqi didn't exchange many pleasantries. "I'm sure you've come today to discuss something important."

He knew perfectly well: a deputy director of a steel rolling mill, instead of taking a day off, would come all the way to offer congratulations? That kind of talk was only convincing to a three-year-old. Liu Guangqi had already figured out the details of his father Liu Haizhong's promotion to workshop director: the only people in the factory who could make such a quick decision were Director Yang and Li Huaide. Director Yang was a man of limited vision, stingy in his actions, taking favors for granted, and not necessarily remembering those who benefited, let alone being good at such underhanded dealings. Therefore, it seemed that his father's promotion was most likely due to Li Huaide's push behind the scenes.

Now it seems it really was him.

It must be admitted that Deputy Factory Director Li was far more adept at interpersonal relationships than Factory Director Yang. No wonder Factory Director Yang was so badly manipulated by him during that later storm. Since it was Li Huaide who came to visit, there was no need to guess—the steel mill must have encountered difficulties and needed his help to get through them.

"Comrade Guangqi, to be honest, I've come here with a thick skin, begging for help." Li Huaide said with a wry smile mixed with eagerness, "At the beginning of the year, the ministry issued a strict order that all steel mills in the metallurgical system must pass a certain test..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangqi instantly understood.

So they really did come to worship Buddha.

The metallurgical system had been in turmoil lately, and he had already heard bits and pieces of information from Director Lin. Since the two ministries were part of the same system, any slight movement, whether inside or outside the system, would spread like wildfire. However, at that time his temporary assignment had ended, and the rise and fall of the steel mill was no longer his concern, so he hadn't paid it any mind. But now, with Li Huaide urgently coming to his door, the situation was different—it was clear that the steel mill was teetering on the edge of a precipice with no way out.

And indeed, things turned out exactly as he had predicted. Although the steel rolling mill was the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry's prized possession, the ministry had more than one such "children." Who wouldn't want to be the most favored one? Previously, the steel rolling mill's increased production and innovation had brought it unparalleled glory, all thanks to Liu Guangqi, the technical genius who wielded his magic. When his temporary assignment ended, the meager surplus he left behind was barely enough for the entire mill to survive for a few months. Meanwhile, other steel mills were far from idle, each putting in their best efforts to innovate their processes, and their reported production increases rose higher and higher. With this shift in power, the steel rolling mill's former advantages had long since vanished.

If he had never tasted success, Li Huaide might have resigned himself to his fate and lived a mediocre life. But he had experienced the thrill of being propelled to great heights by Liu Guangqi—the entire factory was like a machine, exceeding targets every month, receiving awards every quarter, and standing ramrod straight when attending meetings at the ministry. That month of "peak experience" made the Third Steel Rolling Plant a true champion.

Going from extravagance to frugality is as difficult as climbing to heaven. Having witnessed the clouds and rosy hues of the mountaintop, who would willingly retreat to the misty depths halfway up? How could Li Huaide not be anxious? Seeing Liu Guangqi, so young, enter a ministry and become a high-ranking official, the fire in his chest burned even more fiercely: before his father-in-law retired, he had to climb one more step up. But now the steel mill had lost its edge, and he himself had no notable achievements to boast of. How could he climb the ranks? Could he rely on managing logistics well or making good use of the canteen's cabbage scraps? That was simply a huge joke.

Therefore, the only way for this deputy factory director in charge of logistics to make a name for himself was to extend his reach into the production area under Director Yang's jurisdiction.

This is also the reason why he disregarded his reputation to visit Liu Guangqi today.

At this moment, Li Huaide

Seeing Liu Guangjiu deep in thought and silent, she became increasingly uneasy and leaned forward slightly.

"Comrade Guangqi!"

"To be honest, the pressure from my superiors has been immense recently."

"The export plan you previously promoted caused the Russian side to withdraw several key projects, and after the relevant technologies were implemented, the demand for special steel surged suddenly."

"I've recently heard that another batch of projects is about to be finalized!"

"Ministries are holding meetings every day to keep asking about production capacity, and Director Yang's hair is almost turning white from worry."

He lowered his voice even further.

His voice betrayed an undisguised anxiety and helplessness:

"Although the factory has nearly 10,000 employees, it is still stretched thin when it comes to tackling technical challenges."

"Right now, we're barely holding on thanks to the technical foundation you built up in your early years. If this continues, we'll probably become a laughing stock."

At this point,

Li Huaide seemed to have made up his mind and decided to make his point completely clear.

"Brother, I'm not going to beat around the bush—I haven't slept a wink for nights on end because of this!"

My father-in-law…

"I'll be retiring to a less prominent position in less than five years. If I don't produce any significant achievements in the coming years, my career may be over!"

The last sentence,

He practically spat it out through clenched teeth: "Comrade Guangqi... I really, really want to get into the ministry!"

With this remark,

That's tantamount to laying all your cards on the table.

His request for technology...

It was not only to address the difficulties faced by the steel rolling mill, but also to pave the way for their own future.

To show sincerity,

Even the most crucial relationship and background with his father-in-law were laid bare without any attempt to conceal it.

After all,

Li Huaide stared intently at Liu Guangqi with eyes that were a mixture of anticipation and unease.

Everything that needed to be said has been said, and the attitude that needed to be adopted has been lowered to the minimum.

Now, all that's left is for the other party to give a response.

On Liu Guangqi's side,

Li Huaide's frankness was not unexpected; instead, a sense of enlightenment flashed through my mind.

No wonder—

This deputy factory director, who never interfered with production, would fight desperately for control of the steel rolling mill during that political upheaval a few years later.

The original intention was to achieve a remarkable political achievement before the deadline.

In all fairness,

If Liu Guangqi's memory is correct

Li Huaide did indeed succeed in his efforts and became the factory director.

Similarly,

The steel rolling mill was also severely damaged and turned into a chaotic mess by him and the people he promoted, barely surviving for less than twenty years.

This led to their near bankruptcy.

A perfectly good large factory thus began its decline.

Thoughts surged through my mind.

Liu Guangqi was fully aware of the intricacies of the situation, but he showed no sign of it on his face, only slightly spreading his hands.

He showed a perfectly appropriate hint of embarrassment.

"Director Li,"

"I belong to the First Ministry of Machine Building, so it's a bit inappropriate for you to be looking for me."

"Even if we need technology to increase production, we should try to find a solution within the metallurgical system, since you and I belong to different ministries."

Although I understand Li Huaide's situation,

But Liu Guangqi never makes promises he is not certain of.

"Besides, I really can't get away right now. The computer project at the Institute of Computing Technology is pressing, and I also have a lot of things to do at the Ministry of Machine Building."

"I really can't be in two places at once."

He smiled helplessly.

This statement is half true and half false—they are indeed very busy, but it's not necessarily true that there's no way to deal with it.

In principle,

He was assigned to the Research Department of the First Ministry of Machine Building, while Li Huaide's steel rolling mill belonged to the Ministry of Metallurgy. Although they were both in the industrial system, they were in different sectors, making it difficult for such technical cooperation to bypass the ministerial level.

Therefore, Liu Guangqi maintained his original stance:

If you really want to ask for help, you need to smooth things over yourself, rather than presenting the problem to him untouched.

really,

Who was Li Huaide? He was the most shrewd of all.

Upon hearing that Liu Guangqi had not made any definitive statements but only described the difficulties, it was clear that there was still room for maneuver in the matter.