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

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a hearty laugh from the minister: "Great! That's exactly what I wanted to hear! The comrades from the Ministry of Metallurgy will be here shortly to review the blueprints. You'll be responsible for explaining the key details clearly. The Ministry will handle the rest."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Guangqi looked up and found that Director Lin had somehow appeared beside him, a long ash stuck in his cigarette, staring at him blankly.

After a long pause, Director Lin shook his head, a smile playing in his eyes: "You rascal... I knew it. Anything you handle will never be taken lightly."

As Director Lin pushed open the office door, Liu Guangqi had just turned away from the telephone. Outside the window, the sycamore leaves swirled in the autumn wind, and sunlight slanted across the corner of the table, bathing a stack of drawings in a warm gold hue.

"The transistors are still burning hot, and you've already built a model of a four-roll mill?" Director Lin leaned against the doorframe, a smile spreading across his eyes. "Do you have two abacuses in your head, one turning the vacuum tubes and the other rolling steel plates?"

Before he could respond, he shook his head, his voice filled with undisguised satisfaction: "You child, you're practically adding words to my list of achievements."

Over the years, everyone in the ministry knew that Liu Guangqi had emerged from the Research Department. From his entry into the ministry as an administrative level 19 to his current position as a level 10 expert, the young man had taken every step steadily, and the sparks he ignited always illuminated those around him. Director Lin raised his hand to the windowsill, his fingertips dusted with a thin layer of ash—how long had it been since he had personally taken care of the department's mundane affairs? Since promoting this young man, those thorny, innovative projects that others couldn't solve, would always be transformed into neat reports on his desk one morning.

Sometimes, while reviewing documents late at night, he would drift off into thought under the desk lamp: how had the vice-ministerial nomination, which his colleagues were scrambling to secure, quietly landed on his shoulders? Then he'd smile—it was all thanks to this young man. His accumulated achievements had already propelled him to heights unattainable by others. He had originally planned a smooth transition before his transfer next year, but who knew that at the last minute, this kid would deliver such a generous gift.

"Director." Liu Guangqi's voice pulled him back to reality. The young man stood at the intersection of light and shadow, his back ramrod straight, but his words flowed like lukewarm water over pebbles: "I lent a hand on the technical aspects, but once it's truly implemented and put into production, we'll still need the department to coordinate resources and make overall arrangements. This is a collective achievement."

As Director Lin listened, a sense of comfort slowly spread through him, transforming into a warm appreciation in his eyes. He had seen too many young people eager to claim credit, their words eloquent but their behavior unsightly. This man, however, always seemed to have a perfect sense of proportion—advancing steadily when necessary, and quietly disappearing into the crowd when it was time to yield. Such clarity was hardly something one would expect from someone in their early twenties.

"You," Director Lin nodded at him lightly, his tone as intimate as if he were talking about his own nephew, "sometimes your experience is so mature that even this old man is ashamed of it."

He suddenly stopped smiling and took half a step forward. The sunlight now completely enveloped Liu Guangqi, and the young man's fingers, hanging at his sides, curled slightly.

"I've kept a record of your merits in my heart." Director Lin's voice was low, but each word carried weight. "Every stroke of the pen is clear and distinct. Even if I move to another place in the future, someone will continue to keep this record—what's rightfully yours will not be taken away by a single penny."

The words trailed off, leaving only a meaningful aftertaste lingering in the air. Liu Guangqi looked up and met his boss's smiling eyes, which held a light he couldn't yet decipher. He shook his head inwardly, but a helpless smile appeared on his lips—this boss always loved to plant hidden meanings in his words.

Just then, a knock came at the door. The assistant poked half his body in: "The comrades from the Ministry of Metallurgy and the steel rolling mill have arrived."

Three Volga trucks were parked in the open space in front of the building, their black bodies gleaming coldly in the autumn sun. The first to get out was an elderly man with slightly graying temples, the badge of the Ministry of Metallurgy neatly pinned to his dark gray Zhongshan suit. Behind him, Director Tian, ​​his eyes almost disappearing with a smile, waved from afar.

The other door opened, and Li Huaide, the director of the steel rolling mill, bent down and crawled out, followed closely by several technicians. One of the younger ones even stood on tiptoe to look at the building, his eyes burning with eagerness.

The two groups met, their gazes simultaneously falling on Liu Guangqi. Then, a scene unfolded that made everyone from the steel mill's group shrink in shock—the deputy minister, his temples streaked with gray, quickened his pace and stood naturally alongside the young man in a row. Director Lin, Director Tian, ​​Director Li, and everyone else, as if they had rehearsed, all fell half a step behind.

"Comrade Guangqi." The vice minister turned his head, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement, "Your surprise caught us completely off guard. The Institute of Computing Technology is dealing with a multitude of issues, and you—" He stretched out his hand, pointing vaguely in the direction of the building, as if one could see the yet-to-be-released machine through the brick wall, "took a moment to break through the four-roll mill barrier. Several old buddies from the Ministry of Metallurgy, upon hearing the news, huddled around the telephone to confirm it three times."

Liu Guangqi's arm was gently touched, and besides a relaxed smile, only a deep sigh remained on his face.

The reasons for this are clear to both sides.

The achievements of the First Ministry of Machine Building in that year were too numerous to mention.

Already holding a leading position in the industrial sector, if the second-generation transistor computer were to be successfully developed, the First Ministry of Machine Building's influence would be significantly increased.

Among the various ministries, it would probably be necessary to raise the bar even higher.

And the source of all this,

It was this young man standing right in front of me.

Slightly behind the crowd,

Li Huaide followed in the group, his face glowing like a chrysanthemum in full bloom in autumn, the corners of his mouth turned up and never drooping again. The same thought kept replaying in his mind: Back then, he had humbled himself and personally sought out the techniques…

It was truly the wisest choice I've ever made.

at the same time,

His contempt for someone was almost extreme:

"Fortunately, Old Yang was aloof, which gave me the upper hand... Such a rare talent, and he didn't even know how to win him over..."

"Old Yang, it's no wonder you can't be here today."

"Oh!"

……

First Ministry of Machine Building

Inside Director Lin's office at the General Machinery Division.

Not long after,

Liu Guangqi then spread out the complete set of design drawings for the four-roll reversible medium-thick plate rolling mill on the table.

A thick stack of papers was spread out, causing everyone present to look on in surprise.

Although I knew that Liu Guangqi was good at research, seeing such a complex and precise design in person was a completely different experience.

At this moment, these drawings lie there quietly, as if silently telling the story of the designer's extraordinary talent.

The accompanying technicians from the steel rolling mill held their breath in rapt attention.

His eyes were full of respect and admiration.

……

Subsequently,

Liu Guangqi's voice rang out, steady and clear.

He deliberately turned the blueprints toward the vice minister of the Ministry of Metallurgy, his fingertip landing on the core area:

"Minister Yin, please look here."

"Currently, the metallurgical system mainly uses three-roll Lauter mills, while the key difference of the four-meter-two-roll four-roll reversible mill I designed lies in the division of labor of the roll system."

"Two rollers are installed at the top and bottom—the support roller is dedicated to bearing the rolling force and ensuring overall stability; the work roller is fully responsible for the forming and rolling of the steel plate."

"This layout can reduce the rolling force by about 30%, while the precision of the finished steel plate can be improved by a step."

"In addition, this equipment uses reversible rolling, and the steel plate is formed in one pass. The efficiency is more than double that of the old machinery, and that is only a conservative estimate."

Liu Guangqi spoke at a measured pace.

We will break down the advantages of machinery layer by layer and explain them in detail.

At first, Vice Minister Yin across from him was merely scrutinizing him, but then he gradually became focused, his brows furrowing slightly, and his knuckles unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

He clearly took it to heart.

However, it may not be fully digested.

Inside the office, the steel rolling mill's technical backbone already had gleaming eyes, frequently leaning close to the blueprints to exchange ideas in hushed tones.

Their faces couldn't hide their excitement and admiration.

After a period of silence,

Liu Guangqi's explanation came to a temporary end, and the room fell into a brief silence.

Li Huaide, standing to the side

I only vaguely understood what they were saying.

He first glanced at the incomprehensible symbols on the blueprints, then discreetly looked at the grave expression on his superior's face.

He was adept at reading people's expressions and immediately knew what he should do.

"Comrade Guangqi,"

"Please forgive my ignorance in saying this."

Li Huaide adopted an exceptionally humble attitude, saying, "Someone like me who doesn't primarily handle technical aspects in the factory, these intricacies on the blueprints..."

"I can't understand any of them."

He changed the subject...

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Liu Guangqi:

"Just tell us the truth—can this thing really keep up with what the Russian bears to the north and the eagles across the ocean have?"

"So... what level is it exactly?"

The question was asked bluntly, even somewhat crudely.

But everyone present was a sensible person, and everyone knew that this was the most crucial question of the day.

really,

Upon hearing this, the air in the office seemed to freeze slightly.

Liu Guangqi's gaze,

It flashed almost imperceptibly between Li Huaide and the vice minister in the main seat for a fleeting moment.

At this moment, he was able to conclude—

To dare to ask such a question in front of the Vice Minister of Metallurgy, what else could it be but the backing of one's own people?

no doubt,

The imposing Vice Minister Yin before us, though not angry, exuded authority.

The tenth reason is that the father-in-law, whom Li Huaide mentioned, is "about to reach the finish line in a few years."

No wonder,

No wonder that on this occasion, it was Li Huaide from the steel rolling mill, rather than Director Yang who oversees all factory affairs, who came.

This in itself speaks volumes.

Back then, there were countless bureau-level units under the metallurgical system, but the pilot site for technological innovation was chosen to be this steel rolling mill—Liu Guangqi only now vaguely realized the subtle reasons behind this.

He understood perfectly well, but showed no sign of it on his face.

The meeting room was so quiet you could hear someone breathing.

Vice Minister Yin, Director Tian, ​​and Director Lin of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry, along with the technical backbone from the steel rolling mill, all held their breath. Countless eyes were focused on Liu Guangqi like searchlights.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Liu Guangqi smiled calmly.

Facing those intense gazes, he spoke clearly, "Its performance is no less than any similar foreign equipment; it belongs to the international advanced level."

This statement is like a stone thrown into calm water.

Li Huaide was stunned at first, then his eyes widened, and he almost involuntarily repeated, "Internationally advanced?"

These four simple words carried enough weight for the vice ministers and Li Huaide present to immediately grasp the value of the rolling mill.

As expected, Vice Minister Yin's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

He composed himself and hurriedly asked, "Comrade Guangqi, are you sure this equipment can really rival the technology of ** and **?"

"Both the precision and capacity of the finished steel products far exceed those of the commonly used three-roll Lauter-type medium plate mills," Liu Guangqi explained succinctly. "The thick plates produced by the 4.2-meter mill have a much wider range of applications."

He paused briefly, then his tone became confident: "This design is the result of my long-term research, and its reliability is not a concern. Minister Yin, you can rest assured."

"If you still have doubts, you might as well wait until the prototype is completed in two months and verify it with actual results."

Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Yin's pupils contracted slightly.

He suddenly recalled the situation when he first transferred Liu Guangqi from his original unit—how contemptuous the usually arrogant engineers in the ministry were at first, and how shocked they were later.

He was not proficient in the complex technical details of the four-roll mill.

But he knows how to judge people.

How could a top R&D talent, who was regarded as a treasure by the First Ministry of Machine Building and repeatedly recognized by the higher-level institute committee, possibly joke about his reputation and future?

What's the point?

Moreover, everyone still vividly remembers the breakthroughs Liu Guangqi made in the CNC machine tool project.

Therefore, Vice Minister Yin's mind had already tipped.

……

Thinking about this, the last bit of hesitation disappeared.