PDLP Chapter 20 Calm and Tranquil
Chapter 20 Calm and Tranquil
"These are the notes I've taken over the years, recording various machine problems and repair methods," he said. "I originally intended to keep them for myself, but I'm giving them to you now."
Jiang Cheng took the notebook, opened it, and found it filled with densely packed notes. There were texts, drawings, and data, all written neatly, stroke by stroke.
"Master, this is far too precious—"
"Take it," Huang Deqing said. "I'm too old to use it. You're young, you'll need it."
Jiang Cheng held the notebook, his eyes welling up with tears. He knew that this notebook was the culmination of his master's life's work, a priceless treasure.
"Master, I—"
"Alright, stop getting sentimental." Huang Deqing waved his hand. "Let's go back, it's too late."
Jiang Cheng stood up, walked to the door, then turned back: "Master, don't worry, I won't let you down."
Huang Deqing didn't say anything, he just waved his hand.
Jiang Cheng pushed open the door and stepped into the night. He didn't know what awaited him, but he knew he wasn't alone.
The next day, everything was as usual. Jiang Cheng went to work in the foundry as usual, carrying ladles of molten iron as usual. His coworkers looked at him with some strange eyes, but no one said anything. Director Ma came over specifically and said in a low voice, "I heard you shut down the guy from the provincial government? Impressive!"
Jiang Cheng smiled but didn't reply.
In the afternoon, he received a notification: Professor Zheng was looking for him at the Industrial College that evening.
That evening, Jiang Cheng arrived at the lab on time. Zheng Huaiyuan and Professor Qian were both there, and neither of them looked too good.
"Sit down and talk," Zheng Huaiyuan said, gesturing to a chair.
Jiang Cheng sat down. Zheng Huaiyuan cut to the chase: "I've heard about what happened in the province. You did the right thing, but it was also very dangerous."
Jiang Cheng nodded: "I know."
"Director Wang called me," Zheng Huaiyuan said. "He said that the province has different opinions on this matter. The two experts' backer is a deputy director of the Machinery Department. Although Director Wang has influence, he can't openly oppose him."
Jiang Cheng's heart sank. Deputy Director-General... that was a higher rank than he had imagined.
Professor Qian, standing nearby, indignantly retorted, "What kind of expert are they? They're clearly bureaucrats! They take the country's money, do nothing of substance, and just persecute people!"
Zheng Huaiyuan waved his hand, signaling him not to get agitated, then looked at Jiang Cheng: "Xiao Jiang, you have two choices now. First, bow your head and admit your mistake, acknowledging that you misjudged the situation. That way, they won't pursue the matter further, but you'll never be able to hold your head up high in the factory again."
Jiang Cheng shook his head: "Uncle Zheng, I'm not going this way."
Zheng Huaiyuan nodded, seemingly having expected this: "Secondly, continue to stick to it. But be prepared, they will try every means to get you. They'll investigate your history, find dirt on you, and even implicate those around you."
Jiang Cheng was silent for a moment, then asked, "Uncle Zheng, which option do you think I should choose?"
Zheng Huaiyuan looked at him, a hint of relief in his eyes: "You've already made your choice."
Jiang Cheng was taken aback, then smiled. Yes, he had already made his choice. From the moment he stood up in the factory manager's office, he had already made his choice.
"Okay," Zheng Huaiyuan said. "Since you've made your choice, let's move on. I'll help you."
Professor Qian also said, "I'll help you too. If they want to mess with you, they'll have to get past me first!"
Jiang Cheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart and was about to speak when someone suddenly knocked on the door.
The door opened, and came in Engineer Wu—the Engineer Wu from the Provincial Machinery Research Institute who helped Jiang Cheng process parts.
"Engineer Wu?" Jiang Cheng was taken aback. "What brings you here?"
Engineer Wu glanced at the people in the room, nodded as a greeting, and then said to Jiang Cheng, "Jiang Cheng, I've come to tell you something."
"What is it?"
Engineer Wu took an envelope out of his bag and handed it to him: "Read it yourself."
Jiang Cheng opened the envelope; inside was a stack of photographs. The photographs showed the internal structure of a machine—the imported steel rolling mill—and were very clear, showing the details of every part.
"This is……"
"I secretly took a picture of that machine when it entered the research institute," Engineer Wu said. "At the time, I felt that the conclusions of those two experts were problematic, so I kept an eye on it."
Jiang Cheng examined the photo closely, his eyes growing brighter with each look. The cracks in the rollers were clearly visible in the photo, and the direction and depth of the cracks clearly indicated that they were fatigue cracks that developed from the inside out, and were definitely not caused by external force.
"Engineer Wu, this photo is extremely important!" Jiang Cheng said excitedly.
Engineer Wu waved his hand: "Don't be too happy yet. This photo only proves that your judgment is correct, but it doesn't prove that they are wrong. They will say that the crack appeared after the machine was disassembled, not that it was original."
Jiang Cheng was taken aback. Yes, the photo was taken after the machine was disassembled, and the other party could easily question whether the crack was caused during the disassembly process.
"However—" Wu changed the subject, "there's one more thing."
He pulled another notebook out of his bag, opened it, and found a piece of paper tucked inside. The paper contained a test report, stamped with the institute's official seal.
"This is the non-destructive testing report from when that machine first came to the research institute," said Engineer Wu. "Non-destructive testing, you know? It's using ultrasonic waves to detect internal defects without disassembling the machine. The report clearly states that there are tiny cracks inside the rolls, caused by material fatigue."
Jiang Cheng took the report, his hands trembling. With this report, everything became clear. The cracks were already present before the machine was even disassembled. This meant it wasn't caused by improper operation, but rather a problem with the design or the materials themselves.
"Mr. Wu, how did you get your hands on this?"
Engineer Wu smiled and said, "I'm in charge of keeping the files. This report was supposed to be destroyed, but I kept a copy."
Jiang Cheng looked at him and suddenly understood something: "Engineer Wu, you're taking a risk to help me."
Engineer Wu waved his hand: "I'm not helping you, I'm helping the truth. I knew those two experts' conclusions were fake the moment I saw them. But they have powerful backers, and I'm just a small engineer, I didn't dare say anything. Now that you've stepped forward, I have to do something."
Jiang Cheng bowed deeply: "Engineer Wu, thank you."
Engineer Wu helped him up: "Don't thank me. Take this, but don't take it out unless it's absolutely necessary. Don't use it until they make their move. Then take it out and kill them with one blow."
Jiang Cheng nodded. He remembered his master's words—wait for the opponent to make a move, wait for the opportunity to appear. Now that he had a weapon, all that was left was to wait.
The waiting days are the hardest to endure.
A week passed, and all was calm. Two weeks passed, and still nothing. Jiang Cheng went to work as usual, did his job as usual, and went to the lab in the evenings as usual. But the tension in his heart remained constant.
Zheng Yanxi noticed his nervousness and waited for him to come home every night before going to sleep. Sometimes Jiang Cheng would wake up in the middle of the night and see her with her eyes open, so he would gently take her hand. Neither of them spoke, but they both understood what the other was thinking.
One afternoon in the third week, the storm finally arrived.
Jiang Cheng was working in the foundry when he suddenly heard someone shout, "Jiang Cheng, the factory manager wants you to go to his office right away!"