Chapter 39

Wu Xiaoxiao’s reassignment to the drafting room didn’t stir much reaction among the workers. If anything, people felt admiration and envy. Her methods and adjustments to blueprints had already demonstrated her capabilities, inspiring others to work harder. Even if they couldn’t match her skills, they wanted to contribute to the collective effort—ensuring the long-awaited machine parts would be put to use as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Wu Xiaoxiao’s work in the drafting room was quietly progressing.

Although her foundation in mechanics was stronger than her peers, the machinery of this era was vastly different from what she was familiar with.

It was akin to an auto mechanic attempting to repair an ancient loom. While the fundamental mechanical principles were similar, and she understood the function of different components, theoretical knowledge alone only allowed her to grasp concepts faster than others. It didn’t mean she could immediately take charge or instruct others.

Understanding this, Wu Xiaoxiao diligently followed Grandpa Lu’s teachings.

The drafting room housed the factory’s technical personnel. Each had their own temperaments, but one thing united them—respect for true expertise. So even though Grandpa Lu held no official position at the factory, he was well-respected. This respect naturally extended to Wu Xiaoxiao, who was treated with courtesy as his apparent protégé.

Before long, the workers noticed that Wu Xiaoxiao was remarkably sharp—she could understand complex blueprints and manuals after reading them just once.

The team was analyzing a large number of technical documents and engineering blueprints, many of which were in English and Russian. Most of the factory’s technicians didn’t understand foreign languages, relying on Grandpa Lu for translations. Upon joining, Wu Xiaoxiao quickly learned the most frequently used hundred or so terms, even compiling a reference sheet with their Chinese meanings for easy lookup.

Although the technical documents were challenging, the vocabulary used wasn’t extensive. Of course, one hundred words weren’t enough to fully comprehend everything, but at least they now recognized key data points instead of blindly guessing based on numerical values.

Listening to Grandpa Lu’s explanations on how these measurements and calculations worked further deepened their understanding. With everyone’s combined efforts, they gradually developed a strategy for installing and calibrating the machinery.

During this time, Wu Xiaoxiao also quietly used her abilities to improve Grandpa Lu’s health.

—-

At over seventy years old, Grandpa Lu worked tirelessly—often staying up late, reviewing blueprints long after the other technicians had gone home. No amount of persuasion from Dr. Chen could get him to rest, so the doctor and Wu Xiaoxiao could only stay by his side, assisting however they could.

Chen Si, being more of a humanities person, had limited contributions to the technical work. Instead, he took on the responsibility of caring for Wu Xiaoxiao and Grandpa Lu—bringing them meals and water, ensuring they had as much time as possible to focus on their tasks.

After working non-stop for over a week, Grandpa Lu finally put down his pen.

“This should be about right. We’ve sorted out most of the details. These imported parts should be fine—it’s just that they deliberately made things difficult to test our capabilities.”

Indeed, while the foreign suppliers created obstacles, they didn’t dare send outright defective parts. These machines had already been approved at higher levels. The suppliers could employ minor tricks, but if the factory filed a formal complaint, they could simply argue that all the technical details were clearly documented and that any misunderstanding stemmed from the factory’s lack of expertise.

This could even lead to them demanding additional fees to send their technicians over to “guide” the installation.

And who knew what hidden agendas those foreign experts might have?

In such situations, the factory had no choice but to rely on its own strength.

The documents provided lacked critical information, and many details were deliberately vague. If they didn’t understand the material, they wouldn’t even know what to ask. And if they did ask, the suppliers could simply claim, “This is basic knowledge, so we don’t usually document it. If needed, we can send someone over to guide you.” That would put them back in the same disadvantageous position.

Hearing Grandpa Lu say that the overall approach had been figured out, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“Finally! I might actually get a good night’s sleep tonight. I’ve been furious and frustrated these past few days, but I was determined to show those foreigners that we could do it ourselves!”

“And we did! We’re capable!”

“That’s right! Thank goodness for Grandpa Lu.”

“It wasn’t just me—it was a team effort. Everyone contributed.”

“Exactly! Everyone played a role.”

—-

The room buzzed with excitement, and someone started clapping. Soon, the entire drafting room was filled with applause.

Once the enthusiasm settled, Grandpa Lu continued, “This was just the first step of a long journey. The next stage is assembling and calibrating the machine. Only then will we have truly proven our capability to those foreigners.”

“But,” he changed his tone, “today marks a milestone victory. Tomorrow is Sunday—take the day to rest. Recharge yourselves, and on Monday, we’ll push forward again. Our goal for next week is to get this machine up and running!”

“Got it!” Everyone responded in unison, their hearts filled with excitement and determination.

Standing among them, Wu Xiaoxiao felt the warmth of collective effort, the shared goal, and the unwavering spirit of teamwork.

This feeling—this unity—was truly wonderful.