Chapter 29: A Stubborn Dead Duck

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Cheng Shi’s former colleagues were in an uproar after watching the news on the municipal television station yesterday, and discussions were buzzing throughout the workshop.

"How come I never realized Cheng Shi was this capable before?"

"Exactly. I never saw him operate the machine tools either."

"Wait, now that you mention it, I actually did see him a few times, but always at night. Hey, Yingzi, I asked you about it back then, and you said you were the one teaching Cheng Shi how to use the machines."

Qian Xiaoying, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze, could only mutter, "Yes."

"Well, that makes sense. After all, Xiao Ying is our technical model."

"Then if Cheng Shi knows how to repair the machines, why doesn't Xiao Ying?"

Qian Xiaoying felt flustered, stammering and unable to come up with an answer. Just then, Workshop Director Hu Guangcai announced that a meeting was about to start, sparing her from further interrogation.

Qian Xiaoying let out a sigh of relief, her legs feeling weak. The coworkers who were usually so amiable had just looked at her as if they were ready to devour her. It was truly terrifying.

Once they were seated in the breakroom, Director Hu said, "You’ve all seen the news, right? We need to save face. We can’t let ourselves be laughed at by an employee who was laid off."

Everyone looked at Qian Xiaoying. If anyone could outperform Cheng Shi, it had to be her.

Director Hu turned to her as well: "Comrade Qian Xiaoying, you need to step it up. It’s already the twentieth of the month, and you haven't produced a single qualified part yet. If this continues, we’re going to be embarrassed."

Qian Xiaoying replied, "The CNC machine that worked well was taken away by Cheng Shi. The one we have left lacks the necessary precision."

Someone asked skeptically, "That’s not right. The one Cheng Shi took had been broken for a long time. You’ve always used the one left behind to make your parts. Why is it suddenly not working well?"

Director Hu also sensed something was wrong. "Indeed, Qian Xiaoying, what is going on with you? Ever since Cheng Shi left, you can’t seem to produce anything. The factory manager gave us strict orders to get those bearings finished for the automobile plant today."

In truth, he had told Qian Xiaoying two days ago that she had to produce the bearings to compete with Cheng Shi for the order.

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In reality, he was harboring his own resentment. Being outperformed by someone he had personally laid off was a bitter pill that anyone would struggle to swallow.

He didn't care who fixed the machines or who got the order from the automobile plant—as long as it wasn't Cheng Shi!

Qian Xiaoying produced a bearing. "I made one, but I’m not sure if it meets the automobile plant's requirements."

In truth, she had pilfered it from the Cheng family’s storage room during the chaos of moving the machines yesterday.

Director Hu hurriedly took it and measured the precision. "This isn't right. This precision doesn't even match what you used to submit, let alone meet the requirements of the automobile plant. Furthermore, the technique used here is completely different from your previous work."

Every worker has their own habits. To a layman, everything looks the same, but an expert can tell at a glance which master crafted a piece. It is just like two painters copying the same work; the finished products will always have subtle differences. This was especially true for Director Hu, who knew the parts produced by his workshop like the back of his hand.

Qian Xiaoying panicked. *I heard Cheng Yongjin was also helping Cheng Shi with machining. Could I be so unlucky that I picked up one made by Cheng Yongjin?*

Director Hu stared at her: "Comrade Xiao Ying, if you are hiding something from me, you had better say it now. Don't wait until it’s too late to fix."

Connecting the dots from the morning's discussion, the other workers found more and more things that didn't add up.

Engineer Liu said to Qian Xiaoying, "I always found it strange. I once saw Cheng Shi using the CNC machine at night. After he left, I checked his rejects and found that the technique and habits were exactly the same as yours. Even if you taught him, it’s impossible for them to be identical."

Someone added, "That’s right, the more we talk, the fishier it gets. Qian Xiaoying, before Cheng Shi came, your skills weren't that great, and most of your parts were scrap. After he arrived, your skills soared, and your scrap rate dropped to ten percent. And ever since he left, you haven't been able to make a single qualified part. Could it be that Cheng Shi was doing all the work for you?"

Engineer Liu: "It’s entirely possible. No wonder Cheng Shi was always sleeping during the day; he was working overtime at night."

Another worker chimed in, "Qian Xiaoying, you’ve been faking your performance and stealing credit for someone else's work!"

"Cheng Shi was willing to help you because he treated you as his fiancée. Yet, when he wasn't around, you always told us you were just ordinary friends. Isn't that just playing with his feelings?"

"This is truly cold-hearted. When it came time to vote on the list for contract workers, she didn't hesitate to vote against Cheng Shi."

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Qian Xiaoying stuck to her guns: "The previous parts were made by me. You can't erase my past achievements just because I'm having a bad day. Besides, Cheng Shi being removed from the contract list was a decision voted on by the entire workshop. The director finalized the list; why is everyone blaming me for his departure now? When I was named a model worker and the workshop issued bonuses, everyone got a share of that too."

*In any case, no one can prove that Cheng Shi was doing the work for me. I am the hero of the Second Workshop.*

Seeing her brazen refusal to admit the truth, and the way she tried to drag everyone else down with her, the workers became even more furious.

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have misunderstood Cheng Shi. And you dare to argue!"

"So Cheng Shi was our technical backbone all along. We blamed him for holding us back and mocked him. No wonder he refused to sign as a contract worker and insisted on being laid off—he couldn't stand being in our workshop anymore."

"This is a disaster. We cut off our own lifeline in the name of downsizing. If this keeps up, forget about being named an 'Excellent Workshop' and getting bonuses. We’ll be the first workshop to be eliminated in the next round of cuts."

"To have such a talent buried and lost is a tragedy. Director, bring Cheng Shi back!"

Director Hu was also furious, lamenting his situation in silence. However, he was the one who personally wrote Cheng Shi’s name on the list to be laid off. He couldn't very well admit that he was blind and had been deceived for so long.

He said, "Everyone, calm down. Let's give Comrade Qian Xiaoying some time."

In reality, he was just buying time to come up with a strategy, or his position as workshop director would be in jeopardy.

Once the crowd dispersed, Director Hu called Qian Xiaoying into his office, shut the door, and gave her a stern dressing-down.

The roaring voice could be heard clearly by the workers outside: "If you don't find a way to produce qualified parts immediately, the next person to be laid off will be you!"

No matter how much Director Hu yelled, Qian Xiaoying just wept to evoke pity, repeating the same line: "I’m just in a slump. I made all those previous parts myself. I can definitely adjust. Director, please give me more time."

"You are truly incorrigible. Stubborn to the end. Let’s see how long you can keep this up." Eventually, Director Hu grew tired of yelling, waved his hand, and said, "Get out of here."