69novels Chapter 1034 Zhang Zhi
Chapter 1034 Zhang Zhi
After Gu Nan finished explaining the production matters, the meeting room fell silent for a moment. Someone couldn't help but whisper, "Vice Factory Director Gu, what's the good news you mentioned...?"
Gu Nan looked around at everyone, his gaze lingering on Zhang Zhi's face for a moment before he slowly spoke: "As I said at the beginning, there is good news today. Many of you have been working in the factory for so many years, and your skills are already up to par—many junior engineers have actually reached or even surpassed the intermediate level, and some are not far from becoming senior engineers. It's just that you haven't had the opportunity to take the evaluation exam, which is why you haven't been promoted yet."
He paused, noticing the growing anticipation in everyone's eyes, and continued, "I've already secured this opportunity from the higher-ups. In a couple of days, the factory will organize an internal evaluation exam. Those who pass will be promoted directly, without having to wait for next year's unified exam. I wonder if you all want to seize this opportunity?"
These words immediately caused an uproar in the conference room. The engineers' faces lit up with excitement, and even Zhang Zhi, who had been holding his breath, clenched his fists—he had been working with Liu Wen for five years and believed his skills were already at the intermediate level, but he lacked an exam opportunity; these words resonated deeply with him. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask about the specific arrangements for the exam, but was interrupted by Gu Nan's next words.
“However,” Gu Nan changed the subject, his tone tinged with regret, his gaze sweeping over the engineers present, “this training opportunity is truly rare, and the number of places allocated by the head office is limited. There are a total of sixteen engineers in our workshop, and it’s impossible for them all to take the exam. In the end, only eight can be selected.”
He watched the fleeting surprise, tension, and anticipation on everyone's faces, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes—this was exactly the effect he wanted. He used a tangible opportunity to stir people's hearts, to show them who they could follow to seize opportunities and have a future.
Zhang Zhi, sitting in the corner, felt a pang of unease. He knew he had wasted a lot of time following Liu Wen, and his technical skills were probably inferior to others, so he instinctively felt his chances were slim. But he still forced himself to speak: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, may I ask how this spot... was secured?"
Gu Nan smiled, his tone calm yet fair: "I've always been fair and impartial. I don't look at connections, I only look at ability. Tomorrow morning, I'll organize a technical assessment in the workshop. The content will be the interpretation of blueprints for precision parts and troubleshooting, which we often do. Anyone who passes the assessment will be given the opportunity to take the exam at the head office."
Zhang Zhi was stunned. He hadn't expected Gu Nan to give him such an opportunity. He thought he would be excluded. He felt a mix of emotions, both surprised and a little uneasy.
Gu Nan waved his hand: "Alright, you guys go back and get ready. I still have some production reports to process."
Most of the engineers breathed a sigh of relief, their faces beaming with excitement as they walked out—as long as there was a fair chance to compete, there was hope.
But this excitement didn't reach Deputy Factory Director Li's ears. Sitting in his office, he grew increasingly frustrated: Senior Engineer Liu Wen was tied up with family matters and couldn't return for the time being; the junior engineers in the workshop had been called away for half a day in a meeting by Gu Nan, and no one had even been informed. It seemed that the factory could run smoothly without him, and his presence as deputy factory director had been weakened to the point of being almost invisible.
But he didn't have any good solutions and could only suppress his anger. When he was leaving get off work, he happened to run into Zhang Zhi at the factory gate. His eyes lit up and he quickly walked over.
"Zhang Zhi, wait a minute." Deputy Factory Director Li called out to him, a smile spreading across his face. "I have something to ask you."
Zhang Zhi stopped, feeling a little uneasy, but still respectfully replied, "Vice Factory Director Li, please feel free to ask me anything."
Deputy Factory Director Li looked around and lowered his voice: "Did Gu Nan call you to a meeting just now? Was it something important?"
Zhang Zhi thought for a moment and recounted Gu Nan's emphasis on safe production and adjustments to the production plan, but he didn't mention the selection process for the assessment at all. He knew in his heart that although he was Liu Wen's apprentice, Liu Wen had always only used him as a gofer and had never genuinely taught him core technologies. Now that he had an opportunity to earn it himself, he didn't want to be used as a pawn by anyone again.
Deputy Factory Director Li frowned when he heard his vague answer: "That's all? Is there something else you're hiding from me?"
Zhang Zhi's heart skipped a beat, and he almost told the truth, but after thinking about it again, he shook his head: "There's really nothing else, Deputy Factory Director Li. I have something to attend to at home, so I'll take my leave now."
Deputy Factory Director Li stared at him for a couple of seconds. Seeing his resolute attitude, he didn't press further and could only nod. Watching Zhang Zhi's hurried departure, his doubts deepened.
When Gu Nan returned to the courtyard house, he heard a commotion as soon as he entered the alley, as if a pot had been boiled over. He frowned but didn't ask any questions and walked straight in.
"Deputy Factory Director Gu, you're finally back!" Xu Damao came running over like a nimble rabbit, his face filled with the excitement of watching a commotion. "Do you know what happened in the factory?"
Gu Nan shook his head: "I just came in, so I don't know yet. What's going on? Why is it so noisy?"
Xu Damao leaned closer and chuckled in a low voice, "You don't know yet? The list of those sent to the countryside has come down, and the Jia family's Banggeng has been assigned to some remote mountain village in the Northwest. I heard that place is so poor that they can't even get a decent meal. That's why the Jia family is making a huge fuss!"
Gu Nan nodded, his tone calm: "It's good for him to gain some experience. Bang Geng needs to be properly disciplined. His habit of stealing things might change if he goes to the countryside to temper his character."
After saying that, he walked straight towards his home. Just as he turned the corner of the screen wall, he heard Jia Zhangshi's shrill cries and Qin Huairu's suppressed sighs coming from the Jia family's house. Just as Xu Damao had said. The Jia family only had one male member, Bang Geng. If he really went to such a remote place, let alone finding a wife in the future, it would be a problem whether he could even survive. No wonder they were so anxious.
"Qin Huairu! What kind of mess is this?!" Madam Jia slapped her thigh and cried out in despair, "Bang Geng is the only heir of our Jia family! What kind of place is that poor mountain village? How can he survive there? In the future, let alone getting a wife, he probably won't even be able to get a hot meal. Isn't this going to wipe out our Jia family line?!"
Qin Huairu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her eyes red and her face full of helplessness: "Mom, please stop calling. What can I do? This is a policy set by the higher-ups, and it's not something we can change." She was anxious, but there was no use in being anxious. Banggeng's reputation for stealing chickens and dogs in the yard had already spread over the years. Being assigned to a remote place this time might be some kind of retribution.