Chapter 21: Confessing Without Being Asked

Chen Dezhong led his team straight to the Main Workshop and began the equipment dismantling work.

Li Mingyuan and Li Shouzheng were having a final discussion in front of the blueprints, while Cheng Yanhai and Zhang Wenming took the assistants to prepare the necessary tools and materials.

Factory Lou Changzhang walked to Li Mingyuan's side and lowered his voice, "Chief Engineer Li, Xiao Wang said just now that someone was looking for you?"

Li Mingyuan replied nonchalantly, "It's someone from the Siheyuan, claiming that Jia Zhangshi was hit and injured, and they suspect it was me."

"What?" Factory Lou Changzhang's face changed drastically, "This... what is to be done about this?"

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly, "Don't worry, it's just a farce. I rode my bike out this morning, and Jia Zhangshi suddenly rushed out to stage a collision, but ended up falling down herself."

"Then are you alright?" Factory Lou Changzhang was deeply worried, "If this kind of thing gets blown out of proportion, it won't be good for the project!"

"What could happen to me?" Li Mingyuan dismissed it, "She was the one who fell, and she was the one staging the collision; what does that have to do with me?"

Factory Lou Changzhang still looked worried, "But if she goes to report it..."

Seeing that Li Mingyuan was confident, Factory Lou Changzhang stopped asking.

Although this young Chief Engineer looked gentle and refined, he was actually sharp and ruthless, and not someone to be trifled with.

"Alright, then I'll go prepare the material requisition first and strive to have all the materials allocated by today." Factory Lou Changzhang left in a hurry.

Li Mingyuan turned to Li Shouzheng, "Elder Li, let's go to the workshop and take a look; the dismantling work should have already started."

Li Shouzheng nodded, and the two walked toward the Main Workshop together.

Inside the Main Workshop, the workers were methodically dismantling an old rolling mill.

Chen Dezhong took the lead himself, directing the young workers to carefully remove each component.

"Move gently, this bearing is still needed!" Chen Dezhong shouted, "You over there, pass that large wrench over!"

Li Mingyuan walked into the workshop, looked around, and nodded with satisfaction, "The rhythm is good. At this speed, the dismantling can be completed within three days."

Hearing the voice, Chen Dezhong turned his head, "Chief Engineer Li, you're here. I was just about to ask you how to dismantle this spindle; it looks a bit special."

Li Mingyuan stepped forward and observed it carefully, "This is a British thread; it gets tighter if you turn it counter-clockwise. You have to turn it clockwise to loosen it."

Chen Dezhong suddenly realized, "No wonder it wouldn't budge no matter how we turned it! A British thread, this is my first time seeing one."

Li Mingyuan easily turned it clockwise with a large wrench, and sure enough, the spindle began to loosen.

"This type of thread is very common in Western countries, especially on old machines," Li Mingyuan explained while turning it, "Our future designs will all use standard threads to avoid this kind of confusion."

Chen Dezhong nodded repeatedly, "Chief Engineer Li is knowledgeable and experienced; this old bag of bones still has a lot to learn!"

All day long, Li Mingyuan ran back and forth between the various workshops, solving various technical problems and instructing the workers on how to correctly dismantle and prepare the parts for modification.

By four o'clock in the afternoon, the first rolling mill had been completely dismantled, and the parts were neatly laid out on the workbench, waiting for modification.

Li Mingyuan stood in front of the pile of parts and said with satisfaction, "Very good, even faster than I expected. We start processing the parts tomorrow; is everyone ready?"

The young workers of the technical team replied in unison, "Ready!"

Just then, a commotion came from the factory gate.

Li Mingyuan frowned, walked to the window to look, and saw a large group of people marching toward the workshop. Leading them was Jia Dongxu, followed by Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and a few unfamiliar people.

"What's going on?" Li Shouzheng also walked to the window, "Are those people here to make trouble?"

Li Mingyuan sneered, "It must be about this morning. Elder Li, don't worry, I'll handle it."

He turned to the technical team and said, "Everyone continue working, don't be disturbed by the outside. Chief Engineer Chen, you are in charge of directing; I'll be right back."

After saying this, Li Mingyuan strode out of the workshop to meet the group.

As soon as Jia Dongxu saw Li Mingyuan, he immediately pointed at him and cursed, "Li Mingyuan, you murderer! My mother has been hit by you and has a concussion, and you still have the face to work here?"

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong also fanned the flames from the side, "That's right, hitting someone and then running away, you're truly despicable!"

Li Mingyuan stood still, hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent, "Jia Dongxu, are you here to make trouble?"

"Make trouble?" Jia Dongxu's voice was hoarse, "My mother is still lying in the Hospital, and the doctor says her life is in danger! You hit someone and ran; this is a crime!"

More and more workers gathered around, and discussions broke out. Li Mingyuan did not change his expression, only asking coldly, "Do you have evidence to prove that I hit her?"

This question stunned Jia Dongxu, who then became even more agitated, "Who doesn't know it was you! You were the only one riding a bike out at that time!"

Li Mingyuan curled his lips, "Then did you see it with your own eyes?"

"I... I didn't see it, but everyone knows..." Jia Dongxu stammered.

Li Mingyuan sneered, "If you didn't see it, don't talk nonsense. I can tell you clearly: I did not hit your mother."

Liu Haizhong added fuel to the fire from the side, "Li Mingyuan, stop quibbling! Master Yi saw you ride out with his own eyes, and Mother Jia was found right after that!"

Li Mingyuan scanned the crowd, his tone calm, "I did ride my bike out, but I didn't hit anyone. If Mother Jia is injured, I express my sympathy, but it has nothing to do with me."

At this moment, Factory Lou Changzhang arrived upon hearing the news, looking anxious, "What's going on? Why are you making trouble in the factory?"

Seeing a leader step forward, Jia Dongxu immediately began to wail, "Factory Lou Changzhang, Li Mingyuan hit my mother with his bike this morning. Now my mother is still being resuscitated in the Hospital, but he refuses to admit it!"

Factory Lou Changzhang frowned and said, "This is a very serious accusation. Do you have evidence?"

"Do we still need evidence?" Yi Zhonghai interjected, "Everyone in the entire Siheyuan knows he did it!"

Factory Lou Changzhang turned to Li Mingyuan, "Chief Engineer Li, this..."

Li Mingyuan turned to Jia Dongxu unhurriedly, his eyes sharp as knives, "Your mother was squatting at the gate before I left, and when she saw me riding out, she suddenly darted out, wanting me to hit her."

Jia Dongxu's face changed, "You... you're talking nonsense, how could my mother do that!"

"Is that so?" Li Mingyuan sneered, "Then let me ask you, what time does your mother usually get up in the morning?"

Jia Dongxu was taken aback, "Six... six something."

"Then why did she get up after five o'clock today?" Li Mingyuan pressed step by step, "And she left the house without eating breakfast?"

Liu Haizhong interjected from the side, "What's wrong with that? Can't people want to get up early?"

Li Mingyuan ignored him and continued to stare at Jia Dongxu,

"Why did your mother appear at the gate at that time? Did anyone in the courtyard see her go out?"

Sweat seeped from Jia Dongxu's forehead, and he stammered, "I... how would I know."

"Then let me ask you again," Li Mingyuan's voice rose sharply, "Did your mother tell you last night that she would wait for me at the gate this morning, saying she would throw herself in front of my bike and let me hit her?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was in an uproar. Jia Dongxu's face turned deathly pale, and he looked around in a panic, "No... that's not true."

A smile of certain victory hung on the corners of Li Mingyuan's mouth, "Are you sure? Then shall we go to the Hospital and ask your mother what she has to say?"

"N-no need," Dongxu said, sweating profusely from anxiety, "My mother, she... she just..."

"Just wanted to stage an accident, right?" Li Mingyuan interrupted sharply, "I heard every word your mother said to you last night!"

Jia Dongxu was completely panicked, "You... how could you know?"