Chapter 52: Zhao Gong's

The excitement after the live stream ended and the uplift from Professor Liu's phone call had not yet fully subsided.

Feng Yan then discovered that the backend of the "Tie Lang Gong Fang" account was completely flooded with another kind of enthusiasm.

Private messages and the comment section were almost flooded with the same request:

【Kneeling begging for a special session with the old master! Not enough viewing!】

【Let Zhao Gong show another trick! Tips aren't a problem!】

【Traditional craftsmanship is so cool! Please open an 'Old Artisan Mini-Class'!】

【Could we have a dedicated live stream of Zhao Gong making things? Even if he doesn't speak, that's fine!】

Wang Hao held his phone, watching the endless stream of tip records and pleas.

His eyes were shining: "Brother Feng! Do you see? The voice of the masses!"

"Zhao Gong is now our traffic code! Why not… we add another broadcast?"

Feng Yan also felt somewhat tempted.

He looked toward the workbench, where someone was completely oblivious to the online world's clamor.

Zhao Gong was intently using a homemade small tool to test the fit clearance of a certain miniature bearing.

"Zhao Gong, you see…" Feng Yan ventured to say:

"The fans are especially interested in your craftsmanship and strongly request that you demonstrate again."

"Let's just treat it as an internal technical exchange, and stream briefly?"

Zhao Gong didn't lift his head; his fingers, covered in old calluses, lightly turned the bearing.

Feeling the minuscule damping change, after a while he slowly uttered: "Don't make too much movement or noise."

That was his agreement!

Wang Hao almost cheered out loud, quickly made an "OK" gesture, and lowered his voice:

"Understood! Old master, rest assured, we'll be discreetly luxurious and substantive!"

Thus, less than forty‑eight hours after the first live stream ended.

The "Tie Lang Gong Fang" live‑stream room opened again quietly. This time the title was very simple—"Old Craft, New Perspective."

As soon as the live‑stream room opened, the viewership surged at an astonishing speed.

Countless viewers who had received the start‑notification rushed in.

【Here we come! Came specially to see the old master!】

【Zhao Gong! Zhao Gong! Zhao Gong!】

【What will the old master make this time? Looking forward!】

The camera still focused only on Zhao Gong's hands and the workbench.

Today, before him lay an irregularly shaped, rough‑surfaced aluminium alloy blank.

Beside it were placed several files, scrapers, and oilstones of varying coarseness.

And a standard angle gauge that looked extremely precise.

This time Wang Hao had learned to behave, and did not shout loudly.

Instead, he introduced in as calm a tone as possible: "Hello everyone, welcome back to 'Tie Lang Gong Fang'."

"In response to everyone's request, today's special live stream will focus entirely on Zhao Gong, watching how he turns this ordinary metal piece."

"Pure handwork turns it into a high‑precision multifunctional fixture base."

Zhao Gong paid no heed to the camera or Wang Hao's introduction; he picked up the blank.

He looked at it against the light, then rubbed the surface lightly with his fingers, as if sensing the material's "temperament."

Afterwards, he securely clamped it in the bench vise and picked up the first coarse file.

"Shasha—"

The rhythmic filing sound rang out again.

Metal shavings fell evenly.

His movements remained steady; each push of the file applied even force and precise angle.

No drawings, no measuring instruments aided the initial positioning.

He relied solely on a pair of eyes and a pair of hands, carrying out the most basic "square stock" processing.

【It's started! This sound inexplicably relieves stress!】

【Watching the old master work is truly a pleasure!】

【This technique feels like every stroke is just right!】

Wang Hao, at the side, tried to explain in more vivid language:

"Guys, pay attention—Zhao Gong is now finding the reference surface."

"Just like when building a house you first lay the foundation, all subsequent precision is built on this initial reference surface."

"Finding the reference purely by hand tests experience and feel……

He hadn't finished speaking when Zhao Gong gave him a faint glance.

Wang Hao immediately sensed the cue, closed his mouth, and made a zipping‑motion across his lips.

【Hahaha, Haozǐ got warned by the look!】

【Old master: Watch quietly, don't make noise.】

【Wang Hao: Feeling wronged, but daren't speak.】

The live‑stream room instantly grew much quieter, leaving only the shushing sound of the file against the metal.

And occasional faint clinks when Zhao Gong switched tools.

This focused atmosphere, instead, only highlighted the immense energy contained within those skillful hands.

After rough machining was completed, Zhao Gong switched to finer files and scrapers, beginning the fine finishing.

He would at times use a blade-edge angle gauge to check flatness, observing against the light the hair-thin light-transmitting gap;

at times he would perform spotting on a standard surface plate, judging from the displayed contact spot distribution where further trimming was still needed.

His movements slowed, becoming gentler and more focused.

Each scrape removed only an infinitesimal amount of metal, as if he were not machining but carrying out a delicate engraving.

【This precision… feels even more stable than a machine!】

【I held my breath, afraid to disturb the old master!】

【This is no longer just technique, it's art!】

Just then, Li Yang walked over holding a miniature servo mount for a "Mechanical Butterfly".

His brows furrowed slightly, as if he had run into a bit of trouble.

He silently placed the mount in the corner of Zhao Gong's workbench, without saying a word.

Zhao Gong caught it in his peripheral vision, his hand motion didn't stop, and he lightly asked, "Won't it fit?"

Li Yang nodded: "Interference, about 0.02 mm. Forcing it in would cause deformation."

Zhao Gong gave an "uh" and continued busying himself with his work.

Until he had finished machining all the major reference surfaces of the fixture base to his satisfaction.

After carefully wiping the oil from his hands with a cotton rag, he picked up Li Yang's mount and examined it.

He used no measuring tools, merely touching the interference area lightly with his fingertips a few times.

He then looked at it against the light, and picked up an extremely fine polished steel needle and a small oilstone.

All that could be seen was him using the steel needle on specific points of the interference area.

He scraped it extremely precisely and lightly a few times.

Then he lightly polished it with the oilstone for a moment, the whole process taking less than a minute.

"Try it." He returned the mount to Li Yang.

Li Yang took it back half-believing, half-doubting, and found the corresponding servo.

A light press—with a barely audible "click"—it fit perfectly, seamless!

Li Yang's eyes instantly lit up with bright light, his gaze toward Zhao Gong full of admiration.

He nodded firmly: "All right! Thank you, Zhao Gong!"

【Holy shit! It's fixed?!】

【I didn't even see what the old master did!】

【Hand-fitted?! That experience is terrifying!】

【Even the old wolves are convinced! Awesome!】

This scene was transmitted clearly via the camera, and the barrage of comments boiled over again.

This proved more powerfully than any words Zhao Gong's almost supernatural "hand feel" and value.

Wang Hao watched from the side, itching to speak, wanting to give commentary, but Feng Yan stopped him with a look.

Feng Yan himself walked up to the camera, smiling, and said:

"Everyone saw that—this is the charm of traditional experience."

"Some things cannot be fully simulated by data models."

"But the veteran master's hands and eyes can find that crucial point."

At that moment, Chen Guang also walked over, holding a high-speed camera.

He aimed it at the inclined surface Zhao Gong had just finished fine-machining.

He projected the slow-motion playback captured onto the large screen nearby.

"Everyone can carefully observe the angle of Zhao Gong's wrist force application and the stability of the file's trajectory."

Chen Guang explained in his rigorous academic language:

"From a mechanical perspective, this specific way of applying force can effectively avoid the 'tool deflection' phenomenon, ensuring the straightness of the machined surface."

"And his control of the oilstone's polishing force and frequency directly affects the surface roughness grade."

"This 'degree' is the embodiment of decades of accumulated experience."

【The academic star is starting to lecture!】

【Although I don't understand, it feels awesome!】

【The combination of theory and practice! Perfect!】

Zhao Gong remained oblivious to Chen Guang's analysis and the barrage of comments on the screen.

He picked up the hand-polished, mirror-bright fixture base.

He also glanced at the servo mount beside him that had just had its interference issue resolved, as if something had occurred to him.

He walked up to the expensive five-axis CNC machine.

He signaled Li Yang to pull up the G-code and parameter settings that had caused out-of-tolerance machining when processing similar parts before.

He stared at the screen for a while, then tapped a few key parameters with his finger:

"Here, the feed rate is too fast, the cutting force too great, causing uneven release of material stress."

"Here, the coolant flow is insufficient, local temperature rose, causing micro deformation."

His modification suggestions hit the nail on the head; the nearby equipment engineers nodded repeatedly and hurriedly recorded them.

【The old master even knows CNC programming?!】

【Dimensional reduction strike! This is an all-around crushing!】

【I declare, Zhao Gong is my new idol!】

At the end of the livestream, the camera naturally swept over the "Insect Workshop".

Although Wang Hao was asked to "be quiet", he still couldn't resist cracking jokes, trying to liven the atmosphere;

Chen Guang meticulously supplemented the technical details;

Li Yang attentively discussed improvement plans with Zhao Gong;

Zhao Gong calmly controlled the whole scene; occasionally a glance could silence Wang Hao;

Feng Yan then coordinated and organized, ensuring the livestream proceeded smoothly.

This natural, tacit, division-of-labor yet mutually supportive interaction among team members was clearly shown through the camera.

【Is this the ideal team? I love it, love it!】

【Everyone has their own specialty, and they cooperate perfectly!】

【It feels like together they can overcome any difficulty!】

【Envious of this work atmosphere!】

This livestream had little planning, almost "primitive".

It concluded perfectly amidst the audience's lingering awe and tips.

After the livestream signal was cut off, Wang Hao watched the backend data surge again, excitedly rubbing his hands:

"Awesome! Zhao Gong, your skill is literally the treasure of the scene!"

"Brother Feng, I think we can make a series called 'Zhao Gong's Handicraft Empire'!"

Zhao Gong had already tidied his tools; hearing this, he glanced at Wang Hao, ignoring his clamor.

He simply picked up the fixture base just handcrafted.

He checked it again against the light, the corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly, seeming fairly satisfied with his work.

Li Yang meanwhile held the servo mount that Zhao Gong had miraculously repaired.

He repeatedly installed and removed it several times.

Feeling the extraordinarily smooth coordination, his eyes flashed with thoughtful light.

Obviously, he was digesting and absorbing new knowledge.

Chen Guang had already returned to the computer, beginning to organize the new data on Zhao Gong's technique collected during the livestream.

Preparing to incorporate it into his 'experiential parametrization' research project.

Feng Yan watched the bustling yet orderly scene before him, a smile appearing on his face.

He picked up his own bowl of unfinished instant noodles, noticing the noodles had gotten a bit cold.

He then walked toward the water dispenser, preparing to get some more hot water.