Chapter 131

Zhao Jianguo climbed out of the pit, his pant legs muddy, his shoes askew. He didn't have time to brush off, plopping down on the blue-brick steps to gasp. His head still buzzed, the face identical to his own flickering before his eyes like a frozen frame of an old movie.

"How are you?" Sha Zhu squatted over, gnawing on half a scallion, "Any gold bars down there?"

"There's a machine." Zhao Jianguo wiped his face, "More valuable than gold bars."

As his words fell, a rustling came from behind. The Special Forces Captain led people in photographing and recording the bronze frame, while several in white coats squatted nearby taking measurements. Chen Jianguo was carried into the room, Su Qing stood by the bed, saying nothing, just wringing a towel.

Zhao Jianguo stood, patted his pants: "Stop spacing out, clear the front yard."

"What for?" Jia Dongxu walked over carrying a broom, "Just dug a pit, you still want to dig a pond for fish?"

"Build a promotion station." He said bluntly, "From now on we won't air bedding or stack coal briquettes here; we'll teach everyone to use CNC machines."

No one responded. The neighbors stood at the doorway peeking, their looks much like those given to a madman.

Zhao Jianguo wasn't annoyed either, bending to pick up a copper piece and laying it on the ground: "This thing can cut sheet metal, spitting out a part in three minutes—how much labor saved? Your factory's old masters swing sledgehammers till their hands shake, what for? Just for leadership praise?"

"But… this foreign equipment, can we even touch it?" Old Man Liu muttered, leaning on his cane.

"Can you steam buns?" Zhao Jianguo countered.

"Of course."

"Isn't adjusting the fire like starting low then high? The machine's the same—input numbers like adding yeast; too much turns sour, too little won't rise."

Old Man Liu blinked, as if he'd grasped a bit.

"Who wants to try?" Zhao Jianguo pointed at the machine tool just brought in—still salvaged from the Steel Rolling Factory's scrap heap, half-rusted casing but core module intact.

No one moved.

"I'll do it!" Sha Zhu suddenly raised his hand, "I may be slow, but I'm willing to learn!"

Zhao Jianguo shook his head: "You're not allowed. Today someone else must learn it, not you running around with a pot lid pretending to be a hero."

The crowd fell silent for two seconds, then Master Wang stepped out from the back. A retired fitter, steady-handed and sharp-eyed, he'd once trained over a dozen apprentices.

"I'll give it a go." His voice wasn't loud, but each word was clear.

Zhao Jianguo smiled: "Fine, we'll wait for those words."

He led Master Wang to the machine tool, opened the control panel, and pointed at a few buttons: "This is start/stop, this adjusts speed, this selects mode. If you can't remember, no worries—the wall has the operating mnemonic: check, match, slow push; if the red light's on, don't hammer randomly."

Master Wang listened and burst out laughing: "You put that like a doggerel rhyme."

"The simpler, the easier to remember." Zhao Jianguo handed over a sheet: "First cut a round mold, diameter fifteen centimeters, error no more than two millimeters."

Master Wang narrowed his eyes at the parameters, then reached out and pressed the confirm key.

The machine hummed to life, the cutter head lowered slowly, iron filings flying. Everyone held their breath. Ten seconds later the finished piece was pushed out; Zhao Jianguo measured it with calipers, his lips curling: "Fifteen point one, qualified!"

"Whoa!" the courtyard erupted.

The kids rushed up to touch the warm metal sheet, women gathered asking if they could fix sewing machines, Old Man Liu tiptoed to snap a photo, saying he'd take it tomorrow to show his grandson "our courtyard's produced a scientist."

Zhao Jianguo relaxed, turning to check the power line. As he bent down, the terminal on his wrist gave a faint vibration.

He lowered his gaze; the screen popped up a line: 【Technical Popularity +1%, unlock 'Civilian Laser Cutting Machine' blueprint】.

He stared for two seconds, then lifted his eyes to the sky. The sunlight was just right, giving the machine tool's surface a silvery sheen.

"Turns out it only counts when someone actually uses it." He said softly.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the gate. The Street Office Director, clad in a washed‑out blue uniform, waved a red flag in one hand and clutched a red‑header document in the other, his face flushed.

"Zhao Jianguo! Zhao Jianguo, where are you?" he shouted upon entering.

"Here, Director." Zhao Jianguo went to meet him, "Is this… the flag‑raising ceremony moved up?"

"What flag? Good news!" he panted, unfolding the paper, "The Provincial Sci‑Tech Commission reports: the province‑wide cafeteria machinery reform pilot will follow your night school model! The first stop is right here in our district!"

The courtyard fell silent all at once.

Immediately, applause burst forth. Some slapped their thighs, some stamped their feet, Sha Zhu was so excited he shoved the scallion into his ear without noticing.

The Street Office Director wiped his sweat: "I thought you were just putting up a show, but it actually worked? This is the province's first civilian technology promotion point!"

"What about building materials?" Zhao Jianguo asked with a grin, "We can't just let the machine sleep out in the open, can we?"

"Already approved!" the Director slapped his chest, "Within three days we'll deliver cement bricks and tiles, raise the enclosure wall, refurbish the roof, and hang a sign at the gate—called the 'National Technology Promotion Station'!"

"Good!" Zhao Jianguo turned and waved at everyone, "Did you hear? Our front courtyard is going to change!"

Over the next half day, the Siheyuan bustled like it was New Year. Men moved bricks, women carried water, kids passed messages. Even Old Aunt Xu, who usually never lifted a finger, came out holding an old wooden crate, saying it could be torn down to make a display stand.

Zhao Jianguo stayed busy until the sun slanted west. He stood in the middle of the courtyard, watching the front courtyard, once piled with junk, gradually change: the machine tool got a rain shelter, a tool rack was built against the wall, and the blackboard was hung with a hand‑drawn operation flowchart.

He was bent over drawing a circuit modification diagram when suddenly he felt his sleeve tugged.

He turned around and saw the Shuang Baotai, each pulling one side.

"Dad, the uncle inside is awake."

His heart jumped; he threw down his pen and ran into the inner room.

Chen Jianguo opened his eyes, his gaze a little unfocused, but his lips moved: "……You didn't go down?"

"I went down." Zhao Jianguo helped him sit up a bit, "Did you see anything?"

"Like you." Chen Jianguo spoke softly, "That person……also looked like you."

Zhao Jianguo said nothing. He knew who was being referred to.

"Don't trust……any hints." Chen Jianguo added, "The system……can also lie."

"Then what do you believe?"

"I believe in what you've done." He forced a twitch at the corner of his mouth, "Just now……I heard a commotion outside. Has anyone learned it?"

"Master Wang cut a round metal piece, off by 0.1 millimeter."

Chen Jianguo closed his eyes, nodded slightly: "Pretty good. The living……teaching the living……that's when it truly takes root."

After saying that, he was about to drift off again, but the Terminal on his wrist flashed, a faint red light that never went out.

Zhao Jianguo tucked the blanket corner for him, then turned and left.

The sunset shone on the newly hung wooden sign; the six characters "Public Technology Promotion Station" were written by Dong Xu, crooked but with deep pressure.

He walked back to the machine bed, opened the control box, and started wiring. The next step is to install the automatic feeding device; materials are insufficient, so he has to make do.

Sha Zhu brought over a bowl of noodles: "Have a bite of something hot."

"Put it here." Zhao Jianguo didn't look up, "Wait while I weld this relay."

"What are you after?" Sha Zhu squatted down to watch him work, "It's both a pit and a machine; my life's almost going into it."

Zhao Jianguo's welder paused, metal wire sputtering tiny sparks.

"I'm not after anything." He said, "I just want that in the future, any kid who wants to learn a skill won't have to take the college entrance exam, go through back doors, or beg grandparents. Right here in this courtyard, press a button and you can start."

Sha Zhu smacked his lips: "Sounds... pretty impressive."

Zhao Jianguo smiled, then kept his head down and continued wiring.

As dusk approached, the first set of improved modules was installed. He pressed the test key, the Mechanical Lesson arm slowly extended, grabbed a sheet of metal, and fed it into the cutting area.

The blade fell, sparks flying everywhere.

At the moment the finished product was pushed out, everyone gathered around.

Zhao Jianguo picked up the part, checked the edge's smoothness under the light, and nodded in satisfaction.

Just as he was about to put something down, his wrist Terminal suddenly vibrated.

The Screen lit up, a new prompt popped up: 【Detected first-generation Permission activation traces, view residual information? Y/N】

His finger hovered in the air.