Chapter 19: Life Is Like a Play, All Depends on One’s Acting

After listening to Zhao Guoyang's explanation, Liang Hongjun immediately exclaimed, “Indeed, you’re absolutely right. A 200KG load has already surpassed the limit that the No. 20 steel used on this chassis can bear. This is a very serious safety hazard!”

“Still, we can't entirely blame Shunxin Machinery Factory. When I asked them to manufacture the chassis, I didn’t make things clear—I merely told them to use higher-grade materials as much as possible… Who could have guessed that this would almost plant a hidden danger?”

At this moment, everyone present understood the issue. The crowd now looked at Zhao Guoyang as if he were some kind of marvel.

They genuinely couldn’t fathom how this seemingly young man could, simply by observing and touching, discover such a subtle and elusive problem. If it had been them, even after inspecting for a whole day and night, or even sleeping with the chassis, they wouldn’t have noticed a thing.

Zhao Guoyang knew that the matter had been resolved and it was time for the leadership to shine. He shifted his stance, stepping behind Ma Jian, giving the limelight to the factory director.

Liang Hongjun now firmly grasped Ma Jian’s hand, smiling as he said, “Director Ma, we truly owe you this time.”

“Comrade Zhao from your factory has done Four Sheep Group a huge favor. If he hadn’t discovered this issue in time, and we proceeded with mass production after the trial run, it would have been a major incident, causing immeasurable losses!”

Liang Hongjun’s words were not an exaggeration of Zhao Guoyang’s contribution.

In fact, during product experiments and trial runs, it’s nearly impossible to test beyond the load capacity. If no one pays special attention, the hidden danger posed by the No. 20 steel on the chassis would go unnoticed.

If communication between the two companies were less than smooth, it’s inevitable that problems would arise once mass production began—at the very least, an entire batch of chassis would be scrapped.

The financial loss would be minor; the real danger would be if the problem remained hidden after the vehicles left the factory. Should an accident occur with a customer, Four Sheep Group would not only have to pay compensation, but their reputation would also suffer.

It’s well known that in the twenty-first century, car manufacturers often run into trouble due to various hidden faults in vehicles—not only would they need to recall and rectify, but their brand reputation could take a severe hit, sometimes causing their performance to plummet.

While Liang Hongjun was effusively thanking Ma Jian, the old employees lingering nearby began whispering among themselves.

“Remarkable, isn’t he? This young man spotted such a major issue at a glance.”

“Exactly. When the factory director said he was the acting deputy section chief of the technical department, I was surprised. But it turns out he really has genuine ability…”

“That’s right. This young fellow’s familiarity with steel properties and his understanding of vehicle conditions are far superior to our Station Chief Xiao.”

“Yes, yes—there was nothing much before, but after this episode, the comparison is clear… Our Station Chief Xiao will be embarrassed now.”

However, everyone was mistaken. At this moment, Station Chief Xiao was anything but embarrassed—in fact, he warmly approached Zhao Guoyang and struck up a conversation.

“Well, Comrade Zhao, you’re truly impressive. With a few words, you’ve helped Four Sheep Group resolve a potential hidden danger.”

“I said so from the start—the first time I saw you, I knew you weren’t ordinary. I’ll have your factory’s batch of chassis stored immediately; the inspection will be completed today. With such a promising young deputy section chief overseeing things, I’m sure the quality of this batch is beyond doubt.”

Though Zhao Guoyang had little fondness for the thick-skinned Station Chief Xiao, since the man had admitted his shortcomings, Zhao saw no reason to mock him.

As the saying goes, life is a stage and all depends on one’s performance. Since the other man could bend and adapt, Zhao Guoyang conversed with him pleasantly, letting bygones be bygones.

Meanwhile, Ma Jian, deep in conversation with Liang Hongjun, noticed that Zhao Guoyang, despite his youth, was not at all impulsive and demonstrated remarkable maturity, which only increased Ma Jian’s admiration.

With Minister Liang present, Station Chief Xiao became much more efficient. He immediately had all the chassis from Hongda Machinery Factory transferred into storage and ordered his staff to inspect them.

As expected, the inspection results showed that every chassis passed.

Who would have thought that such a casual visit would yield unexpected gains? Liang Hongjun was particularly cordial, grasping Ma Jian’s hand and saying, “Director Ma, Hongda Machinery Factory has given me a pleasant surprise.”

“To be honest, when I returned your factory’s chassis last time, I was doubtful—thought even two months wouldn’t be enough to solve the problem. Yet, here we are, less than a month later, and you’ve resolved everything. Excellent, excellent!”

“Minister Liang, I can’t take full credit for this—it’s mostly thanks to our young Zhao,” Ma Jian boasted, inadvertently singling out Zhao Guoyang.

Liang Hongjun had already taken note of Zhao Guoyang, and hearing this, his interest in the young man only deepened.

He coughed lightly and said, seemingly offhand, “Oh, young Zhao? Not that I doubt your word, old friend, but he’s so young—it’s unlikely he’s also so skilled in welding techniques, is it?”

“Minister Liang, you’re mistaken!” Ma Jian laughed heartily.

“Zhao is a trained professional, an outstanding graduate from Jinling University of Technology. He interned at a major machinery factory in central China, and he’s well-versed in many manufacturing processes!”

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have skipped the probation period and, after less than three months at the factory, been promoted to deputy section chief!”

As he bragged, Ma Jian looked at Zhao Guoyang, who was still chatting with Station Chief Xiao, with a gratified expression.

In his view, he was the first to recognize Zhao Guoyang’s talent. Had he not recommended the young man to accompany him on this trip, things might have fallen through—or at the very least, wouldn’t have attracted such attention from the other side.

Thinking of this, Ma Jian felt a surge of pride, not noticing the thoughtful glint in Liang Hongjun’s eyes.

With the problem clarified and the products passing inspection, Liang Hongjun invited Ma Jian and Zhao Guoyang to his office.

Ma Jian was both surprised and delighted. Last time, only Deputy Minister Wang Hongxi from the technical department hosted him; he had never been inside the minister’s office.

Upon learning that Ma Jian, besides delivering the reworked chassis, also intended to discuss deeper cooperation with his subordinate Wang Hongxi, Liang Hongjun waved generously. “Director Ma, rest assured. I’ll call Minister Wang over shortly. The three of us can discuss cooperation between our companies… And young Zhao should join us as well—I’d like to hear your opinions.”

Zhao Guoyang glanced at Ma Jian, and seeing his signal, nodded silently without speaking.

He kept himself in the proper position; though Director Ma was less familiar with the technical business than himself, he was the deputy factory director and the highest-ranking leader on this trip, so Zhao naturally deferred.

None of Zhao Guoyang’s actions escaped Liang Hongjun’s notice, and his curiosity about this unusually mature young man only grew.

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