Qian Hongming liked it this way—at least, home was peaceful.
Liu Jun was dragged out of bed early by his alarm clock. Despite the jet lag, he managed not to oversleep. He put on workout clothes and wanted to go out to find a place to exercise, but in the morning light, he could see that barely any of the concrete posts on the sidewalk were level, so he had to jog along the bicycle lane instead. After running quite far, he still hadn’t seen any lush public spaces with trees, let alone open areas like basketball courts or soccer fields. When he returned and wanted to find a clean place for breakfast, the roadside breakfast shops—whether they had proper storefronts or not—revealed one secret through everything from their tables and chairs to their servers’ clothes: filth. Liu Jun wondered where all those soul-stirring, delicious fried dough sticks, pan-fried buns, wontons, and the masters who made them had gone. He had to follow the busy streets until he finally found a bright and clean bakery, where he bought a large bag of familiar bread and milk to solve his subsistence problem.
On his way home, Liu Jun thought about many things. The gap between the current situation before his eyes and his life in Germany was too great, but he wasn’t discouraged. The state of the mechanical manufacturing industry that he had learned about from his father last night was the same, along with other backwardness he had already encountered and was continuing to encounter. Yet this backward reality was precisely his opportunity. He realized that his knowledge and abilities were urgently needed by society, and he was excited about this.
At seven-thirty in the morning, Liu Jun put on the brand-new dark blue khaki work clothes his father had brought him yesterday, picked up his laptop, and went out. The building he lived in was a tower-style building with five households arranged around the perimeter and three elevators in the center. As Liu Jun went out, he happened to see an elegantly dressed woman with long hair already waiting by the elevator doors, with one elevator slowly ascending. Liu Jun habitually greeted her: “Good morning.” But he saw the woman glance at him and silently step aside. When the elevator door opened, the woman rushed in first and pressed herself against the far corner, her face full of wariness. Liu Jun couldn’t help but smile and told the woman, “My name is Liu Jun—Liu as in willow tree, Jun as in a critical moment. I just moved into room 2401 yesterday. Please take care of me.”
As he spoke, the elevator doors opened and closed, with people constantly coming in. The woman slightly relaxed her guard, but still had no intention of properly looking at Liu Jun. Liu Jun felt quite uncomfortable, but when the elevator reached the basement parking garage with only the two of them left, Liu Jun still courteously let the woman exit first, only to receive another wary stare from her. After exiting the elevator, the woman walked as if fleeing for her life, her sharp high heels striking heavily against the concrete floor, with echoes reverberating from all directions in the spacious, dim garage, creating an unsettling atmosphere. Liu Jun helplessly followed behind, looking for his white new Jetta. Throughout this journey, he felt quite uncomfortable—did he have the words “bandit” carved on his forehead?
Perhaps it was because he had been away from his hometown too long, but Liu Jun always felt that the strangers he encountered after returning home were somewhat cold, lacking warm smiles on their faces. Instead, the wary looks he had encountered in the elevator were everywhere: when jogging, a middle-aged woman in front turned back to look at him alertly and then nimbly avoided him; in the empty bakery, the server’s first glance was also a wary stare. And there was Qian Hongming, always tight-lipped, cautious upon cautious. Liu Jun didn’t understand why everyone had to be so exhausted in their dealings with people.
Groping along roads that seemed familiar yet strange, when he reached the Progress Factory, Liu Jun’s mood immediately improved. His father was highly efficient—he had already gathered the factory’s technical backbone in the workshop office so quickly, with the room filled with smoke as they discussed the trial production of samples. As Liu Jun walked through the door, a cigarette somehow materialized from nowhere. He quickly took it, held it between his fingers, and greeted everyone with “Uncle Huang” and “Uncle Xu,” seeing familiar faces everywhere. Everyone was also very polite to Liu Jun, though they all jokingly called him “Crown Prince.”
Liu Shitang followed in and saw his son wearing work clothes and mingling with everyone without any barriers, appearing no different from the skilled workers despite being a returnee from overseas. He felt somewhat relieved, as he had feared his son would become snobbish and detached from the masses after seeing the world abroad. However, Liu Shitang had a small hope in his heart—if only his son’s face weren’t so tanned, he would look more distinguished.
Liu Shitang intentionally let his son chair the meeting to determine the trial production methods for samples. But when his son spoke, he frowned. What was a simple sample that one person could handle from start to finish, thereby clearly establishing quality responsibility for each product, was forcibly broken down by his son into six processes to be handled by six different people. His son even pulled out a stopwatch, saying he wanted to time each process on the spot. As soon as Liu Shitang heard his son’s idea, he felt that something would go wrong. Sure enough, Old Huang, the senior lathe operator, said with dissatisfaction: “If the Crown Prince wants to time us and calculate piece-rate wages based on us old folks’ speed, you might as well call in two young people to make the samples. They’re quick and agile, fast-moving, with good eyesight, make better products, and save your father money. How can we old folks compete with young people?”
Liu Shitang also said: “Ah Jun, everyone present is are uncle who watched you grow up, with first-rate technical skills. They normally don’t operate equipment themselves but mainly handle production management and quality control. Today, we just need to produce samples. Once the samples pass, we’ll hand them over to distribute for production.”
“I know Uncle Huang and Uncle Xu are all first-rate craftsmen…” Liu Jun suddenly felt someone kick him under the table. He quickly swallowed his remaining words and stared at his father in bewilderment, not knowing what was wrong with what he had said. He saw his father say almost nothing before walking into the workshop with everyone else, carrying blueprints, turning on the machine tool lighting, and starting hands-on work. He was confused—it was still Uncle Huang and Uncle Xu doing the hands-on work, slowly adjusting fixtures and testing tools, so why did they act as if they were reluctant to work in front of him?
Uncle Huang was the first to cut, with everyone watching from the side. Liu Jun also watched as Uncle Huang operated this 1950s lathe with the same technique he had maintained for decades. After the metal chips flew, the first process of the first sample was completed. Everyone took out their measuring tools, and Liu Jun also took out his measuring instruments. When the workpiece finally reached his hands, after measuring it, he praised: “Impeccable.”
Hearing this, Uncle Huang looked smug. He took the semi-finished product from Liu Jun’s hands, held it up to the light with great flair, measured it with his vernier calipers, and nodded proudly: “Factory Manager, should I make nine more like this, then change the cutting tool to machine the chamfer?”
Liu Shitang laughed: “Bullshit, why are you asking me about this? Are you trying to amuse me?”
Uncle Huang glanced at Liu Jun and gracefully tossed the semi-finished product in his hand in a beautiful arc, landing it precisely in the nearby willow basket without missing. Liu Jun didn’t understand why Uncle Huang was so provocative toward him, but watching this action, he still couldn’t help walking to Uncle Huang’s side and saying quietly: “Uncle Huang, I’m sorry, but whether it’s finished products or semi-finished products, it’s better to handle them gently. Even steel products can have their precision affected by impacts.”
Uncle Huang’s old face turned red. He glanced at Liu Jun again and said awkwardly: “Heh heh, the Crown Prince is teaching me a lesson.” With that, Uncle Huang turned to his toolbox, took out a ball of waste thread, and began carefully wiping his hands. “Crown Prince, why don’t you try?”
Liu Jun had played with these machine tools since childhood. Seeing these antique-like machines again, he had long been eager to try, and being suffocated by Uncle Huang’s sarcastic remarks, he put on a pair of plain glasses when asked, said “Dad, time me,” and indeed began operating carefully. The process took hardly any time at all. But when Liu Jun looked up, he saw the surroundings were empty except for Uncle Xu alone. Uncle Xu took Liu Jun’s semi-finished product to measure, while Liu Jun looked suspiciously toward the workshop door—where had his father and Uncle Huang gone?
After Uncle Xu finished measuring, he smiled: “After these years abroad, you haven’t forgotten this skill. Don’t mind them, continue with the remaining eight pieces. I’ll time the total for you, then divide by eight to get the time for a single process.”
“Is Uncle Huang angry?” Seeing Uncle Xu nod, Liu Jun finally understood why Uncle Huang had been so cutting earlier, thinking Uncle Huang was being quite petty. He stopped bringing it up and changed the subject. The principles of lathes are all the same. I work with them daily abroad, too. Uncle Xu, please time me.”
Liu Jun worked piece by piece while Uncle Xu patiently timed him. After completing eight pieces and finishing measurements, only Liu Shitang returned alone with a stern face. Liu Shitang didn’t even have time to check his son’s work first, but grabbed Uncle Xu and said: “Old Xu, Ah Jun doesn’t understand…”
But Uncle Xu handed the semi-finished product to Liu Shitang, interrupting him: “Ah Jun has great leadership qualities, staying calm under pressure, working methodically and systematically. Look at this—how’s the quality? Did they all leave?”
Liu Shitang sighed: “Ah Jun, what did you say to Old Huang at the end? Why does he keep saying you lectured him?”
Liu Jun confessed honestly. Liu Shitang said, “In the future, say such things to Dad. You’re the junior, you can’t speak to Uncle Huang like that. Also, in the future, you can’t assign work to Uncle Huang and the others like you would to ordinary workers. Uncle Huang is different from others.”
But Uncle Xu interjected from the side: “I think Ah Jun was right. We’ve never been used to handling things gently, and we often damage high-precision parts. Moreover, even when Ah Jun pointed out Old Huang’s shortcomings, he whispered it privately. Just from how Ah Jun speaks to me, it’s the same as when he was little—very polite. As for things like work assignments, of course, it’s business as usual, no nonsense needed. Factory Manager, you don’t need to lecture Ah Jun. Ah Jun, come, let me watch you change cutting tools.”
Liu Shitang had intended to criticize his son in front of Uncle Xu to appease him, but seeing Uncle Xu say this, he took the opportunity to back down gracefully. So the three of them, under Uncle Xu’s direction, spent the day running between two workshops without much chatter, producing ten copies each of all the samples that could be trial-produced. When they turned off the lights and walked out of the workshop, it was equally dark outside. Liu Shitang insisted on taking Uncle Xu to dinner, but Uncle Xu said his wife was waiting at home and stubbornly jumped on his bicycle and left. Before leaving, Uncle Xu patted Liu Jun’s neck, praising how remarkable it was that young people who could now eat and drink well were still willing to do dirty, tiring mechanical work.
Liu Jun had been intimidated by Uncle Huang, so even with Uncle Xu’s continuous praise, he only dared to keep saying thank you. Only after watching Uncle Xu disappear into the distance did he immediately plop down on the car hood, finally able to let out an exhausted sigh. “Dad, what was Uncle Huang’s deal today?”
Liu Shitang had also been busy all day and was now sitting in his car, talking. “Old Huang’s master was a craftsman, an old cooper. All of Old Huang’s skills were figured out by himself—from his master, he only learned the craftsman’s bad temper. Craftsmen, you know, only say half of what they mean and expect you to figure out the rest. Before speaking to him, first offer a cigarette. When assigning tasks, you must discuss politely. When you have complaints, you must beat around the bush and use yourself as an example. As long as you stroke Old Huang the right way, he’s someone who works desperately hard. Everyone listens to Old Huang—you saw how when he left, everyone followed. Ah Jun, go home and eat by yourself. I’m going to find Old Huang.”
“But why does Uncle Xu talk sense? Uncle Xu’s technical skills are also very good.”
“Old Xu has his group that doesn’t see eye to eye with Old Huang’s group. The main issue is that Old Huang is difficult to handle. Today I called Old Huang’s people, so I temporarily excluded Old Xu’s people. You’ve caused me trouble—without Old Huang’s group, how can the next phase of work proceed? Ah Jun, remember this: capable people all have tempers.”
“Wait, Dad, don’t go. Let me calculate and check the labor allocation with you.”
Liu Jun got into his father’s car, opened his computer to generate spreadsheets, and input the average times for each process he had recorded. Liu Shitang watched his son’s dazzling operations, thinking, What use was this? In the end, wouldn’t it still require Old Huang and Old Xu to arrange the work? But he was willing to wait for his son, to watch him show his skills, even if they couldn’t be used—it didn’t matter.
Liu Jun finally finished calculating and pointed to the spreadsheet: “Dad, look at why I subdivided the processes. I divided the processes into high-tech core parts and low-tech non-core parts. The principle of division is to minimize core processes as much as possible, thereby minimizing the use of high-wage skilled workers, and assigning non-core work to low-wage workers who just need to know how to operate machines. Rather than distributing raw materials and having lathe operators complete everything the lathe can do, and planer operators complete everything the planer can do. There are two purposes: first, to control wage costs, and second, to facilitate control of core members. This is the principle we use for designing processes over there.”
Liu Shitang understood immediately: “This spreadsheet calculates the labor allocation for each sample?”
“Yes, the labor allocation I designed based on the time each process takes. Dad, look…” Liu Jun explained the spreadsheet’s intent in detail to his father, who nodded repeatedly, praising it as a good method. So Liu Jun spoke bluntly: “Dad, capable people all have tempers, and so do I. You don’t need to go find Old Huang, do you?”
Liu Shitang looked at his son and said earnestly, “We’re a small factory, and small factory owners can’t have tempers. A small factory means few capable people under you. How many people want to poach Old Huang, but I’ve kept him through years of friendship. If Old Huang leaves, there are plenty of places that want him. If I let Old Huang leave and he takes a group with him, even if you allocate personnel scientifically, we’ll be short-staffed here, and I can’t conveniently find skilled workers anytime. Moreover, have you considered whether you can let Old Xu’s faction dominate the factory? If Old Xu dominates alone, his temper might be worse than Old Huang’s.”
Liu Jun watched his father’s car drive away in a cloud of dust, unable to catch his breath for a long time. What was this all about? How was being a small factory owner like being a public servant? He really couldn’t understand it. But whether he could understand it or not, reality was brutally laid out before him. Should he adapt, or make sweeping corrections? But regardless of the future, he let his father go deliver face-saving gestures to Old Huang.
But with such handling, how could they stop Old Huang’s bad habit of rough handling? If Old Huang returned to arrange work, how could they implement his process division method? Also, why did Old Huang start with a scrutinizing attitude toward him, repeatedly misunderstanding his intentions and always steering interpersonal relationships toward hostility and opposition?
He also wondered why interpersonal relationships in China were so complex. Including the young woman he met in the elevator and the middle-aged woman he encountered while exercising, everyone was filled with great distrust toward others, and naturally, great non-cooperation. Why was this?
Liu Jun couldn’t figure out why this was. He could only go home without any temper.