With no other choice, Zhang Yi could only follow her outside. The two quickly arrived in front of the machine tool, but when they got there, Xiao Hua was dumbfounded. The machine tool before her was far too tall for her, and at her height, she simply could not operate it properly.
But that did not stump her. After freezing for a moment, she looked around and spotted a stool beside them, so she immediately carried over an iron stool.
Heaven knew how her tiny arms had lifted that iron stool, which weighed fifty or sixty jin. These stools were welded from angle steel, and even Zhang Yi found them heavy. Yet Xiao Hua effortlessly carried one over to the machine tool with a single hand, leaving Zhang Yi speechless.
"Although the machine tools used by humans in your world are somewhat different from those of us Dwarves, the basic operations are about the same. I just don't understand why you made your machine tools so tall. Tell me! What do you want to machine?" After examining the machine tool, Xiao Hua, a prodigy of mechanical engineering, immediately understood how to operate it and spoke.
Zhang Yi rolled his eyes. What was that supposed to mean? This height might have been a little too high for Xiao Hua, but for humans, it was not high at all.
Before Zhang Yi could reply, Xiao Hua noticed the several spindles Zhang Yi had ruined, as well as the scrapped spindle that had been broken in two.
"This is the spindle, right? Those others must have been your handiwork. You're really useless. You managed to ruin so many of them despite this being such a simple task. If I were the boss, I'd have kicked you out long ago." After saying that, Xiao Hua—
Before Zhang Yi could respond, she deftly picked up a piece of raw material, placed it onto the machine tool, switched it on, and began machining it.
Only then did Zhang Yi realize that Xiao Hua was speaking Chinese Language, and she apparently recognized the writing on the machine tool as well. Though he was puzzled, he did not ask immediately. Xiao Hua was fully focused on machining the spindle, and Zhang Yi did not want to disturb her. He knew that getting distracted while operating a machine tool was extremely dangerous, especially since this was an ordinary machine tool, not a CNC Machine.
"Boss Zhang! Is Boss Zhang here? I've got a batch of items I need your help with." As Zhang Yi watched Xiao Hua skillfully machine the spindle, a voice came from outside. Clearly, more business had arrived.
"Boss! Don't mind me. Go take care of your own work!" Xiao Hua said without even raising her head from the machine tool.
"So it's Boss Zhu!" When Zhang Yi came outside, he saw a man pacing around outside. He knew the man—Boss Zhu's name was Zhu Gang, and he owned an auto parts factory not far from Zhang Yi's family workshop. Unlike Zhang Yi's small workshop, Zhu Gang's factory was far more impressive. Its workshop space alone covered nearly ten thousand square meters, and it employed several hundred workers.
"So it's Little Zhang! Is your father here? I've got a batch of parts I can't keep up with, and I need your father to help machine them." As he spoke, he handed over a part he was holding.
At this point, Zhu Gang still did not know what had happened to Zhang Yi's father. Otherwise, he would not have come looking for him.
Zhang Yi accepted the part from Zhu Gang. He looked it over without saying anything, carefully examining it while considering whether he had the ability to machine such a part. The component in his hand was far more difficult than the agricultural machinery spindle he had worked on before, and it also required a certain degree of precision.
To Zhang Yi's frustration, he realized that with his skills, he simply could not machine such a spindle. Even before, he would not have been able to produce a part with such precise requirements.
Nor did he believe Xiao Hua had that ability. Generally, precision parts like this were made with CNC Machines. If one insisted on using an ordinary machine tool, the operator's skill requirements would be extremely high—at the very least, they would need the skills of a Level Four or Five lathe worker.
Just as Zhang Yi was about to refuse, the part in his hand was snatched away by a pair of snow-white little hands. He looked up and saw that it was Xiao Hua, who had been operating the machine tool. After taking the part, she gave it a casual glance and said, "This part isn't difficult. I can machine it."
After saying that, without waiting for Zhang Yi to speak, she handed him the spindle in her other hand. "Here! How about it? You don't doubt me now, do you?"
"Excellent craftsmanship! This spindle is from agricultural machinery, isn't it? It was machined beautifully." Before Zhang Yi could take the spindle, Zhu Gang, who was standing nearby, could not help but speak. Then, before Zhang Yi could say anything, he added, "Your father must have machined this, right? Master Zhang's craftsmanship really is outstanding!"
"Boss Zhu, you've misunderstood. My father didn't machine this spindle. Something happened to him recently, so he can't work for the time being. But don't worry, Boss Zhu. Your part isn't particularly difficult; it just has some precision requirements. I can take this order," Zhang Yi explained.
"Good! Since you made this spindle, I assume machining my part won't be a problem either. There are over a thousand parts in this batch, but the client is pressing us hard, so they must be completed within a week.
Can you finish them within a week? If you can, I'll have the factory deliver the blanks immediately. I'll pay you thirty yuan per piece, and if your quality meets the requirements, our factory will have bigger orders for you in the future." After hearing Zhang Yi, Zhu Gang thought for a moment before speaking.
Zhu Gang had no other choice. His factory was already extremely busy, with neither the time nor the machines to process this batch of parts, so he had thought of outsourcing them. But in all of Xian County, there were only a few people capable of machining parts like these, and Zhang Yi's father was one of them.
Afterward, Zhang Yi and Zhu Gang went to Zhang Yi's office to sign the contract, and Zhu Gang hurriedly left.
"Now you have nothing to say, right?" As soon as Zhu Gang left, Xiao Hua spoke smugly.
"Mm. The craftsmanship of you Dwarves is truly incredible," Zhang Yi said sincerely.
Even if Zhang Yi's father, Zhang Ming, had machined that spindle himself, he might not have been able to make one as good as Xiao Hua's in such a short time.
Moreover, the spindle looked extremely beautiful, and its precision was certainly no low. Although spindle machining was among the simplest tasks in mechanical processing, it was also one of the best measures of skill. The technique Xiao Hua displayed might not even be achievable by a Level Six technician. The title of mechanical engineering prodigy was not given to her for nothing.
"By the way, how do you know the language of our Hua Clan?" Zhang Yi had wanted to ask this question long ago, but because Zhu Gang had been there earlier, he had held it back.
"There's nothing strange about that. This is originally the standard Common Language of the Multiverse Scholar Hiring System. If you want to be hired by employers through the Multiverse Scholar Hiring System, you must learn the Common Language. Otherwise, you can't communicate. I'm more curious why your civilization speaks the Common Language," Xiao Hua said as though it were the most natural thing in the world, then asked in return.
Not long after Zhu Gang left, a small truck drove up to the entrance of Zhang Yi's workshop. It was carrying the blank parts Zhu Gang had mentioned earlier. This time, Zhu Gang had not come personally; he had sent one of the factory drivers instead. The distance was so short, and they all knew each other, so there was nothing to worry about.
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