Major Heavy Industry: Starting with a Fake Marriage

Chapter 12 Being Given the Cold Shoulder

The logistics department was located in the most remote corner of the factory area, a row of low bungalows with messy junk piled up in front of the doors. Jiang Cheng found the warehouse, pushed open the door, and was hit by a musty smell.

Huang Deqing was squatting on the ground counting a pile of rusty parts when he heard the noise. He looked up, saw Jiang Cheng, paused for a moment, and then slowly stood up.

"You're back?" he asked.

Jiang Cheng looked at his master, his heart aching. In the three months since he'd last seen him, Huang Deqing had lost a lot of weight, his hair had turned considerably whiter, and the wrinkles on his face were deeper. Those once bright and piercing eyes were now dull and lifeless.

"Master, I've come to see you." Jiang Cheng walked over.

Huang Deqing waved his hand: "What are you looking at? What's so interesting? How's your learning going?"

"good."

"It's alright." Huang Deqing lowered his head and continued to check the parts. "Go back to work, don't waste time here."

"Master—" Jiang Cheng didn't know what to say.

Huang Deqing didn't look up, but his voice was a little hoarse: "Let's go. It's not good for you if people see you associating with me."

Jiang Cheng felt a lump in his throat and almost burst into tears. He knew his master meant well, but this "well-intentioned" act only made him feel worse.

"Master, please wait," he said. "I will definitely get to the bottom of this."

Huang Deqing looked up at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Chengzi, some things can't be figured out just because you want to. You're young and have a bright future, don't let an old man like me hold you back."

"master--"

"Let's go." Huang Deqing turned around and stopped looking at him.

Jiang Cheng stood at the door, looking at his master's hunched back, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing on his heart. He turned and walked out, the sunlight stinging his eyes.

After leaving the logistics department, Jiang Cheng went directly to the machine repair workshop.

The workshop was still the same, a mixture of machine oil and metal shavings, the machines roaring. But the people had changed. His familiar coworkers looked uneasy when they saw him. Some gave a perfunctory greeting, while others simply pretended not to see him.

Sun Jianguo suddenly appeared out of nowhere, beaming, "Hey, Jiang Cheng's back! How's your studies? Did you learn anything?"

Jiang Cheng looked at him, his smiling face now seeming particularly irritating: "Not bad. Engineer Sun got transferred to mechanics? Congratulations."

Sun Jianguo waved his hand: "What's with the congratulations? It's just a change of position to get some experience. Your mentor has been transferred, so someone has to take charge of the technical aspects of the workshop. I'm filling in temporarily."

Why was my mentor transferred?

Sun Jianguo sighed: "Well... I'm not too sure either. I heard it's because he's getting old, and the leaders are taking care of him by letting him go to the logistics department where he can relax a bit. You know how tiring it is to work on the front lines. Master Huang has been doing this for over twenty years; it's time for him to take a break."

"Really?" Jiang Cheng looked at him. "So, Engineer Sun thinks that sending my master, a level six fitter, to inventory parts in the logistics department is a favor?"

Sun Jianguo's expression changed, but he quickly recovered: "Jiang Cheng, what are you talking about? It wasn't me who transferred you, so there's no point in telling me this. If you have any complaints about the factory's arrangements, go and talk to the leaders. I'm just a worker here, don't make things difficult for me."

Several workers nearby turned to look. Jiang Cheng knew that arguing any further was pointless and would only make him a laughingstock. He took a deep breath, turned, and left.

When he returned to his workstation in the machine repair shop, he found that someone else had taken his place. A young man he didn't recognize was squatting there working, and when he saw him, he stood up somewhat awkwardly.

"Are you Master Jiang Cheng?" the young man said. "My name is Zhang Xiaojun, I'm new here. This workstation... was assigned by Director Sun. Should I talk to Director Sun and ask for a different one?"

Jiang Cheng shook his head: "No need, you do your thing."

He turned and left the workshop, standing outside smoking. His mind was a jumbled mess: his mentor had been transferred, his workstation had been taken, and Sun Jianguo was acting strangely. It all felt like an invisible net, trapping him inside.

In the afternoon, Jiang Cheng went to see Director Zhou.

Factory Director Zhou was in a meeting, and he waited outside for two hours before being called in. When Factory Director Zhou saw him, he forced a smile: "Little Jiang's back? How's school?"

"It's alright," Jiang Cheng said. "Factory manager, I'd like to ask about my mentor."

Factory Director Zhou's smile froze for a moment: "Huang Deqing? What happened to him?"

"He was transferred to logistics. I want to know why."

Factory Director Zhou was silent for a moment before saying, "Xiao Jiang, this is the result of comprehensive consideration by the factory. Master Huang is getting old, and the intensity of frontline work is too high, which is not good for his health. The logistics department is more relaxed and suitable for him."

"Factory manager, my master is only forty-seven years old, a level six fitter, the most skilled master craftsman in the factory. Do you think this reason is acceptable?"

Factory Director Zhou's face darkened: "Jiang Cheng, what kind of attitude is this? Do we need to explain the factory's decisions to you?"

Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "Factory Director, I'm not questioning the factory's decision. I just feel that my mentor has worked for over twenty years; even if he hasn't made any great contributions, he's certainly put in a lot of hard work. His sudden transfer deserves some explanation, right?"

Factory Director Zhou looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and said, "You want to hear the law? Okay, I'll tell you. Some people say Huang Deqing is technically conservative and unwilling to accept new things. That imported rolling mill was originally the responsibility of the technical department, but he insisted on interfering, and as a result, problems arose. If it weren't for the experts from the province coming, the factory would have suffered huge losses. Someone from above has inquired about this matter, and someone has to take responsibility."

Jiang Cheng could hardly believe his ears: "Factory manager, I discovered the problem with that rolling mill, and my mentor solved it! How did it become his responsibility?"

"You discovered it?" Factory Director Zhou sneered. "You, a level four fitter, discovered a problem with the imported equipment? Jiang Cheng, I know you've made progress, but don't think too highly of yourself. This matter is in the past, don't bring it up again."

Jiang Cheng's mind was buzzing. He finally understood—someone had shifted the blame for the rolling mill malfunction onto Huang Deqing, while the credit went to the technical department. In their eyes, he, the "hero" who discovered the problem, was nothing.

"Factory manager, I—"

"Alright," Factory Director Zhou interrupted him. "You've just gotten back, so familiarize yourself with the situation first. Sun Jianguo is now in charge of the machine repair workshop; you'll work with him. Do your job well, and don't overthink it."

It was already dark when Jiang Cheng came out of the factory manager's office. Standing in the empty factory area, he felt a bone-chilling cold for the first time.

In the days that followed, Jiang Cheng experienced firsthand what it meant to be "sent the cold shoulder".

Sun Jianguo was polite to him on the surface, but in reality, he made things difficult for him at every turn. He assigned him the dirtiest and most tiring jobs, kept him out of important maintenance tasks, and intentionally or unintentionally ignored his opinions during meetings. Some of his colleagues in the machine repair workshop were afraid to talk to him, while others simply avoided him. Only a few honest ones would occasionally whisper a few words to him in secret.

"Chengzi, don't take it to heart," an old fitter who was on good terms with Huang Deqing told him privately. "Sun Jianguo has connections; his father is a provincial official. We can't afford to offend him. Just bear with it, and things will be fine once this blows over."

Jiang Cheng nodded, but he knew in his heart that this storm wouldn't just pass by.