Chapter 28: Too Far

Zhang Yifu actually knew that showing off his skills like this was a bit over the top, but his main goal was not just to boast. He wanted Qiu Ling to realize the true gap between people, to make him back down and stop buzzing around like an annoying fly.

Old Wang, who had set the questions, was completely dumbfounded. He swallowed hard and stared blankly at Qiu Ling. “Section Chief… isn’t that enough?”

Even though Qiu Ling was also shocked, he still refused to concede. Maybe Zhang Yifu had just memorized a lot and happened to know the concept. Qiu Ling immediately followed up, “Then tell me, the inner diameter of the riser tubes in our plant’s water circulation system.”

Before anyone could even understand the question, Zhang Yifu answered right away. “Even though this detail wasn’t in Old Wang’s question, I can still answer you. The standard ones are 42mm, with some local sections at 50mm.”

Qiu Ling didn’t expect Zhang Yifu to answer so fast. He hurriedly said to Old Wang, “Check it.”

The room fell silent. Only the sound of Old Wang flipping through documents could be heard.

Old Wang was so flustered he broke into a sweat. It took him a full two minutes to find the relevant parameter. After looking, he said in a trembling voice, “Exactly right… Most are 42mm, only a small section is expanded to 50…”

Everyone gasped. He could even answer such a devilish question? Did this guy really memorize all the materials in the room?

Things had reached this point. Zhang Yifu didn’t plan to act like a perfect gentleman anymore. Either don’t do it, or go all the way. Since it had started, he was going to make Qiu Ling understand what malice was, what a gap was.

“Section Chief Qiu.” Zhang Yifu let out a light laugh and stretched. “Is it appropriate to test me, a newcomer, with a question you don’t even know the answer to?”

Only then did everyone realize, the one asking didn’t know the answer either! Something you, a section chief who’s worked in the plant for over a decade, don’t know, and you test a new comrade who just arrived one day ago!

Qiu Ling also secretly groaned. He was too eager to stump Zhang Yifu. He hadn’t thought the question through and ended up digging a huge hole for himself. Losing in skill and in demeanor, making a fool of himself—it was exactly that.

“I naturally remembered. I just needed Old Wang to confirm.” Qiu Ling, red-faced, forced an explanation.

By now, sparse whispers of disappointment came from behind. Losing was normal, but you, sir, forcing out such a stinky excuse was truly disgusting.

“So impressive…” Wen Tianming in the back row was already in complete awe. “Not even the Chief Engineer could answer these things, right?”

“Don’t underestimate the Chief Engineer. He’s handled many major projects.” Zhen Tian was also extremely surprised. “But to make someone like Qiu Ling, who loves scheming, lose face on his first day—Zhang Yifu is truly remarkable. It seems it’s not arrogance, but real skill.”

On the other side, Niu Xiaozhuang was also deeply impressed. But as the boss’s son, he shouldn’t show obvious favoritism. So he stepped forward with a smile. “I think Yifu has mastered it very thoroughly. Section Chief Qiu, how about…”

At this moment, Qiu Ling seemed almost possessed. He interrupted Niu Xiaozhuang’s attempt to mediate and said to the section’s poet, Sister Zhao, “Xiao Zhao, you go.”

“Section Chief…” Sister Zhao looked at Qiu Ling, sweating profusely, then at the relaxed Zhang Yifu. “I mainly handle documents, I don’t really understand…”

“It’s fine, Sister Zhao, just pick anything.” Zhang Yifu smiled.

Sister Zhao looked again at Qiu Ling’s terrifying expression, shuddered, and hurried to the file cabinet. She pulled out a stack of documents from the very front, randomly opened a page, skimmed it, and asked, “Our plant’s first unit… the capacity of the Steam Turbine…”

This so-called capacity basically meant the power generation output. A more professional term would be installed capacity. It was the only standard for measuring a power plant’s scale. A power plant usually had several, even dozens, of units. The first unit of Jibei Power Plant was the main power generator. In the plant, no one wouldn’t know its capacity.

Zhang Yifu was getting a bit tired from all the memorizing. This time, not giving anyone time to react, he answered directly, “Rated capacity 150,000 kilowatts, maximum capacity 158,000 kilowatts, full-open capacity 162,000 kilowatts.”

“Ah…” Sister Zhao hadn’t even finished the question. Zhang Yifu had already answered beyond what was asked. Simply put, he buzzed in. All she could do was cover her mouth in shock, look down at the data, and hand the material to Old Wang.

After looking, Old Wang said in a trembling voice again, “Completely… correct…”

For others, answering the capacity might be simple. But reporting the maximum and full-open capacities without a single error required solid knowledge of the Steam Turbine brand and model. Even ordinary Workshop workers couldn’t do that. This question, though simple, was answered completely, enough to make everyone convinced.

Wen Tianming sighed, “No wonder it’s Yifu. I’ve never even heard of those last two capacities.”

“It seems he really has read these materials.” Zhen Tian also nodded. “Such an exaggerated memory. Watching this commotion was worth it.”

The onlookers were calm, but Qiu Ling had entered a state of madness. He silently cursed Xiao Zhao for picking too easy a question. Now his last hope rested on Li Weifeng. He heavily patted the young clerk’s shoulder and said in a low voice, “Xiao Li, you go. Pick a more professional question.”

Anyone could tell, this was forcing Xiao Li to ask a difficult question.

Xiao Li was also a smart person. He naturally understood the situation very well.

He looked at the relaxed Zhang Yifu, then at his gritting-teeth Leader.

The young clerk never imagined a test of human nature would come so fast, so suddenly.

On one side was his newly met good friend, his newly acknowledged master. On the other was his middle-aged superior who held his career fate in his hands.

Although Li Weifeng only graduated from a technical college, in such a city, in such a Power Plant, he was considered highly educated. Technically, he even knew more than Old Wang. Thinking of a question that would surely stump someone wasn’t hard.

But doing that would be equivalent to betraying Zhang Yifu.

Not doing it would completely offend the Leader.

“Weifeng, go ahead. However obscure the question is, it’s fine.” Zhang Yifu naturally understood Li Weifeng’s dilemma. He knew the stakes well, and he knew how fragile ordinary friendship could be in the face of interests. So he didn’t intend to put Xiao Li in a tough spot. After all, for him, answering any question was exactly the same.

Li Weifeng nodded silently and walked to the cabinet with a heavy heart.

The time he took to choose and think was longer than Old Wang and Sister Zhao. Finally, he stopped before a cabinet labeled “Power Plant Overview.” Silently, he pulled out a bound document, quickly found a page, and asked almost without looking.

“How many units does our plant have?”

Whoosh. Everyone drew a sharp breath.

This was a question even a cleaner’s son at the Power Plant could answer.

Zhang Yifu was the most surprised person right now. Suddenly, he felt a glow of human goodness shining before him. His whole mood lifted. Not because the question was simple, but because Xiao Li was loyal!

“Seven.” He answered the question calmly and nodded deeply at Xiao Li—

Little Li, from now on, I’ve got your back.

“Correct.” Xiao Li also nodded silently, stuffed the document back into the cabinet, and returned to his spot.

This round of questioning and answering didn’t matter anymore. All eyes were fixed on Qiu Ling.

Abandoned by his own, he had gone too far… Even the young guys in the section couldn’t take it anymore. They weren’t following you anymore.

With the simplest question, Xiao Li had pushed Qiu Ling into the darkest abyss.

Now, this was really hard to end well.