Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Xie Changning’s Technique Was Severely Underestimated

Wang Lisheng slapped Director Li’s hand away.

"Don’t pull on her. What if she falls?"

At Wang Lisheng’s words, Director Li remembered Xie Changning’s delicate condition. He slapped his own forehead. "Look at me, I was in such a rush I forgot!"

Xie Changning showed her understanding.

"Let’s go take a look."

As they neared Director Li’s office, she could hear a translator from a distance, anxiously explaining something. But it seemed the person on the other end didn’t want to listen and was insistent on hanging up.

From the translator’s side of the conversation, Xie Changning pieced together some of the situation.

The expert from the United States was angry because the workers were supposedly disobedient, hadn’t maintained the machine properly, and had tried to repair it haphazardly after it broke down, among other things.

Xie Changning stopped in her tracks. She looked at Director Li beside her. "Director Li, when the machine broke down, did the workers violate any procedures? Did the factory workers try to repair it?"

Xie Changning’s questions made Director Li pause, slightly stunned.

He thought for a long moment before shaking his head. "No. But this isn’t the time to talk about that. The expert will be..."

"Director Li, those are the very reasons the expert is angry. I suggest you go and ask to be sure."

Whether it was improper operation or attempted repairs, China was in a weak position. The other party could use it as an excuse to raise the price or even let it affect future repairs.

"Huh?" Director Li was surprised that Xie Changning, having just arrived near the office, already knew why the expert was angry.

He glanced hesitantly toward his office.

Wang Lisheng saw his hesitation. "Old Li, think it over. If you think Changning is wrong, we can just leave right now."

After all, there was no reason Changning had to help them.

Hearing this, Director Li immediately grew anxious. "Alright, I’ll go ask right now!"

"Okay, leave this to us. We’ll go and keep the expert on the line for you!"

As Director Li went downstairs to get the details, Xie Changning looked at Wang Lisheng. "Brother Wang, let’s go."

The two of them walked up to the office and knocked on the door.

A middle-aged man with graying hair opened the door. Seeing Wang Lisheng and Xie Changning, his eyes flickered. "Director Wang, where is Director Li?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"He had something urgent to take care of, so he sent us over first."

After speaking, Wang Lisheng made the introductions. "Changning, this is the machine tool factory’s Vice Factory Director Lin. Xie Changning, the vice factory director of our screw factory."

Xie Changning looked up at him, then shook hands with Vice Factory Director Lin.

"You don’t understand a word I’m saying! I don’t want to talk to you!" The quiet atmosphere was suddenly broken by a stream of English that sounded like incomprehensible chirping.

Xie Changning turned to look and saw the translator holding the phone, explaining to the expert on the other end. He was sweating profusely, and in his haste, his words were stumbling over each other.

Upon seeing her, the translator hastily and clumsily introduced her and Wang Lisheng to the expert on the other end.

It wasn’t that what he said was wrong, but he got her title slightly off. Moreover, even when he used the right words, for some reason, the way he said them just made you want to punch him...

"Who hired the translator?" Xie Changning frowned, looking at Vice Factory Director Lin.

"I did."

"..."

Xie Changning rubbed her aching temples, walked over to Wang Lisheng, and said, "It’s not that this translator is incompetent. He’s just too formal and inflexible with his language..."

’Well... to put it plainly, he’s dense. The same sentences coming out of his mouth are infuriating. It feels like you’re having a conversation, but it’s like playing a zither to a cow.’

And so, thanks to the translator’s diligent efforts, the expert only grew angrier.

The expert was on the verge of exploding. "I don’t care who she is! I want to see my repair fee for today, right now! And another thing, I am not going to China to help with any repairs!"

"Please wait a moment."

Seeing that the expert was about to refuse to come, Xie Changning had no choice but to speak up. She walked over to the translator, took the phone from his hand, and said in reasonably fluent English, "Hello, I am Xie Changning, the Vice Factory Director of the Chuncheng Screw Factory."

Her English made the expert pause.

Immediately after, the expert’s dissatisfied voice spoke again. "He said you were repairmen sent by Director Li."

"He must have misheard. We are here to invite you to our factory to help us repair our machinery. Please believe that our machine tool factory is extremely sincere."

Xie Changning didn’t directly say what Director Li had asked her to do.

She just chatted with the expert about the machinery, and then, as if puzzled, asked, "I just arrived and heard that you were angry. I was wondering why that is?"

The mere mention of the matter made the expert angry again.

Xie Changning acted like a listening friend, nodding continuously, then smoothly interjected, "You haven’t even seen the machine with your own eyes. How can you be so sure the factory workers actually did those things?"

She feigned surprise.

The translator watched Xie Changning and breathed a sigh of relief. He really had been trying his best to translate.

While Xie Changning was talking with the expert, Director Li ran back, his face covered in sweat. He looked at Xie Changning, panting, and said, "Changning, I’ve asked around. There were no improper operations, but for some reason, the machine is even more damaged than before."

Xie Changning relayed Director Li’s words to the expert.

The expert’s voice calmed down a bit. "Are you telling me someone intentionally damaged it? Are you trying to make a monkey out of me?"

"How about I go take a look at the machine first, and then come back and talk to you?"

Xie Changning didn’t get bogged down on that point with the expert. Instead, she asked if he would give her some time to inspect the machine’s problem.

The expert hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

"Director Li, are you just going to let her mess around like this?" Vice Factory Director Lin frowned. Seeing Xie Changning essentially take over the job of the translator he had brought in, he was naturally displeased.

Xie Changning glanced at him.

"What’s the matter? Can you keep the expert on the phone and convince him to come over?" Xie Changning turned and asked the translator standing beside Vice Factory Director Lin.

Faced with Xie Changning’s question, the translator fell silent.

Since the expert had agreed to wait for Xie Changning’s return, the group headed straight for the broken planer.

Originally, Xie Changning had thought it was some major issue, but it turned out to be a problem even she could handle.

Xie Changning returned to the office and told the expert which part of the planer was broken, as well as the resulting chain of other problems.

After they talked, the expert realized Xie Changning knew a thing or two about planers. They began a back-and-forth exchange using technical terms, and only then did the expert’s attitude finally level out.

"Xie, you’ve convinced me. For you, I will travel across the ocean to China and repair your machine."

The expert agreed to do the repairs, and everyone was overjoyed.

The damage wasn’t a major problem, but having the expert come over meant he could help inspect the other machines as well.

Vice Factory Director Lin could only stand by and glare, unable to get a word in. He had to watch as all the "credit" landed on Xie Changning’s head.

"I knew Xiao Xie could do it!"

Director Li said happily, patting Xie Changning on the shoulder.

After praising Xie Changning, Director Li turned to Vice Factory Director Lin. "Old Lin, go settle Translator Xue’s wages. We won’t be needing him for now."

’His translating was subpar, and he only made the expert angrier. What was the point of keeping him around?’

Translator Xue sighed, looked at Vice Factory Director Lin, and the two of them turned to go collect his pay.

Once they were out of the workshop, Vice Factory Director Lin finally asked the translator, "Did you understand what Xie Changning was saying? What did she talk about with the expert?"

"They discussed the repair techniques for the planer."

The translator had understood everything. As he spoke, he couldn’t help but praise how impressive Xie Changning was. "I wonder if she teaches classes. I’d love to learn English from her."

Her English proficiency was truly high-level.

"Isn’t she the vice factory director of a screw factory? How does she also know about machine tool technology?" Vice Factory Director Lin, his expression sour, ignored the translator’s praise, unable to understand how Xie Changning’s technical skills were so good.

’That’s not what she majored in!’

Wang Lisheng and Director Li were equally baffled, but they knew one thing: they had underestimated Xie Changning’s skills.

She... was a true genius!