9: Chapter 9: 0.03 mm Indentation, Slapping Foreign Experts in the Face

The sounds in the workshop vanished.

Zhang Weiguo stood frozen on the spot.

The mockery on the foreign expert's face froze into a comical mask.

Three thousand RPM, tool collision.

These five words struck everyone hard on the forehead.

Because this was the very reason why this multi-million equipment had broken down!

A week ago, during a late-night shift, an exhausted operator had made a mistake in the 3,000 RPM range, causing the tool to collide violently with the spindle.

The machine shook once.

The operator was terrified out of his wits, but after checking it, the spindle could still rotate, so he didn't dare to report it.

Three days later, the spindle was completely scrapped.

This accident investigation report was known to only a few people in the entire group.

Yet, this young man standing before them, carrying a toolbox...

...had only shone a flashlight for a moment and stated the truth that even the foreign expert didn't know!

"How did you know?"

Zhang Weiguo's voice was full of doubt.

Chen Xu did not let Chen Yi answer immediately.

Instead, he stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over all the engineers present, finally landing on the foreign expert's face.

"My apprentice can figure out the cause just by taking a casual look; aren't those foreigners just too incompetent!"

He then signaled for Chen Yi to continue.

Chen Yi handed the flashlight to Zhang Weiguo and continued speaking.

"On the inner wall of the spindle, in the contact area corresponding to 3,000 RPM, there is a 0.03 mm indentation."

"The shape of this mark is from the carbide tool and the bearing steel in a high-speed rotating state."

"The depth and width of the indentation left by the brief collision correspond to the 3,000 RPM range."

"If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself."

Zhang Weiguo took the flashlight, leaned close to the spindle, and adjusted the angle to find the spot Chen Yi mentioned.

Sure enough!

An extremely faint indentation was carved into the inner wall of the spindle!

"This is impossible!"

An engineer cried out involuntarily.

"How could a 0.03 mm mark be visible to the naked eye?"

"Even with an endoscope, it might not be detectable!"

"He only used a flashlight..."

The foreign expert's face turned from red to white, and then to green.

He had just sworn that the spindle had suffered "irreversible plastic deformation" and needed to be shipped back to the European factory.

Now he was being slapped in the face on the spot.

What was even more fatal was that the other party had only used a flashlight.

Yet he, carrying testing equipment worth hundreds of thousands of euros, hadn't even found the root of the problem!

"Impossible!"

The foreign expert clenched his fists, his expression somewhat ferocious.

"This is luck! Pure luck!"

Chen Xu smiled.

"Luck?"

"Then let me tell you about a second 'bit of luck'."

"The tool collision point is located 15 degrees to the left directly above the third set of bearings at the front of the spindle, with an impact force of approximately 800 to 1000 Newtons."

"This force caused the outer ring of the third set of bearings to develop a slight elliptical deformation, with the deformation amount not exceeding 0.01 mm."

"It was precisely this 0.01 mm deformation that triggered resonance during subsequent high-speed operation, ultimately causing the entire spindle to be scrapped."

Chen Yi stood up.

"Chief Engineer Zhang, your accident report should have the calculated data for the impact force, right?"

"Compare it and see if what I said is accurate."

Zhang Weiguo's expression turned serious.

Because every piece of data Chen Yi mentioned completely matched the conclusions in that report!

"You..."

Zhang Weiguo was speechless.

The surrounding engineers exploded in commotion.

"How did he do it?"

"With this kind of skill, how could he just be an apprentice?"

"Damn, things I couldn't see after working for ten years, he figured out in mere seconds?"

The foreign expert's face completely collapsed.

This was a crushing defeat; they were not even on the same level.

Just then, a deep voice came from behind the crowd.

"Let him try."

Just three short words.

Everyone turned their heads.

The speaker was a man in his early fifties with a straight posture.

Haotian Group Chairman Lin Quan.

He had been standing at the back of the crowd without saying a word.

At this moment, those eyes were staring at Chen Xu.

No, that's not right.

He wasn't staring at Chen Xu.

It was Chen Yi, the one carrying the toolbox next to Chen Xu.

His eyes were full of possessiveness.

Zhang Weiguo was stunned.

"Chairman Lin, this is too risky! If he ends up scrapping the machine completely, we won't even have a chance to salvage it!"

"I will take responsibility."

Lin Quan made the final decision.

He walked up to Chen Xu.

Their gazes collided in the air.

"List whatever equipment you need for Chief Engineer Zhang right now."

Lin Quan paused.

"But I have one condition."

Chen Xu smiled.

"Please, go ahead."

"I will be present for the entire repair process."

"If you really fix it, the 500,000 reward will be paid in full."

"But if you fail..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

But the sense of threat already filled the entire workshop.

Chen Xu took a step forward.

The distance between the two was less than half a meter.

"Chairman Lin, I understand your concerns."

"But I would like to correct one thing."

"We are not here to try our luck."

"We are here to collect the money."

"Deal."

Lin Quan shook the hand Chen Xu extended.

"Happy to cooperate."

The two hands clasped together.

Everyone around was watching this scene.

One was a giant in the manufacturing industry of Fei City, controlling tens of billions in assets.

The other was an unknown kid who had popped out of nowhere.

Yet at this moment, they felt this kid was actually able to suppress Chairman Lin in terms of presence.

Chen Xu let go of his hand and turned to look at Chen Yi.

"List the items for Chief Engineer Zhang."

"Yes, Boss."

Chen Yi took a pen and a notebook from the toolbox.

Leaning against the machine tool nearby, he started writing.

Two minutes later, he tore off the paper and handed it to Zhang Weiguo.

Zhang Weiguo took it and scanned it.

His expression changed instantly.

"Portable laser alignment device? High-frequency induction heater? Metallurgical microscope?"

"And these few types of special alloy welding materials... Do you know how much all these things cost in total?"

Chen Xu took over the conversation.

"I don't know."

He looked at Zhang Weiguo.

"But I know how much money you lose for every day this machine is down."

"So, Chief Engineer Zhang, do you want to keep discussing the price of the equipment, or do you want to get the machine running again?"

Zhang Weiguo was choked up and couldn't speak.

He turned to look at Lin Quan, wanting to tell Chairman Lin the value of these devices.

But what he saw was Lin Quan's outstretched hand.

"Give me the paper."

Zhang Weiguo paused for a moment and handed the paper over.

Lin Quan took it and lowered his head to glance at the list.

"Prepare according to the list."

"Once ready, send these tools to Workshop No. 3, as quickly as possible."

He turned around and looked at Chen Xu.

"Young Boss Chen, come with me."

After saying this, he turned and walked out of the workshop.

Chen Xu followed him.

Chen Yi followed closely behind, carrying the toolbox.

Behind them, Zhang Weiguo and a group of engineers looked at each other in dismay.

The foreign expert's face was livid; he threw the pen in his hand onto the ground fiercely.

"Crazy! You are all crazy!"

"Repair a scrapped spindle? This is wishful thinking!"

But no one paid him any attention.

Everyone's eyes followed those three departing figures.

In the crowd, an engineer muttered quietly.

"Do you think they can really fix it?"

"Impossible."

A senior engineer next to him shook his head.

"But what if they actually fix it?"

The senior engineer fell silent.

After a long time, he squeezed out a sentence.

"Then all these years we've spent have been for nothing."