Chapter 276: Machine Malfunction

Zhou Yimin exclaimed in admiration, “As expected of the world-renowned Goubuli meat buns from Jinmen—they truly live up to their reputation!”

Goubuli buns are a famous traditional snack from Tianjin, China, made from flour, pork, and other ingredients. Originating in 1858, this snack boasts a history of over a hundred years. It ranks first among the “Three Delicacies of Tianjin” and is recognized as a national time-honored brand.

The dough and filling for Goubuli buns are selected with great care, and the preparation process is strict. The buns have a beautiful appearance, especially the pleats—each bun has no fewer than fifteen folds. Fresh out of the steamer, they are rich in flavor without being greasy, fragrant, and appetizing.

It is said that when Yuan Shikai was serving as Governor of Zhili and training a new army in Tianjin, he once presented Goubuli buns as tribute to Empress Dowager Cixi. After tasting them, she was delighted and said, “The beasts of the mountains, the geese in the clouds, the cattle and sheep of the land, and the seafood of the seas—none can compare to the fragrance of Goubuli. Eating them prolongs life.”

Once, the Great Leader was talking with others about the delicacies of Tianjin, and he especially remembered Goubuli buns. The household manager even made a special trip to Tianjin to buy some for the Chairman. After eating them, the Chairman was especially pleased.

“Yimin, I’m glad you like them. If you enjoy them, we can ask Chef Jian to make more. I promise you’ll get your fill,” Factory Director Chen offered.

He had been worrying about how to find a good excuse to make Zhou Yimin stay. People always have their weaknesses—once you find them and cater to them, you can succeed.

“Thank you, Director Chen, for your hospitality,” Zhou Yimin said gratefully.

Zhou Yimin ended up eating three buns, stopping only when he was nearly full to the throat, afraid that a single hiccup might make him throw up.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the entire R&D department pulled Zhou Yimin into another round of discussion.

Not knowing how long Zhou Yimin would be staying at the rice cooker factory, they didn’t want to waste a single moment. They wished they could talk for twenty-four hours straight in hopes of finding a burst of inspiration to design a second generation product—or even a new one.

Zhou Yimin wasn’t like some people nowadays who worry that teaching their apprentices will starve the master. If he fully understood all the principles behind many modern products, he would have spilled everything out without hesitation—just to help the motherland rise to the top of the world faster.

The group returned to the meeting room and launched into a new round of discussion. Zhou Yimin showed no sign of impatience and actually enjoyed it. Being able to contribute to his country filled him with a sense of fulfillment.

Section Chief Wang led the R&D team in an extended technical exchange with Zhou Yimin. No one knew how long they had been at it when suddenly the door to the meeting room was flung open.

Workshop One’s supervisor, Fang Yong, rushed in and said anxiously, “Section Chief Wang, one of the machines in Workshop One has malfunctioned. Can you send someone over to repair it?”

The R&D department wasn’t only responsible for research and development—they also handled technical support, including urgent machine repairs within the factory.

“Xiao Li, go with Supervisor Fang and take a look,” Section Chief Wang instructed immediately.

He knew this fell under their responsibilities, so he didn’t let their conversation with Zhou Yimin distract from their main duties.

A young man about the same age as Zhou Yimin—but thinner, as if a gust of wind could blow him away—stood up and responded, “Alright, Section Chief Wang, I’ll go right now.”

He had repaired this kind of thing countless times. While he couldn’t guarantee 100% success on every machine, most problems were within his capabilities.

He just wanted to finish the repair quickly so he could return to the discussion. He was learning so much here, and he didn’t want to miss a single opportunity.

Xiao Li left for the repair, but the rest of the R&D team stayed focused, still in the midst of passionate discussion.

About an hour passed before Section Chief Wang began to feel that something was off. It had been too long—why hadn’t Xiao Li come back?

Just then, Xiao Li finally returned. The first thing he said was, “Chief, I can’t fix the issue. You’ll have to go and take a look yourself.”

Section Chief Wang nodded, signaling he understood, and stood up to head for Workshop One.

“Why don’t we all go take a look? We could use a break anyway,” Zhou Yimin suggested.

He had been sitting for a long time, and unlike modern ergonomic chairs that support long periods of sitting, these chairs were just barely usable. Calling them comfortable would be a lie.

Section Chief Wang agreed. Zhou Yimin was already the most easygoing expert they’d ever hosted. If they couldn’t even grant a small request like this, it wouldn’t reflect well.

Previous experts they’d hosted had all been arrogant—noses held high. Forget discussions; they wouldn’t even explain things in detail.

Those from older, more powerful units were even harder to deal with. Not only did they need the best food and drink, but whenever they repaired machines, they’d kick everyone else out of the workshop.

During those repairs, no outsiders were allowed in—so trying to secretly learn a bit of their techniques was basically impossible.

With Section Chief Wang’s approval, everyone from the meeting room headed to Workshop One.

The sight of the whole group arriving stunned Supervisor Fang.

Could the machine really be having such a major issue that the entire R&D department had to come fix it? If they couldn’t resolve it, everyone in the workshop would lose their bonus. If things got serious, even he could be chewed out by the higher-ups.

He quickly stepped forward and cautiously asked, “Section Chief Wang, do you think the machine can be fixed?”

“Don’t worry, Supervisor Fang. We’ll do our best. As long as it’s within our capabilities, we’ll get it fixed as soon as possible,” Section Chief Wang replied.

Under Xiao Li’s lead, they soon reached the faulty machine. The moment they turned it on, something about the sound seemed off.

“Section Chief Wang, does the machine sound a bit off to you?” Zhou Yimin asked.

After thinking for a moment, Section Chief Wang replied, “Yes, the sound isn’t right. I suspect there’s an issue with the transmission system. I didn’t expect you to be familiar with machines too, Expert Zhou.”

The handling process was simple: first check whether the transmission chain or gears were misaligned due to wear and tear, which could be causing the abnormal noise.

As he disassembled the machine, Section Chief Wang explained the principles behind it and what typically caused such issues.

Everyone present perked up and listened carefully. Opportunities to hear Section Chief Wang explain things like this were rare. He usually only stepped in for major problems—only then could they learn something firsthand. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even get the chance to handle such repairs, let alone receive an explanation.

While simpler problems were manageable, the big issues were much harder without any experience.

After all, machines were too valuable now. It wasn’t like they could be taken apart easily—most of the time, they could only get a theoretical explanation. The chances to physically take one apart were few and far between.

(End of Chapter)