On the open ground, as the two vehicles came to a halt, several individuals dressed in military attire were already waiting.
"Old sir? What brings you here?"
"The other day, Lao Ji and I were discussing when we could find the time to come and see you."
"How have you been lately? You look good!"
As the old factory director stepped out of the leading 212 jeep, the middle-aged man in military attire at the forefront approached with a hearty laugh, firmly grasping the old director's hand. The joy and happiness on his face were evident, devoid of any pretense.
Seeing the middle-aged man before him, the old factory director also seemed pleased. He shook the man's hand vigorously, laughing:
"I'm doing well! As long as the country needs me, I can work for another twenty years!"
"But you, Xiao Xu, seem to have lost weight since last year!"
"What's going on? Can such a large station still afford to lose you, the company commander?"
Hearing the old factory director's words, the middle-aged man in military attire jokingly responded:
"It's been two years since you last visited us, hasn't it?"
"Guess there's no food left in the belly, huh?"
This remark immediately elicited laughter from the crowd. The old factory director pointed jokingly at the Liberation Brand truck behind them, saying:
"Are we so memorable?"
"Here he comes again, huh? Hahaha!"
At the same time, the old factory director quickly gestured towards Wang Ye, who was approaching, saying:
"Oh, let me introduce you."
"This is our new factory director, Comrade Wang Ye."
"Wang Ye is remarkable, a graduate of the Huaying University's Mechanical Engineering program, a top-notch scholar."
Upon hearing the old factory director's words, the military personnel present were visibly surprised. After all, in this era, it was rare to even attend a university, let alone one as esteemed as Huaying University. Moreover, being a graduate student was like being a phoenix among chickens!
However, a question arose in everyone's mind: why would such a person come to work as a factory director at a mechanical plant?
Meanwhile, the old factory director continued with a smile:
"Comrade Wang Ye, let me introduce you."
"This is Xu Maoshan, the company commander of our station, and this is Instructor Ji Ping."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ye extended his hand to greet them as they approached, saying:
"Hello, Company Commander Xu! Hello, Instructor Ji! Good morning, everyone!"
Although Xu Maoshan and the others were puzzled, they greeted Wang Ye with smiles. Xu Maoshan directly shook Wang Ye's hand vigorously and exclaimed:
"Director Wang is amazing! I never thought I'd meet a top student from Huaying University like you, Old Xu, even the magpies were chirping early this morning!"
With Xu Maoshan's words, laughter filled the scene once again, but while Wang Ye was smiling outwardly, inwardly he couldn't help but sigh, thinking to himself, "Don't cry later!"
At the same time, Xu Maoshan grabbed Wang Ye and the old factory director without hesitation, saying:
"Come on, come on, upstairs to the conference room, let's have tea and chat!"
A moment later, everyone arrived on the third floor and sat down in a meeting room serving as a reception area. After some simple greetings, Xu Maoshan looked at the old factory director and said:
"I heard recently that our machinery plant is going to be converted from military to civilian use."
"It seems like the reform is working well, huh?"
Upon hearing this, the old factory director, who was smoking, couldn't help but laugh heartily. He became enthusiastic and said:
"Not bad at all! Quite good, in fact!"
"Otherwise, how could I afford to buy things to come and visit you guys? You keep getting thinner!"
Laughter erupted once again, and the old factory director's gaze turned to Wang Ye. With a heartfelt sigh, he exclaimed:
"But speaking of which, the success of our machinery plant's conversion from military to civilian use is all thanks to Comrade Wang Ye!"
"If it weren't for Comrade Wang Ye, we would probably be left high and dry in the second half of the year."
With that, the old factory director couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter, ignoring the expressions of others. He looked quite proud, like a grandfather boasting about his grandson scoring a perfect 100 in front of the neighbors.
As soon as the old factory director finished speaking, the expressions on Xu Maoshan and the others' faces instantly turned to surprise. After all, everyone knew the old factory director's style; if Wang Ye were just an ordinary director appointed by higher-ups, no matter how high his qualifications or background, the old factory director wouldn't speak so highly of him!
So there could only be one truth: this seemingly young man was indeed the hero of the machinery plant's conversion from military to civilian use.
With this realization, no one present looked down on this young director anymore. After all, everyone had heard about the dire situation of the machinery plant, and it wasn't easy to change a workforce of five thousand people!
"To be honest, I've known the old man for almost ten years, and I've never heard him praise anyone like this before!"
"Director Wang is incredible! Truly a hero in his youth!"
"Hahaha!"
Xu Maoshan laughed and took out a cigarette to offer Wang Ye. Wang Ye didn't put on airs and accepted the cigarette, lighting it for Xu Maoshan before waving his hand and saying:
"You flatter me."
"It's just that the old factory director favors me!"
"With you saying that, I'm starting to feel proud and complacent!"
Upon hearing Wang Ye's self-deprecating remarks, laughter filled the room once again. Soon, everyone entered into a conversation, impressed by Wang Ye's witty and knowledgeable manner of speaking.
Meanwhile, Xu Maoshan couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If the old factory director was right, and this young man had both qualifications and capabilities, and wasn't rigid in his ways, it was imaginable that Red Star Machinery Plant was just his starting point, and he would inevitably rise to greater heights in the future!
Half an hour later, accompanied by a rumbling sound, Wang Ye's gaze suddenly turned towards the window. In the distance, several shadows appeared in the sky, growing larger and clearer until they were unmistakable!
"What's this? Director Wang, do you also like fighter jets?"
Noticing Wang Ye gazing out the window, Xu Maoshan asked with interest.
After all, for such a young and promising individual with limitless potential, everyone was willing to make more connections. In case they had future interactions or if there was somewhere they needed help, they could always ask, right?
Upon hearing Xu Maoshan's voice, Wang Ye couldn't help but feel emotional as he said:
"Of course, how could I not like them!"
"I chose to study mechanical engineering because I love airplanes."
"My mentor is Sun Canghai, the dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Huaying University, specializing in aerospace mechanics and aerospace electronics."
"So I followed in my mentor's footsteps, focusing on this area. During my undergraduate and graduate studies, I participated in several national key military research projects, including significant parts of our J-7 and J-8 fighter jets."
With Wang Ye's words, Xu Maoshan and the other military officers showed expressions of surprise. They hadn't expected Wang Ye's level to be so high!