“So… Section Chief Shaw, we still need to win people over with virtue…” Henry Carter advised hesitantly. This Uncle Shaw really had a fiery temper. Did he often suffer domestic violence from his wife at home, leading to some psychological distortion? Hmm, this was a sociological topic worth researching.

“Xiao Qin, you just said our product can be saved. Is it because you know these techniques yourself, or have you seen them somewhere?” Donald Shaw seemed to have sobered up a bit. He asked Henry Carter seriously.

“Of course, I saw it in a book…” Henry Carter replied.

“Oh…” Donald Shaw sounded a little disappointed.

Unexpectedly, Henry Carter added, “After reading it, I could do it myself.”

“Really?” Donald Shaw’s eyes lit up. “You saw it in a book and could do it yourself?”

“Absolutely. If you don’t believe me, ask them.” Henry Carter pointed at Mark Newman and the others.

“No problem, you can totally trust what Henry Carter says, Section Chief Shaw.” Mark Newman patted his chest loudly, even more confident than Henry Carter himself.

Leonard Miller knew that Donald Shaw wouldn’t believe Henry Carter just based on their words, so he gave a detailed account to Donald Shaw about how Henry Carter had quenched the farm tools. Leonard Miller’s father, Miao Funan, was the workshop director of the foundry, so Leonard Miller knew a thing or two about quenching and could tell that Henry Carter’s technique was a cut above Qingfeng Factory’s. At the very least, things like the trinitrotoluene solution had never been mentioned at Qingfeng, but Henry Carter could formulate it.

After listening, Donald Shaw was silent for a long time. What Leonard Miller described was vivid and detailed, not like something made up. Being able to process farm tools made of No. 65 manganese steel so they could chop bricks without a scratch—no one at Qingfeng Factory could do that. Plus, just now Henry Carter had only glanced at the rotary tiller blades and could point out the steel’s flaws. All this showed that Henry Carter really had some skills. Maybe his promise to improve the quality of the rotary tiller blades was actually credible.

But this whole thing was just too unbelievable. How could a few small-time punks like Mark Newman and the others have met someone so capable, and this person was just a newly graduated technical school student? No one would believe it if you told them. Wasn’t it a bit too reckless to pin the hopes of an important factory product on someone like this?

Better observe for a while before making a move, to avoid becoming a laughingstock, Donald Shaw thought to himself.

“Aiya, I drank too much, my head’s spinning.” Donald Shaw staggered to his feet and said to everyone, “You all keep drinking. Fatty, you take care of Little Carter; Little Carter, I’m going home to sleep first. I’ll ask you about the blade later.”

“Section Chief Shaw drank so much—how about we walk you home?” Henry Carter stood up and said.

“No, no, you all keep going, keep going.” Donald Shaw stretched out both hands to stop Henry Carter, speaking firmly. With that, he picked up the snakeskin bag on the floor and stumbled out the door.

Chapter 9: Drunken Clarity

“Will he be alright?”

Watching Donald Shaw leave, Henry Carter asked Mark Newman and the others worriedly.

“No problem, Old Shaw can really hold his liquor,” Mark Newman said indifferently. “People in supply and marketing spend all day at the drinking table. Back when my dad was in charge and the factory had lots of business, didn’t Old Shaw get drunk two or three times a week? I just worry that when he gets home, Mrs. Xiao will see he reeks of alcohol and punish him again.”

“Hahahaha.” Harold Young and Leonard Miller both laughed gloatingly. Clearly, Donald Shaw’s fear of his wife was a well-known joke in the factory.

“By the way, Mark Newman, what’s really going on at our factory? You guys fill me in,” Henry Carter said. After talking with Donald Shaw, he realized the situation at Qingfeng Factory was not optimistic and the internal relationships were quite complicated, so he wanted to get a better understanding first.

Let’s not talk about how Mark Newman and the others explained the factory’s ins and outs to Henry Carter. After leaving the Weimin Restaurant, Donald Shaw staggered home. As soon as he walked in, his wife Yvonne Harris smelled the strong scent of alcohol on him, and her phoenix eyes narrowed: “Where did you go drinking again!”

“At Weimin Restaurant.” Donald Shaw tossed his things aside, sat down in the rattan chair, and said, “Yvonne, make me a cup of tea.”

“Drinking again! Did you save money by not taking the bus in Hongze and secretly use it to buy alcohol?” Yvonne Harris grumbled as she made tea for Donald Shaw. She was the classic sharp-tongued but soft-hearted type—angry at her husband’s sneaky drinking, but also feeling sorry for his craving. Seeing Donald Shaw reeking of alcohol and looking exhausted, she couldn’t bring herself to ignore him.

Donald Shaw waved his hand and said, “I did save fifty cents, but I didn’t use it to buy alcohol. Today’s drinks were courtesy of that fat guy from Director Newman’s family. He threw a banquet at Weimin Restaurant for a new technical school graduate reporting to our factory, and I just got to tag along. Wow, six dishes, three meat and three vegetable—Fatty really went all out.”