More Than Friends ✔

4- "Is there something on my face?"

A girl was just about to step into a wonderland.

But since, it was the 21st century, and the girl wasn't just a kindergarten girl but a woman- this was a trip to a gadget producing factory and not Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory.

The first process that started it all was the injection process. It was basically a mould making process where the first round of front covers, rear covers and sim trays were made. There were huge machines on either sides with an employee operating on each. The mould was dropped on the cavity and then clamped together to form the outline.

"See these cavity boards in the middle?" Her guide pointed out.

"Say what? I can't hear you!" Pallavi raised her voice over the humming noises of the machines.

"Those cavity boards are going to be clamped together! Look!"

Her guide was the well known workaholic Sai. Mister Tiwari initially told Adhvik to tour Pallavi around the house, but Adhvik claimed he was tired after walking around for the past two hours in the assembly floor. Disappointed, Mister Tiwari was forced to appoint his favorite student.

Pallavi rubbed her forearms, feeling a sudden chill after exiting the injection room. With around twenty- five machines, no wonder the room was thrice as hot. She dreaded to imagine how much hotter it would feel at summer, instead.

The whole production house was like a tunnel, except in three- dimensional cuboid shaped with rooms at either side.

They went to a few more rooms- Coating room, Laser room, and assembly room- All with different equipments and processes. There were many layers of coating and polishing done before the final product was produced in the market. Sai proved to be an incredible mentor, reciting her wonderful stories.

"During one inspection, two employees ended up using M31000 coat instead of M31001, which is the blue coat. They were fired immediately."

"You know just four months ago, these workers were on strike because of the low pay raise. The one leading the strike left the job but he was rumoured to be fired in secret."

"Blah, blah, blah.... And guess what?"

"He was fired." Pallavi completed his monogamous sentence. "You're a fantastic guide, you know that!"

"Oh, really? Thank you," Sai's smile grew wider in appreciation, or rather his ego. "I guess I should be the one assigned to train the newbies after all."

Of course Pallavi meant that sarcastically. She would rather explore the place alone, than the nutcase besides her.

The assembly room was the biggest amongst them all, with hundreds of employees, standing in rows. It was like a school's assembly hall, without a stage. Each row of employees constituted a different Mi model. Pallavi observed how each employee would attach a child part to the cover, either by their glove covered hands or a small attachment machine, and pass it onto the next, all the way to the final product area. The final products were kept in trays, which were then packed in boxes in the 'packaging room'.

"Oh," Pallavi remarked, after observing the final product in her hands. "It's not the actual final product."

"Obviously not. Child parts like LCD screen, speakers, battery, chips go to the vendor houses who manufacture that."

She picked a child part which constituted a mobile camera. "So even parts like this have a vendor."

"Yes, like this cam-corder was produced from Heung Shong."

Pallavi's eyes widened with fascination. Heung Shong working for Mansur, Mansur working for Xiaomi Cooperation. Then there were other companies who assembled other child parts. She could almost envision a pyramid with Xiaomi on top. Although she was aware of the complexities involved in manufacturing a gadget, but knowing and seeing were two different things. Naturally, she was left in awe.