When few women chose a career in heavy-industry engineering, Zhong Jue took a different path. A recipient of the July 1 Medal, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and a renowned mechanical engineering expert, she has devoted her life to strengthening China's manufacturing sector.

In the 1970s, Zhong's team solved a critical failure in an imported hot-rolling mill. Through rigorous analysis, they proved that the malfunction stemmed from design flaws rather operator error, overturning the conclusions of foreign experts.

"It was our finest victory," Zhong recalled. "It proved that Chinese scientists are every bit as capable as their international peers."

She later led breakthroughs in high-performance aluminum processing, reducing China's reliance on imported materials for major national projects.

Now in her 90s, Zhong continues to mentor young researchers while remaining active on the front lines of advanced manufacturing and aerospace engineering.