That risk drove Zhou's relentless rigor. He consistently spends more than 10 hours daily in the workshop, debugging equipment before sea trials, repeating tests two to three times. His path was neither easy nor expected.

Zhou graduated from technical school in 1999 and took a fitter job at a mining machinery company in Northeast China's Liaoning province. "I decided to become the best fitter in the industry," he said. He practiced filing — a basic skill — tens of thousands of times, wearing out nearly a thousand files.

Within a few years, he had mastered lathes, milling machines, boring machines, planers, grinders and welders.

In 2016, seeking new challenges, Zhou moved to Hainan province and joined the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. "I thought it would be a great honor if I could use my skills to help build a strong maritime nation," he said. But he quickly learned that land-based machinery and deep-sea equipment differ in nearly every detail. Still, his approach never changed: rigorous, repetitive, and relentless.

Zhou has earned the title "Great Country Craftsman of the Year" and received China's top labor honors, including the National Model Worker award and the China Skills Award. He leads a national demonstration model worker and craftsman innovation studio, and receives a special allowance from the State Council.