Life丨Former bad boy finds joy in jewelry

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Once he's at his workstation and has opened his bag of tools, Zhang Yupeng develops a quiet, serious demeanor of someone years beyond his age. As the 22-year-old sits hunched over scattered pieces of metals, stones and drills, he meticulously inspects every detail of the piece of jewelry he's making with a magnifying glass. ▲ Zhang Yupeng holds up the Chinese national flag after winning the gold medal in the jewelry craft event at the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France, in September. China Daily The stones are tiny, and the welding points are nearly invisible to the naked eye. He scans for the slightest imperfections, checking if the joints are flush, the interior surfaces are smooth, or any traces of tool marks remain. Every so often, he reaches for a drill tool, fine-tuning the piece with care. "Everything requires extreme precision," Zhang says. "For certain procedures, such as (gem) inlay, a microscope is required to make sure the tiny stone is secure, as any gap will ………………………………