The train driver in the courtyard

In the afternoon, Li Aiguo, along with Director Zhang, began manufacturing tamping picks using materials from the preparation workshop, the kind with added protective devices.

The reason we didn't report it immediately was to check for any design flaws.

The next day at work, the track inspectors who had seen the tamping pick looked at Li Aiguo with even more warmth.

My goodness, it can do in just one hour what used to take a whole morning to do, and it's incredibly sturdy, even more solid than if it were hammered!
"Good morning, Mr. Li."

"Good morning, Mr. Li."

Li Aiguo nodded in greeting and walked towards the studio. Passing by the circuit workshop, he heard noises coming from inside and figured they must be teaching.

As Li Aiguo entered the office, Section Chief Xing was taken to the department by Leader Wang.

After listening to the report, the Ministry of Railways leader Teng looked at Section Chief Xing and asked, "Old Xing, what's going on? How come I didn't know your locomotive depot was developing new equipment?"

Section Chief Xing was also puzzled. Who knew that Li Aiguo's casual little gadget could alarm so many people? He suddenly slapped his thigh: "Sir, my mistake, I was just about to report to you."

"Comrade Li Aiguo from our locomotive depot has developed a tamping pick. Please have it inspected by the leaders," Section Chief Xing said immediately.

"Look at you, at your age, how come your memory is so bad? Come on, let's go take a look at your tamper picks."

As he spoke, Leader Teng stood up and instructed the vice ministers beside him to lead the experts to prepare for departure.

Section Chief Xing was taken aback at first, but then he understood.

To mass-produce tamping picks, it is necessary to follow proper procedures.

First, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot submits the application, then the Equipment Department within the Ministry reviews it. This long and complicated process takes at least half a month.

Another way to avoid so much trouble is when the leader makes the decision on the spot.

Compared to a hydraulic press, a tamping pick is indeed a small gadget.

However, since it could significantly reduce the burden on the road patrol workers, Leader Teng naturally placed great importance on it.

'Leader Wang knows this, and Leader Teng knows this too, so I worried for nothing.' Section Chief Xing muttered a few words under his breath, then quickly puffed out his chest: 'Leader, our section is ready and at your command at any time.'

Thirty minutes later, the studio was packed with people.

Several section leaders looked astonished. Leader Teng personally led a group of experts to carefully study the tamping pick.

Section Chief Xing, along with a group of section leaders, apprentices, and Director Zhang, all looked excited.

Leader Teng looked at Li Aiguo with great satisfaction.

He is a good comrade who is able to address the urgent needs of workers and produce what they require.

"Sir, after our second inspection, this tamping pick has met the requirements in terms of both excitation force and safety protection, with the excitation force reaching 4.1 kN."

After repeated testing, several experts gave their results.

Considering that leaders may not understand the data, the expert added: "According to our estimates, the work efficiency of a tamping pick is equivalent to that of ten track inspectors."

When Leader Teng heard about the "ten road patrol workers," he was immediately relieved.

If we manufacture several thousand of these units, the workload of our track inspectors will be reduced by more than half.

"Comrade Patriot, can the tamping pick be mass-produced?" Leader Teng asked a crucial question.

"As long as the materials are fine, our studio will be fine." Li Aiguo understood what his leader meant and quickly replied.

Leader Teng immediately made the decision: "The department urgently needs tamper picks! Immediately allocate materials and personnel to mass-produce them and distribute them to track inspectors across the country as quickly as possible!"

With the top leader making the final decision, Section Chief Xing quickly assured him, "Please rest assured, leader, our Qianmen Locomotive Depot will go all out to ensure the task is completed!"

After the high-ranking leader and his entourage left, Section Chief Xing patted Li Aiguo on the shoulder affectionately: "Well done, a little gadget has attracted such a big fuss from the ministry."

"It's all thanks to you, Section Chief, that I've been able to find the time to tinker with these things," Li Aiguo replied with a smile.

"Well done, well done!" Section Chief Xing felt very pleased.

With the tamping pick, locomotive depots all over the country owe the Qianmen Locomotive Depot a favor.

Wait until the next meeting, and let's see who dares to think it's inappropriate for the Qianmen Locomotive Depot to be sitting in the front row.

Li Aiguo never expected that Leader Teng would be so decisive. That afternoon, all kinds of materials were delivered to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

At the same time, the department also dispatched a special task force to coordinate production.

"Comrade Patriot, the heavy responsibility of production is now in our hands. You can use your free time to come up with new ideas." A production expert from the ministry planned to take over the production work.

What else can Li Aiguo say?

The tamping pick has a simple structure, the workshop can independently produce two-stroke engines, and the maintenance workshop can process other parts. Now, as long as the materials are available, it can produce as much as needed.

"Let your apprentice be in charge of manufacturing the two-stroke engine, and Lao Zhang be in charge of producing other parts. If they can't handle it, then you can step in." When Section Chief Xing learned of this situation, he was worried that Li Aiguo might have some thoughts on it, so he called him into his office and gave him some instructions.

"Section Chief, I understand." Li Aiguo was actually more than happy to do so.

The weather forecast project is now at a critical juncture, and I was just looking forward to taking a break from this.

Back in the studio, he relayed Section Chief Xing's decision to his apprentice and Director Zhang.

Both of them were very excited to be able to participate in such a large-scale manufacturing process. When it came time for the year-end awards, a big prize was a sure thing.

After handling matters at the studio and handing over his work, Li Aiguo received a call from Lao Mao.

The first batch of meteorologists has been selected and they are scheduled to go to various weather stations. Li Aiguo will be asked to receive the personnel tomorrow.

"I'll definitely be there," Li Aiguo readily agreed, pushing his bicycle as he prepared to leave work.

He had only taken a few steps when Yan Jiecheng ran over excitedly, carrying a turtle: "Aiguo, this was sent by the line workshop. Master Wei found it while he was patrolling the track."

"Huh?" Li Aiguo was stunned when he saw the giant turtle, but after thinking about it carefully, he understood.

The track inspectors mainly work in the field and often manage to find some unusual items.

Li Aiguo didn't refuse; he would return the favor when the opportunity arose.

This big turtle is perfect for making turtle soup.

With the turtle hanging from the bicycle handlebars, Li Aiguo rode the bicycle back to the courtyard house, wobbling along.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Qin Huairu squatting on the ground cutting sweet potato chips, while Jia Dongxu sat next to her, smoking and chatting with other residents.

On a sweltering day, Qin Huairu was drenched in sweat from exhaustion.

The three aunties couldn't stand it anymore and looked at Jia Dongxu, saying, "Dongxu, you should help your wife too."

"It's alright, Huai Ru is from the countryside, she's used to this kind of work." Jia Dongxu chuckled, nodding at Qin Huai Ru, "What do you think, wife?"

"Yes, I'm used to it." Qin Huairu raised her aching hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Seeing this, the three women could only sigh helplessly.

Jia Dongxu laughed and said to the nearby residents, "Oh my, my father-in-law is so hospitable! My wife doesn't care about these dried sweet potatoes at all, but he insisted on giving them to her! Do we think we're short of food?"

The residents in the compound exchanged glances, secretly amused.

Xu Damao spat beside him, "Taking advantage and then acting innocent, what a piece of trash."

"Xu Damao, what nonsense are you spouting, you grandson!" Jia Dongxu was about to raise his stick.

Qin Huairu was worried that he would cause trouble, so she grabbed his arm and said, "Our neighborhood office has announced that anyone who dares to cause trouble will have their water delivery qualification revoked and will have to fetch water from the reservoir themselves."

"Damn Li Aiguo! It must have been his bad idea!" Jia Dongxu was furious but helpless.

The water truck was provided by the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, and the patrol team members were responsible for delivering the water. Unlike general public welfare, they could completely exclude unsuitable people.

He was all talk and no action, but his body was very obedient; Jia Dongxu obediently sat back down.

Now the nearest reservoir is also lacking, and if he wants to fetch water, he would have to go forty or fifty miles away, which he doesn't have the ability to do.

"Hey! You think you're so tough? Come on, hit me here!" Xu Damao became even more excited upon seeing this.

"Brother Da Mao, what are you doing?!"

Just then, Li Aiguo pushed his bicycle into the yard, and Xu Damao quickly went over and said with a smile, "It's nothing, just teasing Jia Dongxu."

Li Aiguo knew that the two were like rubber dolls, and that they would inevitably fight whenever they met, so he didn't say much.

"Wow! What a huge turtle!"

"Brother Da Mao, I'm treating Nan Yi to turtle soup tonight, you should come too."

"Sure! I also have an old hen at home, bring that along too!"

Seeing that giant turtle, Qin Huairu felt a pang of sadness.

If she hadn't changed her mind, she definitely would have been able to eat turtle too.

Now all I can do is work myself to death cutting sweet potato chips.

Qin Huairu felt she regretted it.

Xu Damao was very happy. He went home, picked up an old hen, and brought some walnuts to the Li family.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Haizhong also called Liu Guangqi, who brought over a few bottles of wine.

Liu Guangqi had several bloody marks on his face, which meant he must have been fighting with his wife.

This was someone else's family matter, so Li Aiguo and Chen Xueru didn't ask any further questions.

Nan Yi's cooking skills are getting better and better; several dishes are very delicious.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, it was already past ten o'clock at night. Li Aiguo took a shower and returned to the room, where Chen Xueru was already lying in bed.

"Brother Aiguo, I'm..."

Before she could finish speaking, her mouth was covered.

The night was quiet.

The next morning, Li Aiguo was preoccupied with receiving the meteorologist, so he got out of bed early, slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, and prepared to go out.

"Liu Guangqi, I married you under pressure back then, and now you've run back here. My father's birthday is coming up, and you're not going back. Is that right?"

"Honey, I finally found a job and just got a permanent position. The project is at a critical juncture, how can I leave?"

"I don't care, if you don't go back to help my dad celebrate his birthday, we're getting a divorce."

A figure pushed open the door and ran out of Liu Haizhong's house, almost bumping into Li Aiguo. "It's Aiguo. I have something to do, I have to go."

Li Aiguo recognized the woman as Liu Guangqi's wife. He greeted her and then hurriedly left.

Liu Guangqi came out of the house at this moment and looked somewhat embarrassed when he saw Li Aiguo.

"Brother Aiguo, are you going to work?"

"Yes. Guangqi, I'm going to work."

Seeing Liu Guangqi's embarrassment, Li Aiguo pretended not to know anything and rode his bicycle leisurely to the weather station.

Old Cat had been waiting inside the station for a while and handed over the first batch of personnel lists to Li Aiguo.

"This batch consists of thirty-five people."

Li Aiguo took it and glanced at it briefly.

The list has all the necessary information, including names and resumes, so it's obvious it's fake without even asking.

"Send them out as planned." Li Aiguo signed his name on the list and handed it back.

With this signature, and after completing the formalities at the command center, the person on the list becomes an official meteorologist.

"Thank you so much this time." Old Cat was a man who rarely showed emotion, but he was quite moved at this moment.

"Don't mention it. It's our duty to ensure these seniors have a peaceful old age." Li Aiguo patted him on the shoulder.

"The work at the Red Star Computing Institute is almost finished, and I still need to go and keep an eye on it."

Li Aiguo was very confident in Lao Mao's work ability. After handling the matter here and reporting to the farmer, he went to the Red Star Computing Institute.

Just as he was inspecting the researchers' findings, a middle-aged man in a gray Zhongshan suit appeared at the entrance of the Beijing Hydrological Bureau.

His name is Bao Tong.

Of course, this is the name on the document; even he himself has forgotten his real name.

Like most meteorologists, Bao Tong's parents died at the hands of the Japanese, leaving him all alone at home.

It was only after joining the team that I felt like I had found a big family.

As he grew older, he suffered more and more physical injuries, and the weather station, taking his health condition into consideration, sent him to work in the local area several times.

Bao Tong, however, discovered that he had long since lost the ability to walk in the light.

Fortunately, he is now able to work at a weather station, which he heard is located deep in the mountains, a perfect fit for his personality.

After successfully completing the formalities, Bao Tong was designated as a Level 5 meteorologist, with a monthly salary of 57.2 yuan.

The grain ration was 37 jin of coarse grains and 15 jin of fine grains, plus ration coupons for matches, kerosene, and other items.

Considering that it would be inconvenient to purchase supplies in the area that Bao Tong was about to visit, the meteorological bureau specially exchanged all these food coupons and receipts for physical goods.

In the afternoon, Bao Tong boarded a train bound for the Greater Khingan Mountains.

After arriving at the station, under the arrangement of the local comrades, we traveled by truck for a whole day before finally arriving at a strange building deep in the mountains.

The building has a white plaque that reads: "Weather Station No. 237, Meteorological Bureau".

"Comrade Bao, this will be your workplace from now on. According to the headquarters' plan, the national meteorological forecasting network will be officially launched in two days. You need to prepare in advance."

The local comrades sensed that Bao Tong was acting strangely, with a chilling gaze. After shaking hands with him, they hurriedly left.

Bao Tong moved the things into the weather station. The small weather station was fully equipped, with a kitchen and a bedroom in addition to the observation room.

Sensing the silence around him, Bao Tong squinted his eyes contentedly; this was the place he had been searching for.

The next day, Bao Tong took his hunting rifle and patrolled the area, bringing back two wild rabbits along the way.

After filling their stomachs, they checked the observation equipment according to regulations, recorded the values ​​they had read in their notebooks, and then turned on the radio.

His fingertips traced the telegraph keys, and he thought of his comrades who were no longer alive. Now he could finally protect this land in another way.

Drip drip drip drip drip
The radio waves traveled thousands of kilometers and eventually reached the headquarters of the weather forecasting program.

"Report! Data received from location 237! Temperature 17.5℃, humidity 23%, air pressure 945 kPa, westerly wind force 2, no precipitation, visibility 20 km..."

The telegraph operator at the command post quickly translated the message, and the computer input source next to him clicked away for a while, inputting the data into the special weather forecast machine.

Seeing this, Zou Jieguang from the Hydrology Bureau nodded repeatedly: "No wonder he's Master Xu's apprentice! Using telegrams to transmit meteorological data, that's brilliant!"

Zou Jieguang, who was also a semi-technical leader, had a question about the weather forecasting network: how did the weather stations across the country report data to the command center in a timely manner?

It's important to understand that weather stations are different from switch stations; they can't be connected by telephone lines.

As a result, Li Aiguo actually equipped each weather station with a telegraph.

"Comrade Aiguo, how far have we progressed?" Zou Jieguang couldn't help but ask as he walked over to Li Aiguo's side.

Li Aiguo pointed to the diagram made up of neon lights.

"The data from all 572 points is complete. Once the computer finishes its calculations, the forecast will be available."

At this moment, a staff member walked in and whispered to Zou Jieguang, "Sir, the General Staff is holding a routine meeting today, and it's almost time."

"Could you please ask the commander for leave for me? I need to wait here." Zou Jieguang's eyes were fixed on the constantly flashing neon wall.

If this thing really works, it will fundamentally change the situation where weather forecasts are equivalent to giving false weather reports.

The fans inside the computer case whirred rapidly, raising the room temperature by several degrees, but no one left. Everyone was waiting for the first batch of weather data to be released.

"Don't worry, everyone. Due to limitations in our computing capabilities, it will take at least two more hours to get the results." Li Aiguo checked the calculations and, seeing that everything was going smoothly, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that processor iteration is about to begin. Now IBM is also starting to work on processors. If we stand still, we will be overtaken by them sooner or later.

Unlike other industries, the chip industry cannot earn foreign exchange if it cannot maintain a leading position.

Just like processors in later generations, some processors can sell for tens of thousands of dollars, while others only sell for a few cents. The difference lies in their manufacturing process.

Perhaps we should establish a dedicated chip research department to separate hardware and software.

The hardware department focuses on processor iteration, while the software department concentrates on developing programs with practical value.

Of course, these are all plans for the future, and Li Aiguo is not in a hurry to take action now.

At 5 p.m., the first batch of weather forecast data was released.

Inside the headquarters, everyone's attention was focused on the meteorological data for the Beijing area.

Professor Huang, upon receiving the newly released data, exclaimed, "Model prediction: Beijing will remain dry for the next two weeks, and the drought will continue!"

Upon seeing this result, everyone's expression turned grim.

"If there is no more rain, we won't be able to plant the crops."

"Yes, the food shortage problem has only just been alleviated. It might be even more serious next year."

"Is this weather forecast inaccurate?"

Several leaders of the local meteorological bureau, who had already expressed skepticism about Weather.com, immediately raised their hands upon seeing the results.

"Comrade Patriot, the drought in Beijing is a foregone conclusion. Even if you bring in an experienced meteorologist, he will get the same result."

"Yes, that doesn't prove the reliability of your weather forecast system."

Li Aiguo recognized the speaker as a local leader from Sichuan Province and smiled, "Since you think there's a problem with the weather forecast system, then may I ask what the weather will be like near Chengdu City in Sichuan Province for the next two days?"

"I need to contact our local bureau first." The local leader didn't stand on ceremony, picked up the phone and made a call to contact his colleagues in Sichuan Province.

After hanging up the phone, he gave an answer: "Currently, it's sunny in Chengdu, and the next two days are expected to be sunny as well."

Li Aiguo glanced at the operator: "Pull up the data from Chengdu's side."

The computer operator quickly operated the system, and the calculated data was produced in no time.

Professor Huang read aloud: "According to the weather forecast system, a strong cold front will pass over Chengdu within two hours, bringing heavy rainfall expected to last for five hours, with a rainfall of 150 milliliters."

Professor Huang's expression changed: "This rainfall has reached the level of an extremely heavy rainstorm. If we don't prepare in advance, it could very well cause a disaster."

These words immediately created a tense atmosphere.

It's important to know that rainfall exceeding 100 milliliters within 24 hours can be classified as an extremely heavy rainstorm.

The local meteorological bureau leader was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Nonsense! I just spoke on the phone, the sky is cloudless! The forecaster is highly experienced! How could that be? Making false reports will result in punishment!"

In the past, Li Aiguo wouldn't have bothered with him, but not now.

"Director Liu, please inform Sichuan Province immediately to prepare for the heavy rainstorm."

"You don't really think I'd believe that, do you?" The local leader frowned.

Li Aiguo's face hardened: "In my capacity as the chief commander of the weather forecasting project, I order you to immediately notify Cheng Du to prepare! Otherwise, I will dismiss you from your post."

Local leaders were surprised by Li Aiguo's seriousness: "What if it's a false report and the higher authorities investigate?"

"I'll take responsibility!" Li Aiguo straightened his back and replied loudly.

He wasn't trying to be reckless; he had just finished rechecking the meteorological data with Professor Huang and a group of researchers.

“Add me to the list! I’ll take responsibility for the Hydrology Bureau!” Zou Jieguang also stepped forward.

Seeing this situation, the local leaders had no choice but to pick up the phone and notify the local meteorological bureau, instructing them to immediately issue a warning to the local area.

"Boss, that's impossible. We just checked, and it's definitely not going to rain."

"Stop talking and get the message out right now. If you dare delay things, I'll fire you!"

At the same time, Chief of Staff Xiao also contacted the garrison in Chengdu through his connections in the Jinling Military Region, preparing to join the disaster relief efforts.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. They had done everything they could, and everyone's eyes were glued to the clock on the wall, waiting for a call from Cheng Du.

It was either a false alarm or...

Either issue a timely warning.

There is no third possibility.

(End of this chapter)