The train driver in the courtyard

evening.

Li Aiguo rode his motorcycle home. As soon as he entered the door, Liu Haizhong, who had been watching him closely, came to his door carrying two fish.

"Patriotism, this is a fish that I caught with my third uncle. Xue Ru is pregnant, and this is the best thing to nourish her body."

Both fish were quite large. Li Aiguo asked Chen Xueru to take them, then led Liu Haizhong into the study and poured him a cup of tea.

"Second Uncle, is there something you need?"

Liu Haizhong knew that he couldn't hide his little scheme from Li Aiguo, so he told him about the task that Deputy Factory Director Li had given him.

"Our factory definitely needs more orders right now."

"What's wrong? Is the steel rolling mill not doing well?" Li Aiguo hadn't really been paying attention to the situation at the steel rolling mill lately.

"Oh, don't even mention it. We've built quite a few steel rolling mills in the last two years." Liu Haizhong briefly explained the situation.

Liu Haizhong rambled on for over ten minutes, but to sum it up in one sentence: it's an inevitable trend.

Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill is a long-established steel rolling mill and one of the few factories with a complete set of steel rolling equipment. For a period of time after liberation, it undertook a large number of orders.

With the development of domestic industry in recent years, new steel rolling mills have been established in Northeast China, Southwest China, and even Yanjiao, and a large portion of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill's orders have been taken away.

Even more serious is that the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill is too close to Beijing.

Although there is no such thing as a highly polluting enterprise these days.

However, the chimneys are always emitting black smoke, which is annoying. In the past two years, many workshops have been in a state of partial shutdown.

This is also one of the reasons why Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill actively cooperated with Qianmen Locomotive Depot in the past.

Li Aiguo himself also had the idea of ​​handing over the contract manufacturing rights to Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

Firstly, the two parties had cooperated several times and were quite familiar with each other. Secondly, he was able to keep track of the manufacturing progress in real time through his neighbors in the compound.

"Uncle, you've come at the right time. I was just about to ask you for advice on how to weld components onto a truck." Li Aiguo took out a blueprint.

When he saw the blueprints in his bangs, his eyes lit up instantly.

"Aiguo, thank you so much this time."

"Don't mention it, it's all for work."

Liu Haizhong stayed at the Li family's house for two or three hours, during which Li Aiguo explained the production process and precautions of the airborne drilling rig, focusing on the key points.

Apart from assembling the hydraulic system, the rest of the steps for airborne drilling rigs are quite easy.

"The position of the hydraulic unit is crucial; it must be installed at the marked point. Even the slightest error could cause a deviation in the stroke. You'd better develop corresponding installation standards."

"Tomorrow I'll go to the factory and find a few experienced workers to study this."

Liu Haizhong felt that this thing was becoming more and more interesting. At dinner time, his second aunt came to the Li family to call Liu Haizhong back for dinner, and he left.

"Old man, why are you chatting for so long today?"

“Some people in the compound are envious of Aiguo’s achievements. Now I understand, he’s a real talent. If only Liu Guangqi could be as ambitious as Aiguo.” Liu Haizhong sighed twice, then thought of Liu Guangqi, and his mood suddenly soured.

"Old man, Liu Guangtian got 96 points on his exam today!" Aunt Er quickly changed the subject when she saw Liu Haizhong's expression.

"Really? This kid only scored in the teens last time, but he's really improved this time."

Liu Hai was very happy. Liu Guangtian used to have very poor grades and was at the bottom of his class. If he really had a breakthrough, then the Liu family might be able to produce another vocational school graduate in the future.

Back home, Liu Haizhong generously rewarded Liu Guangtian with a handful of milk candies and praised him.

"Where's the test paper? Let Dad take a look."

"Here you go." Liu Guangtian ate the fragrant milk candy and casually took out the test paper from his schoolbag and handed it over.

Liu Haizhong took the test paper, glanced at it twice, and immediately sensed something was wrong.

"That's 96 points?"

"Yes," Liu Guangtian said guiltily.

"Slap! Who do you think you're fooling? Changing a 6 to 96, you've got some nerve." Liu Haizhong grabbed his belt and gave Liu Guangtian a good beating.

After being beaten, Liu Guangtian limped into the inner room. Liu Guangfu whispered, "Brother, I advised you to change the 6 points to 66 points, but you didn't listen. Now you've been beaten, haven't you?"

Liu Guangtian pulled out a handful of milk candies from his pocket and chuckled, "If I get 66 points, can I have some candy?"

Liu Guangfu remained silent.

He looked down at the 63 points on his test paper and felt that he might have made a mistake.

Night falls.

The courtyard, which had been bustling all day, gradually fell silent, and dim lights were turned on in every household.

At Yi Zhonghai's house, Jia Dongxu reported the situation: "Master, I just saw Liu Haizhong give Li Aiguo two fish, and they chatted for several hours."

"Understood, Dongxu. Don't write an anonymous letter this time," Yi Zhonghai instructed Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu said angrily, "Master, I definitely didn't write that letter last time. It must have been some bastard who framed me."

Ever since Jia Dongxu was punished by cleaning toilets, he has called the person who wrote the anonymous letter "a bastard who will have no descendants" and "a bastard who will have no offspring."

These labels, linked to infertility, whether intentional or unintentional, deeply hurt Yi Zhonghai.
Yi Zhonghai's ears burned with embarrassment, and he quickly changed the subject: "It's getting late, and you have to go to work early tomorrow. You should go home now."

Before leaving, Yi Zhonghai asked an older woman to give Jia Dongxu five jin of cornmeal.

He was also told not to let the residents in the compound see it, lest they gossip.

"Don't worry, Master." Jia Dongxu took the cornmeal and left happily.

With this bag of flour, he no longer needed to worry about food for the next few days.

Now Yi Zhonghai is very clever; he no longer lends money to Jia Dongxu, but only grain, and each time he only lends three to five catties.

After seeing Jia Dongxu off, Yi Zhonghai plopped down in a chair, his face gradually darkening.

"Li Aiguo and Liu Haizhong are probably planning something again."

An older woman placed the food on the table and advised, "Old man, you should put aside those old things and build a relationship with Aiguo. Look, Liu Haizhong is doing very well in your steel mill now."

"You want me to bow down to a mere brat? No way!" Yi Zhonghai slammed his fist on the table.

Seeing him like this, the older woman could only sigh helplessly and turn to go into the kitchen.

Inside a study at this time.

The higher-level leader had just listened to Minister Zhao of the First Ministry of Machine Building's report on the "OEM model" and lightly tapped his fingertips on the table: "Comrade Aiguo's proposal of 'OEM' is indeed a novel concept."

Minister Zhao added with some concern: "This model is still in the exploratory stage under the current system, and I am worried about the risks at the policy level, so I came to consult with the leadership."

After reviewing the documents, the superior leader pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "Currently, the nation's industrial production needs to be coordinated and integrated."

The "outsourcing" proposed by Comrade Aiguo is essentially a form of mutual assistance and collaboration between factories under the current system.

It's a beneficial supplement to the existing production scheduling methods, and it aligns with the overall national strategy. I see no problem with it.

Hearing this conclusion, Minister Zhao felt relieved, as the last policy obstacle had been cleared.

He immediately stated, "Please rest assured, leaders, I will organize and implement this as soon as I get back, ensuring that the production task is completed as quickly as possible, and I will never let down the organization's trust."

"Wait a moment." The leader gestured for him to stay, and further emphasized, "This 'OEM model' is very valuable to explore."

It addresses a key issue in collaborative production within factories under a planned economy, effectively revitalizing existing resources and enhancing overall efficiency, demonstrating enormous potential.

Seeing that the higher-level leaders attached such importance to this model, Minister Zhao quickly reported: "In fact, after research and demonstration, the comrades in the ministry have also deeply realized the value of this model."

We are currently working diligently to refine the implementation details and management methods for OEM manufacturing. Once finalized, we plan to gradually roll it out across all factories within the department.

Under the planned economy system, industrial production was planned and coordinated by ministries.

However, due to limitations in information transmission and resource allocation, there is often an imbalance where some factories have idle capacity while others are fully occupied.

In the past, production scheduling was mostly done by each factory contacting other factories independently. This approach lacked unified guidance, was inefficient, involved skirting regulations, carried high risks, and was poorly managed, inevitably leading to problems.

With the OEM model, this problem can be solved at its root, thereby allowing for the rational scheduling of production and improving production efficiency.

Subsequently, after in-depth research, the First Ministry of Machine Building officially recognized the "contract manufacturing model" as an effective supplement to the existing production system and promoted it throughout the system as a standardized production scheduling method.

Because of its remarkable effectiveness in optimizing resource allocation and improving production efficiency, it was quickly adopted by other ministries such as the Second Ministry of Machine Building and the Fourth Ministry of Machine Building, becoming an important innovation for revitalizing industrial production under the planned economy system.

After Leader Zhao left, the superior reviewed the materials again and smiled, "It seems Comrade Aiguo is quite the production expert."

"Comrade Patriot is always good at starting from reality. The things he proposes may seem simple, but they can solve big problems. He can be considered a genius." Seeing that the leader was in a good mood, the assistant also joked.

A few days later, the Ministry of Machine Building announced the contract manufacturing news, and major heavy machinery factories in Beijing submitted their advantages and related contract manufacturing plans to the ministry.

There is a lot of information, more than a dozen documents.

One of them was the most comprehensive, which, in addition to introducing the factory's advantages, also included some production planning.

One of the most obvious advantages is: "Our factory has many years of experience cooperating with the Qianmen Locomotive Depot!"

Leader Zhao from the First Ministry of Machine Building picked up the documents and said, "I think this is the one."

"I can see it."

"Yes, this factory isn't far from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. Comrade Aiguo can keep an eye on it."

After consulting with the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, the First Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Railways publicly announced the ownership of the contract manufacturing rights: "The contract manufacturing of this vehicle-mounted well drilling rig will be completed by Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill."

The factories in Beijing weren't surprised, after all, the advantages of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill were too obvious, and Deputy Director Li had done so much work.

"Old Li, you've landed such a big OEM order right away. I bet you'll be promoted to a full-time employee soon."

"Hehe, I'm just a worker, I have no intention of becoming a factory manager."

Deputy Factory Director Li spoke modestly, but inwardly he was quite pleased.

According to organizational procedures, there is definitely no way to make any further progress in the short term. However, with this batch of OEM orders, Factory Director Yang estimates that he will have to stay in the hospital for a few more months.

Subsequently, the leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building spoke with Deputy Director Li: "Comrade Huaide, you have achieved great results in your work recently."

This contract manufacturing work is not only related to our cooperation with the railway department, but also to agricultural production, border security, and other tasks. Your factory must take it seriously!

"Please rest assured, leader, I guarantee I will complete the task." Deputy Factory Director Li was particularly excited and stood up to make the promise.

"Go back to work quickly and cooperate well with the Qianmen Locomotive Depot."

"Yes!"

When Deputy Director Li returned to the steel rolling mill, he announced that the mill was contracting with the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, which surprised the leaders and workers alike.

What is OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing)?

"We helped the Qianmen Locomotive Depot manufacture airborne drilling rigs."

"Then what's the point of us? Isn't this just looking down on people?"

"In addition to the corresponding subsidies, the railway authorities also provide each airborne drilling rig with a batch of refined wheat flour."

"Done!"

The steel mill acted quickly, assigning its original working group to handle the outsourcing work.

Because the scale has expanded several times, Liu Haizhong's actual authority as deputy group leader has also increased, becoming almost equivalent to that of a regular workshop director.

"Congratulations, Master Liu."

"Well, it's all work. It's just that my boss thinks highly of me."

The workers and some leaders in the workshop congratulated Liu Haizhong. Liu Haizhong was very happy, but he made a humble gesture.

All he did was hand over the technology he learned from Li Aiguo to the factory, and he was able to become the deputy leader of the contract manufacturing group. He really got a great deal.

"Bah! A dog relying on its master's power! If it weren't for Li Aiguo, how could Liu Haizhong, a mere worker, have become a leader?" Jia Dongxu stood in the crowd, speaking up for Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai is a level seven worker, while Gao Liuhai is a level one worker, but now he can only work in the workshop.

"Dongxu, stop talking." Yi Zhonghai felt his heart pounding wildly.

He never expected that the steel rolling mill would now be under its leadership.

The so-called contract manufacturing is just like a branch factory, where everything has to be done according to the instructions of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

Li Aiguo is such a ruthless guy. He mobilized the entire steel rolling mill to work for him without spending a single penny.

What's even more frustrating is that Deputy Factory Director Li and his group of factory leaders and workers have to beg him for favors.

What the hell is this!

"Master, don't worry. With me, Jia Dongxu, here, I will definitely teach Li Aiguo a lesson."

As Jia Dongxu was shouting, Xu Damao's voice came from outside: "Jia Dongxu, the toilets are full! Are you slacking off again, you toilet cleaner?!"

Jia Dongxu: "."

Yi Zhonghai: "."

With no other option, Jia Dongxu, who had just been talking about doing great things, could only carry a shovel into the toilet.

If you can't even sweep a toilet, how can you sweep the world? Sweeping toilets is a test from heaven for him; most people don't even get this treatment.

Jia Dongxu quickly figured it out, his disappointed mood lifted again, and he felt quite pleased.

The Qianmen Locomotive Depot has very high requirements, and it has introduced the planned management of the instant noodle factory into the steel rolling mill.

If the requirements are not met, the substitute worker qualification will be revoked.

The workshop equipment needs to be replaced, the production process needs to be optimized, and even the cleanliness of the workshop needs to be taken care of by a dedicated person.

The steel rolling mill became busy, and cleaners like Jia Dongxu were called in to work overtime.

"Overtime?" Jia Dongxu wanted to explode at that moment.

The cleaning team leader glared at him: "Jia Dongxu, are you unwilling? Right now, all the factory workers are thinking about how to complete the task as soon as possible and pass the inspection at the front gate locomotive depot. Are you planning to hold us back? Fine, get out of here right now!"

"I'll do it, okay?" Jia Dongxu was startled and quickly agreed.

"Damn it, they're all bullying me, aren't they?"

After leaving the office, Jia Dongxu, who had just been scolded, tilted his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "It seems I am still very important. You see, the factory can't function without me. Even the factory leaders have to beg me."

On the other side, Li Aiguo also led the technicians to prepare the necessary materials for assembly and production, and trained a quality inspection team.

The quality inspectors all come from the workshop; they are all members of the organization, with high ideals and excellent technical skills.

Chen Baiya will remain the factory representative.

Two weeks later, Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill officially began manufacturing truck-mounted drilling rigs.

One by one, the vehicle-mounted drilling rigs were manufactured in the steel rolling mill. After acceptance, they were sent to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop for a second quality inspection.

The drilling rigs that passed inspection were labeled with the nameplate of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot and then shipped to various parts of the country.

Airborne well drilling rigs quickly appeared in fields, deserts in Northwest China, and remote border regions, with excellent results.

The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Railways were both commended by their superiors.

Li Aiguo and the Qianmen Locomotive Depot both received the grand prize certificate.

In addition, the Ministry of Railways specially approved two boxes of milk powder, which were just right for Chen Xueru to use.

In the evening, Aunt Liu took He Yushui to chat with Chen Xueru, and casually mentioned, "Aiguo, Tianquan and Huang Sen haven't written to us for a while."

"I'll inquire about it later," Li Aiguo casually agreed.

(End of this chapter)