The train driver in the courtyard

Chapter 1062 Large-Scale Production, the Steel Rolling Mill's Ambition (Third Update)
Li Aiguo received the notification from the ministry while assembling the excavator boom.

Li Aiguo has been busy building scooter motorcycles lately, but Zong Xianfeng and the wild car experts haven't been idle either; the excavator development work is progressing rapidly.

"Aiguo, hurry up, the foreign trade department is pressing us urgently." Section Chief Xing was sweating profusely and stamping his feet beside him.

"What happened?" Li Aiguo rarely saw Section Chief Xing like this, and Zong Xianfeng and the others also looked surprised.

"I don't know, the ministry said it's extremely urgent."

"You guys continue, I'm going to a meeting." Li Aiguo also realized the seriousness of the problem, handed the parts to the wild car expert, and hurriedly went to the ministry with Section Chief Xing.

The ministry leaders didn't mince words and directly explained the situation in the port city.

"Yang Jizong needs 1 motorcycles, the scooter motorcycles you just developed. The timeframe is one month. Can you handle it?" The ministry leader said this in a somewhat weak tone.

Li Aiguo: "."

Section Chief Xing: "."

Section Chief Xing was silent for a moment before speaking: "Why don't you just send someone to take over our motorcycle workshop and run it yourself? Whatever you produce, it's all yours."

Section Chief Xing's words were somewhat emotional, and he made a mistake.

Can't blame him.

Now that the motorcycle workshop has expanded its production scale, the monthly output is only 10,000 vehicles. This is a tenfold increase. Who can handle that?

In this day and age, once you've made a pledge, you have to risk your life to fulfill it, not just accept a punishment of three cups of wine after failure.

Li Aiguo nodded in agreement: "It's impossible to accomplish. Even if all the employees of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot were mobilized to assemble it, it still wouldn't be possible."

"What if we only make engines?" the ministry leader asked. "We can mobilize domestic machinery and parts factories to produce parts and be responsible for assembly. Your motorcycle workshop can send technicians to provide guidance and be responsible for acceptance testing."

"Large-scale production?!" Li Aiguo suddenly thought of a word.

This is a common method these days, just like massing troops in a game, concentrating all resources to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties.

"There are more than a dozen factories related to machinery manufacturing near our capital, such as the Third Machinery Plant, Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and Beijing Bicycle Factory."

In addition to similar factories across the country, according to statistics from the Ministry of Machine Building, there were at least 500 such factories.

All you need to do is provide the blueprints, offer technical guidance, and manufacture the engines.

The remaining tasks will all be handled by these factories.

It's clear that the ministry leaders have put large-scale production on the agenda.

"I have no objection."

Li Aiguo recalled the plan he had previously submitted to the ministries to target the small-scale motorcycles, and now he understood why the higher-ups were making such a big fuss and launching a large-scale production effort.

The production and sales of Hongxing scooter motorcycles have escalated from a purely economic issue to a matter of regulation.

"Great, I'll contact the Ministry of Machine Building right away. Let's set up a command center and win this major production battle." The ministry leader was very pleased.

Guided by the same goal, the Ministry of Machine Building and the railway authorities jointly established a motorcycle mass production command.

Large-scale production emphasizes division of labor and cooperation, concentrating all resources together and having the command center make unified arrangements for production.

Tire factories specialize in producing tires, hardware factories produce screws, bicycle factories produce handlebars, and so on.

Assembly plants have high requirements and need skilled assembly workers.

The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building suggested that the Jinan Qingqi Factory, the Second Bicycle Factory, and the Shenyang Bicycle Factory be responsible for the task.

The most crucial engine was manufactured by the motorcycle workshop of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. Even so, according to Li Aiguo's estimate, it would be impossible to complete the manufacturing of 100,000 motorcycle engines in just one month. If defective products were taken into account, the number of engines needed to be manufactured would be even greater.

Deputy Director Li of the steel rolling mill was very well-informed. After receiving a call from a former leader of the ministry, he summoned Liu Haizhong to his office.

"Comrade Haizhong, you've been doing very well lately. There's a training course in our factory, and we've reserved a spot for you."

Being able to attend the training course meant that his promotion to workshop director was on the agenda. Liu Haizhong nodded excitedly and flattered him a few times.

"I heard that Comrade Aiguo is in charge of large-scale production, and there is still a shortage of engine manufacturing. Do you think our factory has a chance to take over?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong realized that this was Deputy Factory Director Li's true purpose.

"Factory manager, shall I go back and find out the information for you?"

"Then trouble you."

Motorcycle engines are the most important components, receiving the most subsidies, and also facing the fiercest competition.

Fortunately, several specialized automobile factories, such as Jiefang Factory, FAW Factory, and Beijing Automobile Factory, did not get involved because they needed to produce trucks.

This gave the steel rolling mill a glimmer of hope.

Deputy Factory Director Li shrewdly played the personal favor card.

Motivated by his promotion, Liu Haizhong spent a lot of money, first buying an old hen at the market and then two bottles of Moutai liquor.

When Li Aiguo got home from get off work, Liu Haizhong, who had been waiting for a long time, came to his door.

"I love my country, so the factory sent me to a training course."

"Congratulations, congratulations, Second Uncle, you'll probably be promoted soon." Li Aiguo was also happy for Liu Haizhong.

Liu Haizhong is indeed focusing his energy on his work now, and his efforts should be rewarded.

"I have to thank you for this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had this opportunity. Your second aunt stewed an old hen and is coming over for drinks tonight."

It just so happened that Chen Xueru was riding her motorcycle back to her parents' home today, and Li Aiguo was too lazy to cook dinner, so he readily agreed.

As evening fell, Li Aiguo strolled over to Liu Haizhong's house, where four or five dishes were already laid out on the table, a very lavish spread.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere in the room became lively.

Liu Haizhong smiled and said, "Aiguo, I heard you're planning to find a factory to produce motorcycle engines. I wonder what your requirements are?"

"The technical requirements are very high, and the confidentiality issue is also a key point."

Chen Baiya is currently stationed at the steel rolling mill, and the two companies have cooperated many times. It wouldn't be unreasonable for them to outsource a portion of the engine production to the steel rolling mill.

However, whether or not the order can be secured ultimately depends on the steel mill's capabilities.

Liu Haizhong was well aware that this matter involved a wide range of issues, and it was already quite commendable that Li Aiguo was able to offer such guidance. He raised his glass and said, "Come on, Aiguo, let me toast you."

Yi Zhonghai had been keeping an eye on Liu Haizhong's house. Hearing laughter coming from inside, he felt uneasy.

The factory just announced that Liu Haizhong will be attending a training course.

When Liu Haizhong became the workshop director, he would have to be even more authoritative over this old man.

Recalling the resentful look Jia Dongxu had recently cast at him unintentionally, Yi Zhonghai sighed dejectedly:
How did things get to this point?

(End of this chapter)