The train driver in the courtyard

The studio, 10 p.m.

Li Aiguo yawned, stood up, put the blueprints and draft paper into a security bag, sealed it with vermilion lacquer, and handed it to the security officer standing at the door.

"Comrade Patriot, you're off work quite early today!"

"..." Li Aiguo turned his head to look at the offices next door and asked, "Has Professor Qi not left work yet?"

"No, Professor Qi just sent us in some steamed buns. I guess we'll be working overtime again," the security officer replied, skillfully packing the security bag into the box.

"Ahem, I have something to do tonight, so I'll be leaving get off work now."

A wave of guilt washed over Li Aiguo. He left those words behind, got on his motorcycle, and hurriedly drove away.

At this time, there were few pedestrians on the road, and the surroundings were quiet.

Li Aiguo shivered from the cold wind, gripped the handlebars tightly, and could only say one thing: "It's inhumane for you guys to work overtime like this."

After Workshop 116 officially started operation, Professor Qi proposed a 30-day intensive effort to strive to build the Thunderfire Turbine Shaft Engine.

Thunderbolt is the code name for a new type of engine, implying that armed helicopters will descend from the sky and turn enemy positions into a sea of ​​fire.

Li Aiguo raised both hands in approval of Professor Qi's proposal.

They, the railway workers, are used to working hard and efficiently; how could they possibly be inferior to these experts?

result.

Li Aiguo realized he had been tricked.

Professor Qi and the researchers went to work at eight o'clock every morning and left at one or two o'clock in the morning.

Aside from eating and sleeping, all I do is work, seven days a week non-stop, it's practically suicidal.

Li Aiguo is alright; he's physically strong and can handle it.

The untrained car expert couldn't take it for more than two days and had to be hospitalized.

The project is progressing quickly. The theoretical research on the Thunderfire engine has been completed, and the relevant drawings have been finished. Once the milling and turning machining center passes the superior's acceptance tomorrow, we can start manufacturing the prototype.

Back in the courtyard, every household had turned off their lights, leaving the courtyard completely dark.

Hearing the sound of a motorcycle engine, Chen Xueru opened the door and smiled, "It's a little earlier today than yesterday."

"If you're tired, take a rest." Li Aiguo tied up the motorcycle and handed over the canvas bag.

"I'm not sleepy, I'm not sleepy. Have you eaten? I'll cook for you."

"I had a work lunch."

Li Aiguo quickly washed up, then took Chen Xueru's arm and lay down on the bed, soon falling asleep.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Li Aiguo has a terrible temper when he wakes up!
He was almost on his way to the helicopter when he was interrupted. Who wouldn't be angry?

Li Aiguo sat up and listened, then realized something was wrong; someone was knocking on the window.

I looked out the window.

Damn it.

A figure holding a hand grenade!

"Who is it?" Li Aiguo pulled out his pistol and released the safety.

"Boom!"

The other party didn't reply, but knocked on the window again.

"Who the hell are you?"

Li Aiguo was also a little scared. It was late at night when a figure appeared in the window, carrying a grenade. Anyone would be scared.

"Boom boom boom!"

Li Aiguo suddenly pushed open the window, aimed his pistol, and put his finger on the trigger.

"Third Uncle?"

"Ah!! Don't shoot!!"

"My darn thing!"

Li Aiguo looked closely and saw that the person standing outside the window was Uncle San.

The old man was holding a stick or something similar, wrapped in a red cloth, with one end larger than the other, looking exactly like a hand grenade.

"Uncle, what are you up to in the middle of the night?"

"First, put the pistol away." The old man was also frightened by the black muzzle of the gun, and stood there dumbfounded, holding the grenade.

Li Aiguo put away his gun, slipped on his shoes, and opened the door while cursing.

"Good stuff, keep your voice down, Aiguo, I've got something good." The third uncle said, placing the item wrapped in red cloth on the table and gesturing for Li Aiguo to open it himself.

When Li Aiguo opened it, there was a dark object inside, shaped like a stick.

It's a bit oddly shaped, big at one end and small at the other, covered in green rust, so it's probably made of copper. At the very tip, there's a round protrusion with a cap, and there should be a groove above the round end, just like a big Dio.

"Holy crap! Where did you get this thing?" Li Aiguo felt disgusted and threw it on the table. Who knew how many times it had been used?
"You bought it?" The old man was a little smug. "I checked it. This thing should be from the Ming Dynasty. I bought it at the price of scrap copper. What do you think?"

"You're really ruthless." Li Aiguo gave a thumbs up; picking up bargains was a basic skill for the Third Uncle.

"Do you want it? I'll give it to you cheap." The old man blinked his small eyes. He had waited for several days to bring Li Aiguo back, just for this.

If we're talking about people in this compound who have the money to collect antiques, Li Aiguo is the only one.

"No."

"Huh?! This is a good thing." The third uncle didn't understand.

"Do you know what this is?" Li Aiguo tried to touch it, but before he could, he pulled his fingers back and dared not touch it.

"A rolling pin, I guess."

"Who would be willing to use a rolling pin made of bronze?"

"It's for the emperor to cook with."

"."

The Eastern Palace Empress peels scallions, while the Western Palace Empress bakes pancakes?
Li Aiguo was about to curse when he pointed at the stick and asked, "Does your rolling pin have a tortoise shell on it?!"

“Yeah, that’s true.” The third uncle was also unsure now. He picked up the stick and carefully brought it to his nose to smell it: “This thing must have come out of the ground just now. It has an earthy smell. I can’t poke it.”

The old man looked up at Li Aiguo and asked, "Do you know what this thing is?"

"Wait here." Li Aiguo turned and went into the study.

The Li family's study now boasts a vast collection of books, many of which are rare and ancient texts.

Li Aiguo rummaged through the books for a while, then picked up a tattered old book, opened it to a page, and placed it in front of the Third Uncle.

"The Book of Romance for Awakening the World? You read that kind of book? You have good taste." The third uncle stroked his chin, looking rather smug.

"Stop talking so much, look here."

"what?"

Following the direction Li Aiguo pointed, the third uncle read aloud, "Then he twisted open the third drawer, inside were two or three 'Mr. Mingjiao' coins, two or three 'Guangdong Personnel' coins, and two pieces of 'Mother Chen's' coins."

The old man was completely stunned. He looked at the copper rod, then at the book, and uttered an incredulous sound: "This...this is Mr. Mingjiao?"

"It should be." Li Aiguo had seen this thing in a museum in his later years; it was exactly the same and the workmanship was quite good.

Mr. Horn is a stick, and Mrs. Chen is like a piece of silk cloth in a bathroom.

What intrigued Li Aiguo was what exactly this "Guangdong Personnel" system was, and whether it was even legitimate.

I'm completely baffled.

At this moment, the Third Uncle also snapped out of his shock, his expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously threw Mr. Jiao onto the table.

"you sure?"

"This is the first time I've ever seen something like this."

The old man's eyes darted around quickly, and he lowered his voice: "Ahem... Patriotism, this is something for you young people. How about I sell it to you for five yuan? I'm losing money on this. To be honest, I'm scared to have this thing in my hands."

That's true. These days, the control over antiques is indeed not strict. Items from the Qing Dynasty are considered precious cultural relics, while those from later dynasties are considered ordinary cultural relics.

In other words, cultural relics from before the Qing Dynasty cannot be bought or sold.

Moreover, it is limited to old items from family collections, which must be able to prove that they were passed down from ancestors.

Things like these, which might have been dug out of a grave, are investigated very rigorously.

If it were any other antique, Li Aiguo could have accepted it first and then submitted a report to his superiors.

The key point is that even if this thing is hidden in a box, it still feels too dirty.

"You should take it back for yourself; I don't need it," Li Aiguo said, pointing to the door.

"Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else." Seeing that there was no hope, the third uncle could only wrap the stick in a red envelope, put it in his pocket, and leave.

Watching the old man's retreating figure, Li Aiguo slapped his forehead. He had forgotten to ask the old man where he got the man from.

But even if you asked, given the old man's personality, he wouldn't tell you.

Li Aiguo was getting sleepy and didn't care about these things anymore. He closed the door and crawled back into bed.

Chen Xueru was startled awake, and her cute little head rubbed against the rough man's chest.

"Is it Uncle San?"

"Yes, I brought a stick."

"What?"

"It's nothing, go to sleep?"

Li Aiguo yawned, lay down on his pillow, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Li Aiguo got out of bed.

Today is the day to assemble the lathe, so I need to go to the workshop early to prepare.

Chen Xueru also got up very early and was busy in the kitchen. When she saw Li Aiguo get up, she came out with two plates and was about to put them on the table.

"and many more."

Li Aiguo suddenly remembered something, found a tattered towel, dampened it with water, and wiped the table clean before letting Chen Xueru put it down.

Who knows if Mr. Corner's previous owner cleaned it after using it?

Li Aiguo had no desire to have anything to do with a thousand-year-old female ghost.

Breakfast was simple: five fried eggs and a bowl of cornmeal porridge. Li Aiguo finished it all in one go and then rode his motorcycle to the locomotive depot workshop.

It was only eight o'clock, and the area outside the milling and turning machining center was packed with people. Several leaders from the Ministry of Railways and the First Ministry of Machine Building, along with a group of experts, were waiting for the inspection of the milling and turning machining center to be completed before conducting the acceptance test.

The passageways between the milling and turning machining center and workshop 116 have long been locked.

Professor Qi and the technicians from the aircraft factory also changed into the uniforms of the Qianmen Maintenance Section and stood to the side, but no one paid any attention to them.

The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building looked at Li Aiguo with great satisfaction.

As a leader, one must know the technical complexity of milling and turning machining centers.

Lathes from the Russians are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, and the US won't sell them to us at all; we can't buy them even if we have the money.

Milling and turning machining centers are used in many fields, from civilian equipment to various military equipment, and are currently the most advanced in the world.

The Ministry of Machine Building had previously considered researching this type of lathe, but their foundation was too weak, and the ones they produced were not very satisfactory.

"We have completed the inspection and can now turn on the machine for acceptance testing," Zhou Gaofei reported to Li Aiguo as he opened the door.

He and the technicians all looked exhausted from not having slept all night, but they were in high spirits, their eyes shining brightly.

Li Aiguo opened the door and gestured for the leaders to enter the milling and turning machining center.

"Sir, this five-axis milling and turning center has a spindle speed of up to 3500 rpm, a maximum machining length of 6.5 meters, and a maximum machining diameter range of 400 mm."

Those leaders may not understand specific data, but the enormous new lathe in front of them speaks volumes.

In particular, the milling and turning center is also equipped with a dedicated small machine.

The neon-lit display panel serves as the control panel, and the keyboard installed below allows for input of parameters and processing programs.

To prevent leaks, the milling and turning center is encased in a metal shell, and the main body is made of three sections of thick cast steel joined together with tight seams.

A leader from the First Ministry of Machine Building couldn't help but step forward, gently touch the fuselage, and exclaimed, "The workmanship here is far more refined than the old equipment we've seen before!"

"Comrade Patriot, can this machine process the surface of internal holes?" a leader asked.

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo said, "Sir, this machine uses an orthogonal milling and turning method. Since the rotation axis of the milling cutter and the workpiece are perpendicular to each other, it cannot machine the inner hole when the inner diameter is small, but it is more efficient when machining the outer cylindrical surface."

If machining of internal bore surfaces is required, I suggest continuing development of boring machines.

Li Aiguo also had the idea of ​​researching deep hole drilling and boring machines.

"Is that so?" The leader looked at the expert.

"Comrade Aiguo is right. Milling machines are mainly used for cutting. Even if axial milling is used to machine internal holes, the precision is still not as good as that of boring machines." The expert nodded.

You should use professional equipment. If you try to use everything, you'll end up with a jack of all trades and master of none.

At this moment, Section Chief Xing quickly spoke up: "Please rest assured, leader, our Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop will continue to develop new types of lathes."

"You..." The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building were amused by Section Chief Xing. This thing isn't like an electric fan, which can be developed just like that.

At this point, the leaders of the Ministry of Railways suggested, "Why don't we conduct a test to ensure proper acceptance?"

According to the acceptance process, the project team needs to hand over all the principles and drawings of the manufactured equipment to the acceptance team.
However, this milling and turning center has been classified as one of the top secrets and is considered a national strategic asset, so it is simply impossible to hand it over.

The remaining option is to see if the lathe can be turned on.

Li Aiguo had made preparations in advance, and had Zhou Gaofei prepare a rough blank of a gear and place it on the machining table.

Li Aiguo looked at Section Chief Xing: "Section Chief, please give the order."

Section Chief Xing knew that Li Aiguo was trying to make him look good, so he nodded and said, "Let's begin."

Zhou Gaofei nodded, first running the check program, and then leaning over to press keys on the minicomputer's keyboard.

The numbers on the neon panel jumped rapidly, and a deep hum suddenly filled the workshop.

It wasn't the clanging noise of an old lathe; it was the sound of the motor in the milling and turning center turning smoothly as it gradually increased in speed.

The spindle, carrying the cutting tool, slowly descended, stopping abruptly half an inch from the gear blank. The machining table made two silent, subtle adjustments, as if "aligning" the blank.

The next second, the milling cutter "whooshed" onto the iron billet, and the tool moved steadily and accurately on the billet.

Sometimes it cuts horizontally, sometimes it grinds vertically, and the tooth grooves of the gear gradually appear, with not even a burr on the edge.

Several secondary spindles began to rotate, and several milling cutters, like scalpels, rapidly cut away chips; the whole process was dazzling to watch.

What surprised the leaders the most was that the entire process did not require the researchers to operate it; the lathe was like a living person.

"This is a CNC machine tool, right? It looks much more complex than a three-axis CNC milling machine." The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building, who had been in charge of inspecting the three-axis CNC milling machine produced by the First Machine Tool Plant in Beijing, were also shocked at this moment.

Li Aiguo, standing nearby, replied, "I don't know much about that lathe, but I guess the difference lies in the smaller machine."

We have already input the machining process route, process parameters, tool movement trajectory, displacement, and cutting parameters into the small machine, and the machine executes complex instructions according to the complex program.

"It seems that this kind of CNC lathe is the future direction of industrial lathe development."

The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building felt that it was far more than that; those five machining axes alone completely overwhelmed that lathe.

At this moment, the roar of the machine gradually disappeared, and Zhou Gaofei stopped the equipment.

The spindle slowly rose, and the machining table, along with the gears, rotated in a circle.

The originally rough iron billet now had perfectly rounded teeth, as if drawn with a ruler. Its surface was smooth, and you couldn't even feel the slightest tool marks when you touched it.

An expert from the First Ministry of Machine Building stepped forward and measured the gear.

"Good heavens! The pitch error is less than half a millimeter!"

"It's more than enough to be used as a high-precision aircraft engine gear."

The expert next to him nodded in agreement: "In the past, we could only use manual grinding to make precision gears of this level. It would take an eighth-level worker more than half a month to work on one gear, but it was done in just a few minutes."

"The lathe developed by Comrade Aiguo has reached the world's leading level, and it can be said that it has pioneered the development of CNC lathes in China," the leader of the expert group summarized.

After these words were spoken, there was a two-second silence in the machining center, followed by a burst of applause.

It wasn't the kind of perfunctory politeness; the technicians clenched their fists and clapped vigorously, while the leaders nodded and applauded along with them.

"I didn't expect you to be a lathe expert."

A leader from the Ministry of Machine Building patted Li Aiguo on the shoulder: "Comrade Aiguo! Well done! This piece of equipment has really given our country's industry a boost! From now on, the equipment for railways and the military will no longer have to depend on others!"

"It's not just my achievement; it's the support of the section chief and the tireless efforts of everyone in our studio. It's all thanks to everyone working together towards a common goal." Li Aiguo wasn't being modest.

He did have the design drawings, but without these dozens of the nation's top technical experts, it would have been impossible to manufacture the lathe.

The leader from the First Ministry of Machine Building then asked, "Comrade Aiguo, can this kind of machine tool be mass-produced?"

"As long as the raw materials are fine, there won't be any problems, but it will take a relatively long time," Li Aiguo quickly replied.

Once he finishes his current work, he can build a high-end workshop specifically for producing locomotives and train a large number of technicians.

With only a handful of people in the studio, they'd probably be exhausted.

"That's true." The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building could understand. This thing wasn't like cabbage; it couldn't be made just like that.

Subsequently, leaders from the Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Railways signed the document, signifying that the milling and turning composite center had passed the acceptance test.

The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building originally intended to leave, but then felt something was amiss.

The milling and turning composite center was nominally jointly developed by the Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Railways, but in reality, they did not provide anything.

The materials and equipment were shipped from overseas by Hextech, and the supplies were provided by the Ministry of Railways; they were merely providing the name.

"A batch of Cuban sugar was recently delivered from the cigar supplier. We'll allocate two tons to your Qianmen Locomotive Depot first."

Hear this.

The researchers and locomotive depot leaders present were all excited.

Now, there's no shortage of Xiao Yi's candied dates in Beijing; they only cost two cents per pound.

However, Cuban sugar only entered the country last year and can only be purchased with a ticket.

We rarely have the opportunity to use sugar on ordinary days, so everyone buys it and hides it away.

Liu Haizhong, however, put the Cuban candy in the cupboard.

But when they needed it again, they found that it had already been stolen and eaten by the two brothers, Guangtian and Guangfu.

Liu Haizhong rewarded the two with a brass-buckled belt and told them to keep the Cuban candy in the cupboard next time.

Li Aiguo felt that Liu Haizhong was entrapping law enforcement.

Far away.

The researchers in the studio have worked so hard for so many days, they deserve a treat.

The leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building arranged for vehicles to transport Cuban sugar, and then suggested, "Comrades have all worked hard lately, how about our ministry arranges for everyone to eat at Quanjude?"

This proposal was approved by everyone present.

Quanjude is one of the most famous restaurants in Beijing these days.

At lunchtime, the locomotive depot arranged several vehicles to take everyone to Niushi Street outside Qianmen.

Through the car window, Li Aiguo could see a magnificent building in the distance, with the words "Quanjude" written in large characters on the plaque, and Quanjude advertisements on the wall next to it.

The advertising slogan is very long: "After more than a hundred years of meticulous research, it is rich in nutrients, crispy and tender, delicious and palatable, and famous at home and abroad. Specially invited master chefs make various dishes and soups. It is made with aged Shaoxing wine. Seating and cleaning services are attentive. You are guaranteed to be satisfied after just one taste."

It contains fifty-four characters in total, without any punctuation marks.

The reader can read it ten times in a row without getting out of breath, but Li Aiguo can't even read it twice.

Zong Xianfeng was even worse; he started panting after only reading it once.

What surprised Li Aiguo the most was that there was also a food delivery phone number below.

That's right, a large piece of paper reads "7.0668 outbound call notifications will be delivered on time without fail."

This can be considered the originator of food delivery, right?

In other words, Quanjude failed to enter the food delivery industry; otherwise, there would be no need for yellow, blue, or red food delivery services.

With dozens of people, Quanjude arranged five private rooms. The six of them ordered a whole roast duck, plus their signature dishes and several cold dishes.

"Comrade, your duck has arrived. Please enjoy it. If you need anything, just let us know." Quanjude was well-prepared and served the dish in ten minutes without using pre-made duck.

After greeting Zong Xianfeng and Professor Qi, Li Aiguo didn't stand on ceremony and directly picked up a pancake, rolled up some duck meat, and took a bite.

The duck is freshly roasted, and it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—it's incredibly delicious.

When Li Aiguo tried eating it with dipping sauce, scallions, and radish strips, it had a different flavor.

After Li Aiguo finished eating, he noticed that Professor Qi and the others were now also eating heartily, their expressions quite bold.

If you think about it carefully, you'll understand. Duck meat is mostly fatty, and people in this era are lacking in oil and fat, so naturally they find it delicious.

While Li Aiguo was enjoying his meal, Uncle San also took advantage of his lunch break to sneakily ride his bicycle toward the illegal scrap metal shop in the western suburbs.

That horn was bought from a shady junk shop for a full dollar.

He's been having a really bad time lately. First, he fell into a ravine and spent a lot of money. Although he didn't have to pay for medical treatment, he still spent a lot on hospital fees and nutrition expenses.

The third uncle had been counting on Mr. Jiao to make a fortune, but now he's stuck with it.

You must return it.

(End of this chapter)