The train driver in the courtyard

Li Aiguo was busy until after 7 p.m. before riding his motorcycle back to the courtyard house.

Nan Yi had been waiting, and when he saw him return, he quickly went to the door.

"Patriotism, my family has prepared a few dishes, and I've also invited my second uncle. Come on, let's go over to my house for a drink."

Chen Xueru was at her father-in-law's house with her two children when Li Aiguo, who was worried about dinner, readily agreed.

That evening at Nan Yi's house, Nan Yi, Liang Ladi, Liu Haizhong, and Second Aunt were all there, with Li Aiguo sitting beside them. Liang Ladi brought out the food.

Pork, potatoes, and tofu were served in three enamel bowls. The pork was stir-fried with dried chili peppers, the potatoes were shredded, and the tofu was braised.

Li Aiguo was the main character at the scene.

Liu Haizhong treated himself as a guest, and unusually, he didn't drink first. Instead, he took two bottles of old Fenjiu and poured them around in a glass.

"Liang Ladi has also become a leader. The situation in our courtyard is getting better and better, and everything is going very well."

"This is all thanks to Brother Aiguo. If it weren't for Brother Aiguo's help, I wouldn't have had the chance to do this." Liang Ladi stood up and toasted Li Aiguo with a glass of wine.

"You're too kind. It's your factory's Director Liu who has a discerning eye; it has nothing to do with me." Li Aiguo took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Factory Director Liu Feng is indeed a good person, it's just that his wife is now..." Liang Ladi said halfway through her sentence, then realized the occasion was inappropriate and didn't say anything more.

Li Aiguo was somewhat surprised; Liu Feng's wife, Jiao Min, was Liang Ladi's mentor.

What, it sounds like the two of them don't get along now?
However, this was a matter for the machinery factory, and Li Aiguo was not in a position to inquire about it.

"Come on, eat your food." Nan Yi seemed to know something and quickly interrupted Liang Ladi.

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

The commotion alerted many residents.

The third uncle lingered outside Nan Yi's house twice, wondering, "Has Nan Yi gone mad today? He's feeding him wine and meat. Is he out of his mind?"

"You don't know yet, do you? Liang Ladi has become the team leader, with the benefits of a deputy workshop director." Xu Damao was well-informed and often showed movies at the machine repair shop.

"I really didn't expect Liang Ladi to become a leader."

The residents of the compound were shocked by the news.

It should be noted that Liang Ladi is not highly educated and is not a master chef. From any perspective, this position is not hers.

"I heard it's a collaboration with the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. This must be related to our patriotic brothers," Xu Damao said with some envy.

If he were also a technician in the workshop, he might have been promoted because of this connection.

"Aiguo is a really good kid; he's willing to help the residents in the compound."

"Yes, yes, some people who become leaders are only worried about being dragged down and can't wait to sever all ties."

"His patriotism is beyond reproach."

The news quickly reached Yi Zhonghai's ears.

Yi Zhonghai almost fainted from lack of breath, but luckily an older woman reached out and caught him.

"Old man, what's wrong with you?"

"Liu Haizhong is one thing, he's been fighting for me for so many years, he's got some skills. But what makes Liang Ladi a leader? Huh!" Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth.

"Old man, you must not get involved in this matter." An older woman, worried that Yi Zhonghai would cause trouble, advised, "I know you have a problem with Li Aiguo, but now the steel rolling mill is getting very close to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. I heard there are a lot of support missions. If there is an opportunity, you must pay attention."

An older woman was also frustrated because several residents in the compound who worked at the steel mill received refined flour every month after participating in the support mission.

On the contrary, Yi Zhonghai, the veteran craftsman, could only work miserably in the workshop.

"Don't worry, I'm not that old-fashioned. I can distinguish between pros and cons. I just have other things on my mind." Yi Zhonghai waved his hand and narrowed his eyes.

He really couldn't care less about Li Aiguo's matter anymore.

Although he didn't get along with Li Aiguo, Yi Zhonghai was also very clear that Li Aiguo wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics.

Jia Dongxu is different.

After the Jia family split up, Jia Dongxu suffered a great loss and should have held a grudge against Yi Zhonghai.

But they became even more enthusiastic towards him, their master, and even served him tea and water like the younger apprentices.

Anything abnormal is considered ominous.

"Jia Dongxu's matter cannot be delayed any longer."

Yi Zhonghai stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the darkness.

******
Wednesday.

The morning was basically a routine meeting, mainly attended by section leaders and leaders from various workshops.

This refers to the production tasks, plans, and arrangements for this week.

Other workshops that have experienced safety accidents, as well as individuals who have been recognized for their outstanding contributions, will all be discussed at the meeting.

The studio now has ties to five or six factories, and Li Aiguo also represented the studio at the meeting.

Of course, he was just a listener.

The studio now enjoys a special status and is basically undisturbed.

After the meeting, Li Aiguo returned to his studio and relayed the meeting's message; then most of the morning had passed.

After the meeting, the studio started working again.

The forklift that Li Aiguo is going to manufacture this time uses a new inline 6-cylinder engine with a designed power of 240 horsepower, which can meet the needs of large forklifts.

This engine will be perfect for use in the design of heavy-duty mining excavators.

Compared to a four-cylinder engine, a six-cylinder engine requires a more complex crankcase design and multi-angle cylinder machining, and has higher requirements for balance and sealing.

With the previous technological reserves and the precision machining capabilities of lathe machining centers, these problems are no longer considered problems.

Once the cylinder block was manufactured, the remaining parts, such as the crankshaft, connecting rod, piston, and valves, were quickly completed.

They were assembled, oil was added, the oil lines were connected, and the ignition system was started.

The engine roared to life. Compared to a four-cylinder diesel engine, the six-cylinder diesel engine was quieter and had a deeper, more resonant sound.

Section Chief Xing had just received the mechanics sent by the machinery factory and was talking to these new comrades when he heard a commotion coming from the workshop.

"Old Chen, help these comrades with the paperwork," Section Chief Xing instructed, then turned and went into the office.

Looking at the engine on the test bench, which was noticeably larger, Section Chief Xing's excitement returned.

It hasn't been long, and the studio has already come up with something new again.

"Patriotism, what is this thing?" Section Chief Xing pointed to the engine.

"A six-cylinder engine is perfect for a forklift," Li Aiguo explained briefly.

Section Chief Xing didn't ask any more questions. There was no need to look any further; this was definitely meant for use on those military excavators.

"You've all worked hard!" Section Chief Xing patted each technician on the shoulder, and the technicians were so excited they were almost dizzy.

After Section Chief Xing left, Li Aiguo had a wild car expert tune the six-cylinder engine.

"The engine is almost ready. As usual, let's test it for a week."

"The next step is the manufacturing of spare parts. The parameters of the hydraulic pump cannot be lowered, and the valve core clip is also crucial. Zong Xianfeng, you will personally oversee this."

Also, regarding the bucket pins, notify the steel rolling mill to get a batch of molybdenum-nickel alloy.

Li Aiguo wasn't nitpicking.

The reason why domestically produced forklifts are less durable than foreign ones in later generations is that these technical details were not done well.

In the very early days, it was even called a "three-leaky forklift" because it leaked oil, water, and air.

By the time our technology catches up, a good reputation will have already been established.

With the same performance, the same service life, and the same failure rate, foreign forklifts can be a quarter more expensive than domestic forklifts.

Now that we've come to this era, we must prevent such things from happening from the very beginning.

"No problem." Zong Xianfeng and the others were full of energy. Li Aiguo was a good leader; he treated the technicians like true brothers.

Despite the fact that Zong Xianfeng and his group are in a superior-subordinate relationship with Li Aiguo, they are actually master and apprentice.

Li Aiguo, who acquired his skills from within the system, didn't act like some factory masters who were wary of their apprentices.

In addition, the group was about the same age, so they were like friends.

Take the wild car expert for example. He plans to get married this weekend, and Li Aiguo will be both the best man and the leader of his unit responsible for giving a speech.

Getting married is very simple these days.

The wild car expert talked to his girlfriend for a while, and after they agreed to get married, they planned to give each other some treats, hold a banquet, and have everyone eat and drink together, which would be considered their wedding.

When the sound of the six-cylinder diesel engine rang out, the locomotive depot workers knew that the workshop was about to produce something good again. Last time, they made a four-cylinder engine, which led to the creation of a forklift.

The research findings of the studio are now affecting the welfare and benefits of the employees of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

Life at the locomotive depot is much better than before.

Chicken, duck, fish, and meat are available almost every month. The canteen now uses half refined wheat flour and half corn flour.

why?
Because the products produced by the workshop sold well both domestically and internationally, to the point that demand exceeded supply, other units had to pull strings with the locomotive depot to buy the products as soon as possible.

Buying a large SUV is unrealistic; those things are too expensive.

Several leaders came to inquire about the news, but they were turned away because it involved the military industry.

Li Aiguo was not in a hurry. The blueprints and parameters for the loader had been finalized. Now, all that was needed was to strictly control the quality and make some localization modifications.

Considering that gas stations were scarce in those days, bulldozers were major fuel consumers; when the accelerator was pressed, the fuel tank would swirl.

Li Aiguo also plans to use his previous truck technology to develop a tanker truck that can be used for both military and civilian purposes.

Tanker cars already existed in this era, and there were special railway tank cars for transporting hydrochloric acid.

For someone like Li Aiguo, who achieved everything through his own hard work, designing the blueprints for the oil tanker was no challenge at all.

I spent 100 points in the system to purchase the corresponding blueprints.

A few minor modifications to the drawing will suffice.

The larger oil tank uses a compartmentalized structure, and the anti-sloshing baffles can reduce the impact of liquid sloshing on the tank body and improve driving stability.

First, the oil tank was designed, and then Li Aiguo contacted the steel rolling mill.

They just started implementing a roll forming process over their area.

When Li, the deputy director of the steel rolling mill, learned that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot was going to manufacture large tanks, he became particularly interested.

Upon seeing Li Aiguo approach, she warmly took his arm and ushered him into the office.

"Pour the tea, pour the best tea." After the assistant poured the tea, Deputy Factory Director Li took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and handed one to Li Aiguo.

"Nephew, what good news is it now?"

"Uncle Li, there is indeed something I need your help with." Li Aiguo explained the structure of the tank.

Deputy Factory Director Li, as if listening to gibberish, waved his hand and said, "Wait a minute, I'll get some experts over here."

Deputy Factory Director Li picked up the phone and notified the technical department. A short while later, several veteran technicians arrived.

Li Aiguo recognized the man in the lead as Engineer Chen, who was in charge of the steel plate rolling process.

"The tank needs to have a capacity of 30 tons, be airtight, and also have an anti-static device."

After listening to Li Aiguo's request and analyzing the blueprints, Engineer Chen scribbled on a piece of scrap paper and provided his answer.

"A 6mm thick carbon steel plate can meet this requirement, and a four-roll plate rolling machine has just been installed in the factory."

"What about welding?"

"We have a welding workshop, and after welding, we can use high-pressure gas to test for leaks."

"I think that's about enough."

After chatting for a few more minutes and seeing that the plan was basically finalized, Li Aiguo stood up and shook hands with Engineer Chen: "I'll have to trouble you with this matter, brother."

"You're too kind."

Li Aiguo had to return to his studio, chatted for a few minutes, and then left.

Yi Zhonghai was originally planning to go to the restroom, but when he saw Deputy Factory Director Li and Engineer Chen seeing him off from the office, he immediately stopped.

He knew very well that Li Aiguo was now the steel mill's cash cow, and his arrival here must mean he had another task for the steel mill.

If it were anything else, Yi Zhonghai would definitely have no hope, after all, his skills aren't outstanding.

But he has a good relationship with Engineer Chen, so maybe he can find a way to get a piece of the meat.

Deputy Factory Director Li instructed Engineer Chen to complete the tank construction as soon as possible so as not to delay the work of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

"Don't worry, factory director. Comrade Aiguo's blueprints are very detailed, and he has also formulated process standards. This task is not difficult."

After making his assurances, Engineer Chen planned to select a few experienced workers from the workshop to produce the samples first.

He had only taken two steps when a voice came from behind him: "Brother Chen, busy, huh?"

Engineer Chen turned his head and saw Yi Zhonghai. He smiled and said, "Oh, it's Master Yi. How's the workshop lately?"

“Very good, very good. You know my skills. In the workshop, if I say I’m second, no one dares to say I’m first.”

Yi Zhonghai's expression remained unchanged. After boasting for a bit, he offered a cigarette: "Brother Chen, is there some support mission? I've always wanted to improve my skills."

"There is indeed a new task," Engineer Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "But it involves using new machines. Are you capable of handling it?"

“Why not? I’m a level seven fitter,” Yi Zhonghai said, patting his chest.

A level seven fitter is indeed a master craftsman, and Engineer Chen accepted Yi Zhonghai's cigarette and agreed.

Yi Zhonghai finally made a breakthrough and will be able to get refined flour at the end of the month. He happily returned to the workshop.

Several workers noticed something amiss and asked, "Master Yi, we heard that our steel rolling mill is going to build oil tanks. Were you transferred there?"

"Ahem, let's keep a low profile. The list hasn't been released yet, so we need to keep a low profile."

The apprentices immediately gave a thumbs up.

“I’ve said it before, the master’s skill level is one of the best in the workshop, and he should have gone to help out a long time ago.”

"Yes, yes, I even dreamt last night that my master did something great."

"Me too, me too!"

Amidst the flattery, Yi Zhonghai spoke modestly, but couldn't suppress a smile playing on his lips.

Jia Dongxu figured out what was going on, his eyes darted around, and he stepped forward: "Master, this time every master master has to take on an apprentice, right? How about you take me on as your apprentice?"

"I'll take you." Yi Zhonghai was about to refuse, but when he thought of the new machine, he had a sudden thought and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, alright, Dongxu, your master will report your name later."

Around 10 a.m., Engineer Chen led a group of experienced workers into the workshop.

He first had someone explain the operating procedures of the four-roll plate rolling machine, and then focused on explaining the safety rules.

"Operating a four-roll plate bending machine requires three people per shift, with a dedicated safety officer. In the event of a malfunction, the safety officer must immediately stop the machine, and the machine repair workshop will be responsible for repairs."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai looked at the enormous roller and couldn't help but stroke his chin.

He felt like he was being stared at, so he turned his head and saw Jia Dongxu giving him a strange look.

Their eyes met in mid-air, and then they both looked away guiltily, quickly turning away as if nothing had happened.

"Alright, everyone understands the operating procedures now, right? The most important thing is safety, and then the quality must be guaranteed!" Engineer Chen gave one last reminder before starting to arrange for the steel to be transported in.

The workshop quickly sprang into action.

The huge steel plate was rolled into the four-roll plate bending machine and bent at will, just like a pancake.

Seeing this, the masters and apprentices perked up, and with the safety officer nearby, no safety accident should have occurred in the workshop.

but.

Who can really say for sure about something like this?

Li Aiguo was unaware that Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu had both entered the four-roll plate bending machine workshop.

Even if he understood, he didn't care, because he had already returned to his studio.

The staff on duty outside led Liang Ladi into the office.

"Hello, Captain Liang." Li Aiguo stood up and shook hands with Liang Ladi.

"Comrade Aiguo, I have brought all the master chefs and completed the formalities." Liang Ladi looked very energetic today.

"follow me."

Li Aiguo got up and led Liang Ladi and a group of mechanics to an adjacent control room, which they used as their classroom.

The training is conducted by off-the-job automotive experts, and the curriculum includes the internal structure of excavators and the repair of various wear parts.

These mechanics have spent their entire lives repairing machines. Although the structure of excavators is complex, it is still no challenge for them.

It is estimated that this group of trainers will be able to complete their training in about a month and then head to the local area with the first batch of excavators.

They will repair excavators and train repairmen at local agricultural machinery stations, which will create a fission effect.

In just a few years, a complete maintenance system for construction machinery will be established in China.

Just as Li Aiguo was planning the domestic machine repair business, Staff Officer Ruan from the Northern Monkeys had already completed the training of the Special Operations Group.

In the past two weeks, these soldiers wearing straw hats have trained hard according to the manual "Anti-Helicopter Tactics" and have conducted two drills before the actual combat.

He reported the situation to his superiors.

At dusk, a mysterious radio wave pierced through the dense forest and reached Langley.

Five hours later.

An emergency meeting is being held at a base in Southeast Asia.

The meeting was chaired by Colonel Hauser, the actual commander of the "34A" special operations operation.

"Gentlemen, the latest operational orders have been issued from Pearl Harbor!" He puffed on a cigar and plopped down in a chair. (End of Chapter)