The train driver in the courtyard

Ever since Sadam seized power in the Yi family, the relationship between the Yi family and our side has become increasingly close.

Because they were taking over the oil field and helping Xiao Yijia build a new railway, the Ministry of Railways and Daqing Oilfield sent a large number of people to Xiao Yijia almost every month.

A large amount of railway equipment and oil well equipment were transported to Xiao Yi's home.

Meanwhile, local specialties from Xiao Yi's family, such as petroleum, jujubes, wheat, saffron, handwoven carpets, copperware, and spices, were continuously delivered.

This is the first time that Xiao Yi's family has sent a special person to deliver a gift.

Professor Huang and Professor Chen were also very interested and followed Li Aiguo out of the studio.

Upon arriving at the station, they were stunned at first glance.

A freight train was parked in the station yard. The cars had been opened by the workers, and inside were camels, still alive—more than a hundred of them.

The person in charge of delivering this gift was Said, a close confidant of Old Said.

"Comrade Patriot, these are gifts from Commander Sa to you and the Qianmen Locomotive Depot."

"Ahem, this gift is too valuable, we cannot accept it."

Li Aiguo had always known that Lao Sa was a generous person, but he never expected him to be this generous. These hundreds of camels were worth at least tens of thousands of US dollars.

"Besides, it's really not appropriate to give this to us."

"Don't worry, in addition to these camels, we also sent another batch of camels, which have probably been unloaded by now."

Said smiled and said, "Commander Said said that thanks to your method, things went so smoothly this time. This little gift is nothing."

Li Aiguo nodded slightly.

Don't let Old Sa's big, burly appearance fool you; he's actually quite meticulous.

Old Sa was well aware of the situation here and had even included the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, so he naturally wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

Comrades from the foreign affairs department accompanied Said.

Although they didn't know why Old Sa would give Li Aiguo an extra gift, they knew it was a good opportunity to bring the two families closer.

"Comrade Patriot, since this is a sincere gesture from our foreign friends, we can't refuse it."

"I obey the organization's decision." Li Aiguo nodded emphatically, determined to repay this favor later.

Said chatted with Li Aiguo for a few words before hurrying back to report.

Although Old Sa now holds the reins of power, the situation in Xiao Yi's house is not stable, especially since there are quite a few rats from Xiao Mei's house that need to be cleaned up.

The commotion also startled the staff at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, who gathered around and discussed it amongst themselves.

"So many camels! The people of the Middle East are so rich."

"Of course, their underground is full of oil."

Li Aiguo looked at the camels with a troubled expression.

We don't have the conditions to raise these things here. We can't exactly go to the desert to raise them, can we?

However, no matter what, we have to take it off first before making a decision.

Seeing that the logistics leaders were nearby, Li Aiguo asked them to organize several employees to help unload the camels onto the station.

Section Chief Xing learned about the gifts from Xiao Yi's family while attending a meeting at the ministry, and when he rushed back and saw the camels, he was dumbfounded.

"That old Sa is quite the player. Aiguo, we can't turn the locomotive depot into a breeding farm, can we? Aiguo, what should we do with these camels?"

Section Chief Xing was also aware that although these camels were nominally from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, they were actually given to Li Aiguo and the workshop by Old Sa.

"Section Chief, slaughter all these camels. Send some to the ministries and general administration, distribute some to the various railway bureaus, and put the rest in cold storage so we can keep them for ourselves."

After a moment's thought, Li Aiguo shared his ideas.

Camels are not rare animals, and besides, the authorities have already received a large number of them; these camels certainly cannot be raised.

“Alright, we’ve eaten beef, mutton, and donkey meat, but we’ve never had camel meat before. Let’s try something new this time.”

Section Chief Xing is right. Li Aiguo has even eaten tiger meat, but this is the first time he has eaten camel meat.

There are many talented people in the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. Section Chief Xing contacted various workshops, and in no time, more than a dozen workers who used to be butchers arrived.

Although these butchers had never slaughtered camels before, they understood the principles of butchering pigs and skinning swallows, and quickly finished off the hundreds of camels.

Section Chief Xing found a large truck, loaded the camel meat onto it, and sent it off with great fanfare.

When the leaders of the ministry saw it, they were impressed that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot knew how to get things done and was willing to think of the leaders when there was something good to be had.

The railway bureaus in various places were also moved when they received the camels. This is what class brotherhood is all about.

Because the distance to the local railway bureau is quite far, live camels are sent to prevent the camel meat from rotting.

Li Aiguo felt that if given the opportunity, they should also develop refrigerated trains.

Not only trains, but also refrigerated trucks will be used to transport fresh fruits and seafood from the south.

at dusk.

As the sun dipped below the walls of the courtyard house, the aroma of food wafting from the chimneys mingled with the evening breeze.

Li Aiguo carried dozens of kilograms of camel meat back to the courtyard house.

"This is camel meat?" Chen Xueru was seeing it for the first time.

“Yes, it was slaughtered today, it’s fresh. Invite Dad over too, let’s have a good meal tonight.” Li Aiguo washed his hands.

“Great! Aunt Liu hasn’t had much of an appetite these past few days, so this is a good opportunity to try something new.” Chen Xueru was delighted and got to work.

However, Chen Xueru had no idea how to cook the camel meat.

Li Aiguo had only ever eaten roasted camel and didn't know how to make it.

So they invited Nan Yi over.

As expected of a descendant of imperial chefs, Nan Yi quickly came up with a famous dish: braised camel meat.

Take an earthenware pot, put in the stir-fried camel meat, and add chopped green onions, ginger slices, cinnamon, rock sugar, salt, and stock.

After adding the seasonings, the earthenware pot was placed on the coal stove to simmer slowly, and soon it started bubbling away.

"Perhaps we should apply the shaftless pump technology to the giant mushroom blackfish."

As Li Aiguo smelled the aroma of camel meat and watched the bubbles rising and bursting inside, he suddenly remembered something.

I spent most of the day talking with Professor Huang today, and Li Aiguo has gained some understanding of the current snakehead fish technology in China.

Currently, we are still using the traditional design of propeller + drive shaft. The engine roars inside the boat, and the power is transmitted to the propeller through a long shaft.

In the original timeline, this black fish was quite noisy.

Shaftless pump technology uses a ring motor to directly drive the blades.

All mechanical transmission components were eliminated, resulting in a significant reduction in noise levels.

The key is.

Shaftless pump propulsion technology and turbine shaft technology, which Li Aiguo has already developed, are from the same technological branch.

The front-end technology is already maxed out.

You can get it for just a few hundred points.

Of course, Li Aiguo knew he couldn't be impatient. The giant mushroom blackfish was different from the previous equipment and was top secret.

Even though he already has enough influence, he cannot act rashly.

The more important the matter, the more cautious Li Aiguo becomes, because some people are eager to see him suffer.

As for achievements, the greater your achievements, the more envious others will be.

Everything Li Aiguo does is done logically and naturally under the premise of ensuring his own safety, and he also makes arrangements in advance.

Even if those with ulterior motives wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn't be able to find fault with it.

The nuclear blackfish project has been suspended due to the progress of the giant mushroom project and will take at least several more years.

Furthermore, the production of Red Star computers, rice cookers, motorcycles, and other products also needs to be monitored, and some even require personal supervision.

Because you can't be sure whether the people actually carrying it out will use this as an excuse to cause trouble.

Although the railway sector is a disciplined sector, and the leaders and employees have a higher level of ideological awareness than those in other sectors, everyone is prone to making mistakes.

These things may not necessarily happen, but Li Aiguo can't gamble on them.

If these products are delayed for a few years, they will lose their competitiveness.

With the steady stream of funds brought back by these products, the studio was able to continue its research.

If we want to build warships and nuclear-powered submarines in the future, funding is absolutely essential.

This is also why Li Aiguo established Hextech Corporation so early on.

Li Aiguo felt he was increasingly understanding Master Lu's words: "Mountains may crumble, people may run away, only oneself is truly reliable!"

"We need to take things slowly with the nuclear blackfish. First, we need to get acquainted with Professor Huang, and then find an opportunity to get involved. As long as we can build it before the US and Russia are completely free to deal with us," Li Aiguo decided.

The braised camel meat is ready. As soon as the lid of the earthenware pot is lifted, a rich aroma of meat wafts out.

Chen Xueru quickly set out the bowls and chopsticks, and Chen Fangxuan, Li Aiguo, Chen Xueru, Aunt Liu, and He Yushui each received a bowl.

The broth was a bright red color, and the meat was stewed until it was tender and fell off the bone.

Because it's quite spicy, children can't eat it; they can only lick the chopsticks.

"It's so delicious! Before Liberation, I only heard that princes ate camel meat. I never thought that ordinary people like us could eat it now." Aunt Liu took a bite and praised it highly, saying as she ate.

"Auntie, we have plenty more at home. If you want some, we can make it next time," Chen Xueru said with a smile.

"Oh, no need, no need!"

Aunt Liu quickly waved her hand and scooped the remaining pieces of meat from her bowl into He Yushui's bowl.

"I'm just an old woman, these few pieces are enough of a blessing. Let the rainwater eat more so the children can grow."

Chen Xueru tried to stop her but couldn't.

After dinner, Li Aiguo accompanied Chen Fangxuan to the study.

Chen Fangxuan took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Camel meat is really delicious, but patriotism is important. This stuff is too precious. If word gets out, people might gossip. You still need to be careful."

"Don't worry, this was a gift from a foreign friend, and it even passed through the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. No one can gossip about it," Li Aiguo nodded.

Having lived through turbulent times as a tailor, Chen Fangxuan is more cautious than most people.

Chen Fangxuan hummed in agreement, then changed the subject: "Xiao Dongfang is all grown up now, shouldn't you and Xue Ru consider having another child?"

Li Aiguo was both amused and exasperated: "Dad, we already have three children."

"Are three a lot? Not at all!"

Chen Fangxuan was a little unhappy. "Look at Old Zhang's family in the alley, five boys and three daughters, so lively and happy. Patriotism, don't blame your father for being old-fashioned, but these days, you need people to have everything."

If it were someone else, it wouldn't be a problem, but this son-in-law has so much influence now. If they have fewer children, that would be troublesome.

Li Aiguo nodded silently.

Chen Fangxuan's idea may seem somewhat conservative, but it is actually quite reasonable.

Fortunately, in this day and age, it's not too late for anything.

Li Aiguo felt that since he was capable of raising children himself, having more children would make the house more lively.

While Li Aiguo was chatting with his father-in-law, Yang Jizong in Gangcheng was also holding his annual car dealer conference.

"In just one month, our Tyrannosaurus Rex bulletproof off-road vehicle sold 20,000 units!"

"Those old money guys are so afraid of dying, they're terrified of getting shot when they go out." "Not only the old money, but also the new money guys, they have no way to prove their status, so they can only use a Tyrannosaurus Rex bulletproof off-road vehicle to show their identity."

"I think so too, but our Red Star Motors only has large SUVs, I don't think we have sports cars, right?"

"Yes, sports cars are very popular now."

"Mr. Yang, could you make a sports car? Our product line is a bit thin, and sports cars can fetch a high price," said a nobleman who came to John Bull's house, leaning on his cane.

In the past two years, a sports car trend has emerged in Europe and America.

Brands like Ferrari, Porsche Agile, and Porsche Borgini have all launched their own sports cars, which are very popular in the market.

These dealers made a fortune off the SUVs, but who would complain about making too much money?

"I have the same idea. Please rest assured, Hextech has already made relevant plans."

Yang Jizong also had this idea, and even if the distributors didn't bring it up, he would talk to Li Aiguo about it.

Of course, as long as it's not a convertible sports car, Li Aiguo probably wouldn't object.

"The Russians have already started raising tariffs. Our off-road vehicles sell very well globally, but only poorly in Russia. Mr. Yang, shouldn't the head office come up with a solution?" a distributor said angrily.

He was wearing sunglasses, had an earring, and was dressed in a fashionable outfit rather than a suit, clearly from Xiaomei's hometown.

The smile on Yang Jizong's face disappeared, and he was no longer the nice guy he had been just moments before.

“Mr. Kuhn, I have to criticize you for this. The market for the notebook was originally going to be handed over to Mr. Harvey, but you insisted on taking it. Now that there's trouble, do you need the head office to solve it?”

Kuhn gave an awkward laugh: "I was just mentioning it. Don't worry, I have a way to deal with the little devils."

Yang Jizong was not surprised at all when he heard this.

The reason the notebook market was handed over to Kuhn was because he came from a large American conglomerate, and a real one at that.

Don't let his strange clothes fool you; he's dressed like a hippie from later generations and he likes to smoke. He's ready to run for president anytime.

If those Japanese dare to cause problems with imports, these conglomerates have plenty of ways to deal with them.

After all, it's perfectly legitimate and easy for a father to discipline his son.

Moreover, the fact that Xiaobenzi is now selling a lot of things to Xiaomei's family has already aroused the dissatisfaction of those big capitalists in Xiaomei's family.

Think of this.

Yang Jizong suddenly felt a little dazed.

Did the patriotic brothers plan this all along, anticipating this situation, and thus deliberately hand over the notebook market to the son of a tycoon?

No, that's impossible. Patriotic brothers could never have imagined that the Japanese would resort to such underhanded tactics.

Yang Jizong quickly shook his head, banishing this unrealistic idea from his mind.

“Mr. Yang, I heard that the head office is going to build a shipyard. I have some connections with Goethe Shipyard and can get in touch with some equipment suppliers.”

A middle-aged man from Northern Europe saw that Xiaomei's distributor had been humiliated, so he took the opportunity to come over and speak.

Red Star Company is indeed planning to build a shipyard, and the location has been determined, right next to Kwai Chung Wharf.

Li Aiguo had mentioned this several times, but shipyards are not ordinary factories. They require not only a lot of capital, but also high-end technical personnel, and even equipment that is prohibited from being transported.

Yang Jizong recognized the man as Robert, a descendant of Vikings, who had become a distributor through the introduction of Zheng Yushan, the manager of Hongxing Shipping.

He has good relationships with several shipyards in Northern Europe. Robert facilitated the purchase of three ocean-going freighters by Red Star Shipping.

"Thank you, you are a true friend of our Red Star Company." Yang Jizong clinked glasses with the other person, indicating that he had already drunk his wine.

Robert wasn't angry, and asked again, "Excavators, could we increase our excavator quota by one hundred units next month?"

“That’s too many. Excavator production capacity is limited right now, and we urgently need them too. But we’re good friends, so I can apply for twenty for you,” Yang Jizong said after a moment of thought.

"Thank you so much." Robert was overjoyed upon hearing this, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

The dealers nearby exchanged glances, all thinking that Robert was too cunning.

Hongxing excavators, as construction machinery, were not heavily promoted; they were only sold through a limited number of dealers, yet they achieved great success.

Sturdy, durable, powerful, and easy to maintain, these excavators are more expensive than those from brands like Komatsu, but they are particularly popular with construction and road building companies across the country.

A single excavator can earn tens of thousands of dollars in a single transaction; it's like picking up free money.

With Robert's example in mind, the distributors also began to think about what Red Star Company needed from their side.

Those prohibited equipment items are things that most people wouldn't dare to transport, but they did.

The West belongs to big capitalists, not politicians.

Before long, Yang Jizong was surrounded by a large crowd.

"A supercar?" Li Aiguo received Yang Jizong's call on Monday when he went to work.

"Patriotism is the reason why sports cars are becoming popular overseas. People are rich and foolish. If we don't make money from this, I won't be able to sleep well at night."

Furthermore, our distributors are already gearing up for a major push.

This is true.

Sports cars are just a little faster and more stylish than regular family cars, but their prices can be several times higher, making them a highly profitable business.

However, the faster the sports car goes, the greater the safety risks, so Li Aiguo still needs to plan carefully.

In addition, the testing of the armed helicopter is about to be completed, and flight testing is expected to take place soon. Li Aiguo really hasn't had time lately.

“That’s fine, but it will take time. I have some other work to do these next few days,” Li Aiguo replied directly.

“No rush, no rush, those distributors need some time to set up their operations,” Yang Jizong quickly said.

"Alright then, I'll take it." Li Aiguo readily agreed.

"That's great! And we've also made progress with our shipbuilding equipment. A Scandinavian has a way to get equipment that's prohibited from being imported from the Goethe Shipyard."

After listening to Yang Jizong's words, Li Aiguo remembered something and asked, "What is the relationship between the Scandinavians and the Gothic shipyard?"

Yang Jizong was surprised that Li Aiguo would pay attention to this matter. He had Butler Bai bring over the information and glanced at it: "This person is named Robert. He is the illegitimate son of the Goethe family. Goethe Shipyard is one of the largest shipyards in Northern Europe. No wonder that as an illegitimate son, Robert was favored by his father but could not inherit the family business, so he became a middleman."

Well, this is another classic tale of illegitimate children of European nobles.

Li Aiguo didn't care about that; what he was concerned about was whether Robert could actually get the equipment, and what level of equipment he could get.

“Jizong, find an opportunity to have a good talk with Robert. If he really has connections, we might as well give him some more quotas.”

"understood."

Despite his young age, Yang Jizong is very reliable.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately contacted Robert, who was still in the port city.

Li Aiguo received another call from Yang Jizong that evening.

Upon hearing the name "large CNC propeller milling machine," Li Aiguo felt unusually excited.

This thing is the most advanced equipment for manufacturing ships and blackfish propellers; you can't buy it even if you spend a lot of money.

If we had this thing, we'd have a much better chance of creating nuclear blackfish in the future.

"Jizong, how much money does Robert need?"

"He doesn't want money."

"Ok?"

"Robert said that as a distributor of Hextech, he was already on the same side as Hextech. As long as we paid him some money to smooth things over and purchase the equipment, he could get the equipment out for us for free." Yang Jizong also felt incredulous when he said this.

If he were Robert, he would definitely be asking for an exorbitant amount right now.

“This man is quite remarkable,” Li Aiguo said with a smile.

What's the most valuable thing in the world? Human relationships.

Robert seemed to have other plans, but Li Aiguo didn't care.

"Promise him, get the equipment here as soon as possible, first to the port city, then find a way to send it back." Li Aiguo wrote down the name Robert and nodded.

Hong Kong Port City Airport.

Robert waved to the Hextech employees who were seeing him off, then took his ticket and boarded the plane.

Sitting on the plane, watching it take off and everything on the ground gradually shrink, he excitedly clenched his fist.

As an illegitimate child, Robert could have everything he could want, except for not being recognized by his family.

but.

What he needs is this recognition.

He wanted his name to be written into the Goethe family genealogy and wanted to become the head of the Goethe shipyard.

Robert knew very well that he could never do this on his own.

Now I've finally found a powerful backer.

"Sir, would you like a beverage or wine?" A flight attendant approached, interrupting his thoughts.

"Give me a cocktail."

Robert picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp. The unique spicy flavor of the cocktail made him squint his eyes in enjoyment.

"Trading a piece of equipment for Hextech's friendship is a very worthwhile deal."

*****
The matter of the large CNC propeller milling machine was handed over to Yang Jizong, and Li Aiguo did not pay attention to it.

The flaw detector needed to inspect the walls of the blackfish warehouse was also assembled. Li Aiguo personally watched as the flaw detector was carefully loaded onto the train by the men in gray Zhongshan suits.

Then we saw Professor Huang and Professor Chen off.

"Comrade Patriot, I have benefited greatly from this trip to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop."

Professor Huang held Li Aiguo's hand tightly.

Over the past few days, the two have talked a lot, and Professor Huang feels that the young man in front of him is his brother despite the age difference.

“I also learned a lot from the professor,” Li Aiguo said with a smile.

"I don't know when we'll meet again," Professor Huang said with some reluctance as he got into the car.

"Maybe soon."

Li Aiguo waved his hand, watched the train gradually disappear into the distance, then withdrew his hand and turned back to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop.

Arriving at a field behind the studio, the corn cobs were already turning green. These corns were all grown from Patriot No. 1 seeds, and they were growing very well. They would be ready for harvest in a little over a month.

Li Aiguo broke off some corn cobs, kept some for himself, and distributed the rest to his colleagues in the studio.

"Patriotism, why are you picking them so early? The corn isn't even ripe yet," the wild car expert said, somewhat surprised.

"This kind of semi-cooked corn tastes delicious when cooked and is also very nutritious, making it very suitable for the elderly and children."

"Huh?!" The wild car expert looked at the corn cob in his hand, somewhat puzzled. It's just corn, is it really that magical?

Li Aiguo wasn't exaggerating; he remembered that this kind of fresh corn seemed to contain a variety of vitamins, glutamic acid, and other substances that could fight aging and whiten skin.

Li Aiguo then gave some more to the farmer and also to Chen Fangxuan.

Chen Xueru also kept some corn at home, and she really liked to eat it because she heard it could whiten the skin.

It's just that preservation technology wasn't advanced back then, otherwise selling fresh corn would have been a good business.

I originally wanted to send some to the professors in Workshop No. 6 as well, but I didn't expect that Professor Qi had already returned to Harbin Aircraft Industry Group. It is said that he is preparing for the test flight and is almost ready.

The next day, as soon as Li Aiguo arrived at work, he received a call from Professor Qi: "Aiguo, the test flight of the armed helicopter has been approved. I will send someone to pick you up immediately."

(End of this chapter)