The train driver in the courtyard

Li Aiguo knew that the Great Off-Road Tour had attracted the attention of higher authorities, but he did not expect the expert group to be of such high caliber.

The team leader was named Chen Zunan, who had previously served as the director of the production preparation department and the process department at FAW, and later as the director of the design department and chief engineer of Jichun Automobile Plant.

He also participated in the design and construction of the "Hongqi" sedan and is one of the few car manufacturing experts in China.

"Comrade Aiguo, the higher-ups have long intended to prepare for the establishment of the Second Automobile Works, but they lacked products. Your help is a timely gift." Looking at Li Aiguo, this veteran car manufacturing expert felt a surge of excitement.

The Second Automobile Works, which later became Dongfeng Motor, was probably only prepared in 62.

Now it's a year ahead of schedule. It seems the automotive industry is also accelerating. Li Aiguo felt like a butterfly flapping its wings again.

Unlike its predecessor, when the Second Automobile Works was independently managed by the First Ministry of Machine Building, the railway department also participated in the construction and production of the Second Automobile Works, making it a joint venture between the two departments.

Li Aiguo has great respect for veterans like Chen Zunan, who carried the banner of domestic automobiles through hardships and difficulties.

After showing him around the laboratory and explaining the concept of the large off-road vehicle, I asked, "Professor Chen, what do you think?"

"Comrade Patriot, your idea of ​​dividing the large off-road vehicle into military and civilian versions is indeed very good, but I suggest adding another model."

"what?"

"Export models".

Chen Zunan seemed a little excited. He handed Li Aiguo a cigarette, lit one for himself, and then said, "The overseas automobile industry is booming, with annual transaction volume reaching trillions of dollars. This is a huge market."

We've wanted to enter this market for a long time, but we've been hampered by insufficient technological reserves and a lack of suitable models.

Chen Zunan tapped his finger on the blueprint: "We have the Great Off-Road!"

In this era, we were penniless and had to beg and plead to buy cars from abroad. Selling domestically made cars overseas was the dream of every car manufacturer.

Li Aiguo had originally planned to do this, but he thought that things should be done one step at a time, so he didn't bring it up.

Now, with the strong support of the Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Railways, it can be said that the entire nation's resources have been mobilized. What difficulties could possibly be insurmountable?
Li Aiguo naturally agreed.

Subsequently, Chen Zunan gathered experts and, together with Li Aiguo, quickly developed the specific configurations for the three models.

The military version of the off-road vehicle features a V8 engine with 350 horsepower, turbocharged for added power, two auxiliary fuel tanks, puncture-resistant tires, and protective netting added to the windows.

Li Aiguo's bulletproof armor hasn't been developed yet, so it hasn't been mentioned for the time being.

The domestic civilian version of the large off-road vehicle has a V6 engine with at least 216 horsepower. The simpler the structure, the better. The interior does not need to be decorated. The focus is on being cheap, sturdy, and durable.

The export version of this large off-road vehicle features a V6 engine with 216 horsepower, standard equipment including electric seats, an electric bed, a radio, a wine cabinet, and gold-plated interior trim.

It's not that we can't afford gold; it's that it's a strategic reserve material, and we should use as little as possible.

"Finally, we need to add the starry sky ceiling," Li Aiguo added.

The experts looked at Li Aiguo in surprise: "What is a starry sky ceiling?"

"It's like installing neon lights on the roof of a car, so sitting inside feels almost like sitting under the stars," Li Aiguo explained.

The experts imagined the scene and couldn't help but swallow hard. This thing was too extravagant. But there were too many wealthy foreign dog owners, so they weren't worried about the dogs not paying for it.

"And one more umbrella. The kind with a gold-plated handle. Luckily, our locomotive depot can produce umbrellas, so we'll leave this job to them," Li Aiguo added.

If the starry sky ceiling can be explained by luxury, what does the umbrella mean?
The experts simply assumed Li Aiguo was trying to promote his own umbrellas and didn't object.

"It's settled then. We'll now divide into three groups and strive to complete the vehicle design finalization in the shortest possible time." After carefully studying the plan, Chen Zunan made the final decision.

Master Lu said, "Many people make steamed buns taste better, and many people make work easier."

With these experts, Li Aiguo's work became much easier; he only needed to focus on tinkering with bulletproof ceramics.

"Aiguo, is this specially made ceramic?" Li Aiguo was pondering the vacuum furnace when Chen Zunan pushed open the door and came in.

"Professor Chen, do you know where there is a vacuum furnace?" Li Aiguo did not answer his question.

Chen Zunan, a seasoned expert with extensive experience, pondered for a moment and then offered his advice:
"If the vacuum furnace is a three-phase electric arc furnace, there is one in China, but I don't know exactly where it is."

Li Aiguo instantly understood what he meant.

Vacuum furnaces are mainly used for remelting high-grade alloy steel and high-temperature alloys, and in those days they could only exist in ordnance laboratories.

Just as the ministry asked him to make a request, he decided to accept it. Li Aiguo picked up the phone.

Minister Teng was somewhat bewildered when he received the call.

"What? You need a three-phase electric arc furnace to process a batch of materials for you? That's all you're asking?"

"Yes, sir, these materials are very important."

Minister Teng was at a loss for words.

Originally, I asked him to make personal requests, but in the end, the conversation turned to work. No wonder he's capable of accomplishing so many great things.

"I'll ask around for you."

After hearing Li Aiguo's request for a three-phase electric arc furnace, Minister Teng immediately agreed.

If this thing exists in China, he'll definitely be able to find it.

This is the advantage of having a powerful backer. When Li Aiguo chose to come to the locomotive depot, he knew he had made the right choice.

It was almost time to leave work. Li Aiguo finished the blueprints for the starry sky ceiling and rode his bicycle back to the courtyard house.

It's the weekend, and the children in the compound are running around freely in the yard.

Just as I arrived at the Intermediate People's Court, I heard a commotion coming from the Jia family's house.

"Bang Geng, did you take Xiao Dang to steal Auntie San's radishes again? How many times have I told you not to take other people's things?"

"Father, Mother hit me." Then came Banggeng's crying.

"Qin Huairu, what are you doing? This is our son. He's still a child. Why are you arguing with him?"

“Jia Dongxu, you always protect him. What will happen when he grows up?”

"It's none of your business. My son is destined for great things. But you, I asked you to go back and borrow some grain, why didn't you go?"

"You know we've had a severe drought here this year, and the harvest wasn't good either on my family's side."

"Who are you trying to fool? You're growing sweet potatoes. The drought is a recent phenomenon, and the yield is quite high."

Xu Damao sidled up from the side, pointed into the Jia family's house, and said gloatingly, "They're fighting again."

As Li Aiguo walked back, he asked, "What happened?"

“You’ve been busy with work these past few days and haven’t been in the compound, so you wouldn’t know, but Banggeng has caused quite a bit of trouble. Look, today, Auntie San went to the Jia family to complain.” Xu Damao smiled with narrowed eyes.

His daughter Xu Hua is so well-behaved. Knowing that he works hard in the countryside, she massages his legs every time he comes back.

As the two were talking, Qin Huairu came out of the house carrying a sack.

Upon seeing Li Aiguo, she quickly turned her head away and hurriedly ran away from him.

It seems that Qin Huairu ultimately couldn't withstand Jia Dongxu's pressure and went home to borrow sweet potatoes.

This matter had nothing to do with Li Aiguo. After chatting for a few minutes, he went home.

Chen Xueru had already returned from the neighborhood office and was cooking dinner, which was cornmeal porridge.

Speaking of the severe drought here, Chen Xueru said while eating, "It hasn't rained for more than half a month. Now the streets are asking every household to conserve water, and even the tap water supply in Beijing is insufficient."

“The reservoirs near the capital are fine, but the key is the surrounding communes.” Li Aiguo took a sip of porridge and thought of Weicun Commune, where the corn was unaffected because it was an early-maturing variety.

“Yes, the crops have just been harvested. If it doesn’t rain soon, we probably won’t be able to plant any more crops in the fall. What if something like what happened the year before last happens again?” Chen Xueru thought of the homeless people she had seen on the street, and her mood soured.

"It's alright, we have foreign exchange now, we can bring in food from outside."

"Too."

After finishing her meal, Chen Xueru blushed and whispered, "I've been calculating the days, and I'm sure I'll get pregnant today. Let's take a shower quickly."

“That’s not right. You’ve been saying that every day since yesterday, the day before yesterday, and the day before that. What day are you referring to?” Li Aiguo said with a smile.

"Ugh~" Chen Xueru was annoyed and embarrassed when her little secret was exposed. She raised her little fist and punched Li Aiguo on the shoulder.

Hey, it doesn't hurt.

Having connections makes things easier.

The next day, a jeep arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop and took away the ceramics that Li Aiguo needed to process.

"Comrade, these are the specific requirements. Please follow the steps carefully and make sure there are no mistakes." Li Aiguo originally planned to go in person, but was coldly rejected by Commissioner Sui.

Clearly, the level of secrecy surrounding that laboratory exceeded Li Aiguo's expectations.

Commissioner Sui nodded: "Don't worry, we have top-notch technicians over there, so it won't delay your business."

Having good ideas is nothing in this day and age; the key is having the ability to manufacture the product.

With the help of the laboratory, Li Aiguo finally felt relieved.

With Yu Shu's design blueprints for military off-road vehicles, they began manufacturing the new type of off-road vehicle.

"Aiguo, your vehicle seems different from the usual ones." Chen Zunan rushed over after hearing the news.

"I plan to add a layer of special material on the outside, the kind that can be bulletproof." Li Aiguo didn't hide anything at this time and explained his idea for a bulletproof off-road vehicle.

"What?" Professor Chen's mouth gaped open, unable to close.

Some experts commented: "There are also armored vehicles abroad, but they all use thicker steel plates, which makes the vehicle too heavy and affects its mobility."

"Yes, sacrificing mobility for bulletproofing is a losing proposition."

The bespectacled engineer beside him chimed in softly, "Advisor Li, we all know you're capable, but military equipment isn't child's play."

Li Aiguo did not explain that he used a special ceramic material.

This is a new type of material. No matter how much theoretical support there is, it's useless. It can only be verified through actual combat.

Time passed day by day, and a week went by in the blink of an eye.

It's the weekend. After a busy day, Li Aiguo went to the market and bought a fish and an old hen to treat himself.

As soon as I got home, I heard a familiar laugh coming from inside the house.

"If Aiguo dares to bully you, tell me, Lao Li, and I'll teach him a lesson."

Is Li Yunlong back?

Li Aiguo pushed open the door and, sure enough, saw a burly man standing there.

Compared to before, Li Yunlong's skin was darker, his eyes were more piercing, and he had a new scar on his face. The scar stretched menacingly from the corner of his eye to his mouth, looking rather frightening.

Tian Yu was sitting next to them, playing with several children.

"Uncle Li, what happened to your scar?" Li Aiguo stepped forward and asked with concern.

"Haha, it's nothing. The jeep just stepped on an enemy landmine and got scratched by shrapnel." Li Yunlong didn't take it to heart at all and came over to hug Li Aiguo.

"Nephew, I really have to thank you for your tank armor. Let me tell you, that thing made the enemy run for their lives."

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo gave Chen Xueru a wink.

"You guys chat first, I'll go cook." Chen Xueru took the groceries from Li Aiguo and turned to go into the kitchen.

"Xueru, let me help you." Tian Yu led the children into the kitchen.

"Come on, Uncle Li, have some tea and let's chat." Li Aiguo poured tea for Li Yunlong.

Li Yunlong picked up his enamel mug, drank some water, and recounted his experiences fighting in the South Asian subcontinent.

At first, the other party didn't take it seriously, thinking that we were just bluffing them and that would be the end of it, so they kept taking advantage of us.

Unexpectedly, after Li Yunlong led his team in, they didn't stop. They grabbed big sticks and rushed into the enemy's house, smashing everything in sight.

The other side then realized what was happening and began to organize their forces to fight Li Yunlong.

But they were no match for Li Yunlong. With the help of invincible tanks and radio-guided bombs, Li Yunlong became a god of war, killing anyone who came and even gods who came to kill gods.

"That was exhilarating! I, Old Li, have never fought such a satisfying battle in my entire life!" Li Yunlong said, slapping his thigh and grinning broadly. "Uncle Li, you'll probably have stars on your shoulders by now that you're back," Li Aiguo said, equally pleased for Li Yunlong.

"More or less, but it's not finalized yet. Speaking of which, Uncle really has to thank you." Li Yunlong composed himself and said to Li Aiguo, "If I were still in the south, I might be in trouble now."

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Tian Yu saw Li Yunlong start talking about things in the South again and knew it was a sensitive topic, so she quickly interrupted Li Yunlong: "Didn't you bring a gift for Aiguo?"

"Right, right, look at my memory, I forgot it when I was happy." Li Yunlong took out a strange thing from his bag and handed it over: "This is a good thing."

Li Aiguo was a little confused as he held the things.

This thing is made of pearls, gemstones, and gold, and it looks like a hat or a pair of underwear, depending on your viewing angle.

"Is this thing for men or women?"

"Why would a woman wear this thing?" Li Yunlong thought Li Aiguo's thought process was a bit off, and said with a smile, "Ah, I forgot, there was originally a piece of cloth here. First, wrap the cloth around your head, and then put this hat on."

Li Aiguo breathed a sigh of relief; the string of pearl-embroidered underwear was indeed a hat.

He thought Li Yunlong had gone on a business trip, met some foreign beauties, and gone astray.

Li Aiguo swung it around a couple of times and realized that the pearl-embroidered underpants were probably something like a crown.

"Uncle Li, where did you get this hat?"

"It was obtained from a guy named Dada. He was a major general and supposedly a nobleman. He wasn't good at military command, but he was a first-rate escape artist."

This thing was hanging on the backside of the donkey he was running away from!
"I'll shoot the donkey dead, the crown will be mine, and the stewed donkey meat will smell delicious for miles around!"

Li Yunlong took a swig of tea, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Patriotism, next time I'll add a layer of iron mesh to the chassis of the jeep. Those South Asian bastards' landmines are designed to blow up your crotch!"

“Dada.” Li Aiguo remembered.

In one of Wang Erpao's letters home, he mentioned that they had fought against a guy named Dada several times. Each time they were able to defeat him, but they could not capture Dada.

Unexpectedly, Li Yunlong succeeded.

However, the hat was too valuable, so Li Aiguo planned to report it to the weather station first, keep it at home, and find an opportunity to send it to a museum in a few years.

Dinner was quite plentiful, with braised fish, chicken stew with mushrooms, and two plates of green vegetables.

Li Yunlong wanted to drink, but Tian Yu stopped him: "Aiguo, your uncle's injuries haven't healed yet. The doctor advised him not to drink."

Li Aiguo stood up, put the wine bottle away, then poured a cup of tea and handed it to him: "I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."

The absence of alcohol did not diminish the joyful atmosphere of the family dinner.

After finishing his meal, Li Yunlong chatted with Li Aiguo in the study until after 11 p.m. before finally getting up.

"Patriotism, I didn't expect you to be so insightful not only in military matters but also in the analysis of the international situation. No wonder Zhao Gang often says that it's a pity you didn't go to the South Asian subcontinent."

"Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely go when I have the chance." Li Aiguo stood up and saw Li Yunlong and Tian Yu out of the courtyard.

He was about to go home with Chen Xueru when Tian Yu made an excuse that he had forgotten something and came back.

"What's wrong, Auntie?" Li Aiguo noticed that Tian Yu's expression was off, so he pulled her aside and asked in a low voice.

Tian Yu pursed her lips and said, "Aiguo, you should persuade Yunlong not to go back this time. The front line is too dangerous, and he's the kind of person who's afraid of dying."

“Auntie, you know what kind of person Uncle Li is. If you let him stay in the capital, it’s no different from killing him.” Li Aiguo didn’t just brush off Tian Yu; he helped her analyze Li Yunlong’s suicidal mentality.

People like Li Yunlong have experienced too many gunfights and life-or-death situations; only on the battlefield can they feel that they are still alive.

Tian Yu knew all this, so she could only sigh helplessly and turn away.

Watching Tian Yu's retreating figure, Li Aiguo narrowed his eyes. It seemed that the bulletproof SUV needed to be developed as soon as possible.

The next day at work, Li Aiguo picked up the phone number left by Commissioner Sui and, after being transferred, got through to the laboratory.

"You're the guy who invented this special ceramic, right? How did you come up with such a clever idea?"

"Tell me quickly, what is the purpose of this thing?"

Before Li Aiguo could even speak, the person on the other end rattled off a whole bunch of things.

"Uh, sorry, it's been so long since anyone spoke, I got a little excited. Now you can answer my question."

Sorry, it's confidential.

"."

"Okay. Did you come to ask when the ceramic slabs will be ready? Let me tell you, this stuff is extremely difficult to make, especially the boron carbide. You have to control the sintering process very well."

After a full ten minutes, Li Aiguo finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Please get to the point."

"The point is... that batch of ceramic slabs has already been sent out. What, didn't you receive them? Old Sui usually seems pretty reliable, but why did he mess up this time? No way, when he gets back, I'm going to give him a good scolding."

Seeing that the person on the other end had started talking non-stop again, Li Aiguo slammed down the phone.

Once that batch of ceramic slabs has been shipped out of the laboratory, there's nothing to worry about.

After all, in these times, probably no one would dare to snatch things from Commissioner Sui.

Things went as Li Aiguo had predicted.

Around noon, a dusty jeep pulled up in front of the studio.

Before the jeep had even come to a complete stop, Commissioner Sui had already kicked open the car door, and three men in gray uniforms rushed into the yard carrying a sealed box.

"Sign it quickly!" Commissioner Sui, panting heavily, shoved the pen into Li Aiguo's hand.

The entire process, from the jeep stopping to leaving the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, took less than two minutes.

"This guy is completely different from the person who made the phone call."

"Master, your things have arrived?" Chen Baiya also joined in the fun.

Professor Chen and the group of automotive experts, upon hearing the news, also rushed over, all looking at the box with curious eyes.

What exactly is it that can stop bullets?
Li Aiguo opened the box.

When the experts saw that it was a pile of ceramic shards, their eyes widened in astonishment.

"Ceramics? These things break easily."

"Yeah, how can you put this thing in a car?"

Professor Chen had worked with Li Aiguo for some time and knew his personality. He coughed twice and said, "Since Aiguo is doing this, he must have his reasons. Everyone, go back to work."

Although the experts left out of respect for Professor Chen, they felt that Li Aiguo was being ridiculous.

Li Aiguo didn't pay any attention and carried the box to the laboratory, where he and Yu Shu and Chen Baiya got busy.

Li Aiguo first picked up a specially made ceramic plate sent by the vacuum laboratory. Instead of assembling it immediately, he held it up to the light and examined it carefully.

The ceramic surface was not smooth; instead, it was covered with countless, neatly arranged, special honeycomb-like engravings that were difficult to see with the naked eye.

That lab is indeed quite capable.

He extended his gloved fingers and gently traced the spiral of the engraving.

This design effectively disperses impact energy, unlike ordinary ceramics.

Next, Li Aiguo picked up a pre-cut sheet of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

The board is exceptionally tough yet possesses a peculiar elasticity, with smooth edges that are almost entirely free of burrs, demonstrating a high level of processing precision.

"Come on, you two, look carefully."

Li Aiguo gestured to Yu Shu and Chen Baiya.

He picked up a piece of ceramic, a polyethylene sheet, and a pre-cut piece of honeycomb aluminum.

“This three-layer structure may seem simple, but the order, spacing, pressing force, and even angle must be perfect. If it is even slightly off, this ‘composite material’ will turn back into ‘ordinary material’.”

As he spoke, he carefully pressed the polyethylene sheet onto the grooved surface of the ceramic plate.

He then took out a set of clamps with precise markings from the toolbox, carefully calibrated the relative positions of the two, and then instructed Chen Baiya to use a special adhesive for initial bonding.

Once the polyethylene sheet was securely fixed to the ceramic, he gently covered the back of the polyethylene sheet with the metallic honeycomb aluminum sheet, and then used clamps for more precise positioning and clamping.

The entire assembly process was slow and careful.

The only sounds in the air were the three people's deliberately slowed breathing and the slight mechanical meshing sound of the precision clamps being turned.

Looking at the composite material panel in front of him, made of unusual materials and special processes, Li Aiguo's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile of confidence.

He rubbed his hands together and put on thicker work gloves: "Alright, let's begin the formal assembly!"

Li Yunlong was in a good mood.

After the celebration, his epaulets had an extra gold star.

Although Li Yunlong didn't care much about military rank, he was still somewhat resentful, and today's delivery was a case of getting what he wanted.

"If Zhao Gang saw this, he'd be green with envy."

Ding Wei should have returned to the Dabie Mountains to farm by now, but he received special praise from above for his work "On Asymmetric Warfare" and is currently working in the General Staff Department, responsible for overall strategic planning.

Kong Jie has graduated from Jinling Military Academy and is about to be transferred to Northeast China.

Upon hearing the news, the two rushed over to congratulate Li Yunlong.

"Wait a minute. I need to let my nephew take a look too." Li Yunlong suddenly shouted to Ding Wei, "Old Ding, turn the train around and head to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot."

"Alright, it's been a while since I've seen Aiguo." Ding Wei felt that Li Yunlong was being a bit flamboyant, but upon closer inspection, if he wasn't flamboyant, would he still be Li Yunlong?

This was the first time Kong Jie had heard that Li Yunlong had a nephew.

They seemed to have a pretty good relationship; Li Yunlong went to see him immediately after receiving the medal.

"Old Ding, who is this Aiguo?"

"A train driver, an interesting fellow."

"interesting?"

"Yes, I was inspired by him to write that paper."

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie also became interested in Li Aiguo.

He was very clear about Ding Wei's situation at the time.

In particular, when he heard that Ding Wei was going to point out in his paper that his elder brother was not trustworthy, he was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat and tried to dissuade Ding Wei several times.

However, Ding Wei simply wouldn't listen.

Kong Jie had resigned himself to fate, but Ding Wei took the initiative to tear off his thesis and pulled out "On Asymmetric Warfare".

"This guy might be really interesting; he managed to change Ding Wei's mind."

The jeep sped along and arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

When the security officer of the locomotive depot saw that the train did not belong to his unit, he went up to inquire as usual.

"Greetings, Commander! Greetings, Commander!"

The security officer, a former railway soldier, was stunned to see a two-star officer and two one-star officers sitting inside the car.

This is quite a big commotion; we need to notify the section chief immediately.

Where are our patriotic comrades?

"You're looking for Li Dache? Let me show you the way." The security officer breathed a sigh of relief, gave the security officer next to him a wink, signaling him to quickly notify the section chief, and then personally led the group to the workshop.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance, I saw Li Aiguo holding a submachine gun in the fire station's courtyard, pointing the muzzle at the door of a large SUV, his finger tightly on the trigger.

"Patriotism, such a good car, you don't want it?" Li Yunlong was also startled and quickly jumped out of the car and ran over.

(End of this chapter)