Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1254 An Unexpected Angle (5k, 6k more to come)

Wow! Chief Engineer Gao's energy level changes so quickly! Engineer Lu thought to himself in amazement.

Indeed, extraordinary people do extraordinary things. At this moment, he was unaware that an event had occurred involving Gao Zhendong that was enough to shake the entire system and even affect many things in the future.

He was relieved that Chief Engineer Gao was alright, and that was good. Only then did he begin to talk about the phone call he had made.

"Chief Engineer Gao, it's like this: the overall feedback on our new tank engine after use is very good, but some persistent problems still exist, especially the horizontal top counterweight arrangement. We had no experience with this before, and the production process was all new. Even though the overall performance is excellent, there are still some issues." As the second-generation tanks began to be deployed in the troops, a lot of feedback was received, and some problems that could not be seen in short-term testing began to emerge.

Gao Zhendong didn't think there was anything wrong with this; it was perfectly normal. It would be abnormal if there were no problems: "Well, if there are problems, we can talk about them and fix them. Is this the reason for this call?"

"Yes, yes, Chief Engineer Gao, most of them are minor issues, which we are fixing, so it's not a big deal. However, there are some bigger problems that need to be solved, which is why I'm asking you for help," Engineer Lu said with a laugh on the phone.

The design team usually solves the problems themselves, so the fact that they still need to come to him at this stage surprised Gao Zhendong. Could it be a material issue?

"Go ahead and tell me." There's plenty of time, no need to rush, especially now that we have even more time, so there's even less need to rush.

"The main problem is the wear of the crankshaft and connecting rod. In terms of material strength, there's actually nothing wrong with these parts. The problem lies in the machining." Engineer Lu said somewhat embarrassedly. The material issue was personally resolved by Chief Engineer Gao, but he ended up not using the good materials properly.

Gao Zhendong didn't find anything strange about it. These days, it's perfectly normal for processing to have problems. Even decades from now, processing will still have its share of issues.

"Processing?"

"Yes. You know, the connection between the connecting rod and the crankshaft is achieved by the big end of the connecting rod and the big end cap. That's where the problem lies. We manufacture the big end cap and the big end as a single piece, and then we cut them apart, and that's where the problem arose..."

While a single cut may appear perfectly smooth to the naked eye, the resulting high temperature, stress, and micro-cracks cause numerous changes to the interface between the two components. In simple terms, this leads to a deterioration in mechanical properties. While this deterioration has been adjusted to an acceptable level in older models, it's a different story in newer models.

Moreover, the cutting surface is microscopically uneven. In order to ensure the flatness of the two separating surfaces, fine grinding is required after cutting. This fine grinding is not only costly and difficult to maintain, but it also makes the mating surfaces of the two components susceptible to sliding under lateral shear force, resulting in wear, noise, and other problems. To address this, positioning measures must be considered for the two components, which further increases the cost.

Not to mention the higher costs, the real problem is that it's still difficult to completely solve the issue, which is the biggest trouble.

The feedback from the military is that the product suffers from high wear and tear, short lifespan, and difficult maintenance. They want to see if there are any ways to improve it.

These days, cutting, precision grinding, and positioning are actually quite basic, but the problems are even bigger.

After hearing what Engineer Lu said, Gao Zhendong laughed and said, "You want a harder material? And its toughness, mechanical properties, and processing performance can't be bad either?"

Hardening makes it brittle and increases the difficulty of processing. It's not just about whether it can be chewed, but also about considering mechanical properties and crystal phases. Achieving greater hardness while keeping other properties essentially unchanged is extremely difficult.

Upon hearing this, Engineer Lu repeatedly agreed on the other end of the phone: "Yes, yes, that's exactly what I meant."

Gao Zhendong laughed even harder: "President Lu, the performance of materials has an upper limit, and it is even more difficult to find materials that can balance multiple aspects."

Engineer Lu blushed on the other end of the phone: "Yes, yes, we tend to rely on materials to solve problems whenever we encounter difficulties. It's a bit lazy. Chief Engineer Gao, you're right to criticize us. We'll think of another way."

It's a bit lazy; they only think about solving problems with materials. No matter how capable Chief Engineer Gao is, he can't completely meet all the requirements.

"I'm not criticizing you, what I mean is, this matter can be resolved without relying on materials." These days, you can't talk to comrades in a slow, deliberate manner; you have to get everything out in one go, otherwise they'll have a lot on their minds.

"Ah...that's great, thank you Chief Engineer Gao." Engineer Lu had no intention of stubbornly insisting on doing it himself. Criticism and self-criticism could wait; the most important thing was to solve the problem, and he would deal with those criticisms later.

Being too stubborn also needs to be criticized.

"Your problems, when combined, boil down to just one thing—ensuring that the two ends of this connecting rod are tightly connected and don't slip, right?" Gao Zhendong said over the phone.

"Yes, yes, that's what it means!"

"That's simple. Just make sure that the two separated ends, whether flat or not, naturally mesh together," Gao Zhendong suggested.

"Natural interlocking? We really haven't mastered this processing technology. If you cut it with one cut, both sides will need secondary processing no matter what, right?" Engineer Lu racked his brains but still couldn't figure out what Gao Zhendong meant by that.

“Engineer Lu, take a piece of paper, tear it open, and see if the two broken ends naturally interlock. Back in the day, those who did underground work often used a torn banknote to confirm identities.”

"Tear... this even works?" Engineer Lu looked incredulous on the other end of the phone. That was underground work, completely unrelated to this.

"Why not? Put it on the connecting rod, and you can just use something to break it. The broken ends will naturally mesh and there will be no slippage! Once these two problems are solved, everything else will be easy to handle."

The fracture-resistant connecting rod is a common technology in high-performance engines. Gao Zhendong didn't even need to delve into the system, because as long as the principle was explained clearly, his colleagues would naturally find a way to implement it. The most troublesome part was convincing his colleagues that this thing could be used.

Normally, everyone is afraid of breaking any parts, but here, they're deliberately pushing it to its mechanical limits to break. Is this thing even usable?
This bend is not something that can be turned in a short time.

Engineer Lu stared blankly at the phone, pondering Gao Zhendong's words. This matter...

Hmm... This matter... although it's unconventional, it doesn't seem to be entirely nonsense.

As long as the material's mechanical properties are chosen appropriately—hard enough but not too tough—it can indeed break. Moreover, by using a pre-fabricated groove, the large end of the integrated piece can be broken into two parts, the large end and the large end cap, at a specified location. He can figure out how to do this himself.

As for the mechanical properties at the fracture point, the actual load-bearing components here are the screws that fasten the large end and the large end cap, and this method has little impact on other parts.

Moreover, as Chief Engineer Gao said, this seemingly unconventional and imaginative idea can indeed solve his biggest problem right now—the tightness of the connection and the problem of end face sliding.

The key point is that once the technology is successfully developed, the production cost and time will be relatively low.

It was processed, then broke, and that was it.

There's almost nothing left for fine grinding, positioning, testing, and adjustment. This thing can't be ground, and its special superior performance comes from this "cannot be ground," while positioning and other effects are inherent.

"Chief Engineer Gao... this... I'll organize people to try and find a solution right away!!" Feeling like he had discovered a new world, Engineer Lu was about to hang up after saying a few words to Gao Zhendong, but Gao Zhendong stopped him.

"Wait! This thing isn't without its drawbacks. If it breaks, you have to replace the connecting rod and the large end cap together. It's not interchangeable, which is its biggest disadvantage. You need to consider this." Although there are prefabricated slots, with this technology, the cross-section of each connecting rod is different, so they are not interchangeable.

"It's alright, it's alright. This thing is cheap to begin with. Even if it can't be interchanged, replacing the whole thing won't be a big deal. But the benefits it brings are something that cutting connecting rods can't achieve. This is it! Chief Engineer Gao, do you have any other requirements?" This time he was smarter; maybe Chief Engineer Gao would give him some instructions.

As expected, Gao Zhendong said, "You should study the specific process carefully. The main difficulty lies in selecting suitable materials and processes to ensure consistent fracture and prevent the production of metal fragments. Once you have achieved results, you should share them with other comrades working on internal combustion engines."

This technology isn't just used in tank engines. It's a highly effective and low-cost process.

Moreover, it is necessary to spread this improved technology internally, as it is effective but not highly sensitive.

"Okay, okay!" Engineer Lu replied repeatedly. Chief Engineer Gao was magnanimous; he not only provided guidance to his own team but also considered the other comrades.

After he hung up the phone, he told the comrades surrounding him about Gao Zhendong's plan. The comrades were all amazed and had no choice but to admire it.

"This... Mr. Gao's idea is too far-fetched, isn't it?"

"The breakdown we desperately want to avoid has become a powerful tool for solving problems in his hands!" "This brain...this way of thinking is simply amazing!"

"Now you know why he's the chief designer."

"Hurry, hurry, my crankshaft can't wait!"

"Yes, yes, go get the materials list, let's see if we can find anything suitable!"

The comrades got busy.
-
When Gao Zhendong got off work, his colleagues at the factory saw his car and started talking about it.

"Look, Chief Engineer Gao just killed a spy this morning, and now he's acting like nothing happened, still working diligently." Everyone's focus wasn't on the killing, but on the fact that it hadn't affected Gao Zhendong's work.

"This is just one person, what impact can he have? He killed far more enemies with his own hands on the battlefield back then, did you see his hands ever tremble?"

“Such a big thing happened this morning. You could see how anxious Director Chen was when he went to the Third Factory. But now everything has calmed down very quickly.” As soon as he received the report, apart from taking a little time for necessary handling, Old Chen went to find Gao Zhendong with Deputy Director Li to make sure he was really safe and sound before he could relax.

"Isn't it good that things are calm and peaceful? It means the enemy is no threat. Chief Engineer Gao's three shots to stop the car incident—if this story were to be told for decades to come, it would be a great tale."

"Here we go again, can we please stop talking about the play?"

"I won't! I won't! I'll make you furious!"

"You don't know, I was not far from Chief Engineer Gao when he killed the spy this morning. You didn't see it, but his movements and marksmanship were spot on!"

"Yes, yes, yes, they're all authentic! Chief Engineer Gao used to work in the training section of the security department. Everyone has seen his skills, so how could they be anything less than top-notch?"

"..."

The comrades discussed among themselves, but none of them intended to stop Gao Zhendong to take a look. However, when they passed the place where the enemy's corpses had been pulled down by the comrades who had stopped the car that morning, they would stop and look at the spot where there was a pool of dirty blood.

Since we can't watch the live broadcast, let's listen to the replay made up by the comrades present. At that time, the comrades present really started with one picture, and then made up the rest. When the comrades made up different pictures, they almost got into a fight over the differences!
When Gao Zhendong returned home, Lou Xiao'e was unaware of what had happened. Gao Zhendong didn't intend to tell her either, mainly because he felt that doing so seemed like he was begging for comfort and wasn't manly enough.

Moreover, it's pointless to make Lou Xiao'e worry for nothing.

However, Lou Xiao'e was no ordinary person. She was naive but not stupid. Today, the atmosphere when Gao Zhendong returned home was noticeably somber, and the scene was different from usual.

"What happened today? Something seems different," Lou Xiao'e asked.

A woman's intuition is always right! Gao Zhendong was speechless.

Since he'd been asked, he wouldn't hide it; he'd just leave it to fate. Even if he didn't say anything, Lou Xiao'e would find out when Sha Zhu, Yi Zhonghai, Qin Huairu, and the others came home from get off work.

"Oh, a spy came to the factory this morning trying to bomb it, but I killed him," Gao Zhendong said casually.

Lou Xiao'e was startled: "Ah? Are you alright?" She quickly pulled Gao Zhendong up, looking him over from left to right, trying to make sure he had no injuries or anything like that, after all, she was a doctor.

Gao Zhendong shook his head: "It's nothing, I shot him." Lou Xiao'e knew he had a gun.

However, her thought process was rather straightforward: "Oh, it was shot? Then it seems like I'm really okay." Without hand-to-hand combat, there wouldn't be any injuries; her thinking was that simple.

Seeing her expression, Gao Zhendong burst into laughter: "It's really nothing, don't worry." His wife is truly extraordinary.

While preparing dinner with Lou Xiao'e, Gao Zhendong vividly recounted his heroic deeds that morning. Lou Xiao'e's eyes sparkled with excitement as she listened, exclaiming "Wow!" "You're so amazing!" and "Amazing!" which made Gao Zhendong feel incredibly emotionally fulfilled.

Just as the couple was getting all lovey-dovey, there was a knock on the door.

Gao Zhendong knew who it was without even opening the door; the footsteps were too obvious, and there were two people.

He opened the door and said with a smile, "Old Wang, what brings you here?"

Wang Dezhu and Xie Jianye were at the door. Without a doubt, Xie Jianye must have notified Wang Dezhu.

However, his idea was not entirely correct: "There has been a report from above regarding your factory's situation, and our institute is also busy wrapping up this matter and related work."

"Then why do you still have time to come here?" Gao Zhendong said with a smile as he led the two of them in.

It wasn't that he wanted to get rid of Wang Dezhu, but since this matter had already been conveyed to their institute as a task, Wang Dezhu shouldn't have had time to come looking for him. Wang Dezhu himself certainly wanted to come immediately, but after all, he was the director, and he was the busiest and least available person in the institute for such tasks.

"Haha, you don't know this, coming to see you is my mission. See how good I am at picking people?" As for why coming to see Gao Zhendong was his mission, he didn't explain, nor did he need to.

Unlike others, Wang Dezhu showed no sign of worrying about Gao Zhendong. It wasn't that he didn't care about Gao Zhendong, but rather that he had a different perspective on the matter.

Worried about the old platoon leader? There's absolutely no need!

He fought alongside Gao Zhendong in the icy wilderness of the northern peninsula for quite some time.

In his view, what threat could that petty scoundrel, as described in the superior's report, pose to Gao Zhendong? He didn't have the ability, did he?

So he came to see Gao Zhendong, but he wasn't worried at all. His only regret was not being there; he couldn't fight alongside him, nor could he witness Gao Zhendong's brilliance again.

So what he's most interested in right now is the situation on site this morning, and Xie Jianye is the same, even though he wasn't there.

Gao Zhendong had no choice but to repeat what he had told Lou Xiao'e to the two of them. Hearing this, Wang Dezhu and the other man were so shocked they felt as if they could take Lou Xiao'e's place. The police station and security department mainly dealt with minor matters; this kind of real, hard-fought battle filled them with longing.

When Gao Zhendong said he discovered the problem with the car by smell, the two couldn't help but burst into laughter. Lou Xiao'e, standing beside him, pursed her lips. She hadn't dared to laugh at Gao Zhendong earlier, mainly because this behavior made a bit of a suggestive connection...

"Old platoon leader, you've really... done it perfectly!"

"Yeah, I never knew you had this skill, your nose, hahaha!!!"

Looking at the two of them, Gao Zhendong suddenly had a thought.

"Hey, Lao Wang, Lao Xie, I have to say, you two really know how to make something of this."

You think you can trick us into not laughing at you? No way, keep laughing!
"Don't laugh, really, do you want to hear it?" Gao Zhendong said with a smile.

The two then slowly stopped: "What are your thoughts?" They knew that when Gao Zhendong said he had thoughts, he really did.

"You can work on the dogs! You know police dogs, right? You can do that. But don't do it yourself, just offer suggestions and let your colleagues do it." These days, it's not uncommon, but it's sporadic and never really been done in a formal way.

(End of this chapter)