Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 442 Another City
Under the scorching sun in Sunmazhuang, at a corner of a provincial highway on the outskirts, an old man was fanning himself with a fan at a dilapidated stall, looking quite content.

The radio was broadcasting news of the opening of the Shanghai World Expo.

"Boss, a bottle of mineral water, please."

Three pieces!

The dark-skinned young man didn't say anything more. He took out a 20-yuan bill from his pocket and handed it over. After the shopkeeper gave him his change, he took out his notebook and said, "I'm from the county price supervision team. How long has this been going on? Tell me honestly."

Convenience store owner: (_)?!

"They want to monitor prices in this run-down place? Do you think this is Shanghai?!"

The dark-skinned young man ignored the other's sarcasm: "You're guarding the entrance to Sunmazhuang, so many people pass through here every day, you don't have to worry about selling your goods, yet you still raise the prices like this?"

The convenience store owner retorted, "There are plenty of places that sell things at exorbitant prices. Why don't you regulate the service areas? Why don't you regulate the trains?"

"Do you have their prices clearly marked? Do you have a business license?"

The boss didn't say anything. He had only changed careers in the last few months. Before, he was a castrated piglet sheller who peeled broad beans in a nearby town.

Besides, I only put two refrigerators in, why would I need a business license!

The young man pointed to the far distance in his line of sight, where a huge construction site was already taking shape:
“Sunmazhuang is undergoing a major construction project right now. If you want to make money, don’t do anything reckless. If you really want to generate revenue, I have an idea for you: put some watermelons on the roadside, and put some tea eggs, instant noodles, and sausages in the shop. When the truck drivers come and go, they can stop and have a bite to eat. You can also provide them with some hot water. Wouldn’t that be better?”

The shop owner seemed to be deep in thought.

The new brain is more agile.

The young man unscrewed the Wahaha bottle he had just bought, took a sip, looked at the group photo of Asian boxing champion Fan Junwei on it, chuckled, and his tone softened a bit.

"Also, I'll have someone paint two coats of reflective paint on this dilapidated house of yours, so that trucks can see the edges clearly at night, otherwise they won't even know they've been run over."

These were all heartfelt suggestions, so the boss was no longer so averse to them. Moreover, they actually helped resolve some potential problems.

He's a young man who gets things done.

You can roughly tell why the other person is so tanned.
The shop owner said, "Young man, you're from the government. Let me ask how long the repairs in Sunmazhuang will take? I'm thinking of getting more stock."

Without the large construction site in Sunmazhuang, this would just be a dilapidated house on the edge of a provincial highway, utterly worthless. In his mind, once the construction was completed, the place would be unsellable, and he would go back to shelling broad beans.

This job is addictive; I haven't peeled a couple of broad beans to go with my drinks in ages, and I'm actually craving it!
The young man posted a rectification notice, smiled, turned around, and rode off on his electric scooter: "How long will it take to repair? That's a long way off."

My gaze had already drifted to the far distance, where even the barren grasslands on both sides appeared exceptionally lush and green under the blazing sun.

Lively.

"The Mechanical Core Research Institute has an investment of over a billion yuan. How long do you think it will take to build? You're lucky to have this place right on a provincial highway bend!"

"We will also conduct random checks from time to time, so don't be greedy for small gains, or I'll come looking for your business license. Being lax in management doesn't mean there are no rules!"

With a slight twist of his right hand, the young man, braving the scorching sun, drove towards the blue sky.

With a large influx of construction workers and migrant workers into Dongyang, prices in this small, scattered northern county have fluctuated considerably.

This fluctuation is not entirely caused by supply and demand; more often it is due to merchants raising prices to take advantage of others.

This not only hinders the development of Dongyang, but also affects local residents. This trend must be nipped in the bud, otherwise it will be ten times more troublesome once it becomes a tacit consensus.

Zhai Da's investment brought about immediate changes.

When a large machine arrives in a small place for the first time, it's inevitable that cracks will appear in places that are not easily noticed, and there may even be growing pains. The county government led by Li Kangda is doing its best to deal with it.

However, with favorable timing, location, and people's support, most problems were quickly resolved, such as the recent price fluctuations.

Early intervention and good management reduce resistance to rectification, and most ordinary people understand after just one explanation.

The dark-skinned young man still has many places to go, and he can't let his hometown's great development be ruined!

The shop owner watched the departing figure and smiled with relief.

Fortunately, the young man didn't ask him who owned the shop!

He didn't know either; he just took it because no one else was using it.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the same time, several other vehicles were also traveling on this provincial highway.

Leading the group was Ms. Yu's Volvo XC90, with Zhai Da and Lu Wei in the front row, and Sun Ting, Qi Lin, and Ge Qiaoqiao in the back. This morning, the group had just arrived in Dongyang from Shanghai by plane, had a short lunch break in the city, and then headed straight for Sunmazhuang.

In the driver's seat, Zhai Da drove carefully, avoiding potholes on the road, and said, "Cement mixers, dump trucks, and big trucks are all taking turns to maintain this road. I've already reported this to the county government, and they will send more people."

As they were talking, they couldn't avoid a large pothole when they passed another "Grandpa Dayun" car. The lightest of them all, Ge Qiaoqiao, experienced a rare feeling of being on top of the world, her head almost hitting the roof of the car. She hurriedly and frantically fastened her seatbelt.

Zhai Da glanced in the rearview mirror and said with a smile, "You guys haven't been here for several months. This place has changed a lot."

Before going to Shanghai to watch the opening ceremony, the members of "π" were all in Harbin, doing research and tackling their studies to fulfill their "half-year promise". The last time they came to Sunmazhuang was after the Spring Festival for an inspection. Four months have passed since then.

For the past four months, only members who have already graduated have been frequently traveling between the two places, such as Zhai Da and Lu Wei.

Lu Wei has gone a step further. She has been living at her home in Jiang'an Sunshine City for a long time, and only occasionally goes back to school to spend some time in Harbin with Zhai Da.

Incidentally, members such as Zhai Da, Lu Wei, Qi Lin, and Ge Qiaoqiao, who actually graduated with bachelor's degrees, are currently all "graduate students under the joint university-enterprise training program" (Ge Qiaoqiao switched to this program later).

Similar to a part-time postgraduate program, but with higher prestige, it is only available to specific high-tech companies that have signed training agreements with the university. Students can pursue their studies concurrently with their work practice, under a "dual-mentor system." Ultimately, they can even obtain a master's degree and diploma by replacing the traditional thesis defense with their "engineering practice" achievements.

As for which high-tech enterprise it is, it is naturally the "Mechanical Core Research Institute".

This person essentially cultivated themselves.

But research institutes are qualified, especially in fields such as software and semiconductors; their level goes far beyond that of graduate students.

Other π members who are about to complete their "six-month agreement" will also leave a way for them to advance their degrees in a similar manner, which will also strengthen the connection between Harbin Institute of Technology and the research institute. During this period, the cooperation between the two parties has not decreased, but rather increased.

For example, many of the early staff members of the semiconductor project are recent graduates from Harbin Institute of Technology. They attended every campus recruitment fair and just participated in the spring recruitment fair.

He recruited quite a few junior students; well, to Zhai Da, they might be considered "senior students."

Sun Ting looked out the window curiously. Although there was mostly wasteland on both sides, the wild grass was lush and green in the sunlight.

Compared to the bustling traffic of Shanghai yesterday, this place seems to have nothing, yet anything is possible.
In the far distance, a complex of buildings that is not very tall but covers a huge area gradually comes into view.

I can't see it clearly, but it looks really cool!
Sun Ting: "I saw it! It was built so fast?"

Zhai Da explained, "The circular headquarters is still a long way off, but the semiconductor plant that the bulk province is building for us is progressing at a breakneck pace, which is kind of forcing us to start production as soon as possible."

It's important to know that semiconductor factories aren't those large corrugated steel structures; they're reinforced concrete structures with specific structural requirements.

They practically wanted to dry the cement with electric fans hanging on it.
After all, many projects are delayed and eventually fail. In addition, the agreement stipulates that the project is free to use for three years from the date of delivery, and then depreciation will be paid in installments. Bulk economy certainly does not want to waste time on its side.

But the quality is unquestionable; Zhai Da frequently uses the [Pure Gold Secret Cane] to check it.

The convoy of four vehicles drove all the way to the factory gate. Although only a small part of the interior was completed, the gate itself was already quite impressive.

There is a security room, a retractable gate, and young security guards.

After waiting for a long time without the door opening, the young man in the security room had his head down and his eyes were red, and it was unclear what he was doing. Zhai Da could only beep twice.

The other party shuddered, and after recognizing it as Mr. Zhai's car, quickly opened the door.

Zhai Da didn't say much. Several cars filed in, and Sun Ting keenly noticed the metallic door number hanging on the wall.

No. 1, Jihe 7th Road

It's obvious that the street names in the vicinity have all been changed.

Sun Ting asked excitedly, "President, how many roads are named after the research institute?"

Zhai Da laughed and said, "There are nine 'Core X Roads' in total, with odd numbers running east-west and even numbers running north-south. For example, the ring headquarters is 'Core Road 1, No. 99'. There's no need to change the ones further away for now."

The county originally proposed changing the name to "Longgui Road 1 to Longgui Road 9", which would mean "Oriental Silicon Valley", but Zhai Da rejected it.

You'd think it was some kind of place that professionally trains "dragon turtles" if you didn't know better.

This place will not only be about silicon carbide and semiconductors in the future; a name should be chosen with foresight.
When Sun Ting saw those words, she trembled all over. This feeling was truly magical!

The other researchers who don't come here often also felt completely at ease, as if they were back home!
After parking his car on the wide, concrete pavement, Zhai Da said:

"Then let me show you around our future semiconductor factory!"

　The construction time has undoubtedly been accelerated, which can be seen as an extraordinary infrastructure construction speed.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)