Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 447 But that's your money, boss!

It was another ordinary training day at the precision instrument factory.

Every day when Zhai Da arrives, he would pick a time, either during or after class, to take out a trumpet and play a couple of off-key notes.

Nobody knows why, but some people say that General Manager Zhai had this habit when he was in Harbin.

Legend has it that someone heard the feeling of "Twilight" in the song.

However, I've been facing some more troubles lately.

That is, there are so many cicadas in the yard that it's affecting the teaching.

Perhaps because it had been abandoned for too long, countless larvae were buried underground, and the first batch that had just emerged was extremely numerous.

They were screaming like mad, and since the windows here are all single-pane glass, there was no way to stop them. I thought I had tinnitus during the last class; my head was buzzing.

If the weather is sunny and the angle of the light is right, swarms of cicadas will urinate on the trees, making it look like rain from the side.

This is why there's no greenery inside semiconductor factories; there are too many uncontrollable factors.

Finally, Xu Xuejun organized the students to catch some cicadas on a rainy night. The adult cicadas were sent directly to Kennedy, while the juveniles were collected.

So the next day, the cafeteria added a dish that locals called "Salt and Pepper Sister Monkey," which would cost several tens of yuan a plate in a restaurant.

Locals are quite accepting of it, but people from other places, like Cheng Mo, would dry their food and remain silent when getting their meals in the cafeteria.

"President, is this edible?"

"Of course! This is a famous dish. It's very high in protein. As the saying goes, five monkeys are as good as one chicken. Look, it says here that each person is limited to four."

Cheng Mo ultimately decided to take the challenge and asked the cafeteria lady for one.

However, Zhai Da did not order this dish.

"Uh, President? Aren't you eating?"

“I’m different. My family moved here from my maternal grandfather’s generation. My family never did these kinds of fancy cooking when we were little. It’s just upsetting to see it.”

Cheng Mo: ? ? ?
Zhai Da ordered some standard dishes and found a corner to sit down.

While I was focused on eating, a plate was pushed over from the side with a whoosh, and then a round-faced little girl came over.

Liu Jing: "Teacher, are you extremely rich?"

His snow-white little tiger teeth were particularly eye-catching.

There's no need to put your heart into chatting with someone who's a bit dim-witted. Zhai Da nodded casually, "It's alright."

"Is a month enough?"

Liu Jing mentally multiplied the number she considered most outrageous by ten: "Wouldn't it be at least a million a month?"

Zhai Da glanced at the other person: "That was the price before I went to university. Now I'm a university student."

"You have to pay more."

With nothing else to do, Zhai Da asked a couple of questions: "How's your training going? Are you keeping up? You'll be starting to enter the factory next month."

This girl really gives the impression that she was already burnt out back in high school.
Everyone must undergo an assessment before finally entering the factory. Those who pass become formal employees, while those who fail will have their training postponed.

But if they still can't complete the training after another two months, the research institute can't support them for life. They should either be demoted to support staff or find a better position elsewhere.

This Liu Jing seems very dangerous.

"I'm doing quite well in the training, teacher, don't worry. I definitely won't let you down this time. It's just that I'm getting more and more confused. Who are we going to sell this silicon carbide to?"

Zhai Da reluctantly raised one finger, after all, they had a teacher-student relationship, so he was willing to say a few more words:
"First of all, we don't sell silicon carbide. We sell chips and power devices, some of which we develop ourselves, and some of which are designed and customized by others."

"In addition, it has applications in inverters, converters, ultra-high voltage power transmission, power grid regulation, and communication base stations. You can tell that the training is not in place, and the applications are all at the industrial level. The civilian applications are not yet available, but you don't need to worry about the orders."

He received a huge number of orders from the State Grid alone.

The first phase will focus on power devices and inverters, and then gradually expand to mass production of motors, converters, communication power amplifiers, etc.

These are all industrial-grade demands, supported by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The state-owned sector is already well-fed, which in turn can drive capacity upgrades in many fields.

For example, with silicon carbide inverters, photovoltaic energy loss and grid connection costs will be significantly reduced, gradually transforming it from "waste energy" to something less wasteful.

The country can shift from "implementing at huge losses" to "implementing at a slight loss".

This shift will stimulate activity in the photovoltaic industry, which in turn will affect vertical sectors such as the technology of photovoltaic panels themselves.
To put it bluntly, installing a solar panel would normally result in a loss of 70 cents, with the government subsidizing 1 yuan and the company earning 30 cents, meaning the company essentially earns all the money from subsidies.

After using silicon carbide, we lose one cent for every board we lay, but the government also subsidizes one cent, which triples the profit margin.

If you're sure you can make money, why not expand like crazy? Expand it all over the mountains and fields.

Previously, the reason for the trembling was that the profit margin was too low, and the profit could be wiped out by a slight fluctuation. Now it's different.

Strong demand will promote the development and progress of photovoltaic panel manufacturers, which may turn a loss of one cent into a complete break-even point, and finally "waste energy" into "effective energy". From then on, the clean energy industry will have a positive feedback loop, and the industrial chain can still thrive even if the government stops subsidizing it.

Furthermore, due to the need for energy efficiency and industrial upgrading, companies in various fields will be forced to use "silicon carbide power devices" (not necessarily explicitly stated, but the evaluation standards will be raised), otherwise they will be considered as low-end production capacity and will not receive subsidies.

This is why we can't finish all the orders.

Liu Jing's eyes lit up: "Wow, that's amazing!"

What Teacher Zhai said was much easier to understand than what the training instructors said; it's been like that since the Utopia era.

When I returned to high school, I felt that the teachers' lectures were disorganized and not cool enough.

"Such a good product, does that mean we can't sell it to foreigners?"

Zhai Da looked Liu Jing up and down, somewhat puzzled as to why she would be thinking about such a question.
According to current common understanding, it is generally assumed that the better the product, the more it should be sold to foreigners, while the inferior products should be kept domestically.

He shook his head and said, "No, I will try to ensure that at least 30% of the production capacity is sold overseas."

"Ah? Why?"

"This is the only way to destroy their companies that are developing silicon carbide."

Liu Jing seemed to be deep in thought; in any case, it had resolved one of her doubts.

The trainee is like this: perhaps she is not bad in training, but Liu Jing, who has never left her small county, can never form an overall concept of "what she is learning". If this seemingly distant question is not clear, it will eventually wear down the motivation to move forward.

Zhai Da felt that perhaps some "general direction" content could be added to the training.

Liu Jing was in a great mood and said with a smile, "Thank you, Teacher Zhai! I'll share one of my monkeys with you!"

Before Zhai Da could refuse, a crispy, golden-brown cicada larva was placed on top of his white rice.
Liu Jing left like a gust of wind.
Zhai Da felt a pang of sadness as he looked at the plate, but then a familiar voice came from behind him.

"President, wasting food is bad!"

Turning his head, Cheng Mo was covered in sweat. He felt a sense of clarity, like someone who had struggled before deciding to try something, and then found it surprisingly enjoyable, leaving him wanting more.

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.

In the end, Zhai Da did not eat.

Cheng Mo ate two.

The fulfilling and peaceful days passed quickly, and before we knew it, it was mid-June. In the courtyard of the former precision instrument factory, the training work was progressing quite smoothly, and a large number of operators and workers gradually acquired a good level of skills.

It's impossible to do research and development, repair equipment, or understand the principles.

But operating the equipment is no problem.

They might even go further in the future and become a proper engineer.

Among the nearly 300 people, a small group of technical experts and top performers have emerged, excelling in all assessments.

It has been proven that, with sufficient training and a willingness to learn, a high school diploma is perfectly adequate for the role of a skilled industrial worker, and some outstanding individuals are even rapidly progressing towards becoming engineers. High school, or senior high school, was once part of the "intellectual class."

Delivering food, tightening screws, and doing manual labor are not their destiny, but rather their unfortunate circumstances.

Zhai Da also vaguely sensed a trace of external support.

For example, several unruly employees, who were about to be laid off, have recently started to behave more politely.

I heard that someone from the county was conducting door-to-door visits, persuading their parents, and subsequently restraining these young people.

Zhai Da didn't know the specifics either, as he had too many things to consider. Technically, he could discuss and teach the most ordinary employees step by step, but in terms of management, such matters were ultimately not worth his attention, and at most, he stopped at the level of "Qu Zhen," the temporary principal of the training school.

However, on June 15th, a major change occurred at the training school. Most of the "π" members returned to Harbin to face their final exams, complete their undergraduate credits, and fulfill their "six-month promise."

In July, they will make a triumphant return, bringing with them dozens of recent graduates from prestigious universities such as Harbin Institute of Technology who have been training in Harbin.

The training path for these individuals is more complex, with a minimum requirement of being assigned to an intermediate engineer level.

At that time, everything will be ready, and production will begin.

On this day, Zhai Da drove out of the training school alone, intending to pick up Tang Xiaokui from Dongyang Experimental Primary School. When he arrived at the gate, he found that something was different.

Across the street, several more parasols have appeared on the other side.

A table was set up in the shade, with some fruit on it, and a styrofoam box next to it, probably containing chilled drinks.
The villagers nearby are doing normally, as it's the off-season for farming.

Zhai Da was about to leave when he heard an argument erupting from the other side.

"You sold me these grapes even though the bottoms are rotten! Isn't that blatant ripping people off?!"

"Yay! Ya!"

"I only bought it because I felt sorry for you being mute. It wasn't cheap to begin with, and you react like this?!"

"Eek!"

Zhai Da hesitated for a moment, then stopped by the roadside. This area was full of company trainees; he figured he might as well take a look.

There are already seven or eight people gathered around.

He didn't appear immediately, but instead went from the side, overhearing the gist of what happened along the way.

A student bought grapes from a stall, carrying the whole basket home. It was a considerable quantity and probably quite expensive, but when they got home, they found that a large portion of them were rotten. When they came back to ask for a refund, they were refused.
As Zhai Da approached, he saw that the grape seller was a young girl, probably not even twenty years old, dressed in old but clean clothes.

Her skin had a pale tan from not being in the sun often, and she was also quite good-looking. I guess the male student probably thought she was "too pitiful" to pay for so many grapes.

This is not shameful; on the contrary, it should be praised. Good deeds should be judged by their actions, not their intentions.

The male trainee panicked upon seeing Zhai Da: "Mr. Zhai...I...I'm sorry."

Zhai Daping said calmly, "What's there to apologize for? It's not like you tricked anyone. But there's no need to make a scene."

Moreover, it's with deaf and mute people.

The girl frantically scribbled, "Ya yi wu!"

Zhai Da couldn't possibly understand it; he was just there to confirm if it was a big deal, but it seemed to be a minor matter at the moment.

Just don't cause a scene.

Just as I was wondering how to resolve this trivial matter, an electric scooter suddenly drifted and came to a stop in front of the stall, the foot brake deforming my already dusty old leather shoes.

"I'll handle it! I'll handle it! Don't worry!"

A tanned, lean man wearing glasses hurriedly got out of the car: "Brother, don't worry, I can handle this. What's wrong?"

The man was stunned when he saw Zhai Da's face, but the situation didn't seem suitable for him to say anything.

The male trainee, unaware of the relationship between the two, realized they were a husband-and-wife business and felt increasingly cheated and cheated. He then grabbed the dark-skinned man and launched into a tirade.

However, with Mr. Zhai standing there, he calmed down a bit and spoke without much emotion.

The dark-skinned young man said, "This was our fault. 70 yuan, right? I'll refund you right away."

Male student: "Yeah, it's not cheap."

He originally bought them as gifts for his training teachers, but they were all bad. When he turned them over, they were sour like wine. He was completely humiliated.

The deaf-mute girl kept holding onto the dark-skinned young man's arm, looking very anxious, as if she wanted him not to return the money, and she herself was unwilling to take out the money she had already received.

The dark-skinned youth couldn't argue with him, so he rummaged through his pockets and found only about forty yuan. He looked embarrassed.

But he still took out the round number in his hand and handed it to the young man, saying, "I'll give you forty first, and I'll bring you the rest tomorrow. I work for the county government, so I won't renege on my debt."

Zhai Da glanced silently at the banknotes in the other person's hand.

[Circulating change] In his hands, it is clear that it will participate in another round of "circulation".

He could naturally find out the location of the [circulating change] at any time, but he didn't have time to keep an eye on it, since he was stuck in Dongyang territory and couldn't leave.

The number of circulations required for the current unblocking task has reached 76/100, which is very close to achieving the miraculous effect of "accelerating the local economic cycle," so there is no need to intervene.

The male trainee asked suspiciously, "Are you from the county government?"

"Really, my name is Meng Tao. This is my work ID. I will never cheat you out of your money. Xiaoxue is inexperienced at setting up a stall for the first time and she is definitely not trying to deceive you."

The male trainee sneered, "That's not necessarily true."
After assuming the business was run by a husband and wife, the fair-skinned, mute girl's standing in his eyes plummeted; that's how young people are.
Suddenly, Zhai Da had a brilliant idea. He took a "twenty yuan" note from the male student's hand and then gave him a "fifty" note.

"That way you won't lose out. As for the rest of the refund for the grapes, your friend at the county government doesn't need to make a special trip to give it to me; it's too much trouble."

It's equivalent to losing fifty, but the circulation count of [Circulating Change] increases by 1!

The system does not allow him to deliberately intercept or circulate funds, but he can play mathematical games.

Spend it again, and add another 1!

Zhai Da looked at the dark-skinned young man and said calmly, "There's nothing wrong with setting up a stall at the roadside entrance, and we don't care about your relationship. However, shortchanging customers is never a good thing. Hopefully, things won't always go wrong, and we won't always have to ask you to step in and solve problems, right?"

Meng Tao quickly nodded: "Yes, yes, there won't be a next time."

The way this person speaks in Dongyang is really intimidating.
If other leaders were standing next to me, my future would be bleak.
Zhai Da patted his employee on the shoulder: "Let's go, let's not stay stuck here once this is resolved."

"Everyone else, disperse and go about your business!"

After everyone had left, Meng Tao wiped away a cold sweat, turned to look at the girl, and sighed, "Xiaoxue, why didn't you return their money? Where is it?"

The mute girl named Xiaoxue made a series of gestures, and Meng Tao speechlessly took out his phone with a cracked screen and communicated with her by typing.

Meng Tao: "Where's the money?"

The girl took the phone and typed rapidly: "The money's in my pocket."

"Then why not refund the money?"

He was truly furious.

"I'm such a disappointment. If I don't sell any grapes in a day, they'll all go bad, and I'll lose a lot of money! A huge amount!"

Meng Tao said sternly, "This is not how you do business! If it's broken, it's broken. Next time, just order some that won't break easily. This is something we've never done before! You can't be afraid of losses in business. This is only the first day!"

Wang Xue snatched the phone, and as she typed, her eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face.

Then, stubbornly, she held up her phone screen, pointing it at Meng Tao. The screen read:

"But that's your money, boss. The money for the goods, the tables, the umbrellas—it's all yours!"

(End of this chapter)