Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 292 Damn cost again!
How can you put glass on the roof of a car?
Is this safe?

The key point is that even if he is safe, everyone cannot accept it psychologically!
Every day we all want to have a roof over our heads to protect us from the wind and rain.

Good for you!

Not only was the top gone, but the entire piece of glass was also buckled down.

Let alone anything else, what will you do if it’s windy and rainy?

If the gaps in the windows at home are loose, you can apply a layer of putty.

If the sunroof glass of a car is loose and leaking, would you still apply putty to it?

Marco Polo listened to the questions from the people in the fusion workshop, looking as if he was hiding his achievements and fame:
"We fully considered the sealing and pressure resistance during the design process, and equipped the edges of the skylight with high-strength sealing strips to prevent rainwater leakage."

“And we can also add an automatic sunshade adjustment function, so the driver can adjust the position of the sunshade according to the light intensity.”

Cao Qinghang stood by and watched Marco Polo chattering excitedly. He couldn't help but scratch his ear with his right hand and asked:
“Are there any other improvements and designs?”

"Yes!" Marco Polo clenched his hands into small cones and said excitedly:
“We have optimized the storage space and added multiple practical storage areas to the interior layout.”

As he spoke, Marco Polo pointed to the storage slot inside the door:
"We've designed deeper storage slots on the inside of the doors, perfect for storing water bottles and small items. In addition, we've added a hidden storage compartment in the center armrest to ensure maximum convenience for users' daily use."

When Cao Qinghang saw the storage slots and storage compartments, his excitement finally subsided a little.

so far so good……

Among the three places designed this time, at least one thing is usable.

"What do you think?"

Marco Polo looked at Cao Qinghang expectantly, his expression like a baby who had finished his homework and housework and was waiting to be praised.

"Very good!" Cao Qinghang was the first to give his affirmation!

"The storage space is a great detail, and the seat is quite comfortable."

Marco Polo asked excitedly: "What about the others?"

"The others are not so good..." Cao Qinghang said.

"Why not?" Marco Polo took out a small notebook and looked at Cao Qinghang seriously.

Cao Qinghang said: "Although our cars embody innovation and high performance, we are still more concerned with the balance between price and practicality. Electric seats and panoramic sunroofs are good, but they will significantly increase the cost of the vehicle."

"Rising costs will inevitably lead to higher prices."

"And according to our previous research, these features are not necessary in the current market and may even increase prices and weaken competitiveness."

After hearing this, Marco Polo held his head in his hands in silence and turned around in a circle.

“Cost, cost…damn cost again!”

These days, the most common objection Marco Polo and his team hear is "cost."

Marco Polo put his hands on his hips and looked up at God speechlessly.

Such a large machinery factory...

There are so many workers, and each of them is strong and has a rosy complexion.

After work, he either goes to the Workers' Cultural Palace for activities or goes to a restaurant to have a good meal. There are huge slices of meat in the cafeteria, so he doesn't look like he is short of money at all.

Why is it that when it comes to making cars, everyone seems to have no money?
"Listen to me." Marco Polo took a deep breath.

"Cost increases will weaken competitiveness, but a lack of innovation and details will weaken competitiveness even more!"

"Before coming here, we conducted a thorough study of all the small vans in your country. Almost all of your vehicles are based on Japanese models and were imported intact."

"I would like you to ask yourself, apart from the fact that the engine is produced by you, it has a little competitiveness."

"What are your other advantages? How are you better than other small vans?"

Marco Polo was a straightforward person.

Previously, their ideas and designs had always been rejected by Cao Qinghang on the grounds of "cost". Today, he was not polite and made things clear directly.

Wanting to increase competitiveness while not investing... How is that possible?!
Even Jesus couldn’t do it!

The expressions of Cao Qinghang and others suddenly turned ugly.

Marco Polo was right.

One of the biggest advantages of opening the country's doors and allowing technology to flood in is that it allows everyone to create something from nothing in the shortest possible time.

However, another disadvantage of open sharing is that the gap between people will narrow over time.

Although the Provincial Machinery Factory started early and ran fast, it achieved a second upgrade before the festival.

But at the last Piancheng Auto Show, cars from other factories were also produced one after another.

And each one is well made.

As for the rubber shock absorbers of the machinery factory's cars, they are not an advantage at all.

The technology and vulcanizers were both developed by the Renan Rubber Research Institute. They can sell the technology to the provincial machinery factory, and naturally they can also sell the products to other automobile processing plants.

"If our car wants to differentiate itself from other cars, we must have a lot of things that are unique to us and that others don't have."

Marco Polo looked directly at Cao Qinghang: "And this... is also the real reason why we came here."

"If you want to save costs and improve your competitiveness, you don't need us at all. You can reduce costs and sell at a lower price."

……

This meeting was not pleasant.

To be precise, every meeting involving car design and upgrades was unpleasant for both parties.

Marco Polo was right. Without its own unique features, cars cannot be competitive.

But cost is indeed a big problem that currently restricts machinery factories!

Only by controlling costs can we control prices and grasp the market.

If you blindly pursue perfection and high-end products, the car will end up being priced high due to cost and no one can afford it.

By then the factory will definitely go bankrupt.

After the meeting, the people from the fusion workshop and the Italian engineers returned to their own workshops to discuss the issue, trying to find a balance between cost and design that both parties could agree on.

At this time, Wang Qingzhou was not in a good mood.

"There are so many talented people in Katashiro, with graduates from Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the School of Foreign Languages, but not a single one can speak Japanese?"

Wang Qingzhou held the phone and spit onto the receiver.

"Besides, our factory is currently working with Italian engineers on a new car, and we rely on Chen Luyang to translate between them."

"If he leaves, our factory's car production will be paralyzed!"

"The provincial government has given me a huge task for the first half of the year: the car must be designed and improved and put into production within six months!"

"If you take Chen Luyang away now, what should we do?!"

Hearing Wang Qingzhou's anger from the microphone, he quickly said a few words to soothe him.

But it would have been better if he hadn't said these words. After he said them, Wang Qingzhou became even angrier!
"You better do it!"

Wang Qingzhou stood up angrily, his face smiling with anger.

"Hey, He Dahua, He Dahua! You used the same words when you borrowed Chen Dazhi back then, and now you're borrowing his son with the same words! You're so lazy that you can't even change it!"

"........."

"What do you mean I hold a grudge? You've been holding my people hostage for eight months and you're still accusing me of holding a grudge!"

"Tell you~"

"No! I don't have anyone to borrow! Goodbye!!!"

Snapped!
The phone slammed heavily on the receiver. The factory director's secretary heard Wang Qingzhou's scolding early in the morning.

After the sound of the phone falling had died down for about 30 seconds, the factory director's secretary gently knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

There was still anger in Wang Qingzhou's voice.

The director's secretary walked into the room quietly: "Director, it's time for you to take your medicine."

As he spoke, the factory director's secretary took the initiative to hand over the heart medicine he had prepared.

Wang Qingzhou's lips turned a little purple from anger and his breathing became heavy.

Seeing the factory director's secretary, Wang Qingzhou's expression relaxed slightly, and he reached out and put the medicine in his mouth.

The factory director's secretary also filled Wang Qingzhou's teacup with hot water at the right time, turned around, carried the thermos with only the bottom of the pot left, walked out of the room, and gently closed the door from the outside.

"call……"

Wang Qingzhou leaned back on the stool, placed his hands on his chest, closed his eyes and slowly calmed his heartbeat.

He Dahua, this bastard...!
He really didn't expect that He Dahua was still thinking about Chen Luyang after so long.

Not long after I finished cursing, the phone rang again.

"Hello, I'm Wang Qingzhou. Who is this?"

Wang Qingzhou picked up the phone and smiled as soon as he finished speaking:

"Minister, I was just about to call you to report..."

Before he finished speaking, Wang Qingzhou's smile froze, and his expression became more and more ugly as he listened to the content on the phone!

"Minister, you also know the situation in the factory."

"The Italian engineers don't understand our language, and we don't understand what the Italians are saying. All the technical exchanges in the factory depend on Xiao Chen alone."

"If we borrow Xiao Chen now, the entire car production process at our factory will be paralyzed."

……

"Minister, let alone a month, we can't even borrow for half a month!"

……

"A week is a long time!"

……

"Three days... Then our Xiao Chen will go to work for their Shishan Machinery Factory. He can't buy his own tickets, food, and accommodation, right?"

……

"Okay! I promise to send them there by the weekend!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Qingzhou took a deep breath and almost cursed in his heart.

He Dahua is such a stinky piece of shit!

Since persuasion failed, he brought in Deputy Minister Yuan of the Ministry of Industry!
Wang Qingzhou may not give face to He Dahua, but he cannot not give face to the Yuan Dynasty.

Sure enough, a few minutes later He Dahua called again.

Wang Qingzhou had a gloomy face and was making sarcastic remarks to He Dahua on the phone.

He Dahua repeatedly stated that the content of this agreement had been almost discussed before, and after Chen Luyang came, the two parties would renegotiate the contract to see if there were any discrepancies in the written materials.

Send them back immediately after the work is done, and make sure that the incident with Chen Dazhi will never happen again!
At this time, the factory director's secretary came in with a full thermos. As soon as he put the thermos down, Wang Qingzhou said:

"Go call Chen Luyang."

"Okay, director."

……

When Chen Luyang knocked on the door and entered the room, Wang Qingzhou was wearing glasses and holding a pen, looking down at the materials on the manuscript paper.

"Director, are you looking for me?"

"sit."

Chen Luyang sat on the stool with a guilty conscience, looking at Wang Qingzhou nervously.

Wang Qingzhou raised his eyebrows: "What bad things has our Engineer Chen done again? Tell us as soon as possible!"

Chen Luyang quickly spoke up: "Director, I work diligently every day and can't even contribute to the factory, so how could I do something bad?"

Wang Qingzhou looked at Chen Luyang scrutinizingly: "You didn't do anything wrong, so why are you feeling guilty?"

Chen Luyang said shyly: "I just got promoted to senior engineer, so I feel a little nervous~"

Wang Qingzhou was amused: "Why are you so weak?"

Chen Luyang spoke frankly: "I just feel that my virtue is not worthy of my position..."

Wang Qingzhou didn't expect Chen Luyang to say that, and wondered, "Did someone gossip about you behind your back?"

Chen Luyang immediately shook his head: "No! Everyone is very happy to know that I have been promoted to engineer. I just feel that I am a little unworthy of the position."

Wang Qingzhou looked at the young man's anxious expression, and his expression softened, but he kept saying:
"If you feel your virtue doesn't match your position, then do more things that match it."

"I came to you today because of something."

Wang Qingzhou took off his glasses and said, "He Dahua, the director of the Shishan Machinery Factory in Pianer City, has contacted Minister Yuan of the Ministry of Industry and asked you to go over and help them with the contract and talk to the Japanese."

"He Dahua promised that they will cover your travel expenses, meals, and accommodation. You can go this weekend and come back quickly!"

Chen Luyang: ???

"Director...isn't there anyone in that town who can speak Japanese?"

"The workshop is still waiting for translation materials, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave!"

Wang Qingzhou: "I know all this, but since Vice Minister Yuan has spoken, you should go and help."

"This time, He Dahua promises that he'll let you come back after the translation is finished. If he dares to act shamelessly or do anything shameless, just give me a call and I'll personally pick you up in Pianer City!"

Seeing Wang Qingzhou's temper, Chen Luyang didn't dare to let him come to Pianer City to pick him up!

"Director, don't worry about this. If I want to come back, I can sneak back without you picking me up."

Wang Qingzhou smiled: "I'm really not worried about this."

After a pause, Wang Qingzhou said, "It's a good thing to travel more and see more of the world while you're still young~"

"You've been living and working in our factory. Now you have the opportunity. It would be great to go to another factory and learn from it."

Chen Luyang said, "Don't worry, Director. I know that this time I'm not only representing myself, but also the image of our factory. I will definitely perform well and will never bring shame to our factory!"

Wang Qingzhou smiled and said, "I'm not worried about that. Just don't go and not come back!"

These words immediately hit Chen Luyang's soft spot.

He opened his mouth and moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something to Wang Qingzhou.

But in the end, Chen Luyang smiled and said, "Don't worry, Director! I'll be back once this is done!"

"By the way... Director, is there anything you need me to bring you when we go to Pianer City this time?"

Wang Qingzhou smiled and waved at him, "No, go ahead!"

"okay!"

Chen Luyang walked out of Wang Qingzhou's office and just closed the door when he suddenly leaned over again and a head popped in from the crack in the door.

"Director! There's something else I need you to do for me!"

(End of this chapter)