Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 201 We've got this car all to ourselves.

After the meeting, Lao Zhao got a car and drove straight to the car factory. Once inside, he went straight to He Yuzhu's office.

"Oh, isn't this our Vice Mayor Zhao? You're done with your work? Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

"I can't think of anything. Didn't someone say I'd regret it? I'd like to see what makes me regret it."

"You get it. Let's go, I'll show you a real gem."

"Hehe, you've got plenty of treasures, haven't you? I'd like to see what surprises you have in store for me."

When they arrived at the test track, Lao Zhao couldn't take his eyes off the two super stylish Jeeps.

"So, Lao Zhao, do you like the darling I told you about?" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"I like it," Old Zhao said instinctively.

Would you like to sit down for a bit?

"think."

"Then you'd like to pick one?"

"That big guy."

"Walk."

After getting in the car, He Yuzhu first helped Lao Zhao fasten his seatbelt. This was He Yuzhu's request; it wasn't originally designed that way, but it was a very simple thing, so it didn't take much effort.

At first, no one thought much of it, but after He Yuzhu demonstrated emergency braking and other maneuvers a few times, everyone was convinced, and now other vehicles in the factory are also being equipped with this.

"What the hell is this?"

"seat belt."

"Is this one strip of canvas all it takes to be safe?"

"You'll know in a minute."

With a "whoosh," the car sped off, going up steep slopes, down puddles, along rocky roads and icy surfaces. After one round, Old Zhao was dizzy and disoriented, his hand never leaving the handrail. He finally understood what the seatbelt was for.

After getting off the bus, Lao Zhao vomited violently. After he finished, he cursed loudly, "You, He Yuzhu, did you do this on purpose? How are you retaliating against me?"

"Hehe, just tell me if you like this precious treasure or not."

"I have to admit, this car is powerful, it's for real men!"

"What about the order?"

"I'm afraid you'll be overwhelmed with calls! What about the smaller one? How's its performance?"

"Why don't you sit down for a bit and you'll see?"

Old Zhao shook his head like a rattle-drum. In the end, He Yuzhu pulled him around the factory. Old Zhao almost told the driver to just drive away, as it was much more comfortable than his car.

In the end, it was He Yuzhu who insisted on keeping the car because he said it still needed to be tested.

Before the Lunar New Year, the second batch of test vehicles, after some adjustments, rolled off the assembly line. This time, He Yuzhu directly invited people from Factory 109 to come and verify the vehicle radio.

After the people from Factory 109 returned, Lao Zhao organized city leaders to come and visit and inspect the new vehicles.

Although Jeeps are good, not everyone is used to them. On the spot, a leader asked He Yuzhu if they could build sedans.

Chu Jianghe almost said yes, but He Yuzhu immediately chimed in.

"Leaders, our factory is only so big, and our research team was drawn from lower levels. Being able to produce these two types of jeeps is already the limit of our factory."

"Didn't you guys manufacture the 'Jinggangshan' car before?"

"The leader only made a little over a hundred of those cars. I destroyed even the molds."

"Old Xun, don't make things difficult for Factory Director He and the others. They invited us to come and see the new cars, not for you to give them advice on what kind of cars to build," Old Zhao said, speaking up for He Yuzhu and the others.

"I was just asking, I didn't mean anything by it."

"That's good!"

After the leaders returned, an order came in: the city's small fleet needed ten South China Leopard 2 vehicles.

He Yuzhu's office phone was ringing off the hook. The city found out, and then the districts found out too; they wanted a car too.

Then, somehow Lao Fang got wind of it and led a bunch of people carrying Venus on their shoulders to attack.

When testing the vehicle's performance, it was always the drivers they brought who took the lead. They were all watching with wide eyes, thinking that this vehicle was perfect as a command vehicle, with excellent mobility, adaptability, and communication capabilities.

After the test was completed, a logistics leader went directly to He Yuzhu and said, "We'll take all of your South China Leopard 1 tanks. We'll take as many as you produce in the future."

Although the car was originally designed for the military, He Yuzhu was still unwilling to take all the production capacity.

Some said with difficulty, "Boss, at least leave some for us. This car isn't just for you guys."

"With such a large size and such high fuel consumption, who would still use it?"

"This vehicle can be used for field operations."

"Oh, then I'll leave you 10%. By the way, what's your production capacity?"

He Yuzhu was a little embarrassed when he talked about this, because their production capacity was really poor.

Although he used connections to get some equipment, most of it was still done by hand, and he was lucky to get 500 vehicles a year, even with both methods combined.

He Yuzhu gave a number, and the leader frowned.

"200 vehicles, isn't that a bit too few?"

"We only have so many people, and we don't have enough equipment."

"I'll go back and ask if we can transfer you to the logistics and equipment section."

"I dare not agree to this. You should ask the city leaders."

"Okay, I'll call when I get back."

After everyone else left, Lao Fang stayed behind.

"Pillar, just tell us how many you can give us."

"How much do you want? You know our production capacity is limited."

"Ten of each type."

"That's too many. Our city has ordered ten Type 2 trucks, and I haven't dared to agree to the district's order."

"Then, five of each type, can we pay in advance?"

"It's not about the money. How about this, I'll give you three of each type first, and then I'll supply the rest once my production capacity increases."

"Okay, but I have a feeling you're going to become famous this time."

"How to say?"

"This car is fantastic."

"This is just the beginning; we still have a lot of technology we haven't fully mastered."

"It's already pretty good. You know what cars in China are like. I reckon someone from FAW will come to learn from us soon."

"Come on, let's learn from each other."

"I'm afraid you might not be able to keep this Type 1. You should hurry up and start producing more Type 1. Didn't you hear what that person just said?"

"Is it that exaggerated?"

"Unless your factory expands."

"Then I'll call Lao Zhao later. He's not going to take my peaches so easily."

"Hehe, not so fast. We'll have to compete and see who has the stronger hand."

"Okay, I see."

When can I pick up my car?

"It won't be until after the New Year, will it? The New Year is just around the corner, you can't let my people not celebrate it."

"Okay, let me know as soon as it's finished after the New Year."

"understood."

After Lao Fang left, He Yuzhu called Lao Zhao. Lao Zhao told He Yuzhu not to worry and went to find the mayor after hanging up.

Old Zhao called back the next day.

"The city held an emergency meeting and decided to grant your factory land so that you can expand production."

How much expansion?

"Go on to three times the current scale."

"It's a bit small."

"Don't be ungrateful. If you get any bigger, you can build factories outside of Beijing."

"Okay, what about the people and equipment?"

"We still need to coordinate the equipment. If you have the ability to solve it yourself, we would welcome it even more."

"Okay, I understand. Can you handle the rest?"

"I'll try my best, but we're not really capable of handling anything too advanced."

"Ok."

As promised before the Lunar New Year, Yuzhu held a celebration party, which included not only certificates but also bonuses and prizes.

Those who didn't win awards weren't left with nothing; their New Year's benefits were much better than last year's. Liu Shunde complained that He Yuzhu had emptied their savings.

"Next year will be even better." He Yuzhu didn't care about these paltry sums. After the New Year, they would focus on production and could get anything they wanted. At that time, it wouldn't be them begging others; it would be others begging them. Things weren't like they were right after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Productivity had increased a lot, and people's travel requirements had naturally increased as well. This was especially true for some companies, many of which had suppliers in other places. For those with shorter distances, driving was still the most convenient option.

Furthermore, many places still use products from the Republic of China era, which are all antiques. They often break down, and there's nowhere to repair them, especially when the parts break.

When He Yuzhu returned, Wang Cuiping talked to him again. It was nothing more than that the Municipal Public Security Bureau had taken a liking to the South China Leopard 2 Jeep and wanted to buy more of them, saying that the car was tailor-made for them.

Of course, Wang Cuiping was just there as a mediator; the final decision rested with He Yuzhu, who was no less powerful than their bureau chief.

He Yuzhu didn't refuse too firmly, only saying that he would try his best to satisfy her so that Wang Cuiping could report back to the bureau.

During the Spring Festival, He Yuzhu spent two days driving a Type 1 car with his whole family around the city of Beijing, visiting places like the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace that were open to the public.

If it weren't so cold, He Yuzhu would have taken his whole family to see the Great Wall.

The car was covered with a tarpaulin, and the seats had been modified. Anyway, several half-grown children were stuffed into the trunk, and the adults were holding them on their laps. Xiaoman and He Yushui squeezed into the passenger seat.

A group of children cheered excitedly, and the old lady exclaimed, "I'm so content to be able to ride in a car that we made ourselves in my lifetime!"

"Madam, this is nothing. I'll let you ride in a sedan later."

"I don't have that kind of luck."

“Madam, if Brother Zhuzi says it’s possible, then it definitely is,” Xiaoman said.

"Then I'll wait for Zhu Zi to pick me up in a car. It can't be anything that wasn't built by us."

"Don't worry, it must have been made by myself."

Chen Lanxiang looked at her son with a face full of pride, and He Daqing was no different. He had asked before, and it turned out that not just anyone could ride in this car.

After a happy New Year, He Yuzhu is busy again.

The land in the city has been approved, and it's much larger than Lao Zhao said. Once it's built, the total size should be five times the size of the current one.

Before the equipment issue was even resolved, orders came in like snowflakes, from all the major enterprises and institutions in Beijing.

The two deputy directors of the steel mill and the rolling mill even came to see He Yuzhu.

It wouldn't be his style to not take advantage of He Yuzhu, who came to him for free.

In addition to the planned orders placed by the car manufacturers, several factories replaced unplanned orders with unplanned ones, using special steel, cast iron, and customized equipment.

There's no reason for the two factory managers not to switch. Cars are hard currency; even if they have extras, they can exchange them for other things. It's a good deal.

Of course, only the South China Leopard 2 is available. The production capacity of the 1 model is insufficient, and some big players have requested 9% of the production capacity, which cannot be provided.

He Yuzhu also requested that the unplanned items be carried out first, which they agreed to.

He Yuzhu directly handed over the task of building the factory to Liu Shunde. The old man worked under He Yuzhu for half a year and became less slick and more capable. He even said that he had found the feeling of when he was doing revolution.

The first workshop was built in just over two months, and then the equipment was brought into the factory in a rush. It had been ordered long ago and was just waiting to be installed.

This workshop is the engine workshop. To be honest, once you have an engine, you can assemble other things, just like in a steel rolling mill.

Old Zhao's prediction failed. FAW sent people to learn, but it was only about engine technology. However, they had already obtained the information beforehand, but they were not as fast as He Yuzhu and his group.

Moreover, their main focus is on trucks, with passenger cars only ranking second.

They weren't analyzing a single document; they specifically selected and studied Mitsubishi trucks and Mazda cars.

He Yuzhu neither confirmed nor denied this, and of course he wouldn't remind them of anything. Who knew if their good intentions would be wasted? He was the factory director, not the chief engineer.

Of course, you can't come here empty-handed to learn. If you want to take something away, you have to leave something behind. That's what technology exchange is all about. Right now, there aren't any technological barriers in China. Of course, you can't just produce other people's car models; that would be taking away their jobs.

Once the workshop was set up, it was time to recruit workers. He Yuzhu didn't even need to ask; Wang Hongxia was the first to come knocking. There were too many unemployed people around, and she was constantly bothered by this issue.

He Yuzhu naturally wouldn't refuse, but there were requirements. First, education level: at least junior high school graduation. Second, character: anyone with a bad record was definitely not acceptable. Third, priority would be given to veterans, and the education requirement could be relaxed appropriately.

Wang Hongxia also expressed her support for this. In addition, Wang Hongxia mentioned something else that her father-in-law asked her to ask.

He Yuzhu's alma mater has automotive-related majors, and the old man wanted to ask if it was possible to send someone to intern. Of course, staying at the factory would depend on performance. He Yuzhu was worried about this matter, so he naturally welcomed it with open arms.

Wang Hongxia also complained to He Yuzhu about Lao Zhao. Originally, Grandpa Wang had told Lao Zhao about this, but Lao Zhao didn't want to cause trouble for He Yuzhu, so he didn't tell him.

"Aunt Xia, please don't complain about my Uncle Zhao. You can see for yourself how busy I am."

"That's true. Then it's settled. You can conduct the recruitment yourself, and the school will send someone to make the arrangements with the students."

"no problem."

"Then I'll go back first."

"Stay for a meal; the food at our factory is pretty good."

"It won't affect you, will it?"

"I'm paying for it myself, so what impact does it have? We're not hosting any special banquets, just a small-scale 'cadre meal'."

"Fine, then I'll shamelessly eat your food."

"You're contradicting me by saying that."

"Just kidding. By the way, where's Xiaoman?"

"She's busier than me; I can see her during lunch."

"Is this how it is when you work for someone else?"

"No way, that's because he's ambitious. I didn't ask for anything," He Yuzhu protested.

"I heard that girl got promoted to deputy section chief?"

"Well, they are college students. They made outstanding contributions to this project, so their supervisor suggested it, and I just signed it."

"It's good that you didn't bring it up."

"How could that be? And there's no need for that."

"Exactly, don't do anything that gives others leverage against you."

"By the way, aren't my two younger brothers graduating soon? Want them to come work for me?"

“The eldest has already decided to join the army. As for the second one, it’s up to him. I’ll go back and ask him. You don’t need to take care of him. Whether he can get in depends on his own abilities.”

"Okay, since it's all your recommendation, I won't participate in the interview or assessment. I just want to ask, there aren't many job opportunities these days."

"Just you wait and see. Your company isn't famous enough yet. Once your factory's cars are running all over the city, you'll see how many doors you've worn down."

"Then I'll wait and see, and I'll pick out the best ones when the time comes."

"You wish! If everyone comes to your company, what will happen to the other companies?"

"They volunteered, so how can you blame it on me?"

"That's what you said."

At lunchtime, He Yuzhu asked his assistant to call Xiaoman over to eat together. Although it was just a cadre meal, they ate in a small private room.

"Aunt Xia, what brings you here?" Xiaoman asked in surprise.

"I've come to ask Director He for a favor."

"Ask him? What is it?"

"Aunt Xia is just teasing you. How could I dare to make her beg me? This is a win-win situation for us. She solves the problem of unemployed youth in the neighborhood, and I solve the problem of labor shortage in our factory."

"Oh, so that's what happened. You scared me! Aunt Xia, you're just teasing me."

"Haha, it's been so long! How are you doing here?"

"It's great. I think it's better than the trade area. It's more fulfilling, and the people here are easier to get along with."

"If things go well, that's fine. If not, tell me and I'll talk to you on your behalf, Zhuzi. You can't even take good care of your own wife."

"No need, no need, Aunt Xia, Brother Zhu is very kind to everyone, I can't be special."

"I'm just saying, I know what kind of person Zhu Zi is."

After dinner, He Yuzhu wanted to have someone drive Wang Hongxia home, but Wang Hongxia refused and took a car home by herself.

Next, the street offices from various districts of Beijing also arrived. He Yuzhu didn't have time to receive them one by one, so he handed them all over to the factory office. The requirements were the same as what he had told Wang Hongxia, or even higher.

After mass production began, people kept coming to urge us to place orders. The first batch of cars was picked up by various units as soon as they rolled off the production line in May, and not a single one was left behind.

With the establishment of the new engine workshop, engine production gradually increased. He Yuzhu then came up with another idea: if production capacity is limited, then outsource it. If we just make them by hand in our own factory, we'll be driven crazy.

Of course, the outsourced parts are mostly stamped parts and some large castings, and they are still steel mills and rolling mills. They can only be happy because they can pick up more cars.

As for vehicle radios, not every vehicle is equipped with one; only military and police vehicles are equipped with them. He Yuzhu originally planned to install radios in other vehicles, but unfortunately, they are too big now, so he has already contacted a radio factory to customize one.

Also, He Yuzhu had his people run around the tire factory quite a few times. It was definitely not okay to use the old-fashioned tires for the off-road jeep. They had been testing and improving them for the past few months.

Once the design is finalized, the only thing the purchasing unit needs to do with the sold cars is to buy the tires and replace them themselves. However, He Yuzhu knows that most units will probably only replace the tires when they are completely worn out.

The finalization of these two models does not mean that the car factory will only produce these two models in the future. He Yuzhu still spurred his subordinates on, demanding that the project team not be disbanded and that they continue to upgrade the performance of these two models. He did not want their cars to be sold for thirty years without being upgraded or replaced, like the BJ212.

Although the subordinates were puzzled, they had good execution skills. He Yuzhu said to continue upgrading, so they upgraded.

Various ideas are proposed, rejected, and then proposed again; isn't that the cycle of research and development?

He Yuzhu even set up a special team to study Toyota's cars. He knew that Toyota cars sold like hotcakes in the decades that followed, especially the Crown series, which was all over Hong Kong.

This international market is not something that can be done domestically for the next one or two decades, but He Yuzhu's idea is to find a way to compete with Xiao Rizi. As for how to compete, he'll see how things develop in a couple of years.

The prerequisite is having something worthwhile to offer; otherwise, how can you compete by just talking?

His requirements for this team were simply that it be fuel-efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and have moderate power.

To this end, he also asked the HR department to find art and design talent to come back, because this is not something that can be done on a whim.

The two previous car designs were finalized because there were prototypes to reference, so they could be modified. Although there were also drawings to reference for the sedan, He Yuzhu didn't think they were very promising. It's just that he didn't have the skill to draw a few of them.

(End of this chapter)