Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 398 Journey to the West

Upon arriving at the Yellow River, the family got out of the car to see the giant iron ox over the Yellow River, and everyone marveled at the ingenuity of the ancients.

As the convoy crossed the Fenglingdu Yellow River Bridge, the turbid and wide Yellow River flowed slowly eastward outside the car windows, marking their official entry into the Qin Chuan Plain.

He Yuzhu had his reasons for not choosing to return directly to Beijing but instead heading west.

Qin Province is not only a province with a profound cultural heritage, but also has a strong industrial base, especially in defense technology and manufacturing.

In addition, Huanghe Group has established joint laboratories with several top engineering colleges in the area, and he also intended to take the opportunity to explore new cooperation opportunities during his trip.

The plan is to travel through Xi'an and Baoji, combining sightseeing with work.

It was already evening when we arrived in Xi'an.

The ancient and majestic city walls appeared especially solemn in the afterglow of the setting sun.

They stayed at a local hotel that caters to foreign guests, and the conditions were quite good.

Over the next few days, the He family lingered amidst the millennia-old heritage of this ancient capital.

Climb the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to overlook the city, touch the stone carvings of calligraphers from past dynasties in the Stele Forest, and stroll along the magnificent ancient city wall.

The most awe-inspiring sight is undoubtedly the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum.

Standing in front of Pit 1, facing the solemn array of terracotta warriors with their thousands of faces, even the usually lively He Ningxue fell silent, and He Yaozong's camera never stopped moving.

“It’s incredible,” Le Huizhen said to He Yaozu in a low voice while quickly taking notes. “This sense of historical weight that transcends time and space is beyond the reach of any written description.”

He Yaozu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the lifelike terracotta figures: "That's why my father often said that we should go out and see more. Only when our roots are here can our souls find peace."

They also sampled authentic mutton stew and roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), and listened to the high-pitched and passionate Qinqiang opera.

He Yuzhu also took his family to visit the Pagoda Hill in Yan'an to experience that special revolutionary sentiment.

After enjoying the trip, work schedules were brought up again.

He Yuzhu and his delegation visited several universities that have partnerships with the Yellow River Group.

The university warmly welcomed this generous "sponsor," showcasing its latest research findings in hopes of securing new research projects and collaborative funding.

He Yuzhu listened carefully to the report and expressed interest in some projects with market potential, asking He Yaozu to write them down for future in-depth discussions.

However, his other important goal for this trip did not go smoothly.

He Yuzhu hoped to use his connections with the school or local authorities to make contact with aircraft industry-related units in Qin Province, even if it was just for a visit and learning.

However, these organizations are highly sensitive and have strict barriers. Their responses were very official and cautious, and several attempts to communicate failed to obtain clear permission to visit.

After staying in Xi'an for several days, He Yuzhu contacted Lao Fang to inquire if he knew anyone in the aviation industry system of Qin Province who could make an introduction.

On the other end of the phone, after hearing He Yuzhu's intentions, Lao Fang laughed and said, "Zhu Zi, you've come to the wrong place! Looking at an aircraft factory? Do you think I don't know what you're up to?"

He Yuzhu held the microphone, his tone calm: "Just looking at the factory, seeing if there's anything we can discuss. Isn't coming here the right thing to do?"

"Don't give me that," Old Fang interrupted him. "You just want to see where all those 'second-hand goods' you brought back were sent for research, right? I'll give you a suggestion: don't just wander around Guanzhong, take the Shu Road!"

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu understood immediately: "The Shu Road?"

“That’s right!” Old Fang affirmed. “Anyway, you’re already at the foot of the Qinling Mountains, it’s not far to cross over. Call me when you get there, and I’ll try to make some contact for you.”

After saying that, Lao Fang hung up the phone.

He Yuzhu put down the microphone and said to Xiaoman and the children beside him, "The plan has changed. Our next stop is Sichuan."

So the family packed their bags, and the convoy set off again.

The convoy drove from Xi'an for several hours and arrived in Baoji. After resting for a night, the convoy soon headed into the embrace of the Qinling Mountains via the 212 passageway the next morning.

The Qinling Mountains, with their towering peaks and steep cliffs, have been known for their ruggedness since ancient times.

The convoy struggled along the winding mountain road, with a bottomless canyon on one side and a steep cliff where rocks could fall at any moment on the other.

The road conditions are extremely poor, with potholes and uneven surfaces; some sections are only wide enough for one vehicle to pass at a time.

Even with its superior performance, the modified Yellow River off-road jeep was like a small boat bobbing in the wind and waves when driving on such a road.

"My God, this road." He Yaozong gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixed on the winding mountain road that climbed almost in a zigzag pattern, with a bottomless valley on the other side.

"Can you drive it, kid? If you can't, I'll take over."

"You really have to do it, my skill level is too low."

"Tell them to stop the car and tell Yaozu not to drive either, he probably can't drive it anyway."

"Okay." He Ningxue turned on the car intercom and started making a call.

Then the drivers for both of the He family's cars were changed. Fan Hu replaced He Yaozu, and He Yuzhu started driving the car he was in himself.

Watching her father skillfully shift gears and smoothly navigate corners without slowing down much, He Ningxue exclaimed, "Dad, I feel like you could participate in a race!"

"Rally racing? I can't drive F1."

“Yeah, a rally race. Why don’t you sign up? I’ll be your navigator.”

"I'd better not, I'm afraid you'll lead me astray."

"Hahahaha!" Xiaoman and He Yaozong burst into laughter.

"Mommy, Second Brother, all you do is laugh at me."

"Your dad is right. Letting you use navigation? Haha, that's risky."

“But you’ve reminded me that our cars aren’t selling well right now, so it’s a good opportunity to participate in various races and build up our reputation. As for the drivers, don’t even think about getting them from your old man. I’m not interested,” He Yuzhu said.

"Can you leave this to me?" He Ningxue asked.

"Are you no longer managing the domestic real estate market?"

"It won't delay anything, okay, Daddy?" He Ningxue went crazy and tried to grab He Yuzhu's arm, but Xiaoman gave her a sharp rap on the head, making her eyes well up with tears.

"You brat, don't you even know where you are? How dare you act recklessly?" Xiaoman said angrily.

"Mommy, it hurts so much!"

"Hmph, this will teach you a lesson. Let's see if you dare to do it again."

He Yuzhu didn't try to dissuade her. Although his daughter couldn't significantly affect his driving, her behavior was too dangerous and she needed to be taught a lesson.

He Yuzhu picked up the walkie-talkie: "All vehicles, pay attention! If it's not working, change drivers."

"Received, boss!" all the cars replied.

The road ahead became increasingly difficult, with animals frequently running onto it. A car even had a tire blowout and nearly slid off a cliff, leaving everyone terrified.

The oncoming vehicles are even more dangerous, many of them are trucks, and you can imagine how dangerous it is for trucks fully loaded with goods to be on this kind of road.

Unfortunately, they did run into trouble.

As we approached a particularly narrow bend, an old-fashioned truck fully loaded with goods suddenly appeared from the opposite direction.

The lead vehicle hastily slowed down to avoid it, its wheels rolling over the soft soil and rocks by the roadside. The vehicle tilted violently, and the flying debris tumbled down the cliff, the sound echoing faintly only after a while.

The car fell silent instantly, and everyone held their breath.

"Is everyone alright?" He Yuzhu asked in a deep voice.

"fine!"

"fine!"

Several vehicles responded in turn on the walkie-talkie.

Fan Hu, in the lead car, said, "It's nothing, boss, I was just startled. The road conditions are worse than I expected."

"Alright, keep driving, honk the horn more often, change drivers every two hours, give way to oncoming vehicles, and see if we can get out of the Qinling Mountains before dark. This road can't be driven at night," He Yuzhu ordered.

They even encountered giant pandas on the way. Women have no resistance to cute animals, so after Duan Zhan parked the car, cameras and video cameras started snapping away.

The convoy made frequent stops and starts, experiencing several close calls along the way. Finally, around dusk, the convoy left the main Qinling Mountains and entered the relatively flat Hanzhong Basin.

Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief; they had finally made it out.

After arriving in Chengdu, He Yuzhu called Lao Fang again, but Lao Fang hadn't finished coordinating things yet.

He Yuzhu took his family directly to Jiuzhaigou, Leshan, and Chongqing. They also specifically sought out several time-honored restaurants in Sichuan to experience Sichuan cuisine, hot pot, Sichuan dishes, and traditional Sichuan banquets. The family felt that apart from some innovative dishes, the traditional Sichuan dishes were not as delicious as those made by He Yuzhu.

"You guys are just picky eaters!"

"It really isn't as good as what you make!" He Ningxue said.

"Don't try to flatter me, it's useless anyway, and I don't have time to do it for you," He Yuzhu laughed. "Dad, you're not welcome chatting like this."

"Ha ha ha ha."

After returning from my trip and resting in Chengdu for a few days, visiting famous sites such as Wuhou Temple and Du Fu Thatched Cottage, Lao Fang finally called.

"Zhu Zi, everything's been arranged. Someone will call you tomorrow. Don't wander around. Once inside, observe more and ask fewer questions. No taking pictures." Old Fang's tone was unusually serious.

“Understood, I know the rules,” He Yuzhu replied.

The next morning, He Yuzhu received a phone call from a middle-aged man with a loud voice and a heavy Sichuan accent.

"Hello, is this Mr. He?"

"Hello, that's me," He Yuzhu said politely.

"Are you available today? I've made all the arrangements!"

"That's convenient. I wonder how many people it can bring?"

"We can't have too many people, two or three should be enough."

"Okay, I understand. What is your surname?"

"My surname is Liu, Liu Dashan, and I work in the factory here."

"Shall we drive there, or..."

“We’ll come pick you up by car; you won’t be able to find the place.”

"Okay, then I'll wait for the car to come and pick me up."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu told everyone that he had decided to only take He Yaozu to see the place, while Xiaoman and the others could just wander around Chengdu.

Everyone knew that He Yuzhu had important business to attend to, and no one objected.

Around 8:30, a BJ Jeep pulled up outside the hotel where He Yuzhu and his friends were staying. A middle-aged man got out and made a phone call to He Yuzhu at the front desk.

"Mr. He, this is Liu Dashan. I'm already in the lobby."

"Okay, we'll come down right away."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group got into the car. On the way, He Yuzhu made sure Liu Dashan was the director of the factory office, and then asked about the scale of the factory and so on.

Liu Dashan's answer was vague, and He Yuzhu didn't press him further; he figured he'd understand once he saw it.

He Yuzhu's purpose in this trip was to understand the current state of the fighter jet industry, what it lacks, and what technical difficulties it faces, so that he could make targeted plans.

As the car drove out of the city, the roads gradually became more secluded, eventually leading into a heavily guarded factory area. High walls, barbed wire, and armed sentries all indicated the special nature of this place.

Upon entering the factory, the factory's main leaders personally greeted him with exceptional enthusiasm, clearly aware of He Yuzhu's background, which made Liu Dashan feel somewhat embarrassed.

"Director Song, you don't need to be so polite."

"I just went out for a walk, and when I got here, I thought I'd take a look around."

"I think Mr. He is being too polite. I won't be polite to Mr. He today."

"Oh, how so? We'll explain as we watch, and you'll see."

After exchanging pleasantries, the chief engineer personally led the group on a tour.

We entered the huge aircraft assembly plant.

The factory has a spacious interior with bright lighting, but many pieces of equipment clearly show signs of age, with some machine tools even being Soviet-made products from the 1950s and 60s.

"Mr. He, this way please." The chief engineer, surnamed Li, was a sprightly old man. He pointed to a fighter jet being assembled and introduced it, "This is our main task at present, an improved version of the J-7. For some of the fuselage structure and avionics systems, we referenced some parts from the F-4s that were previously sent through special channels."

He Yuzhu nodded silently, his gaze sweeping over the Western-style parts that were being carefully measured and compared by technicians at the workstation.

They stand in stark contrast to the surrounding old equipment and the design style of the fighter jets themselves.

"Is there a big difference?" He Yuzhu asked softly.

Chief Engineer Li sighed and pointed to a large stack of drawings spread out on the workbench next to him. There were hand-drawn drawings, cyanotype drawings, and a small number of computer-printed drawings mixed in.

"It's not just a large gap, it's a systemic generational difference. For example, a simple high-temperature titanium alloy component they produce has a yield rate of less than 10% when we process it with our existing equipment. Their radar warning receiver, we can't even analyze the materials and manufacturing processes of some of the special chips inside when we take it apart. And then there's the flight control system. Keep in mind that this is their previous generation model, and we don't even know what level this generation can reach."

He shook his head and didn't say anything more, but the solemnity on his face said it all.

He Yuzhu really wanted to say "I know," but he couldn't say it, so he could only nod.

A younger engineer standing nearby couldn't help but interject, his tone filled with resentment and urgency: "Mr. He, it's not that we can't build it, it's that many basic materials, precision machining processes, and even design concepts are more than a generation behind. Reverse engineering is very difficult; often we know what it is but not why it is. To fully understand it, and then improve or even innovate, requires time, and even more so, more advanced equipment and technical support."

He Yuzhu listened quietly, without readily expressing his opinion.

He saw the focused expressions on the workers' faces, and also the anxiety and longing in the eyes of the technicians.

Then I went to the CNC machining workshop, the material processing center, the sheet metal and machining workshop, the special process workshop, and the test flight and aircraft maintenance workshop.

It was nothing like what Lao Fang had said, that they would only show a little bit. This was more than just a little bit; it was a huge amount of information. Of course, there was no introduction about missiles and fire control, and He Yuzhu wouldn't ask about it.

At noon, the factory provided a work lunch.

While he was in the restroom, He Yuzhu asked Director Song a question.

"He Fei, no, I should call you Comrade He Yuzhu. Although I have never met you, I have heard of your great name."

He Yuzhu became alert, and Director Song continued, "Don't be nervous. I only know some of your past and have used the things and information you sent back. It's a real pity about you."

"What's a pity?"

“Hey, look at this person, he misspoke, he misspoke. Your current identity allows you to play a much greater role.”

He Yuzhu just smiled.

"Look at my mouth, to be honest, I really admire you, and I hope you can continue to support the country as always," said Director Song.

"I've been doing it all along."

“I know, that’s why I agreed to their request and let you into the factory,” Factory Director Song said.

"I guessed that."

"On behalf of the factory, I request that you not hold back and give us more suggestions and support," said Factory Director Song.

"this."

"Alright, then give us as much help as you can within your capabilities, okay?" Factory Director Song said.

"decide as things go!"

"Your words are enough," said Factory Director Song.

After the meal, Director Song rested for a while, then had someone invite He Yuzhu and his son into a small conference room.

There weren't many people inside; besides the factory leaders, there were a few experts present.

“Mr. He, I don’t lie to people.” Director Song got straight to the point, his expression earnest. “What you see is the reality we face. The old way is coming to an end, and we’re struggling to find a new path. The ‘second-hand goods’ you sent are a timely help, but they’ve also made us see the gap more clearly. The ministry’s idea is to hope that we can leverage your overseas capabilities to see if there’s any possibility of cooperation or importing in some non-core but crucial areas.”

"Director Song, I won't beat around the bush with you. Actually, you've overlooked one thing."

"Where?"

“Our group has partnerships with many universities in China, and many of their technologies are exactly what you need right now. I don’t understand why these things aren’t being used where they should be. I think you should investigate and see if you can find any surprises.”

Could you give a few examples?

He Yuzhu mentioned a few.

The chief engineer on the other end of the line asked in surprise, "Is this for real? Do we have that kind of technology in China now?"

"I've got it. It shouldn't be much worse than the world's most advanced one."

"Great."

"Mr. He, you truly are a man of few words but amazing talent!" said Factory Director Song.

"You don't need to thank me for this. I also had my own needs, otherwise I wouldn't have invested."

"We understand, we understand, we all understand," said Director Song.

"Okay, let's talk about the second issue, which is the equipment issue."

"Please speak, please speak!" The chief engineer on the other end of the line had already started using polite language, which drew the attention of the leadership, who knew that this man was usually very difficult to talk to.

“I have a batch of precision equipment, but it’s not new. I can provide it to you, but it won’t be free. I also don’t have any technicians or skilled workers to give you. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

(End of this chapter)