Courtyard House: Primordial Chaos Pearl

The outskirts of Beijing were still chilly in early spring, but the workshop of Hongxing Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing Plant was bustling with activity. Lin Dong, wearing work clothes stained with engine oil, was discussing with He Yushui and He's father around a half-finished tractor. This was the "Hongxing-12" small tractor development project they started after the beginning of spring. The Agricultural Machinery Bureau required that a sample be produced within two months to adapt to the muddy terrain of the paddy fields in the south.

"The biggest problem is still the gearbox." He Yushui slammed the blueprints on the worktable, pointed to the marked gear meshing area, and frowned deeply. "In paddy field operations in the south, tractors need to frequently shift gears and turn around. The existing spur gear structure causes too much impact on the tooth surfaces during shifting, resulting in a strong jerkiness and easy wear and jamming. We tried three times. The first time, the gear teeth chipped, the second time the shifting stalled and the engine stalled, and the third time it barely lasted half an hour before the gearbox oil temperature soared to 90 degrees Celsius. If we continued driving, the shaft would burn out."

Mr. He squatted beside the gearbox, repeatedly measuring the gear clearance with calipers, and added, "If we switch to imported helical gearboxes, the cost will increase by 30%, which farmers simply cannot afford; using domestically produced ready-made parts will not meet the durability requirements for paddy field operations. It's a dead end."

The workers in the workshop all stopped what they were doing and stared expectantly at Lin Dong. Since the research and development began, everyone had been working with all their might, but they were stuck on the gearbox, and no one knew what to do.

Lin Dong didn't speak, but instead placed his palm on the gearbox casing and silently activated the Chaos Pearl. A pale golden halo silently enveloped the entire gearbox, and dozens of dynamic simulation diagrams of gear meshing instantly appeared in his mind. The stress point of each tooth surface and the friction trajectory of each gear shift were crystal clear.

He closed his eyes, his fingertips darting across the Chaos Bead under its influence, each optimization plan colliding and filtering in his mind. Straight gears to helical gears? No, helical gears are too difficult to manufacture, and the equipment at the supporting factories can't keep up. Thickening the tooth surface? That won't work either; it would increase the weight of the gearbox and affect the flexibility of the paddy field.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind—involute circular arc tooth shape, with chromium steel as the tooth core and a layer of wear-resistant alloy on the outer ring!

As soon as the idea came to mind, Chaos Bead immediately provided simulation data: the arc tooth shape can increase the contact area of ​​the meshing surface by 40%, reducing shifting resistance; the chromium steel tooth core ensures strength, and the wear-resistant alloy outer ring extends service life. This combination can not only solve the problem of jerking and jamming, but also extend the service life to more than five years, making it perfectly suited to the working environment of paddy fields in the south.

"I've got it!" Lin Dong suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed a piece of chalk, and started sketching on the blackboard. "Rainwater, change the gear tooth shape to an involute arc, increase the radius of the addendum circle by 0.5 mm, and decrease the radius of the root circle by 0.3 mm, forming an arc transition. Also, use the chromium steel we refined before for the gear core, and coat the outer ring with a layer of high-manganese wear-resistant alloy, a double-layer composite structure!"

He Yushui's eyes lit up, and she immediately leaned over to examine the sketch, her pencil flying as she jotted down the parameters: "This way, the impact force during meshing can be distributed across the entire gear surface, naturally eliminating the jerking sensation!" He's father stroked his beard and nodded: "A double-layered composite structure, costing half as much as imported gearboxes, and more durable—this method is brilliant!"

With the plan finalized, the entire workshop erupted in excitement. The R&D team worked through the night to adjust the drawings, finalizing the new gear parameters, gearbox housing dimensions, and bearing models. The drawings were delivered to Jia Dongxu's supplier factory early the next morning.

Looking at the arc-shaped teeth on the drawing, Jia Dongxu patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Director Lin! My factory has just been rated as a 'district-level high-quality supplier,' and the newly introduced CNC grinding machine will come in handy!" In order to achieve the required precision, he specially invited a retired senior technician from the city to supervise the process, and also brought in all the apprentices in the workshop to help out, working in three shifts without rest.

In the gear grinding workshop, grinding wheels spun rapidly, sparks flying everywhere. An experienced technician, using a magnifying glass, meticulously inspected each gear's tooth surface; any slight error meant it had to be reground immediately. Jia Dongxu stayed in the workshop for three days and three nights without sleep, only dozing off briefly beside the machine tools when tired, and munching on a couple of bites of steamed buns when hungry.

Three days later, the first batch of chromium steel composite gears arrived at Hongxing Factory. He Yushui took a precision measuring instrument and tested them, exclaiming in surprise, "Brother Lin Dong, look! The tooth profile error is only 0.001 millimeters, which is 0.001 millimeters higher than the requirements in the drawings!"

The gearbox was fitted with a special anti-wear lubricant, and Lin Dong personally sat in the driver's seat to start the tractor. Shifting gears, releasing the handbrake, and stepping on the accelerator were all done in one smooth motion. The gearbox did not jam at all, and the tractor drove smoothly out of the workshop and circled the factory's test field.

He deliberately chose a muddy depression, repeatedly shifting gears to turn around. The tractor moved as nimbly as a fish, without the slightest hesitation. Half an hour later, he stopped to check. The gearbox oil temperature was only 65 degrees Celsius. Upon disassembly, he found that the gear teeth were smooth as new, without a trace of wear.

"It's done! Our Red Star-12 tractor is done!" He Yuzhu was the first to cheer, and the workers followed suit, their applause making the workshop windows buzz.

Lin Dong wiped the sweat from his brow, looked at the silver-gray tractor in front of him, and a smile appeared on his lips. This machine, which embodied everyone's hard work, not only broke the technological monopoly of state-owned factories, but also carried the hopes of Hongxing Factory to expand nationwide.

The day before the tractor prototype rolled off the production line, a man in a sharp Zhongshan suit approached the factory, claiming to be a representative of a Shanghai agricultural machinery dealer: "Director Lin, we saw your harvesters at the National Agricultural Machinery Expo and would like to become your general agent for East China. But there's one condition—the price must be 10% lower than that of state-owned factories for us to be able to sell."

He Yuzhu immediately became anxious: "Our profit margin is already thin, if we lower it by another 10%, we'll lose money!" Lin Dong smiled and poured him a cup of tea: "The price can be lowered, but I have two requirements: First, annual sales must reach 300 units; second, you must be responsible for after-sales service in East China, we will send technicians to train you, and we will supply the parts." He had done the math: after mass production, the cost could be reduced by 20%, and a 10% price reduction in exchange for a channel to sell 300 units a year would guarantee a profit.

The dealer representative hadn't expected Lin Dong to be so agreeable and immediately signed the letter of intent. But just after seeing the customer off, He Yuzhu rushed in with a flyer: "Lin Dong, something terrible has happened! The Beijing No. 1 Agricultural Machinery Factory has also released a small tractor, priced 20% lower than ours, and they're saying our product is a 'knock-off'!"

Beijing No. 1 Agricultural Machinery Factory is a long-established state-owned factory with government backing. Their price-cutting tactics have made many dealers hesitate. Director Zhang of the Agricultural Machinery Bureau called specifically: "Director Lin, they are using government subsidies to lower prices. Don't panic. I've contacted the agricultural machinery stations in five provinces in North China for you. Let's hold an on-site demonstration and let our strength speak for itself."

The demonstration was held in an experimental field on the outskirts of the city. On one side was a red tractor from Beijing No. 1 Factory, and on the other was a silver-gray model from Hongxing Factory. Farmers crowded around, three layers deep. Jia Dongxu and several workers were in charge of on-site testing, while He Yushui explained the performance through a microphone. "Look, everyone, our tractor's turning radius is half a meter smaller than theirs, so it won't damage the paddy field ridges when working in the paddy fields!" At He Yushui's command, both tractors started simultaneously. The Hongxing Factory model was indeed much more agile, with no jerking noise when shifting gears.

"Let's look at fuel consumption!" Lin Dong took out two measuring cups. "For the same amount of land, our machine saves 0.3 liters of diesel compared to theirs, which can save 20 yuan in fuel costs per year!" In the most crucial durability test, the Hongxing Factory's tractor worked continuously for four hours, and the gearbox temperature was 10 degrees lower than the other's. When it was disassembled for inspection, there was no wear on the gears at all.

Cheers erupted on the scene, and agricultural machinery stations from five provinces in North China immediately signed orders for 800 units. The Shanghai dealer also added 200 units, smiling and saying, "Director Lin, I finally understand. Your machines aren't knockoffs; they're genuinely better than those from state-owned factories!" The representative from the Beijing No. 1 factory turned ashen-faced and slunk away—they hadn't expected this unassuming little factory to possess such advanced technology.

The surge in orders kept the factory extremely busy, but Lin Dong received a message from a neighbor in the courtyard: "Factory Manager Lin, the eldest uncle has had a stroke and is paralyzed on the kang (a heated brick bed) and cannot move. Neither the Jia family nor the second uncle dares to take care of him." Lin Dong's heart sank. He immediately asked He Yuzhu to oversee production, bought milk powder and malted milk powder, and drove to the courtyard.

The courtyard house was still the same, only more dilapidated. Yi Zhonghai's room was dark and cold; he lay on the kang (heated brick bed), his speech indistinct. Lin Dong hired a caregiver, prepaid a month's medical bills, and even retrieved Yi Zhonghai's salary card from Yan Bugui—Yi Zhonghai had previously asked Yan Bugui to manage the accounts, and now Yan Bugui felt embarrassed to interfere again, only saying with reddened eyes, "Lin Dong, I've wronged you before; you're closer to me than Dongxu."

"An old man used to take care of me too." Lin Dong wiped Yi Zhonghai's face. "Take good care of yourself. When you get better, I'll take you to live in the factory. The staff dormitory has heating." Yi Zhonghai nodded with tears in his eyes, his cloudy eyes filled with guilt—he had always thought that Jia Dongxu would take care of him in his old age, but he never expected that in the end, he would rely on Lin Dong, whom he had schemed against.

After returning from the courtyard house, Lin Dong received a call from the bank: "Director Lin, your low-interest loan has been approved. It's 100,000 yuan, with a term of five years and an interest rate 30% lower than the benchmark!" With this money, he immediately expanded the production line, hired thirty new workers, and built a dedicated gearbox production workshop, completely eliminating his dependence on external parts.

In early April, the "Hongxing-12" tractor officially passed national inspection and was included in the agricultural machinery subsidy catalog—farmers only needed to pay 70% of the price, with the remainder subsidized by the government. As soon as the news spread, orders poured in like snowflakes, with two thousand units ordered in just half a month. Jia Dongxu's supporting factory also expanded, and new staff dormitories were built. When Jia Zhangshi saw Lin Dong, she greeted him with a smile from afar, no longer displaying her former sharp tongue.

That day, He Yushui's parents specifically sought out Lin Dong for a talk. He's father patted him on the shoulder and said, "Lin Dong, I can see that you and Yushui are truly good to each other. Why don't you get married in the second half of the year? The factory is busy, so we'll help you with the arrangements." Lin Dong looked at He Yushui, who was blushing beside him, and nodded with a smile—his relationship with He Yushui had long since blossomed from being business partners to comrades-in-arms.

When news of the wedding reached the factory, the workers cheered. He Yuzhu even insisted on being the officiant: "Lin Dong, your wedding must be a grand affair! I'll invite Director Zhang from the Agricultural Machinery Bureau and Boss Li, so the whole suburbs of Beijing will know about our Red Star Factory's happy occasion!"

Just as everyone was preparing for the wedding, an unexpected guest arrived—Section Chief Wang from the Foreign Trade Bureau, holding a purchase list from Southeast Asia: "Factory Director Lin, Southeast Asian countries have many paddy fields and urgently need small tractors. They've looked at your product information and want to order 500 units. If the quality is up to standard, we'll have stable orders every year!"

Export orders meant meeting international standards, so He Yushui immediately organized the R&D team to optimize the model, raising engine emission standards and adding a cooling system adapted to tropical climates. Lin Dong was busy processing export formalities, with Section Chief Wang from the Foreign Trade Bureau assisting throughout the process. Wang remarked, "We used to import foreign agricultural machinery; now we can finally export our own products! You've brought honor to the country!"

At the end of May, the first batch of exported tractors was loaded onto a cargo ship. Standing on the dock, watching the boxes bearing the words "Red Star Agricultural Machinery" being hoisted onto the ship, Lin Dong and He Yushui smiled at each other. He Yushui held a new set of R&D blueprints in his hand: "Brother Lin Dong, let's develop a combine harvester next. It can complete harvesting and threshing in one go; farmers will definitely need it more!"

Back at the factory, Lin Dong convened a general meeting of all employees. Standing on the stage, looking at the energetic faces below, he declared loudly, "Brothers, we've grown from a small workshop to exporting products, relying on technology, but even more so on our conscience! In the second half of the year, we'll build a combine harvester production line and two more apartment buildings for staff and employees, so that everyone can settle down in the suburbs of Beijing, and let the name Hongxing Agricultural Machinery spread throughout the world!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. He Yuzhu, Jia Dongxu, and He's parents stood in the front row, tears glistening in their eyes. Lin Dong knew this was not the end, but a new beginning—with the help of the Chaos Pearl, the support of those around him, and the backing of national policies, his agricultural machinery business was destined to leave a significant mark on this momentous era.

That night, Lin Dong stood alone on the roof of the factory's office building, gazing at the distant lights. The Chaos Pearl warmed slightly in his palm, as if responding to his original aspirations. He recalled the embarrassment he felt when he first transmigrated, the scheming in the courtyard, the doubts and suppression he faced, and then looked at the factory and the people around him now, a relieved smile appearing on his lips.

His life is no longer that of a nobody who could be bullied at will. With his own hands and wisdom, he has carved out a place for himself in this special era, and with his original aspirations and sense of responsibility, he has warmed the hearts of those around him. And in the future, there is an even wider world waiting for him to explore.