78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

He pulled out the project application from the Ministry of Ordnance Industry and read it from beginning to end.

The requirements are very high, but Professor Cai has already written many annotations on the application, clearly marking the technical difficulties and solutions.

Ye Bingwen picked up a pen and wrote a work plan in his notebook.

The sun is shining brightly outside the window.

On the steel frame of the new factory building, the sign for the industry-academia-research base gleamed in the sunlight.

We are pursuing a two-pronged approach: one is civilian use, and the other is military industry.

Neither leg can be lame.

The day Liu Xiaojun left, Ye Bingwen rode his bicycle to take him to the bus stop.

"Uncle Ye, I'm leaving."

"Let's go. Study hard, don't embarrass me."

"Won't."

Liu Xiaojun, carrying a canvas bag, boarded the bus.

He leaned out of the window and shouted.

"Uncle Ye, wait for me to come back!"

The day after Liu Xiaojun went to the provincial technical school, Master Wang from the mold factory came.

Master Wang, in his early fifties, wears reading glasses and is a veteran in Harbin's mold industry.

Professor Cai introduced him, saying that this person is meticulous in his work and offers fair prices, but he has a bad temper.

Ye Bingwen spread the blueprints of the auto parts on the table.

Mr. Wang put on his reading glasses and frowned when he turned to the third page.

"The radius of this fillet is too small. Composite materials are not as fluid as metals, and if the fillet is too small, it won't fill the gaps, and it will all be scrap."

"Master Wang, the blueprints were designed by Professor Cai."

Ye Bingwen said.

"Professor Cai's work isn't good either. He's good at materials, but not at mold making."

Master Wang put down the blueprints.

"I've done a similar piece before, and the corner radius was at least doubled. Ask Professor Cai if he agrees to the changes."

Ye Bingwen called Professor Cai.

Professor Cai remained silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

"Master Wang is right, we'll change it."

After hanging up the phone, Ye Bingwen looked at Master Wang.

"Master Wang, I'll do as you say. I'll change it."

Master Wang took out a red pen from his toolbox and quickly made several changes on the drawing.

After making the changes, he handed them to Ye Bingwen.

"Do it this way. Delivery in half a month, fifty sets of molds, three hundred yuan."

"Okay. How much is the deposit?"

"One hundred. The rest will be paid upon delivery."

Ye Bingwen counted out one hundred yuan from the drawer and handed it over.

Master Wang simply stuffed it into his pocket, picked up his tool bag, and left.

Master Li came out of the workshop and looked at Master Wang's back.

Is this person reliable?

"Professor Cai's recommendation is reliable."

"So when do we start trial production?"

"Waiting for the mold. Half a month."

Ye Bingwen lit a cigarette.

"Master Li, please adjust the press again over the next two weeks. The process parameters for composite materials are different from those for military products."

"Xiao Chen will provide new process instructions."

"OK."

Master Li returned to the workshop.

Ye Bingwen looked at the sign for the industry-academia-research base.

After Ma Li's downfall, things calmed down considerably at the factory.

Steel suppliers have gradually resumed supplying goods, and Section Chief Liu even made a special phone call to say, "The equipment maintenance is complete, and we will resume normal supply next month."

Ye Bingwen said, "Okay, I'll contact you then."

He knew that the so-called "equipment maintenance" was just to give Ma Li face.

Chen An arrived in the afternoon.

He had a cardboard box strapped to the back seat of his car, containing several bottles of chemical reagents and a stack of process instructions.

"Director Ye, Professor Cai said that the formula for civilian products needs to be adjusted. Military products require strength, while civilian products require a smooth surface."

"The formula is different."

"How do I adjust it?"

"Increase the resin ratio by 5% and decrease the curing agent ratio by 3%."

"The curing temperature is reduced by ten degrees, and the heat preservation time is extended by twenty minutes."

Chen An handed the process instruction manual to Ye Bingwen.

"These are the new process parameters. The young soldier isn't here; will Master Li be able to understand them?"

"Yes, Master Li has been doing this for twenty years. This is no problem for him."

Chen An squatted down to inspect the press.

The PID controller is operating normally, and the temperature gauge pointer is stopped at the set value.

"Director Ye, this press is now even more stable than the one in Professor Cai's lab."

"That's because you're good at pretending."

"No. It's because you take good care of yourselves."

Chen An stood up.

"Xiao Jun wipes it clean every day, even removing the sludge from the hydraulic cylinders. I've never seen such clean equipment in the lab."

Ye Bingwen smiled.

"After Xiaojun came back, he was put in charge of composite materials."

"He's good. He's quick-witted and has a steady hand."

Chen paused for a moment.

"Director Ye, Professor Cai asked me to ask you whether the project application for the Ministry of Ordnance Industry has been submitted?"

"It's been written. Still being revised."

"Hurry up. The deadline is the end of next month."

"understood."

Chen An rode away on his bicycle.

Ye Bingwen returned to his office, took out the project application from the Ministry of Ordnance Industry, and reviewed it again.

Professor Cai has already helped him revise the first draft, but there are still some details that need to be improved.

The technical approach, innovative points, and expected results must all be clearly stated.

I was halfway through writing when my pager vibrated.

It was Zheng Shuyun calling.

"Bingwen, an editor from an automotive magazine at the publishing house would like to interview you."

"Interview me? Interview about what?"

"Composite materials. They heard that your factory makes composite material shells for automotive parts and want to write a report about it."

Ye Bingwen thought for a moment.

An interview can be an opportunity to increase one's visibility, but it may also attract unnecessary attention.

"Please push it for me. We'll talk about it after the product is made."

"OK."

After hanging up the phone, Ye Bingwen continued writing the application.

It was already dark.

He stood up, stretched his neck, and walked into the new factory building.

Master Li was still there, squatting alone in front of the press, using a flashlight to inspect the hydraulic lines.

"Master Li, aren't you going back yet?"

"Almost there. Let me check the pipes for leaks."

Master Li stood up.

"Xiao Ye, the workshop feels so empty after Xiao Jun left."

"Missing him?"

"I miss him. He worked under me for over a year, and now he's suddenly gone. I'm not used to it."

"The three months will be over soon."

Ye Bingwen patted Master Li on the shoulder.

"When he gets his certificate, he'll be a fully qualified technician."

The two walked out of the new factory building; the wind was strong outside.

"Master Li, write down the operating procedures for the press tomorrow. From now on, whoever operates it must follow the procedures."

"OK."

The molds arrived faster than expected.

On the twelfth day, Master Wang arrived on his tricycle.

The truck bed contained five wooden crates, each tightly bound with straw rope.

When Mr. Li helped move the boxes into the new factory, he opened them and found five sets of molds neatly stacked inside.

"Master Wang, wasn't it supposed to be half a month?"

Ye Bingwen touched the surface of the mold.

"It was brought forward. There wasn't any other work those days, so we rushed it out."

Mr. Wang took off his reading glasses and wiped them clean.

"Please check if the size is correct."

Ye Bingwen took out calipers and measured them one by one.

All dimensions are correct, the fillet radii are made according to the revised drawings, and the draft angle is also sufficient.