Chapter 653 Borrowing a Car
The news spread like wildfire and reached every corner of the steel plant in less than half a day.
In the steel rolling mill, the red steel billets have just come out of the rolling mill, carrying scorching heat.
Lao Wang held the joystick, and beads of sweat on his forehead flowed down his cheeks.
The young man next to him leaned over and said in a low voice, "Master Wang, have you heard? Our factory's newly developed drying machine can be exported to earn foreign exchange!"
Lao Wang's eyes lit up, and the joystick in his hand steadied a little. "Really? That's great! Our factory finally has something rare and worth showing off!"
As he spoke, the freshly rolled steel plates slid across the conveyor belt with a uniform luster, and seemed to be smoother than usual.
It was a busy lunch time in the cafeteria.
The line for food was very long, and some people were knocking on the edge of the table with their enamel bowls, talking about this very thing.
"I heard from the people in the office that the machine is very compact and can dry wet clothes very well. Foreigners love it!"
"you do not say?"
In the evening, workers were walking in groups of two or three on the factory avenue after work, and their topic always revolved around the dryer that could earn foreign exchange.
Some people were gesturing how it looked like, some were guessing how much it could be sold for, all with smiles on their faces.
The setting sun stretched their shadows very long, and even their footsteps were much lighter than usual.
For the workers, the factory is like their own home. Who wouldn’t be happy from the bottom of their heart when they have a treasure that brings honor to their family?
The next morning, as soon as the steel plant's loudspeaker sounded the wake-up call, new dispatch instructions came from each workshop.
On the bulletin board of the steel rolling workshop, the originally densely packed production plan was circled with a red pen, and the word "suspended" was written next to a batch of angle steel orders for ordinary construction, and replaced by a new item "small dryer shell stamping".
The production section chief walked around the workshop with a loudspeaker: "Comrades, from today on, we will prioritize the production of dryer parts. Unimportant orders will be put in the back row. Thank you for your hard work!"
In the warehouse, Lao Wang and his men were busy counting materials.
The thin steel plates that were originally piled in the corner were moved to the outermost part. Nichrome wire and carbon fiber plates were neatly stacked, with a note next to them saying: "For dryer use only, please do not move unless necessary."
A few workers who came to collect regular steel peeked in. Lao Wang waved his hand and said, "The regular materials are in the back room. These are reserved for the new machines. Don't mix them up."
The production line in the workshop is also changing quietly.
Next to the No. 3 stamping machine, the masters were replacing the mold. The mold originally used to press the steel hooks was carefully removed and replaced with a brand new curved mold - which was specially customized for the dryer shell.
Operator Xiao Li squatted on the ground, wiping the mold surface repeatedly with a rag: "It must be wiped clean, otherwise the pressed shell will have scratches, affecting the export quality."
The team leader next to him compared the drawings and said, "Adjust the angle by two degrees. Follow the parameters given by the research lab. Even a slight deviation will not do."
This adjustment lasted for three full days.
During these three days, the factory radio frequently reported on the progress of dryer production: "On the first day, the shell mold debugging was completed."
"The next day, the circuit components were purchased."
"On the third day, the assembly line was initially built."
Although the workers were tired, they felt a surge of energy as they watched the production line gradually move towards its new goal.
The canteen chef specially added a dish of braised pork every day and said with a smile: "Let's give everyone some strength. Our 'export treasure' depends entirely on you."
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and everyone in the laboratory returned to the factory after their vacation, full of energy.
As soon as I entered the research building, the production manager who was waiting at the door pulled me over. "Finally, we've got you! There's a problem in the assembly workshop. Several shells from the first batch of trial production have been scrapped. Go and give them some guidance!"
Li Chongguang and Zhou Yimin looked at each other and immediately led their team to the workshop.
In the assembly workshop, a dozen workers were worried about a pile of deformed shells.
Xiao Zhang picked up a shell with a raised edge and immediately spotted the problem: "The pressure during stamping wasn't properly controlled. The curvature here is too sharp, and the material is deformed due to uneven stress."
He squatted beside the stamping machine and pointed at the control panel: "Lower the pressure parameter by five units and slow down the stamping speed by 0.5 seconds to give the material some buffer time."
Lao Wang, holding a vernier caliper, demonstrated to the welders, "Welding points shouldn't be too close together, nor too sparse. Place one every two centimeters. This way, it's both strong and doesn't affect folding. Look at this scrapped piece. The welds are crooked, and it breaks when you fold it."
As he spoke, he picked up the welding gun and demonstrated the standard technique on the scrap part, the blue flame dancing steadily in his hand.
Zhou Yimin walked to the circuit assembly area and frowned at the scattered wires. "The wire sequence can't be messed up. Red is for live, blue is for neutral, and the yellow and green are for ground. They're marked here."
He pulled a small notebook from his pocket. On it was a simple wiring diagram he had drawn while on vacation. "Follow this diagram, you can't go wrong."
The workers gathered around to look at the drawings and asked about the details. Zhou Yimin patiently answered them one by one.
Li Chongguang stared at the conveyor belt, observing the speed of the parts. "It's too fast. The workers don't have time to check. Slow down the conveyor belt by one-third. Every part must pass the quality inspection. Those that fail must be picked out on the spot and not be passed to the next process."
The sunlight shines through the high windows of the workshop and falls on the busy figures.
Technicians from the research laboratory shuttled between the production lines, sometimes demonstrating operations and sometimes explaining with their heads down. The workers listened attentively and practiced attentively.
By evening, the scrap rate for the new batch of trial-produced parts had been reduced by half. Looking at the qualified housings, neat solder joints, and standardized circuits, Li Chongguang wiped his sweat and smiled at the production section chief, saying, "At this rate, we'll be able to resume normal mass production tomorrow."
For the next week, the steel plant's workshops were almost running around the clock.
As soon as the sky was getting light, the roar of machines could be heard on the production line. Workers took turns to work, and the machines continued to work while they rested.
In the stamping workshop, brand-new curved molds are working tirelessly. Under the action of pressure, thin steel plates are transformed into smooth and round dryer shells, and conveyor belts continuously send them to the assembly workshop.
The assembly workshop is a scene of bustling activity.
The workers carried out the assembly in an orderly manner according to the standard procedures guided by the research laboratory.
Some workers were concentrating on welding the connecting wires, with blue flames jumping at the weld points, and each weld point was even and firm.
Some workers are responsible for installing heating elements and motors, moving quickly and precisely to ensure that every component is installed in place.
Other workers were carrying out the final adjustments, turning knobs to check whether the temperature was normal and whether the folding was smooth.
The people in the research laboratory are also busy. They patrol the workshop every day and provide timely guidance and solutions once they find any problems.
Xiao Zhang stood by the stamping machine, checking the freshly stamped shells from time to time to ensure that the pressure and speed parameters were always kept at the best state.
Lao Wang was walking around the welding area, patiently correcting the workers' irregular operating techniques.
Zhou Yimin and Li Chongguang focus on the overall production progress and quality. They summarize the data and review the day's production situation before leaving get off work every day.
After working non-stop for several days, the workers' physical strength was increasingly exhausted.
Although the food in the cafeteria is filling, the meat supply is gradually becoming insufficient.
Several young workers squatted in the corner of the workshop, munching on steamed buns. One couldn't help but mutter, "If only we could have a piece of meat. My arms can hardly swing the welding gun."
These words happened to be heard by Director Hu who came to inspect.
He walked towards the cafeteria with a frown, and saw from afar the chef looking worriedly at the empty freezer.
"Lao Zhang, where's the meat?" Director Hu pushed the door open and smelled a faint aroma of vegetables mixed with a hint of bitterness.
The chef turned around, a rag still clutched in his hand. "Director Hu, the meat in the warehouse ran out yesterday. The purchasing department said the meat supply is tight lately, and they won't be able to get any more for a while."
Factory Director Hu's heart skipped a beat. The workers toiled tirelessly every day, but if they couldn't even eat a bite of meat, how would they have the energy to keep up with the deadline?
He turned and walked towards the purchasing department, his steps fast and heavy.
Zhou Yimin was checking the materials list when he saw Director Hu come in with a serious look on his face. He quickly stood up and said, "Director Hu, you want to see me?"
"Yimin, the canteen has run out of meat." Director Hu sat down on a chair, his tone somewhat anxious.
"The production workload has been heavy these days, and the workers are exhausted. How can we survive without meat? You have to find a way to purchase more meat so that everyone can eat well."
Zhou Yimin had already made up his mind, and he had noticed the changes in the food in the cafeteria over the past few days.
"Okay, I'll buy some meat tomorrow."
"Just let me know if you need any support. If there's not enough money, I'll ask the Finance Department to allocate the funds first." Director Hu clenched his fists.
"Make sure the workers can eat meat tomorrow."
Zhou Yimin nodded to show that he understood.
The next morning, Zhou Yimin drove a motorcycle with the back seat full of things.
Arriving at the warehouse, Zhou Yimin directed the helpers to move the meat into the cold storage: "Now we can make braised pork, fried meatballs, and stewed spareribs for everyone. I guarantee they'll be full of energy after eating it!"
At noon, the aroma of meat wafted from far away in the cafeteria.
In the large iron basin in front of the window, the braised pork was steaming, and the shiny skin was covered with rich sauce.
The fried meatballs on the other side are golden and plump, and delicious gravy bursts out when you bite into them.
The workers lined up with their lunch boxes, the fatigue on their faces was replaced by greed, and even the sounds of them getting their meals were filled with joy.
Time passed quietly in the intense and orderly production, and a week went by in the blink of an eye.
When the last small dryer passed the quality inspection and was labeled as qualified, there was a burst of warm cheers in the workshop.
The production manager held up the statistical report and excitedly announced, "Comrades, after a week of hard work, we have produced a total of 5,000 small dryers, and the pass rate has reached over 98%!"
This number excited everyone. They high-fived each other and had tired but proud smiles on their faces.
"That's great!" Li Chongguang said excitedly.
"In order to get the fastest market feedback, we need to quickly ship these dryers to the port and ship them to foreign markets as soon as possible."
Factory Director Hu immediately made the decision: "Contact the transport team immediately and ship these 5,000 dryers away today!"
Just as the production manager was about to make a phone call, he was stopped by Mr. Zhang from the transportation department.
Lao Zhang rubbed his hands together, a look of unease on his face. "Director Hu, this is going to be a bit difficult. Our transportation department's fleet only has five trucks, and two of them are out delivering goods. Even if we use all three, we still can't transport 5,000 units in one trip."
Director Hu frowned and asked, "How much can a truck carry?"
"At most 400, and the total cost of three cars is only 1,200." Old Zhang sighed.
"To transport all 5,000 units to the port, we have to make at least four trips, and the round trips will waste a lot of time."
Zhou Yimin and Li Chongguang were about to suggest seeking help from other units when Factory Director Hu raised his hand to stop them: "You two stay in the factory and oversee the loading. I'll take care of coordinating the vehicles."
As he spoke, he picked up the phone on the desk and his fingers moved quickly on the dial.
"Hello, is this Old Wang from the Agricultural Machinery Factory? I'm Hu Zhiguo... Yes, I'd like to borrow a few of your trucks. We need to ship our new dryers to the port, and our own trucks aren't enough..."
"What? Three are idle? Great! Can they be transferred here this afternoon? Thank you so much."
After hanging up the phone at the farm machinery factory, he called the food factory. "Lao Li, what are you busy with? I'd like to borrow two of your trucks for one trip this afternoon. I'll return them after I've finished delivering the goods. No problem? That's very considerate."
Less than an hour later, Director Hu put down the phone and dusted off his hands: "Done! Three trucks for the agricultural machinery factory, two for the food factory, and the one that just had maintenance done at the textile factory can also come over. Thirteen in total, just enough to transport them all at once."
At noon, trucks from all parties drove into the steel plant one after another.
The truck from the agricultural machinery factory was still covered in mud. The driver smiled and explained, "We just pulled fertilizer from the countryside and haven't had time to wash it yet. Don't mind it."
The food factory’s truck was even more interesting. There was a faint aroma of bread wafting from the truck, which made several young workers drool.
Old Zhang wrote on the ground with chalk: "We have three trucks of our own, plus the ten we borrowed, for a total of thirteen. Each truck can hold 390 units, which is just enough to take away all 5,000 units."
He assigned numbers to each truck as he spoke. "Everyone load the cargo according to the numbers. Don't get them mixed up. We'll have to count them by batch at the port."
Soon, thirteen large trucks lined up in the warehouse area.
The workers worked together to carefully move the well-packaged small dryers onto the truck.
Each dryer is packed in a thick cardboard box and covered with a layer of plastic film to prevent moisture damage during transportation.
The box is printed with eye-catching product names and instructions for use, as well as labels in various languages, making it appear very standardized.
The loading process was tense and orderly. The workers shouted in unison and stacked the boxes steadily in the truck compartment.
People in the research lab also came to help, carefully checking each package to ensure that nothing was missing or damaged.
As the sun set, thirteen trucks loaded with small dryers slowly drove away from the steel plant and headed towards the port.
(End of this chapter)
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