Chapter Sixty-Four: Hiring Lin Baozhu as Technical Consultant
Inside the machine factory, the atmosphere was heavy. The experts invited from the city surrounded the imported machine tool that had finally been assembled, their brows furrowed.
"How is the situation?" the factory manager asked anxiously, rubbing his hands together, his voice trembling slightly.
The expert sighed and pointed to a spot next to the machine tool, saying, "It's worse than we expected. The core support screw is missing, and the machine continued to run for a while after the screw was lost, causing severe wear and deformation of the related precision cutting parts."
He paused, then added in a heavy tone, "With our country's current manufacturing capabilities... we can't produce parts of this precision. We have to import original parts."
"Imports?" The factory manager's voice suddenly rose, filled with obvious anxiety and resentment. "Those Germans... they're all incredibly cunning! Nine times out of ten, they won't sell us these core components. This has happened countless times before!!"
Someone whispered, "Then... are we just going to leave this machine here like this? Tens of thousands of dollars just gone like that?"
A key technical staff member nearby couldn't help but interject, "That's secondary. The research at the shipyard can't wait! Who will take responsibility if the research progress is delayed?"
The factory manager stared at the machine tool, which looked like scrap metal, his eyes reddening. His voice hoarse as he murmured, "Sigh... our country still lacks talent... at crucial moments, we don't even have..."
Before the factory manager could finish speaking, a voice rang out from the crowd: "Um... a couple of days ago, Lin Erlang's sister came to see the machine. She... seemed to have pointed out that the support screw had been removed and that the machine had been run. She said it exactly like an expert! Why don't we invite her over... just in case, just in case she can fix it?"
No sooner had the words left her lips than someone retorted, "Isn't this ridiculous? Even the experts in the city are at a loss. What does a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl know? Can she possibly bring this pile of iron to life?"
The person who made the suggestion earlier insisted, "Since things are already like this, what's the use of just jumping up and down in panic? Why don't we ask Comrade Kobayashi to give it a try... what if it works?"
Upon hearing this, the expert looked at the factory director in surprise: "Did Comrade Lin really say that back then?"
The factory manager shrugged helplessly and said with a wry smile, "There is such a young girl. But... she's too young. Maybe she's read some books on the subject and knows a little bit..."
The expert gazed out the window with a deep look in his eyes. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "'A genius' doesn't have to be old... Our country is currently going through a difficult period of development, and we can't let go of any hope. Why don't we invite someone over to give it a try? What if... he really is a genius? Anyway, the machine tool is already like this. If we can fix it, great. If not, we'll think of something else. There's a high-precision machine tool in the city. If all else fails, we can have them work overtime overnight. They'll be able to produce the parts the shipyard needs."
"It seems that this is the only way."
Just then, the excited voice of Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, came from the doorway: "Factory Director! Reporters from the city are here to interview us!"
"What, a reporter?!"
The factory manager's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously glanced at the broken machine tool, his voice tense: "Coming here at this hour... you must have heard something and come specifically for this, right?"
There are only two imported machine tools, and one of them was maliciously damaged. If this is reported, the higher-ups will blame him for inadequate supervision, and he will definitely be held accountable.
The surrounding workers' expressions changed, and the atmosphere instantly became tense. The factory manager suppressed his surging panic, straightened his back, and scolded, "What's the panic?! Reporters are honored guests! Treat them well! The machine is broken, that's a fact, there's nothing to hide. Just tell the truth about the factory's difficulties."
Before she finished speaking, Lin Baozhu had already led the two reporters into the workshop. Her gaze swept over the newly reassembled machine tool, and she was slightly surprised. Could it be that experts from the city had been invited?
I just don't know if they've found replacements for the damaged parts inside the machine.
Noticing Lin Baozhu's gaze, the factory director stepped in front of the machine tool and forced a smile, saying, "Comrade Lin? What brings you here? Your second brother... he's busy in Workshop One. If you need anything, go find him over there."
Lin Baozhu raised an eyebrow and said, "Factory Director, I'm not here to see my second brother, but to help you solve your problem. These two are reporters from the city newspaper."
The reporter, carrying a camera, asked in confusion, "Comrade Lin, where is that disassembled machine tool you mentioned?"
Lin Baozhu pointed to the reassembled machine tool and said, "This is the machine tool. It was disassembled before, and the support screw inside disappeared. Now that it has been reassembled, it seems that the support screw has been found. However, all the internal precision parts were damaged and scrapped because the support screw disappeared. As it stands, it is still unusable."
Expert Shao pushed through the crowd and walked up to Lin Baozhu: "Comrade Lin, you have a deep understanding of machine tools."
Lin Baozhu looked at the newcomer, a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a Zhongshan suit, whose gaze was filled with scrutiny and hope.
"I am Shao Hongyi, a technical consultant sent by the city."
Lin Baozhu nodded calmly: "Hello, Expert Shao, my name is Lin Baozhu. I have seen the instruction manual for this machine tool. Could you tell me about its current status?"
"The support screw is missing, and many precision parts inside are broken and unusable. I can only temporarily assemble it, but it is unusable!"
Lin Baozhu nodded and said, "It seems the basic problem hasn't been solved, but making these parts shouldn't be too difficult."
Upon hearing this, expert Shao rubbed his hands excitedly and said, "If it can really be repaired, you will reduce a great loss for our country."
"Expert Shao, don't be fooled by a young girl. If she were really that capable, why would she still be farming in the village? She would have been hired as a technician by our machine factory long ago. If you ask me, at least the machine tool is back to its original state now. Maybe it can still be used once we get the imported parts. If she messes around with it and breaks it again, who will take responsibility?"
Lin Baozhu's gaze swept over the woman who had spoken, a hint of sarcasm playing on her lips: "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't. If you lose a screw, you can just make another one. The rebar from the machine shop has enough strength and toughness to meet the requirements. As for the intricate patterns, you can simply machine them out bit by bit with a domestically made ordinary lathe. As for those damaged parts..." She picked up a broken part and weighed it in her hand, "...modifying or replacing it isn't difficult."
"Ha, that sounds nice! If you really had such extraordinary abilities, why didn't you fix it the other day? You even brought reporters here to show off, trying to use our machine factory as a shield. No way!"
Seeing the woman's face turn red with anger, the factory manager shouted sternly, "Zhou Xiaohong, this is none of your business. If you're really that free, then clean up the outhouse."
After saying that, he turned to Lin Baozhu with a smile and said, "Comrade Lin, if you can really fix this machine tool, our factory is willing to hire you as a technical consultant."
"What? Her? This machine tool can only be repaired if the sun rises in the west."
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