Chapter 213 Making Handicrafts, Generating Foreign Exchange
Now that high-precision machine tools have been successfully developed, the high-precision parts needed to manufacture automobiles can naturally be machined using this national treasure. Moreover, the overall design, manufacturing process, and detailed blueprints of automobiles are already deeply ingrained in her mind as a time traveler. As long as all the parts are in place, assembling a high-performance car will not be difficult for her.
but……
She frowned slightly, thinking of a key issue—the materials.
The special steel billets used in manufacturing high-precision machine tools have top-tier strength and toughness in China, barely sufficient for machine tool production. However, their hardness and flexibility become insufficient for critical automotive components that require high speed and impact resistance.
These steel billets are the best materials that China can currently provide.
(The liquid steel setting is for plot purposes only. Readers, please enjoy it and don't take the scientific details too seriously.)
Lin Baozhu's thoughts drifted back to her past life. She clearly remembered that in a corner of her space, there was a document titled "A New Method for Smelting High-Strength and Tough Alloy Steel," which her genius friend had painstakingly researched.
At that time, just as the apocalypse was approaching, the United States made outrageous claims online, asserting that they had successfully developed a type of 'liquid steel' with unlimited ductility and ultra-high strength, which could improve the performance of both weapons and automobiles by several levels.
Her best friend, who was determined to never admit defeat, was terrified of being surpassed by the United States. So she led a team to plunge into the laboratory and devoted themselves to the project for three whole years, turning the almost science fiction-like material described in the American paper from theory into reality!
And what was the result?
The truth has been revealed—that sensational paper was actually a hoax created by the United States to deceive China and waste our scientific research resources! Upon learning this, my friend was so angry that he cursed across the Pacific Ocean for three days straight!
Finally, she threw a video of the amazing ductility and hardness test results of the alloy steel she had successfully smelted directly in the other person's face.
The moment the video was released, the American scientific community was instantly thrown into disarray! Instead of showing any remorse, they shamelessly demanded that all experimental data and technical details be shared!
Ha! That's utterly ridiculous!
Today, the smelting formula and complete data, which embodies countless efforts of her friends and is capable of changing the landscape of materials science, are quietly lying in her space.
"You can apply to join their research team..." Qin Haifeng didn't finish his sentence...
Lin Baozhu immediately shook her head and said, "If that's the case, wouldn't the core credit for the research fall on someone else's head? How can my courtyard house project still be implemented?"
"Tell the higher-ups to let me lead the research myself! Once the research is successful, I guarantee that all the research data and design drawings will be handed over to the country without missing a single piece, and then we can start mass production!"
She paused, then smiled slyly, "Of course, if you can get your hands on an old, decommissioned vehicle from the military... give me just half a month, and I can make it."
Qin Haifeng pondered for a moment, then nodded: "This... I need to ask my superiors to see if we can coordinate to send one over. I will do my best."
Lin Baozhu patted his shoulder with satisfaction, her smile bright: "Okay! Then this matter is entrusted to you! Looking forward to your good news!"
As soon as the two stepped into the Lin family's courtyard, they found the house full of people, mostly village officials and familiar uncles and aunts. The village head, upon seeing them, jumped to his feet, rubbing his rough hands together, his face beaming with an eager and expectant smile:
"Baozhu! Haifeng! You're back? How did things go at the machine factory today...?"
"Smooth sailing! So smooth sailing!"
Lin Baozhu smiled broadly: "That's the first high-precision machine tool that our country made itself! It was made by my second brother and me! Today, all the city's top leaders went there, and reporters from several newspapers were snapping photos of it!"
She then changed the subject, bringing even better news: "In a couple of days, they'll be coming to our village specifically to interview us and promote our hair accessory business!"
"What?! They're interviewing our village?! And they're going to put our hair accessories in the newspaper?!"
The brigade leader's voice rose several octaves with excitement. He slapped his thigh and shouted to the village secretary beside him, "Old Linzi! Did you hear that? This is a huge moment of glory! Hurry up! Get the village looking its best right now! And that hair accessory workshop of ours..."
He looked disgusted. "It's too shabby! It's dilapidated! If it makes the newspapers, people will laugh at us to death! Get everyone in the village moving quickly and build a new, more impressive workshop!"
Village Party Secretary Lin Laogeng couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the brigade leader spinning around excitedly: "Good, good, good! I'll arrange it right away! I'll get people up the mountain to haul stones and make adobe bricks in a bit..."
"Why bother building mud bricks?"
The brigade leader waved his hand and said in a loud voice, "We'll build brick houses! We're not short of money! We have to make sure they look decent!"
Lin Baozhu pressed her advantage, saying, "Captain, since we've decided to build a new factory, why not go all the way and build an even bigger one!"
She glanced at the village officials present and continued, "We have many elderly women in our village who are excellent at weaving! Tonight, I'll take some time to draw some new patterns. You can have the most skilled women try to weave them and see if they can copy them!"
"Knitting?"
The team leader was taken aback, and subconsciously frowned. "Every household can make these winnowing baskets, hampers, and carrying baskets. They're not worth much. Who would buy them?"
Lin Baozhu smiled and shook her head, explaining, "I'm not talking about those everyday things. I'm talking about weaving novel and exquisite little items! Like animal figurines, fruit platters, flower baskets, and the like. We locals might find them ordinary, but those foreigners would consider them rare and exotic!"
"Foreigner? You mean..."
Village Party Secretary Lin Laogeng suddenly realized what was happening, and his voice rose, "You want to use these things to generate foreign exchange?!"
"That's right!"
Lin Baozhu nodded firmly, a smile playing on her lips: "As long as the products are good enough and the channels are right, making money from foreigners is much easier than you imagine!"
The brigade leader and the village secretary exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and eager anticipation in each other's eyes. The brigade leader rubbed his hands together, asking eagerly, "Baozhu, those handicrafts you mentioned... what exactly do they look like? Could you tell me about them first?"
"for example……"
Lin Baozhu pondered for a moment: "Water cups and teapots woven from fine bamboo strips are exquisite and heat-insulating; small and exquisite bamboo woven fruit plates and jewelry boxes; and there are also small bamboo woven animal toys that can move, such as little birds that nod their heads and little dogs that wag their tails... There are so many kinds!"
Seeing that the two seemed somewhat skeptical, she readily said, "I'll draw the sketch tonight, and you can take a look and then decide. If you don't think it's good enough, we can come up with another idea!"
"I have plenty of ways to make money here, there's bound to be one that suits our village!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
The brigade leader readily agreed, his face beaming with joy. "Baozhu, you're our village's lucky star! Well, it's getting late. You and Haifeng have been running around all day, you probably haven't had a chance to eat yet, so we won't bother you any longer! Come on, everyone, let's not keep Baozhu from having dinner."
As he spoke, he called to the others, and they all left in a flurry.
Qin Haifeng pushed his bicycle, also preparing to leave.
The moment she took a step, Lin's mother grabbed her from the back seat!
"Why are you leaving? What time is it? You've been busy with Baozhu all day and haven't even had a proper meal. How can I let you go back on an empty stomach? Eat here before you go!"
After saying that, she quickly glanced at her troublesome daughter and sighed: This silly girl, is she so clueless? Qin Haifeng's build and appearance are hard to find even with a lantern. She could tell that this guy's heart was entirely on her daughter. If she didn't take this opportunity to settle the marriage, and something went wrong halfway through, she would have a lot to cry about.
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