The Grandmother in the Siheyuan

Chapter 344 Test Drive
Old Zhang spent a lot of time persuading them before politely declining, but in doing so, he planted a seed in their hearts.

Before leaving, Lao Zhang also wanted to give his carbon fiber samples to these conglomerates, so that they would know that our products are not only of high quality and low price but also reliable.

When the commerce department heard that Taiyi New Materials hadn't signed a single contract this time, they were puzzled and said it was terrible. They were preparing to take over foreign exchange, but they didn't expect to get a single penny. They had been excited for so many days for nothing.

The commerce department immediately asked Liu Hua why no cooperation had been reached.

Liu Hua spread his hands: "How can we reach a cooperation agreement? All of my factory's production has been sold out. I can only use scrap carbon fiber to make fishing rods for myself. If I sign a contract with someone, how am I supposed to deliver the goods?"

"Increase production!" the commerce official said matter-of-factly. "If you increase production, you'll have goods to deliver, won't you?"

"If we expand production, what kind of fluctuations will occur in the international carbon fiber market? Prices will definitely drop. Right now, we are one of the few carbon fiber players, and the least experienced ones at that. What if we stimulate the capital of Japan and the United States, and they start fighting us regardless of cost?"

“Producing carbon fiber requires raw materials. Our petrochemical group only has so much output per month. There are countless manufacturers across the country that are desperately waiting for supplies. We can only compete for so much raw material each month. What’s the use of having a production line without raw materials?”

"To expand production, I need to invest in production lines. Of course, I have the money, but where will the skilled workers come from? It will take another year and a half to train them. And that's just the skilled workers. There is also a shortage of mature technicians and managers. These cannot be trained in a year and a half."

Liu Hua shook his head: "Therefore, we cannot only look at the immediate benefits, but must take a long-term perspective."

The business department leader smiled and shook his head: "You've gained some insights from this business, or are we not thinking long-term? We always consider things from a very long-term perspective, at least a ten or twenty-year plan."

Liu Hua spread his hands: "Anyway, there are only so many difficulties. Our Taiyi New Materials are not like those of Shazi Melon Seeds."

When Liu Hua mentioned "Silly Melon Seeds," the people in the commerce department frowned, probably understanding what Liu Hua meant.

The official from the commerce department shook his head: "I can't solve this problem. We can only wait and see. There will be a clear conclusion someday."

In April, Jiangnan Shipyard notified Liu Hua that they were preparing for the first test run.

Because Liu Hua led their research to progress so smoothly, by the end of March, they had already assembled the first power system.

As the heart of an LNG carrier, the two-stroke low-speed diesel engine system plus reliquefaction unit is the most important part of the entire project.

Not only will Liu Hua go, but even Chief Engineer Mr. Yang will be there, along with leaders from the Ministry of Industry. The efficiency of the power system is directly related to the operating cost of LNG carriers; the lower the cost, the more attractive it is to customers.

The power plant of a cargo ship weighing over 100,000 tons is so large that people appear tiny in its presence.

Liu Hua, Mr. Yang, and leaders from the Ministry of Industry stood in front of the heart of the transport ship. One of the leaders, with his hands on his hips, exclaimed, "What a behemoth! I've never seen such a large engine before. The power contained within it is unimaginable."

"He's going to propel a cargo ship weighing over 100,000 tons forward." Mr. Yang shook his head. "It feels like a dream. I remember when I was in university in John's country, our country's industrial level was worlds apart from John's. I looked at the propulsion systems on their ships and sighed. Now, I can finally sigh about my own. I can die without regrets." Liu Hua smiled and said, "Mr. Yang, you must live to be a hundred. The three industrial jewels of the shipbuilding world—aircraft carriers, cruise ships, and LNG carriers—you've only seen one of them. You still have to see our country's aircraft carrier launched and our country's cruise ship launched. Only then can a shipbuilder truly die without regrets."

The leader nodded: "What Engineer Liu said is absolutely right. Mr. Yang, you must live to be a hundred years old. You must see us overcome difficulties one by one, and you must see our country's shipbuilding industry stand among the world's top ranks."

Mr. Yang said with a smile, "I'll try my best. I'll get up every morning to exercise from now on."

However, Mr. Yang was indeed very old. When Liu Hua traveled through time, Mr. Yang was still alive and well. When he celebrated his 107th birthday, he was in good spirits and looked radiant.

When he was born, foreign ships were running rampant in our waters. When he was 100 years old, my country's shipbuilding industry was already number one in the world, and our aircraft carriers were already roaming our waters. He was a centenarian.

During the test drive, the supervisor asked Mr. Yang to announce the start, and Mr. Yang readily agreed, waving his hand and saying, "Start the machine."

As the workers operated the machine, it slowly began to turn, producing a rumbling sound. Liu Hua covered his ears.

Mr. Yang laughed and said, "Little Liu, you can't stand it? You've never seen a steam engine before. Back when I was studying in John's country, I went on a steamship. When the steam engine started, the sound was really loud. The cabin was stuffy, hot and humid. It was simply not a place for a human to stay."

Liu Hua smiled and said, "There's nothing I can do. I was born into a good family. Although I was born in the old society, I grew up under the red flag and directly participated in our entire industrialization process. I am proud of it."

Mr. Yang nodded: "You're really lucky, kid. For the past year or so, I've been working while trying to find out about you. I know everyone else, but you're a complete stranger. I didn't realize until I found out that you, little one, have done more work than I have."

"I wouldn't dare say that. It's because of the solid foundation laid by your older generation that I have room to grow."

Mr. Yang shook his head: "Too modest."

Near the diesel engine, technicians who were constantly moving around brought out a piece of paper with various technical parameters they had noted down.

Liu Hua took it and looked at it, then nodded silently: "It has reached the minimum value we designed. Let's increase the power a little more."

The leader was still a little worried: "Be cautious. After all, it's a new machine. Let it run for a while longer without any problems before increasing the power."

Mr. Yang shook his head: "Why are you in such a hurry? The chief engineer of the engine is right here. If he says the power can be increased, then the power can be increased. If he didn't have this ability, he wouldn't have volunteered to design the engine for the transport ship. Ask the professionals about professional matters."

The leader could only helplessly say, "Then let's just listen to Engineer Liu."

(End of this chapter)