The Grandmother in the Siheyuan

Chapter 394 Teach a man to fish
It is said that there is no such thing as a peaceful life; it is just that someone is carrying the burden. While Liu Hua enjoys a peaceful life, others are in a state of great anxiety.

Since we opened our market, Western goods have flooded in, so protecting our national industries has become a top priority.

But no matter how much protection you provide, it's never as good as developing yourself. Relying on others is risky; they may crumble or run away.

Shenyang Machine Tool Group is now facing a severe test. Although Liu Hua set a good example for them back then, their foundation is still weak.

Faced with the influx of Western CNC machine tools, they are struggling to cope with the constant erosion of their market share, and have reached a critical juncture of life and death.

“If this continues, Shenyang Machine Tool Factory will have to file for bankruptcy.” The factory director of Shenyang Machine Tool Factory sighed at the meeting: “We are one of the earliest machine tool manufacturers in the Republic. If we file for bankruptcy, you and I will leave a big name in the industrial history of our country.”

"Factory manager, it's not that we're not working hard," the chief engineer said with a worried look. "Our research and development has made progress over the years, but we still have a certain gap to close in the face of the aggressive foreign products. We currently lack a stable flagship product. Once we have a complete product line and stabilize the market, we can gain a foothold and move forward step by step."

"How could I not know that? But how easy is it to create a flagship product?"

Everyone in the room sighed and lamented; they really had no good solutions.

At this moment, the chief engineer suddenly had a bright idea: "Factory director, if all else fails, let's ask for outside help."

"Who can we ask for help from? We are already the top machine tool manufacturer in China."

"Do you still remember the person who helped us improve our machine tools and designed a semi-automatic machine tool back then?"

The factory manager smiled and sighed: "Of course I remember. Back then, I was just a junior clerk in the office. With those two products, plus the quality of our Shenyang Machine Tool, we were incredibly successful in the domestic machine tool market."

“I know that gentleman,” the chief engineer introduced. “He has now started his own business and is also a graduate advisor at Tsinghua University, specializing in semiconductors. He understands both machine tools and semiconductors. If we were to have him help us design a flagship product, it would be a sure thing.”

"As you said yourself, they've gone into business for themselves now." The factory manager shook his head: "They're busy with their own business first, how can they have time to help me with my research?"

The chief engineer shrugged: "Anyway, this is the only way I have right now, and it's the most likely to succeed. If you don't think it will work, then you'll have to figure it out yourself."

The factory manager took a breath and said with a hint of doubt, "Why don't we give it a try? We might as well try anything, even if it's a hopeless situation."

The factory manager had given up on himself; there was nothing he could do anyway.

To show their utmost sincerity, the factory manager and the head office personally went out to deliver specialties from Northeast China, such as monkey head mushrooms and hazel mushrooms.

They just wish animals were protected now, otherwise they'd like to get a few sika deer or some hazel grouse.

With the address they had obtained from the leaders of the Ministry of Industry, they arrived at Taiyi Heavy Industry.

Seeing the current scale of Taiyi Heavy Industry, although it is far from comparable to Shenyang Machine Tool Group, it has only been developing for five or six years and has already reached this level, while Shenyang Machine Tool Group has been developing for forty or fifty years and is on the decline. I feel extremely ashamed.

"Mr. Liu, nice to meet you." The factory manager said with a smile, "I hope you don't mind, it's just a small token." The secretary quickly handed over the gift, and the factory manager sighed and said, "These days, it's not easy to get rare mountain products in our area, please forgive me."

What brings you two here?

The factory manager rubbed his hands together: "We're from Shenyang Machinery Plant. We've come to ask you for help."

“Shenyang Machine Tool Plant?” Liu Hua nodded. “I went there twenty years ago. It’s a good place and a company with great development potential.”

"What you're saying is all outdated. Shenyang Machine Tool is now in crisis." The chief engineer said with self-reproach, "It's true, I'm a useless engineer. I haven't developed any flagship products yet, which makes it impossible for Shenyang Machine Tool to stand in the market and resist the onslaught of foreign CNC machine tools."

The factory manager quickly chimed in, "I heard that you are now a professor at Tsinghua University and an authority in semiconductors. You understand both machine tools and semiconductors, so I'd like to ask you to help us develop a CNC machine tool that can help us gain a foothold in the market. Once we have a foothold, we'll have a chance to catch our breath."

Liu Hua was somewhat embarrassed, and the factory director was very uneasy. Before coming, he had talked with the leaders of the Ministry of Industry. The leaders told him that things were different now than before. Now Liu Hua was mainly researching national-level projects. CNC machine tools were too small a job, and Liu Hua might not have time to come.

"Is your research and development capabilities really that limited?" Liu Hua asked rhetorically. "I feel it's unrealistic to think you can turn things around in today's market with just one flagship product."

The engineer nodded: "We know that too, but let's give it a try. At least we'll have a flagship product that can generate some profit for us, and with that profit, we can continue our research."

Liu Hua smiled and said, "Alright, I need to go to your factory first to see how well you're doing now. I'll be leading the team this time, but I won't be involved in the specific work; I'll be providing guidance."

The factory manager was slightly disappointed, but the chief engineer was extremely excited. Expecting to be taught by Liu Hua was a rare opportunity these days. He wasn't stupid; with this training, he was sure he would make great progress.

He told the factory manager and chief engineer to go back first, and he would hand over the work here and then fly over.

On the way, the factory manager complained, "Isn't Engineer Liu doing this for nothing? Since he can design a new CNC machine tool, why does he need to guide you?"

"How can you be so short-sighted?" the chief engineer said irritably. "What does it mean to teach a man to fish rather than give him a fish? Engineer Liu's leadership and guidance this time is not just for one CNC machine tool. It could be a series of them, or it could be laying the foundation for our independent research and development."

The factory manager then suddenly realized what was going on: "Oh, so that's how it is. Why didn't you remind me at the beginning?"

"I'm just too happy to accept this," the chief engineer said embarrassedly. "To have such a great scientist personally instruct me, I feel like I should go home and check if my ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke."

"Feudal superstition is unacceptable."

"There's no other explanation," the chief engineer said with a smile. "I've never had any luck in my life except for hard work. I still feel like I'm in a dream."

The factory manager squeezed the engineer's hand with his own, the force of which made the engineer cry out in pain. The factory manager laughed and said, "Looks like I'm not dreaming."

(End of this chapter)