Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 500 Quickly Rebuilding Self-Confidence

We all had a great time and enjoyed half a semester of classes together.

We eat together, live together, study together, and play together every day!
Suddenly having to part ways, the girls' eyes were softly red, and they held hands, their expressions full of reluctance.

"I'll miss you... sob sob."

"When I come back next semester, I'll bring you some glutinous rice cakes, a local specialty!"

"And our homemade fermented tofu smells so good!"

"Don't forget to wish your uncle and aunt a Happy New Year for me..."

Students from other classes were incredibly envious when they saw the students from Economics Department (1).

As the number of students in the school decreases,

That day, just as Tao Runze and his companions put on their thick cotton-padded coats and were preparing to see Luo Jianmin off on the train to Yun Cai City.

Chen Luyang walked over: "Class monitor, I'd like to ask you for leave this afternoon."

“I promised the guys in the external relations department that I would accompany him to the Overseas Chinese Store, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to see Lao Luo off.”

As Tao Runze put on his clothes, he said, "Then you should go quickly. We'll take Lao Luo there."

"okay!"

Although I asked Tao Runze for leave
However, Chen Luyang turned around and ran to Luo Jianmin's dormitory, said "Have a safe trip" to say goodbye, and then rushed to the school gate.

The wind was whistling at the school gate.
Shen Fei and Xiao Zhongwen were huddled in the wind, stamping their feet in frustration.
His nose was red from the cold, and he kept muttering:

"Oh my god, you've finally arrived!"

"If you don't come soon, Xiao Zhongwen and I will freeze to death!"

Chen Luyang apologized repeatedly: "I have classmates who need to go home, and I was delayed a bit by saying goodbye. Let's hurry up and go!"

"Let's go!"

Shen Fei didn't hesitate and took out the bus fare he had prepared beforehand from his pocket.
They seized three people in one go.

I got on the bus first, saving everyone a spacious spot.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, the Overseas Chinese Store was packed with people.

Dozens of people were queuing in front of each counter.

Carrying large and small packages, sweating profusely, arguing back and forth like a pot of porridge.

I know, this is an overseas Chinese store.

If you didn't know better, you'd think this was the local farmers' market back home, with everyone lining up to grab garlic.

Among them, there was one counter that was surrounded by the most people, and the atmosphere was filled with the heat of the fire.

Chen Luyang, Shen Fei, and Xiao Zhongwen all love a good time.
Seeing a large crowd, the three of them squeezed in that direction while craning their necks to look.

"What's going on? What happened?"

After a few people finally managed to squeeze into the inner circle...
Upon closer inspection, Xiao Zhongwen was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped to the ground:

"A large color TV?!"

"Holy crap, this is a real color TV!!!"

In the center of the glass counter,

A large Panasonic color TV, measuring 25 inches, is playing a dance program.

In the video, girls dressed in red, yellow, and green ethnic costumes dance gracefully on stage.
The flowing skirt seemed to leap off the screen.
Every movement was vividly depicted by dazzling electric light!
Those scenes,

It's a hundred times better than open-air movies or black-and-white television!
"This scene looks so real..."

Little Chinese was completely captivated by the images on the television, his face filled with awe.

"Look how red this is, how green this is, the figures even have a three-dimensional feel!"

Shen Fei clicked his tongue in amazement, "This is almost like a movie theater!"

"How much does this cost?"

Shen Fei glanced at the label instinctively.

It would have been better not to look at the results.

After looking at the price...

As if they had made a pact, the three of them—Chen Luyang, Shen Fei, and Xiao Zhongwen—all stared wide-eyed.

3000 yuan!
Good guy...

3000 yuan...

All three of them swayed slightly.

"Even if you sold me, you wouldn't get 3000 yuan!" Shen Fei's lips trembled.

“Yes…” Chen Luyang nodded stiffly.

"This money is enough to buy half the equipment in my repair shop."

This is too expensive.

In an instant, Chen Luyang's original "soaring confidence" was suppressed.

He originally thought he was a generous and domineering person.

But looking at the price of 3000 yuan,

The first thought that came to mind was, "I can't afford it."

wipe!
This kind of thinking is dangerous!

That is, a few seconds.

Chen Luyang immediately forced down this feeling of inferiority and started frantically cheering herself up!

I can't afford it now, but I'll definitely be able to afford it in the future!

If I can't earn 3000 yuan now, will I never be able to earn it in the future?!

I can come up with 3000 yuan before I even graduate from university!
absolute!
Correct!
A glint of light flashed in Chen Luyang's eyes.

Set yourself a small goal first.
Before graduating from university, I should buy a TV for my family!

After establishing confidence and goals for oneself,
Chen Luyang's aura immediately returned to normal.

He exhaled softly, and a relaxed and carefree expression returned to his face.

"That Venus next to it is pretty good too."

The three of them followed the gaze and saw a 20-inch Venus TV, priced at 2200 yuan.

Shen Fei clicked his tongue: "It's quite expensive!"

The young men were saying,

But his body slowly moved toward the black and white television area next to him.

Sure enough, black and white TVs were much cheaper than color TVs.

An 18-inch "Flower Sea" brand phone costs 600 yuan.
A 17-inch "Panda" penguin, 500;

The cheapest 14-inch black and white TV in the city is a little over 400 yuan.

"Hey, this is cheap! This one that cost 400 yuan looks pretty sturdy!"

Little Chinese pointed at the TV from the Pian'ercheng brand with a happy expression and shouted.

Shen Fei nodded with an expert's air: "Buying one for around 400 is alright. Those TVs that cost several thousand are completely unnecessary..."

Little Chinese also pretended to be serious: "That's right, it would be really cool to have one in the house."

Chen Luyang, who was standing next to him, rolled her eyes.

You two are just putting on airs.

It's as if you can afford a TV that costs around 400.

As expected, it did not disappoint.

When Shen Fei shakily pulled out 38 yuan from his pocket and gritted his teeth to buy a bottle of German perfume.

His face was filled with heartache!

They bought a TV that cost 400 yuan without hesitation.

They bought a bottle of perfume for less than 40 yuan, and it hurt them more than if they were being cut with a knife!

But thankfully~
It's painful yet pleasurable!
Shen Fei carefully stuffed the perfume into his backpack, then slung the backpack over his chest, guarding the perfume in his bag as if it were a precious treasure.

Having finished buying the items,
Shen Fei asked, puzzled, "Xiao Chen? Aren't you going to buy anything for the family?"

"I'm not buying it anymore," Chen Luyang shook her head gently. "I don't have any money."

"You're out of money?!" Shen Fei and Xiao Zhongwen both exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm broke." Chen Luyang spread his hands.

"Where did all your money go?" Shen Fei asked anxiously. "Did you lose it?!" "Tell me where you lost it, and I'll ask the police station for you. I know people there!"

Xiao Zhongwen quickly added, "Yeah, Brother Chen, the holiday is almost here, how can you be short of money on the road? Have you bought your ticket yet? If not, we'll help you out!"

Seeing that the two kind-hearted brothers were getting more and more anxious as they talked, Chen Luyang quickly reached out to stop them:
"I didn't lose any money, I just paid everyone's wages."

It would have been better if he hadn't said those words.

After he finished speaking, Shen Fei and Xiao Zhongwen were even more confused.

Everyone's salary is paid by their employer, when will it be their turn to receive it as an individual?
However, both of them knew their place and wisely refrained from asking.

After all, it involves the repair shop, so don't ask questions you shouldn't.

But Chen Luyang really didn't lie.

His money was indeed all distributed to pay salaries.

Although Zhang Nan, Lin Qiming, Ma Jin, Guo Anli, and two senior students from the Philosophy Department were all assigned by their respective departments to provide assistance, their official role was "helping out."

However, the project belongs to the repair shop and is also Chen Luyang's project.

Everyone has worked so hard for so long, we can't let our brothers work for nothing.

Unfortunately, they were not workers of the provincial machinery factory, so there was no way to provide them with benefits and wages.

The second batch of funding for the project was also not approved.

Therefore, Chen Luyang had no choice but to pay out of his own pocket, accepting that he would suffer a loss, and still manage to pay their wages.

Although the amount is not much, it is the thought that counts.

At this time, in the repair shop

Zhang Nan was sitting in the reception room, holding the phone while spreading out blueprints and studying the structure of the parts.

The entire repair shop was quiet.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, there are naturally fewer people available for car repairs.

In addition, everyone wants to hurry up and buy some New Year's goods to take home.

So Zhang Nan volunteered to stay and watch the house, letting everyone else go out to buy things.

Anyway, he's been following the repair shop around for projects all this time, so he's practically "one of their own" now, which puts Director Lu and the others at ease.

While I was guarding the house, I suddenly heard footsteps and a few words of conversation outside.

Is this the place?

“Absolutely! The facade is exactly the same as in the photo.”

"...What kind of bad habits have these people developed? They either put photos on the door or plaques on the door frame."

"Of all the houses along this road, this one has the most colorful decorations on its door. I think they're practically ready to stick signs on their window frames."

"That's not entirely true; more plaques don't necessarily mean more achievements."

"Everyone else has red couplets with black characters on a red background, but this repair shop has a gold plaque with red characters on a gold background, which makes it look superior to others."

"Hmph... What do you mean by being a cut above the rest? I think he's just giving himself an official title. He can't wait to let everyone know about any achievements he's made."

Ok?
Zhang Nan stopped writing and listened intently to the conversation outside the door.

Strange.

This person's words were full of criticism, but there wasn't a hint of sarcasm in their tone.

It's a bit like saying the opposite of what you mean.

He complained, but he was secretly very pleased.

Just as Zhang Nan was about to get up to see who was outside,
The thick cotton curtain over the iron gate of the repair shop was lifted, and three middle-aged men walked in.

"Where is everyone? Why is no one here?"

As soon as I entered the room, a voice rang out.

"Someone's here! Someone's here!!"

Zhang Nan quickly shouted at the top of her lungs, got up and ran out of the reception room.

Three middle-aged men walked in through the door, wearing thick cotton-padded coats, braving the cold wind, and looking travel-worn.

The leader was in his fifties, with piercing eyes and a tall, robust build.

The person standing to his left, whether from sun exposure or natural skin toughness, had a dark face.

The one on the right looks the most amiable, with relaxed eyebrows and a friendly smile.

Upon seeing these three people, Zhang Nan immediately became extremely alert!

These days he spends his days drawing blueprints and studying parts at the repair shop, and he has met many people from all walks of life.

Some customers with different identities can be identified at a glance.

Zhang Nan politely asked, "Gentlemen, are you here to get your cars repaired?"

Upon seeing Zhang Nan, the expressions of the three middle-aged men subtly changed.

One of them even glanced into the room subconsciously, as if looking for someone.

The man on the far right realized what was happening and smiled, trying to smooth things over: "Yes, we heard there's a repair shop here, so we came to take a look."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Nan quickly made way and greeted them with a smile, "The masters haven't returned yet. Why don't you come in and sit down? I'll pour you some hot tea to warm your hands."

The middle-aged men exchanged glances, but did not refuse, and stepped into the house with some curiosity and a sense of scrutiny.

Zhang Nan warmly invited the three people into the reception room, then turned around and deftly took three teacups from the coffee table, pouring a cup of hot water for each of them.

"Please have a seat, everyone. It's cold, warm your hands first."

Zhang Nan casually grabbed another handful of sunflower seeds and handed them over, saying, "Our conditions here are a bit poor, please forgive us."

After the three people entered the room, they did not sit down in a hurry. Instead, they looked around and seemed to be assessing the factory.

The burly man who seemed to be the leader patted the coffee table against the wall and asked, as if casually:

"What do the workers do during the day when they're not at work?"

"They've all gone out to buy New Year's goods," Zhang Nan explained with a smile.
"It's almost Chinese New Year, and the factory workers are all from Northeast China. They're all thinking of bringing some gifts home for the holiday."

"Then why didn't you go?"

“I’m not a factory worker,” Zhang Nan explained with a smile. “I’m a student at Peking University. I’m staying here to help out and also to watch the gate.”

Peking University?
The three middle-aged men were clearly taken aback, their subconscious surprise written on their faces.

"What are you, a Peking University graduate, doing here guarding the gate?!"

Zhang Nan smiled, unfazed by the tone: "Our department has a project collaboration with the repair shop, and I'm mainly responsible for drawing the parts blueprints. There are a lot of blueprints here, and the schedule is tight, so I usually live at the factory and consider myself part of the team."

When Zhang Nan talks about being "half a factory worker," a hint of pride still lingers on her face.

"By the way, my surname is Zhang, and my name is Zhang Nan. How should I address you three comrades?"

"My surname is Niu, this one is surnamed Dong, and this one is surnamed Wang," Comrade Niu, standing on the right, introduced briefly.

"Oh, hello, you three!" Zhang Nan hadn't even had time to process the background of these three men, "Niu Dong Wang," before she could even process what they were.
Comrade Niu spoke leisurely:

"Since you're a student from Peking University and the person in charge of the blueprints, you must be familiar with this factory. Why don't you show us around and let us see your equipment and production situation?"

“No problem!” Zhang Nan immediately agreed.

Over the past six months, the repair shop's reputation has spread far and wide.

Not only do taxis come frequently, but some organizations also bring their official vehicles and trucks for repairs for convenience.

With the year-end approaching, many organizations are even coming to inquire about cooperation.

After all, not every organization has the capability to build its own repair department.

Some small companies finally manage to get approved for vehicle quotas, buy the cars, but have few people who know how to repair them.

Even if a driver is skilled, he can only "tinker" with minor problems.

If they encounter a problem that requires major damage or replacement of parts, they are at a loss.

It's more convenient to find a local repair shop than to ask someone to repair it for you at the original manufacturer.

Zhang Nan often stayed at the factory, and over time, he got used to these visitors who came to "get a feel for things."

I've often heard Director Lu and his team receive visitors from all walks of life, explaining procedures, equipment, and project details.

I listened to it over and over again until I almost knew it by heart.

Seeing that these comrades had come to "inspect" the area,

Zhang Nan immediately perked up, leading the way while chatting with the others:

Who recommended you to come here?

The three of them mumbled, "We've heard about it a few times, so we came to check it out on the way."

(End of this chapter)