Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 551 Unique Markings of Parts

Chen Luyang hurriedly picked up her things, thanked him repeatedly, and ran upstairs.

Chen Luyang gently knocked on the office door and cheerfully called out:

"Happy New Year, senior brother! I've come to wish you a belated Happy New Year!!"

Seeing Chen Luyang carrying things in, Liang Zhongwei quickly stood up and went to greet her:

"Oh dear, you're just offering New Year's greetings, why bring anything?"

Chen Luyang closed the door, walked to the table with a smile, and took something out of her bag and placed it on Liang Zhongwei's desk.

"Senior brother, these are local specialties from my hometown: red sausage, some pastries, and candies. They're nothing valuable, but you must accept them. This is just a small token of my New Year's greetings to you."

Liang Zhongwei shook his head with a helpless smile: "You're just too polite. There's no need for such formalities between us, fellow disciples."

"But since you've brought it, I'll accept it. Thank you for your kind gesture."

Chen Luyang quickly replied, "Senior brother works hard all year round, even during the Spring Festival holiday he's still busy in the office. This is something that not just anyone can do."

"He is truly a role model that we younger generations should learn from."

Liang Zhongwei shook his head, smiled wryly, and sighed, "I can't call myself a role model, there's just no other way."

"The country has just introduced a new policy, and the Sixth Five-Year Plan has entered a critical stage. The country has clearly stated that it will vigorously develop the transportation industry and allow individual businesses in cities to expand their business scope. As the capital, Pian'er City should take the lead and set an example."

"I'm busy figuring out how to implement this in our city, I don't have time to rest."

Chen Luyang said sincerely, "Senior brother, you are concerned about the overall situation."

“People like us who work in car repair are really lucky to have a local official like you.”

After saying that, he tentatively changed the subject and asked:
"Senior, speaking of implementation... could you give us a definite answer this quarter regarding the batch of steel that our repair shop reported at the end of last year?"

Liang Zhongwei was delighted.

"I knew you were a weasel offering New Year's greetings, with ill intentions!"

Chen Luyang quickly chuckled and scratched his head: "Senior, you know I'm keeping an eye on a bunch of people at the repair shop, and the school is waiting for my grades."

"If the material approvals aren't approved soon, the parts project can't be put on hold, and I'm really worried."

Liang Zhongwei smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"The city is currently calculating the quota for the first quarter after the Lunar New Year, and a final decision has not yet been made."

"But don't worry, the repair shop's quota will not be missed this quarter."

Chen Luyang's eyes lit up, and she was about to say thank you.

Liang Zhongwei waved his hand, sternly stopping him from speaking: "But I'll also say this upfront: once the steel arrives, you'd better produce real results, otherwise you'll just be occupying the quota for nothing."

Chen Luyang immediately straightened his back and solemnly assured him, "Don't worry, senior brother!"

"Our repair shop will definitely deliver results and won't let you down."

Liang Zhongwei smiled and nodded, then gestured for Chen Lu to sit down.

"You didn't come here for nothing today, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Chen Luyang immediately became serious: "Senior brother, please speak!"

Liang Zhongwei said, "I just told you that too."

"The Sixth Five-Year Plan has entered a critical stage. The state has included transportation, automobiles and auto parts in the local tasks. As the capital, Pian'er City must take the lead."

"In addition, the country has just opened up the market to individual businesses in urban and rural areas, and the repair and service industries have become a breakthrough point. The policy will no longer suppress them indiscriminately."

"The city is also planning to delegate some small-batch tasks to school-run factories, repair shops, and cooperatives, and also to build a parts collaboration network for unified scheduling."

Upon hearing this, Chen Luyang felt a jolt in her heart.

"The Sixth Five-Year Plan", "Transportation", "Parts and Components Collaboration Network"...

Every word pounded into his ears like a drumbeat.

What is wind direction?

This is called wind direction...

The government has given the go-ahead and policies have been relaxed. As long as you dare to step forward, you can truly stand firm in the tide of the times!

As long as he can seize the opportunity, he can ride the wave of policy and plant the repair shop's flag at the forefront!

Chen Luyang nodded vigorously, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Don't worry, senior! The wind has blown all the way here, we definitely can't back down. We'll catch up and make the factory a success!"

Liang Zhongwei couldn't help but laugh when he saw Chen Luyang's excited, flushed face.

"Xiao Chen, it's good that young people are energetic. But I have to remind you: this is both an opportunity and a challenge."

“Your repair shop is currently unique in the city, but once the parts quotas are allocated, it won’t be just you who can do it.”

“At that time, school-run factories, cooperatives, and small repair shops will all flock in, and everyone will want a piece of the pie.”

"These small factories lack technological accumulation and established processes. They mostly follow the low-price route, disregarding quality, and prioritize driving down market prices."

"When competitors come in, you'll have to compete for the same basket, and the environment will be much more complicated than it is now."

After speaking, Liang Zhongwei glanced at Chen Luyang.

He thought that Chen Luyang would feel pressured after hearing what he said.

Unexpectedly, Chen Luyang casually remarked:

"Competition is good! The more competition there is, the more refined things will emerge!"

Liang Zhongwei's pupils contracted as he heard Chen Luyang say confidently:

"With more competition and greater pressure, the requirements for parts are naturally higher. To gain a foothold, you must offer the best products."

"In this way, not only will repair shops be able to improve, but the entire country's auto parts market will also be forced to move up."

"At that time, it won't be that we're afraid of others catching up with us, but that we need to find a way to break out of the vicious cycle of price wars and build our brand on quality and reputation."

Liang Zhongwei was stunned for a moment, staring at him for a long time.

I thought Chen Luyang was just eager to keep the repair shop's position, but I didn't expect that what he said was a thought from a larger perspective.

Liang Zhongwei remained silent for a moment, his gaze slowly shifting from scrutiny to appreciation, and his tone softened.

"It's rare to find someone who has this kind of thinking."

"Currently, the city is studying the possibility of delegating some small-batch tasks to other factories and establishing a collaborative network for these scattered factories to manage their operations in a unified manner. Whoever can get registered will be included in the 'Hope List'."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat solemn: "Once it's approved, we'll not only receive policy support, but also preferential treatment in terms of supplies."

"Steel, testing equipment, centralized procurement channels... will all be given priority."

"At that time, your repair shop will not only be doing its own work, but will be operating on the platform of the city."

Liang Zhongwei looked at Chen Luyang: "This is a rare opportunity, I hope you can seize it..."

As he walked out of the Municipal Economic Commission building, the sunlight streamed down, illuminating Chen Luyang's shoulders and making the world seem brighter. He walked briskly, humming a song under his breath.

But after taking only two steps, Chen Luyang's heart sank suddenly, and the image of the "forestry team driver" from last night flashed through his mind.

This will be a problem sooner or later...!
A decisive look flashed across Chen Luyang's face. She boarded the bus and headed back towards the repair shop.

Not many people came to get their cars repaired after the New Year.

When Chen Luyang returned to the repair shop, only a few experienced mechanics, including Zhang Guoqiang, were there.

Several young people took leave to go out shopping and have some fun.

Director Lu was extremely busy.

No sooner had Chen Luyang left in the morning than Director Lu followed closely behind, carrying local specialties he had brought from home, and went out to pay his respects for the New Year.

To be honest, in the past six months,
Director Lu has just as many friends as Chen Luyang.

He didn't even come back for lunch; I guess some guy invited him out for drinks.

"Perfect timing... Uncle Zhang, Uncle Tan, Uncle Liu, you guys are all highly skilled and have sharp eyes. Can you tell if there's anything special about these parts?"

Chen Luyang called Zhang Guoqiang, Tan Songren, and Liu Kangwen over, and, holding the remaining parts in the warehouse, asked them seriously.

"What makes it different?" Zhang Guoqiang wondered.

What makes something unique?

Chen Luyang explained, "It's the kind of part that you can tell at a glance is from our factory, with unique markings that others can't replicate."

Zhang Guoqiang frowned and shook his head: "Director Chen, to be honest, these documents aren't anything special."

"Most of our parts are outsourced to small-scale contract manufacturers. Although we draw the blueprints ourselves, the production process is fragmented, so there's no consistent manufacturing process."

"To put it bluntly, these are all 'temporary parts' and don't really have any factory markings."

Tan Songren chimed in, "Director Chen, I understand what you mean."

"Parts from reputable manufacturers usually have lettering cast on the casing, and the part number and certificate of conformity are all included."

“But the packaging for this batch of parts is just a piece of kraft paper, and many of them were even made by technical school students. We still have to check the precision step by step in the later stages.”

"To be honest, there's nothing unique about it."

Liu Kangwen nodded in agreement, adding, "Yes! Not to mention that we later brought in students to work together on the processing, and the marks left by each person are different."

"Some people have meticulous techniques, while others are a bit rough; the appearance is simply not uniform."

"If someone in the know gets their hands on it, they'll immediately recognize it as a prototype from a small factory. They won't be able to identify 'who made it,' let alone compare it to parts from large factories."

Chen Luyang was not surprised after hearing what the three people said.

“I know that these parts are not like those in the factory, with serial numbers and certificates of conformity. Besides, we don’t mass-produce them on a production line, so there’s no need for any uniform markings.”

He paused, his gaze becoming serious.

"I don't mean you have to look for the number."

"I'd like to know, besides the serial numbers, are there any parts among these components that reflect our own unique characteristics?"

“Even if it’s a craft feature or processing habit, as long as it’s something that others can’t imitate, it can be considered our ‘mark’.”

After listening to Chen Luyang's words, Zhang Guoqiang and the other two understood.

Zhang Guoqiang first picked up a coupling sleeve, rubbed his thumb back and forth on the stop groove, and squinted at it for a long time.

Chen Luyang noticed that his fingernails tapped lightly twice on the metal arc, as if he were comparing something.

Then, Zhang Guoqiang looked up and said, "As for uniqueness... the cutting tool on this batch of parts moves slowly, and the workers are afraid of waste, so the cutting edge is clean. Therefore, the transition arc on both sides of the stop groove is more rounded, unlike other parts where right-angle grooves are directly cut. This can be considered a trace."

After saying that, he handed the sleeve to Chen Luyang, gesturing for him to touch it.

Chen Luyang squeezed it and found that it was indeed more rounded than the parts from large factories he had seen before.

“And the gaskets,” Tan Songren continued.

"Our gasket ingredients are different from those of other companies."

"We use leftover rubber from a repair shop's workshop. It feels a bit hard and has smooth cut edges, but it's not very flexible. Anyone who has used it can tell the difference by touching it."

Chen Luyang took it and pressed it down; it was indeed very hard, unlike the soft ones on the market.

"Is there anything else?" Chen Luyang's eyes lit up.

"And then there's the ignition coil." Liu Kangwen took an ignition coil, carefully peeled off the outer insulating tape, and looked at the copper wire wound inside.

Chen Luyang took a closer look and saw that the coils were stacked neatly and tightly, like a student's neat calligraphy.

Liu Kangwen laughed and said, "The ignition coil was wound by students. It's tightly and neatly wound with clear layers. It looks better than the messy winding methods of some small workshops."

"A true connoisseur can tell at a glance that it was made under the supervision of a master craftsman and with the meticulous skill of a student, unlike ordinary outside products."

After saying that, he gently placed the coil back on the table, and even tapped the copper wire lightly with his finger, making a crisp sound.

The three of them took turns sharing their observations.

While these details may not be considered truly "unique features," the craftsmanship and artistry at least subtly distinguish them from others.

Seeing that Chen Luyang seemed relieved, Zhang Guoqiang couldn't help but ask:
"Director Chen, has something happened?"

Chen Luyang looked up at Zhang Guoqiang.

Zhang Guoqiang then asked, "Was there something wrong with the driver from yesterday?"

Last night, Zhang Guoqiang tossed and turned all night, feeling that something was wrong.

That driver, that car... something's not right.

During the day, he reviewed the situation with Tan Songren and Liu Kangwen again, and after much deliberation, they all felt that something was amiss.

In addition, today, Chen Luyang suddenly asked about the logo.

Zhang Guoqiang immediately connected the two matters.

"I do have some doubts about the driver replacing the parts yesterday, but the problem is we don't have any evidence."

Chen Luyang raised her hand and rubbed her temples.

"You can't say someone is after parts just because of a few doubts."

"Besides, our repair shop is in business, so we can't be suspicious of everyone who comes to get their car repaired."

Zhang Guoqiang asked in bewilderment, "Then, Director, what is the purpose of your questions today?"

Chen Luyang replied, "I just went to the Municipal Economic Commission and learned that the city is already planning new initiatives. They will delegate some small-batch tasks to school-run factories, repair shops, and cooperatives, and also build a parts collaboration network for unified scheduling."

"At that time, a swarm of small factories will rush in, and the easiest thing for them to do is to imitate our general-purpose parts."

"If someone were to secretly learn or even imitate our work, the reputation that our repair shop has worked so hard to build could very well be diluted."

"That's why I thought, could we leave some 'mark' that belongs only to us on the parts, even if it's just a trace of the process, so that people can recognize it at a glance?"

(End of this chapter)