Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 559 was refuted.
As the two were talking, a group of students in the classroom packed their bags and chattered as they walked out.

School has just started, and the workload hasn't picked up yet, so everyone is thinking of taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere to get together and have some fun.

"Let's go hiking!" the chubby boy Zheng Zhe exclaimed excitedly.

“My girlfriend’s class climbed Xiangpenpeng Mountain last year and said it was incredibly beautiful from the top, and you could see the whole town in the distance.”

"Let's bring some food and drinks, go up there and have a picnic while sunbathing, that would be so much fun!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Hiking is great!"

"You can even get some exercise at the same time!"

Upon hearing the suggestion, everyone immediately responded enthusiastically, one after another agreeing, and the classroom erupted in excitement.

"You guys go ahead, I have something to do. I'll come find you when I'm done," said Jiang Feng, the Youth League branch secretary.

"What's up, Brother Jiang? Why are you in such a hurry? Let's go together!" Du Qiming, the little rascal, asked, puzzled.

“Yes, Brother Jiang, let’s go hiking today since the weather is nice,” Sun Legen enthusiastically agreed.

Jiang Feng smiled mysteriously: "This matter is more important to me, you guys go first!"

"What's up? Is it about us joining the Party?"

"The film projectionist, Han Zhihui, said with a smile."

“Yeah, Brother Jiang, didn’t you say before that you wanted all of our class to join the Party within two years?” Gao Xiaolin asked excitedly.

The moment the topic of joining the Party was mentioned, all the classmates' eyes would suddenly turn towards him.

"Yes, Party Secretary, the second semester is almost over, can we join the Party now?"

Several classmates gathered around with smiles, asking questions half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"You all, write your applications and reports as needed! Don't worry about anything else."

Jiang Feng smiled mysteriously!

"You guys go first! I'll come find you to go hiking after I'm done here!"

After saying that, Jiang Feng slung his backpack over his shoulder, waved to everyone, and strode out of the classroom.

"Hey, hey, hey?? What are you doing, Cultural Committee member?"

Suddenly, meteorologist Zhao Lixin called out to Chen Luyang.

I saw Chen Luyang also carrying a schoolbag, hurrying along, looking like she was about to leave as well.

Chen Luyang lowered her voice and said, "I'm going to the school's Youth League Committee to borrow a camera!"

Seeing the stunned looks on everyone's faces, Chen Luyang said:

"It's rare for our whole class to go on a field trip together. It's so lively. I'll get a camera, and we can take some pictures together!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's minds immediately started racing!

It would be great if we could take a few photos!
"But can the school's Youth League Committee lend us some?"

Luo Jianmin, a doctor sent to the countryside, frowned.

Cameras are public property; they are not only expensive but also in high demand.

There are only a few of these in the whole school, and they are kept in the custody of the Youth League Committee. They are not so easy to borrow.

“Give it a try~~” Chen Luyang raised her eyebrows.

He had dealt with the bespectacled young man in charge of cameras at the school's Youth League Committee twice before, and he found him to be quite easy to talk to.

Besides, since everyone is in the student council, this connection means we can at least exchange a few words.

If you really run into a problem, use "student practical activities" or "class team building" as excuses. If you can talk your way out of it, you might be able to borrow the money.

"You guys go buy your things first! I'll go borrow a camera!"

As Chen Luyang spoke, she took out a few cents from her pocket and gave them to Xiao Chuanxi, asking him to buy her some steamed buns.

"If we can borrow it, let's do it!"

"If we can't borrow it, we'll just rely on our eyes and our brains to remember it!"

"Anyway, the memory is clearer than the photo. When I think back on it decades later, it will be more vivid than the photo."

Zheng Zhe deliberately provoked him: "Decades later? What will we remember? Who will even know what you'll look like then!"

"Yeah, I guess all they'll remember is your big round face!" Gao Xiaolin retorted without any politeness.

"Alright!" Chen Luyang took a deep breath with a serious expression.

"Comrades! Wait for my good news of victory!!!"

Ta-da!

After saying that, he put his feet together, puffed out his chest, and acted as if he were Li Tiemei on stage.

Then, Chen Luyang put her left hand on her hip, raised her right arm high, and took three steps at a time, shouting "Dong dong qiang! Dong dong qiang!" as she stormed out of the classroom in front of everyone.

What do you mean?
Has she finally gone crazy studying?!

Professor Zhang, the calculus teacher who was standing on the podium answering students' questions, watched Chen Luyang's departing figure as if she were a lunatic.

After a long while, Teacher Zhang shook his head helplessly.

"He can't learn math, but he's a natural at opera."

……

Unfortunately.

A slap in the face.

I couldn't borrow it.

……

But not being able to borrow it doesn't stop everyone from having fun!!!
Everyone had a blast climbing that afternoon!
Most importantly, the Economics Department's Class 1 has a great class monitor who is willing to put in the effort and take the pay!
Whenever Tao Runze was involved in a large class activity, he would always lead everyone out to a restaurant for a nice meal.

However, no one would let Tao Runze pay for everything. In the end, the classmates would always settle the bill and hand over their own to Tao Runze, jokingly saying:

"The squad leader pays the first portion, and we'll add the rest!"

By the time I got back to school, it was almost evening.

Before the teachers in the Youth League branch office got off work, Zhang Dongliang, the academic representative, rushed to the Youth League branch office to pick up the academic journal.

The department's academic journal usually collects manuscripts from third- and fourth-year students. After being reviewed by the department's teachers, the manuscripts are sent to the school's printing plant for mimeographing.

After being mimeographed, the journal will be sent directly to the office of the Youth League Committee of the department, and then picked up by the student representative.

Typically, a class will receive 3-5 books, which will be passed around among the students.

At that time, people had few reading materials, so academic journals were very popular. Every time Zhang Dongliang brought a journal back, before he could even enjoy it, it would be snatched away by others to get a glimpse of it.

This time, however, it was because his masterpiece was published in the academic journal.

Chen Luyang didn't even wait for Zhang Dongliang to return to the dormitory. She waited at the door early in the morning and snatched a copy of the academic journal before anyone else!
Quickly open the table of contents!!!

"Economic Benefit Calculation of Automotive Parts Standardization": Chen Luyang, Class 1, First Year, Department of Economics!

hehe~
Upon seeing this line of text, Chen Luyang instantly felt beautiful!

He immediately flipped to the page of his article in the journal and read it with great satisfaction from the first word to the last!

Well written!
That's fucking well written!
The writing, the sentences, the rhythmic arrangement of the paragraphs!
Putting everything else aside, the layout alone is a perfect visual treat!
Just then, a discordant voice came from behind.

"Economic benefit calculation of standardization of auto parts... Xiao Chen, with your math skills, how can you possibly calculate economic benefits?"

Pan Yu, who was in the lower bunk, stood behind Chen Luyang and walked around his shoulder to look at the title of the academic journal.

"Yes, don't miscalculate and mislead everyone."

Wu Dechen, standing on the other side behind Chen Luyang, also uttered a simple and honest question.

roll!
Chen Luyang roared. After cursing at the left, he cursed at the right.

"Are you insulting me or trying to bite me?!"

Wu Dechen was quick on his feet and was so frightened by Chen Luyang's appearance that he quickly took a few steps back, afraid of being bitten and getting hurt.

She rolled her eyes fiercely at the two of them.

Chen Luyang looked at the academic journal in her hand with the same expression she had when looking at a little baby.

Don't be fooled by the fact that your article uses accounting to demonstrate economic benefits.

However, the core argument is that universal parts are not just about saving money and making repairs easier, but rather a breakthrough point for 'unifying standards and breaking down barriers'.

The idea is very lofty!
I happily admired my masterpiece once again.

After enjoying the articles for a while, Chen Luyang flipped back to the table of contents to see if there were any other articles.

You won't believe the results until you see them!
"Xiaolin submitted an article too?!" Chen Luyang exclaimed.

Everyone immediately gathered around to take a look!
Sure enough, a line in the table of contents read:

"An Investigation of the Fabric Counter in State-Run Stores": Gao Xiaolin, Class 1, First Year, Department of Economics
Upon spotting a familiar face, everyone quickly turned to that page in the academic journal.

The article is not long, but the investigation is very thorough.

Gao Xiaolin herself worked in a state-run store, so she had a deeper understanding of the situation there than others.

In addition, during the winter vacation, she visited the fabric counters of three different state-owned stores and took detailed notes.

Not only did it list out the types, sizes, and prices of the fabrics, but it also stated:

Around the Spring Festival, people still lined up in long queues to buy fabric, especially blue, white, and polyester fabrics, which were in high demand.

Despite the counter being piled high with goods, supplies were still limited, with sales staff often saying, "That's all we'll sell today."

Many customers buy fabric to make new clothes or as part of their dowry, but fabric ration coupons remain a rigid restriction; no matter how much money you have, you can't buy it without coupons.

At the end of the article, Gao Xiaolin added a reflection:
"The problem isn't that cloth is scarce, but rather that the distribution process is inefficient. If the supply and marketing system of state-owned stores isn't improved, the tension will only persist for a long time."

Goodness... they really dare to write that!
After reading it, the men were all secretly amazed.

Although it was a research report written by a female student, the language used between the lines was quite sharp and unforgiving, mercilessly pointing out the points of contention.

In many places, writing articles either involves copying policy documents or trying to be safe and sound.

But Gao Xiaolin went further, directly pointing out that "the supply and marketing system is inefficient" and "limited supply affects people's livelihoods."
If you said that elsewhere, you might get criticized.

But this happens to be at Peking University.

What's abundant here is the spirit of daring to think and speak out.

Besides Gao Xiaolin's investigation of the fabric counter, the academic journal contained a wide variety of other content.

Some senior students wrote research reports on the pilot implementation of the household contract responsibility system in the river and rural areas, describing changes in farmers' income and the contradictions between collective and individual distribution.

A second-year student analyzed the documents from the State Council and discussed conservation and technological transformation.

It mentions bus fares and their connection to citizens' lives.

There are also discussions on economic efficiency and equitable distribution.

Interspersed among them were enthusiastic poems dedicated to the era of reform.

The content is incredibly diverse, covering all sorts of topics.

As you read through the articles, the entire journal exudes a vibrant atmosphere of "a hundred schools of thought contending."

They're all well-written!
But
My writing is the best!
Without realizing it, Chen Luyang wrapped the academic journal in calendar paper and carefully put it into her suitcase.

Now~
This book is mine!

……

Thanks to the submissions from Chen Luyang and Gao Xiaolin, the enthusiasm of the freshmen for submitting articles has been ignited!

Originally, everyone was a little hesitant, thinking that writing academic journals was "something for upperclassmen," and that freshmen were too inexperienced to take on the task.

Even if I have some ideas, I only dare to brag about them in the dormitory or raise my hand in class.

When it comes to actually writing and submitting a manuscript, I always feel I'm not qualified.

But things are different now.

The examples of Chen Luyang and Gao Xiaolin were like a fire, burning away all the concerns in everyone's hearts.

"If they can write, so can we!"

"If it's not well-written, I can just revise it next time. It's better than not writing at all!"

In just a few days, manuscripts flew to Liu Hejuan's desk like snowflakes.

Liu Hejuan couldn't handle all the manuscripts by herself, so she had to mobilize several students from the journal's editorial department to work through the night to organize them.

Later, the journal's original monthly publication schedule was completely disrupted. Liu Hejuan was forced to urgently contact the school's printing plant and print an extra issue to keep up with the students' enthusiasm.

The moment the new issue of the academic journal was released, it was snapped up immediately, with everyone searching to see if their article had been selected.

On the contrary, Chen Luyang was leisurely lying on the dormitory table, continuing to write the original translation for the new semester.

Anyway, everyone takes turns reading the academic journal, and it will eventually get back to us.

He's not in a hurry.
But while Chen Luyang remained unperturbed, others couldn't sit still!

"Xiao Chen, look at this article. I have a feeling it's aimed at you."

As Pan Yu read the academic journal, she couldn't help but wonder.

"What?"

Chen Luyang subconsciously turned around and reached out to take the academic journal.

The academic journal had a page titled "Blind Spots and Risks of Parts Standardization - Also Discussing the Limitations of Benefit Calculation," a glaring title clearly aimed at him.

Holy crap, who is it?!

Chen Luyang's pupils contracted, and she couldn't help but look down at the author's name.

Luo Tian, ​​Class 2, Grade 3, Department of Economics
Why does this person look so familiar?

Chen Luyang put the names aside and frowned as soon as she read the first paragraph.

The article begins directly:

"While the standardization of parts does offer certain conveniences in practice, its benefits are often oversimplified, neglecting coordination costs and long-term risks in the production process."

Ok?
Criticize me?!

Chen Luyang's eyes darkened, and she picked up the academic journal and read Luo Tian's article word by word.

I must admit, this article is beautifully written!
Luo Tian used only three main techniques throughout the entire story.

The approach proceeds step by step, addressing coordination costs, concentrated risks, and institutional adaptability.

Regarding coordination costs, Luo Tian pointed out that the standardization of parts is not as simple as just putting together blueprints and turning on a lathe.

If this is really implemented, the old production lines will need to be modified, workers will need to relearn how to operate them, and the way parts are stacked and materials are issued in the warehouse will also need to be changed.

The manpower, time, and money involved are all substantial.

Regarding the risks, he pointed them out even more clearly:
“Once parts become interchangeable, it’s like putting all your eggs in one basket. If there’s a design flaw or a batch of products doesn’t meet quality standards, it won’t just affect one or two cars, but a whole host of malfunctions. Minor problems can be magnified into major accidents, and we must be especially wary of this kind of concentrated risk under a planned economy.”

Luo Tian's writing demonstrates the greatest skill in adapting to the system!
“Currently, the supply of parts still relies on the national unified plan and allocation, not the market. If we rashly promote the use of universal parts, it will not only affect workshops and production units, but also the existing distribution pattern. There are many units and links involved, and the process connection and the boundary of authority and responsibility are prone to overlap and bottlenecks... Once these problems occur, the benefits on paper alone will not be enough to offset them.”

The last paragraph states it even more bluntly:
"When calculating accounts, we can't just consider the economic aspects; we also have to consider the political and organizational aspects. Otherwise, all the excitement will ultimately amount to nothing more than 'paper wealth' on paper."

Even Chen Luyang laughed when he watched it to the end.

"This dog has some clever words! It even has this 'paper wealth' thing..."

(End of this chapter)