Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 564 Why do the parts break so quickly!

Chen Luyang has always been a decisive and straightforward person.

From the moment we made up our minds to expand the factory, we were determined to make it happen.

Previously, he could vaguely shift the pressure and responsibility to Zhang Diancai and the school, asking them to coordinate the expansion.

But now the situation has changed.

With news of the freight transit station looming, the repair shop's future suddenly became uncertain.

Chen Luyang had no interest in playing guessing games with Zhang Diancai; she just wanted to lay everything out on the table and try to gain Zhang Diancai's support to the greatest extent possible.

Moreover, for the controllable stress loading frame to be implemented, it must have a stable space, which is the lifeblood of Zhang Diancai's research project.

If the expansion fails, the experiment will be interrupted, and all the data, papers, and projects will be wasted.

It can be said that Zhang Diancai has been firmly tied to the repair shop's profit chain.

Instead of beating around the bush, it's better to be direct and clear, giving Zhang Diancai enough confidence and support, leaving him with no choice but to cooperate with us.

But what Chen Luyang didn't expect was...
He was pleased, and Zhang Diancai was even more pleased!

"Okay! I'll go to the department this afternoon to submit a report and raise the application for building the loading framework."

Zhang Diancai said in a deep voice, "As for the freight station, don't worry. I'll go find someone to inquire and see what's going on!"

Chen Luyang was shocked.

Is it really that easy?

He originally thought Zhang Diancai would hesitate, make excuses, or even beat around the bush with him, but he didn't expect the other party to make a decision on the spot without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing that the two had reached a consensus on the expansion issue, Chen Luyang didn't waste any more words.

"Teacher Zhang, I'll start preparing the expansion application right away and get the paperwork done."

“I’ll go to the Municipal Economic Commission to pave the way, and you can also put pressure on the school department. If we work together, our chances of winning will be much greater.”

"it is good!"

Zhang Diancai's expression was resolute, his eyes revealing an undeniable ruthlessness.

This time, he was truly determined.

For this project, he visited research institutes and factories, and he had already endured enough cold shoulders and heard enough excuses.

Even now, with his eyes closed, he can clearly recall the deputy director of the research institute's words:
"We are short-staffed recently, so we will prioritize tasks that require our best manpower. We will have to put up with the sample work."

These incidents, one by one, forced him to suppress his anger, which he kept bottled up inside.

Now all we need to do is get the loading framework up and running.
Even if it's just parked in the cramped yard of the repair shop,

Even if the freight station does face the risk of demolition in the future,
As long as he can get the first batch of stable data, he's willing to give it a shot!
"Teacher Zhang,"

Chen Luyang frowned slightly, as if she had also made up her mind.

"The expansion project will take at least three months to complete the procedures and build the factory."

"In that case, I'll squeeze out another space in the repair shop for you to see if we can build a simple frame first so that the experiment can get started."

"Once the expanded factory is completed, we will move the formal equipment in."

It's better to get moving than to just wait!
Zhang Diancai paused for a moment, then looked doubtful: "Setting up an experimental framework isn't like setting up a table; it's very noisy. Are you sure you can make room for it?"

Chen Luyang gritted her teeth: "I'll figure out a way to find a place!"

Since Zhang Diancai has already stated that he wants to establish a framework, Chen Luyang has even less reason to back down and must make his stance clear.

Even if it means merging workstations, shrinking the warehouse, and even clearing out his own office, he will still squeeze out a space!

"Teacher, please feel free to prepare the plan and don't worry about the space issue."

Chen Luyang's tone carried a determined, relentless spirit.

"As long as the framework documents are approved, I'll take care of the repair shop!"

For a moment, Zhang Diancai's eyes flickered as he looked at Chen Luyang.

He initially had some reservations, thinking that students are still students, and it's just a small repair shop; if things really came down to implementation, it might not be able to sustain itself.

But seeing Chen Luyang's current appearance, Zhang Diancai felt more confident!

When asked for samples and data, the arsenal made excuses and refused, saying things like, "Research is required, approval is required." They even managed to salvage the most basic batch of scrapped parts from the scrap metal pile, which had absolutely no experimental value.

Chen Luyang gave things to those who wanted them and places to those who wanted them.

The difference is like night and day!
A surge of passion welled up in Zhang Diancai's heart.

"Alright! I'll prepare the experimental plan right away, write out the framework design drawings and construction steps, and then submit them for application!"

"Once the formalities are completed, I'll take the students to the factory and set up the simple frame!"

……

Zhang Diancai finally gained support, which made him determined to set up the frame at the repair shop.

As Chen Luyang stepped out of the Mechanics Department office, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Currently, the experimental line has stabilized.

Once the repair shop has a legitimate research mission to support it, the expansion can proceed relatively smoothly and quickly.
But besides the expansion of the repair shop, there is another issue that is even more troublesome!

What am I going to do about the advanced mathematics class I skipped...!
The thought of advanced mathematics made Chen Luyang, a man of steel, almost want to die.

Why is it that Monday mornings are all for advanced mathematics?!
Although the department has already implemented a "flexible study schedule" mechanism for him, allowing him to take leave to go to the repair shop when necessary without counting it as absenteeism.

But this is, after all, a policy favor, not a shield, and besides, it's a calculus teacher's class.

The last time he skipped class, he got a severe beating from the advanced mathematics teacher.

The thought of having to ask her calculus teacher for leave made Chen Luyang's legs feel weak.

But if he doesn't personally explain his leave request, the advanced mathematics teacher might not necessarily write it down in his notebook.

With no other option, he had to bite the bullet and head straight for the advanced mathematics teaching and research office at the corner of the science building.

Sure enough, as soon as the door opened, Teacher Zhang said sarcastically, "Oh, isn't this our busy person?"

"He never misses a single other class, but he's quite willing to skip advanced mathematics."

Chen Luyang felt a shiver run down her spine at those words and quickly forced a smile:

"Teacher, our factory encountered some unexpected problems over the weekend, and we were in a real hurry to deal with them, so we didn't ask for leave in advance."

Teacher Zhang asked curiously, "What unexpected problem?"

Chen Luyang paused!
This teacher, who specializes in advanced mathematics, couldn't help with the expansion project.

There's no need to go through all that explaining and fuss.

At that moment, Chen Luyang forced a vague answer: "There were some unexpected issues in the production process, and we need to keep an eye on them and deal with them quickly."

Seeing that he refused to talk, Teacher Zhang didn't bother to ask any more questions. She impatiently made a few sarcastic remarks and sent Chen Luyang away.

……

Soon, news came from Zhang Diancai. There was indeed such a freight transfer station, and the railway department and the city government did have this plan.

However, a project of this scale, such as a freight transfer station, cannot be undertaken by a single department alone.

The railway department, the municipal construction commission, the municipal economic commission, the finance department, and the planning office all had to hold meetings and conduct repeated discussions.

Under normal circumstances, the process of drawing up blueprints, conducting feasibility studies, and obtaining approvals would take at least six months or even a year.

Moreover, this is the second year of the Sixth Five-Year Plan, and most of the money is going into national key projects such as steel, energy, and major transportation arteries. Local freight stations have to wait for funding from the national and municipal governments.

Even if the funding is approved, it must be allocated in batches and construction cannot begin immediately.

The last one is also the most difficult.

The area around the West Railway Station was originally a densely populated area of ​​residential areas, small workshops, and small state-owned factories.

If large-scale construction is to be carried out, the site must first be cleared and relocated, which will take at least six months to a year.

"In my estimation, if construction really starts, it will be at least one or two years from now."

Zhang Diancai, without Liang Zhongwei's reservations, directly gave his analysis.

Upon hearing this, Chen Luyang finally felt a release from the tension and repression she had been feeling all along.

“In other words,” Zhang Diancai stared at him,
"Your repair shop can hold out for at least another two years."

In the past two years, he has not only completed the expansion of the repair shop, but also been able to implement the interconnected steps of general components, loading frame experiments, and industry-university-research cooperation.

A sudden sense of relief, as if he had escaped death, welled up in Chen Luyang's heart, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his back.

But this sense of ease was fleeting, quickly replaced by an even stronger sense of urgency.

Two years sounds like plenty of time, but who knows if the freight station will be built ahead of schedule?

Moreover, expansion requires going through procedures, which could be completed in three months if all goes smoothly, but it could also take six months or a year.

Therefore, the expansion should not be delayed and should be started as soon as possible!
Fortunately, neither of them has been idle these past few days.

Zhang Diancai wrote an application for "Constructing a Controllable Stress Loading Framework" from a scientific research perspective, submitted it to the university and the scientific research system, and emphasized that "this project has been affiliated with a municipal repair shop and has a good practical foundation, but lacks experimental space."

Chen Luyang, based on the actual situation of the repair shop, wrote an "Application for Expansion of Facilities" and submitted it to the Municipal Economic Commission, noting that "this expansion is not only for repair needs, but also to provide a site for scientific research projects of the Department of Mechanics at Peking University."

The two documents meshed together like gears and were delivered to the desks of the school and the Municipal Economic Commission at almost the same time.

All that's left is to wait for approval.

Now all we can do is see how fast the process goes.

at this time
In the taxi company's dispatch room,
The cashier in charge of statistics was flipping through the ledgers recording repairs, page by page.

"That's strange, why are so many cars getting parts replaced lately?!"

The car was driven too hard during the Spring Festival, running day and night, so it's understandable that the parts broke down quickly.

Almost a month has passed, and the ledgers in the dispatch room are still getting thicker and thicker.
“Yes,” the dispatcher next to him muttered, pen in hand.
"This is too frequent! In February alone, seven or eight cars had their ignition coils replaced twice."

"The nozzle tube is also strange. One day it was registered to be replaced, and the next day it was reported to be broken."

"And push rods, sleeves... parts that were just recorded last month are all scrapped this month?"

The team leader frowned, flipping through the register several times, his expression growing increasingly somber.

“Replacing parts is a common occurrence, but there has to be a reason for it.” He clicked his tongue.

"Normally, a part would only break down once every three or four months, but now it breaks down once a week. This isn't a part, it's practically a consumable!"

The dispatcher, staring at the ledger, suddenly blurted out:
"Captain, should we check the situation?"

"check!"

The team leader's eyes instantly darkened, and his voice turned cold and hard.

If the problem lies with the quality of the parts themselves, the entire team will inevitably face serious trouble sooner or later.

But if the drivers deliberately tamper with things, using the guise of "replacing parts" to embezzle money or skim off others' money, that's infighting and even worse!
"Make a detailed record of which vehicle had which part replaced on which date, and how the receipt was written, check each item carefully, and create a list!"

"I want to see if it's because the parts are of poor quality or if someone is skimming profits behind the scenes."

Just as the taxi company was quietly beginning to check its books, things were also not peaceful within the driver community.

As they finished work at night, several taxis parked by the carport, and the drivers chatted quietly around a dim light bulb.

"Hey, do you guys think... with all these parts breaking down so often lately, is there a risk of something going wrong?"

A somewhat timid young driver lowered his voice,

"I've had to replace the ignition coil on my car twice in just half a month."

As soon as the words were spoken, the group exchanged glances, their eyes showing a hint of uncertainty.

During this period, almost everyone went to the hardware factory to replace parts.

A set of parts that normally costs 70 or 80 yuan to replace at a repair shop can be done for 50 yuan at a hardware parts factory.

Moreover, the invoices were still reported to the repair shop at the same price, so the difference went entirely into their own pockets.

It was supposed to be a good job, but who would have thought that the hardware parts from the factory would be so unreliable, breaking down every few days!
Normally, people would replace parts every three or four months, and the higher-ups would turn a blind eye and not care about such details.

But with it breaking down so frequently, the dispatch center will eventually notice the problem.

"Brother Ma, we... we won't get into trouble, will we?"

One of the men looked at Steward Ma, swallowed hard, and asked in a low voice:
“If the team finds out that we’ve embezzled money, that’s no small matter.”

"What are you afraid of!" Manager Ma's expression darkened, but he also seemed a little guilty.

"The receipts only list the prices of common parts, and everything matches up on the books. If they really investigate, it'll just be a problem with the quality of the parts; they won't trace it back to us."

"But then again, take it easy these days. Don't keep complaining about needing to replace parts. Just make do for as long as you can."

"If the higher-ups really take notice, forget about making any profits, we'll lose even this little bit of money we have!"

Upon hearing this, the drivers immediately looked troubled.

"Brother Ma, the problem is my car really can't hold on any longer!"

"The nozzle hose on my car has been leaking oil for the past few days, and I almost broke down at the intersection yesterday. If I had kept trying to run it, it wouldn't have been just about paying money; it could have cost me my life!"

A driver hurriedly interrupted.

Immediately, someone nearby nodded in agreement: "My car is the same. The ignition coil has been loose for a long time. I'm always worried about running the car. If it stalls halfway and causes an accident while carrying passengers, then I'm doomed."

Manager Ma's face turned ashen from the pressure, and he lowered his voice to shout, "That's enough!"

"If you can manage, then manage. If you can't, go to the repair shop to replace the parts immediately. Don't keep going to the hardware factory."

"If the whole team's cars are all having parts replaced in one place, we'll be exposed sooner or later!"

"Safety first, don't risk your life for a few bucks!"

……

(End of this chapter)