Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 567 Leftovers are hard to work with.
Early the next morning, Chen Luyang rushed to the Southwest Freight Marshalling Yard.

Under the gray sky, the railway tracks stretched into the distance like twisted steel snakes. A cold wind carrying the smell of coal smoke blew in, and every now and then you could hear the clanging of a crowbar hitting a wheel, making your chest feel stuffy.

The yard was filled with stevedores wearing blue cotton-padded jackets and cotton hats.

Chen Luyang walked in the middle carrying a briefcase, looking particularly out of place amidst the noise.

In one corner of the freight yard, several open wagons were piled high with bundles of steel, and a dozen workers wearing cotton gloves were bending over to check the numbers.

"Comrade, unauthorized personnel are not allowed in this area!"

Upon seeing Chen Luyang, the dispatcher on duty immediately frowned and waved his hand, ready to chase him away.

Chen Luyang quickly took out a photocopy of the approval document from the Municipal Economic Commission and her work ID from her bag, handed them over with both hands, and politely said:
"Hello comrade, I'm from the repair shop. The city originally allocated parts to us, but a few days ago, the parts we received were temporarily taken away by a large factory."

“Right now we’re waiting to start work, so I thought I’d try my luck and see if the freight yard could squeeze out a few scraps to help us out of our immediate crisis. Please consider it a favor.”

The dispatcher glanced sideways at the approval document and snorted coldly:
"How dare a small factory like yours get its materials directly from me?"

“These are all allocated by higher-ups, with clear destinations and accounting records. If I were to misappropriate even a single one, I would lose my job.”

Upon hearing the rejection, Chen Luyang's smile didn't fade. Instead, she lowered her voice and took half a step forward:
"Comrade, I know the rules."

"If the factory hadn't run out of supplies, I wouldn't have dared to come and bother them."

"If you see any loose change, unrecorded change, or change that others don't want, give me a couple. If you really want to settle accounts, put it on our repair shop's tab."

The dispatcher didn't even look at him: "So, it works out for you?"

“If we really touch the goods allocated by the higher-ups, I’ll lose my job, and your small factory can’t afford to take the consequences.”

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Luyang quickly pleaded, "Comrade, I won't touch the big bills!"

"Could you please check if there are any unrecorded, scattered, or unwanted scraps that others find too troublesome? If you can point me to even a ton or two, I can get through this period."

Seeing the dispatcher's increasingly impatient expression, Chen Luyang pleaded in a conciliatory tone:

"Comrade, I really have no other choice."

"Please do me a favor and show me a way, even if it's just some scraps I can take back and make do for a few days, so that everyone can at least have something to eat."

The dispatcher was getting impatient with the persistent requests.

Seeing that Chen Luyang wouldn't leave no matter how much they scolded or chased her away,

The dispatcher glanced at the other end of the freight yard out of the corner of his eye and said irritably:

"There are still a few bundles of scraps piled up at the end of the warehouse. If you want them, just pick out the usable ones and take them away. Don't cause any trouble while you're taking them, and don't blame me if anything happens."

Chen Luyang thanked him repeatedly, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Thank you so much, comrade!"

"Don't worry, I won't touch anything I shouldn't, and I definitely won't cause you any trouble."

After saying that, he quickened his pace and walked straight towards Kuo.

Although the bundles of steel at the end of the warehouse were of different lengths and mixed specifications.

But these are, after all, bundles of round steel and plates ordered by a major factory, and the materials are all genuine and qualified.

Although only scraps, short lengths, and individual parts remain, they can still be put to use as long as the materials are recut and the drawings are modified.

Compared to the scraps and leftovers in the warehouse that were used to appease people, these "odds and ends" were practically a lifesaver.

That's a really great deal!

He didn't dare delay and quickly called Li He and the others to come over.

With everyone working together, they lifted the steel bars one by one onto the truck.

After the truck was loaded, Chen Luyang turned around and glanced at the dispatcher who was still on duty.

"Comrade, thank you so much for today."

Chen Luyang quietly took out a pack of good cigarettes from his briefcase and stuffed it into the dispatcher's hand.

The dispatcher glanced down, said nothing, and kept his expression cold and hard.

But his fingers swiftly withdrew, stuffing the pack of cigarettes into his pocket, and waved his hand dismissively as if nothing had happened.

"Alright, let's hurry up and go, stop dawdling."

Chen Luyang exclaimed happily, "Alright, comrade!"

……

As soon as the two shipments of steel arrived, the repair shop's backyard and warehouse were immediately filled to the brim.

The workers selected suitable blanks and materials according to specifications, paired them with process cards and new drawings drawn by Zhang Nan, packed them up one by one, and then sent them to six production technical schools and two other small workshops.

As soon as the technical school received the raw materials, things got lively again.

The teacher assigned tasks, and the students pushed small carts to carry bundles of steel into the workshop.

But as soon as the packaging was opened, the atmosphere changed.

"This material... how come it's like this?"

A student frowned, squatted down, and tapped the head of the material.
A hollow, thumping sound echoed in the workshop with its corrugated iron roof.

The sound was weak and didn't sound like it was made of solid, high-quality steel.

"Although the previous batch of steel was harder and more brittle, it could at least be machined and milled."

"Why is this batch so soft and crumbly, with crumbs mixed in?"

"Yes, look at this cross-section, the pores are big enough to fit the tip of a chopstick!"

"Are you really going to let us practice like this? The cutting tool would probably break if it even touched the ground."

The students complained one after another.

Several people gathered around the pile of material, some scratching it with their fingernails, others rubbing it with sandpaper, and a layer of the grayish-white oxide layer came off, revealing the pitted core of the material.

The teacher's expression wasn't very good either.

He squatted down and carefully examined several pieces of material, then picked up a section and weighed it in his palm, remaining silent for a long time.

"It's definitely not as good as the previous batch."

Although the quality of the materials has changed, the task deadlines are fixed, and the reports have already been submitted to the Municipal Economic Commission.

Problems can be noted, but production cannot be delayed.

"Alright, stop whispering."

"This material is a bit subpar, but even subpar material needs to be done by someone."

The teacher, with a stern face, said seriously:
"Don't keep thinking about the materials; first, think about how to get this batch of materials done."

"If the cutting tool is prone to breakage, then change the angle and adjust the rotation speed; if the material is too soft, then process it in sections."

"Anyone with good skills can drive a car."

"A truly good worker must be able to tackle tough challenges and handle all kinds of materials."

"If we can handle this batch of materials smoothly, we won't be afraid of encountering bad jobs in the future, whether we go to a factory or are assigned to a local factory."

These words were both soft and hard, and the students lowered their heads, not daring to utter another word.

The teacher then assigned tasks:

"The lathe team will first select a few pieces of material to make test pieces. Those that are too soft or too brittle will be marked and reported to me for registration."

"The milling and fitting teams shouldn't be idle either. They should set up the tooling and get ready to go."

"We'll decide whether to change materials or modify the process based on the quality of the test pieces." "What if they're all scrapped?" someone asked quietly.

"If they're all really scrapped, they should at least look like scrapped items." The teacher glanced at him sideways.
"If you didn't do it, who would believe you scrapped it?"

One sentence left the student speechless, and he could only push the materials with a bitter face.

The iron wheels of the small cart creaked and groaned on the ground, carrying with them a sense of helplessness that no one wanted to express.

"Sigh, this stuff is all hollow, and we're still trying to gnaw on the tough parts..."

One student said with a pained expression.

Over here, the technical school students are making a racket, sending iron filings flying everywhere.

On the other hand, Chen Luyang's life was peaceful and idyllic.

With the arrival of the new year, the production of standardized parts has finally resumed to normal.

The moment Chen Luyang sat down in the library and opened a book, she felt as if the sunshine had become brighter.

Damn, it's better to be a student!

Don't think about anything.
No need to beg around, no need to scheme for other people's warehouses, and no need to worry about materials.
Just study diligently and quietly, and then focus all your attention on worrying about the exam.

As the new semester's academic life gradually returned to normal, Chen Luyang also rediscovered her enthusiasm for "attending classes during the day and translating at night."

Translation is another important source of income to support my livelihood, and it's a thriving source of my secret stash of money!

This semester, the Economics Department officially compiled and published the first few chapters of his translation of "Samuelson" as an extension textbook for on-campus teaching.

Although it was only an internally distributed mimeographed copy, it was only used for reading original economics texts and as supplementary material for "Microeconomics".

But the cover clearly states:

Original translation edited by: Chen Luyang

Edited and proofread by: Translation Group, Department of Economics, Peking University (for teaching reference only)
Meanwhile, the "Guided Reading of Original Economic Texts" course, taught by Chen Luyang, continued, with Chen leading the students in the department to read the original texts and giving lectures every week.

Originally, Chen Luyang just wanted to study peacefully, write some short articles to earn a little money, and make a decent living.
Little did he know that the philosophy department would also set its sights on him at this time.

Since the Department of Philosophy officially joined the General Components Project, and given that Chen Luyang had already translated part of "Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Law" last year...
So, right at the start of the new semester, Xiao Hui came to Chen Luyang's door with a thick German original that could kill someone, asking him to strike while the iron was hot and translate the first three chapters of "Critique of the Philosophy of Law".

To make Chen Luyang feel better, Xiao Hui specifically emphasized:

If the translation is of high quality, the manuscript will be included in the Department of Philosophy's "Selected Translations of Western Philosophical Classics: Hegel Volume" and used as internal study material for the Department of Philosophy's graduate course "Selected Readings in Western Marxist Philosophy".

Upon hearing this, Chen Luyang almost rolled her eyes on the spot.

Hegel's sentences are convoluted and circuitous; a single sentence can go from one end to the other.

The first three chapters alone, based on the density of the original German text, would be at least 50,000 words.

If I were to actually write it down, it wouldn't be translation; it would be like gnawing on a rock.

But since this matter is under the guise of a project collaboration, it's not easy to refuse.

Fortunately, Xiao Hui wasn't the type to just give tasks without considering personal feelings.

Although this translation was done through a project collaboration and did not include official translation fees from the Philosophy Department,
However, he cleverly categorized Chen Luyang's translation fees under "project labor expenses".

The Philosophy Department is renowned for its outstanding students, while the funds go through the Economics Department. Once the project funding is allocated, the Philosophy Department issues the disbursement with a signed receipt.

As for the price, Xiao Hui also gave an "extremely generous" standard.

The school's original standard for research labor was three yuan per thousand words, but since the German work was difficult, Xiao Hui simply calculated it at four yuan.

After three chapters, roughly calculating, it's a little over 50,000 words, totaling exactly 200 yuan.

Chen Luyang's lips twitched as she listened.

Hegel's "The Spirit of Freedom" has over sixty pages in a single chapter, with dozens of clauses per page... which means each clause is worth only a few cents.

If Comrade Hegel knew this, he would probably have to get up overnight and think about dialectics again.

Listening to Chen Luyang's complaints, Xiao Hui smiled and comforted him:
"The spirit must be manifested through practice. Consider this translation work as your participation in the practice of philosophy."

With no other option, Chen Luyang resignedly accepted the book.

Fifty thousand words, two hundred yuan, that's three cents per page.

...Well, fine, two hundred it is two hundred.

Just as Chen Luyang was engrossed in translating and earning a little money, Zhang Nan suddenly came looking for her.

What do you mean by "production can't continue"?

At school, Chen Luyang was annotating a German manuscript when he heard this and he was stunned.

Logically speaking, these students already had practical experience. They had done a round of trial production last semester, and this time they were equipped with improved process cards. Even the dimensions and mating surfaces of the drawings were re-checked.

With experience and references to follow, how could anything go wrong?!
Zhang Nan said anxiously, "The material is of varying thickness, and many pieces don't match the blueprints at all. When the students cut into it, the blade either chipped or the piece was scrapped. In just a few days, a pile of scrap material has accumulated."

Considering the need for revisions to the blueprints, when the technical schools officially started operations, Zhang Nan simply asked for leave from the department and traveled between the schools every day, devoting all his energy to production.

But things are never that simple.

Although Zhang Nan traveled between various technical schools every day, explaining the process cards clearly and even circling the numbered arrows several times,

But no one can salvage the situation with the steel.

On the surface, all the materials seem usable, but once they're put into production, the flaws are exposed.

It's either full of slag and air holes, or has uneven hardness, and the blade shakes as soon as it moves. It has all the problems: chipping, sparking, and vibration.

Students are already inexperienced, and the more problems arise, the more agitated they become.

Some people were afraid to cut the scrap material, while others simply gave up and said, "This material is too tough to work with."

After several days, the entire trial production process almost came to a standstill.

Zhang Nan ran back and forth in the workshop until her throat was hoarse. In the end, when she had no other choice, she ran back to school to ask Chen Luyang for help.

Chen Luyang's face changed color with anxiety: "No...didn't we already pick them out once before?!"

For this batch of production, he, Director Lu, and Zhang Guoqiang worked through the night to organize the warehouse and prepare the inventory list, and even checked each scrap piece one by one.

He has prepared everything that needs to be prepared!

How could something like this happen!
Zhang Nan looked exhausted and said in a hoarse voice, "The problem is more serious than we thought."

"The process cards were written according to the standard materials, but now the scraps can't be fitted at all. The students are all furious, and production is almost zero."

Zhang Nan looked up at Chen Luyang, as if she were placing her last hope on him.

"Now all the vocational schools are shut down, what do you suggest we do?"

Chen Luyang felt a sudden buzzing in his head, as if his whole body was about to explode.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Could we adjust the process card again? Could we rearrange the order of the processes?"

Zhang Nan shook his head: "I've thought of this method. Although it can slow things down a bit, if we loosen the restrictions too much, the finished product will have a larger error, and if there's a problem, it will be scrapped."

Chen Luyang then asked, "What if we reduce the size of the parts and just make do with what we have?"

Zhang Nan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "That won't work either. If we make it smaller, the strength won't be enough."

"The push rod and coupling are subjected to a lot of force on the machine. If the material shrinks, they can easily break after a few impacts, which could cause an accident."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Chen Luyang's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

(End of this chapter)