Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 593 I welded a new roof!
In the exhibition hall,
The representatives from Dongzhou Factory remained skeptical.

Duan Yuehu asked, "Isn't he a translator? Can he really do this?"

Xu Tiecheng gritted his teeth: "Let's try anything, it's better than waiting to die."

As the two were talking, they heard a voice:

"Director Xu!"

Chen Luyang ran quickly out of the industrial machinery hall and waved to the two people.

"let's go."

Xu Tiecheng asked one more question: "Did you ask for leave?"

Chen Luyang paused for a moment: "Now that you've finished entertaining, let's go."

Stepping out of the exhibition hall, the wind outside carried dust, and the sun was setting in the west.

A row of temporary jeeps and buses for conference transportation were parked in the courtyard, and the drivers were standing under the vehicles, smoking and chatting.

Chen Luyang quickly scanned the faces of the drivers, selected one who looked like he was in charge, and decisively took out a cigarette and walked over.

"Sir, we need to go to the repair shop near the West Railway Station. Can we borrow a car?"

The driver looked at them with a puzzled expression: "You're all attending a conference, what are you doing at the repair shop?"

Xu Tiecheng pleaded urgently, "Master, please help us! Our factory is missing a report and can't get it reviewed."

"Their repair shop has a jack and can help us. We're in a hurry, so please give us a ride. On behalf of our entire shop, thank you."

The driver didn't believe him: "Even if they have a jack, how are you going to get it?"

Chen Luyang hurriedly explained, "Our jack isn't big, it's square, just a little bigger than a brick, you can just lift it and go."

The driver became interested: "A jack that can lift things? There are such novelties here? I have to take a look."

Seeing that the man was about to get on the bus, the driver couldn't help but remind him:
"Brother, official letter!!! We can't drive without an official letter!"

The driver quickly replied, "Yes, do you have an official letter? You can't do it without one!"

“These vehicles are all for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the venue; they can’t just go with anyone.”

Chen Luyang and Xu Tiecheng stood there dumbfounded.

They left in such a hurry, they didn't have any official documents!
The driver, seeing their stammering expressions, waved them off speechlessly.

"Alright, come on, everyone get in the car first, let's go!"

Everyone quickly got into the car, started the engine, and headed straight for the West Railway Station repair shop.

"Master, we don't have official documents. Will you be punished if you take us out?" Chen Luyang asked worriedly.

"What punishment? Who punished me?"

As the driver spoke, he pulled out a stack of official documents from the side.

"Even official documents eventually end up with me; if I say there are any, then there are!"

Awesome!
Chen Luyang gave herself a big thumbs up!
Lately, his ability to recognize people has become increasingly refined through practice.

At first glance, he knew this person was a vehicle management officer.

I didn’t expect it to be true!

……

After getting on the bus, it bumped along the way westward.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of the low red brick buildings near the West Railway Station.

Upon entering the repair shop, you are greeted by the familiar smell of gasoline and the sound of metal clanging.

The wind carried the smells of putty, engine oil, and metal shavings.
"Director Chen, what brings you back?"

Outside the repair shop, Director Lu was changing the soil for the flowers he was tending.

Seeing a group of people hurriedly getting out of the car, he asked with a surprised look.

Chen Luyang didn't have time to explain: "Is the jack you welded before still in the factory?"

Director Lu said, "Yes, yes, yes, Old Zhang and the others are using it right now."

A group of people rushed into the repair shop.
The small repair shop was still bustling with activity.

On the left, Zhang Guoqiang, Zuo Zhuo, Liu Kangwen, and Tan Songren are bending over, tightening screws under a car;
On the right, Zhang Diancai from Peking University is leading his students in setting up equipment to conduct experiments, with models and blueprints spread across the table.

In the kitchen, Li He, Sun Hongjun, and Jiao Long were busy picking vegetables and cooking.

Oil splattered everywhere in the workshop, and welding sparks flashed.

Chen Luyang was already used to this kind of liveliness, so he stepped over a pile of parts and went inside.

However, Xu Tiecheng and Duan Yuehu, who were following behind him, frowned and kept looking him up and down.

They had a factory director and a chief engineer.

Having worked in automobile production my entire life, I've seen quite a few workshops.

But what I saw before me... was truly breathtaking.

This doesn't look like a repair shop at all!

The laboratory, workshop, and kitchen were all put together in one place, and every corner was filled with things.

The air was filled with a mixture of scallion oil and engine oil smells, a truly eclectic mix.

Before they could even offer their professional critique of the repair shop, Chen Luyang had already led them to a spot next to a car waiting to be repaired.

"It really is a jack?!"

Xu Tiecheng stared at the little thing on the ground in disbelief.

A small, palm-sized object, entirely silver-gray, with a thick base and fine welds, was braced against the car's chassis.
As Chen Luyang stepped on the side pedal, the front of the car slowly rose up.

Duan Yuehu's eyes widened; he was completely stunned.
That surprise almost overflowed subconsciously:
"Comrade! Could we borrow this place for a moment? Just for a little while!"

Before Chen Luyang could speak, Zhang Guoqiang began to voice his dissenting opinions.

"Can not be done!"

"The fuel line isn't even connected yet! If we use the jack, the fuel lines will all break when the car is lifted!"

We're all in the car manufacturing business, so we naturally know about weight and importance.

The jack was steadily supporting the crossbeam under the car.
To remove it, you have to first put the vehicle down, disconnect the hose, stop the oil, and put it back in place... The whole process takes at least twenty minutes.

Chen Luyang frowned: "We can't wait that long."

Duan Yuehu was so anxious that he rolled up his sleeves, ready to get involved: "I'll fix it with you guys!!"

Seeing Chen Luyang and the others circling the jack incessantly, Director Lu couldn't help but ask:

"Director Chen, are you going to use a jack?"

Chen Luyang: "We need it urgently, so we need to take the jack away."

Director Lu slapped his thigh: "Why didn't you say so sooner? I got itchy hands a few days ago and soldered a new one! You guys can take the new one with you."

After Director Lu returned to the welding scene last time, his passion for welding was rekindled.

During his usual break, he took the welding torch and welded another jack according to the blueprints.

To showcase the welder's skill, he added two thin weld lines to the seam and an arc-shaped reinforcing plate at the junction of the handle and the foot bar.
It looks prettier and more durable than the first version.

A moment later, Director Lu returned carrying the brand-new small jack.

"This thing was just welded last night, and we haven't even added any oil yet."

Duan Yuehu asked in surprise, "Does such a small jack need lubrication?"

Director Lu carefully explained, "Even if it's small, it's still a hydraulic jack! Without oil, it's just an empty shell and can't lift anything!"

As he spoke, Director Lu unscrewed the small filler cap and poured in pale yellow hydraulic oil using a funnel.

While the group was busy, Duan Yuehu's gaze inadvertently swept toward the iron frame by the wall.

There was a row of parts neatly arranged on it.

These parts vary in shape and size, yet they all evoke a sense of "familiarity mixed with strangeness." From a distance, they resemble car parts.

But upon closer inspection,
The bearing's inner diameter, thread pitch, and washer thickness are all different from common models.

"What is this?" Duan Yuehu asked curiously.

"These are generic parts that our repair shop makes itself," Chen Luyang explained casually.
"General use?"

Xu Tiecheng picked up a spark plug sample and weighed it in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Chen Luyang nodded: "Yes, it is compatible with more than a dozen small and medium-sized cars and jeeps, and can replace several original parts models, which is convenient for car repair."

A hint of surprise flashed in Duan Yuehu's eyes.

He never expected that this seemingly inconspicuous little repair shop would actually have something like "standard parts"!
Zhang Guoqiang and the others looked at Chen Luyang in disbelief.

In the past, when talking about general-purpose parts, Chen Luyang would always praise them to the skies!

His smugness and pride were practically bursting from his face; he couldn't wait for everyone to know about this amazing universal component.

But today, Chen Luyang's behavior was clearly abnormal.

There was even... a hint of anxiety.

problem occurs?
The experienced craftsmen exchanged glances, a hint of doubt flashing across their faces.

Finally, Director Lu handed them the jack that had been filled with oil.

Xu Tiecheng held it tightly, wishing he could rush back to the exhibition hall immediately.

Outside the gate, the parking attendant had already started the engine, ready to floor the gas and speed back to the exhibition.

"Comrades, we need to hurry, or we won't be able to get back before the exhibition closes!"

Just as they were about to get into the car, Chen Luyang stopped them:
"and many more!"

The parking attendant was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

"Your car must have had a rough ride; the rear axle is even leaking oil."

Chen Luyang squatted down, wiped away a layer of dust, and casually tightened a bolt.
"There's oil stains coming out here."

The parking attendant crouched down to take a look and sure enough, a shallow line of oil was running down the underframe.

"Sir, you can leave the car here, and I'll have our mechanic do a free maintenance and chassis tightening for you."

The parking attendant was worried for them: "If I leave the car here, what will you do when you get back?"

Chen Luyang said, "Our factory has its own vehicles, so we can get back!"

In the courtyard, Jiao Long had already started the car, waiting for Chen Luyang and the others to get in.

Xu Tiecheng's eyes widened.

"...Isn't this the Jinba car from the provincial machinery factory? Are you from the provincial machinery factory?"

Chen Luyang didn't want to talk about it: "Let's get in the car first, our car is no slower than that jeep."

The car drove eastward, rumbling back towards the exhibition hall.

The setting sun cast its rays, and the wind blew in through the cracks in the window, carrying the smell of gasoline and dust.

Sitting in the car, Xu Tiecheng and Duan Yuehu finally relaxed, their tense expressions finally easing.

Duan Yuehu laughed and said, "Xiao Chen, to be honest, I still thought you were a translator. I never expected you to be involved in mechanical engineering."

Xu Tiecheng added, "Yes, we all thought you were from the Foreign Languages ​​Institute, since your accent is quite standard."

The co-pilot, Chen Luyang, replied, "I do do translation work, but my main job is the director of the rubber workshop at the provincial machinery factory."

Duan Yuehu's eyes widened. "You're the workshop foreman?!"

Jiao Long grinned as he drove, "You bet!"

"Brother Chen is not only the workshop director, but also the head of our factory's repair center in Pian'ercheng!"

A brief silence fell over the carriage.

Xu Tiecheng and Duan Yuehu looked at each other in bewilderment.

No one expected that this neatly dressed young man translating foreign language materials in the meeting room was actually a director who actually worked in the workshop.

Xu Tiecheng exclaimed in surprise, "Little Chen, I never knew you were so talented!"

Chen Luyang replied with a wry smile, "I don't have any hidden talents. All my skills were trained by the factory."

"I'm also a former car mechanic, so I know how difficult it is to build a car."

"Your cars are made so well, it would be such a pity if you missed the Canton Fair just because you lacked a report."

"That's right!" Duan Yuehu sighed.

"We originally planned to conduct another round of testing at the factory before setting off, and update the data with the latest information."

"But who knew that the hydraulic pump in the power department would break down during those days, and the repairmen worked overnight for two days but still couldn't fix it."

"The final assembly line is waiting for the vehicles to be shipped, and we have to pack and ship the prototypes according to the schedule."

"If the project is delayed, the report can't be completed. We can only put the previous test data into the document bag for now."

The more Duan Yuehu spoke, the louder his voice became:
"I thought that since the chassis structure hadn't changed and the data wouldn't be too different, I could just drive it for a while and see what happens. I didn't expect the review panel to be so strict and insist on the actual test report."

Xu Tiecheng reassured him, "Our vehicle has a newly designed lightweight chassis with multiple shock absorption points and thinner materials. The experts want to see the dynamic load data, not just the parameters on paper. Without the report, they definitely won't dare to approve it."

Chen Luyang sighed: "This is the old problem in our mechanical engineering department. We always think we can do the tests later, but once we get busy, we can't go back."

Xu Tiecheng and Duan Yuehu exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"It's just that we were in a rush and a lot of data hadn't been completed yet. If it weren't for your help this time, we would have made a wasted trip."

"Don't say that," Chen Luyang said, perking up.

"Your cars are well-made, that's better than anything else. Once the review is passed, going to the Canton Fair is a sure thing."

"If this really works out, you'll be our factory's savior," Xu Tiecheng said gratefully.

Chen Luyang sighed: "Director Xu, don't thank me yet."

"My biggest worry now is that the exhibition organizers will be strict. If they have strict rules against bringing in equipment, we'll be in trouble."

Duan Yuehu's eyes darkened. "Even if we can't get in, we have to find a way to carry them in."

"Even if I have to carry it, I have to get this machine inside!"

The car sped along until night fell, at which point it stopped again outside the exhibition hall.

The streetlights came on, their light shimmering on the glass curtain wall and casting layers of shadows.

The exhibition hall entrance has been closed off, and security personnel are patrolling. The two fences at the entrance are very tight.

Chen Luyang got out of the car carrying the small jack and went straight to the exhibition hall duty station with Xu Tiecheng and Duan Yuehu.

The person in charge on duty was a middle-aged man wearing a red armband and had a very businesslike expression.

"Hello, please open the bag."

Chen Luyang obediently handed over the cloth bag.

The other person touched it and immediately frowned.

"what is this?"

"A jack," Chen Luyang answered truthfully.

"Jack?" The person in charge on duty's tone suddenly turned cold.

"Hydraulic equipment is not allowed on site! This is a clear rule of the conference."

Duan Yuehu said urgently, "Comrade, we are from the Machinery State Automobile Repair Factory. We need to use jacks to perform a static pressure test on the chassis tonight. If we don't finish the test tonight, we will be disqualified tomorrow!"

"Please help me, please make an exception..."

The person in charge on duty shook his head: "No, rules are rules. Hydraulic equipment is strictly prohibited from entering the venue."

(End of this chapter)