The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 152 Negotiating Production Tasks and Expanding Scale

Only four people remained in the office. After looking around the room, Director Ren couldn't help but sigh and say...
"Comrade Zhiqiang, you are usually very diligent. Have you finished reading all these books?"

The books on the bookshelf were not neatly arranged, and there were many blueprints piled on the table, as well as books related to mechanical power on the cabinet next to it.

Whether someone checks it frequently or not, these people can tell at a glance. The state of Zhou Zhiqiang's office is definitely not an act; he must check it frequently.

"I look through whatever I need. Most of the books are borrowed from the university library, and I had someone photocopy one for me, otherwise they'd be constantly nagging me for more..."

While pouring water to make tea, Zhou Zhiqiang casually explained, "Almost 80% of the books on the bookshelf were borrowed from the university."

"But it would be great if they made more copies; I could buy a few to take home and read."

Many books at universities are in high demand and people are scrambling to borrow them, otherwise there are too many people and you won't even get a turn.

Zhou Zhiqiang borrowed dozens of books at once through Professor Fei's connections, but before he could finish reading even one, someone came to his door to urge him to finish it.

It was then that he learned there were only two or three copies of the book, and many students were waiting for them; Zhou Zhiqiang had no choice but to ask the factory to make more copies before returning the books.

"As for the blueprints, Director Ren should know them best. I often have people borrow the materials and blueprints left by the Russians from the Machine Tool Bureau."

Upon hearing this, Director Ren nodded and said, "I know that. At first, the archives reported to me every day, but later I told them, 'You don't need to report to me about Deputy Factory Director Zhou coming to ask for the blueprints,' and then the archives stopped knocking on my door, haha."

If it were anyone else wanting to access technical drawings and documents, they would have to go through at least several levels of approval; but Zhou Zhiqiang had participated in major national projects before, so he certainly had the qualifications to borrow them.

Deputy Leader Wu also said with a smile, "If he didn't work hard, he wouldn't be able to give us such pleasant surprises every time."

"Alright, Comrade Jianhong, your intention to show off is too obvious. Let's get down to business."

After taking the tea from Zhou Zhiqiang, Bai Yonghua sized up Zhou Zhiqiang for a moment before speaking.

"Comrade Zhiqiang, the fact that you could recognize those two parts shows that you have some knowledge about missiles. How about joining us?"
I'll go and report this to Director Qian for you; he definitely needs someone with your talent."

"Wait a moment, Comrade Yonghua, Secretary Bai."

After Wu Jianhong realized something was wrong, he quickly stopped him, then frowned and said, "Secretary Bai, the important thing you're talking about is poaching people from my Ministry of Machine Building?"
"Then stop talking, that's absolutely unacceptable; Comrade Zhiqiang has only been at the Second Machine Tool Plant for six months, and now we're seeing it finally take off. How can you just take him away like that?"

Isn't this the same principle as when he poached people from Dafeng Agricultural Machinery Equipment Factory? It's just that he was Dafeng Agricultural Machinery Equipment Factory's superior at that time.

"Fine, I know you, Lao Wu, won't let them go easily, but you're too impatient. I said one thing, and you retorted with ten."

Bai Yonghua said with a smile, "Let's get down to business. Our bureau calculated that, not counting the Northwest, the other military factories together need at least nine hundred boring machines like the one we're talking about today."

They're still inquiring in the Northwest, but they'll probably need around 150 units; that's just to meet the current production scale, if expansion is needed.”

Bai Yonghua paused for a moment, then continued solemnly, "It may be necessary to increase the number of cases. Although you are not in our department, Comrade Jianhong, you should be aware of the situation."

We urgently need to expand production to cope with the increasingly complex international situation.

Although they don't have the same distorted ratio of light to heavy industry, or the military industry's proportion within heavy industry as the Russians do.

However, the military industry must also expand production; otherwise, if military equipment cannot keep up in the event of war, it will pay a very heavy price.

"So at least 1,100 units are needed. Comrade Licheng and I have also discussed this boring machine, and some precision machining factories in China also need quite a few."

After Deputy Leader Wu finished speaking, Director Ren immediately added, "That's right. The watch factory definitely needs someone who can process such precise parts."

Moreover, we can use this machine tool to negotiate with the Russians, making up for their industrial shortcomings while also allowing us to fill some of our technological gaps.”

Before Zhou Zhiqiang could put down his water glass, he felt three pairs of eyes on him.

So they're after me?

Zhou Zhiqiang had a bad feeling; these leaders were trying to exploit the hard-working old man again.

"You know the number of senior technicians, machine tools, and workshop leaders in our factory. No matter how much overtime we work, we're busy until 10 p.m. every day, and at most we can only process 90 machines a month!"

Seeing the dissatisfaction on the faces of the three leaders, Zhou Zhiqiang deliberately interrupted to add...

"This is still the production volume after the factory expansion. I plan to hire a thousand temporary workers. I just finished writing the expansion plan last night and haven't had time to show it to the boss yet."

After saying that, Zhou Zhiqiang got up and walked to his desk to find the factory expansion plan report he had written the night before.

He originally intended to hand it over to Deputy Leader Wu and Director Ren immediately, but then he remembered that he had planned for 800 people last night.

So he took a pen and crossed out the number of employees on the factory expansion report, changing it from eight hundred to one thousand.

He then handed it to Director Ren and Deputy Leader Wu, saying, "Leaders, I also want to start production as soon as possible, but there are too many factors restricting production efficiency right now."

If you can help our factory solve these problems, then we can start production; the investment isn't too much, four million for our own factory, and the two precision parts from the external factory might also cost four million.”

"That's the key to producing high-precision coordinate boring machines, and we absolutely cannot cut corners on that."

Zhou Zhiqiang mentioned the optical reading system components from the Henan Provincial Research Institute, as well as another technology obtained in exchange from the Russians.

Both are required for high-precision coordinate boring machines, and they are two very important ones.

The production output of these two components is the key factor restricting the production efficiency of high-precision coordinate boring machines; however, if a factory is specifically built to produce these components, the production speed will not be slowed down.

After Director Ren took it, he and Deputy Leader Wu looked at it together.

However, after watching for a short while, the two couldn't help but laugh. Then, Director Ren said to Zhou Zhiqiang, "Comrade Zhiqiang, did you adjust the number of temporary workers you hired on the spot?"

Zhou Zhiqiang said without batting an eye, "I had already thought it through last night, but I'll make some special adjustments based on the needs of the leaders."

After that, Director Ren didn't say anything more, but instead examined the document carefully with Deputy Leader Wu.

Bai Yonghua, who was standing to the side, didn't say anything either. This was an internal matter of the Ministry of Machinery Industry, and he couldn't interfere with the factory's expansion. In the end, all he needed to do was give him an answer.

After a while, Deputy Leader Wu and Director Ren finished reading it and then looked up at Zhou Zhiqiang and said, "It's not difficult, but we need to discuss it with Comrade Jianhui when we get back."

But your factory has given the ministry such a big surprise, and the ministry has been able to meet all these requirements.

"But Comrade Zhiqiang, can you give us a definite answer? Once all these investments are finalized, how many units can be produced per month?"

"At least 110 units per month."

After pondering for a while, Zhou Zhiqiang gritted his teeth and said, "If I can't complete this quantity, I'll live in the workshop, but first I need three months of temporary worker training. Leader, I also want to take care of the factory's R&D tasks. I won't be satisfied with just producing one high-precision coordinate boring machine. In the future, we will develop various high-precision machine tools."

Even CNC machine tools, so I need to dedicate some of my energy to research and development.

If production efficiency is to be further increased, then he, as the deputy factory director, will really have to work like an ox, taking the lead in staying in the workshop and working hard.

However, this would be a waste of his abilities. With Zhou Zhiqiang's help in collecting and analyzing data, he would be a sharp weapon in research and development.

A sharp blade should be used in the right place, not used like a hoe.

After considering it for a moment, Deputy Leader Wu agreed, saying, "Okay, then we'll go with the quantity that Comrade Zhiqiang suggested."

Three months later, the monthly output will be 110 units; as for investment in expansion, I'll have a meeting with Comrade Jianhui when I get back, and we'll finalize it for you by the end of the month.

After saying that, Deputy Leader Wu turned to Bai Yonghua and said, "Comrade Yonghua, we haven't been hiding anything from you. This is the monthly output, and our department also needs it."

"Comrade Jianhong, we must have the first four months' worth."

Bai Yonghua earnestly pleaded, "We're in a real hurry. The tasks are piling up from one level to another, otherwise I wouldn't have come to you so many times."

"You see, when Leader Sheng sees me, he starts avoiding me; now he hardly ever mentions seeing me."

"The first five months' worth will be given to you, which will also relieve your stress."

Deputy Leader Wu sighed and said, "Comrade Jianhui isn't annoyed with you; he just has no choice. He feels that if he sees you and then doesn't agree to your requests, he'll feel bad for the comrades in the Northwest."

Bai Yonghua remained silent after hearing this. He understood Comrade Sheng Jianhui's situation; it was just that his responsibilities were too heavy, forcing him to make several trips.

"Then let's leave it at that for now, Comrade Zhiqiang. We must get to production as soon as possible. You must personally inspect the first batch of machine tools. The equipment sent to the Northwest cannot have any mistakes."

Deputy Leader Wu gave many instructions on things to pay attention to. The research and development project there, if not the most important project in the country, can be ranked among the top two.

It's hard to say who will be number one.

Therefore, we must be extremely cautious and cannot afford to make even the slightest mistake.

Deputy Leader Wu continued, "At that time, the ministry will send a transportation team. Once a certain quantity is reached, it must be reported to the ministry, which will then arrange the transportation."

After Deputy Leader Wu finished speaking, Director Ren added, "Comrade Zhiqiang, has your factory's security work been rectified?"

Zhou Zhiqiang quickly replied, "It has already been rectified. I asked Section Chief Kong to make the rectification on my very first day here."

Later, a deputy section chief was transferred from the police station to personally lead the daily patrols, and the results have been quite good.

"That's fine then, but I remember your factory's security department doesn't have many people, only about eighty, I think."

After pondering for a few seconds, Director Ren turned to Deputy Leader Wu and asked, "Sir, how about we suggest that the Armed Forces Department send some people over? And also promote the Security Section?"

Although it's called the security department, it actually only has two platoons. The patrol and duty assignments are usually quite tight.

Previously, it was barely enough for the patrol and security work of one factory, but the Second Machine Tool Factory is going to be expanded, and the number of people in the factory will need to be increased.

The initial expansion has reached over two thousand people, and there will definitely be further expansion plans in the future.

It's indeed a bit much to have a security department of just over 80 people responsible for a factory with more than 2,000 employees, as well as the families of factory workers in the surrounding area.

Upon hearing this, Deputy Leader Wu nodded and said, "I will communicate with the Armed Forces Department when I get back. Given the current scale of development of the Second Machine Tool Plant, it does indeed need to expand."

Moreover, the factory is producing such important machine tools, so it is even more important to do a good job in keeping secrets and protecting them.

One hundred and fifty people, or two hundred people, would be enough.

To be on the safe side, we'll have 200 people. Because, judging from what Zhou Zhiqiang said, we'll continue to develop other machine tools in the future, so the Second Machine Tool Plant will definitely need to expand production.

The security department expanded ahead of schedule, so it won't have to keep expanding like this in the future.

"Boss, there's one more thing you must promise me."

Zhou Zhiqiang suddenly interrupted, speaking in a very serious tone.

Seeing Zhou Zhiqiang's serious expression, Deputy Leader Wu couldn't help but smile and ask, "What is it, Comrade Zhiqiang? If it's not too much to ask, the ministry will definitely agree to it."

"It's nothing excessive. After finishing the project yesterday, some workers said they wanted to have a meat meal, but our factory is too tight right now and can't get the supplies."

Zhou Zhiqiang said somewhat embarrassedly, "We only get to eat a little bit of meat every two weeks, so I promised the workers yesterday that I would make sure they had a meat meal."
"Boss, you really have to promise me that, otherwise the workers will think I'm lying."

"You're acting first and reporting later, Comrade Zhiqiang."

After listening, Director Ren said through gritted teeth that he would rather Zhou Zhiqiang ask him for money or people than for meat.

The ministry didn't have much to allocate. For a factory with over a thousand employees, a single meal of meat would require at least two or three hundred kilograms of meat.

Upon hearing this, Deputy Leader Wu turned to Director Ren and said, "Comrade Licheng, go back and discuss this with the office director."

We can't let frontline workers who have made great contributions go hungry. We can go without food, but we must ensure that the frontline workers get to eat.

Deputy Leader Wu and Leader Sheng, along with several others, frequently reported their work to Mr. Zhou and knew that he rarely ate meat anymore, so they were aware of this as well.

"I understand. I'll try my best to coordinate it when I get back."

Ren Licheng sighed inwardly and agreed, knowing that he would have to rack his brains to find a solution when he got back.

Afterwards, Zhou Zhiqiang discussed other key points regarding the production of machine tools with Deputy Leader Wu and others.

For production tasks involving national defense, it is difficult to calculate output value and factory profits; however, the ministry will issue a bonus at the end, which is a pure bonus and can be directly included in the factory's profits.

After all, the supplies and investment were provided by the ministry.

Zhou Zhiqiang didn't ask, but this year it might be between one and two million, and if production efficiency improves next year, it might double.

That's already quite a lot. If you compare it with Dafeng Agricultural Machinery Equipment Factory, the output value of the two factories is almost the same.

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(End of this chapter)