The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 181 Leading the Work
The ministry took the lead, and the main participating units were the Second Machine Tool Plant, Factory 190, Tsinghua University, and Factory 130, which worked together to tackle the problem.

Tsinghua University produces the most graduates, including professors and researchers from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Department of Automatic Control.

The research and development team alone has nearly a hundred people.

After discussion, most of the offices for these 100 people were located in the Second Machine Tool Plant.

However, for people like Zhao Chenghui and Zhong Yangxia from other factories, their R&D teams will have to conduct R&D experiments at Factory 190 and Factory 130.

Except for those who could not be provided with experimental sites by the Second Machine Tool Plant, all the remaining personnel were assigned to the Second Machine Tool Plant.

The Second Machine Tool Plant, which has just undergone expansion, can definitely accommodate so many people, and there are also quite a few new factory buildings.

The machinery and equipment are all the latest. The ministry is now treating the Second Machine Tool Plant like its own son. Seeing this "son" working hard, it is natural to nurture it well.

In addition to the resettlement location, the CNC machine tool project team also needs to coordinate various resources and communicate with the Fourth Ministry of Machinery Industry regarding the project team's expenses. These are all matters that Director Ren will handle.

For him, the director of the Machine Tool Administration Bureau, CNC machine tools were also a very important matter.

It was more important than anything else he had at hand.

The neighboring family has already manufactured CNC machine tools, but hasn't exported them in large quantities yet; however, they seem to have this idea, and have even exhibited them at international trade fairs and formulated relevant regulations.

They definitely intend to export CNC machine tools.

If China can develop, manufacture, and mass-produce this technology, it could truly steal a large portion of the money that should belong to ordinary people.

Zhou Zhiqiang was confident that the technology they were developing would be no worse than Xiao Rizi's CNC machine tools, and the cost would be even lower.

Even its own resources cannot be fully self-sufficient, and its labor and material costs are not as high as theirs. If there is competition in the future, apart from export restrictions, Xiaosheng's CNC machine tools will definitely be crushed by them.

However, this is a long-term plan for Zhou Zhiqiang.

The three discussed many things in Deputy Leader Wu's office and finalized some preparatory matters.

Tomorrow I'll have another meeting with the project's lead researcher to assign tasks, confirm research and development goals and expectations, and then we can start work.

Time is a bit tight, but according to Deputy Leader Wu, the support for the CNC machine tool project team was transferred from other places.

The suspension and delay of two projects allowed the CNC machine tool project to be implemented first, which is why they were able to assemble the team so quickly.

Upon hearing this news, Zhou Zhiqiang couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.

He will need to use the deduction assistant more often from now on. Previously, he had to collect information and knowledge first, which was a slow and painstaking process that couldn't be rushed.

At that time, Zhou Zhiqiang had a lot on his plate, and he was too busy at the factory to read books slowly. In addition, it wasn't that urgent, so Zhou Zhiqiang rarely used them.

This time, Zhou Zhiqiang felt he had to dedicate three to four hours each day to collecting information and related knowledge.

We didn't finish talking until after work, and that's when we finally finished saying everything we needed to say.

Zhou Zhiqiang borrowed the phone in Deputy Leader Wu's office and made a call to the factory.

Zhou Zhiqiang planned to go home early today, so he told his assistant.

Otherwise, Zhang Yaoguo could have waited until nine or ten o'clock at night.

Previously, Zhou Zhiqiang would often attend meetings outside the factory and then return to the factory to continue working on meetings until 10 p.m. before finally going home to rest.

As his assistant, Zhang Yaoguo also worked at the factory, but Zhou Zhiqiang planned to go home to rest today, so he called Zhang Yaoguo to let him know.

After making the call, Zhou Zhiqiang said goodbye to the two leaders and left, then went downstairs and had his driver take him directly home.

"Yu Ting".

Zhou Zhiqiang opened the door and went to the backyard, just in time to see Guo Yuting carrying dinner out of the kitchen, it looked like she had just finished cooking.

"Zhiqiang, why are you back so early today?" Guo Yuting was a little surprised to see her husband, but then she immediately smiled and said, "Wait a minute, I didn't steam any buns for you, so I'll make you a bowl of noodles."

Previously, Zhou Zhiqiang would often not come home for dinner for a month or two, so his family often didn't cook for him. It was quite rare for him to come home at a normal time like today.

Just as the stove was still burning, Guo Yuting quickly boiled water and then cooked a bowl of noodles for Zhou Zhiqiang.

However, after the noodles were served, Zhou Zhiqiang noticed that the two children were staring at him as if they wanted to eat the noodles, so he simply gave them the noodles and then took their steamed buns to eat.

During the meal, Guo Yuting suddenly asked, "Zhiqiang, do these mushrooms look familiar?"

"What kind of familiar factory could be supplying mushrooms?"

Zhou Zhiqiang suddenly remembered that it was not yet March, and mushrooms were hard to buy; they were almost nowhere to be found in the market.

Where did they get their mushrooms? They're probably connected to the factory.

Guo Yuting said with a smile, "It has nothing to do with the factory. It was Tian Dong and the old village chief who sent it. They said these are mushrooms grown in their village."

Village Chief Zhao knows that the method for growing mushrooms was provided by the machine tool factory, so he and Tian Dong came over and brought us a basket, about ten pounds.

"It was a gift from the old village chief."

Zhou Zhiqiang felt a little relieved after hearing this. If it was given by Village Chief Zhao, he would accept it without hesitation.

He has a decent relationship with the Zhao family, and the Zhao family members are all quite nice, so eating a few mushrooms is nothing to him.

Zhou Zhiqiang asked, "Has the old village chief left?"

Guo Yuting said uncertainly, "It seems not. It was already late when we arrived, and there wasn't enough time to go back. I guess we'll stay at Tian Dong's house for one night before leaving."

"I'll go take a look after I finish eating."

As Zhou Zhiqiang ate, he said, "Looks like the harvest is good; there are quite a few big mushrooms. This will alleviate the food shortage problem in Hongqi Village somewhat."

Mushrooms really need careful care; a single oversight can lead to reduced yields. Those temporary workers at the agricultural and sideline products company are truly taking care of mushrooms and rabbits with the same care they would give to raising children.

Their rabbits are doing well; a batch will be slaughtered next month, and we'll make a rabbit meat feast for the factory first.

As for the rabbit fur, it will be made into gloves or scarves and distributed to model workers in the factory.

Raising rabbits is not easy. It took almost nine months before I finally got to eat rabbit meat for the first time.

"Take something with you?"

“The old village chief definitely won’t accept it. If I take something with me, he’ll just keep making excuses. I have a pack of cigarettes here, I’ll take it with me later.”

Zhou Zhiqiang doesn't smoke, but he always carries cigarettes in his briefcase; sometimes he'll offer a few to workers who smoke in the factory.

Moreover, this wasn't in the countryside. If he took something to the countryside and the old village chief refused to accept it, Zhou Zhiqiang would simply put it on the ground and leave.

Back then, the old village chief had to take it even if he didn't want it. It would be difficult to get him to take something back from the city, and the old village chief probably felt bad about it.

Zhou Zhiqiang helped their family a lot, although in Zhou Zhiqiang's opinion, these were all just casual favors, not even worth mentioning.

But for their family, it was already a great kindness.

After dinner.

Zhou Zhiqiang told Guo Yuting he was leaving, then took a pack of cigarettes and walked out the door.

The security department had advised him to notify them if he went out, but recently the security in Nanluoguxiang has been very good. Sometimes the patrol team from the street office will walk through Nanluoguxiang, even if it's only halfway around.

Even street urchins are rare here, and his house is only a few hundred meters away from the No. 131 compound; he arrived in no time.

(End of this chapter)