The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 192 You should rest too.
"Actually, it's alright. Deputy Director Liu, you may not be very familiar with the next research and development tasks of the CNC system team."

My role will be minimal for the next few months, focusing entirely on technical production experiments. If all goes well, I won't get back to work in three or four months.

Zhou Zhiqiang spoke up, but Deputy Director Liu didn't quite believe him, as he knew a bit about those who buried themselves in research.

That is, when it comes to national development and project progress, people tend to downplay their own health and other issues.

Then, when the project was completed or nearing completion, he suddenly fell ill.

If they fall ill, the cadres in charge of logistics and resource allocation will be in trouble. They will not only be scolded by their superiors, but may also be punished.

"You've exhausted the nation's most valuable scientific researchers like this, Liu Weiqiang, do you still want to keep your job? If not, write your resignation!"

Deputy Director Liu didn't want his superior to point his finger at him and berate him like that, so he looked at Zhao Chenghui and asked, "Comrade Chenghui, what do you think? Let me give you my opinion first."

The Fourth Ministry of Machine Building's Technology Department could not accept having a researcher work harder than someone in a capitalist's factory in the old days; at least, I personally could not accept it.

Unless ordered by his superiors, he was just a deputy director-general. If he were to cause trouble for the director of a large state-owned factory in another ministry, that would be no joke.

Zhao Chenghui didn't think that much about it. He was only considering the upcoming technical production experiments when he said, "It seems we really don't need to be so busy. Experimenting with the manufacturing of silicon wafers is a tedious and repetitive task. We'll take turns watching over it."

If problems arise, we can discuss and study them together, but according to the calculations, there shouldn't be any major issues.

"Comrade Zhiqiang, I think your concerns are very valid. We do need to consider the production efficiency after the research and development is successful."

Here's what I'll do: I'll pick a few people from the technical department to assist you with your teaching. I'll oversee the experiments, so you don't need to worry.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll have to trouble you with the experiment. This will also allow me to free up some time for this part of my work."

Supervising the manufacturing of silicon wafers is no easy task. Others can take turns resting more, but Zhao Chenghui definitely has to keep a close eye on things.

The tradition within the organization is that leaders and team leaders are always the first to step up in critical moments. This also applies to research positions; whoever has the ability should step up and take on more responsibilities.

However, Deputy Director Liu started scratching his head, wondering what Comrade Cheng Hui was doing. He asked Liu to help persuade him, but where did Liu go to persuade him?
So Deputy Director Liu stopped beating around the bush and said, "Comrade Zhiqiang, I can accept the task of training semiconductor device production personnel at Factory 190, but you must guarantee your rest time."

"A workday cannot exceed sixteen hours; otherwise, I dare not agree to this."

Deputy Director Liu said firmly that he would rather reduce the daily training time and increase the training cycle than bear the punishment of a colleague who collapsed from exhaustion.

To Deputy Director Liu's surprise, Zhou Zhiqiang did not haggle with him, but readily agreed, saying, "Okay, then I'll trouble Deputy Director Liu to arrange someone as soon as possible."

"Our progress has moved to the next stage. I have prepared the teaching materials outline and will be able to finalize it within the next three days."

Deputy Director Liu, and Factory Director Liu, you'd better arrange for seventy apprentices to come in within a week.

Zhou Zhiqiang had experience teaching one or two hundred apprentices before, but the technology for producing semiconductor devices is different.

The requirements are extremely precise; even highly skilled veterans only achieve a 40% pass rate.

After learning it, Zhou Zhiqiang tried it out. If he maintained absolute focus for the first two hundred, his precise control would allow him to achieve a 100% pass rate for the finished products.

But that was too tiring, and when he reached four or five hundred, he gradually started to produce substandard results.

However, he is fast and can probably make seven or eight hundred a day, with a pass rate of over 80%.

But Zhou Zhiqiang couldn't possibly give up his work there to become a semiconductor technology production worker; that would be too wasteful.

First, conduct technical training to cultivate a group of qualified semiconductor technology production personnel. Then, after the CNC machine tool project is completed, we can consider developing high-efficiency photolithography processes and mechanical equipment.

Zhou Zhiqiang had already thought out the development plan step by step.

If we can surpass foreign countries in CNC machine tools and semiconductors within thirty years, it will drive us to surpass foreign countries in all other fields and become the world's leading technological and industrial power.

It's only thirty to fifty years; Zhou Zhiqiang will definitely be alive and well by then.

"One week."

Upon hearing this time, Deputy Director Liu looked at Factory Director Liu Ruiguang, but Factory Director Liu immediately said, "Sir, don't look at me. I can finish the report and send it to your office this afternoon."

"But how long it takes to gather the people is up to you to decide; I don't have that authority."

Factory 190 simply cannot recruit people from outside on their own. Everyone who comes in has to be vetted, so they can only be assigned by higher-ups.

For other matters, Director Liu could help run errands, but when it came to things like finding someone to work in the factory, he could only submit a report and wait for the department to make arrangements.

"Fine!"

Deputy Director Liu gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and said, "I'll talk to Director Liu when I get back and try to get the person in within a week."

"However, Comrade Zhiqiang, we must make this clear in advance: you must strictly control your working hours and absolutely avoid working yourself to the point of hospitalization, otherwise I really cannot bear that responsibility."

Deputy Director Liu repeatedly emphasized that he had heard that Zhou Zhiqiang was a valuable talent of the Ministry of Machine Building.

He became the director of a large factory directly under a ministry in his twenties, and now he is also in charge of major national engineering projects.

If it weren't for his request, but someone else's suggestion, Deputy Director Liu would have ignored it completely.

Zhou Zhiqiang assured him, "Don't worry, Deputy Director Liu, I've never been sick in my life."

That's true. He didn't have that problem before, but after he came, his physical condition improved, and he hasn't been sick since.

Moreover, he can decide his own working hours. As long as he doesn't get sick, it's better to train semiconductor technology production talent as soon as possible.

The group then finalized the details in Director Liu's office, including when the people could be sent in, the training venue, and accommodation arrangements.

Fortunately, all of this can be arranged quickly. Director Liu guarantees that everything will be arranged within four days. It all depends on when the department can send the person over.

It's only seventy people, not seven hundred. If such a large factory can't even manage seventy people, then the factory manager might as well quit.

------

Once the state apparatus is in motion, it becomes incredibly efficient at arranging things.

The Fourth Ministry of Machinery Industry directly selected some apprentices from the electronics factories around Beijing and sent them directly to Factory 190 after review.

The Fourth Ministry of Machinery Industry was already arranging for a second batch of apprentices and even a third batch of personnel. According to Zhou Zhiqiang's needs, a group of technicians needed to be trained within three months to be able to successfully manufacture semiconductor transistors on the production line.

Therefore, the Technical Department of the Fourth Ministry of Machinery Industry made arrangements as early as possible, and they could not keep drawing apprentices from other electronics factories.

That would mean other factories wouldn't have apprentices to train.

The Ministry of Machinery Industry planned to select the second and third batches of apprentices from those with junior or senior high school education.

A few years ago, a high school diploma was considered a good education; but recently, there are fewer and fewer jobs available, while more and more people are not getting into university after graduating from high school.

Many people are queuing up at the neighborhood office waiting for job assignments, but the factories don't have any openings, and the neighborhood office can't possibly assign jobs to high school graduates.

You can tell just by looking at the price of the job openings; a job opening at a large factory directly under a ministry costs almost 900 yuan.

However, the high prices are also related to the natural disasters in recent years. One job quota represents one urban household registration and one food ration, but it also shows how precious the job is.

It's really not easy for high school graduates to find jobs these days. They look down on bad jobs, and good jobs are out of their reach. If you ask them to go to the surrounding communes, they'd rather do odd jobs in Beijing.

In one district of Beijing, there may be hundreds of high school students waiting in line for jobs, and that number increases every year.

Therefore, the Fourth Ministry of Machine Building directly approached these high school students waiting for jobs, selected a list of 100 to 300 people, and then sent it to Factory 190 in batches.

If you have a certain level of education but are still looking for a job, you can get a good job as long as you get training.

Although working in semiconductor device manufacturing is tiring, it's much better than carrying heavy loads.

Zhou Zhiqiang also made rapid progress, clearly annotating each step of the semiconductor production process with diagrams showing how to use the machinery and the manufacturing process.

He also discussed it with Zhao Chenghui and other technicians in the factory, and made some revisions before the final teaching material was obtained.

According to the veteran technicians at Factory 190, if they had had such teaching materials back then, the time it would have taken to learn and get on the job could probably have been shortened by a third.

However, there are also shortcomings, namely that the textbooks are severely unbalanced in terms of subject matter.

Those who follow this textbook will only be able to produce semiconductor transistors and may not understand other production processes.

If they want to improve, they need to study on their own; Zhou Zhiqiang can't teach them everything.

At around 2 a.m., in a semiconductor workshop of Factory 190, several powerful lights illuminated the surrounding workbenches very brightly.

There were more than seventy people in the workshop, all of whom were intently watching Zhou Zhiqiang, who was operating the epitaxial wafer preparation.

After Zhou Zhiqiang finished his demonstration, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his apprentice, saying, "The apprentice in Group Three also watched my demonstration. I'll say it again."

The key lies in the evenness of the force and the precise control of the angle. Too much force and the chip is ruined; too little force and the impurities won't be removed, and subsequent circuit etching will also fail.

"Also, pay attention to details, especially the peak RPM."

Zhou Zhiqiang explained in great detail in the workshop, and even recorded the entire process of his technical processing demonstration on paper with pictures and text.

He also divided these people into three groups and had them watch his demonstration.

This teaching method is like breaking the food into pieces, chewing it up, and then feeding it to them.

If you study diligently, you will definitely gain something.

After Zhou Zhiqiang finished giving his instructions and looked around, he said, "The tests will be conducted tomorrow and the day after. Those who pass the test will be assigned a mentor."

You'll spend a month with him, and then you'll become apprentices at Factory 190. I've been teaching you for a while now, and I hope you all pass the test smoothly.

Everyone was excited after hearing Zhou Zhiqiang's words.

After nearly three months of training, I'm finally going to get an apprenticeship.

Moreover, many people have inquired and found that if one can become a regular semiconductor technology production worker, the starting salary is 37 yuan, which is more than the first-level worker in other jobs.

This is also related to the high requirements and scarcity of semiconductor technology production personnel, and the fact that production is very difficult, with even experienced workers only achieving a 40% success rate, so their wages are naturally higher.

"Alright, that's all for today. We'll start testing at 1 p.m. tomorrow."

After Zhou Zhiqiang made the announcement, he arranged for a few people to clean up the mess, while the others went home to rest early.

He also needs to go back and rest. Today is Sunday, and Zhou Zhiqiang has to go back to the First Machine Tool Factory for a meeting tomorrow.

After everyone left, Zhou Zhiqiang checked everything and then walked outside; he had a single dormitory in Factory 190, which was quite well-equipped and comfortable to live in.

Moreover, Zhou Zhiqiang has very strong physical strength and energy. Even if he works 18 hours a day, he can recover after resting for only four or five hours.

Zhou Zhiqiang had just left the semiconductor workshop when he suddenly sensed someone walking towards him, so he instinctively turned his head to look.

Upon seeing who it was, Zhou Zhiqiang relaxed and said, "Comrade Chenghui, you're up so late at night, you scared me half to death."

"I just finished my test too. The first batch of silicon wafers has passed all the tests and is qualified, so I couldn't wait to tell you the good news!"

"The test is finished? It's finally done!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang breathed a sigh of relief and then said with a smile, "Double happiness indeed, Comrade Chenghui. My first batch of apprentices is almost finished being taught."

We'll test them tomorrow afternoon. Those who pass will be assigned to the factory's technicians for a month of training.

"Next year, we expect to have more technicians capable of processing and manufacturing semiconductor devices, which will double our production efficiency."

Zhou Zhiqiang paused for a moment, then smiled at Zhao Chenghui and said, "You have to tell Director Liu not to give it all to the computer department, but to leave some for me."

"Don't worry, this is someone you taught. I'll definitely talk to Director Liu about it later."

Zhao Chenghui patted his chest and said, then his expression turned serious as he continued, "However, Comrade Zhiqiang, let's postpone the next batch of apprentices for a couple of days."

You've been working so hard lately. I usually take a few days off, but it seems like you haven't had a single day off.

“I’ve been keeping it from Director Liu, but you have to get a checkup in the next couple of days, or he’ll come and force you to go.”

(End of this chapter)