Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

Jiang Jianguo picked up his teacup and drank most of it in one gulp. The tea was scalding hot, but he didn't even realize it.

He understood all of his son's plans. The equipment was top-notch, orders were readily available, and the future was bright. But something weighed heavily on his mind.

At fifty years old, I have to learn new equipment, manage a new team, and deal with high-end clients I've never even heard of before.

"Furthermore," Jiang Haoran continued, "the company I invested in, Qilin Technology, is developing a diamond wire cutting machine. The core components, such as the tension control unit, guide wheel assembly, and wire take-up and unwinding mechanism, all require high-precision machining."

"If we can do it, our first order will be theirs. Once they start mass production, their annual procurement volume of several million will be enough to keep the factory running smoothly."

Chen Jingge chimed in, "Brother-in-law, Haoran has played a very big game. The lab researches the technology, Qilin Technology manufactures the complete machines, and the family factory supplies the core components. They control the entire supply chain, so they can control costs, quality, and delivery times. This kind of advantage is something others can't catch up with."

"Dad," Jiang Haoran looked at him, his voice lowering, "you're not working alone. I'll help you build the technical team and hire experts for training. You'll still be in charge of daily production, but if you encounter any problems, there will be someone to support you."

Jiang Jianguo tightened his grip on the teacup. He looked up into his son's eyes. Young, yet there was a certainty and responsibility he had never seen before.

After a long pause, he slammed his teacup down.

"Dry."

The air at the dinner table instantly relaxed at that one word. Chen Jingge laughed, "That's right! With Haoran backing you up, what are you afraid of, brother-in-law?"

In the afternoon, they went to the Xuhui campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Chen Jingge had arranged in advance to meet with Professor Li from the School of Mechanical Engineering, a retired doctoral supervisor who was being rehired and was an authority in the field of precision manufacturing. The consultant fee was considerable, but Jiang Haoran felt it was worth it.

Professor Li's office was piled high with books and blueprints. The old man was in his sixties, with most of his hair white, but his eyes were bright.

"Mr. Jiang, please have a seat." Professor Li said politely, "Your son has told me everything. The shift to precision manufacturing is the right direction."

Jiang Jianguo sat down somewhat awkwardly. Throughout his life, he had mostly dealt with workshop directors and small business owners; he had only ever seen university professors on television.

"Professor Li, my father has some specific questions he would like to ask," Jiang Haoran said.

Jiang Jianguo composed himself and asked several of the most crucial questions: How can we ensure long-term stable machining accuracy? How can we design a training system that allows experienced workers to quickly get started? How can we establish a quality control process suitable for a small factory?

Professor Li's answers were very practical. He not only explained the theory but also drew sketches and gave real-world examples from the workshop. "Precision manufacturing boils down to two things: equipment and people. You've chosen top-of-the-line equipment, which is excellent. But people are even more important."

"We need to make sure that technicians and workers understand the underlying principles, and why a certain parameter needs to be set this way. Only by understanding the principles can we cope with changes and identify problems."

He paused, then looked at Jiang Haoran: "If you need, I can recommend a few students. Some are recent graduate students, and others have worked in precision manufacturing for two or three years. Young people have a good theoretical foundation, learn new things quickly, and work best with experienced mentors."

As Jiang Jianguo left the office, he felt much more at ease. The old man had given him several books, with an inscription on the title page: "Industry revitalizes the nation, craftsmanship is as unyielding as iron." A thought struck Jiang Jianguo: "Regarding salary and benefits..."

On the way back to Zhenjiang, Jiang Jianguo kept flipping through those books. Some chapters were too advanced for him to read, so he pointed to them and asked his son questions.

As Jiang Haoran drove, he explained the technical terms in the simplest terms possible.

It was completely dark when I got home.

Chen Fang had already prepared the meal and was waiting. Hearing the car, she came out to greet them: "How is it?"

"It's settled." Jiang Jianguo got out of the car, his tone relaxed as if a heavy burden had been lifted. "We'll buy three sets of equipment, completely renovate the factory, and hire new workers."

Chen Fang smiled with relief and quickly turned to walk into the house: "Okay, okay, let's eat first."

At the dinner table, Jiang Jianguo was unusually talkative, talking about how the machine tool ran programs and how crucial Professor Li's guidance was.

As Chen Fang listened, she would occasionally serve food to the father and son, and the worry in her eyes gradually melted away, turning into a gentle sense of relief.

After dinner, Jiang Haoran and his father spread out blueprints and wrote plans in the living room. Equipment list, factory renovation plan, staffing, budget... they listed them out one by one.

Jiang Jianguo pulled out his notebook and started calculating, figuring out where he could save money and where he had to spend the most.

"Dad, don't skimp on necessary expenses." Jiang Haoran pointed to the training budget section. "Especially when sending people to Shanghai for training, cover all their food, lodging, and transportation, and keep their salaries paid. They've come all this way to learn new skills; we can't let them suffer losses."

"I understand." Jiang Jianguo nodded. "We'll send three key personnel in the first batch. Once they've learned, one of them will mentor two others, gradually raising the overall level of the factory."

"This approach is correct," Jiang Haoran said. "Only by forming a technical talent pool can we sustain our efforts."

He wrote until 11 p.m., and the first draft of the plan was completed. Jiang Jianguo rubbed his sore eyes, but he was wide awake.

He suddenly looked up at his son: "Haoran, Dad... thank you."

Jiang Haoran paused, his pen still in his hand.

"Dad knows that you made money and could have gone to bigger places and lived a more carefree life." Jiang Jianguo's voice was a little hoarse.

"But now that you're back, you have to help Dad revive this broken-down factory and lead those old buddies on a new path. Dad will remember that."

Jiang Haoran felt a lump in his throat. In his past life, his father had never said such things to him.

"Dad, we're family." He put down his pen, his voice steady.

"A family must stick together and move forward. You, me, Mom, and all the uncles and elders in the factory, none of us can be missing."

Jiang Jianguo patted his son's shoulder heavily and said nothing more. Some things didn't need to be said; the two of them understood each other perfectly.

Back in his room, Jiang Haoran turned on his computer.

He received new emails and processed them one by one. Finally, he wrote a long email to Gu Qiushi, explaining in detail the upgrade plan for his family's factory and the future collaboration plan with Kirin Technology.

After sending the message, Jiang Haoran walked to the window.

Night had fallen, and the town was completely silent. A few lights shone sporadically from the industrial area in the distance.

But my father's factory will soon be different.

A seven million investment, three top-of-the-line imported pieces of equipment, a brand-new technical team, and a stable and promising source of orders... all of these will be implemented one by one in the coming months.

Of course, risks exist. Market fluctuations, technological bottlenecks, and management challenges—any mishap in any of these areas could lead to the loss of all previous efforts.

But Jiang Haoran wasn't afraid. He had the memories of his past life to back him up, the vision of this life to guide him, ample financial support, and, more importantly, a group of people willing to follow him and bet on the future.

His father, his uncle, Gu Qiushi, Sun Zhigang, Wang Qiming… the trajectories of these people's lives have already been altered because of him. And he has a responsibility to steer this deviation towards broader waters.

And he is walking on the road to this future.

The road is destined to be rugged, but he will keep going.

Leading those behind him, he walked steadily forward, step by step.