Love in the Courtyard: Starting with Engineers

The official document from the Ministry of Industry arrived at Longxing Factory in the military representative's jeep.

The handwriting on the document was clear, and the division of labor was so precise it was almost harsh.

The Ministry of Industry took the lead in receiving the delegation for this technical exchange, and was responsible for coordinating the itinerary of the British delegation and defining the exhibition area.

The military sent observers to attend, but only to explain the application of the materials to coastal defense equipment.

As a core supporting enterprise, Longxing Factory is responsible for showcasing special steel for aircraft carriers, alloy processes and welding technology for the Type 95 rifle, and must not involve classified information such as equipment deployment or troop movements.

Li Yu, holding the documents, squatted in a corner of the R&D center with Zhou Qiming and Lao Wang, studying them word by word.

"See that?"

Li Yu pointed to the line that read "No classified information may be involved" and emphasized his words.

"We're blacksmiths, not commanders. How the aircraft carrier patrols or how the troops are deployed is the military's business; we can't say a word about it. What we need to show is the steel in our hands, the weld seam under the welding torch!"

Zhou Qiming grinned, "Don't worry! The weight reduction of our Type 95 rifle just from the alloy stock alone will make those British wide-eyed!"

Old Wang crossed his arms, his brow furrowed deeply: "I'm thinking we should bring out that batch of steel plates that have passed the salt spray test, then take them to the welding workshop. A hundred words of praise are no substitute for a real spark splattering their faces while they're welding one on the spot!"

Once the news spread, everyone at Longxing Factory was working with all their might.

The glass display cases in the R&D center were polished to a shine. Test welds of special steel for aircraft carriers, alloy stocks of Type 95 rifles, and weld samples of steel plates for armored vehicles were neatly arranged in their respective categories. Next to them were test reports, and although the data only went up to the tenth digit, it was enough.

In the welding workshop, Lao Wang and his apprentices worked through the night to clean up, moving the old machine tools to a corner, wiping the newly debugged vacuum welding equipment until it was spotless, and sweeping away the welding slag on the floor.

Before departing, Minister Liu Jie of the Ministry of Industry made a special trip to Longxing Factory for a short meeting.

"Remember who you are."

Standing in front of the R&D center's display case, Liu Jie said, "You are the industrial cornerstone of the Republic, not diplomats or soldiers. When the British ask about technology, speak frankly. If anyone tries to inquire about equipment deployment indirectly, just ask a military observer to answer."

He paused, then looked at Li Yu: "Director Li, you'll lead this technical briefing. Zhou Qiming will be in charge of the light weapons alloys, and Lao Wang will be in charge of the welding process. Everyone should do their job and keep things organized."

Li Yu straightened his back and nodded in agreement: "Please rest assured, Minister, Longxing Factory is up to par!"

Two days later, a black sedan stopped in front of the Longxing factory. The person who got out of the car was wearing a sharp suit, holding a thick notebook in his hand, with a scrutinizing and probing look in his eyes.

The leader was a director at the British Ministry of Industry named Hank.

Behind him were materials science experts, small arms engineers, and two sharp-eyed men in suits—it was obvious to anyone with eyes that they were from the military intelligence department.

The reception process strictly followed the arrangements made by the Ministry of Industry.

Minister Liu Jie led the way, first showing the delegation around the overall layout of the factory area and introducing the positioning of Longxing Factory.

Director Hank nodded.

The real highlight is at the research and development center.

When Hank's gaze fell on the test weld of the special steel for aircraft carriers, his previously indifferent eyes suddenly lit up.

He strode forward and reached out to touch it, but was stopped by a staff member from the Ministry of Industry.

"Sorry, you may not touch the exhibits without permission."

Hank sheepishly withdrew his hand, turned to look at Li Yu, and spoke with a hint of doubt:

"Mr. Li, your factory claims that this steel can withstand the high pressure of the sea at a depth of 2000 meters and also has extremely strong corrosion resistance—do you have specific test data?"

Li Yu was well prepared.

He gestured for Zhou Qiming to pull open the drawer at the bottom of the cabinet, took out a thick stack of test reports, and handed them over:

"Director Hank, you can see for yourself that our special steel has a corrosion resistance lifespan that is a full five years longer than that of similar products in the UK."

Hank took the report, flipped through a few pages, and his face gradually darkened.

Those data left him speechless.

The British small arms engineer next to him, however, had his eye on the alloy stock of the Type 95 rifle in the display case.

He picked up the parameter sheet that Zhou Qiming handed him and couldn't help but gasp when he saw the words "30% weight reduction and 20% strength increase".

"How is this possible? Balancing weight reduction and strength in small arms alloys has always been a dilemma—how did you manage to do it?"

Zhou Qiming grinned. "It's very simple. This is our core technology, but..."

"Your country's small arms manufacturer just inquired about prices from us last month, wanting to purchase the basic blanks for this alloy. Weren't you aware of that?"

The engineer's face instantly turned red.

Director Hank's expression turned even uglier.

He knew that Longxing Factory wasn't exaggerating.

These solid materials and data are more convincing than any warship's show of force. Without solid materials, even the best warship is nothing more than a pile of scrap metal.

The last stop was the welding workshop.

Old Wang was already waiting there.

He was wearing blue overalls, holding a welding torch in his hand, and on the worktable next to him was a rough piece of armored vehicle steel plate.

Upon seeing the British delegation enter, Old Wang grinned and, without saying a word, directly pressed the switch on the vacuum welding equipment.

An electric arc lit up instantly, blue sparks flew, and Old Wang's wrist was as steady as if it were cast in iron. In less than ten minutes, a fine and smooth weld appeared on the steel plate.

Old Wang put down his welding torch, picked up the testing instrument, scanned the weld seam, and then turned the data screen toward the British delegation: "See this? This process is called vacuum welding with stress compensation, which is specifically designed for the corrosion protection needs of offshore equipment."

Director Hank stared at the weld, remaining silent for a long time.

The materials science expert he brought couldn't help but step forward, look at the weld, and mutter to himself, "This craftsmanship... is even more refined than that of our shipyard."

By the time the visit ended, the setting sun had already painted half the sky red.

When Director Hank and Minister Liu Jie shook hands to say goodbye, the arrogance in his tone had completely vanished.

"Minister Liu, the technology of Longxing Factory has truly broadened our horizons. Regarding industrial cooperation and strategic adjustments in the Far East, I think it's necessary for us to return to the negotiating table for more in-depth discussions."

Minister Liu Jie smiled, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "We always welcome negotiations based on equality and mutual benefit. However, on the issue of sovereignty, there is no room for negotiation."

Director Hank's lips twitched, but he finally nodded.

As the delegation's car drove away from the Longxing factory, Hank glanced back.

He knew that this trip to China had completely shattered Britain's wishful thinking.