Love in the Courtyard: Starting with Engineers

There was still an hour before the inspection team from the Ministry of Industry and the military would arrive.

Factory director Li Huaide, clutching a crumpled list, walked through each workshop in the morning light.

The floor of the smelting workshop was swept spotless, and each batch of special steel had a label attached.

The welding workshop was filled with protective equipment, and the vacuum welding equipment was polished to a gleaming shine. In the light weapons parts workshop, Zhou Qiming's mold production line had already preheated, and the robotic arms were quietly waiting to be deployed.

"Have all the records been checked?"

"Don't worry, Director Li. I worked overtime until 3 a.m. last night and got everything sorted out."

Li Huaide nodded and walked towards the R&D center. Just as he reached the entrance, he bumped into Li Yu, who was squatting on the ground, staring at the screen of a testing instrument.

"Chief Engineer, are you still adjusting the parameters?"

"One last calibration." Li Yu didn't even look up, tapping the instrument twice with his fingertips.

"The temperature profile of the smelting furnace was further optimized by 0.5℃, and the current parameters for vacuum welding were fine-tuned to ensure mass production stability. Acceptance testing is not based on a single sample, but on the pass rate of consecutive batches."

Li Huaide squatted down, looked at the precise data flashing on the screen, and grinned: "With you overseeing the technology, I can focus on logistics. The canteen has added braised pork and crucian carp soup for lunch, making sure the inspection team eats and drinks well and has the energy to inspect our equipment."

At 8:00 AM sharp, several military green jeeps pulled up at the factory gate. Minister Liu Jie of the Ministry of Industry led the group, followed by technical experts and military observers. The group, dressed in crisp uniforms, looked serious.

Li Huaide strode forward, his face beaming with a smile yet remaining composed: "Minister Liu, esteemed leaders, you must be tired from your journey! The inspection route for the factory area has been arranged. We'll first go to the R&D center to review the test reports, and then proceed to the workshop to inspect the mass production site."

Liu Jie waved his hand: "No need for formalities. We're here for the inspection, not as guests. Where's Chief Engineer Li?"

"They're waiting at the R&D center."

In the R&D center's exhibition hall, special steel test welds, rifle alloy stocks, and samples of steel plate welds from armored vehicles are neatly displayed in glass showcases.

Li Yu, dressed in a white lab coat, stood in front of the display case, holding a laser pointer in his hand, his gaze steady.

"Distinguished leaders, the special steel for aircraft carriers that Longxing Factory is mass-producing this time adopts a vacuum smelting + trace niobium element grain refinement process. Laboratory tests show that its compressive strength reaches the standard of 2000-meter deep sea, and its corrosion resistance life is five years longer than the design target."

"The rifle alloy stock has been mass-produced using molds, with dimensional tolerances controlled within 0.01 millimeters, resulting in a 30% weight reduction and a 20% increase in strength."

He raised his hand to signal, and the technician immediately started the on-site testing equipment.

A laser detector scanned the special steel test piece, and a series of impressive data appeared on the screen; the alloy gunstock was fixed on the impact testing machine and withstood ten simulated combat impacts, remaining intact.

A military observer leaned closer to the display case, tapping the stock of a rifle through the glass, and turned to ask Li Yu, "Can this alloy process be adapted for use with other small arms?"

Li Yu nodded, "Absolutely. We've already done compatibility testing, and this process is compatible with accessories for submachine guns and sniper rifles, which can increase mass production efficiency by five times."

The observer nodded and asked no more questions—he only cared about the suitability of the materials and never mentioned the deployment of troops, striking the perfect balance.

As soon as the showroom inspection was completed, Liu Jie suggested going to the workshop to see the site.

Sparks flew everywhere in the welding workshop.

Old Wang's eldest apprentice, Zhao Gang, was standing in front of the vacuum welding equipment, intently welding a steel plate for an armored vehicle.

His wrist was as steady as if it were rooted to the ground, and the blue arc of electricity danced. In less than ten minutes, a fine and smooth weld was formed.

Liu Jie stepped forward, patted Zhao Gang on the shoulder, and then looked at Old Wang beside him: "Master Wang, you've trained a fine apprentice!"

Old Wang grinned, his wrinkled face smoothing out: "It's all thanks to the chief engineer's excellent guidance; we were just practicing our skills!"

The scene in the small arms parts workshop was a real eye-opener for the inspection team.

The robotic arms methodically stamped, polished, and assembled, producing alloy gunstocks one after another from the production line. Zhou Qiming, holding a freshly finished product, ran to Liu Jie:

"Minister Liu, look! Before, we could only make ten pieces a day by hand, but now we can make fifty pieces an hour, and every single one meets the standard!"

Liu Jie picked up a rifle butt, weighed it in his hand, and examined the texture against the light. He exclaimed, "This is the true strength of an industrial powerhouse! It's not just talk, it's the turning machines and the flowing molten steel!"

During a break in the inspection process, a small figure darted into the workshop.

Nannan ran towards Li Yu, holding up a crooked little warship. The warship was made of scrap steel plates glued together, and there was a picture on the hull of a bright red five-star flag.

"Dad! Look at my warship! It's made of steel plates and can protect our country!"

The inspection team members were amused.

Liu Jie squatted down, patted the little girl's head, and looked at the small warship. He said gently, "The little girl's warship will definitely become a real big ship in the future, floating on the sea and protecting our sea borders."

Nannan nodded vigorously and hugged the little warship even tighter.

At lunchtime, the cafeteria was filled with the aroma of food.

The inspection team members and workers sat together, eating braised pork and chatting about things in the workshop. Li Huaide was busy refilling tea and water, while Li Yu was surrounded by experts discussing the optimization plan for mass production of special steel.

At the afternoon's debriefing meeting, Liu Jie solemnly announced in front of everyone:

"The mass production results of Longxing Factory fully meet national requirements! This batch of special steel and light weapon alloy parts will be included in the 'White Paper on Supporting Materials Technology for Chinese Military Industry' as a core technological bargaining chip in subsequent diplomatic negotiations!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the workshop.

When the news reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, the preparatory group for the negotiations was holding a crucial meeting.

Liu Jie walked into the conference room with the mass production report from Longxing Factory and placed it on the table:

"Gentlemen, we have confidence now! Longxing Factory can stably produce special steel in large quantities, and the Type 95 spare parts can be supplied efficiently. The upgrade of our coastal defense equipment is just around the corner!"

The head of the preparatory group picked up the report, flipped through a few pages, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "Good! Let's stick to this negotiation strategy—not an inch will be conceded on the sovereignty issue, the right to station troops must be in our hands, the transition period can be discussed, but Britain must relinquish its military presence in Hong Kong! The prerequisite for economic cooperation is respect for our technical standards!"

When the summary of the "White Paper on Military Supporting Materials Technology" released by the Ministry of Industry of China was placed on the cabinet meeting table, the Minister of the Navy's face turned pale instantly.

He pointed to the words "Longxing Factory's special steel production is stable" on the report, his voice trembling: "Their coastal defense equipment will soon be fully replaced with this material! Our fleet in the Far East will no longer have any advantage!"

The Chancellor of the Exchequer slumped in his chair, staring at the trade reports in his hand, muttering to himself, "If the negotiations break down, our small arms manufacturers won't even be able to buy alloy blanks..."

The Prime Minister closed his eyes and remained silent for a full ten minutes.

Finally, he opened his eyes, his voice weary but unusually firm: "Inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the demand for stationing troops be removed from the negotiation proposal. Stop arguing about sovereignty."

As night deepened, the wind from the Bohai Bay, carrying a salty and damp scent, swept across the Longxing Factory area.

"The Ministry of Industry called."

Li Huaide held a newly received notice in his hand, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement, "The negotiation delegation will depart next week, bringing ten special steel billets and fifty gunstock parts from our factory as physical evidence for the negotiation site."

Li Yu nodded.

From the distant workshop, the low hum of machines and the laughter of Old Wang and his apprentice could be heard.

Zhou Qiming's mold production line is still operating smoothly, and the trajectory of the robotic arm across the night sky is like a twinkling star.