Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The next morning, it was broad daylight.

He Daqing got ready early and went to work with Sha Zhu. At the gate of the courtyard, a grass-green Hongxing brand car was parked quietly. The car was brand new and sleek, and it was Sha Zhu's current personal vehicle. The engine hummed softly, and the car smoothly drove out of the alley, heading straight for the Hongxing United Industrial Corporation.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the main factory canteen, and the two got out and went straight into the kitchen. As soon as they arrived at their posts, Sha Zhu immediately assigned tasks, instructing his apprentice Ma Hua and Fatty to take several kitchen helpers to the factory's logistics department to apply for construction materials such as bricks, cement, and sand, in order to prepare materials in advance for building the Western-style oven.

After assigning tasks to his subordinates, Sha Zhu didn't waste a moment. He turned around and headed straight for the office building to report to Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide.

Li Huaide was sitting in his office processing logistical documents when he heard that Shazhu had come to report on the preparations for the expert canteen. He immediately put down his work and took the stack of Western recipes and oven construction drawings that Shazhu handed him. This was a complete set of materials that Wang Huanbo had compiled and printed the night before. The content was detailed and the steps were clear, covering everything from the production process of Russian bread and Western formal meals to the size, structure, and construction techniques of professional ovens.

Li Huaide flipped through the pages, becoming more and more satisfied. He lightly tapped the furnace structure on the drawing with his fingertip: "The things Chief Engineer Wang brings out are reliable. With this formula as a foundation, you can avoid a lot of detours."

When Li Huaide heard Sha Zhu propose building a special Western-style oven in the main factory canteen to bake bread and Western staples, he immediately nodded in agreement:

"The approach is correct. Ensuring the experts' diet is of paramount importance. Only by paying close attention to the details can they feel secure enough to stay and work here. With their dedicated oven built, we can then ensure a stable and standardized supply of Western-style meals."

Without saying a word, he picked up a pen and wrote a special logistics approval slip, signed and stamped it, and handed it to Sha Zhu: "Take this slip directly to the logistics department to pick up the materials. I've already given you advance notice, so you'll be given priority. Get construction started as soon as possible and try to put it into use as soon as possible."

Sha Zhu hurried back to the canteen with the slip of paper in hand. Meanwhile, Ma Hua, Fatty, and their group had already efficiently completed the material requisition and returned in a hurry, pushing two flatbed carts loaded with bricks, cement, and sand. All the materials were complete and in place.

Once the materials are in place, construction can begin immediately.

Sha Zhu had no intention of passing on core skills like building an oven to his apprentices like Ma Hua and Fatty. These young people only knew basic kitchen chores and had no experience in building stoves and ovens. Even a slight mistake could lead to uneven oven temperatures, undercooked food, and burnt bottoms, delaying the important task of providing meals to the experts.

In the end, Sha Zhu and his son He Daqing took charge of the matter themselves.

Both father and son are seasoned veterans with solid skills. In his earlier years, Sha Zhu would go out to take on private wedding banquet jobs, while He Daqing would organize local banquets in Baoding year-round. He was most skilled at building temporary stoves on the spot and had a thorough understanding of the fire control, structure, ventilation layout, and load-bearing capacity of the stove. He was extremely experienced.

The two squatted on the ground, comparing the blueprints with the photographs, and quickly figured out the ins and outs of Western-style ovens.

"The furnace cavity is deeper than our traditional Chinese stove, so the heat storage layer needs to be two inches thicker," He Daqing said in a deep voice, tapping the blueprint with his fingertips.

"Okay, I'll prepare the base, you lay the top layer." Sha Zhu nodded in agreement, picked up the trowel, and got to work.

The core principle is similar to that of a traditional Chinese stove, involving only adjustments to the layout of the ventilation openings, heat storage layer, and baking cavity. The father and son quickly mastered it. Ma Hua, Fatty, and several helpers each performed their duties diligently, mixing cement, passing bricks, cleaning the area, and handing over tools. The father and son worked in perfect harmony, one leveling the base and the other building the stove body. Their techniques were skillful, their lines neat, and their measurements precise. There wasn't a single unnecessary word, and their hands-on skills were impeccable.

In just over an hour, a well-structured, sturdy, and well-ventilated Western-style oven was successfully built, with a neat appearance and standard structure, fully meeting the standards for professional kitchen use.

As soon as the oven was completed, Li Huaide took some time to come to the canteen to check on the progress.

He approached for a closer look, his gaze sweeping over the smooth, straight oven body, the precise and compliant ventilation openings, and the thick, stable heat storage layer, growing increasingly satisfied. The completion of this oven meant that the supply of Western-style staple foods and baked goods exclusively for Soviet experts was now completely guaranteed, eliminating any concerns about foreign experts being unaccustomed to the local food or environment.

Looking at the He family father and son, who were covered in dust after finishing their work, Li Huaide smiled gently. He casually took out a pack of premium Huazi cigarettes from his pocket, took out two cigarettes, and handed them to Shazhu and He Daqing respectively.

He Daqing had long lived at the bottom of society, enduring years of having to be subservient to others in Baoding. He had never received such courtesy from a factory leader before, and was immediately flattered. He quickly accepted the cigarette with both hands, pulled out a match from his pocket, and bowed to light it for Li Huaide. His posture was respectful but not obsequious, and he handled the situation perfectly.

Li Huaide took a drag of his cigarette and casually asked, "Master He, did you come here specifically to lend Zhu a hand?"

He Daqing, whose face was usually expressionless, managed a rare, sincere smile as he replied, "Director Li, I've settled in Beijing and am ready to start work anytime. Anyway, I'll be officially starting work in a couple of days, so coming over early to familiarize myself with the environment and lend a hand to Zhuzi is all part of my job."

"Good, that's a very good attitude." Li Huaide nodded approvingly, his tone sincere. "Soviet experts have come from afar to help us with industrial construction, so we must take good care of their lives. Food is the first priority; if they eat well, they'll have the energy to work."

After speaking, he turned to look at Sha Zhu, his expression becoming more serious, and formally assigned the task:

"Zhu Zi, from now on, you will be in charge of ensuring the meals for all the Soviet experts in the factory. I will contact Nan Yi to arrange for them to come and cooperate. Your father will also be on duty at all times. The three of you will keep a close eye on the taste of the dishes, the hygiene standards, and the meal delivery schedule. This is a tough task assigned to you by the factory, and there can be no mistakes."

The usually stubborn and occasionally domineering Sha Zhu had completely shed his impetuous arrogance, his face now plastered with a proper smile, and he decisively patted his chest:

"Don't worry, Director Li! With Chief Engineer Wang's prescription as a foundation, plus the help of my father and Nan Yi, I guarantee I'll arrange the experts' three meals a day perfectly, and I won't let the factory down. I guarantee I'll complete the task!"

Seeing his confident expression, Li Huaide felt completely relieved. Sha Zhu's culinary skills were already top-notch in the entire factory, and now, with the addition of He Daqing's veteran expertise and Nan Yi's meticulous attention to detail, the expert catering guarantee at Hongxing Factory was as solid as a rock.

At this moment, Li Huaide's state of mind was completely different from before.

In the past, after he was transferred to Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, he and the factory director Yang Weimin were like oil and water. The two had their own factions supporting them, and they secretly competed with each other, checked and balanced each other, and tried to take the opportunity to overthrow the other, seize control of the factory area, and fight for the right to speak in the factory.

But everything changed completely after Wang Huanbo took charge of the Hongxing Factory.

Wang Huanbo successively developed a number of disruptive new technologies and equipment, comprehensively raising the level of industrial manufacturing in China. His outstanding achievements brought the Hongxing Factory to the attention of the top leadership. The original local steel rolling mill was directly upgraded to the centrally administered Hongxing United Industrial Corporation, with a significant increase in administrative level and a complete transformation in size, resources, and structure.

To put it bluntly, it was Wang Huanbo who single-handedly expanded the Red Star Factory's business to its maximum potential.

Every new technology implemented and every industrial breakthrough is a genuine national achievement, carrying immense weight and receiving high attention from the top. Faced with this tremendous contribution, Li Huaide's father-in-law and the high-level forces behind Yang Weimin tacitly chose to put aside their personal grudges and abandon internal strife.

Compared to factional struggles and power strife, clinging to Wang Huanbo's coattails, fully supporting technological research and development, and sharing the credit for national-level industrial achievements is the safest and most cost-effective choice.

From then on, Li Huaide and Yang Weimin put aside their years of confrontation. The two cooperated tacitly and worked together sincerely, focusing on stabilizing the factory area order, ensuring scientific research and production, and making the most of every benefit of the times and national-level achievement. The atmosphere in the factory area was completely renewed.

After giving a brief instruction, finishing his cigarette, and confirming that the canteen's expert food preparation work was proceeding smoothly and in an orderly manner, Li Huaide did not linger any longer.

He turned and left the main factory canteen, preparing to go to the factory office building to give a detailed report to Party Secretary Yao Jianghe on the progress of logistical support and expert meal preparation, and to finalize the complete reception and support plan.