Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

With the crucial vacuum tube, the CNC machine tool development team was greatly empowered. Wang Huanbo gradually released the complex circuit control system drawings (which had also been carefully "translated" and simplified) to the electrical engineers. The process was not smooth sailing; welding, debugging, failure, and more debugging... it was a recurring cycle. But Wang Huanbo always managed to offer constructive suggestions at critical moments, as if he possessed a discerning eye to see through faults. The workers privately whispered that Chief Engineer Wang was "the reincarnation of Lu Ban," descended to earth with a celestial book.

Meanwhile, the beasts in the courtyard were also busy. Yi Zhonghai remained fixated on taking his aunt around seeking medical treatment, dreaming of having a child in his old age. He was indifferent to the factory's fervent technical research, even somewhat sour, thinking Wang Huanbo was "neglecting his duties" and only doing superficial things. Liu Haizhong became even "stricter" with his sons, trying to "whip" the two engineers with a belt, resulting in chaos. Seeing Wang Huanbo becoming increasingly valued, Xu Damao flattered him even more, occasionally sending movie tickets and peanuts in an attempt to get close. Yan Bugui, meanwhile, kept a small notebook calculating how much bonus Wang Huanbo would receive if the project succeeded, wondering if he could "borrow" some to tide him over. The Jia family remained gloomy. Jia Dongxu's personality had changed drastically after his disability, Qin Huairu was heavily pregnant and managing the household chores, Jia Zhangshi was constantly cursing, and life was a struggle.

Wang Huanbo ignored all the trivial matters in the courtyard; his mind was entirely focused on the workshop. Finally, on the eve of the Spring Festival in 1955, a historic moment arrived!

"Final check of each unit!"

"Power on!"

"Control system self-test...passed!"

"Mount the test specimen!"

"Enter the processing program!"

The workshop was completely silent. Everyone held their breath, staring at the behemoth—the first three-axis CNC milling machine in New China! Wang Huanbo personally clamped a special alloy blank onto the worktable and entered the program he had "designed" for machining a complex gearbox into a simple paper tape reader.

"start up!"

With Wang Huanbo's command, the machine tool emitted a deep hum! The servo motor drove the milling cutter, precisely cutting the metal along the preset trajectory! Sparks flew, metal chips danced, and the cutter moved smoothly and accurately, a stark contrast to the traditional milling machines next to it that required the full concentration of experienced operators!

One hour, two hours… When the machining process ended and the milling cutter retracted, a complex and highly precise gearbox was revealed before everyone! The surveyor stepped forward and repeatedly measured with a micrometer and calipers, reporting in a trembling voice: “Dimensions… all dimensions are within tolerance! Precision… meets design requirements!”

"It's a success!"

"We did it!"

A deafening cheer erupted in the workshop! Workers embraced each other excitedly, some veteran workers even with tears in their eyes! Factory Director Yang and Secretary Wang gripped Wang Huanbo's hands tightly, too moved to speak! This signified a milestone for China in the field of precision manufacturing! The news was quickly reported, causing a stir within the Ministry of Industry and even at higher levels!

Looking at the cheering crowd, Wang Huanbo felt a sense of accomplishment, but even more so, a calm composure. This was only the first step. He struck while the iron was hot, showing Director Yang and Secretary Wang the meticulously prepared design sketches of the "Red Star" sedan.

"Factory Director, Party Secretary, the success of CNC machine tools has made it possible for us to process more complex parts. Next, I want to try... building cars!" Wang Huanbo said in a surprising way.

"A car?!" Director Yang and Secretary Wang stared wide-eyed at the sleek lines and imposing design of the sedan on the blueprints! It looked much better than the Soviet GAZ and American Jeeps on the streets! And it was a four-door sedan!

"Yes! Cars for ordinary people!" Wang Huanbo explained, "We can use CNC machine tools to machine key parts such as engines and transmissions. The car body will be hand-hammered for now, but once larger equipment arrives, we can start mass production..."

This idea is incredibly bold, yet also extremely tempting! If domestically produced cars could be manufactured, the political and economic significance would be immeasurable! Especially as a gift for National Day!

The ministry's approval came quickly: full support! The "Red Star Sedan Development Project Team" was established, still led by Wang Huanbo! Funds and personnel were provided as needed! At the same time, Wang Huanbo's contributions were highly praised and kept confidential.

The steel mill was abuzz with excitement once again! Building cars! This was an immense honor! The project team was quickly assembled, bringing together even more elite talent. Wang Huanbo gradually deciphered the technical blueprints of the EA111 engine, leading the team to overcome numerous challenges. CNC machine tools played a crucial role, precisely machining key components such as the cylinder block, crankshaft, and camshaft. In the body shop, experienced sheet metal masters, with their superb skills, hammered out streamlined body panels, one hammer blow at a time. Although inefficient, this ensured the quality of the first prototype.

Wang Huanbo was incredibly busy, shuttling between workshops to solve technical problems and coordinate resources. His superhuman energy and profound knowledge once again impressed everyone. Everyone said, "Working under Chief Engineer Wang, we'd be willing to work ourselves to death!"

In the courtyard, Wang Huanbo's "mystery" and "attention" reached new heights. Even Sha Zhu exclaimed, "Huanbo has really done something big this time! Our courtyard has produced a true dragon!" Yi Zhonghai remained even more silent, Liu Haizhong beat his son even harder, Xu Damao fawned over him even more diligently, and Yan Bugui's abacus clicked loudly as he plotted how to benefit from his success. Jia Zhangshi secretly cursed, feeling that Wang Huanbo's glory made her family look even more miserable.

Wang Huanbo had no time for anything else; he had a grander plan in mind: once the car successfully rolled off the production line, he would utilize the technology of the 20000-ton hydraulic press. At that time, car bodies could be mass-produced by stamping, significantly reducing costs! And all of this was proceeding in a tense yet orderly manner. A people's car belonging to the new China was slowly taking shape amidst the sweat and wisdom of countless people.