Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Faced with a huge production capacity gap and the implicit disdain of Soviet experts, Wang Huanbo accelerated the progress of the 20000-ton hydraulic press project. He knew that this was not only key to solving the bottleneck in automobile production, but also a "national strategic asset" to enhance the overall strength of the country's heavy industry!

With the strong support and coordination of the Ministry of Industry, a joint research team for heavy-duty hydraulic presses was quickly established, comprised of top experts and skilled workers from companies such as Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, Northern Heavy Machinery Plant, and Shanghai Heavy Machinery Plant. Wang Huanbo was appointed as the chief technical leader. The project was codenamed "Striving Machine"—meaning to fight for pride, break the foreign monopoly, and prove that the Chinese can do it themselves!

The research and development site was set up at the Northern Heavy Machinery Plant, which had a relatively strong industrial base. Wang Huanbo, carrying the technical data that had been "rationalized" and "phased out" (derived from system rewards), went to the front line of the project. This data included overall design drawings, processing technology of core components (such as giant columns, working cylinders, and superchargers), and the principles of hydraulic control systems. Although Wang Huanbo had made modifications to "reduce the complexity" and "fit the current technological level," its advanced nature and complexity still amazed the veteran workers and engineers involved in the project.

"Chief Engineer Wang, the forging and heat treatment processes for this pillar are too demanding! Our current equipment is probably..." A white-haired forging expert looked troubled.

"And the finishing of the inner wall of this large working cylinder, the requirements for smoothness and concentricity are simply too demanding!" A mechanical processing authority also shook his head.

The engineers working on the hydraulic control system were overwhelmed by the complex schematics: "These... so many of these hydraulic components are things we've never even seen before!"

Faced with numerous difficulties, Wang Huanbo remained calm. He fully utilized his technical leadership, organizing repeated discussions to break down major problems into smaller ones and cutting-edge technologies into achievable steps. On the other hand, leveraging his superior learning ability granted by the "Super Soldier Serum" and his advanced mechanical expertise, he personally worked alongside the skilled workers in the workshop, researching process improvements and even modifying equipment.

"If forging doesn't work, we can try segmented casting, electroslag remelting, and then welding together!" Wang Huanbo proposed an alternative.

"If the processing precision is not up to standard, we will use rudimentary methods, with the spirit of 'ants gnawing at bones,' to grind by hand and rely on scraping to ensure the contact surface!" He rolled up his sleeves and worked with the workers, using the most primitive scrapers to "carve out" the required flat surface bit by bit.

"If we don't have hydraulic components, we'll design them ourselves and commission capable manufacturers to produce them! If that doesn't work, we'll try to get samples from special channels to copy them!" He thought of his family's overseas channels.

During that period, Wang Huanbo lived and worked in the workshop, his face covered in grease and his hands blistered, sharing the hardships with the workers. His professionalism, dedication, and approachability greatly boosted morale. Everyone no longer saw it as an impossible task, but as a battle they had to win! Slogans plastered the workshop: "Fight for national pride!" "Self-reliance and hard work!" "Break the blockade and win glory for the country!"

When the news reached Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, Director Yang and Secretary Wang felt both distressed and proud, and continuously sent people to deliver supplies and express their condolences. The workers in the factory were also greatly encouraged. The veteran craftsmen in the automobile workshop were determined to ensure the quality of the exported cars, even if it meant hammering by hand, so as not to hold back the "national pride machine" project! Uncle Liu Haizhong grabbed the sledgehammer even more vigorously, feeling that he was contributing to "national affairs" and was one step closer to his dream of "becoming an official".

However, the road to overcoming technological challenges has never been smooth. During the trial production of the core component—a giant pillar weighing hundreds of tons—serious internal shrinkage cavities and cracks occurred during the first casting due to inadequate smelting and casting processes, turning it into a pile of scrap metal! There was widespread frustration on site.

Undeterred, Wang Huanbo organized an all-night meeting with experts to analyze the causes and adjust the formula and process. For the second casting, he stayed up for days and nights, personally monitoring the temperature and composition by the steel furnace. As the red-hot molten steel slowly poured into the massive sand mold, everyone's hearts were in their throats. Cooling, unpacking… when the intact, gleaming giant casting was finally revealed, a deafening cheer erupted in the workshop! Wang Huanbo also showed a tired but gratified smile.

Just as the hydraulic press project entered its most critical final assembly and commissioning phase, the international situation underwent a subtle shift. The Soviet Union seemed to have sensed China's intention to achieve independent breakthroughs in the field of heavy equipment, and its attitude became nuanced. The supply of some special steels and large machine tools, which had been previously promised, began to be delayed under various pretexts. Clearly, some people did not want China to truly possess "major national equipment."

This move did indeed bring great difficulties to the project. But by this time, Chinese industrial workers, inspired by the technological confidence and "striving for excellence" spirit brought by Wang Huanbo, had already united as one! No special steel? We'll smelt it ourselves! No large machine tools? We'll use "small machine tools to do big work," working like "ants carrying grains"!

Wang Huanbo also managed to obtain samples of key materials and some non-embargoed precision instruments from Western Europe through secret channels, relieving the immediate crisis. This assistance was carried out under absolute secrecy, becoming the unknown "secret weapon" of the "Striving Machine" project.

After nearly a year of arduous struggle, countless sleepless nights and toil, the massive 20000-ton hydraulic press has finally stood tall in a huge workshop in the north! It is about to undergo its first full-load test run!

This was a crucial test concerning the dignity of the nation's industry! Wang Huanbo stood in front of the control panel, took a deep breath, and pressed the start button...