Live Stream 1980: Netizens Teach Me How to Make a Rocket by Hand

Northwest Command Headquarters, Red Confidential Telephone Line.

Zhang Zhengguo held the receiver, his palms slightly sweaty.

On the other end of the phone was Vice Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Machine Building, the chief steward of the national machinery industry.

"Old Zhang, you mean...?"

"Just put a black box on a regular hand-cranked machine tool, and it can do the work of an eighth-grade technician?"

The voice coming through the receiver was full of suspicion.

"0.01 precision, that's no joke."

"I used to think it was nonsense too."

Zhang Zhengguo glanced at Lin Xi standing in front of the desk, gritted his teeth, and said...

"But I saw it with my own eyes."

"I measured that part three times with a micrometer."

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"OK."

"Since you, Lao Zhang, dare to endorse it, I'll give you a chance."

Vice Minister Zhang said in a deep voice.

"Don't cause trouble at the small factories, go directly to Fengtian."

"Fengtian No. 1 Machine Tool Factory was the eldest son of our country's industry and the head of the 'Eighteen Arhats' in the machine tool industry."

"Let's see what it's like, and take it to the biggest horse racing track to have a go."

"I also want to see if this kid can really make a hole in the sky."

……

Three days later, in Fengtian.

The cold wind swirled snowflakes, slapping against the windshield of the jeep.

Lin Xi sat in the back row, next to Director Zhou from the Ministry of Machine Building.

Who would have thought that Director Zhou, who was trying to suppress Lin Xi at the Hongfeng Factory just a few months ago, would be all smiles now?

"Manager Lin, it's cold in Fengtian, please bear with it."

Director Zhou rubbed his hands together.

"The ministry sent me here to coordinate this time. If you have any issues, just tell me directly and don't hesitate to ask."

"That M1 kit..."

"If this really works out, it will be a huge event!"

Director Zhou is a smart man.

After reading the instructions for that kit, he completely switched sides.

He knew very well what this meant.

As the jeep rounded a street corner, a magnificent cluster of red-brick factory buildings suddenly came into view.

Huge chimneys spewed white smoke, and machines roared.

Above the main entrance, the large, gold-plated characters "Fengtian No. 1 Machine Tool Factory" gleamed in the winter sun.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments from viewers.

[Holy crap! This is the legendary Fengtian No. 1 Machine Gun?!]

See that workshop? The first metal national emblem was cast there!

[If you don't recognize this place, you've definitely seen the third set of currency. The lathe operator on that 2-yuan banknote is depicted in this very spot! A true industrial mecca!]

This place has achieved hundreds of firsts in China's machine tool industry! Just looking at it makes my legs weak...

This is truly a powerful national asset; the sense of oppression it exudes is unparalleled!

The comments section was filled with awe and wonder, as if on a pilgrimage.

Lin Xi looked at the door with a complicated expression.

This likely represents the highest level of Chinese industry in this era.

It may also represent the most stubborn pride.

The group entered the administration building.

They were received by Deputy Factory Director Ma, who was in charge of technology, and Section Chief Li of the Technology Department.

The meeting room was spacious and bright, and the heating was on full blast.

Oranges and cigarettes were laid out on the table, a gesture of good manners.

"We understand what the ministry means."

Deputy Factory Director Ma is over fifty years old.

Her hair was combed meticulously.

He picked up his teacup and blew on the floating leaves.

"Comrade Xiaolin has a lot of ideas; he wants to do CNC retrofitting."

Section Chief Li, who was standing next to Lin Xi, flipped through the technical manual that Lin Xi had brought and frowned slightly.

"External plug-in?"

Section Chief Li adjusted his glasses, his tone indifferent.

"We've worked on this technology before."

"Poor stability, difficult to maintain accuracy, and... it's too outdated."

He closed the manual and tossed it onto the table.

"Since we're here, let's give it a try."

Section Chief Li stood up.

"But let me make this clear from the start."

"Our testing standards are aligned with international ISO standards; even the slightest deviation is unacceptable."

......

Inside the workshop.

An older C620 was freed up.

Lin Xi didn't speak, but simply nodded to Zhao Qiang.

Zhao Qiang carried the toolbox and skillfully installed the M1 kit.

The installation was completed shortly afterward.

"Please give me a question." Lin Xi gestured.

Section Chief Li casually handed over a drawing:

"Stepped shaft, tolerance 0.01mm".

Load the material, input the parameters, and start the motor.

That distinctive, high-frequency, and precise buzzing sound rang out again.

Deputy Factory Director Ma was originally standing to the side with his hands behind his back, exchanging pleasantries with Director Zhou.

Upon hearing the sound, my ears twitched, and I turned around.

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon their first move.

The blade holder slides on the guide rail, fast, accurate, and ruthless.

It lacks the cautious probing of a seasoned craftsman; it's entirely a violent aesthetic controlled by a programmed system.

Two minutes later, the spindle braked.

Lin Xi picked up the parts, but before she could hand them over, Director Zhou took them first.

He took out his own calipers from his pocket, clamped them in place, and read the value.

"hiss--"

Director Zhou gasped and handed the calipers to Deputy Factory Director Ma.

"Director Ma, look!"

Not bad at all.

Deputy Factory Director Ma's expression shifted, and he finally dropped his nonchalant demeanor.

He took the part and gently stroked the machined surface with his fingertips. The surface was extremely smooth; it was indeed a high-quality job.

But he did not show the kind of shock that Director Zhou, who had never seen the world, had.

"The accuracy did indeed reach 0.01."

Deputy Factory Director Ma put the part down and nodded.

"It's a good thing for township enterprises or the repair and maintenance industry."

Lin Xi raised an eyebrow: "What does Director Ma mean?"

"Kobayashi."

Deputy Factory Director Ma patted Lin Xi on the shoulder earnestly.

He pointed to the enclosed, temperature-controlled workshop in the distance.

"Do you see that over there?"

"That was a collaborative project between us and Yamazaki Iron Works in Japan."

A hint of pride appeared on Deputy Factory Director Ma's face:

"What we want to introduce are true, full-featured CNC machine tools."

"It's world-class technology."

"That's the real army, they're on motorcycles."

He then pointed to the M1 kit:

"You..."

"It's like putting a motor on a bicycle."

"They may run fast, but they're ultimately not up to par."

"Our Fengtian No. 1 Machine Gun is a national team, representing the face of the country."

"We must narrow the gap with international standards in cutting-edge fields!"

Section Chief Li added from the side,

"This kind of 'patching' technology is not in line with our approach."

Director Zhou became anxious:

"Director Ma, but this stuff is cheap!"

"They've revitalized so many of our country's old machine tools!"

"Director Zhou."

Deputy Factory Director Ma smiled and interrupted him.

"What we need to do now is high-tech and cutting-edge technology, which is comparable to Europe and the United States."

"This kind of low-end production capacity will be phased out gradually in the future."

"Keep a copy of the data; we'll keep it as a technical reserve for our records."

Deputy Factory Director Ma glanced at his watch.

"I have to go receive the Japanese delegation now, so I won't be able to keep you company any longer."

An order to leave.

Tactful and dignified, yet extremely arrogant.

They stand on the clouds, looking down on things in the mud.

Lin Xi smiled.

There was no argument, not even a single rebuttal.

He simply waved his hand deftly, instructing Zhao Qiang to dismantle the equipment.

"Since Director Ma doesn't think so, then we won't bother you any longer."

Lin Xi said calmly.