Reborn in 1982: I Became the Richest Man by Repairing Cars

Jiang Hui did not stay in Lin Wanqiu's room for long.

He had no qualms about being alone with a woman in a room, but he still had to consider Lin Wanqiu's reputation.

For the next two days, Jiang Hui's repair stall returned to its usual deserted state.

But the story of him repairing the imported Crown, which even the most experienced mechanics dared not touch, at the entrance of Yonghe Temple spread far and wide in Wudaoying Hutong.

Most of the neighbors were still skeptical, thinking that Jiang Hui had just hit the jackpot.

But the amount of gossip and idle chatter has visibly decreased.

Everyone was watching to see if this kid really had any skills, or if it was just pure luck.

That noon, under the big poplar tree, Jiang Hui sat on his toolbox as usual, holding a car repair book that Jiang Dadong had either found or borrowed from some scrap yard.

He pretended to flip through the book, but his mind was already far away, and he didn't even notice that he was holding the book upside down.

"Xiao Jiang, I have a question for you!"

Jiang Hui was jolted back to reality when his neighbor Chen Qingxiang's voice suddenly rang out in front of him. He looked up and saw that the other man was staring at him anxiously.

"If a truck has a problem—unstable idling speed, stalling as soon as you release the accelerator, and a persistently high idle speed after a cold start—what could be the cause?"

Upon hearing that it was a professional question, Jiang Hui immediately perked up.

His intuition told him that there was probably a significant opportunity hidden behind this.

"These symptoms seem to match problems such as aging spark plugs, burnt distributor contacts, and excessive valve clearance."

Jiang Hui frowned slightly, pondered seriously, and said, "However, we need to see the car's condition on the spot to find out the specific problem. We can't just talk about it."

He answered quickly and accurately, and what he said was almost exactly the same as what Chen Qingxiang had heard the maintenance workers at the factory repeat.

Chen Qingxiang immediately had an idea. He slapped his thigh and lowered his voice: "To be honest, one of the few Jiefang CA10C trucks our factory just picked up at the beginning of the year has recently developed this problem!"

"The experienced mechanics in the factory's repair shop have been working on it for almost a week, disassembling and reassembling the engine several times, but the problem just won't go away!" Chen Qingxiang sighed with a worried expression. "The transportation schedule is incredibly tight right now; every truck is a lifesaver, and losing even one would cause major delays!"

Jiang Hui's eyes lit up, and he immediately replied, "Uncle Chen, can I give this job a try?"

He paused, then added, "Whether it's fixed in the end or not, I'll give you a two-dollar referral fee!"

Having lived in the same courtyard for so many years, Jiang Hui had long since figured out Chen Qingxiang's personality—he wasn't a bad person, just a bit stingy and liked to take advantage of others.

The most effective way to deal with this kind of person is to directly bring up money.

"Hey, let's not talk about money, that's too formal!"

Chen Qingxiang was polite, but the wrinkles around his eyes crinkled into a wide smile. "Tomorrow morning when I go to work, you'll come with me to the factory. I'll talk to the manager and try to get you a chance!"

Two yuan in extra income was no small sum in those days when the average wage was only thirty or forty yuan.

Chen Qingxiang, who was originally hesitant about whether to introduce Jiang Hui, no longer had any hesitation.

"That would be great! Thank you so much, Uncle Chen! I'll hitch a ride with you on your bicycle tomorrow morning!"

Jiang Hui was delighted. He quickly gathered up the wooden planks and toolbox on the ground and followed Chen Qingxiang into the courtyard.

On the way, he subtly inquired about Shougang's situation.

Shougang, that's a well-known and prestigious enterprise in the capital!

Although most of the factory's goods are transported by rail, the road transport fleet is mainly responsible for material transfer and short-distance delivery within the factory area.

However, their business was too large, with hundreds of trucks alone, not to mention a number of cars and special vehicles.

If he can make a name for himself at Shougang, his car repair stall will never have to worry about not having customers.

Thinking about it that way, that two yuan referral fee was absolutely worth it!

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Hui, carrying his toolbox, waited for Chen Qingxiang at the entrance of the courtyard.

The journey from Wudaoying Hutong to Shougang is quite long.

Fortunately, the autumn weather is clear and crisp, and the morning breeze is cool, making it the most comfortable time of year in Beijing.

Jiang Hui sat on the back of Chen Qingxiang's old-fashioned bicycle, mingling in the massive traffic of commuters. After a bumpy ride, he finally arrived at the Shougang gate on time at 8:30.

After registering their identity information and receiving a temporary access pass, they followed Chen Qingxiang into the factory area.

The factory area was bustling with activity, with machines humming and workers in blue overalls everywhere.

Chen Qingxiang, familiar with the place, led Jiang Hui to a Jiefang CA10C parked in an open space.

"Wait here for a bit, I'll go talk to Section Chief Zhou, who's in charge!"

After saying that, he ran away as fast as he could.

Jiang Hui nodded and circled the Jiefang CA10C twice.

About fifteen minutes later, a manager in his thirties, wearing a Shougang uniform with a pen clipped to his pocket, followed Chen Qingxiang over.

"Section Chief Zhou, this is Master Jiang I was telling you about!"

With a beaming smile, Chen Qingxiang introduced him, "Don't let his youth fool you, he's incredibly capable!"

"A few days ago, an imported Crown broke down in front of the Yonghe Temple. Many experienced mechanics couldn't fix it, but he fixed it in no time!"

"Yesterday I told him about the problem with our CA10C, and he immediately came up with several possibilities!"

Chen Qingxiang patted his chest and guaranteed, "The mechanics in the repair shop have been working on it for so long without success. Instead of wasting time here, why don't we let Master Jiang give it a try!"

"Don't worry, he said he won't charge a penny if he can't fix it!"

"Good morning, Section Chief Zhou!" Jiang Hui stepped forward and greeted him respectfully. "I'm confident I can fix the problem with this Jiefang CA10C truck. I guarantee it'll be running normally before I leave work today!"

While waiting, Jiang Hui had already figured out the fault with the help of the system.

Surprisingly, this vehicle did not exhibit the typical cause of the malfunction.

Problems mentioned in some auto repair shops, such as spark plug aging, distributor contact erosion, and excessive valve clearance, are not correct.

The real reason was actually a blockage in the carburetor's idle jet and carbon buildup in the idle fuel passage.

The idle speed metering orifice of the Jiefang CA10C is only 0.5-0.8mm in diameter and is hidden inside the idle speed oil passage under the carburetor, making it impossible to observe directly with the naked eye.

The carbon buildup in the idling fuel passage is an internal adhesion, and if the fuel passage is not specifically cleaned when the carburetor is disassembled externally, the blockage cannot be detected at all.

No wonder the experienced workers at Shougang Steel spent over a week trying to figure it out but still couldn't get it right!

This problem is neither particularly difficult nor easy.

It doesn't require any high-tech testing equipment; it relies on experience, keen eyesight, and skillful handling.

For Jiang Hui, this was practically a golden opportunity delivered right to his doorstep!

Are you really confident you can fix it?

Zhou Ming looked Jiang Hui up and down, his brows furrowing into a knot.

There was nothing they could do; Jiang Hui was simply too young, looking no more than twenty years old.

The auto repair business is like traditional Chinese medicine; it's all about experience. Who can trust someone who's young?

"Section Chief Zhou, think about it, how many times has this car's engine been disassembled and reassembled?"

Chen Qingxiang chimed in, "Even if Master Jiang can't fix it today, we can just try again. It can't be worse than it is now, can it?"

"Master Chen, you make it sound so easy!"

Zhou Ming glared at him and said irritably, "Isn't the time wasted time? Isn't the work delayed work?"

"Besides, what if his skills aren't up to par and he damages the car? Who will take responsibility then?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qingxiang was immediately speechless, stammering for a long time without being able to come up with any rebuttal.

Jiang Hui knew that it was time for him to step forward.

He took a step forward, looking at Zhou Ming with unwavering determination: "Section Chief Zhou, how about we make a bet?"

"If I can't fix this car today, I'll give you ten yuan as compensation for the delay!"

"If it's fixed, just give me twenty yuan for the repair fee!"