Start with a blacksmith shop.

Chapter 152 Various Demolitions

At the Hongdu Factory, the assembly workshop where airplanes were first produced, the earlier-arriving planes had already been pushed in.

They even gave the plane a deep cleaning; if you had taken that cleaning to a car wash, it would probably have cost over two thousand.

Li Zhenhua, who arrived by airship, did not rush to Hongdu immediately, but rested for the night at a hotel near the airport.

That day, he rushed to the assembly workshop of Hongdu Factory. The plane was in the center, surrounded by a circle of ladders.

The mechanic who had worked with him on the aircraft was also waiting by the plane. All the preparations were complete, and all that was left was to wait for his arrival.

Upon his arrival, and at his command, everyone present began to attack the plane in front of them.

It wasn't initially needed for this disassembly; it's just serving as a reassurance right now.

When they reach the core parts, that's when he'll need to take action.

Yan Hang was still standing beside him; the old man had practically become his receptionist at the Hongdu factory.

But every time he came over, Yan Hang would make time to spend with him.

In Yan Hang's words, seeing such talented and gifted aviation professionals fills him with immense joy.

Even if he wasn't from Hongdu, he was still contributing to Kyushu.

Moreover, as a state-owned factory, Hongdu Machinery Plant didn't actually place that much importance on certain things.

Their sole purpose was to provide better aircraft for Kyushu; this was the purpose of the state-owned factory.

"Zhenhua, there's an airshow in Xiangshan County this year, and Hongdu plans to bring a model of the Lijian UAV to show it off."

So, do you have any plans to get involved too?

This is a grand event for Kyushu; it's usually a time when Kyushu companies make a fortune.

When the wealthy people of Camel Country return and make huge purchases, they'll become a major customer. You can tell by how many airships they buy—hundreds at a time!

The two started chatting by the plane, and Yan Hang didn't beat around the bush, directly promoting the Kyushu Xiangshan County Airshow to him.

This airshow is world-renowned, and it is also a grand event for defense equipment. Some people even say that it is a trade fair specially prepared for Sha.

"We have an air show in Kyushu this year? I hadn't been paying attention to that before."

But I really want to participate, and I don't have any products, so what's the point of me joining in the fun!

He really wanted to go and see the air show in Kyushu, but he couldn't very well bring his snowmobile to participate.

"Who said you don't have any products? Look, isn't this a product?"

After he finished speaking, Yan Hang pointed directly at the plane that was about to be torn to pieces and said...

"Old man, we can't joke about this. Can this plane participate in the airshow? Will the Air Force agree to it?"

"These days, my opinion alone doesn't count; the relevant departments have to approve it for it to be effective."

He had considered it before, both the large and small airplanes he had created, but the current situation made him rule them out.

The large aircraft now belongs to the Air Force, and he doesn't even know where his small plane is now; it's likely his opinion doesn't matter anyway.

Both of these most suitable pieces of equipment are in the hands of the military. If he were to manufacture another one to participate in the exhibition, there would likely be a risk of leaking state secrets.

"Zhenhua, you're mistaken. I reckon the higher-ups are practically begging for you to go."

As for the reason, you can call Minister Wang when you have time and ask him. I think he should be able to give you an answer!

Yan Hang didn't explain it very clearly, and it was precisely this kind of rhetoric that made Li Zhenhua very curious.

After Yan Hang told him about this, his attention shifted from the large aircraft in front of him to the airshow.

Somewhat impatient, he told Yan Hang and went to a corner of the workshop to make a phone call to Minister Wang.

We need to find out the details of this matter, otherwise we might end up making a mess of things like last time.

The phone rang a few times, then connected. Before he could speak, a young voice came from the other end asking a question.

"Hello, may I ask who you are? Minister Wang is in a meeting. If you have anything to say, please let me know and I will pass it on."

"Oh, hello, this is Li Zhenhua. I have something to discuss with Minister Wang. Since Minister Wang is in a meeting, I'll call you back when I have time."

The person who answered the phone was not Minister Wang, and he did not elaborate, only stating who he was.

He thought he'd play at a different time; there was no rush.

He walked back to Yan Hang's side, smiled at the old man, and said nothing else.

The aircraft's engines were quickly removed by the technicians, and two engines were placed on special hoists and pushed aside.

The technicians then continued disassembling the aircraft, replacing or repairing other parts, until the entire aircraft was completely disassembled into parts.

Seeing that the engine had been removed, he knew it was time for him to make his move.

He pushed one of the engines aside and actively analyzed various data on the aircraft with his eyes.

He then picked up tools and began to reassemble the entire engine, disassembling and analyzing it as he went.

The engine parts were categorized and set aside according to their wear level and whether they were usable.

After the engine was completely disassembled, he also picked out the parts that needed to be replaced, among which the bearings were the most noticeably worn.

This part is the first one that needs to be replaced. Although he chose his own new type of air bearing, it cannot withstand such high-intensity use.

Just as he was about to disassemble the second engine, his phone rang. When he picked it up, he saw that the number was not a regular number, but a string of random characters.

Upon seeing such a number, he planned to hang up. These numbers are usually VoIP numbers, mostly from northern Myanmar.

But then he remembered that he had just contacted Minister Wang. Could it be that Minister Wang was calling?

"Feed? Hello?"

"Xiao Li, this is Wang Yuesheng. I heard from my civil servant that you called before."

I'm free right now, so I'm calling you back!

"Is there something you need from me?"

It really was Minister Wang who called back. He was planning to call Minister Wang again tomorrow, but Wang Yuesheng called back right away!

"Minister Wang, it's not really a big deal, I just wanted to ask..."

Can I bring two airplanes, one large and one small, to the Xiangshan County Airshow?

I'm currently at the Hongdu factory, doing a major overhaul on a large aircraft.

I only found out about the airshow this year when I was chatting with Mr. Yan Hang!

He didn't waste time with pleasantries; he got straight to the point, saving both the other person's and his own time.

"That's a great idea! You should definitely participate!"

The participation of private enterprises like yours will add a lot of color to the Xiangshan County Airshow.

Your two aircraft, one large and one small, perfectly meet the requirements for exhibiting.

Don't have any doubts, just go for it.

We are now planning to open up qualifications for private military industrial enterprises, and we have already communicated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Your two aircraft are not currently in service in Kyushu.

The two aircraft are currently with the military, and are only there to help you refine their experimental work.

As Minister Wang spoke, he even encouraged him to attend the airshow, which was something Li Zhenhua hadn't expected; the other party's attitude was completely unexpected.

Although he was puzzled as to why, he became excited after understanding the meaning behind it.

The last time he went to the Canada International Airshow, he went along as a parts supplier for Hongdu Machinery.

And at this upcoming airshow, he's going to participate as an exhibitor company, specifically a private enterprise.

Now that he has received a reply allowing him to participate in the exhibition, he needs to prepare his products accordingly.

Then I thought about whether focusing on just two aircraft manufacturers would be too limited in terms of product line, or whether we should prepare more products.

The large aircraft and the small aircraft, which have no names or models, were able to participate in the Xiangshan County Airshow.

And there's no need to limit yourself entirely to airplanes; other things are fine too.

His thoughts were jumbled and disorganized, with all sorts of ideas popping up. When he came to his senses, the disassembled engine was still lying in front of him.

The airshow isn't urgent; what he needs to do now is address the major overhaul of this large aircraft.

He pushed over another engine, and then dismantled it completely.

As he walked and disassembled the engine, he kept thinking that the two aircraft he had built still didn't have an official name.

It must have been tough on these two aircraft manufacturers, as he kept referring to them as "big plane" and "small plane."

It's time to name the two aircraft. Their company is called Kyushu Mythical Beasts, so the product names should naturally be taken from mythical beasts.

Of the Four Divine Beasts, only the White Tiger has returned to its rightful place; the other three remain unclaimed.

The Vermilion Bird is also a mythical bird, and it corresponds to the element of fire in the Five Elements theory. The success of a jet aircraft is related to fire.

This also fits the positioning of this aircraft, and he had used the Vermilion Bird pattern on the previous small aircraft, but it was not officially named.

He then decided on the names: the larger one would be called Suzaku 8, and the smaller one Suzaku 3, which was in line with Li Zhenhua's naming conventions.

As he disassembled the engine and pondered the situation, the names of the two aircraft were decided.

Both engines were completely disassembled, and all the parts that needed to be replaced were tallied up.

After settling the engine issue, he returned to the workshop. There was still one troublesome part of the fuselage that he needed to disassemble personally: the variable-sweep wing casing.

With the current skill level of these technicians, routine maintenance is sufficient, but complete disassembly is still beyond their capabilities.

The variable-sweep wing was reduced to a pile of parts in his hands, and after he had dismantled these parts, there were no other important parts left on the aircraft.

The purpose of his trip to Hongdu has been basically achieved. The remaining work can only be done after he returns to the hometown of calligraphy and painting.

Because all his materials, equipment, and everything else are at home.

(End of this chapter)