Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

Jia Dongxu stood to the side, a string of question marks popping into his mind.

Yesterday he was calling me Dongxu all the time, but now he doesn't recognize me anymore?

Yi Zhonghai paused for a second, then realized what he meant, and his face crinkled into a wide smile: "Jia Dongxu!"

"That's right, Jia Dongxu." Gao Jianguo repeated the name again. "Master Jia, before the machining work starts, you should help out Section Chief Wu."

Section Chief Wu, you'll handle the matchmaking and networking; you'll take care of the paperwork and other miscellaneous tasks, like the batch of nickel powder we just mentioned.

Old Wu secretly nodded in approval after assigning him a nimble-footed assistant.

Young people are quite considerate of veteran cadres.

Jia Dongxu quickly responded.

"If you encounter any difficulties with the work you just took on, please feel free to contact Section Chief Wu and me, and we will try to find a solution."

Liu Qiang couldn't hold back any longer: "Old Gao, what about me? What about me?"

When the younger generation in the factory get together, they like to learn from the older comrades, always referring to them as "Old Zhang" or "Old Li".

"Rongguo, what's the rush? Come with me, let's tinker with the electrodes together."

Liu Qiang was dumbfounded: "Isn't there a stove burning over there by Sister Fang?"

Gao Jianguo laughed: "Sister Fang's materials are for testing protective tubes, while we're burning electrode materials."

The nickel powder steel plant agreed. Other materials will mainly be sourced by the plant itself. I'll give you a list later, and you can find them according to the items listed, including chromium powder and silicon powder.

If the factory doesn't have it, come find me again.

"Oh right, while you're at it, go and get the availability of Corey's small vacuum induction furnace. We'll need it later."

I still need to work on the selection and proportioning of materials. Once you have everything ready, we can start trial production of the electrodes.

Liu Qiang felt relieved: "Okay, put it on me."

All the work was assigned, everyone took their assigned tasks, and everyone dispersed.

Electrode preparation is the most difficult step, and Gao Jianguo plans to take the path of powder metallurgy.

To put it simply, it involves mixing the main powders of nickel, chromium, and silicon with additives, catalysts, and trace elements in the correct proportions, pressing them into shape using a mold, and then sintering them in a vacuum induction furnace.

The advantage of powder metallurgy is that the firing temperature is much lower than that of molten iron by smelting.

Burning in a vacuum environment makes the capacity-enhancing reaction smoother, reduces gas mixing, and allows for better control of substances entering and leaving the system, resulting in a product with fewer impurities and higher quality.

By combining the two, the cost of electrode preparation can increase significantly.

Of course, it's easy to say, but when you actually do it, there are many twists and turns.

The Third Rolling Mill was a large factory with a solid foundation. In the 1950s, it had vacuum metallurgy technology that was still rare in China. Gao Jianguo recalled a saying he had often heard people say in his previous life: "Only when the stage is well set can the play be performed."

As for the research material ratio he mentioned to Liu Qiang, that's nonsense; the formula is all locked in his head.

Not only did he have to pretend to be researching, he also had to come up with several subpar performance ratio schemes.

We have no choice but to do it this way. First, we can't let the research stop midway. Second, without any comparisons, just having an optimal ratio on its own will make anyone suspicious.

The research and development line cannot be interrupted; this is particularly critical.

In his past life, his thesis advisor had mentioned in casual conversation that many companies applying for high-tech jobs failed because of this.

It's difficult to fake something; an expert can spot the flaws at a glance, and many works are rejected upon review.

Everyone was busy, and Gao Jianguo was no exception. He worked on his "reverse fabrication" project until the afternoon, with people from his team coming over from time to time to ask for advice.

When I went to the cafeteria to get my lunch at noon, I happened to see Sha Zhu standing at the window, and I laughed at him for looking listless and lacking energy.

After getting off work in the afternoon, Gao Jianguo went back to his room, put his things away, wiped his face, and headed to Sha Zhu's house.

He Yushui saw him at the door and said sweetly, "Brother Zhendong, you're here? My brother has been talking about you for ages."

Do you have any? Do you have any? Give me two, please.

He Yushui and Gao Jianguo had become close friends long ago. Gao Jianguo was always smiling, and if he bumped into a child in the yard, he would pull out a snack from his pocket. In addition, Sha Zhu often hung out with him, so the little girl was very friendly with him.

These days, kids aren't picky eaters, and they're even less picky about snacks. Getting a single bite is considered incredibly lucky.

If you could eat something sweet, that would be heavenly, so wonderful you could be happy for days.

Hearing He Yushui's commotion, Gao Jianguo took out two crisp candies from his pocket, stuffed them into her hand, and stepped into the house.

Sha Zhu worked the night shift the previous night and didn't get home until after noon.

Why do chefs also have to stay up all night?

The factory is large, with three shifts, so the workers also need to eat at night.

He went home and rested until there was still about half an hour before dinner time, then he put on an apron and got busy, working on it until Gao Jianguo pushed the door open and came in.

Jia Dongxu was already in Sha Zhu's house, helping to pass him plates and bowls.

He carried the letter of introduction from the factory and a stack of documents, and went to the steel plant to handle the nickel powder procedures. He got everything done today, and seeing that it was almost time to get off work, he simply went straight back to the yard.

Gao Jianguo glanced at Jia Dongxu and casually asked him if things went smoothly. Jia Dongxu smiled and said, "It went pretty smoothly, but there were too many signatures and stamps to get, so I didn't finish it all today."

Judging from today's pace, I estimate the nickel powder should arrive the day after tomorrow.

By now, Sha Zhu's dishes were all ready. Half of the chicken was used to make soup, and the other half was made into Sichuan-style spicy chicken. Sha Zhu placed the soup bowl on the table, with one leg missing from the chicken.

Sha Zhu pointed at the chicken with the missing leg: "As you instructed at noon, I sent a leg to the old lady in the backyard."

Gao Jianguo sat down and waved to the two men: "Alright, alright, sit down, sit down, grab your weapons."

Just as the three of them picked up their chopsticks, a child's voice suddenly rang out from the doorway: "Dad, I'm craving chicken!"

Gao Jianguo turned his head and saw a woman leading Banggeng and Xiaodang, standing at the door.

Gao Jianguo glanced at the woman, then turned to look at Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu. In that instant, he truly understood what the phrase "as if from another world" meant.

For him, it truly felt like a lifetime had passed.