Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

Chief Engineer Chen didn't say it, but he knew exactly what was going on.

You're not here to report on your work; you're obviously here to show off.

But then again, there's nothing wrong with that.

If you come up with something good, why not submit it immediately? Are you going to wait for the higher-ups to come down and investigate the industry before you release it? That would just be a waste of time.

Gao Jianguo was quick and efficient, bringing all the necessary materials, and followed Factory Director Yang and Chief Engineer Chen straight to the 17th Ministry of Machinery Industry.

The Third Steel Rolling Mill was directly under the jurisdiction of the 17th Ministry of Machine Building, and was not under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Bureau of Industry.

Developing a new alloy is a major undertaking, unlike working on a return blast furnace. We don't need to go to the Municipal Industrial Bureau; we can go directly to the Ministry.

The three arrived at the 17th Ministry of Machinery Industry at around 4 p.m.

Factory Director Yang led the two through a maze of turns until they arrived at the door of an office.

I knocked and went in. Inside sat a young secretary, who these days is usually called a communications officer.

The secretary looked up and, upon seeing that it was Factory Director Yang, immediately stood up.

"Director Yang, what brings you here? You're a rare guest indeed."

They look like old acquaintances; we've had a lot of interaction.

Factory Director Yang didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.

"Secretary Zheng, is the boss free right now? I have some good news that I must tell him in person."

Secretary Zheng thought for a moment.

"Please have a seat, I'll go in and ask."

After saying that, he went out the door.

A short while later, Secretary Zheng returned with a smile on his face.

"The leader would like to invite you and these two comrades over as well. Please come with me."

Factory Director Yang thanked him.

The leader's office was next door. Secretary Zheng knocked on the door, led the person in, and then left.

The leader, who looked to be in his early fifties, had a smile on his face. He gestured for the three of them to sit down, then came out from behind the table and plopped down on the sofa.

"Old Yang, what good news have you brought me today? Let me tell you upfront, if it's not good enough, I'll punish you."

Judging from his tone, you could tell he was very familiar with Director Yang; he was always joking.

Factory Director Yang pulled out the test data for 3z-591, his face beaming with smiles.

"Pack it well, or you'll be held responsible."

After saying that, he handed over the report with both hands, explaining as he spoke.

"My colleagues at the factory have put in a lot of effort to develop a new alloy grade with excellent performance. I just got the exact data and rushed over to report to you. Could you please take a look?"

The leader smiled and took it, flipping through it as he spoke.

"Okay, let me see. You just pick the important ones to say."

Factory Director Yang didn't take on all the work himself, but made sure to involve Chief Engineer Chen.

"Let our factory's chief engineer, Comrade Chen Heming, explain the technical details. He and Comrade Xiao Gao from the technical department handled this project, so they know more about it than I do."

Old Chen picked up the conversation and pushed it down further.

"Let Comrade Gao Jianguo from the technical department report. He's the main force; I only gave him a push from behind."

Gao Jianguo didn't stand on ceremony. He cleared his throat and began to report to his superior.

"Boss, this is a new alloy that our team has developed together. It can operate for extended periods in the 1100-1250 degree Celsius range, and even withstands 1300 degrees Celsius for short periods without issue. Not only is it heat-resistant, but this material is also resistant to oxidation and corrosion, and its mechanical properties don't decrease at all within its normal operating temperature range. Furthermore, it can be forged, rolled, and has excellent weldability."

The leader stopped flipping through the report.

He immediately raised his head, his eyes filled with unconcealed shock.

"How many degrees? Say it again, I didn't mishear you, did I?"

Gao Jianguo spoke steadily and repeated himself.

"Long-term operating temperature: 1100 to 1250 degrees Celsius."

The leader knew they wouldn't dare to speak carelessly about such a matter, but he couldn't help himself and turned to ask Director Yang a follow-up question.

"Old Yang, this is no joke, it's for real?"

Factory Director Yang nodded emphatically.

"It's true, I watched them complete the test with my eyes glued to the screen. And also..."

At this point, Director Yang couldn't hold back any longer and started to keep everyone in suspense.

"What else?! Hurry up!"

If it weren't for the fact that he was an old acquaintance, the boss would probably be yelling at him right now.

"Also, this pile of materials doesn't contain any precious metals or those extremely rare elements; they just put in a bit more nickel."

After listening, the leader immediately flipped to the page on alloy composition in the report, glanced at it, and muttered along with it.

"That's right, carbon, chromium, nickel, aluminum, iron, cerium, manganese, silicon, sulfur, and boron. Hmm, nickel makes up about 44% to 46%, a little more is fine, it's worth it. Okay, okay."

After muttering to himself, he seemed to suddenly remember something, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.

"Xiao Zheng, hurry up and go check. Old Wang has been loitering here all day. See if he's left yet. If he hasn't, call him over right away."

After hanging up the phone, the leader smiled broadly and carefully flipped through the report again.

At this moment, Chief Engineer Wang of the LYP-6 aero-engine was walking out, looking very unhappy.

He came to report to the Fifteenth Ministry of Machine Building on the progress of the imitation, but the prototype's thrust was insufficient and its lifespan was uncertain. In addition, the materials of the original prototype itself were defective, and the craftsmanship of the people below was not up to par, resulting in a lot of setbacks.

I stopped by the 17th Ministry of Machinery Industry to vent my frustrations and ask for some material support, but I didn't get anything by the end of the afternoon.

Indeed, these days, material issues are a headache for everyone.

There was no other way but to go back and try to find some more potential in the engine structure.

Chief Engineer Wang was dejected and almost walked out of the office building when a young man ran up behind him, shouting as he ran.

"Chief Engineer Wang, please wait a moment."

Hearing that it sounded like he was being called, Chief Engineer Wang stopped and turned around. He saw that it was Secretary Zheng, who was standing next to the leader.

"Secretary Zheng, is something urgent?"

Secretary Zheng was a little out of breath from running.

"My boss asked me to invite you back immediately, saying it's urgent, very urgent."

Chief Engineer Wang was a little confused. What could be so urgent? You can't just conjure up materials for me on the spot, can you?

But since he had specifically chased after him to call him, there must be something he needed to do, so he followed Secretary Zheng back.

Upon entering the leader's office, Chief Engineer Wang paused for a moment.

There were several people inside, making it much livelier than before.

The leader briefly introduced the people on both sides, and after he sat down, he handed him a document.

"Chief Engineer Wang, at least you didn't come all this way for nothing. That thing you asked me for today, we've got a chance."

Chief Engineer Wang was stunned and didn't react for a moment.

They're incredibly fast at getting things done! We had nothing this afternoon, and in the blink of an eye, we've got the stuff.

In other words, it was all about mindset.

He stopped thinking about it and started reading the report.

When the words caught his eye, Chief Engineer Wang almost thought he was seeing things. He took off his glasses, wiped them clean, put them back on, and read them again.

The words are still the same, unchanged.

No, don't get excited yet. Materials that can withstand this temperature do exist, but what about their mechanical properties? What about their processing technology? What about their oxidation resistance?

Chief Engineer Wang tried his best to suppress the turmoil in his heart, and continued reading. The more he read, the more he resembled the leader from before, and his face showed only barely suppressed fear.

Chief Engineer Wang felt a lump in his throat, and his eyes welled up with tears.

This is exactly what I've been dreaming about, how come it just popped up like that?

The 17th Ministry of Machine Building could be renamed the Shock and Shock Department today.