Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

No sooner had the group of comrades from the Grassland Tractor Factory left than the notice from the 17th Ministry of Machine Building arrived at the Third Steel Rolling Mill.

The 3Z-591 material has been finalized; it will be called the 591 type high-temperature alloy.

The 3Z-T1 material has also been named: Type 592 nickel-free high-hardness alloy steel.

3Z-T2 material followed, 593 type low-nickel cast alloy steel.

This naming method was everywhere in those years. The first, second, and third alloys developed in 59 were numbered one by one. It didn't require much brainpower and also prevented leaks.

Later, armor steels like 601 and 603 all originated from this source.

Take 616 armor steel, also known as 3Z-T1, for example. The grade it actually uses in the factory is 22SiMN2TIB. It cannot be revealed at all, as that would be considered a leak.

The fact that these materials were able to obtain a national-level designation speaks volumes about their significance and reveals just how difficult and arduous the national materials engineering project was back then.

In other words, from the day the notice was issued, these three materials were included in the national unified materials system and classified as general-purpose products for production.

But this "universal" is only on paper.

The number of organizations and products that can actually get close to these things and are allowed to use them can be counted on two hands.

For no other reason than that, the best things will definitely be prioritized for high-tech and defense industries first, and there's no way they'll be used in civilian applications right now.

The notice from the 17th Ministry of Machine Building also made it clear that with the current scale, equipment, manpower, and transportation costs of the Third Steel Rolling Mill, it was impossible to sustain a large-scale and rapid production of these materials.

Therefore, the factory must support other suitable sister units, cooperate in relocation and production conversion, provide technical assistance where necessary, and send personnel for training where required; nothing can be neglected.

Neither the Third Steel Mill nor Gao Jianguo himself objected to this request.

Many things in this era cannot be measured by later standards, so it's impossible to say who is right or wrong, or who is superior or inferior.

The fundamental change is that the top priority and the urgent task have changed, so the way things are handled, the path taken, and the methods of dealing with them are naturally different.

To put it bluntly, the Zhenjiu liquor produced in the sacred site of the Red Conference is actually a product of Maozi liquor being produced in a different location and then repurposed – it's the same principle.

Gao Jianguo didn't have to worry much about the sister company's production conversion.

The colleagues in the first research lab of the technical department have pretty much taken care of all the work.

You ask where the First Research Lab came from?

No problem. The moment the factory received the notification, they swiftly removed the sign of the "Technical Support Group for the Production of Heavy and Special Products" led by Gao Jianguo and replaced it with the name "First Research Office of the Technical Department of the Third Steel Rolling Mill".

The rank was set at deputy section chief, Gao Jianguo was appointed as the director of the research office, Liang Jianguo as the deputy director, and a few more people were brought in to do the work.

This arrangement reveals the factory's little scheme—didn't your security department give Gao Jianguo a deputy section chief position?

Okay, I'll give him a technical position too.

Although his rank is still deputy section chief, this time he's not aiming for the deputy section chief position; he's taking a relatively clean path—the pure technical track.

That's brilliant.

The two deputy section chiefs of the technical department will have less of their apprehension, and there will be fewer obstacles in their cooperation in the future.

Gao Jianguo's mind is still focused on ESR.

Leaving aside the general aspects, when it comes to the detailed design, how to find the optimal insertion position for the consumable electrode, how to adjust the automatic control system, and how to control the movement of the sliding crystallizer—just these two systems alone can take up a lot of his time.

I was so busy, like a rolling roller, that another Sunday arrived.

As soon as it was light, Lou Xiao'e rushed over excitedly, intending to drag Gao Jianguo to the bookstore.

It's clear from the original drama that Lou Xiao'e has a bit of an artistic vibe to her core; she loves to hang out in bookstores every now and then.

Now that Gao Jianguo is by my side, I'll have to drag him along even more.

Despite being an engineer, Gao Jianguo had accumulated a considerable amount of knowledge during his years of surfing the internet in his previous life. When he talked to Lou Xiao'e, who was from this era, about the ins and outs of literature and art, he was still quite eloquent.

In the realm of literature and art, it's absurd to say that everything Lou Xiao'e knows, Gao Jianguo knows too.

But Lou Xiao'e had probably never heard of the things he was talking about.

If two people share a common interest and can work together towards a common goal, they can also share things with each other – Gao Jianguo and Lou Xiao'e are probably the latter type.

In terms of leisure activities in daily life, the latter type is more likely to bring out little surprises for the couple from time to time, adding a touch of romance.

Gao Jianguo welcomed Lou Xiao'e into the house. After a while, Lou Xiao'e went to the bookshelf and started browsing through the books.

Gao Jianguo's first action was to use the system to draw a prize!

"Great stuff!!" Gao Jianguo almost shouted out loud.

A book that was later published specifically discussed tank gun stabilization systems, but these days, it's considered a must-read book.

Theory and practice are intertwined, forming a cohesive whole. The theoretical part is even more solid, remaining relevant even after decades.

The thing about it is that the product is so good that Gao Jianguo is internally conflicted.

If you take it too early, it'll be terrifying.

If they keep it under wraps for too long, the tank development team will suffer huge losses.

Fortunately, there's one thing: this thing is closely tied to his profession, so he can extract it, and he can extract it in a reasonable way.

Besides, Gao Jianguo knew that the second-generation tank project would take several more years to get started, so there was still time.

Because of the weak foundation of the second-generation tanks, many technical specifications were cut or reduced. What was finally produced was a modified version of the 5DL, which could not be considered a new tank at all. The two-way stability of the gun was one of the specifications that were cut.

Gao Jianguo made up his mind, stopped arguing, and focused on building up his reputation.

Once his reputation is built up, when he pulls out something groundbreaking in the future, people will just take it for granted, as if it were a natural progression.

Putting the matter aside for the time being, Gao Jianguo tidied himself up and went out with Lou Xiao'e.

The two rode their bikes all the way to Xinghua Bookstore. Before they could even get their footing, a strong scent of ink enveloped them inside.

Back then, bookstores weren't the kind that were completely open and allowed you to browse freely, like they are today.

All the books were either locked in the counter or stacked on the shelf behind the counter. If you wanted to touch a particular book, you had to ask the salesperson to hand it to you.

Gao Jianguo and Lou Xiao'e were leaning over the counter, slowly scanning the shelves, looking for books that suited their tastes.

A few people strolled over from the side, chatting as they walked.

"I heard from the factory's chief engineer that Senior Engineer's book is now available for sale here."

"Didn't the 17th Ministry of Machine Building send a batch to the factory yesterday? Didn't you get any?"

"Those books? There's no way I'd get a chance. The factory foremen, workshop directors, and the engineers in the technical department each got one. I heard it wasn't enough, and two engineers almost got into a fight."

"Is this book really that good?"

"Yes, those who have read it said that it's very comprehensive and covers all the details of project management."

"Management? Isn't it a bit premature for a technician like you to buy this book?"

"Go away, what are you doing here then?"

"Me? I want to buy that book too..."

Gao Jianguo listened intently for a few moments, and the more he listened, the more familiar he felt with the book they were examining.

The book they mentioned does exist and is publicly available.

The first time he touched it was when he borrowed it from the district public library.