Returning to 1949, I decided to hand it over to the state.

Commander Li is returning to Yan'an today.

This was the first time they had met Director He.

Whether I, an "outsider" without a fixed position, will ever have the opportunity to directly bypass all levels and present my proposal to them face-to-face again is completely unknown!

While Jiang Fan was still struggling internally, time wouldn't stop for him.

The pace of the leaders' inspections was very tight.

No sooner had Chief Li finished speaking than Factory Director He instructed Zhou Chunsheng to take over the conversation and accompany the leaders deeper into the workshop, introducing the equipment along the way.

"Commander Li, Factory Director He, and other leaders, please look this way. This is the heating furnace area of ​​our steel rolling mill."

Zhou Chunsheng pointed to the furnace radiating heat not far away, his voice booming:

"Currently, the heat source for this heating furnace mainly comes from the waste heat utilization system of the No. 1 blast furnace and some mixed gas."

"The temperature is now stable within the range required for rolling. Although the refractory bricks in the insulation layer were pieced together from old bricks and rebuilt, the sealing is still acceptable..."

The group listened and nodded. Director He even stopped to take a closer look at the sealing of the furnace door, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Zhou Chunsheng continued to lead the group forward:

"This is the main body of the rolling mill. The main drive equipment uses a repaired old-fashioned DC motor. To be honest, this motor was badly damaged back then, and our workers had to rewind the coils bit by bit."

"The current power and efficiency certainly can't compare to newer foreign equipment, but it's stable and reliable, and it can easily handle the current medium-sized profile rolling tasks..."

"Next up is the cooling bed and finishing area. Engineer Jiang and I have already checked this area thoroughly. The cooling bed's stepping is normal, the straightener's roller gap adjustment is smooth, and the cutting equipment is in good condition. It's ready for normal production at any time!"

Zhou Chunsheng's report was well-organized, professional, and pragmatic.

Jiang Fan silently followed at the very back of the crowd.

As he listened to Zhou Chunsheng's introduction, he glanced down at the worn-out watch on his wrist.

The countdown on the dial continued to tick silently.

Time is really running out.

How long will he be able to stay in 1949 this time?

Once this opportunity passes, will there be another chance to encounter something like this again?

If you have such a big idea of ​​breaking the deadlock, like a "gas cylinder," but don't even have the courage to open your mouth, then what's the point of coming back here?

Is it really just for repairing an old machine tool and to acknowledge a great-grandfather?!

Jiang Fan gritted his teeth, his cheeks taut.

My heart skipped a beat.

Say!

I must say!

Even if it's seen as a naive and reckless idea from a newborn calf, even if these veteran technicians scrutinize me with their eyes peeling back my skin, I still have to speak up!

Some opportunities are fleeting.

The group walked quite slowly and soon arrived at the finishing and packaging area at the end of the workshop.

Commander Li stood beside the makeshift collection trough, looking at the neatly stacked tools and the few pieces of steel that had just been cut for testing, and nodded in satisfaction.

He turned around and gave a heartfelt speech to the factory leaders and cadres who were accompanying him.

The gist of the message is simply that we hope our comrades will continue to carry forward the Yan'an spirit of self-reliance and hard work, and make the path from molten steel to finished products open as soon as possible, so as to truly unleash the enormous industrial potential of Ansteel and lay a solid foundation for the economic construction that is about to unfold across the country and act as a leading brother.

After saying this, he deliberately looked past the crowd and glanced at Zhou Chunsheng standing at the back, as well as Jiang Fan, who hadn't said much.

He turned to Director He and several other veteran cadres and said:

"Old He, I think our factory is full of energy and spirit, especially these young people. We should make the most of them!"

"They are young, quick-witted, and have seen the world; they have seen more and farther than us old folks."

"Give them some responsibilities, let them dare to think and act, and then we'll have hope for the future of Ansteel."

The surrounding leaders smiled and nodded in agreement, their gazes towards Zhou Chunsheng and Jiang Fan filled with expectation.

Having seen all the places he needed to visit and said all the necessary things, he realized that he had already made his point.

Chief Li waved his hand, preparing to turn and leave, and the group naturally followed suit, moving towards the workshop entrance.

The opportunity is in these last few seconds!

If we don't make a sound soon, it will be too late once these people walk out of this door!

The string in Jiang Fan's heart, stretched to its limit, finally snapped.

He stepped forward, puffed out his chest, and mustered all his strength to make his voice boom in the workshop:

"Commander Li! Factory Director He!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

Swah——

A dozen pairs of eyes swept across the crowd and landed on Jiang Fan, who was standing at the very back.

Yesterday in the conference room, that oppressive feeling of being watched and scrutinized by a group of influential figures overwhelmed me once again.

The sense of oppression was even stronger than yesterday, especially since it was in the factory.

An older colleague from the technical department next to him frowned slightly.

Factory Director He also stopped in his tracks, his gaze passing over quietly through his black-rimmed glasses, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Jiang Fan's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and his heart pounded in his chest like a drum, but he did not back down.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and made his voice as steady, clear, and resonant as possible.

"I have a somewhat immature idea about the future product direction of our factory. I wonder... if I could take a few minutes of your time?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the air seemed to freeze for a second.

The factory leaders and cadres looked at each other and exchanged glances.

However, no one dared to speak rashly, after all, Chief Li was still standing at the front.

Zhou Chunsheng, who was standing to the side, was startled by the sudden shout.

He turned around in surprise, quickly took half a step back, reached down and tugged at Jiang Fan's sleeve, lowering his voice and saying urgently:

"Engineer Jiang, what are you doing?"

Zhou Chunsheng had absolutely no idea what Jiang Fan was up to.

Everything was fine just now, so why did he suddenly jump out and block the way at this crucial moment, just as the leader was about to leave?

Don't you know the rules?!

At this moment, all of the dozen or so people stood still, quietly waiting for Chief Li's reaction.

Fortunately, Chief Li was not angry.

He stopped, turned around, and looked at Jiang Fan, who was standing there nervously. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a smile with a touch of appreciation and approval.

He turned his head, looked at Director He and the others beside him, and pointed at Jiang Fan with a smile:

"Look, look!"

"I knew it! These kinds of bold ideas and actions should be left to the young people!"

"Alright, then tell me!"