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

Jiang Fan was not stumped by Chief Li's blunt and incisive question.

He secretly cheered in his heart.

The fact that Chief Li asked such detailed questions precisely shows that the other party had indeed been thinking very seriously about the theories he had put forward and was trying to find the possibility of putting them into practice.

Jiang Fan immediately steadied himself and replied:

"That's a good question, sir."

After saying that, he squatted down again, took the broken stone pencil, and started drawing directly on the cement floor.

As the slate pencil struck the ground, a slightly short and stout cylindrical outline gradually took shape.

The bottom is slightly flat, and the top is slightly narrower.

Next, he drew a structure with a valve on the top, and added two more strokes on the side to draw something that looked like a guard ring and a handle.

He drew very carefully, even sketching out details of the valve knob.

Although he lacked formal engineering drawing skills and his lines were not standardized, his strength lay in his clear thinking, which allowed him to clearly demonstrate the overall appearance of the object.

After finishing the drawing, Jiang Fan looked up and glanced at the leaders present:

"Commander, esteemed leaders. This is the product I just mentioned—one that can solve needs and bring high added value."

Its scientific name is a gas cylinder.

As soon as his voice rang out, everyone's eyes immediately focused on the white pattern on the ground.

The cadres and technicians, who had been standing casually, instinctively took two steps forward, bent down, and craned their necks to get closer to the ground.

A murmur of discussion immediately broke out at the scene.

"A gas cylinder? What's that?"

"It looks...like a big-bellied iron jar?"

"Is that a lid or some kind of valve in the picture above?"

Only Chief Li and He Xiying stood still and did not push forward.

Their eyes fell on the pattern, and their brows furrowed slightly in unison.

"A gas cylinder? What's that for?"

Chief Li repeated the completely unfamiliar term with a puzzled look.

It's not surprising that he didn't recognize him.

At that time, there were no more than ten cities in all of China that had urban gas facilities.

Moreover, it was mostly the simplest kind of centralized piped gas, mainly supplied to government offices, schools, and a few wealthy households in those big cities for lighting or heating.

As for the civilian liquefied gas cylinders made of welded steel plates that Jiang Fan depicted, which could be moved independently, no one in China at that time had ever seen them, let alone heard of them.

Jiang Fan had anticipated their question, so he immediately began to explain:

"Sir, this is something I saw when I was abroad."

He spoke fluently, directly shifting the blame to his overseas education background.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than a very puzzled voice suddenly broke in from the side:

"Engineer Jiang, do they have these things abroad? I've never seen them before."

Zhou Chunsheng was squatting next to Jiang Fan, tilting his head and staring at the pattern on the ground, his face full of innocence and confusion.

Jiang Fan suddenly felt a headache coming on.

I was just praising you as the perfect straight man, how come you're turning your back on me the moment you turn around?!

Why are you undermining us at a time like this?

Jiang Fan ignored him, pretending not to hear, and simply ignored Zhou Chunsheng's words, watching Chief Li continue his earnest report:

"Sir, simply put, the function of this gas cylinder is to compress the combustible gas produced by the steel mill or coking plant under high pressure, put it into this steel container, and then seal it completely."

"After people buy it and bring it home, all they need to do is open the valve on top, and the high-pressure gas will come out through the pipe. Once lit, it can be used for cooking, boiling water, heating, and even lighting."

"Think about it, this way, the people won't have to brave the wind and snow to go up the mountain to cut firewood every day, nor will they have to spend a lot of money to buy coal and carry coal ash."

"Just place this gas cylinder next to the stove, turn on the valve when you need it, and the fire will come on. Turn it off when you don't need it, and the fire will go out. It's convenient and extremely durable."

"Especially in Northeast China, where winter temperatures drop to tens of degrees below zero, every household has to heat their kang (a traditional heated bed) for warmth. If these gas cylinders could become more widespread, it would make winter much easier for ordinary people!"

As Jiang Fan spoke, he gestured with his hands on the patterns on the ground, explaining the purpose of each component:

"This cylindrical part, which is the tank body, must be welded using high-quality steel plates that we roll out to withstand the pressure."

"The top part is a valve that controls the flow of gas. The two semicircles on the side can be designed as handles and protective rings for easy handling and to protect the valve from damage. Adding a base underneath will help it stand upright."

Jiang Fan's description was very detailed, allowing those who had never seen a gas cylinder before to quickly construct a clear usage scenario in their minds.

After he finished speaking, the group of retired cadres around him could no longer contain themselves.

The discussion immediately grew louder, and the restrained atmosphere of the inspection instantly transformed into a lively small-scale discussion.

"That sounds like a really good thing! If we really don't have to go up the mountain to chop firewood in winter, that would solve a big problem."

"Chopping wood is exhausting, not to mention the fact that the deep mountains are not safe right now. There are still bandits roaming around occasionally. How can we let ordinary people run into the mountains at will?"

"Absolutely! If such a thing existed, women would suffer so much less when cooking at home!"

"But... gas? Isn't that toxic? I've heard of other factories where gas pipes leaked and people died from the fumes."

"So, as Comrade Jiang just said, it's high-pressure and sealed, so the seals and valves have to be done well. Who would dare to use it if it leaks? You can't just mess around if your technology isn't up to par."

"I think it's a road. If it could actually be built, people would definitely be willing to buy it. If such a thing existed, I'd be willing to pay for one and put it in my home!"

"Buy, buy, buy! But we have to see how much it costs once it's made. If it's too expensive, ordinary people won't even have enough to eat. Who would afford this lump of iron?"

Everyone chimed in, each offering their own opinion.

Some people think this thing has great potential and a bright future, while others instinctively begin to worry about security, technical difficulty, and cost.

Jiang Fan observed all these reactions.

That's more like it!

Don't be afraid of doubts. As long as everyone starts to discuss its feasibility along this line of thinking, the concept can be considered successfully implanted.

However, he also knew that no matter how much these people talked, it was useless.

The person who truly has the final say and can decide the fate of this project has yet to make a statement.

really.

Factory Director He, who had been silent all along, suddenly coughed softly.

At that one word, the cadres who had been whispering to each other immediately fell silent and turned to look at him.