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

He Xiying was stunned for a moment.

He stared at the "missing person" before him, and his words faltered for a moment:

"Comrade Xiao Jiang?!"

"When did you get back?!"

Facing the astonished gazes of the crowd, Jiang Fan bowed slightly to He Xiying, his face showing apology:

"Director He, I'm so sorry, something unexpected happened at home and I was delayed for a few days. Please don't mind that I'm back late."

Fortunately, I had asked He Xiying for leave before leaving, saying that I was going to Shenyang to visit relatives. Otherwise, it would have been really difficult to cover up my disappearance for eight days.

But He Xiying quickly recovered from her shock, took three steps around the conference table, pointed at Jiang Fan, and began to reprimand him sternly, launching into a barrage of questions:

"Comrade Jiang Fan, oh Comrade Jiang Fan!"

"You've been gone for eight whole days without a single word. Do you even know what's been happening at the factory these past few days?"

"You mentioned there's oil in Zhaozhou. The Northeast Bureau sent people to investigate, and they actually struck crude oil. The crude oil will be delivered soon."

When she got excited, He Xiying even tapped the table with her fingers.

"And what happened? The blueprints for that tower you left behind, Zhou Chunsheng told us it was like reading gibberish."

"Nobody in the entire factory understands those chemical separation formulas you drew. Crude oil is about to enter the factory, but we can't even build the supporting equipment for gas storage. I've been so anxious these past two days that I'm almost losing all my hair!"

"If you had come back two days later, I would have sent a telegram to the Northeast Bureau to have you brought back!"

Jiang Fan truly understood He Xiying's powerful voice this time; no wonder Zhou Chunsheng didn't even dare to raise his head.

But he could understand that He Xiying was truly desperate.

Who wouldn't be anxious if it were them?

No sooner had a technical expert who had studied abroad confidently claimed that there was a large oil field underground in Northeast China than the exploration team actually struck it.

But just when it came time to get to the crucial stage of chemical purification, the only person in the entire factory who knew the technology disappeared.

Fortunately, Jiang Fan was well aware of the principle that one shouldn't hit a smiling face, so he quickly put on a sincere and guilty expression and apologized repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, Director He, it's all my fault, please don't be angry."

"A sudden emergency at home tripped us up. We couldn't even find a place to send a telegram. I never expected it to take so long, and I certainly didn't expect our drilling team to be so efficient and to produce oil so quickly."

Although he was sincere, He Xiying still gave him a thorough dressing-down.

At this moment, a political cadre wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, seeing that his factory director had vented his anger enough, stepped forward to smooth things over:

"Factory manager, alright, alright, it's good that he's back safe and sound."

"What young person goes home to visit relatives and uses a stopwatch to time it?"

"Besides, Comrade Jiang isn't the unreliable type, right, Jiang?"

Jiang Fan quickly picked up the conversation, nodding vigorously.

Although I could tell that the official's words were meant to be a warning, he had already given me a way out, and if I didn't accept it, I would be ungrateful.

"Yes, yes, factory manager, please calm down. I'm back now. Leave the rest to me."

Actually, after venting her anger, He Xiying felt much more at ease.

Seeing someone come out to smooth things over, he sighed and went along with it, saying:

"Sigh, I'm just anxious. The oil field has started producing oil, but our factory hasn't even gotten the purification and gasification equipment you mentioned sorted out yet."

"After all, the telegram said the crude oil would arrive in the evening."

"The commander hopes that after the crude oil arrives, we can immediately produce a batch of gas cylinders and send them to the Northeast Bureau for practical testing."

"Time is so tight, tell me the truth, is there enough time?"

Upon hearing this question, Jiang Fan glanced back at Zhou Chunsheng, who was still pretending to be an ostrich, then turned back and nodded with extreme confidence:

"No problem, I guarantee I'll make sure it's vented once the crude oil arrives."

With Jiang Fan's pledge, He Xiying's expression finally softened completely.

He hesitated for a moment, then immediately issued a firm order:

"Alright, Comrade Jiang Fan, Comrade Zhou Chunsheng!"

"Let me clarify the task again: You two, no matter what, you must set up that tower you mentioned before the crude oil arrives at the plant today, and produce a batch of gas cylinders at all costs! Understand?!"

Zhou Chunsheng, who had been cowering to the side, straightened up reflexively and shouted loudly when the factory director called his name:

"Yes, mission accomplished!"

Jiang Fan responded in kind.

After receiving the task, Zhou Chunsheng took advantage of the time that Factory Director He was thinking and quickly winked at Jiang Fan, while already moving towards the door.

The meaning is clear: Get out of here when the wind blows!

But Jiang Fan remained motionless.

He took the entrenching tool out and placed it on the long conference table.

"Director He, you can rest assured about the purification tower; I guarantee it won't cause any delays. However..."

"Before we go to the workshop, I'd like to show you and all the leaders something."

"This is a little trinket that I got by chance in Shenyang."

"I've been thinking about this carefully these past few days, and I think if our Ansteel could replicate it..."

"That will have immense tactical value for our frontline soldiers as they advance south!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chunsheng, who had just turned halfway around and was about to slip away, abruptly stopped in his tracks.

He turned around and leaned closer to the table, staring at the black metal object with curiosity in his eyes.

"Hiss... what is this thing?"

This thing was dark and indistinct, neither a shovel nor a spade. Just as I was about to reach out and pick it up to weigh it, Jiang Fan glared at me and stopped me.

"Don't rush, let the factory manager take a look first," Jiang Fan said in a low voice.

He Xiying also glared at Zhou Chunsheng.

Zhou Chunsheng then withdrew his hand, gave an awkward smile, and stepped aside.

He Xiying frowned, picked up the folding entrenching tool, and weighed it in her hand.

Surprisingly, this thing, though small, is surprisingly stable in the hand and feels very comfortable to hold.

His doubt deepened, and he examined it twice more: "Xiao Jiang, isn't this just a shovel? It's a bit too short, isn't it?"

Jiang Fan gave a mysterious smile, stepped forward, and took it, pressing the self-locking buckle under the spatula with his thumb.

The shovel, which was originally only a few tens of centimeters long when folded, was instantly extended into a short-handled entrenching tool that was nearly a meter long!

He Xiying's pupils constricted sharply, her face filled with astonishment: "This... how can it get longer?!"

Jiang Fan didn't pause, explaining as he operated the machine:

"Director He, don't underestimate it."

"Let me be frank with you, as long as Ansteel can mass-produce this stuff and distribute it to the front-line troops... it can at least save half a life on the battlefield."

"Look here," Jiang Fan said, pointing to the left side of the shovel.

"The left side of the shovel is sharpened, so it can be used as a machete. When encountering vines and bushes in mountain warfare, you can easily clear a path with a swing."

"Look to the right now." Jiang Fan flipped the shovel over.

"These are interlocking saw teeth; they can cut through tree branches, stakes, and even enemy wooden fences in just a few strokes!"

As he spoke, he unscrewed the threaded cap at the end and poured out a short black rod.

"The handle also features a hidden magnesium powder fire starter and a miniature compass, which are essential for starting fires in the wild and determining direction during nighttime marches."

Finally, Jiang Fan loosened the buckle, folded the shovel back into a square shape, and casually hung it on his belt.

"The most important thing is its portability. When folded up, it is only this small. Soldiers can hang it on their waist or put it in their backpack without getting in the way at all."

"It can also dig trenches, build fortifications, chop firewood, and even engage in close-quarters combat after running out of bullets..."

"You should know better than I how much more effective our soldiers would be on the battlefield if they had a multi-functional tool in their hands, right?"