Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

Inside the R&D room, on the large drawing board, the last drawing was smoothed and pressed down. A simplified design for a seven-axis machine tool, tailor-made for ocean trade, was complete. Each drawing was marked with densely packed parameters and the words "Meets export standards" handwritten by Liu Guangqi. The core spindle precision was fully preserved, down to the millimeter; while those auxiliary functions that served as embellishments were ruthlessly eliminated and streamlined. It was sufficient to meet the apparent needs of overseas clients, while its true technological advantages were firmly hidden deep within.

Liu Guangqi rolled up the blueprints one by one, tied them up neatly, and delivered them directly to Director Lin's office. Sure enough, Director Lin only quickly flipped through the first few volumes before abruptly getting up, grabbing the entire set of blueprints, and rushing off to the joint meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

Almost simultaneously, two thick stacks of documents quietly piled up on Liu Guangqi's own desk. They were sent by Li Huaide. One stack contained all the technical documents related to the rolling mill, while the other stack came from the steelmaking plant under the rolling mill, along with a complete outline of steelmaking technology. Attached to the top was a formal letter requesting technical support from other ministries.

The procedures are complete and the materials are comprehensive.

Liu Guangqi spent some time reviewing the documents, and his understanding gradually became clear. In this era, the steel rolling technology used in China's metallurgical sector was still largely based on the framework left over from the early years of aid projects from neighboring northern countries. As time passed, this system seemed to stagnate, with few groundbreaking advancements. Today, most steelmaking and rolling mills across the country still rely on this increasingly outdated system to survive.

It's not that the technology itself is flawed.

The heavy industry foundation of the Northern Giant Bear back then was indeed profound, and this system still has value even today.

however……

Liu Guangqi's fingertips slowly traced the yellowed blueprints.

If the steel industry is likened to the backbone of heavy industry, then rolling mill equipment is one of the core skeletons supporting this backbone.

From ocean-going giants to deep-sea submersibles,

From nuclear power plants, cross-river bridges, and dam gates, to other major infrastructure projects,

Even everyday electrical appliances in ordinary households—

Everything depends on the high-quality steel plates that it has crushed.

Especially now, with the two major powers vying to expand their military capabilities,

These industrial giants' thirst for higher-performance rolling mill equipment has reached a fever pitch.

After all, about one-third of the time spent building an aircraft carrier or nuclear submarine is spent welding steel plates.

The larger the size of a single steel plate, the fewer welds are required.

This will not only significantly shorten the construction cycle, but also enable a qualitative leap in the overall strength and structural integrity of these national strategic assets.

Previously, Liu Guangqi focused on the research and development of CNC machine tools and had never been involved in the field of rolling mills.

Because everything must proceed step by step: machine tools are the mother of industry.

Only with sufficiently precise machine tools can one confidently forge more powerful steel rolling equipment.

The timing of Li Huaide's request for help

Like a timely breeze, it propelled him toward this uncultivated land.

The blueprints now spread out before us...

He is planning a complete overhaul of the existing three-roll Lauter-type medium and heavy plate rolling mill in the steel rolling mill.

The intention was to replicate the mature four-roll reversible medium-thick plate rolling mill of later generations.

Unlike CNC machine tools,

Rolling mills do not require computer computing power and control systems; as long as one has a solid foundation in mechanical engineering,

This could potentially bring it into this era ahead of schedule.

Coincidentally,

Liu Guangqi possesses this ability, so realizing it is not out of reach.

Machine base, roller system, pressing mechanism...

The cross-sections and configurations of each key component clearly emerged in his mind, and drawing them was a natural progression.

As far as he knows,

The first four-meter-class thick plate rolling mill in Taiwan was supposed to be developed in 1966 under the coordination of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry and the First Ministry of Machine Building.

However, that four-high rolling mill was essentially a continuation of the northern aid project, and belonged to a semi-continuous strip mill.

Mainly used for the production of conventional medium and heavy steel plates.

And it became the industry mainstream in the following decade or so.

now,

Liu Guangqi might be able to push this process forward significantly by several years.

and--

This gives it superior performance.

If the four-roll reversible medium-thick plate rolling mill can really be implemented,

With this technology, the steel rolling mill will be able to maintain its leading position in the industry for the next decade and move forward with ease in the domestic metallurgical field.

Before you know it,

Liu Guangqi was completely absorbed in the focus of reproducing the technology.

Throughout the afternoon,

The only sound in the office was the soft scratching of pencils across paper.

It wasn't until the jarring sound of the workday bell outside the window that he was brought back to reality from his reverie.

Put down the pencil.

He stretched his stiff shoulders and back, and the overall outline of the four-roll mill on the blueprint in front of him was beginning to take shape.

Those intricate and complex mechanical structures,

It exudes a cold yet precise beauty of order, and even in its early stages, it is enough to amaze industry experts.

If we work a little harder, we might be able to finalize the main framework tonight.

But Liu Guangqi suppressed the thought as soon as it arose.

He has always rejected unnecessary travel—

Leaving on time and embracing life is the true essence of life.

then,

We have just completed the production of a simplified seven-axis machine tool for export.

On the other hand, they took on the task of providing technical support to the steel rolling mill.

Even he himself couldn't help but smile:

Such a tight schedule has truly made him a busy person who can't stay idle.

Fortunately,

The development of the second-generation transistor computer at the Institute of Computing Technology has entered a full-sprint stage.

It is progressing steadily in the direction he indicated.

At this point, Liu Guangqi only needs to ensure that the course remains unchanged.

That's enough.

If nothing unexpected happens,

He is expected to achieve two significant accomplishments this year:

One,

It is a second-generation transistor computer that fills a gap in the domestic market;

Second,

It is a four-roll mill capable of revitalizing the entire metallurgical steel rolling system.

The scorching winds of July are biting, and the heat is intense.

The summer heat was beginning to show in Beijing, the air already stagnant like a sealed earthenware jar.

Inside the research room of the First Ministry of Machine Building, Liu Guangqi held a ruler with a dark copper sheen, his gaze sweeping over the unfolded blueprint with the precision of the ruler's markings.

All parameters have been verified one by one.

The ruler finally stopped beside the last set of numbers. He raised his pen with his wrist suspended, the tip lingering above the paper for a moment, as if completing a silent ritual, before steadily falling down—the name and date were clearly inscribed in the ink, embedded in the square reserved in the lower right corner of the drawing.

He looked up at the complete rolling mill design in front of him, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

The table was covered with drawings, showing everything from the roller system structure to the transmission layout, with neat and dense markings like stars strung together.

The diagram of the old three-roll Lauter structure has been completely revamped. The newly added work rolls and support rolls are arranged in a mirror image, and a line of vermilion annotations on the side points out the innovations: reversible rolling reduces the frequency of roll adjustment, increases the production capacity of medium and heavy plates by 30%, reduces energy consumption by 15%, and can process special thick steel plates of 10 to 80 millimeters.

Liu Guangqi picked up a comparison picture of the old and new photos.

The old process on the left was circuitous and complicated, while the new diagram on the right was concise and sharp. A glint flashed in his eyes.

It was finally done. This four-roll mill technology was several years ahead of the original trajectory.

He picked up the receiver and dialed Li Huaide's number at the steel rolling mill.

"Who is it?"

Li Huaide's voice was tinged with weariness, suggesting he was still preoccupied with factory affairs.

Liu Guangqi leaned back leisurely in his chair, lightly tapping the stack of newly drawn blueprints with his fingertips, his voice exuding a calm composure.

"Director Li, Liu Guangqi."

He paused briefly before continuing slowly, "This time, you're probably going to owe me a considerable favor."

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the receiver, followed by a deafening shout: "Comrade Guangqi?!"

Li Huaide spoke rapidly, his voice trembling with disbelief:

"Really...really there's progress? I thought it would take at least six months, and you've only been here for a little over a month—"

Liu Guangqi chuckled softly.

He tapped his knuckles on the thick pages of paper on the table:

"Almost done. The complete set of blueprints for the four-roll mill has just been checked one last time, and there are no mistakes."

"A four-high rolling mill?!"

Li Huaide's voice rose again, this time tinged with a hint of surprise:

"Comrade Guangqi, is this...is this true? You really conquered the four-roll mill?"

"An engineer from the Ministry of Metallurgy mentioned privately earlier that this technology wouldn't be mastered in three to five years... Did you really pull it off?"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped and quickly changed his words:

"I'm not doubting you! It's just that this matter... this matter is so exciting! If this four-roll mill can be built, I, Li Huaide, will remember your kindness for the rest of my life!"

Liu Guangqi smiled gently.

He could almost see the excited look on the other end of the phone.

"I have already signed off on the drawings. If you are in a hurry, I will ask the leaders from the Ministry of Metallurgy to come to the First Ministry of Machine Building tomorrow for coordination. They should also bring along some reliable technical personnel from the factory. I will explain the key points one by one, so that your own manufacturing will be smooth in the future."

"Urgent! How can we not be anxious!"

Li Huaide agreed without hesitation, his weariness vanishing instantly, his voice filled with excitement:

"Tomorrow morning—no, I'll contact them right now! I'll personally lead the team tomorrow morning, and we'll report on time!"

He suddenly stopped, took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his form of address had subtly changed:

"Kuangqi, ah,"

"I truly thank you for this. I will remember this favor. From now on, if you ever need my help in Beijing, just say the word."

The call ended.

Liu Guangqi stroked the four characters "four-roll mill" on the drawing, his fingertips tracing the slightly concave marks on the ink.

He knew that this rolling mill would not only solve Li Huaide's immediate problem.

It will become a heavy cornerstone of the national steel industry—steel is the backbone of heavy industry, and the rolling mill is the heavy hammer that forges this backbone.

This act of kindness has far more significance than just involving one person and one factory.

Once the technical challenges of the steel rolling mill were resolved, the demonstration effect spread like ripples, providing a clear blueprint for technological innovation throughout the entire metallurgical industry.

Liu Guangqi, having switched from the Institute of Computing Technology to the research and development of rolling mills, had a clear understanding: these seemingly scattered technological breakthroughs were actually building the framework for the entire industrial system. These sporadic breakthroughs would eventually converge into a solid force, supporting the backbone of the nation's heavy industry.

After finishing his work, Liu Guangqi had a rare moment of leisure and returned to the courtyard house in the afterglow of the evening.

Upon entering the courtyard, one immediately senses a festive atmosphere unlike any other.

Yan Jiecheng and Yu Li's marriage was actually arranged by Yan Bugui. The two stood in the courtyard handing out wedding candies. Although they were not holding hands, the affection in their eyes and brows was obvious to everyone.

Liu Guangqi and Zhao Mengyun didn't inquire specifically; they just listened for a bit and learned the general idea—the Yan family had already sent a matchmaker to the Yu family to discuss the matter, and the marriage was a done deal.

Several neighboring women gathered around, chatting and laughing, filling the courtyard with a joyful atmosphere.

"Hey, that works!"

A rough, gruff voice suddenly appeared.

Sha Zhu, carrying a chipped enamel mug, swayed closer, his gaze sweeping over Yu Li's face before glancing sideways at Yan Jiecheng:

"How many days has it been, and you've already won that girl over? You've got it done pretty fast!"

He clicked his tongue, his words laced with barbs:

"Have you prepared the bride price yet? Don't be as stingy as your father, or the girl will look down on you."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly silencing the entire courtyard.

Yan Jiecheng's smile froze, and Yu Li also lowered her eyes, looking rather uncomfortable.

By the front gate, Yan Bugui's face was as dark as iron, but he stubbornly held back from making a sound—after all, he still needed Sha Zhu to cook the banquet, so he wanted to save money wherever possible.

That jerk, always choosing the wrong time to spoil the mood.

Seeing this scene, Liu Guangqi smiled slightly, but had no intention of lingering. He took Zhao Mengyun's hand and headed towards the backyard.