Courtyard House: My Time Travel is a Bit Too Strong

Dixing's CNC machine tools did indeed begin more than a decade ago; the Third Machinery Plant is now eyeing the first-generation prototype.

Lin Quan had long heard of Director Li's bad reputation.

This import deal will likely result in the foreigner ripping us off.

Lin Quan was deeply unwilling to see the pile of obsolete goods he had bought at a high price.

He was originally a native of the Yanhuang people, and his roots are deeply embedded in his family and country.

Driven by this bloodline, he is acutely aware of the significance of this land.

Although he complained that Director Li was pretentious, he felt even more upset when he saw the factory being ripped off.

"Director Li, how many units do you plan to order?" Lin Quan changed the subject.

"Two units—one for production, and the other for dismantling and research." Director Li didn't hide anything.

"How much does one unit cost?" Lin Quan pressed.

"The foreigner asked for one million US dollars right off the bat," Director Li reported truthfully.

"I'd think even 100,000 US dollars is too expensive for this kind of outdated machine tool," Lin Quan shook his head and scoffed.

At the current exchange rate, 100,000 US dollars can be exchanged for at most 200,000 Yanhuang coins.

With Lin Quan's skills and knowledge, creating a more refined, stable, and economical CNC machine is a piece of cake.

"Less than 100,000 US dollars per unit?" Director Li was stunned on the spot.

"To put it simply, it's about adding an automatic instruction system to a manual machine tool," Lin Quan said calmly.

"But the cost of just those electronic modules alone is unbearable," Director Li frowned.

In fact, the bed frame can be produced in-house at the Third Machinery Plant, costing less than 30,000 Yanhuang coins; the cost of purchasing core electronic components from outside is no more than 20,000 at most; the real bottleneck is simply that no one knows how to write the control program.

The foreigners are charging a million US dollars for something that could be done for tens of thousands of dollars; it's clearly taking advantage of our misfortune.

Lin Quan had studied dozens of technical manuals and disassembled more than a dozen old machine tools, so replicating this type of equipment was not difficult for him.

The difficulty lies in the fact that the parts on Earth are too advanced, and there are simply no matching replacements available on Earth.

Unfortunately, Earth's industrial base is weak; even the most advanced CNC machines have been out of production on Earth for thirty years.

"Director Li, are you really planning to spend two million US dollars to buy these two 'old-fashioned machines' from abroad?" Lin Quan asked again.

Two million US dollars, converted into Yanhuang currency, amount to nearly five million.

The wages of ordinary employees at the Third Machinery Plant were among the highest in the country.

Even Yi Zhonghai, the factory's top-level eighth-grade fitter, only earns 99.5 yuan a month.

Four million nine hundred and twenty thousand Yanhuang coins is roughly equivalent to forty-nine thousand four hundred and forty-seven times the hard-earned money that Yi Zhonghai would make in a month.

An eighth-grade fitter isn't like a cabbage sold at a roadside stall. Which eighth-grade fitter didn't climb up the ladder by burning oil lamps for twenty or thirty years and wearing down dozens of wrenches?

Working for 30 years and reaching level 8 is considered being a top performer with skillful hands, a steady mind, and a sharp intellect.

If someone can reach this level in just over a decade, they must have innate talent and exceptional comprehension.

Among the nearly 10,000 employees of the Third Machinery Plant, there are only a handful of eighth-grade fitters.

Liu Haizhong turned 55 right after the New Year, but his professional title is still firmly stuck at level seven.

Looking across the entire Yanhuang Kingdom, there are fewer than three thousand level-eight fitters in total.

"Ah Quan, in your opinion, how many US dollars would it take to secure the foreigners' CNC machine tools?" Director Li asked in a low voice.

"It's your business to negotiate the price. I'll just be a mouthpiece at most." Lin Quan gently pushed the other side away, refusing to take on this hot potato—he wasn't from the factory, nor was he a designated negotiator. Forcing his way in would be neither proper nor reasonable.

"There are no outsiders here, so just say whatever you want," Director Li said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

Lin Quan pondered for a moment: "That machine tool is obsolete overseas. The secondhand price is 200,000 US dollars, which should be close to a deal." Labor costs, materials, and electricity are all expensive in Singapore. If the seller isn't looking to make a profit, who would be willing to work for free? It's a losing proposition, so nobody does it.

"Here's your translation fee." Director Li handed over two hundred-yuan bills, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then turned and got into his car and left.

The following afternoon, Lin Quan was alone at home when he suddenly went to Earth and searched for information online.

Earth's current industrial base is a spitting image of Earth's from just a few decades ago.

"The batch of CNC machine tools sold to the Third Machinery Plant were first-generation vacuum tube models. Unsurprisingly, foreign factories have long since switched to third-generation integrated circuit machine tools, while the fourth generation is still in the laboratory studying blueprints."

After scanning the webpage, he had a clear plan in mind. With a leap, he was back in his room in the blink of an eye.

At eight o'clock the next morning, Lin Quan stepped into the gate of the Third Machinery Factory on time.

"Ah Quan, we're counting on you later." Director Li greeted him with a smile that conveyed his entrustment.

"Director Li, there's something I need to say... but I'm not sure if I should?" Lin Quan paused, his tone slightly somber.

"Please feel free to speak," Director Li waved his hand.

"The CNC machine tools that the factory wants to buy are first-generation vacuum tube models, which even scrap yards abroad wouldn't accept; while the machines that are currently being produced at other factories are third-generation integrated circuit machine tools, and the fourth-generation prototypes are almost ready for testing," Lin Quan said crisply.

"Third-generation CNC lathes are already in use abroad?" Director Li's eyes widened, and he almost choked.

"The first generation relied on vacuum tubes for heating, the second generation relied on transistors for speed, the third generation relied on integrated circuits for errands... The first generation? It's long been swept into a corner of a museum to collect dust," Lin Quan added.

He was paid to act as a translator and had no right to interfere in the negotiations, but he couldn't bear not to explain things clearly—by clarifying the situation for Director Li and his team in advance, he was fulfilling his duty as a Chinese.

Director Li's eyes lit up: "Ah Quan, can we really buy third-generation machine tools?"

"Snatching the third generation from foreigners? That's impossible, don't even think about it." Lin Quan shook his head. "But the second generation is a sure thing."

"How much does the second generation cost?"

"Three hundred thousand US dollars per unit, I should be able to get it." He did a quick calculation and answered confidently.

"If we can't get the second generation, how about buying the first generation for 200,000 US dollars?"

"Leave it to me." Lin Quan smiled, his confidence written all over his face.

Because he was bold enough to take risks and meticulous enough to take risks, Director Li dared to entrust this matter entirely to him.

If he were even slightly timid or weak-willed, he wouldn't dare to work hard at the factory.

The factory couldn't find another fluent translator in American English, so Lin Quan couldn't understand a word of what the foreigners were saying.

Moreover, the other party's parents sacrificed their lives in Chongqing, and their family background is as clean as if it had been washed away.

The Third Machinery Plant had prepared more than two million US dollars—as long as they could acquire two first-generation machine tools, they would be satisfied.

If we can use this money to bring back two second-generation machine tools, then we will have truly exceeded our target!

At nine o'clock in the morning, the door to the conference room of the Third Machinery Plant was slowly pushed open.

Michael and Jessica from Singapore, accompanied by their translator Wu Yuxia, took their seats one by one.