Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Wei Hongjun immediately became serious.

Although Wei Hongjun had only known Zhong Lin for two years, he still had some understanding of him. Zhong Lin was a weapons expert, so he spoke very carefully. He was a man of his word, saying yes or no, no, and he would never make empty promises. Bragging about weapons development was pointless.

Bragging during wartime will result in a military court.

So Wei Hongjun brought Zhong Lin to a large rock and sat down naturally. Although Wei Hongjun was already the Vice Premier of the State Council, some habits retained from the war years still existed. He said, "Comrade Zhong Lin, please tell me in detail.

Commander, let me tell you the simplest thing. At present, there are actually quite a few artillery shells produced by our country's arsenals, and there are also many arsenals that can produce artillery shells. But the same size artillery shells produced in Chongqing cannot be loaded into the artillery in Dongbei and North China. Similarly, some artillery shells produced in Northeast China and North China cannot be used in artillery in other places.

"Can't shells of the same size be used on cannons of the same type?" Wei Hongjun was puzzled.

Cannonballs have different sizes and models, so how can they not be used on cannons?

Zhong Lin smiled bitterly and said: Commander, it is the same size, but the definition of size is different in different arsenals. Because the sources of arsenals in our country are very complicated. Some learn from Germany, some learn from the United States, and some learn from the Czech Republic.

There are also some who study French, of course most

"The main reason is that we learned from Japan and the Soviet Union. Because the various arsenals had different sources, many aspects were inconsistent. To put it bluntly, my country's current industrial weights and measures are not completely unified, or there is no unified standard. Without a unified standard, each factory has its own standard. With so many standards, the sizes vary."

“Is it that serious?”

Wei Hongjun couldn't quite understand why. Wouldn't it be fine if they were the same size?

Could it be that the same centimeter, one centimeter in Northeast China or North China, could be different from one centimeter in Chongqing? "Commander, this is more serious than we imagined."

Zhong Lin sighed.

He said, "Even though they are the same size, because our country's industrial weights and measures are not standardized, each arsenal uses different units and rulers. So even if we tell them the size, due to unfamiliarity or lack of accustomedness, the resulting product will have errors. In an industry, even such a small error can have very serious consequences."

Zhong Lin was worried that Wei Hongjun was not familiar with this area.

So I gave Wei Hongjun some examples in this regard.

To be honest, Wei Hongjun's understanding of industry is limited. After all, he didn't study industrial construction in his previous life. Although he has diligently studied over the years, combined with his past life experience, many Party cadres believe that he is relatively familiar with the industrial field. However, Wei Hongjun's understanding of industry is mainly based on the general direction and macro aspects.

So when Wei Hongjun talks with these industrial professionals, even if they are talking about something they already know, he won't interrupt them. This is because Wei Hongjun knows that listening and learning more about industrial issues is something he must go through and "should take it seriously."

Zhong Lin's mood immediately improved when he saw Wei Hongjun's attitude. He now needed the support of cadres of Wei Hongjun's level. Zhong Lin was very capable.

Having joined the Party early, having been a member since the Great Revolution, he was definitely a veteran. But Zhong Lin's only problem was that he had been working at a Kuomintang arsenal since joining. His connections within the current Party were quite weak. Even if he had some ideas, getting them to the Central Committee through the normal procedures would take a long time.

That's why he seized the opportunity now.

If he could convince Wei Hongjun, his ideas could be conveyed directly to the highest level.

It wasn't that he wasn't worried, fearing that Wei Hongjun didn't really understand this aspect of the work. Now that he heard Wei Hongjun's attitude, Zhong Lin realized that the matter was halfway to success.

So he said: "In fact, the problem of the arsenals is the easiest to solve. As long as the Military Commission agrees, a meeting of these arsenals can be held, and then mandatory unified weights and measures can be implemented, and the superficial problems can be solved. However, the lack of a unified standard for national industrial measurement is the biggest problem for the entire industry. In the current chaotic situation, screws produced in Shanghai cannot be used on machines produced in Beijing. This will not only waste national investment, but more importantly, it will affect the development of our country's industry. We are one country, and the measurement must be unified. If the screws are produced in our country, they should be used nationwide. Only in this way can the industries of various regions be effectively integrated."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

Wei Hongjun has also considered the issue of industrial standards many times.

However, after the establishment of the State Council, Wei Hongjun was busy with his own work and had no time to consider this matter. Furthermore, China's industrial base was limited, so Wei Hongjun had not yet made much of a difference. He had not felt the trouble caused by the standards issue.

But this time, Zhong Lin's words made Wei Hongjun realize that the issue of industrial standards must be put on the agenda as soon as possible. "Our country should have a department responsible for national metrology."

Wei Hongjun muttered to himself.

Upon hearing what the Red Army said, Zhong Lin immediately said, "Commander, the current situation is actually most suitable for standardizing industrial manufacturing measurements. Our industrial base is limited, our industry is just getting started, and we don't have many super factories. So, although our industry is chaotic now, there won't be much resistance to change. If our current industrial scale were large, standardization would be difficult. As we undertake the Soviet-aided industrial projects, our industry as a whole will consciously or unconsciously adopt Soviet standards. The Soviet industry has developed for so many years and has a complete set of standards. We can import their industrial standards from the Soviet Union as a whole and then make some adjustments based on our current situation. This way, we can quickly develop a complete and comprehensive industrial standards system. After implementation, if any problems arise, we can gradually adjust them."

Why is it said that the Soviet Union's influence on China was growing in the early days of the People's Republic of China? It was not just because of industrial assistance.

What is more important are the standards.

China had learned so much from the Soviet Union, especially in industry, directly transplanting Soviet standards. Under such circumstances, how could the Soviet Union's influence in China not increase? Wei Hongjun nodded.

Introducing a complete set of industrial standards from the Soviet Union is currently the fastest and most convenient way for China to unify its industrial standards.

Although there will be many sequelae.

But nothing is perfect in the world. It all comes down to the pros and cons.

China's current industry has no right to be disdainful of anything. Especially when it comes to industrial standards, if they weren't imported as a complete set from the Soviet Union, establishing them on our own would take twenty to thirty years. "Comrade Zhong Lin, I understand what you mean. So, when you return, write a report on standardizing weights and measures and give it to me."

"Commander, I have already written it."

Zhong Lin immediately took out a report from his bag. Wei Hongjun took it and took a look.

Written in great detail.

The best thing about managers like Zhong Lin, who understand both technology and management, is that they write excellent reports that are clear and easy to understand. Unlike some managers who only understand technology, their reports are too difficult to understand, leaving everyone but the professionals completely baffled.

Wei Hongjun put the report away and handed it to the staff member behind him. Then he said to Zhong Lin, "Comrade Zhong Lin, I understand this matter and I will take it to heart."

Chapter 802 Logistical Preparations

There are people in the court who are easy to do things with.

This is a summary of China's officialdom over thousands of years.

Although the Communist Party of China is a Marxist party and the People's Republic of China is a socialist country, China's political system is still influenced by the political system that has been passed down for thousands of years. After returning, Wei Hongjun carefully read Zhong Lin's report again.

Then he wrote his opinion on it. Wei Hongjun wrote that China's industrialization requires standards; without them, there will be chaos. Therefore, he requested the swift establishment of a department responsible for formulating national industrial standards. The report was handed to Li Fuchun, deputy director of the Finance and Economics Committee.

It wasn't that Li Fuchun's rank was higher than Wei Hongjun's, so the report had to go through him. Rather, it was because Li Fuchun was in charge of the Ministry of Heavy Industry, the First Ministry of Machine Building, and the Second Ministry of Machine Building. With his support, the report was more persuasive. Li Fuchun attached great importance to Zhong Lin's report.

Li Fuchun had been involved in industry for a long time. When he was in Northeast China, he also managed industry and understood the establishment of industrial standards.

So he wrote his own opinion after Wei Hongjun's. Like Wei Hongjun, he supported the central government's swift establishment of a department for this purpose. Then, through Chen Yun, it finally reached the Premier's desk.

This was a report submitted personally by Wei Hongjun, so Chen Yun and the Premier quickly approved it. They both supported Wei Hongjun's idea that the State Council needed such a metrology department. The report then reached the Central Committee, where the Chairman also issued instructions. In the early days of the People's Republic of China, many procedures were informal. However, informality had its advantages: it was quickly approved.

If it were a normal procedure, with each leader giving their approval one by one, it would take an unknown amount of time. But things are different now.

From the time Wei Hongjun wrote his comments on the report to the final Chairman's approval, it took less than five days. Following the Chairman's approval, the CPPCC Standing Committee voted in favor of the State Council establishing the Central Metrology Bureau. The Central Committee recommended Cheng Gan as its Director.

Cheng Ligan was a prominent figure in the weapons industry during the Republic of China. When Zhang Zhidong selected students to study in Japan, Cheng Ligan was among the first group. He later went to Germany to study machine manufacturing and has remained in the weapons manufacturing industry ever since.

From the Northern Expedition through the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was a leading figure in the Republic of China's weapons industry. Due to his immense talent, he refused to join the Kuomintang (KMT), but Chiang Kai-shek was reluctant to replace him, appointing him Deputy Director of the Ordnance Department and granting him the rank of Lieutenant General. This was a rare achievement within the Nationalist government.

However, after the outbreak of the Liberation War, he quit his job and became the director of a private chemical factory. Finally, he came to the North China Liberated Area through special channels.

The weight is heavier than Zhong Lin’s.

When the Central Committee established the Central Bureau of Metrology, the first person it considered was Li Chenggan. Like Zhong Lin, Li Chenggan possessed both technical expertise and management experience. After the Central Committee approved the establishment of the Central Bureau of Metrology, the State Council placed the Bureau under the Finance and Economics Committee and assigned management to Wei Hongjun. After Wei Hongjun assumed control of the Bureau, he recommended Zhong Lin, who had submitted a report, for the position of Deputy Director. The Finance and Economics Committee agreed. After the report was submitted, Premier Wu Hao of the State Council also agreed.

But it's stuck with Zhao Lu.

Zhao Lu was unwilling to let him go.

Zhao Lu was the Minister of the Second Ministry of Machine Building. Although the Second Ministry of Machine Building was a department of the State Council, it was primarily responsible for the weapons industry and therefore had ties to the Central Military Commission. Zhao Lu was the Minister of the General Logistics Department of the Central Military Commission.

Currently, Zhong Lin is under the jurisdiction of the North China Military Region and is actually a member of the Central Military Commission. Wei Hongjun can certainly ignore Zhao Lu.

Zhong Lin was a cadre of the North China Military Region, and Wei Hongjun was promoting cadres on behalf of the State Council, so they could ignore Zhao Lu. Although Zhong Lin was a cadre of the Military Commission, his personnel file was not in Zhao Lu's hands. Wei Hongjun could have completely bypassed Zhao Lu.

But Wei Hongjun wouldn't do that. After all, Wei Hongjun and Zhao Lu had been partners for many years, and both of them were from the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei region, so they had to respect Zhao Lu in many ways. So Wei Hongjun had no choice but to take the time to go find Zhao Lu himself.

"Old Wei, I'm not trying to make things difficult for you." Zhao Lu felt a little embarrassed in front of Wei Hongjun.

After all, the Red Army only wanted to transfer a cadre from the North China Military Region, but he rejected it. Given their friendship, it would be a bit unkind to do so. So he immediately explained: Lao Wei, Comrade Zhong Lin is a rare weapons expert, and he is not just a technical cadre, but also a weapons expert with strong organizational skills. My idea is to send Zhong Shangtong to the General Logistics Department of the Military Commission and the Second Ministry of Machine Building Industry to take full responsibility for the integration of our country's current arsenals. Lao Wei, compared to the Metrology Bureau, this is Comrade Zhong Lin's real profession and is more suitable for Comrade Zhong Lin to play his role.

Wei Hongjun smiled.

Zhao Lu is a very kind person.

Wei Hongjun and Zhao Lu have worked together for many years and have great confidence in Zhao Lu's character. Zhao Lu's resoluteness this time suggests he truly likes and respects Zhong Lin. However, Wei Hongjun is also determined to win Zhong Lin over. Zhong Lin should play a greater role, not be limited to the ordnance field.

So Wei Hongjun said: "Old Zhao, I understand what you mean. But measurement work is more important than anything else at the moment. Now the country has made all preparations and is connecting with the Soviet Union's aid-built industrial projects. Large-scale industrial construction has also been rolled out.

The formulation of industrial standards is imminent.

This is a major issue concerning the development of the entire country's industry. Just letting Comrade Zhong Lin hang around in the weapons industry is a waste of his talent."

"But......…""

"Old Zhao, I know there's a shortage of talent in the weapons industry right now. But the issue of industrial standards can't be delayed. Why are you so focused on Zhong Lin alone?"

Wei Hongjun said: "In the past year, many students have returned from Europe and the United States, and many of them have entered colleges and universities. The central government has not yet had time to sort out and arrange for these students. There are many technical talents with strong technical capabilities among them. You can start with them."

Currently, there are thousands of European and American students returning to China, many of whom have become university teachers.

Wei Hongjun told Zhao Lu that the military could take action against them.

Zhao Lu, seeing Wei Hongjun personally approaching, understood his resolve. He felt a pity. Talent like Zhong Lin was incredibly rare. Those returning overseas students were highly capable, but their skills were mostly technical. Technical talent was important, but management talent like Shen Lu was also incredibly rare.

"never mind."

Zhao Lu sighed.

Zhong Lin can no longer be saved.

Seeing that Zhao Lu had given in, Wei Hongjun said, "Old Zhao, don't be disappointed. The first batch of students sent by Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei to the Soviet Union will be able to return home next year. I will make the decision then and let you choose first, how about it?" Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei was the first to send students to the Soviet Union.

The earliest batch of international students completed their studies and returned to China in 1950.

Although these students were no longer under the jurisdiction of the Jin-Cha-Ji Bureau, they had begun their overseas study there. Wei Hongjun still had a significant say in their fate. Otherwise, Gao Gang wouldn't have competed with the North China Bureau for study abroad places. Zhao Lu's expression brightened considerably after hearing Wei Hongjun's words.

The students sent to the Soviet Union by the Jin-Cha-Ji region included not only technical talent but also a number of management talents. "Old Wei, then this is settled. You can't go back on your word when the time comes."

"I promise."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

Then Wei Hongjun said: "Old Zhao, actually I have been wanting to find you recently. The situation on the Korean Peninsula is getting worse and worse, and it may explode at any time. Is your General Logistics Department adequately prepared?" Zhao Lu's face immediately became serious.

He said: "Old Wei, are you sure that war will break out on the Korean Peninsula and that our troops will need to intervene?" "Yes."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

He said seriously: "Old Zhao, we have known each other for a while. You should know that I am not the kind of person who talks nonsense." Zhao Lu was silent.

That's why Zhao Lu is so serious.

Zhao Lu was in charge of the logistics work of the North China Military Region. He understood that if the People's Liberation Army really wanted to intervene in the war on the Korean Peninsula and confront the Americans, it would not be a trivial matter.

Lao Zhao, you guys in logistics need to fully consider the American aircraft advantage. The Americans produced hundreds of thousands of aircraft during World War II, and some major battles involved a thousand or two thousand aircraft. Have you ever considered that we might encounter these things too? "Yes."

Zhao Lu nodded.

Zhao Lu has been in charge of the army's logistics work since the Jinggangshan period, and understands the difficulties of logistics work better than anyone else.

Zhao Lu thought for a moment and said, "Old Wei, modern warfare is different from when we were fighting the Japanese. When we were fighting the Japanese, we didn't need to guarantee the logistics of so many troops. But once we really fight the Americans on the Korean Peninsula, we will have to provide the rear support for hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops. And we will have to use the American flying cannons. With our current air force, we are no match for the Americans. Moreover, it is unrealistic to improve the combat effectiveness of our air force in a short period of time. So there are only two things we can do now.

"One is to increase air defense capabilities, and the other is to increase transportation capabilities."

Zhao Lu kept analyzing.