Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

Old Zhu, one of the most respected veteran experts in the military industry, a master designer of ground weapons.

Born in 1918, Old Zhu lived through the war-torn years of the Anti-Japanese War and is one of the few experts in the domestic military industry system with actual combat experience.

During that war, he became the 'Lu Ban' of the army, developing stone mines and the famous technique of using mortars to fire directly at enemy pillboxes. After the founding of New China, he continued to use his expertise in the military industry, once losing his right arm in an accident while troubleshooting a shell malfunction.

However, after recovering from his injuries, he returned to his post. Despite having only one arm, he continued to work on the front lines! He is the most respectable person!

In the mid-1980s, the retired Old Zhu accepted another major task: to develop a domestically produced third-generation tank! At that time, Old Zhu was already 66 years old. An old expert of his age should have been enjoying a comfortable life with his retirement pension.

But he didn't. He accepted the task and began a difficult journey. Because of the imbalance caused by his missing arm, he fell many times while climbing on and off the tank. Once, he rushed to a meeting and fell, but insisted on finishing the meeting before going to the hospital, only to find that he had broken a rib…

Hard work pays off! Finally, in 1999, the advanced domestically produced tank paraded through the square, showcasing the military technology of the motherland to the world!

What Qin Yang respected most was that when the tank was finalized, more than 20 million yuan of the research and development funds allocated by the higher authorities remained. These older generation military industrialists have always been dedicated and have never asked the country for anything, let alone embezzled valuable research funds!

At this time, Old Zhu, wearing a faded work uniform, looked so simple and unadorned that Qin Yang's heart was filled with respect.

Old Zhu was also looking at Qin Yang.

Old Zhu had studied weapons all his life, always working in the field of military research and development, especially in artillery manufacturing. Therefore, when he heard that there were problems with the 69-3 tank experiment here, which had not been resolved for several months, he was very anxious and volunteered to come and help.

As a result, after arriving, he heard that the problem had been solved! And it was solved by Engineer Qin from Factory 960. He had already heard of Qin Yang's deeds and greatly admired this young man. So, he ran to the shooting range to look for him, and then heard that Qin Yang and a foreigner had gone to the ammunition depot, so he came to the ammunition depot.

Outside, he heard Qin Yang talking to the foreigner in a barrage of foreign languages. Although he couldn't fully understand it, he did hear some key terms.

CNC machine tools, liquid phase sintering, fin-stabilized discarding sabot…

"Qin, I will coordinate what you need immediately. Where do you plan to develop it?" Smith was very eager.

"Of course, at our Factory 960," Qin Yang said. "It seems I need to go back for a trip."

"Okay, then I'll wait for you here. I will also coordinate the sabots and other parts you need," Smith said.

The agreement with Smith was reached in this way. After Smith left, Qin Yang quickly walked up to Old Zhu: "Old Zhu, what wind has blown you here?"

"They all say that Factory 960 has produced a remarkable young man. To be able to tell who it is at the first meeting, I've finally seen it today. Engineer Qin, what were you talking about with the foreigner just now?"

"A deal."

As Qin Yang recounted the content of the deal just now, Old Zhu's expression kept changing, with surprise, shock, excitement, and emotion…

"Machine tools are the mother of industry. If we want to develop modern industry, we cannot do without advanced machine tools. However, foreign countries have always been blockading us. If we can exchange for a multi-axis CNC machine tool this time, it would be a huge step forward for us!" Old Zhu said with emotion: "Engineer Qin, you have done a great service to our entire military industry!"

"This is also for the development of our Capital Furniture Factory," Qin Yang said. "Next, I have to go back for a trip. Old Zhu, what about you? What are your plans next?"

"Can I personally watch you use liquid phase sintering technology to manufacture the penetrator rod for armor-piercing projectiles?" Old Zhu said excitedly: "In terms of weapons research and development, your Factory 960 is frequently launching satellites!"

"Of course."

"Then I'll go back with you!"

"Okay!"

That night, the two boarded a train and returned to the capital.

On the hundreds of kilometers journey, Qin Yang and Old Zhu talked and laughed all the way, and it was very pleasant. By the time they reached their destination, it was already late the next night.

"It's so late, and there are no cars. Your Capital Agricultural Tool Factory is outside the Fifth Ring Road, which is very inconvenient. Why don't you stay at my house for the night?"

"This, wouldn't that be too much trouble?" Qin Yang was a little embarrassed. In fact, he could have called the factory to send a car to pick him up.

"It's okay, I live alone at home now," Old Zhu said. "My children are all grown up and working outside. My wife has gone to take care of our granddaughter."

"Alright."

The Huai Shu Ling Courtyard is only two kilometers away from the Capital Station. The last bus had already left, so Old Zhu and Qin Yang walked back together. Obviously, he had walked this road many times.

"Old Zhu, aren't there several rows of dormitory buildings over there?" Qin Yang pointed to the distance in the night.

"After the dormitory buildings were built, the unit wanted to allocate one to me, but so many young people still don't have houses, so how could I ask for one? Young people have it hard, so let them live there. I'm used to living in the old house anyway," Old Zhu said.

Old Zhu led Qin Yang along several small paths to his residence.

This was a brick house built in the 1960s, with mottled exterior walls, full of historical vicissitudes. There was no courtyard, and an iron chain locked the door, revealing the layout of two rooms.

After the rattling sound of the lock being opened, Qin Yang walked in.

The dilapidated wooden doors and windows were somewhat leaky, making a whirring sound. In the outer room, on the cement floor, there was a set of old sofas, the leather of which had long rotted, revealing the sponge inside…

The inner room was a bedroom and study, with a dilapidated wooden bed, dilapidated tables and chairs, and a dilapidated bookcase…

"The conditions are a bit simple, but don't worry, this bed can still bear the weight of both of us. I'll get you a set of bedding," Old Zhu said, reaching out with one hand to open the wardrobe, intending to take out a new set of bedding from inside.

Qin Yang looked again at the set of bedding with several patches on the bed, and his mood was a little heavy: "Old Zhu, what about your salary? You haven't donated it all, have you?"

"Well, I donate what I don't need to the Party. I'm already very happy to be able to enjoy my current life." After saying that, he smiled again: "However, your generation probably doesn't understand it very well, and you probably think I'm stupid, right?"

This is not stupidity, but infinite loyalty to the Party, the motherland, and the people. It is the noble character of the older generation of military industrialists!

"Old Zhu, if you look at it from the perspective of people today, you are indeed stupid enough, but you are a senior, and your ideological realm is higher than ours."

Old Zhu laughed: "Yes, a thousand mansions only sleep three feet of tatami. I'm already very satisfied. Many of the people who participated in the revolution with me didn't live to see today."

M735 projectile structure