Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

It was already November, and the north was freezing cold. Qishi, where China First Heavy Industries (CFHI) was located, was a world of ice and snow.

As soon as Qin Yang got off the plane, he wrapped his military coat tightly around himself. The white vapor exhaled from his mouth quickly caused a layer of frost to form on his eyebrows.

"President Qin, it's still early. We can take a taxi over there. There are taxi stands near the airport..." Zhang Kui, the section chief of the purchasing department of Factory 618, was following Qin Yang. This wasn't his first time in Qishi, so he was very familiar with the place. That's why he came with Qin Yang to make purchases, and was also responsible for Qin Yang's food, clothing, and accommodation.

In this era, there were already taxis, but their operation was similar to buses. Taxi stands were set up in the city, and taxis picked up passengers at the stands and then took them to their destination stand. Then, the taxi would return to its original starting point and wait for the next ride.

Fortunately, there were taxi stands from the airport to CFHI, so taking a taxi was the most convenient option. As for the money, when you're out on business, you can't be afraid to spend it.

Qin Yang nodded. Zhang Kui hadn't taken a few steps when someone came over from the arrival area: "Excuse me, are you President Qin? I'm Xiao Liu, a driver from CFHI's motorcade. I heard that President Qin was coming, so I came to pick you up."

Only President Qin could afford to fly at such a young age. No one else was like that.

"How did you know we were coming?" Now it was Qin Yang's turn to be curious.

"We received a telegram from Fangbei Industrial Company," Xiao Liu said. "President Qin, please follow me. The car is outside."

Did Uncle Dong arrange this? Was this to make him feel more recognized by Fangbei Industrial Company? To make him willing to stay there? His means of winning people's hearts were too simple. CFHI welcomed him not because of Fangbei Industrial Company, but because they thought he could bring them orders.

Unfortunately, CFHI was going to be disappointed!

CFHI, conference room.

Outside it was freezing cold, but inside it was warm as spring. Qin Yang took off his military coat and still felt hot, so he simply took off his sweater as well.

"Now, let us welcome President Qin from Fangbei Industrial Company to CFHI for inspection with warm applause!" Factory Director Chang Mingyuan said, "President Qin's arrival is a new beginning for CFHI!"

"Everyone, everyone, don't rush to applaud yet," Qin Yang stopped the crowd. "This time, I didn't bring any foreigners, and I didn't bring any orders. I just want to ask you to help solve the hydraulic press cylinder problem of our brother unit, Factory 618."

Everyone's expressions became awkward.

Sure enough, Qin Yang's assumption was correct. These people welcomed him so grandly because they had guessed wrong.

Qin Yang taking foreigners around the country's military factories and signing foreign trade orders had already spread. The establishment of Fangbei Industrial Company was also to continue coordinating arms sales. Therefore, when they heard that Qin Yang was coming, they were all excited, thinking that Qin Yang was bringing them a large order.

Who would have thought that Qin Yang was here for Factory 618's matter!

"What's the matter, are you disappointed?"

"Of course not, President Qin. As the general manager of Fangbei Industrial Company, you are so considerate of your brother units, personally coming to coordinate for them. We are very touched. However, our factory really doesn't have time to produce this part for Factory 618. Our production tasks are fully scheduled." Wu Hao, the director of the collaboration office who knew about this matter, said.

"This is foreign trade! If production is delayed and the delivery time is delayed, we will lose our country's reputation! Can't you think of a way?"

Zhang Kui followed behind Qin Yang without saying a word, feeling very pleased in his heart. Don't look down on President Qin for being young, his aura is no less than those big leaders!

"President Qin, of course we know that this matter is of great importance, but right now, we are producing the blanks for an 8,000-ton hydraulic press, which is also a key national project and cannot be delayed!" Chang Mingyuan said, "President Qin, I hope you can understand."

"Well, since CFHI has a key national project, we can't force it. Since you can't make new parts, can we go to the scrap yard to take a look?"

"President Qin, your Fangbei Industrial Company has become famous recently. If there are any export tasks, don't forget about CFHI!" After the matter was arranged, Chang Mingyuan continued to bring the topic back, "It would be great if we could also export and earn foreign exchange!"

"That's not possible," Qin Yang refused immediately. "Your CFHI's products are too outdated."

The expressions on everyone's faces changed again.

It is said that President Qin is a reckless young man who often speaks without leaving room for maneuver. Now it is indeed the case. How did this person become the general manager of an import and export company? Can't he be more tactful?

"Now, times are changing and technology is advancing. Take your CFHI's main product, machine tools, for example. They have already entered the era of CNC. You are still producing those old hand-cranked machine tools. Even you yourselves find them outdated, let alone exporting them?"

CFHI is a heavy industry factory, mainly providing major complete sets of technical equipment for industries such as steel, electricity, energy, automobile, mining, petrochemical, and transportation, as well as national defense and military industries. Their products involve several major areas: energy equipment represented by nuclear power, hydropower, wind power, and coal chemical equipment, oil extraction and processing equipment; industrial equipment represented by metallurgical complete sets of equipment, automobile complete sets of equipment, hot forging equipment, seawater desalination equipment, and heavy machine tools; equipment represented by nuclear power castings and forgings, thermal power castings and forgings, hydropower castings and forgings, heavy container castings and forgings, marine castings and forgings, and metallurgical spare parts. Although they are not a professional machine tool factory, they also produce specialized heavy machine tools.

"Yes, CNC machine tools are advanced processing equipment, but our country simply doesn't have the relevant technology. We can only cooperate with foreign countries, but foreigners are simply unwilling to open up their technology. We can only produce machine tools and match them with the CNC equipment they provide," Chang Mingyuan said. "The real core technology cannot be sold to us."

"Core technology can only be self-developed. If your factory wants to develop further, you must pay attention to this research and development. By the way, I suddenly remembered something, can you produce rifling equipment for cannon barrels?"

Chang Mingyuan nodded: "Of course. President Qin, do you want it?"

"It needs to be modified. You produce the machine body, and we install the CNC equipment to create a professional CNC rifling machine."

Currently, the Capital Agricultural Tool Factory already has electroslag remelting steel equipment, but it cannot produce tank cannons because there are too many processes required to make cannons, and many experienced masters are also needed. In particular, deep hole processing and rifling are required.

These processes rely entirely on experience accumulation. You can't see the inside from the outside at all. Senior technicians can only judge whether the inside is cutting normally by observing the vibration of the tool bar and the temperature of the cutting cooling oil… Especially for rifling, the requirements are even stricter. Tens of thousands of tons of cannon barrels are scrapped every year due to rifling failures!

This requires accumulation. For example, Factory 447 has the famous boring king, but if you poach people from Factory 447, you will definitely be scolded. It's better to get a CNC machine out to make rifling manufacturing simpler!

"President Qin, does your Capital Agricultural Tool Factory have CNC technology?" Everyone was surprised.

Qin Yang smiled and changed the subject: "Let's continue talking about the 10,000-ton hydraulic press project?"

While Qin Yang was chatting with the leaders of CFHI, Zhang Kui and several middle-level cadres of CFHI were searching in the scrap yard piled high with waste materials.

The climate was cold, and Zhang Kui's eyebrows, beard, and hair all turned white, becoming Santa Claus!

However, he was still working hard. Finally, when he saw a huge forging, he became excited: "This forging can meet our needs! Just saw off the cracked part at the end!"

President Qin was right, you don't need a brand new one, picking up scraps is enough!

"There are also two waste cannon barrels over there, which can also be used as our return oil cylinders!"