Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

Back at the stands, the old leader looked at Old He with a somewhat strange expression and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"I found Engineer Qin and chatted with him. I discovered that his views are exactly the same as yours," Old He said, deliberately lowering his voice towards the end.

"What views?"

"The million-man demobilization."

Old He spoke these words almost directly into the old leader's ear.

The old leader's eyes lit up. Good, this young man actually has such insights! It seems I'll have to have a good chat with him over dinner tonight! Should this matter be entrusted to him to plan?

Or maybe not. It would offend too many people. Old Nie would probably come running to complain. Besides, he's not in the military. However, having him help advise from behind the scenes is still possible.

"By the way, Old Leader, what did you want to see me about?"

"I asked you to find Engineer Qin and, while you were at it, take a turn around the back to hear your views on the situation there."

...

Due to the lack of night-fighting equipment, the exercise was temporarily suspended at dusk to avoid accidental injuries and would continue the next day.

Watching the sun set in the west, Qin Yang couldn't help but hum a little tune: "The sun sets in the west, red clouds fly, soldiers return to camp after target practice..."

"President Qin, you're really amazing, not nervous at all," Zhang Changjiang said to Qin Yang.

"What's there to be nervous about? Relax. I once saw someone who was so nervous and scared that when the leader asked for his name, do you know what he answered?"

"I don't know."

"He answered, 'Reporting to the leader, my name is Not Nervous!'" Qin Yang glanced at Zhang Changjiang: "When you meet the old leader later, don't misreport your name."

Zhang Changjiang nodded: "Mm."

His voice still trembled.

Pian Kuaizi shuttled through the field for half an hour. After going through layers of checks, he finally brought Qin Yang and Zhang Changjiang to the front of a military camp, all uniform tents. Qin Yang and Zhang Changjiang got out of the car and walked, led by a guard, for more than twenty minutes before finally arriving outside a tent.

"Mm, you've come at the right time. The old leader is just about to finish talking with the others. After he's done, he'll come to this tent for a meal."

Qin Yang sniffed: "This smells rather light. The old leader is usually too frugal. Secretary Song, you're responsible for the old leader's daily life, you must take good care of the old leader's diet and not let the old leader lack nutrition."

Zhang Changjiang, standing to the side, widened his eyes. He had long heard that President Qin was bold, but he didn't expect him to be this bold! He could actually speak to Secretary Song in this tone!

What about himself?

Not nervous, not nervous.

Just then, a voice came from behind: "I've long heard that in the capital, Qin Yang fears neither heaven nor earth. Now it's indeed so. Old Song, you've even been educated."

With the voice, an old man walked over, very kind and amiable. At this moment, Qin Yang's previous joviality disappeared, replaced by a respectful expression.

"Old Leader, I fear neither heaven nor earth in front of others, but in front of you, I will always be a junior. I am deeply honored to be able to have dinner with you today…"

The old leader nodded approvingly, then looked at the person beside Qin Yang: "And this is?"

"Reporting to the leader, my name is Not Nervous!"

"Engineer Zhang, I told you not to be too nervous." Qin Yang said helplessly: "Old Leader, he's from Harbin No. 1 Machine Tool Plant. The rocket projectiles loaded in the rockets we test-fired this time were all produced by them. They didn't fail. Their technology is still good."

The old leader nodded: "Come along, let's chat while we eat. After the meal, I still have a few meetings to attend."

The food was indeed very simple. The older generation was just like this. Qin Yang knew that eating was secondary. After this meal, no one would bother him again. The old leader was backing him up.

"Engineer Qin, I heard that the bulletproof vest you developed can stop rifle bullets. This thing, sent to the battlefield, is a talisman for our soldiers."

"That's as it should be," Qin Yang said. "It's just that head protection is still a problem. Fortunately, we have a foreign student named Wang Hai in our factory. He studied materials in the United States. His graduation thesis was on Kevlar material. This thing is high-tech. Using it to make helmets provides first-class protection and is lightweight. He patted his chest and said that he could develop an advanced helmet in at most three months."

Achoo!

In the research and development department of the Second Factory of Factory 960, Wang Hai, who had been working all night, suddenly sneezed. He touched his nose, wondering what was going on. Could he have caught a cold?

Never mind, he should continue his research. If this helmet could be developed, it would be his path to promotion in the future. If it couldn't be developed…

Zhang Changjiang became a spectator, watching Qin Yang talk eloquently in front of the old leader, filled with admiration. His psychological quality was top-notch. He would definitely do great things in the future. No, he was already doing great things!

Time slowly passed. The old leader and Qin Yang ate and chatted. Suddenly, the conversation shifted.

"I've heard a lot of comments saying that your Factory 960 is overbearing in the military industry system, snatching orders from other military factories, even squeezing these military factories out of business. What do you have to say about this?"

Zhang Changjiang's hand trembled inexplicably. He was just a listener now, but these words still made his heart beat violently.

Was the old leader going to knock Qin Yang down a peg? What would Qin Yang do next? Humbly accept criticism?

"We have to follow the market economy, so we have to liberate our minds. Many people still hold onto old ideas. A crying child gets fed. If you don't strive for progress, don't blame others for taking your rice bowl. Our Factory 960 is just snatching other people's rice bowls. If they don't accept it, then they should find a way to snatch it back, invent more advanced weapons and equipment. What's the difference between their behavior and a child who loses a fight and tells their parents?"

Zhang Changjiang widened his eyes. Amazing, President Qin, you dare to say this in front of the old leader?

"Some people also say that you've made a lot of money, violating the principle of fairness."

"Those who lie down and beg to be fed will definitely be envious. The era of the big pot is long gone. Our country also needs a group of people who get rich first, and I want to take the lead," Qin Yang said. "Besides, the money I earn isn't spent on myself. How many projects have we launched in our factory? Where doesn't money need to be spent? The research and development projects we're doing have never required a penny of research funding from the country. We are the ones who have truly taken the path of the market economy. If you ask me, our military procurement should have followed the Western model long ago, following the bidding process. Whoever has the lowest price gets the order."

At Fangbei Company, bidding has already begun. Want to get foreign trade orders? Then come and bid! However, domestic military orders are still following the usual practice.

Of course, Qin Yang wasn't feeling guilty. He knew the old leader's attitude.

The old leader nodded: "This system is good, but we can't be impatient. We have to gradually develop in this direction… Young man, now I'm very curious about one thing."

"Old Leader, please speak."

"How do you know so much?"