Rebirth of the 1980s: The Military Industry Empire

"Low-voltage equipment circuit breaker is closed!"

"The crystallizer is intact, and the lifting equipment is intact!"

"Cooling water is normal!"

"High-voltage equipment is ready to start!"

Commands were constantly being issued, everything seemed to have entered the normal production process. Zhu Guohua and Wang Jinlai stood aside watching, expecting the equipment to operate normally and smelt the steel required by Factory 960.

The two men's eyes were fixed on the top of the workshop, where a crane was lifting a huge steel column and slowly placing it into the furnace. This steel column was an electrode, and the inside of the furnace was another electrode. When the two electrodes came into contact, a large amount of heat was generated, which could melt the steel column!

At this time, the steel column waiting to be refined was slowly lowered. When the steel column was about to come into contact with the slag pool below, Sun Shengli shouted loudly: "Start the high-voltage equipment! Prepare to initiate the arc and create slag!"

A buzzing sound rang out as high-voltage electricity was transmitted.

Pop! A bolt of lightning appeared inside the electroslag remelting furnace, scaring Zhu Guohua so much that he squatted down and covered his ears.

A special smell filled the air, like something was burnt. The lights in the room went out instantly, and the scene was deathly silent.

A roaring voice came from the No. 2 blast furnace workshop next door: "Damn it, why is there a power outage! Quick, fix it immediately! We can't waste a furnace of molten steel inside!"

Regardless of power outages elsewhere, the Capital Iron and Steel Plant had to ensure sufficient power supply, especially for blast furnaces. Once the furnace was started, it rarely stopped unless there was an accident!

"Quick, disconnect the equipment!" Sun Shengli reacted: "Go to the transformer outside and close the switch!"

The people around were still in a daze. Sun Shengli quickly disconnected the equipment switch in the workshop and ran outside non-stop, then he stopped.

Under the transformer, a veteran worker had already picked up a bamboo pole and was poking the transformer, starting to close the switch.

Clang, clang, clang!

Three times and the part that had fallen off the transformer was pushed up.

The roar from No. 2 blast furnace came again, and cold sweat had already broken out on Sun Shengli's back.

"Master Sun, what's going on?" Wang Jinlai also ran out and asked Sun Shengli.

"I don't know, maybe the starting current is too large, causing the transformer to trip," Sun Shengli said. "We can't affect the normal production of the blast furnace, so if we want to use this electroslag remelting furnace, we need to reconnect a line and install a dedicated transformer."

Install a brand new line and transformer? That's another expense! Wang Jinlai frowned.

"Install it, we have no choice. If this equipment can't be used normally, we'll all be in big trouble. I know the railway department has a spare transformer that we can ask for first."

Zhu Guohua had no way out, he had to go on. Isn't it just reconnecting a line now? No big deal!

Two days later, the brand new line was installed.

"Everyone, get ready! This time, we can only succeed, not fail!" Zhu Guohua's voice carried an irresistible majesty.

"High-voltage equipment is ready to start!" Sun Shengli issued the order again.

Ask a foreigner?

Zhu Guohua's eyes rolled around: "Okay, I'll go find the person in charge of Steyr Company!"

The equipment was sold by Steyr Company, so after-sales service is their responsibility. If the equipment can't be used after being bought, they have to repair it! It just so happened that Steyr Company was still bidding for heavy trucks, and their people were still in China.

Originally, they were still wary of Qin Yang making a fuss about the steel data, deliberately raising the standards so that they couldn't produce qualified steel. Who would have thought that they simply couldn't start production now!

It was really infuriating.

Just as Zhu Guohua and his group were racking their brains, Qin Yang was in a small restaurant on the streets of the capital, enjoying a drink with Zelafi Kuss.

Why always in small restaurants? According to Qin Yang, good wine needs no bush, and good food is always found outside. In reality, of course, it's because it's cheap.

The two of them couldn't eat much anyway, and there was no need for a translator, as they could communicate directly.

"Over this period of time, our Steyr heavy trucks have already gained recognition in the East. This morning, your leaders specifically talked to us again, and they want to invite our government personnel to come at a suitable time for government-level consultations," Zelafi Kuss said. "We are full of confidence in this transaction!"

"In the future, the roads of our country will be full of Steyr heavy trucks, and Steyr's annual production capacity will reach one million vehicles! We have unlimited potential here! Come, let's toast to Steyr's bright future!"

The two raised their glasses.

After a glass of wine, Zelafi Kuss continued: "I don't know how those people at the Capital Iron and Steel Plant are doing. They must be having a headache with that unusable equipment."

"That's for sure. Although it was just a small trick, I'm sure they don't have the guts to open it up and check it. They won't find that the insulation performance of the high-voltage isolation switch is substandard."

Why did it keep tripping? It was because the insulation capacity of the high-voltage part was insufficient, leading to discharge, arcing, and short circuits!

Tripping was still a minor issue. If it didn't trip, the entire power transmission line could be burned down!

"Qin, I was a little curious when you asked us to tamper with it, but now I understand. Your system here is different from ours."

In the West, there's simply no such thing as equipment hijacking. Who would dare to snatch another company's equipment? They would be sued until their pants fell off.

But the East is a planned economy, with various intertwined interests. The matter of openly grabbing equipment actually happened openly, which shocked him greatly.

"Yes, the same thing will continue to happen, vying for power and profit. Some people are very good at it. For the sake of profit, they can do anything."

Speaking of this, Qin Yang felt a little emotional.

Even the introduction of the Steyr project was the same.

Three Auto Works was abandoned, and a heavy truck joint venture company was established in China. The three companies cooperated to jointly digest and absorb Steyr technology. It looks good now, but in a few years, they will fight each other over interests.

The three auto factories eventually split up, and even the factory producing complete vehicles and the factory producing engines had huge interest disputes. The transition from a planned economy to a market economy will encounter these problems!

"If they can't eliminate the technical fault, they will have to seek help from foreign experts. They will soon come to you," Qin Yang continued. "This is a good opportunity to fleece them!"

Joining forces with foreigners to bully a brother factory seemed a bit unethical. However, Qin Yang didn't have the kind of selflessness that people of this era had. Whoever offended him would have a miserable end!

He had worked so hard to get that equipment, and if someone wanted to take his fruit, he would make them suffer! What he hated most was internal strife.

Hearing Qin Yang's introduction, Zelafi Kuss widened his eyes: "Qin, if we can fleece them, we'll split it fifty-fifty!"