Reborn in 1977

Chapter 444: Keep it Safe to Use

If it had been before he stepped down, Director Yang would never have sought advice from a young man like Chen Fan.

If he were to seek advice, he would look for old leaders and veteran workers with "rich experience." These young people hadn't eaten many bowls of rice or crossed many bridges. Besides causing trouble, what commendable qualities did they have?

However, in the years after stepping down, he didn't become disheartened and completely give up. Instead, he repeatedly reflected on his past gains and losses. Whenever he encountered a problem he didn't understand, he humbly sought advice from those around him.

Finally, he understood a principle that had been circulating for over 2,500 years: "Among three people walking together, there is sure to be one who can be my teacher!"

Therefore, after resuming his position, he widely listened to opinions, adopted the beneficial ones, and strived for progress. Not only was he able to successfully complete the tasks assigned by his superiors, but he also significantly increased the production of unplanned products by improving efficiency and the pass rate, which in turn increased the benefits for the employees of the machinery factory.

He now had great confidence that, with the support of all the factory workers, even if another storm came, he would never be knocked down.

However, as the leader of the machinery factory, while the factory was thriving, he also saw some crises that others couldn't see.

As the saying goes, "People are not always good, flowers are not always red. If you don't plan early, everything will be in vain later."

These days, some enterprises have been losing money year after year, such as the Gufeng County Agricultural Machinery Factory, a certain district's Explosion-Proof Equipment Factory, and a certain county's Tractor Factory… The production and operation of these enterprises are almost at a standstill, and workers' wages rely on financial subsidies.

Precisely because of the financial support, they can still live comfortably.

But the days of begging for money are not easy after all, and what if one day the superiors are also short of money? How will the factory survive?

Looking back at Chen Fan.

What were the conditions in Lujiawan?

Among the production teams in the entire Yunhu area, it was just ordinary.

What Lujiawan had, most production teams had. What Lujiawan didn't have, some production teams also had.

For example, the production teams around the county seat of Gufeng County, or even around the Yunhu urban area, had geographical advantages that dwarfed Lujiawan by several communes. The basic conditions were much better than those in Lujiawan.

But it was this kind of place that Chen Fan managed to pull up, and he only used less than a year!

The current Lujiawan can't be said to be the best in Yunhu, but it should be a shoo-in for the top five, and the biggest contributor is Chen Fan.

Would he let such a talent go without taking advantage of… asking for advice?!

But after listening to his words, Chen Fan blurted out, "Don't know, not clear, I can't."

Director Yang silently smoked his cigarette, remained silent for a few seconds, and suddenly thought of a sentence that a young man named Sanhu said at the dinner table after drinking too much, "Little Chen doesn't cast his hawk until he sees the rabbit, and doesn't cast his bait until he sees the fish!"

Then he said something like "small boat" and other incomprehensible words.

Suddenly, a sense of understanding surged in his heart.

He glanced at Chen Fan, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said softly, "I heard that your small boat is helping the Water Transport Company's repair shop…"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan resolutely corrected, "Reward, that was the reward the brigade headquarters gave me. What does it have to do with the Water Transport Company?"

Director Yang fell silent again.

At this time, his evaluation of Chen Fan in his heart was adjusted again.

Following "excellent," "righteous," "versatile," and "not one to suffer losses," he added another one, "thick-skinned."

But it doesn't matter, as long as he has a sense of righteousness, trivial matters are not worth mentioning!

He turned his mind over several times, thinking about what could impress Chen Fan?

Give money?

He even donated all the ten thousand yuan left to him by his parents. Otherwise, he could have lived off the interest from his savings for the rest of his life!

Give a house?

He has a big house left by his parents. What kind of dormitory can compare?

After thinking about it, Director Yang's eyes lit up. If that's the case… it would kill two birds with one stone!

Then he coughed twice, looked around, and saw that besides the sailors and militia squad waiting on the big boat to take him back, there was no one else around.

He took a step to the right, approached Chen Fan, and said in a low voice, "Look at you, as a special health officer from the Prefectural Committee's Health Department, and receiving the salary of a deputy section chief, but only managing Lujiawan. Isn't that too much of a waste of talent?"

Chen Fan was about to say that it wasn't a waste of talent when he heard Director Yang continue, "How many people are there in Lujiawan? Are there 5,000 people?"

Chen Fan blinked, thinking that it seemed to be more than 4,500?

Director Yang's speed continued unabated, "Such a small number of people, tying you, a nationally renowned health expert, here is really a waste of talent. It's a huge waste of human resources!"

Then he changed the subject, "Our machinery factory has tens of thousands of employees, but the sanitary conditions are worrying…"

Hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but look at him with disdain.

The machinery factory has its own independent hospital. Although it's not very big, its scale is about the same as a commune health center. The quality of the doctors is also average, but even the dean of the Yunhu First People's Hospital is envious of the equipment.

With these conditions, you say the sanitary conditions are worrying?

Director Yang seemed unable to see his expression and continued, "So I plan to apply to the Health Department after I go back to include the machinery factory in your inspection scope.

You don't need to work there, just go once a week when you have time, or once a month when you don't have time. The main thing is to supervise the sanitation work of our machinery factory.

Of course, we won't let you work for nothing."

He held out one finger, "Our factory will give you a subsidy of 100 yuan per month."

100 yuan?

Chen Fan pondered for two seconds and said with embarrassment, "Uncle Yang, it's not that I don't want to go, but I'm really short on time running between Lujiawan and the Health Department."

If it were a year ago, if someone gave him a salary of 100 yuan, no, 50 yuan would do, he would jump ship immediately.

But now, how long has it been since he went to the pottery factory in the 6th team? He's still getting a salary of 100 yuan there.

Just for 100 yuan, he has to go to the machinery factory every week?

Whoever wants to go can go!

Director Yang frowned slightly. 100 yuan is not enough?

He thought for a while and said, "You have to go to the Health Department every week to report on your work. It wouldn't be too difficult to go to the machinery factory while you're at it, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he changed his tone and said in a deep voice, "It's not that Uncle Yang wants to make things difficult for you, but the sanitary conditions of the machinery factory are worrying. Our factory has the most accidents, but the conditions of the factory hospital are limited, and you have made outstanding contributions in first aid, so I thought of this method."

Chen Fan also looked embarrassed, "Uncle Yang, it's not that I don't want to go, but it's really difficult to arrange the time. For example, when I go to the Prefectural Committee, I leave in the morning, and when I get to Yunhu, I have to transfer several buses to get to the unit.

It's the same when I come back. Although the time I spend at the Health Department each time is not long, the time is spent on the road. Isn't it a waste of time to go back and forth?

Although the factory has given me a house, I can stay overnight at the Prefectural Committee, but compared to the machinery factory, which has a factory hospital, Lujiawan only has one doctor, so I still need to be stationed there often. It's really not good to stay overnight outside!"

Director Yang fell into deep thought.

Not good to stay overnight outside?

Who is it that stays in the guest house's cadre room every time he goes to the Health Department?

That Sanhu is right. This kid really doesn't cast his hawk until he sees the rabbit, and it can't be just any rabbit, it has to be a fat rabbit!

If it were anyone else, Director Yang wouldn't bother arguing. Wouldn't it be easier to just ask the leaders of the Sanitation Department for a few good doctors?

But this kid was, after all, the child of his old comrade. He'd been wandering outside for two or three years, and regardless of how much hardship he'd endured, Director Yang just wanted to take care of him a little to ease his conscience.

Moreover, if he could get him into the factory, no matter what position, wouldn't it be more convenient to ask him for things or have him help solve small problems in the future? Even for future publicity, they could say that the famous writer Chen Fan was a member of their machinery factory, just like what the Sanitation Department was doing!

That was his main goal!

But he never expected this kid to be so uncooperative?!

So, what to do?

Director Yang pondered for a moment. Seeing the large ship docked by the river, he suddenly thought of Chen Fan's small boat, and his eyes lit up.

Immediately, with a smile on his face and a confident look, he said softly, "What you're worried about now is just that time is too tight and you're wasting it all on the road, right?"

Chen Fan blinked, thinking, 'Are you going to arrange a special car for me or something?'

Besides, the time I go to the prefectural committee isn't fixed. Usually, I go whenever I want. He can't possibly arrange a car to wait for me at the passenger terminal every day.

Seeing Chen Fan nod hesitantly, Director Yang smiled confidently and continued, "It's simple. Our machinery factory's motorcade has several training slots every year, usually sending people to the passenger transport company's driving school or the bus company's driving school.

Moreover, the machinery factory has a good relationship with both of these companies. Some of their spare parts are supplied by the machinery factory, and our motorcade's vehicles are often sent there for repairs.

It just so happens that the driving slots haven't been filled this year. I can make the decision to give you one…"

Hearing this, Chen Fan understood what he meant, and his eyes lit up instantly.

Seeing the light in Chen Fan's eyes, Director Yang secretly praised the kid for being clever, and his smile widened. He continued,

"Under normal circumstances, it takes half a year to learn enough to be qualified to drive a car. To drive a large truck, it even takes a year or two, learning auto repair first and then driving.

But you have a mechanical background, and you're not an ordinary person, so you don't have that much time to learn. I'll talk to them later and arrange for a master to teach you specifically. Whenever you're qualified, you'll get your driver's license. As long as you're capable, ten days or half a month will do."

He chuckled and took a breath. "Once you get your driver's license, I'll pick a good one from the machinery factory's scrapped cars, fix it up, and let you use it."

After a pause, he explained carefully, "It's not that we don't have good cars, but we can't allocate one to you, otherwise people will gossip. Find a scrapped car that's not too bad, secretly replace the engine, change a set of spare parts, and repaint the exterior, and it'll be like new. You don't have to worry about anyone checking."

China's earliest regulations on the scrapping of vehicles began with the "Vehicle Scrapping Standards" issued on July 15, 1997. Before that, whether for a unit or an individual, a car was a major item even more expensive than a house.

Scrapped?

Impossible!

Unless it really couldn't move anymore, it would be repaired if possible. Even if it was scrapped, the parts would be removed and used on other vehicles.

It was only because the machinery factory could manufacture some spare parts themselves, and because they needed to transport heavy machinery or other steel products, the higher authorities almost always approved their car purchase reports. Plus, they were rich and powerful, so it was possible for them to have "scrapped" cars.

Otherwise, like most units, they wouldn't have enough cars, so where would they get repairable scrapped cars?!

However, Chen Fan was still a little hesitant, "This method is good, but…"

He looked at Director Yang expectantly, "But… I can't drive a truck!"

What kind of vehicles did the machinery factory have the most of? Definitely Liberation trucks!

Old Dongfeng trucks?

Although the Second Automotive Works had developed its flagship product, the first generation Dongfeng truck, a few years ago, these trucks were exclusively for the military.

Oh, the preliminary design drawings for this truck were even assisted by the First Automotive Works. At that time, there was no competition between different companies at all. They were all serving the people and the public. What was there to compete about?

Class friendship was the most important!

It wasn't until the 1980s, when they needed to compete for the market to survive, that there was market competition.

Speaking of which, although the Second Automotive Works produced cars, the military could only consume 1,000 Dongfeng cars each year. They also had to take care of the old leader, the First Automotive Works, so the Second Automotive Works' production capacity was largely idle. The large factory with tens of thousands of people had been in a state of serious loss since it was built.

Seeing that this wasn't a solution, the Second Automotive Works applied to make civilian products, transforming the military 4.5-ton truck into a civilian 5-ton EQ140 model.

This car has now been basically finalized, and it will be launched on the civilian market in 1978.

And this car was originally transformed on the basis of a military truck, so it can seamlessly connect to supply the military.

This was amazing. Both the military and the civilian market liked it, and the military also increased its purchases, so the Second Automotive Works completely turned a profit.

It's a pity that it can't be bought now, so the cars in the machinery factory are basically all Liberation trucks.

A series of information flashed through Chen Fan's mind, thinking about whether there was a smaller micro-truck, like the one the Yunhu Waste Recycling Company used to pull his books, or maybe get a motorcycle.

He could use the machinery factory's tools and materials to make a three-wheeled motorcycle.

Just riding a motorcycle was out of the question. Summer was okay, but he would freeze to death in the dead of winter. He couldn't stand it.

Just as Chen Fan was thinking about how to speak, Director Yang laughed without hesitation, "A big truck? Heh, I can't give you one even if I wanted to!

The factory's big trucks are all used to transport goods. There aren't enough cars going in and out of the factory every day. How can I give one to you?!"

After a pause, he leaned closer to Chen Fan and said softly, "The office's car team has a few imported Volga sedans and GAZ-69 off-road vehicles from the 1950s."

Speaking of this, a few traces of melancholy flashed in his eyes. "Those cars were old cars that your father obtained from his original unit, the Jiangnan Machinery Factory, when the factory was first established. Later, when they broke down, he was reluctant to let the car team dismantle them for parts. Instead, he thought about dismantling the cars for research when he had time, to see if our machinery factory could also build cars in the future."

Speaking, he let out a long breath, slowly shook his head, swallowed the words behind him, turned to look at Chen Fan, and smiled, "The cars your father obtained were already scrapped, so it's just right for you to use them. No one will say anything."

After a pause, he smiled again, "As long as you agree to take the position, I will call a meeting when I get back and approve the car for your exclusive use, including the fuel costs and future maintenance, which will be taken care of by our car team.

As for the condition of the car, you don't have to worry. It's the same sentence, replace whatever's broken, and I guarantee it'll work well!"