A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 133 Smart people always seize every opportunity

A man with a bulging belly kicked the hothead twice.

"I told you not to stand directly in front of the forging machine, why won't you listen!"

"You're a grown man, and if you end up with two pockmarks on your face, who would dare marry you! And you're not putting the chisel in the right place either; if you put it like that, the hole will definitely be crooked!"

"Watch closely, I'll teach you one more time! If you can't learn it, don't call yourself my apprentice!"

As he spoke, he pulled up the hothead and gave him a light kick to the butt.

Then, he picked up the long pole and reached for the heavy chisel.

"Hey, this guy with bangs, he's still the same as always. I've told him time and time again not to hit or scold his coworkers!" Yang Youning frowned as he looked at him.

Zheng Tong, the director of the second workshop, accompanied them in. Upon seeing this, he seemed hesitant to speak.

Jiang Xia tugged at Yang Youning's sleeve: "Do you think the young man who was kicked by him is unhappy?"

The young man felt only relief at being rescued; he harbored no resentment whatsoever. Instead, he got up with a smile and helped Liu Haizhong support himself with the long pole.

He kept saying thank you without even opening his mouth.

Strangely enough, according to Jiang Xia's observation, Liu Haizhong could always be seen cursing and even physically assaulting people in the workshop, but he was always surrounded by the most people and was quite popular.

"Hey, Director Zheng, how many apprentices has Liu Haizhong taken on?" Yang Youning looked around and suddenly asked.

Director Zheng looked down and estimated: "There are at least eleven or twelve apprentices at the second-highest level. If we do an assessment at the end of the year, we can produce at least one seventh-level worker and two sixth-level workers!"

"What? His apprentice has already reached level seven?" Yang Youning asked in surprise.

Zheng Tong nodded affirmatively: "He doesn't hold back. Even if someone isn't his apprentice, he can teach them everything thoroughly if asked. He just likes to scold people. And he's a bit... a bit like a bureaucrat."

Zheng Tong recalled Liu Haizhong's behavior and gave an awkward laugh. During the team meeting, Liu Haizhong acted with more authority than Zheng Tong himself.

Yang Youning clicked his tongue.

"Won't the factory need another level 8 master craftsman at the end of the year?" Yang Youning laughed, his tongue sticking out again.

"Master Liu, come over when you're done. I need to discuss something with you!"

Seeing the factory manager calling him, Liu Haizhong immediately handed the long pole in his hand to his apprentice behind him and instructed, "Remember to let go when the hammer comes down!"

He darted over to Yang Youning in a flash: "Did you need something from me?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Xia, who was holding blueprints in his hand, and said, "Oh! It's Jiang Xia's pot, right?"

"Hey, don't rush. Making a small square pan is a piece of cake."

As he spoke, he tried to instruct his apprentices to change the shims.

Jiang Xia looked over Liu Haizhong's shoulder and towards the two tech team members who had run over earlier. They were squatting in the rest area, looking quite dejected.

Hey, you really need long bangs to talk to him effectively.

Shaking his head, Jiang Xia took out the blueprints and explained the technical details to him.

Finally, Yang Youning pulled Liu Haizhong aside and mysteriously told him to keep it a secret.

With his worries resolved, Yang Erlengzi prepared to continue his "begging" at the ministry. He now understood that resources still had to be begged for.

Even if it's your own son, your mother won't know you're hungry until you cry out, right?

"I don't need much, just another 100 tons of refined steel ingots, plus two 620 locomotives. I'll also get you some other good stuff while I'm at it!"

Just as Yang Youning winked at Jiang Xia, Li Huaide stood at the construction site of the wooden wagon and watched intently.

"Yang Youning, haven't you been clamoring to improve quality all this time? What do you say about this now!"

Yang Youning ignored him and pointed to the "little cannon" next to him that was still churning away at the turtle iron. Li Huaide's eyes twitched.

He kept looking into the carriage as the tractor slowly moved along.

Jiang Xia looked at Yang Youning with some confusion.

Yang Youning smiled without showing his teeth: "Let's test its quality."

Jiang Xia suddenly realized that the one running now wasn't the improved version, so there was no harm in looking at it.

When Li Huaide returned, he actually pulled Yang Youning aside and said, "This is useful! What are you still standing there for? Why aren't you reporting it?"

"Huh? What do you want to report?" Jiang Xia and Yang Youning looked completely bewildered.

"Doing this will reduce steel usage by at least 60%! This is great news!"

Seeing their unmoved expressions, Li Huaide said with a hint of disappointment:

"Car factories! If they used wooden cart beds, they would save so much money!"

"Besides, the wood in the factory is all scraps, and the craftsmen aren't trained in woodworking. Why not outsource the carriage construction to a specialized timber processing plant?"

"Furthermore, you changed the materials used in the carriages without informing the users?"

Three soul-searching questions left the two careless individuals looking at each other in bewilderment; there were so many intricacies involved in modifying a train carriage.

However, Li Huaide's reminder was timely. Putting aside everything else, at the very least, the Ministry of Agriculture should have been informed. As for the Ministry of Petroleum, since it had integrated a portable drilling rig, it was difficult to modify.

The situation is different at the Ministry of Agriculture. For them, the wagon just needs to be able to carry cargo, and the auxiliary agricultural machinery is directly connected to the locomotive, since the locomotive is the most important part.

Even if you just put it on a handcart, the little cannon can still fly high.

Yang Youning was worrying about what excuse he could use to try and get resources from the ministry, and now he had it all.

He unusually took Li Huaide and rushed to the Ministry of Machinery.

Jiang Xia originally wanted to ask Li Huaide about the house situation, but Deputy Factory Director Li offered some constructive suggestions today, which was a rare moment of glory for him.

Jiang Xia has the magnanimity to help others achieve their goals.

Forget it, let's talk about it tomorrow. Jiang Xia touched the guesthouse room key still in his hand. If he didn't get himself a private courtyard, he might as well go and complain to the emperor.

He gleamed his watch defiantly at Li Huaide, who was preparing to leave.

I went to the second canteen for lunch and asked Nan Yi to cut some potato strips for me.

Jiang Xia returned to that secret little workshop.

Some friends have already arrived here one after another with the parts they've finished.

What are we waiting for? Let's get started!

As the parts were assembled one by one, a square "pot" appeared before everyone's eyes.

The Jiangxia scanner started up, and this time it cooperated perfectly, showing all green.

Ma Weihong curiously poked the steel contraption. "Jiang Xia, did you make an iron hot pot?"

Li Tiejun wiped his drool. "It should be. There's a little box for turning charcoal ash into coal underneath. Plus, there's a fan on top to blow air and speed up the burning of the charcoal. That's what you call improving thermal efficiency, right, Jiang Xia?"

Ma Zhendong, holding a section of electrical wire behind the pot, asked with some confusion, "Burning charcoal? Then why bother with an electric heating element?"

"Hey, sir, this is called double heating!"

Jiang Xia was speechless for a moment. What you said makes so much sense that I can't refute it.

It's not entirely their fault, since Jiangxia's blueprints had already been disassembled into pieces. Of everyone present, only he knew what the final product would look like.

At first glance, this square air fryer really does look like the base of a Donglaishun hot pot.

At the same time, China's electricity is not yet so luxurious that people can use it for cooking, so it's understandable that people have no concept of household appliances.

Jiangxia pulled out a small bag of potato strips, beaming with pride.

"Brothers and sisters, now comes the moment to witness a miracle!"