How should Chapter 83 be priced?

How should Chapter 84 be priced?

Zhou Chunsheng first drove straight for several meters, then performed the same stationary turn that Jiang Fan had just executed.

He then pulled the right-side control lever, and the vehicle immediately veered to the left and right again, the whole process was incredibly smooth.

He then continued forward, heading straight for a small slope of about twenty degrees. His tracks gripped the ground firmly, showing no signs of slipping or rolling backward.

Then he shifted into reverse, and the car smoothly reversed back to its original position.

The whole process was so smooth that the workers were dumbfounded.

"Wow...this thing can even climb such a steep slope without slipping!"

"I wonder how it will be on the muddy ground. If it's not slippery, that would be amazing."

"Okay, okay!"

After seeing the device's performance, He Xiying completely forgot her initial doubts and began muttering to herself.

The diesel engine was so noisy, and they were so close together, that Jiang Fan couldn't hear what they were saying at all.

Judging from their lip movements, you can probably guess that they're saying something like "That's great!" or "Beautiful!"

Jiang Fan grinned, which could be considered a response.

However, Zhou Chunsheng on the other side ran into trouble.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Why isn't it moving?"

"Is it out of commission?"

Most of the workers' attention was on the truck, so they started talking about it as soon as it stopped.

Jiang Fan looked in the direction of the sound, assuming it was just a normal parking situation.

Unexpectedly, the diesel engine's sound became intermittent, then with a few sputtering sounds, the whole car shook and stalled completely.

Zhou Chunsheng immediately emerged from the driver's seat, his face full of confusion and embarrassment, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as he lifted the side cover of the engine compartment and peered inside.

Jiang Fan's heart tightened, and he quickly ran over.

The surrounding workers also gathered around, asking all sorts of questions.

The scene became somewhat chaotic for a moment.

However, Jiang Fan didn't have time to maintain order. He immediately looked in the direction Zhou Chunsheng pointed, his heart sinking at first, but then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Zhou, it's alright, it's alright, the oil line was just blocked."

He was genuinely terrified, fearing that the hand-built engine might fail before it even got off the ground due to insufficient material strength.

If that were the case, the project would be severely impacted.

Zhou Chunsheng nodded and replied, "Yes, there must have been some welding slag that wasn't cleaned properly. It came off when the engine vibrated and clogged the fuel injector."

"I'll go get the tools and fix it right away."

Zhou Chunsheng acted immediately, turning around to go to the workshop to get a wrench and thin wire, while Jiang Fan explained to the workers watching: "Don't panic, everyone. It's normal for a new machine to have some minor problems on its first run."

"It's like a person learning to walk; they'll stumble and fall a few times before they can walk steadily. Once the paving is cleared, it's no big deal!"

He spoke so casually that the surrounding workers indeed relaxed considerably, and some even chuckled dryly.

He Xiying stood on the outside and did not try to squeeze in; however, her face, which had been tense due to nervousness, relaxed.

Zhou Chunsheng quickly retrieved the tools. After the temperature dropped a bit, he unscrewed the oil pipe connector, cleared it with a wire, and then reinstalled the oil pipe.

Zhou Chunsheng got back into the car and started it again. This time the engine started smoothly. He revved the engine twice to make sure there were no more problems, and then he relaxed and gave Jiang Fan a smile that looked like he had just escaped a disaster.

"Okay, okay, it's alright now!"

"Everyone, let's go home and do what we were doing."

He Xiying waved to the back of the crowd, and the workers reluctantly dispersed, glancing back at the two iron oxen as they walked, still chattering amongst themselves.

Once the crowd had mostly dispersed, He Xiying stepped forward, patted Jiang Fan on the shoulder, glanced at Zhou Chunsheng, and chuckled, scolding, "Zhou Chunsheng, you rascal, be more careful..."

"Thankfully, it was a false alarm."

Zhou Chunsheng gave an awkward smile, scratched the back of his head, and didn't dare to retort.

After giving the reprimand, He Xiying turned to Jiang Fan and said seriously, "But seriously, Comrade Jiang Fan and Comrade Zhou Chunsheng, you two have really made a great contribution this time."

"With the emergence of this tractor, Ansteel's mechanical manufacturing capabilities have taken a giant leap forward."

"Right now, there isn't a single large machine in the whole country that can independently assemble and operate."

"We have set a good example."

"You two deserve credit!"

Jiang Fan chuckled and said modestly, "Factory Director, you flatter me. There are still many areas for improvement."

"For example, the cooling system of this engine is still not good enough. The temperature rises too quickly after running for a long time. The gears of the gearbox also need to be refined. There is some sticking when shifting gears. Also, the tensioning mechanism of the track needs to be tightened again after running for more than ten kilometers. These need to be optimized gradually."

He was telling the truth.

The tractor's base was salvaged from a scrapped tank, and the engine was hand-built, so it's still quite a distance from being a truly mature industrial product.

If only we could get a batch of high-precision parts to replace them.

For example, imported plunger-type high-pressure oil pumps, crankshaft bearings, and forged connecting rods, etc.

Then the performance and reliability of this car can be improved by at least one level.

It can even directly become an artillery tractor.

It should be noted that the Dongfanghong-54 tracked tractor, which was developed by the Luoyang Tractor Factory in the late 1950s, relied on the complete set of technology and equipment imported from the Soviet Union.

After it was built, that thing was immediately incorporated into the artillery unit and used to tow cannons around everywhere!

However, these industrial gaps are not yet achievable, ultimately due to the old adage that conditions are limited.

After listening to Jiang Fan's improved approach, He Xiying could only shake her head and say, "Sigh, it's already a miracle that you could cobble together something that can run from this pile of scrap metal."

"Let's see if we can buy some of the equipment you mentioned, within our means, when we go to the Soviet Union."

""

The implication is that this is the only way.

After explaining the technical details, He Xiying changed the subject: "By the way, Xiao Jiang, tell me the truth, what exactly are you planning to do with this rebuilt version?"

He pointed at Zhou Chunsheng's tractor and said, "I don't believe you went through all this trouble just to give him a cool farm look!"

After saying that, He Xiying crossed her arms and gave a meaningful smile.

As expected of the factory director, he saw right through Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan gave an awkward smile and honestly shared his thoughts.

Civilian products were used to break through the blockade and earn foreign exchange.

However, after hearing the plan, He Xiying was not as excited as last time; instead, she frowned.

It wasn't that he disagreed with the idea of ​​exchanging foreign currency, after all, the country was currently dirt poor.

But he had a more pragmatic consideration, and then asked seriously, "Comrade Jiang, I have no objection to your idea, but the question is, who exactly do you intend to sell it to?"

"Also, aren't the materials used in our tractor a bit too solid?"

"Look at this version you're exporting. Look at the body covered in armor plates. How high must the cost be?"

"Selling it as weapons is fine, but if you export it as agricultural machinery and price it too high, will those countries be able to afford it?"

"This is nothing like the Dongfeng-01; that thing's cost is so low it's negligible."

"But if the cost can't be reduced, it will be a losing proposition."