Director of Shenyang Arsenal

Chapter 94 Director of Shenyang Arsenal

After several more days of train travel, the train rattled along the Siberian railway tracks, crossed the Greater Khingan Mountains, and finally returned to Shenyang.

When Jiang Fan got off the train, his legs were so weak. He felt like his bones were about to fall apart from sitting on the train all the way, but he was much more energetic than when he set off.

Ten thousand pounds, a punching machine, international cooperation!

Each and every one of these incidents was enough to make the leaders of the Northeast Bureau jump up on the spot.

Sure enough, they had just returned to the Northeast Bureau and were resting in the conference room.

Gao Shan rushed out of his office, clutching something in his hand—a personal self-criticism that Li Wanshu had written while bored on the train.

Upon entering the conference room, Gao Shan held the letter of self-criticism in his hand, shook it twice, and then tore it in half in front of Jiang Fan.

"What's there to reflect on?"

"Comrade Jiang, you actually made ten thousand pounds on this trip! You didn't go on an inspection tour, you went on a get-rich-quick scheme!"

Li Wanshu stood behind, watching his self-criticism being torn up, unsure whether to pick it up or not.

Jiang Fan quickly smiled modestly, stood up, and scratched the back of his head.

"Commander, how could that be? It was just something I did on a whim. When I got there, I saw their tanks piled up like small mountains, and after listening to some interesting stories from Comrade Wu Nian, I had an idea."

"Anyway, Ansteel has done this before. The technical threshold is not high. We quickly made a deal, and it turned out to be a success."

He spoke casually, but the cadres who accompanied Gao Shan were taken aback.

"smoothly?"

"A £10,000 deal, you just casually handed it over? Comrade Jiang, you've got quite the nerve."

Another cadre wearing an octagonal cap also came over, marveling at the sight.

"Moreover, I heard from Minister Li that the perforating machine was offered to you by the other party, and even the transportation contract was prepared."

"I remember last year when our bureau went to the Soviet Union to buy equipment, we were practically begging and pleading. How come you're treated like royalty here?"

Gao Shan's laughter grew louder. He walked around Jiang Fan, scrutinizing him more closely than the first time.

"Listen to his modesty, this is hardly a simple matter!"

Gao Shan was clearly in a very good mood, and his voice even rose a few decibels.

"Let me tell you, I know about that Andrei plant. It's a long-established Soviet machine factory, managing..."

There are one or two thousand workers, and a large number of skilled technical personnel under their command.

"Even with this, our Comrade Jiang can still impress them. What does this prove? It proves that our Comrade Jiang is truly knowledgeable and can really hold his own."

Jiang Fan was so flattered by the praise that he quickly waved his hand and said, "Commander, if you keep praising me, I'll have to find a crack in the ground to crawl into."

"To be honest, many of the core ideas for this logging machine project were actually finalized with the help of Comrade Shen Chun."

"She's a top student who studied in Germany, and her mechanical engineering background is much more solid than mine. I just put forward the ideas, but it was she who actually put them on paper."

"Oh?" Gao Shan raised an eyebrow and looked at Shen Chun, who had been standing in the corner.

Shen Chun blushed slightly but did not reply, while Wu Nian next to her laughed out loud.

"Commander, you didn't see it, but those few days in the hotel, Sister Shen and Comrade Jiang Fan were so focused when they were drawing blueprints head to head."

Shen Chun immediately glared at Wu Nian, but couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Sir, it's actually Comrade Jiang Fan who has the best ideas; I just helped him refine the details."

Gao Shan laughed heartily: "Alright, alright, all four of you have done a great job, no one should shirk responsibility."

"Um... Li Wanshu, write a report later, summarize the results of this trip to the Soviet Union, and submit it to the higher authorities for record-keeping."

"Especially that £10,000 technology licensing fee, this is the first time our Northeast Bureau has earned foreign exchange through technology export, it is of great significance."

Li Wanshu immediately stood up straight: "Yes, sir!"

After some praise and arrangements, Jiang Fan spent another day at the Northeast Bureau before preparing to bid farewell to Gao Shan.

"Sir, now that everything is over, I'm preparing to return to Anshan Iron and Steel."

"I really need to tell Director He about this good news in person."

However, Gao Shan did not approve it. Instead, he told Jiang Fan to leave in the afternoon, saying that he had something to tell him, but he did not say it explicitly.

Jiang Fan was somewhat puzzled.

But since it was an order, he waited until the afternoon. Just after noon, he was woken up from his dormitory by his guards and called to the conference room.

When he arrived, the place was already packed with people.

Jiang Fan was taken aback, and a vague feeling arose in his heart that something was not quite right.

"Comrade Xiao Jiang, come on, find a place to sit down. We have something to tell you."

It seemed that everyone in the conference room was waiting for Jiang Fan to arrive.

Jiang Fan had no choice but to walk to the only empty seat.

Then he stammered, "Sir, what is it?"

Gao Shan did not answer immediately, but instead took the document handed to him by his secretary. The cover was stamped with the red seal of the Northeast Bureau.

He turned two pages, looked up, and then stared at Jiang Fan, shouting sternly.

"Comrade Jiang Fan!"

Jiang Fan immediately stood up instinctively and stood properly.

Then Gao Shan continued, "Based on your work performance at Ansteel and the actual results reported from the front lines, the Northeast Bureau, after careful consideration, has decided to transfer you to the leadership of the Shenyang Arsenal."

"applaud!"

After Gao Shan finished speaking, thunderous applause immediately erupted in the conference room.

Jiang Fan opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't react.

Shenyang Arsenal?

Jiang Fan was quite familiar with the Shenyang Arsenal.

It was originally the Fengtian Arsenal established during Zhang Zuolin's rule of Northeast China. Later, it was seized by the Japanese and converted into the Shenyang Factory of the Manchurian Military Industry Company.

After the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan, it was taken over by the Soviet army. Some of the equipment was dismantled and transported back to the Soviet Union. The remaining part was not restored after being taken over by the Kuomintang.

It wasn't until the liberation of Shenyang in 1948 that the Northeast Bureau nationalized the arsenal again, and production gradually resumed.

But to be honest, the highlight of this arsenal's history was not in 1949.

Its true golden age came in the mid-1950s when, with the aid of Soviet Project 156, it began to mass-produce domestically produced standard weapons such as the Type 53 rifle and the Type 50 center gun. Later, in the 60s, it transformed into the most important anti-aircraft artillery and rocket artillery production base in the country.

But now this arsenal is in its most awkward period, suffering from outdated equipment, technological gaps, brain drain, and even the inability to maintain stability.

Even producing a single machine gun is a challenge.

Seeing Jiang Fan's stunned expression, Gao Shan smiled and said, "Comrade Jiang, don't worry, this adjustment is entirely based on your abilities."

"The combat records of the Dongfeng-01 mortars at the front were compiled today, and the results were very good. So good that the commanders at the front sent a telegram to the Northeast Bureau, hoping that we could distribute this simple heavy firepower weapon to the company level as soon as possible."

"And those entrenching tools were even called divine weapons by the front-line troops. The soldiers said they were even more effective than bayonets."

"And your rotorcraft proposal, He Xiying has already submitted it, and the Central Military Commission's Aviation Bureau is currently processing the approval."

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"You could say that everything you produce, from tanks to tractors to flying vehicles, is capable of fighting a war."

"So you don't need to worry that this is a temporary arrangement."

"After a consensus within our bureau, we believe that your strengths lie in military industry and mechanical innovation. Although you can achieve great things if you stay at Ansteel, it is, after all, a steel base, and your talents cannot be fully utilized there."

"The arsenal is different. It has complete machining workshops, heat treatment facilities, and weapons assembly lines. You can do whatever you want there, understand?"

Jiang Fan was startled.

The idea of ​​being able to do whatever he wants is indeed very tempting for him.

At Ansteel, no matter how much trouble he caused, he was ultimately under the jurisdiction of Director He and the leadership team. He had to submit reports, wait for approval, and communicate at every level before doing anything.

But if I went to the arsenal and became the head, that would be a different story.

The Soviet Union's Project 156 military project, with its advanced weapon concepts and even the cutting-edge technologies stored on mobile phones, could potentially be transformed into actual equipment once it reaches the arsenal.

More importantly, he no longer needs to be constrained by the steel mill's capacity bottleneck. Once the design is finalized, he can use the country's capital to purchase materials, and once they are in place, he can decide the priority of the production line.

Such thoughts surged wildly in Jiang Fan's mind.

Seeing the change in his eyes, Gao Shan knew he was already tempted. He didn't urge him, but simply said lightly, "Comrade Jiang Fan, don't rush back to Anshan Iron and Steel. Think about it carefully here, and give me your answer tomorrow."

Jiang Fan snapped out of his daze, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and immediately nodded.

"Sir, there's no need to wait until tomorrow, I'll take this task."

He paused, then added.

"However, I still need to go back to Ansteel first to hand things over to Director He and the workers in person."

"After all, there are still some follow-up plans and data regarding the tractor, and I need to review them before I can feel at ease."

Gao Shan looked at him for a few seconds, and seeing that Jiang Fan's gaze was open and honest, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness, he waved his hand readily.

"Okay, I approve."

"Go back and explain things clearly. Call ahead when you're coming back to take up your post, and have He Xiying and the others send you back."

"Yes, sir!"