Chapter 2681
Technology Changes the Future
Chapter 2681 Technology Changes the Future
With the agreement reached, the atmosphere in the office became much more relaxed.
Old Qin, holding his teacup, suddenly asked, "I heard that Liu Huaimin is coming back soon?"
Yang Xiaotao poured water for the two of them, saying, "Don't say anything more, I don't want him to go!"
Old Qin shook his head and smiled; they could naturally see the purpose of this arrangement.
In short, this was to stabilize the First Ministry of Machine Building while maintaining a good relationship with the Ninth Ministry of Machine Building.
Let's talk about this from a broader perspective!
Old Qin's gaze lingered on Yang Xiaotao for a moment, then he glanced at Old Zhang.
The latter simply drank his tea in silence.
"By the way, did you know that the funding for the Ministry of Machine Building has come through?"
When Elder Zhang suddenly spoke up, Yang Xiaotao looked up and asked curiously, "Why was the Alliance so quick to agree?"
Old Zhang chuckled, "They've finally decided to ease tensions with us, so we have to hurry!"
"What do you mean?"
Yang Xiaotao was full of curiosity.
Old Qin, standing to the side, scoffed and said, "What else could it be? They just want us to sell more grain!"
"The last time their grain production was reduced, their granaries have never been full in the past few years. They've only been able to hold on until now thanks to the grain they've purchased."
Old Qin said dismissively.
Yang Xiaotao nodded silently after listening.
Although the situation in China is not much better, at least the country is paying attention to agricultural production.
Over the years, not only has the development of agricultural machinery been promoted, but also high-yield crops have been vigorously promoted, resulting in a year-on-year increase in national grain output.
Especially with Yang Xiaotao's involvement, high-yield corn has been developed for many years and has long been an important reserve grain in China.
In those days of food shortages, being able to eat coarse grains at every meal was the farmers' wish.
Moreover, there are now high-yield rice varieties, and even hybrid wheat has emerged.
It can be said that farmers in this time period were much "richer".
"They brought it on themselves!"
Old Zhang said, "They clearly don't have the ability, but they insist on putting on a show."
Yang Xiaotao chuckled, "Let them do whatever they want, as long as they don't try anything with us."
Old Qin nodded in agreement. "We need to take this matter seriously. I heard last time that quite a few people were arrested, all of them targeting high-yield corn."
"I suspect that the other party is behind this."
Old Zhang took out a cigarette. "Not only that, a lot of people have come to Beijing recently."
"Although they all have letters of introduction, several suspects have been arrested. Your Ninth Department needs to be careful, especially the people from the Research Institute."
Yang Xiaotao took out a lighter and lit it for Old Zhang. "Our security department has been monitoring three people and is currently verifying their identities."
Liang Zuoxin told him about this, but of course, it was Yu Zecheng's men who first discovered the problem.
"Be careful during this period. The New Year is coming soon, and the enemy also wants to have a good New Year."
Old Qin spoke in a cold and gloomy tone.
The three chatted for a while, then Mr. Zhang and his companion got up to say goodbye.
Yang Xiaotao got up to see him off, and then walked towards the office building.
As soon as I arrived at the office, I saw Li Hongfeng standing at the door.
"Old Li, what's up?"
Li Hongfeng nodded, but hesitated to speak.
Upon seeing this, Yang Xiaotao welcomed Li Hongfeng into the house, and the two sat down.
After changing the teapot, Yang Xiaotao poured Li Hongfeng a cup of tea. Li Hongfeng picked it up, took a sip, and then asked, "Are we really going to cooperate with them this time?"
Yang Xiaotao nodded, then picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"Cooperation is essential."
"We can't handle so many tasks on our own. We can't be like this, wanting to have our cake and eat it too."
"Furthermore, these tasks require a lot of resources. Take titanium alloys for example. The current output of steel mills is just enough to meet our needs. If we want to expand the scale, steel mills will also need to expand their production capacity."
"At the same time, other supporting factories also need to expand their scale."
"In that case, we are in a situation where moving one thing can have far-reaching consequences, and we might even lose our rhythm and composure."
Yang Xiaotao explained it this way, and Li Hongfeng pondered it for a moment and nodded in agreement.
"Old Li, you didn't come here specifically to talk about this, did you?"
Yang Xiaotao put down his teacup and asked.
A hint of struggle flashed across Li Hongfeng's face upon hearing this, but he still put down his cup and said firmly, "Xiao Yang, I need to ask for a month's leave this time."
"Ask for leave?"
Yang Xiaotao was surprised.
You should know that this Secretary Li is a workaholic.
Let alone taking leave, even on holidays, I spend most of the day working in the office.
Moreover, he reviewed and processed most of the documents in the nine departments.
The remaining majority was given to Liu Huaimin.
Yang Xiaotao only managed to do a tiny bit at the very end.
If you were to ask who was the most dedicated among these nine productions, there would likely be many answers.
But if we're talking about who's the most dedicated member of the leadership team, there's only one answer.
Now that this dedicated model worker is asking for leave, Yang Xiaotao is very curious about the reason.
"Old Li, did something happen to you?"
Yang Xiaotao asked with concern.
Li Hongfeng nodded. "Yes, something did happen."
Li Hongfeng then explained that he had asked for leave.
When the First Ministry of Machine Building manufactured the tunnel boring machine last time, Li Hongfeng went to inspect it in person.
The two new tunnel boring machines are in better condition than the first one, thanks to the greatly improved skill level of the workers and the greater experience in their manufacture.
After discussion, the Ministry of Machine Building decided to give one of the two tunnel boring machines to the Changyan Railway and send the other to the southwest.
Upon hearing the news, he immediately went home, grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote a letter to his loved one.
The letter contained many details, but ultimately it focused on the tunnel boring machine.
He also solemnly wrote that he would go back with the tunnel boring machine and go to open up the road together.
But then the alliance took a fancy to the tunnel boring machine, and then news came that they were selling one.
Li Hongfeng was worried about this for a long time, fearing that he would not be able to keep his promise.
I finally couldn't resist making a call today and got confirmation that the remaining tunnel boring machine will still be given to the Southwest region.
This news made him extremely happy.
He immediately called the person in charge of the Southwest Railway to inquire about the progress of the project.
After things went pretty much as I had expected, I immediately ran over to discuss it with Yang Xiaotao.
"Is your sister-in-law still in the southwest?"
After listening, Yang Xiaotao spoke up with concern.
Li Hongfeng looked proud. "She's very stubborn."
Yang Xiaotao pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Old Li, a month isn't enough."
Li Hongfeng was taken aback, then gritted his teeth and said, "I know it's nearing the end of the year and there's a lot of work to do."
"That'll do. Half a month. Half a month should be enough."
Yang Xiaotao quickly raised his hand and said, "That's not what I meant."
“I think it will take a lot of time to get this tunnel boring machine there, and then to assemble it. I estimate it will take more than a week. And your trip there and back will take another week. How much time will be left?”
Li Hongfeng was a little confused, and then he heard Yang Xiaotao say, "Here's what we'll do. We'll come back before the New Year. Now that we have a tunnel boring machine, your wife won't need to stay there. We'll bring your wife and child back together then."
Li Hongfeng was so surprised that he couldn't speak.
There are still two months until the Chinese New Year.
"No, this is taking too long!"
Li Hongfeng spoke seriously, but Yang Xiaotao waved his hand, "It's settled then."
Yang Xiaotao didn't give Li Hongfeng a chance to refute and directly confirmed it.
"Also, when you leave, have Lao Liang arrange for you to take a few more people with you this time." "Oh, right, let me know before you leave, and I'll prepare some things."
Yang Xiaotao was still talking when Li Hongfeng crossed his arms and looked excited.
"Thanks!"
"No need to thank me, I'm still counting on them to help me continue processing documents after the annual meeting."
Yang Xiaotao joked, but Li Hongfeng just shook his head.
When the news spread that Li Hongfeng was going to take two months off, Yang Youning, Chen Gong, and others all supported him, and the group even divided up their work.
Of course, Lao Hong got the most, which left him feeling quite helpless.
As for Yang Xiaotao, he talked a good game, but in the end, he didn't get much.
Three days later, Li Hongfeng left the Ninth Division amidst the cheers of the crowd and headed to the Northwest by car.
Meanwhile, the tunnel boring machine of the First Ministry of Machinery Industry had already been loaded onto a train and was heading southwest.
On the train heading south.
Li Hongfeng sat by the window, watching the scenery rushing past. Even though it was the dead of winter and everything was desolate, he still felt like he was coming home.
My gaze drifted to the distant plains, and my thoughts wandered back to places I had once known.
"Old Li, have you eaten yet?"
"Old Li, this hammerhead is loose, it needs to be tightened."
"Captain Li, our team requests permission to undertake the most difficult mission."
"Director Li, it's us, it's our team leader."
"Secretary Li, we succeeded!"
Memories welled up from the depths of my memory, as if each voice had been heard just yesterday.
"Secretary Li, Secretary Li!"
Hearing the voices calling his name, Li Hongfeng seemed to be in a dream and paid no attention.
Li Hongfeng was startled awake by a jolt; it was the security officer accompanying him calling him.
She smiled sheepishly. "I was thinking about something. What's wrong?"
Li Hongfeng casually asked, and Wang, the accompanying clerk, took out a paper package, opened it, and found a bag of peanuts inside. He then placed it on the small table, saying, "This was given to us by Director Yang to help us pass the time on the train."
As they were talking, Xiao Sun, the security officer on the upper bunk, also took out a paper package. "These are sunflower seeds that my mother prepared for me."
He then got down from the ground, and the three of them sat together.
There were four of them, with one person keeping watch outside.
Before they set off, the three of them were specifically reminded by Liang Zuoxin and Yang Xiaotao that safety was of paramount importance.
"You've made excellent preparations."
Li Hongfeng said with a smile, and Wang, the clerk, took the opportunity to ask, "Secretary Li, this is the first time any of us have been on a business trip, and we've come all this way here."
"Tell me, what exactly is there in the Southwest?"
Li Hongfeng crushed a peanut, popped the kernel into his mouth, and nodded, saying, "You want to know?"
"miss you!"
The two said in unison.
Li Hongfeng then leaned against the sleeper berth behind him, his face filled with nostalgia.
"That was in 1954, right? Back then, our relationship with the league was still good."
"I led a team to learn from and work alongside the league's experts."
"Later we finalized the plan and were ready to go all out, but then the other party left."
"Later, starting in 1958, I officially began my work."
Li Hongfeng sighed as he recalled the past. He once thought he would die on the railway line, but who would have thought that he would have this opportunity to walk out of those two parallel lines that never intersect.
"Secretary Li, is the work there difficult?"
Xiao Sun asked.
Li Hongfeng nodded without hesitation.
"Difficult, extremely difficult."
“What we often had to do was build barracks, which usually took several days to complete because we didn’t have advanced equipment at that time. Our main tools were pneumatic guns and shovels.”
“Our comrades secured themselves with ropes and then, almost suspended on the cliff face, used pneumatic drills and shovels to chisel away at the mountain.”
Sometimes, comrades, the water beneath your feet is churning; the slightest mistake could send you plunging into an abyss.
The two of them held their breath, not daring to breathe too loudly.
They knew the terrain in the southwest was harsh and that it would be difficult to carve roads through mountains, but they never imagined it would be this difficult.
“Living conditions can be overcome, but accidents that happen without warning are the most terrifying.”
Li Hongfeng lowered his head, clutching the peanuts in his hand. His mind was in turmoil, but the shocking scenes were unforgettable.
"When we dig again."
Li Hongfeng's voice was low, and his eyes were filled with pain.
The other two also slowed down and listened quietly.
“The geology in that area is very poor, and a geological report should have been prepared.”
"But who understands this stuff? We can't get any reports out of it."
"That day, eight of us went into the tunnel to prepare for work."
"Can"
"But we never expected that there was an underground river right below our tunnel!"
"It was raining heavily that time, and the ground in the tunnel suddenly collapsed. Five people, five people! They still haven't been found, haven't been found."
As Li Hongfeng spoke, his eyes became red and swollen.
"On another occasion, our tunnel excavation was nearing completion, and we were on the verge of success."
"But then the landslide happened suddenly!"
"That time, twenty-six people were trapped inside."
"We dug and dug like mad, and it took us three days to finally get the tunnel through."
"Back then, looking at those twenty-six disheveled guys, we couldn't even cry."
"Everyone forced themselves to laugh, but as they laughed, tears streamed down their faces."
After Li Hongfeng finished speaking, he muttered to himself, "Every kilometer along the road, our soldiers have fallen..."
Then, Officer Wang asked, "Since this place is so difficult, why did you choose to build the railway here?"
"Wouldn't it be better to try a different approach?"
Li Hongfeng shook his head after hearing this, "It's not that simple. There are not only resource issues to consider, but also ethnic issues."
"If this railway opens to traffic smoothly, we will strengthen our control over southern Xinjiang, and may even be able to extend our reach further."
"Of great significance and far-reaching impact!"
The two nodded silently after hearing this.
After a long silence, Wang, the clerk, suddenly laughed and said, "Secretary Li, I heard that the First Ministry of Machine Building is not only producing one tunnel boring machine, but they are going to make six, is that right?"
Li Hongfeng nodded with a smile, "Yes, they sold one to the alliance and made a lot of money. They plan to launch six at once."
Xiao Sun, who was standing nearby, said, "This tunnel boring machine was designed by our Yang Department. If our Ninth Department could also produce it, wouldn't we be able to provide as many as we need?"
"When the time comes, we'll bring back seven or eight of them; that will be truly impressive."
Li Hongfeng reached out and patted Xiao Sun on the head, "You rascal, your revolutionary consciousness still needs improvement."
Upon hearing this, Sun Xiaoxiao didn't take it to heart.
Because this Secretary Li is truly kind and approachable.
"However, there is one thing you said that is very true."
Li Hongfeng suddenly spoke up, and then, to the surprise of the two men, said, "So there really are seven or eight units. This project will have to be reduced by at least half in the near future."
"Personnel safety can also be guaranteed."
"Now, I'm just waiting for that day."
Wang and his colleague exchanged a glance, and then Xiao Sun said, "Yes, this is what Director Yang always says: technology changes the future, changes the way we work, liberates labor, and allows more output to enter society."
"Yes! Well said."
Li Hongfeng clapped his hands earnestly and said in strong agreement, "We may not be able to see what the future will look like, but we can see the process of getting on the right path."
"I think it won't be long before we can achieve it."