Chapter 1237
The experts arrived, Li Aiguo carried out emergency repairs, Petrov with a dark face, e
Li Aiguo has been living a particularly comfortable life these past few days.
Every day, Liu and I work together in the mine to optimize the Hongxing coal cutter and loader.
When he had free time, he would follow Section Chief Wu to the nearby mountains to practice his skills. If he was lucky, he could even catch a tiger for a treat.
Everyone at Linxi Mine was on high alert in preparation for the visit of the Economic Cooperation Council research team.
The propaganda department staff plastered slogans all over every corner of the mining area, and several eye-catching banners were hung up along the main road.
Time passed by, bit by bit.
Li Aiguo was awakened by a knock on the door early in the morning. He thought it was a colleague from the mine, but when he opened the door, he saw a familiar face.
"Comrade Old Cat, what brings you here?"
Standing outside the door.
It was Old Cat.
"The research team is arriving soon. I'm in charge of their security, so I'm here to make the first impression."
Li Aiguo knew perfectly well that there was no need for a meteorologist of Old Cat's caliber to perform such a task; Old Cat must have another mission.
But knowing that Old Cat was disciplined, he didn't ask any further questions.
The mine arranged for the old cat to stay in the next room. After putting down his luggage, Li Aiguo led him down into the mine.
Old Cat instructed the accompanying meteorologists to disperse and carefully inspect various locations to identify potential safety hazards.
Around 10 a.m., Li Aiguo saw that it was almost time and was about to change his clothes to accompany the leaders to welcome the China Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CCEM) research team.
"Aiguo, there's a problem with the coal cutting disc of the coal cutter. I feel it's shaking quite a bit." At this moment, Zong Xianfeng, who was operating the coal cutter, stopped the coal cutter and shouted in this direction.
Zong Xianfeng was supposed to go back to rest, but after delivering the motor, he stayed behind, saying that he was "not going to leave the front line with minor injuries".
Li Aiguo ran over quickly, climbed onto the coal cutting platform, picked up a wrench, and tapped it.
"We rushed the work these past few days, and the bearings below are quite worn. They're still usable, but there might be a danger, so they need to be replaced immediately."
Replacing the coal cutting disc is a complex task, especially inside the tunnel.
Seeing that Li Aiguo had work to do, the mine leaders didn't think much of it and said, "Aiguo, work is important. You can stay here and do your work. We'll go over there."
After the mine leaders left, Li Aiguo, Engineer Liu, and several experts got busy.
The design of the coal cutting pan is fine, and it hasn't reached its maintenance period yet; it's just that the coal in this section is too hard, and there are often pieces of gangue mixed in.
Gangue is different from coal gangue; it is a hard rock with extremely high hardness.
Previously, coal needed to be crushed separately, but now with the Hongxing coal cutter, it can be crushed directly.
"It seems we need to revise our maintenance schedule."
That's how it is in mechanical manufacturing; you have to adjust according to the actual situation.
“Here, I’m strong, let me lift the wrench.” An expert took the wrench from Li Aiguo.
At this time, several minibuses arrived at Linxi Mine.
The minibus stopped, and Petrov, the head of the research team, was the first to get off.
"Welcome, welcome!" The reception staff from the Ministry of Coal Industry and the leaders of Linxi Mine were already waiting nearby. Upon seeing this, they immediately rushed forward to greet them.
After some polite greetings and handshakes, Petrov glanced at everyone, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Comrade Mine Manager, who developed the Red Star coal cutter? Where is he?"
"Comrade Li Aiguo is currently engaged in important work," the mine leader replied.
Petrov's face darkened: "What? Does he think we're not worthy of him coming out to greet us, and is just putting on airs?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly froze, and an awkward and strange feeling filled the air.
The leaders of Linxi Mine were also somewhat frustrated; this Russian regimental commander was coming on strong.
"Commander, Comrade Li Aiguo is a front-line R&D worker, and his work cannot be delayed. Besides, we are going to the mine anyway, so it's fine."
Professor Dzerpigorev looked somewhat embarrassed.
They are all engaged in scientific research and practical work. Such unwarranted attacks are really unreasonable, so I couldn't help but speak up to persuade them.
Experts from several families, including the eldest brother and the young Luo family, nodded in agreement.
These experts had suffered quite a bit at Petrov's hands along the way, and they held Petrov in the highest regard.
"Yes, I've long heard that Comrade Li Aiguo is hardworking, which is why he was able to produce such good things."
"We're here to review the coal cutting machines, not to put on airs."
"With the Western camp pressing us step by step, we must prioritize our work while striving for development."
Petrov had hoped to find a weakness, but this was the outcome.
The key issue was that Dzerpigorev wasn't on his side either, which created an awkward situation.
"Commander Petrov, experts, you must be tired after traveling such a long distance. We have prepared tea for you at Linxi Mine." Upon seeing this, the leaders of Linxi Mine quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
Petrov took the opportunity to descend the steps, intending to follow the mine leaders.
Xi Zhuofu leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Commander, don't you find it strange that Li Aiguo, who clearly knew you were coming, didn't come to greet you?"
Petrov, who had been so angry just now, had really overlooked something. He narrowed his eyes slightly: "You mean there's something wrong with the coal cutter?"
"Sir, you may not know this, but coal cutters often encounter all sorts of situations in the mine, and it's quite common for them to break down."
Upon hearing this, Petrov stopped and turned to the mine leader: "Since Comrade Li Aiguo is so diligent, we can't fall behind. We're pressed for time, so there's no need to rest. Let's go down into the mine."
The leaders of Linxi Mine looked rather grim.
The Hongxing coal cutter is still repairing the cutting disc. If it goes down now, wouldn't that be embarrassing?
"What's wrong? Is there some difficulty?" Petrov immediately realized he had caught Linxi Mine red-handed when he saw Linxi Mine's attitude.
"No, we're going down into the tunnel now." The leaders of Linxi Mine had no choice at this point, since the person in question was there to conduct research.
The group changed direction.
Petrov walked in the middle with his hands behind his back, surrounded by coal mine leaders and other leaders, as he headed into tunnel number six.
"This guy is really sharp." Not far away, Old Cat's gaze was not on Petrov, but on Sidov.
"Team leader, should we go and notify the people at the cave?" a meteorologist asked in a low voice.
"No need, I trust Comrade Aiguo to get things done. The coal cutter is urgently needed in the tunnel, and he won't slack off."
What the old cat didn't say was...
The experts at the Jixi factory didn't have Li Aiguo's mental fortitude.
If they find out that the research team is going, they will not only be unable to help, but will also panic.
"Let's follow them. No matter what their purpose is, we can't let anything happen here."
Old Cat threw away his cigarette butt, stomped it out with the sole of his shoe, straightened his clothes, and quietly followed behind.
Inside the tunnel, Li Aiguo had already removed the coal cutting disc and was hammering the bearing.
This thing has deformed due to uneven stress during long-term operation.
"Do you need help with Patriotism?" Zhang Shouyi knew this was a difficult matter, so he offered his help.
"No need," Li Aiguo said, tapping the bearing twice rhythmically on each side, and then striking it hard with a final blow, causing the bearing to fall off.
Seeing this, Zhang Shouyi's eyes widened. Even veteran technicians might not be able to fully master the method Li Aiguo used.
"Comrade Patriot's hands are covered in machine oil," an old worker next to him nodded.
Those of us who work on the front lines hate those experts who only know how to hold books and look at blueprints.
The suggestions they made were completely impractical, and they wouldn't listen to advice.
Once the bearing is removed, the rest is easy.
This thing was assembled by Li Aiguo; you could do it with your eyes closed.
After quickly installing the bearings and the three-head cutting disc, and tightening the safety locking device, Li Aiguo clapped his hands and jumped off the coal cutting disc.
"Give it a try."
"okay."
Zong Xianfeng couldn't wait to start the coal cutter. The cutting disc spun rapidly, and this time there was no sign of shaking.
"It's actually fixed."
The workers became excited.
The output of the Hongxing coal cutter is astonishing; if there is a delay, it may reduce coal production by tens of tons.
Li Aiguo had a new idea: coal cutters can also have problems, and repairs should be put on the agenda.
This task fell to the Jixi factory.
Li Aiguo was talking to Engineer Liu about training coal cutter repairmen when a voice came from outside: "Comrade Aiguo, the research team has arrived."
The person who made the call was a leader from Linxi Mine. At that moment, he saw that the coal cutter was working normally and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Petrov's face darkened.
He had already spotted the repair tools and parts that hadn't been put away yet, and if he had arrived a little earlier, he could have caught them red-handed.
But don't worry, there's still a chance.
Li Aiguo stepped forward, and the mine leaders introduced the two parties.
"This is Petrov, the head of the research team; this is Professor Tzerpigovev, the deputy head of the team; these are experts from the Luo family, the elder brother's family, the Zeke family, and the Abao family."
"Welcome, welcome."
Li Aiguo smiled and shook hands with each of them.
The experts from the Eastern European country were somewhat surprised; this person was simply too young.
After a few casual words, Petrov pointed to the tools and asked sternly, "Comrade Li Aiguo, did the Red Star coal cutter malfunction just now?"
Li Aiguo knew immediately that the visitor was up to no good, but his expression remained unchanged: "There is indeed a problem."
"Ha, this machine malfunctions all the time, what good could it be?" Petrov thought to himself, secretly cursing the man as a fool, just like Professor Dzerpigorev.
"Comrade Commander, our Red Star coal cutter has been working continuously for nearly 600 hours since it entered the tunnel, cutting more than one million tons of coal. I think it's normal for it to have some malfunctions," Li Aiguo said calmly.
The experts from Xiao Luo's family had a very good impression of Li Aiguo; Li Aiguo had just invited them to eat tiger meat.
Then he chimed in, "Our КГ-3 coal cutter in the coal mine needs major repairs after less than 100 hours of operation. The Hongxing coal cutter is already quite good."
The expert from the older brother's family also chimed in: "I think the repair speed is quite fast. The machine can fix it quickly, which makes it more practical."
“That’s right, that’s right. Every time our КГ-3 coal cutter breaks down, we have to hire someone from outside at a high price to repair it. Not only does it waste time, but it’s also very expensive,” said the expert from Jiekejia.
As the others chimed in with their own opinions, Petrov's face darkened again, becoming even blacker than the coal next to him.
You guys have been fooled!
However, he couldn't deny it, so he could only nod awkwardly and say, "Well, it's not bad."
“Commander, I have my doubts about the coal cutter working continuously for 600 hours.” Xizhuofu’s eyes darted around as he raised his hand.
Once you get your hands on the work log, it's easy to tamper with it. "Yes, yes, no coal cutter works continuously for such a long time. Comrade Li Aiguo, I'd like to see the work log," Petrov said, his eyes lighting up.
Li Aiguo smiled and said, "I'm sorry, the work log is a confidential document of our mine and cannot be shown to unauthorized personnel."
The meaning of this statement is quite clear: you are indeed a leader of the Economic Cooperation Association and the head of the research team, but you cannot interfere in matters related to the mine.
Petrov never expected Li Aiguo to refuse. After a moment of surprise, he looked at the leaders of Linxi Mine.
"Comrade Petrov, this is indeed a mine regulation." The leaders of Linxi Mine did not expect Li Aiguo to be so stubborn, but now they had to stand on their side.
The coal sector leaders nodded slightly; this refusal wasn't solely due to secrecy.
Instead, we need to clearly tell the research team and Petrov that they are just guests and should abide by the rules of the host family.
This is quite important; some people can't distinguish it and cause a lot of trouble.
"I reserve the right to complain to your superiors!" Petrov had just entered the cave when he was hit with a stick, and his temper was already rising.
However, he couldn't leave now, since Xiao Luo, Jie Ke, and their families were going to observe the operation of the Hongxing coal cutter, and as the team leader, he had to stay here and keep an eye on things.
The mine leaders also noticed Petrov's anger and laughed, "You all came all this way to watch the operation, right? Patriotic comrade, let's begin."
"Yes."
Li Aiguo turned around and waved to Zhang Hongshan, the coal cutting team leader who was standing not far away.
Zhang Hongshan waved a small flag, and the coal cutter began preparations before starting.
The experts, including Ronaldinho and Jeco, were utterly astonished by what they saw.
The coal cutting disc was much larger than they had imagined; it looked powerful and very sharp.
Several experts immediately gathered around Li Aiguo and exchanged pleasantries.
"Comrade Patriot, I think your three-headed coal cutting pan is quite good. Could you introduce it to everyone?"
"I was actually inspired by the cutting disc of a traditional coal cutter, but I made some improvements by adding double-sided auxiliary cutting discs," Li Aiguo said modestly.
The experts were very pleased to hear this.
Especially Professor Dzerpigorev from Russia.
What type of traditional coal cutter is it?
It must be a KG-3 type coal cutter.
Li Aiguo continued, "Actually, this is my first time designing large coal mining machinery, and I still lack experience. The three-head coal cutting disc can only complete the full-section cutting at a mining height of 10 meters. The rotation speed is 25, and the coal cutting speed in pure cutting mode is 1200 tons per hour. Of course, this is just the design data."
The experts were dumbfounded. Mining a coal cross section with a diameter of ten meters at a time, and being able to cut more than a thousand tons of coal per hour, was simply unbelievable, even if it was just the design data.
"The Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop is indeed amazing. If this coal cutter is working properly, it's practically a miracle for our coal mining industry."
"Comrade Aiguo, you're too kind. I've been studying coal cutters for so many years, and I've never seen such advanced equipment."
These experts are all knowledgeable, and even though they are far away and cannot get close, they can tell that Li Aiguo is not exaggerating.
Seeing that things were not going well, Petrov quickly gave Dzerpigovev a meaningful look.
But at that moment, Dzerpigorev was pulling Li Aiguo aside to ask him for more detailed data on the three-headed coal cutting pan.
He could only look at Sidov.
Sizov straightened his collar and made a request: "As you all know, the purpose of our visit here is to purchase coal cutting machines. So, shall we take a closer look?"
He was speaking to the experts, but his gaze was fixed on the mine leaders.
The request was reasonable, and the mine leaders nodded in approval.
Li Aiguo had already disguised the key parts, so he wasn't worried about the core secrets being leaked.
At this moment, the preparation work for the coal mining machine was completed. Li Aiguo shouted to Zong Xianfeng, and Zong Xianfeng started the coal mining machine.
The experts all took a few steps forward to observe the working condition of the coal mining machine up close.
As the coal cutting disc begins to rotate and slowly comes into contact with the coal seam.
Accompanied by a series of clicking sounds, the hydraulic cylinders on the boom are applying pressure to the coal cutting disc in front.
The coal cutting disc spun rapidly, and the coal fell down like blocks of tofu.
The audience immediately erupted in praise.
“The production figures are not exaggerated at all. I think at this rate, producing 6 tons of coal per day is a very simple matter.”
"This is the first time I've ever seen such a fast coal cutter."
"Didn't you notice? The protection on this coal cutter is also very good. I saw two protective devices on the cutting head."
Seeing this situation, Sizov was a bit of a headache. Seeing that Petrov still had a dark face, he quickly said, "A coal cutter is not just for cutting coal, but also for conveying and transporting it. If there is a problem with the transportation, it will be useless."
The voice just fell.
His mouth was agape.
At this point, the coal has been conveyed from the front of the coal cutter to the discharge port at the rear via the conveyor belt.
A miner was seen riding a strange vehicle, easily aligning the bucket with the discharge port.
The coal truck was loaded with coal, and the miners rode off with ease.
No one helped me the whole time, and I didn't exert any effort.
More importantly, at this moment another strange vehicle drove by and repeated the same behavior.
Sizov looked up and saw six strange vehicles.
When it was the fourth strange vehicle's turn, the first one that had left had already returned. At this moment, the miner actually stopped and started chatting with the miner next to him.
They don't look like workers at all!
The experts were also stunned by this scene.
"Is this a dedicated transport vehicle?"
"The truck bed has a large capacity, at least a ton, right?"
"They're back in no time, that's fast enough."
“I think these few vehicles are equivalent to hundreds of miners.”
The experts' gazes toward Li Aiguo suddenly became intense; setting aside the coal cutter, they believed this strange machine was a valuable asset.
"Comrade Patriot, what's the name of this vehicle?"
"The scraper transfer truck is specifically used to transport coal inside the tunnel," Li Aiguo briefly explained about the scraper transfer truck.
The experts were intrigued.
This thing is even more important to coal mines than coal cutters, since they still have old coal cutters to use. With this thing, they can increase production.
"Are you selling? What do you need?"
"Our steel mill has just developed a special alloy steel."
"And my family has wine, it's really good." The one who said this was the older brother, whose family's wine was very famous in the Eastern camp.
“I’m just a technician, I don’t know anything about these things,” Li Aiguo said with a smile.
The experts then realized what was happening, exchanged glances, and made up their minds to discuss the procurement with the other side once they returned to their lodgings.
Petrov never expected things to develop to this point.
Instead of deterring these people from purchasing coal cutting machines, they've set their sights on transfer trucks.
Petrov remained completely calm.
After all, the entire investigation process has only just begun, and as long as the output of the coal cutter has a problem, he can turn the tide.
It was already noon, and the mine leaders went up to invite the experts from the research team to have lunch.
"Leader, how about we bring the food to the cave? We'd like to eat and chat at the same time." The research team members were indeed hungry. They hadn't had an appetite on the train and hadn't eaten enough, but they were reluctant to leave.
For these experts, coal cutters are their lifeline.
The mine leader turned to look at Petrov, who, despite his dark expression, could only nod.
The canteen sent over large pork buns, filled entirely with meat and only a little soy sauce, made with refined white flour.
Li Aiguo ate five meat buns, each the size of a fist, and drank a bowl of thin porridge before rubbing his stomach contentedly.
Those experts also had large appetites; some ate two, and some ate three.
Especially the expert led by Xiao Luo's family, whose name was very long, ate four meat buns, but was very thin. Li Aiguo even suspected that this guy was just there to freeload.
Petrov only ate one meat bun and then lost his appetite; apart from Sidov, no one paid him any attention.
Because of the three-shift system, the miners from the previous shift ate their big steamed buns and went back to rest, while the next shift has already started.
Zong Xianfeng went back to rest, while Li Aiguo got on the coal cutter himself.
The coal cutter continued to roar, though its speed slowed down in the afternoon compared to the morning.
The coal coming out of the conveyor belt was mixed with a lot of stone slag. Several miners stood next to the conveyor belt and shoveled the stone slag aside. Once a truckload was full, it would be transported away by a special truck and could be used to pave roads later.
"This is a good method; it ensures the quality of the coal while making the best use of it."
"That's right, Comrade Aiguo, your mind is too quick."
"With this, coal won't need to be sorted after it's shipped out."
"Comrade Aiguo said that this coal cutter can also cut through rocks, and it can even handle rock layers."
"Really?" The experts all looked at Engineer Liu, who had just spoken.
This was the first time that Liu had been stared at by foreign experts, and he felt inexplicably flustered. He gestured for a moment and then said, "Comrade Aiguo said that the geological conditions of underground coal seams are complex. We can't just consider the easy-to-mine areas. So we have to be prepared when designing. This is called taking precautions in advance so as not to delay coal mining."
"It seems that Comrade Aiguo also knows a certain amount about coal mine management."
"Comrade Aiguo only wants to work on the technical aspects; he certainly understands management, after all, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop is already quite large."
"It is said that Comrade Aiguo is also fluent in several languages."
"A genius is a genius."
Li Aiguo sat there, completely oblivious to the experts' praise of him, his eyes fixed on the cutting plate.
More than an hour later, the coal cutter arrived at the planned location and needed to be moved to the adjacent tunnel to continue mining. Li Aiguo stopped the coal cutter and then asked the technicians to perform maintenance.
After learning about the situation, Petrov took Sizov to check out the next alley.
"How about it?"
"It's all hard lignite, and there should be rocks inside."
"Okay, this is the place."
Petrov approached the mine's leadership: "I think we should conduct the production verification here tomorrow!"
(End of this chapter)