Chapter 1238
8 Tons Per Day, Li Aiguo Frustrates Plot
[The effective daily output of a coal mine is calculated based solely on the actual coal output over all time periods.]
[The statistical output refers to the amount of pure coal transported to the surface coal storage yard by scraper conveyor and belt conveyor after being cut by the coal cutter, after removing impurities such as gangue and interbedded gangue.]
Because the coal underground contains moisture, the gross weight of the pure coal on the surface needs to be corrected for moisture content.
Nighttime, in the large conference room of Linxi Mine.
When the Soviet experts handed over more than a dozen calculation standards, they laid them out on the table.
The mine's technical experts widened their eyes instantly, and the room was filled with gasps of astonishment.
"How can you calculate it like that? Effective operating time should exclude downtime caused by non-equipment reasons such as planned maintenance, sudden malfunctions, and sudden geological changes underground. It should only include the effective time when the coal cutter is cutting coal normally!"
"It's one thing to remove gangue from coal production, but to remove mixed gangue too? Does that mean low-quality coal isn't coal anymore?"
"We need to do moisture correction? Everyone knows that it just rained heavily in Linxi recently, so the coal contains a lot of moisture, but it was still coal that was actually mined!"
"This is so unreasonable! It's utterly absurd!"
"Boss, the Russians are clearly making things difficult for us on purpose!"
The leaders of the Ministry of Coal Industry also turned ashen-faced. They knew that the Russians had come with ill intentions and had not expected them to tamper with the calculation standards.
However, everyone's calculation standards are different now, and the Russians are using the CMEC research team as a pretext. If we refuse, it will just play into their hands. They never intended to purchase the Red Star coal cutter anyway, and the Russians will accuse us of falsifying production figures within the company.
However, under such stringent standards, can the output of Hongxing coal cutter still meet the requirements?
The leader from the Ministry of Coal Industry looked up and his gaze fell on Li Aiguo: "Comrade Aiguo, what do you think?"
"Sir, I have complete confidence in the Hongxing coal cutter," Li Aiguo said humbly.
"Alright! Then agree to their terms! I want to see what they can say when the production figures come out!" The leader of the Ministry of Coal slammed his hand on the table and made the final decision.
After the calculation standards were signed and stamped, they were immediately sent to the hotel where the research team was staying.
Petrov had already prepared a contingency plan.
If Linxi Mine dared to refuse, he would announce the termination of the research in his capacity as the head of the delegation.
But when the signed document was handed to him, he was stunned and it took him a full two minutes to come to his senses.
"Fools! These people are all idiots! By this standard, daily output should be reduced by at least 20%! Comrade Xizhuofu, you have done a great job this time!"
"What kind of lousy standards did that old geezer Dzerpigovev set, and he keeps talking about fairness? What is fairness? The standards I set are fair!"
"You flatter me, Commander. It's all thanks to your foresight," Xizhuofu replied with his head bowed, secretly pleased.
This calculation standard was precisely what he drafted for Petrov.
"Alright, the calculation is for three days in total, and tomorrow is only the first day. You should go back and rest early, get plenty of energy, and let these younger brothers see what it means to be a big brother."
"Yes."
Sizov backed out of the room.
As soon as he entered the door, Professor Dzerpigorev pulled him into his room.
Dzerpigovev glared at him angrily: "Sizov, did you help the regimental commander draft the new calculation standards?"
"Teacher, what are you saying? This has nothing to do with me," Xizhuofu hurriedly explained.
"Others may be kept in the dark, but you can't fool me. Especially that moisture correction—you mentioned this back in China. I've told you countless times that the moisture content of coal cannot be used as a standard for measuring daily output! It will increase the burden on miners. If you do this, you've made a big mistake in your thinking!"
Xi Zhuofu hadn't expected his teacher to be so perceptive, so he simply stopped pretending: "Teacher, I think the problem lies with you. Don't you know what the consequences would be if the output of the Hongxing coal cutter broke our record? We would not only lose a large number of orders, but we would also become a laughing stock in the entire Mutual Economic Confederation!"
"But you can't go back on your word!" Dzerpigorev simply couldn't understand the students' thinking.
"As technicians, we shouldn't get involved in the rectification process."
“Teacher, it seems you still don’t understand. No wonder you, as a top expert in the country with countless merits, are only a laboratory leader in the end. If I were in your position, I would have already…” Xi Zhuofu stopped abruptly, slammed the door, and went into his room.
Dzerpigovev stood frozen in place, stunned for a long time.
He felt that this student, whom he had taught, had become a complete stranger.
The night grew deeper.
The roar of machinery in the various tunnels of the coal mine grew louder and louder.
Just as dawn was breaking, shortly after six in the morning, Li Aiguo got up from his bed in the guesthouse.
After washing up, breakfast had already been delivered to the guesthouse by the Linxi Mine canteen.
Fried dough sticks, millet porridge, and a plate of tofu with scallions—it was a very generous meal.
After quickly eating and drinking his fill, Li Aiguo headed straight for the underground tunnel.
Engineer Liu and the members of the No. 6 coal cutting team had already arrived and were busily carrying out the final inspection and debugging of the Hongxing coal cutter, checking every part and every line carefully.
At 7:30, the research team's convoy arrived on time.
Petrov led the experts straight to the working face, thoroughly inspecting the coal cutter from top to bottom. Only after confirming that no special equipment had been added or high-end parts had been replaced did he sign the verification report.
at this time.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on an alarm clock.
When the clock struck eight o'clock, Li Aiguo gave the order: "Start work!"
The coal cutter started up, and its booming sound echoed in the tunnel.
After announcing the start of coal mining, Li Aiguo appeared particularly relaxed, chatting casually with the big-eater expert from Xiao Luo's family not far away.
This guy's name is Garibal, and he's currently the chief engineer at the Riwu coal mine.
During World War II, he was a young technician in a coal mine. When San Dezi's armored vehicle drove into the mining area, it started firing at the mine shaft.
He and a group of miners were buried underground for more than half a month, and only survived by digging up grass roots and drinking groundwater seeping from the rock walls.
Garibald was also unlucky; he barely made it through the German withdrawal and the mines resumed production.
While he was helping to debug the coal cutter, another collapse occurred, and he was detained for more than ten days once again.
“Patriotic brother, you haven’t experienced it, so you have no idea how unbearable it is. That’s why now, whenever I see food, I’m like a demon, always wanting to stuff it all into my stomach, and I always feel like I’m never full,” Garibal said with a smile and a wave of his hand.
Although Li Aiguo had not spent as much time underground as the veteran miners, he was well aware of the dangers of working in coal mines.
"We conduct coal mining machinery research and development and technological innovation, all because we want our brothers to be less dangerous when mining coal, to be able to deliver the coal safely, and to be able to return home safely."
Upon hearing this, Garibal's gaze towards Li Aiguo held a newfound genuine admiration.
Li Aiguo was quite relaxed, while Petrov and Sidov, along with the Russian experts, seemed very busy.
They had to keep an eye on the coal cutter and follow the transfer machine, and they also arranged for people to monitor the weighing at the coal yard outside.
"Three thousand hundred tons."
"Eight thousand tons."
"Fifteen thousand tons."
Petrov personally guarded the coal yard, watching the constantly tallied figures, his face as black as coal.
The production increase is happening far too fast.
"Thirty-five thousand tons!"
Twelve hours later, the Russian statistician at the coal yard gave an unbelievable figure.
"Damn it! You must be mistaken! Absolutely!" Petrov could no longer hold back and rushed forward, roaring at the statistician.
"Commander, we've already calculated it twice, removing all the water and impurities. This number is already the most conservative estimate." The statistician lowered his head, not daring to say it aloud.
If calculated using conventional methods, the output for this half-day would increase by at least 20%.
Petrov glanced at the endless stream of raw coal being delivered to the coal yard, the piles of coal growing higher and higher, and a strong sense of unease suddenly gripped him.
Things have completely gone beyond what was expected.
On the other side, Li Aiguo and his fellow workers from the coal cutting team were having lunch together.
When the news spread that the daily output was 35,000 tons, the dining hall instantly erupted in excitement.
"At this rate, if we keep pushing, reaching a daily output of 70,000 tons is no problem!"
"That's right! Patriotic comrade, say a few words to everyone!"
All the miners looked at Li Aiguo, and even the leaders of Linxi Mine did the same. They hadn't even realized that Li Aiguo had become the backbone of the mine.
Experts from the Luo family's Garibaldi and the Jieke family also came over, laughing and joining in the teasing.
Li Aiguo never hesitated. He strode onto the coal cutter beside him, took the flag from Zong Xianfeng, and waved it vigorously twice.
Amidst the fluttering of the flags, the noisy scene instantly fell silent, and all eyes were focused on him.
Li Aiguo took a deep breath and said loudly, "Fellow workers! The half-day output of 35,000 tons didn't fall from the sky; it was achieved through our hard work! This is the glory of our working class!"
He paused, his tone becoming increasingly impassioned: "The revitalization of industry cannot be separated from every piece of raw coal we dig out! We have already set a new record, and we must show the indomitable spirit of the working class, and put in even more effort to achieve the target of 70,000 tons of daily output!"
The moment the words were spoken, the scene was silent for less than a second before erupting into deafening shouts and slogans.
"Dry!"
"Let's aim for 70,000 tons!"
"I overslept!"
"I overslept!"
The workers noticed some discordant noises mixed in.
Turning their heads, they saw that the experts from Xiao Luo's family, Jie Ke's family, Da Di Xiong's family, and A Bao's family had all raised their fists and joined in.
The Soviet experts had strange expressions on their faces, wanting to shout but hesitant to do so.
Finally, Dzerpigovev could no longer contain himself and raised his arms, shouting: "Brothers of the Linsi mine, Hurrah!"
"Brothers of Linxi Mine, hurrah!"
Shouts echoed throughout the tunnel, mingling with the roar of the coal cutter.
Li Aiguo witnessed firsthand the true scale of mass production in that era.
After the target of 70,000 tons per day was set, the coal cutting team members worked like clocks wound up to the max, without stopping for even a minute.
Engineer Liu and the experts stood guard next to the coal cutter, and whenever it stopped for maintenance, they immediately rushed over.
Garibal was also stunned. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Brother Patriot, I finally understand why you have been able to develop so quickly in the past few years."
“Yes, we have the best workers,” Li Aiguo nodded.
A voice rang out from the side: "More importantly, you are all of one mind, and your strength is united."
Li Aiguo turned his head and saw it was Dzerpigorev.
Their eyes met, and they nodded to each other. No words were needed, yet there was a tacit understanding between them.
Not far away, Sizov's face was grim.
This is an era where you reap what you sow.
Twelve hours later.
Everyone arrived at the coal yard, awaiting the final measurement results.
The coal yard staff were very cautious. After calculating all the coal that had been transported, they verified it twice before coming over.
"Report: Daily output is 75,000 tons!"
Wow!
Upon hearing this number, a round of enthusiastic applause broke out.
The leaders of Linxi Mine knew they would definitely break the record this time, but they didn't expect it to exceed 70,000 tons. They were quite excited. "This success is the glory of Linxi Mine, and even more so the achievement of every comrade and worker present!" the leader declared first, then waved his hand.
"The calculations will take two more days. Once the final results are finalized, Linxi Mine will host a celebration banquet to invite everyone!"
Applause erupted again.
Everyone was happy, but Petrov's mood plummeted. He knew very well why the Corn Emperor had sent him there.
If Linxi Mine's daily output is confirmed internationally and the coal cutter order is lost, the Corn Emperor will definitely punish him severely.
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door, and Sizhuofu, with his neck hunched, cautiously walked in.
"Commander."
“Useless trash, didn’t you guarantee that the daily output wouldn’t fall short of the target? Now it’s 75,000 tons, which is a full 15,000 tons higher than our record.”
Petrov flew into a rage, pointing his finger at Sizov and saying, "You must immediately revise the measurement standards and reduce the daily coal production."
Xizhuofu said with a long face, "Commander, the standards I set were already harsh enough, but I didn't expect these Dongda miners and Red Star coal cutters to be so powerful."
Will the daily output decrease tomorrow?
“Impossible. I’ve been keeping an eye on it all day. As the miners become more and more skilled at coordinating, the daily output will have to increase.” Sizov was at a loss.
"So, there's no other way?" Petrov's gaze turned cold as he looked at Sidov.
Knowing the inevitable failure, Sizov shuddered and said with a quick glance, "Commander, there is a way, but this method will likely involve some risk."
Petrov asked, "What method?"
Sitzhev leaned close to Petrov's ear and whispered a few words.
Petrov's eyes gradually brightened, and he finally nodded, saying, "That's settled then. If you do it right, the position of lab director is yours."
"Thank you, Commander!" Xizhuofu was overjoyed and quickly agreed.
Petrov got up and poured himself a glass of water. He then rummaged through the trash can and found a sticky, unidentified object. He threw it into the glass, stirred it, and then handed the glass over.
"Let's begin."
Xizhuofu picked up the cup, and a pungent, strange smell hit his nostrils, making his stomach churn and almost causing him to vomit.
But when he thought of his position as the head of the laboratory, he steeled himself, tilted his head back, and gulped down the strange water.
He couldn't help but gag as soon as he finished drinking.
"Hold on! You can go back now," Petrov coldly ordered.
Sizov covered his mouth, staggered out of the room, and fled back to his residence in a disheveled state.
Li Aiguo had already returned to the guesthouse. The cave was still under repair, but with Engineer Liu keeping an eye on things, there was no need to worry.
Old Cat had just reported the situation to the weather station when he saw Li Aiguo return and greeted him with a smile.
"The farmer was just praising you, saying you've brought honor to us."
"Teacher, you flatter me. It's the result of everyone's hard work," Li Aiguo responded modestly.
Just then, the woman at the guesthouse called out to Old Cat, "Comrade in room 206, your phone is ringing!"
"Coming!" Old Cat quickly went to answer the phone, with Li Aiguo following closely behind.
A call at this hour usually means something unexpected has happened.
Sure enough, not long after Old Cat answered the phone, his brows furrowed tightly: "What? The Soviet expert is sick and needs to be taken to the hospital immediately?"
He paused, then asked, "I understand, I'll arrange for someone to send it over immediately. By the way, what's the expert's name?"
After hanging up the phone, Lao Mao looked at Li Aiguo: "It was Xi Zhuofu. He said he's quite ill and has been sent to Linxi Coal Mine Hospital. I have to go there."
"Could there be a problem here?"
"It's hard to say at the moment."
The old cat went back to its room, changed its coat, and left in a hurry.
Li Aiguo stood there, watching his back, his eyes slightly narrowed.
The production verification began on time at eight o'clock the next morning. After confirming that everything was going smoothly on site, Li Aiguo turned and walked towards the expert group of the research team.
"It seems like one person is missing?" he asked casually.
“It’s Sizov. He vomited and had diarrhea in the middle of the night. I think it’s gastroenteritis. He’s in the hospital right now,” Garibal replied.
“That’s right, I had just fallen asleep when he woke me up. He was making a lot of noise,” another expert chimed in.
"It's terrible. I heard the pain is so bad that they can't even straighten their backs."
It seems that the commotion was quite significant at the time, and most experts were aware of the incident.
It seems that most experts are aware of Sizov's illness.
But Li Aiguo's doubts only deepened.
The food and lodging of the research team from the China Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CCM) have been strictly inspected. Yesterday, Xizhuofu had a meal with everyone in the mine. How come he was the only one who got gastroenteritis?
It wasn't until noon that the old cat brought definite news.
"Cizov is indeed suffering from gastroenteritis. We consulted with three doctors, and they all confirmed it. He is currently receiving intravenous fluids and under observation at the hospital."
Old Cat also felt something was amiss, but couldn't find any flaws.
"Don't worry, I've already sent people to keep an eye on him. They'll report back immediately if anything happens."
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo didn't think much of it and turned back into the cave to continue working.
In the evening, the coal yard announced today's output.
"Eighty thousand tons!"
It's a full 5,000 tons higher than yesterday, and now everyone is excitedly raising their fists and cheering.
“Dear Li, once the final round of verification is completed tomorrow, we will immediately sign the purchase contract for the Hongxing coal cutter!” Garibal stepped forward, his tone earnest.
The two have been chatting frequently these past few days, and as fellow technicians, their relationship has grown increasingly closer.
“We also want to order, at least ten.”
We need not only coal cutters, but also matching transfer machines. We hope to reach a cooperation agreement! Experts from other countries also gathered around, actively expressing their willingness to cooperate.
The leaders of the Ministry of Coal Industry and the leaders of Linxi Mine were very pleased to see Li Aiguo surrounded by foreign experts.
"Tomorrow is the last day, everyone must cheer up." The leaders of the Ministry of Coal Industry even shook hands with each worker.
After the meeting, everyone was very happy, truly happy. Some team members even had trouble sleeping because they were thinking about completing the production re-inspection tomorrow.
Li Aiguo was already used to this situation. He returned to the guesthouse, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep.
The situation on the third day was the same as the second day. First, a meeting was held to encourage everyone, and then preparatory work was done, with the experts from the research team inspecting the Hongxing coal cutter.
Li Aiguo unexpectedly spotted a familiar face among the experts.
"Comrade Xizhuofu? You're discharged from the hospital so soon?"
Xi Zhuofu was surprised to be seen by Li Aiguo. His expression changed slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm and smiled.
"Yes, Comrade Li Aiguo. It's just a common gastroenteritis. He's much better after a few IV drips. The investigation here isn't over yet, and we believe in not leaving the front lines even with minor injuries."
Li Aiguo seemed oblivious to his odd behavior, and nodded with a smile: "Comrade Xizhuofu's dedication is something we should all learn from."
"You flatter me," Xi Zhuofu said, secretly relieved as he watched Li Aiguo turn and leave. He then followed the experts to inspect the coal cutter.
This has become routine work; some experts trust this place, so it's just a formality.
Besides, if equipment is added, it will be obvious at a glance.
Only Szczek and a few Russian experts were serious, touching this and that.
“This coal cutter is really good,” said Sizov, naturally reaching for a pipe.
A hand reached out from the side and gripped his hand tightly.
"What are you doing?" Xi Zhuofu froze, his face turning deathly pale. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Li Aiguo's strength was so great that he couldn't move.
“I am an expert from the China Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CCM) research team. Inspecting coal cutters is my duty! You have no right to stop me!” He feigned anger and tried to break free.
Hearing the argument, the surrounding experts gathered around.
Petrov also arrived quickly, speaking with a cold expression.
"Comrade Li Aiguo, what do you mean by this? Why are you making things difficult for our expert? He was just performing his duties!"
"Performing duties normally?"
Li Aiguo sneered, suddenly grabbed Xizhuofu's hand, and tried to pry open his clenched fist with his other hand.
"Then tell me, what is he hiding in his hand?"
Xi Zhuofu's expression changed drastically. He clenched his fist with all his might, but his strength was no match for Li Aiguo.
Accompanied by the soft "crackling" sound of finger bones being pried open, and Sizzov's suppressed screams of pain.
His palms were gradually exposed to everyone.
It was clearly the tip of an IV needle, along with a small piece of medical tape.
The explosion-proof lights overhead illuminated the needle, making it gleam coldly and fall into the eyes of every expert present, instantly silencing them.
Although some experts did not immediately understand the purpose of the needle and tape.
But seeing Sizov's panicked and distressed appearance, he guessed that things were not simple.
“Comrade Patriot, this needle,” Garibal asked repeatedly.
Li Aiguo picked up the needle, released Xizhuofu's hand, and let him collapse to the ground.
He then pointed to the high-pressure power pipe of the coal cutter's traveling mechanism.
Li Aiguo did not explain. Those present were all experts in the development of coal cutting machines, and they were well aware that the high-pressure power pipe was made of rubber-coated fabric and could be easily punctured by sharp objects.
Most importantly, when the coal cutter is not running, the pressure inside the pipe is very low, so it can be sealed with just a small piece of tape.
When the cutting arm of the coal cutter pressed down to cut the coal, the pressure inside the pipe suddenly increased. The tape at the needle was blown off by the high-pressure oil, and the high-pressure oil leaked out in a jet, instantly spraying onto the rotating motor and drum, causing the motor to short-circuit and catch fire.
In a more serious case, if the high-pressure pipe bursts, the cutting arm will suddenly lose control and fall, crashing into the bottom of the coal mine and causing a large-scale collapse of the loose coal on the coal wall.
The consequences could be disastrous!
Thinking about this, all the experts' faces turned grim.
The Russian experts actually planned to sabotage the coal cutter, and the scene instantly fell silent. Leaders from the Ministry of Coal Industry and Linxi Mine frowned, and the members of the No. 6 coal cutting team clenched their fists.
"Slap!" Suddenly, Petrov strode forward and slapped a large bag across Sizov's face.
He said fiercely, "Fool, you actually tried to sabotage my brother's coal cutter. You really disappoint me."
He abruptly changed the subject, deliberately raising his voice, and said to the experts, "We should frankly admit that we are inferior in skill, and we should be happy for our brother's achievements! But you, harboring personal grudges, have done such a despicable thing, utterly disgracing us!"
Sitov covered his face, looking at Petrov with disbelief, his mouth opening and closing as if to say something.
"Still dare to argue?"
Petrov slapped him again, this time with even more force. "I will definitely hold you accountable and give everyone an explanation!"
(End of this chapter)