Chapter 1261
The Wheel of History: Takeru Satoh is Executed, Factory Director Yang Returns to Power,
At five in the morning, it was still dark in Beijing.
Li Aiguo opened his eyes right on time.
Without an alarm clock, your biological clock is more accurate than anything else.
He quickly got out of bed and changed into a clean set of clothes.
Chen Xueru was also awakened by the noise. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "Brother Aiguo, why are you up so early?"
"There are too many rats at the locomotive depot. I've arranged for Zhou Ke to get rid of them. You should go to sleep now."
Li Aiguo ruffled Xiao Chen's hair, strode out of the house, and walked outside along the dim light.
Today is a special day.
As a special operations officer of the "Weather Station," and also the one who made the greatest contribution to the capture of Kenichi Sato, the Weather Station approved a special request from Li Aiguo.
He personally took the lead in shooting, sending this wicked dog Dieter on his way.
Generally speaking, not all Dieters are executed; many are simply imprisoned for decades for making minor mistakes.
However, the weather station's consistent attitude towards Dieter, who had blood on his hands, was to eradicate evil completely.
Zhou Ke had been waiting outside in his large SUV, leaning against the vehicle and smoking.
This was Zhou Ke's first execution mission.
The young man looked a bit nervous, but when he saw Li Aiguo coming over, he laughed and said, "Brother Aiguo, are we considered to be the Black and White Impermanence today?"
"Hmm, you are indeed quite ruthless, somewhat like the Black Impermanence." Li Aiguo pulled out the passenger seat and sat down.
Zhou Ke was somewhat depressed.
He has indeed gotten a tan recently, and Huang Shuxian has been nagging him about it.
It's exactly 5:30.
Li Aiguo arrived at the weather station on time.
Several trucks were already parked at the weather station, with armed meteorologists standing in the truck beds.
Li Aiguo received his equipment, a Type 38 rifle that was polished to a shine.
Although Lao Mao intended for him to try out the newly issued Type 53 rifle, Li Aiguo still chose the old gun.
For someone like Kenichi Sato, sending him to his death with this gun can be seen as a kind of historical cycle.
"Comrade train driver, are you ready?"
Old Cat, who was in charge of the escort mission, came over and handed Li Aiguo a pair of cotton gloves and a mask.
“No problem.” Li Aiguo put on gloves, but without a face shield.
Following procedure, all meteorologists began calibrating their watches.
"Sixty-ten, move out!"
With a command given, the heavy iron gate slammed open.
Li Aiguo and Zhou Ke, who served as the assistant shooter, strode into the prison cell area.
Two kidnappers were also present.
Dieter is different from ordinary prisoners; even when his shackles are broken, he may still hurt people, so he needs a kidnapper to subdue him.
The cell smelled awful, a mixture of musty, sweaty, and an indescribable odor of excrement.
"Kenichi Sato! Come out!"
The meteorologist opened the door to the innermost cell.
Kenichi Sato, who had been trying to maintain his so-called "fifty-way spirit" in the interrogation room, was now huddled in a corner.
When Dieter saw Li Aiguo fully armed and the dark muzzle of a gun, he trembled violently.
"go!"
Two strong kidnappers rushed in and grabbed Kenichi Sato from the left and right.
To Li Aiguo's disappointment...
Kenichi Sato doesn't look like a 50-point man at all.
His legs felt as if the bones had been removed, as limp as two noodles, and he couldn't stand up at all.
Li Aiguo glanced down and saw that the guy's crotch was soaked, with yellow urine dripping down his trousers onto the cement floor, emitting a foul odor.
The so-called "elites of the wilderness" are more afraid of death than ordinary criminals.
Kenichi Sato was dragged into the yard like a dead dog.
He saw Li Aiguo standing to the side, coldly watching him.
Kenichi Sato seemed to have grasped at the last straw, struggling desperately to lunge forward, but was held down firmly by the two kidnappers.
"Comrade Li! Comrade Li! Please, don't kill me!"
With tears streaming down his face, Kenichi Sato wailed in a hoarse voice, "I was just serving my own master! I was just doing my duty!"
I was just following orders! Aren't you supposed to treat prisoners of war well?
"Fulfilling duties?"
Li Aiguo walked up to him, looking down at the weeping man with eyes full of disgust and coldness.
"In November 1942, in Xiaguan, Nanjing, you brutally murdered the entire family of five, including the three-year-old Wang, who were staying at your place, in order to cover your identity. Was this fulfilling your duty?"
Kenichi Sato's crying stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in horror.
"In August 1945, on the eve of the Japanese surrender, you ordered your men to blow up the Yongli Flour Mill in order to destroy industrial facilities, burning dozens of workers to death. Was this also fulfilling your duty?"
With each sentence Li Aiguo spoke, he took a step closer, his voice striking Sato Kenichi's heart like a heavy hammer.
"Sato, you're a beast. Murder, arson, and all sorts of evil deeds have never been your duty!"
Li Aiguo stared coldly at him and said, word by word, "Today, I am here on behalf of those wronged souls to send you on your way."
After saying that, Li Aiguo turned away in disgust.
In one corner of the courtyard, there was a small table with the "last meal" on it: two fried dough sticks, a bowl of rice porridge, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.
"Eat up, so you can get on your way," the old cat said coldly.
Kenichi Sato knelt on the ground, staring blankly at the bowl of steaming porridge, unable to eat a single bite.
His mind was probably blank at that moment, the fear of death occupying all his thoughts.
"Not going to eat? Then don't eat."
Seeing that Kenichi Sato didn't move, Li Aiguo waved his hand: "Tie him up and get in the car!"
The thick hemp rope was soaked in water and cut painfully into the flesh.
Kenichi Sato was bound hand and foot, with a death warrant attached to his back that read "Little Japanese devil Dieter Kenichi Sato," marked with a bright red cross.
Then came the routine parade.
The intersection was not blocked off; only Lao Mao and Li Aiguo knew the true location of the execution ground.
The truck eventually drove to a wasteland on the outskirts of the city.
This is an abandoned riverbank, with a large mound of earth in the distance that could be used to block bullets.
The convoy stopped, and Kenichi Sato was dragged off.
He was completely limp at this point, and could only barely kneel on the ground with the help of his two kidnappers.
"Your Majesty!"
Kenichi Sato knelt in front of the mound, facing the yellow earth.
Li Aiguo, as the main shooter, walked behind Kenichi Sato.
According to regulations, there is only one bullet in the chamber of a gun.
These bullets are specially made; the bullet tip is scratched, similar to a SAM bullet. After being fired, it will tumble inside to avoid direct penetration.
This is an old story. A while ago, when our comrades in the south were executing Dieter, the bullet came out of his nose, making a complete mess of the scene.
Assistant gunner Zhou Ke stood guard with a full magazine, just in case.
Li Aiguo raised his gun and pressed the muzzle down slightly.
Based on experience, the ideal shooting position is two finger-widths below the occipital bone protrusion. This location is the brainstem center; a single shot can instantly sever all neural connections.
At this moment, Li Aiguo could clearly see that Kenichi Sato's nape was trembling violently, and the fine hairs on his neck were standing on end.
"Everyone is in your place!"
Old Cat raised the red flag high in his hand.
Li Aiguo held his breath and placed his finger on the trigger.
"preparation!"
Kenichi Sato seemed to sense something, letting out a muffled whimper and lunging forward.
Two guards, holding him down by the shoulders, held him firmly.
"put!"
The red flag fell.
"boom!"
A crisp gunshot shattered the silence of the wilderness.
The rifle in Li Aiguo's hand jolted violently.
The bullet pierced precisely into the back of Kenichi Sato's head, and the immense kinetic energy instantly destroyed his vital organs.
Kenichi Sato's body suddenly lurched forward, collapsing into the dust like a piece of rotten wood, and remained motionless.
There was no struggle, no screams.
Life and death hang in the balance in that instant.
Li Aiguo sheathed his gun and took a step back.
The meteorologist quickly stepped forward, shone a flashlight into his pupils to confirm death, then grabbed a handful of soil and sprinkled it on his eyes before taking a photo for record-keeping.
"Mission accomplished."
Looking at the corpse on the ground, Li Aiguo felt no emotion, only a sense of satisfaction at eradicating evil completely.
……
It was already noon when we got back to the courtyard house.
The aroma of food wafted through the room.
"Brother Aiguo, you're back. How did the rat eradication go?" Chen Xueru asked, poking her head out from the kitchen.
"They've all been wiped out."
Li Aiguo brought over a basin of water and washed himself with soap.
"That's good, that's good." Miss Chen smiled and said, "My second brother brought some vegetables today, let's have a delicious lunch."
"What's delicious?"
"Stir-fried pork liver with green peppers, and steamed egg custard!" Miss Chen placed the dishes on the table.
On a plate, there was a golden-yellow, trembling steamed egg custard, sprinkled with chopped green onions, which looked incredibly smooth.
Next to it was a large bowl of stir-fried pork liver with red and green bell peppers, emitting a rich aroma of soy sauce.
Looking at the bowl of steamed eggs, Li Aiguo involuntarily recalled the scene from the execution ground. That pure white…
"Mmm, it's delicious." Li Aiguo picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful; the taste was indeed quite good.
*****
After executing Kenichi Sato, the weather station also dealt with the remaining prisoners in the Shimonoseki case.
Du Juan did many things for Sato Kenichi, and her hands were stained with blood. Because of her involvement in the sabotage of the visit, she was guilty of heinous crimes and was sentenced to death.
Pei Yihuai had been working for the Japanese before the liberation and had even maliciously sabotaged a ferry, which also warranted the death penalty.
Xu Wentao was coerced and lured into the case by Du Juan. He was not deeply involved in the case and had limited knowledge of the inside story, so he was given a lenient sentence of twenty years in prison.
In addition, the head of the security section of the Xiaguan Locomotive Depot was immediately dismissed from his post and handed over to the railway authorities for further processing due to his deliberate obstruction of the case investigation. A prison sentence is a foregone conclusion.
The one who seems to be wronged here is the head of the security department.
Li Aiguo, however, showed no sympathy for him.
What should have been a simple case has become incredibly difficult to investigate precisely because of people like this.
As for the public-private joint venture shipyard on Huimin River in Xiaguan, the ministry has urgently dispatched an investigation team to investigate. Judging from this, it will definitely be dealt with strictly and without any leniency.
The next day, an unexpected downpour washed away all the sins.
After the heavy rain, Li Aiguo's life returned to normal, and he was busy working in the 62nd Engineering Workshop every day.
The equipment required for the wind tunnel laboratory was indeed beyond the technological level of that era. Even though Li Aiguo had made a lot of simplifications, it would still be very difficult to build it.
Under Li Aiguo's guidance, the team finally completed the modification plan for the emergency balance and officially began manufacturing.
This thing is the core of the wind tunnel laboratory, and it can simultaneously measure six forces, including lift, drag, pitch, and roll.
Using six components at this time is not realistic, not only because of technical issues, but also because it is impractical to use.
At the 62nd Project workshop, the aviation experts were also very excited. The matching DC motors were readily available; they just needed to be connected in parallel.
Li Aiguo told them to build one themselves first, and then the supporting photoelectric recorder, signal amplifier, and vacuum tube amplifier circuit could be built gradually in conjunction with the Red Star Computer Research Institute.
There are also transonic nozzles, which need to be developed step by step.
"We still lack equipment for forging large parts. How about we build our own 10,000-ton hydraulic forging press?"
"It will be useful when building large aircraft."
"Large warships can also be used."
"Should we go for 50,000 tons, or go all the way to 80,000 tons?"
Li Aiguo plans to have the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop build an 80,000-ton-class die forging hydraulic press in a while.
China now has 15,000-ton-class molding presses, mainly used to manufacture J-7 fighter jets and trainer aircraft.
A hydraulic forging press can form in one step and weld seamlessly, which is something that a die pressing machine cannot do.
But there's no rush. Let's focus on building up our technical skills first, and then we can make a big push.
Section Chief Xing has been paying close attention to Project 62. Once the wind tunnel laboratory is completed, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot will take another step forward and truly enter the aviation field.
"The comrades in the studio have been brought out successfully." Looking at the busy people in the studio, Section Chief Xing said with some emotion.
"This wouldn't have been possible without the support of the ministries and departments," Li Aiguo said with a smile.
"You're just so modest," Section Chief Xing said with a smile, shaking his head.
Other departments spent so much money and still couldn't produce the same thing, but the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop did. Is this something that can be bought with support?
"If you fail, just learn from your mistakes and try again," Li Aiguo said with a smile.
"That's true. Nowadays, some organizations and factories shout slogans loudly, but the things they produce are a mess, and they still claim to have launched a satellite."
Section Chief Xing clearly came with resentment.
Li Aiguo asked a couple of questions casually, and was immediately surprised and laughed after hearing them.
Several factory directors in China are now eyeing the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop and have also declared their intention to work hard, launch new projects, and surpass Xiaomeijia and the big brother.
"A steel mill is going to develop its own 10,000-ton-class rolling mill? Even bigger than the one owned by Big Brother?"
"Yes, I heard that Director Yang has returned to the steel rolling mill and has even received support from some people," Section Chief Xing explained.
Li Aiguo has been very busy lately and doesn't really know anything about this.
But thinking about it makes me feel better.
Director Yang has a high-ranking leader behind him, and the winds are blowing stronger and stronger; it's obvious he's about to cause some trouble.
"You have to do things one step at a time, you can't rush it."
Section Chief Xing nodded repeatedly, his face full of agreement: "That's right! Our Qianmen Locomotive Depot also made suggestions, but they didn't listen at all. They thought we were just jealous and wanted to hinder their development."
Section Chief Xing agreed with Li Aiguo's point, and noted that Li Aiguo had a clear understanding of what would lead to success, thus avoiding wasting resources and time.
"Instead of launching satellites for the sake of launching satellites, we should make something useful. Some of the things we make are not top-notch, but as long as they work, that's enough."
Section Chief Xing nodded; that's how the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop was built up step by step.
"And don't rush, the ministry leaders told me to keep a close eye on you," Section Chief Xing instructed Li Aiguo again.
After saying that, Section Chief Xing left in a hurry.
Now that the steel rolling mill has changed personnel, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot also needs to re-coordinate the production of spare parts.
Currently, the tanker cylinders, motorcycle parts, minibus beams, and other components at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot are all manufactured by the steel rolling mill.
Li Aiguo wasn't in a hurry. This is an era where you reap what you sow, and you should just do things step by step.
Regarding ibuprofen, Li Aiguo often went to the pharmaceutical institute to chat with Wang Chengdong after work, and also learned about the institute's technical level.
Wang Chengdong may seem eccentric, but he is a very generous person, and Li Aiguo is allowed to use the pharmaceutical institute's equipment at will.
First, the original drug is produced, then it is tested on mice. Only after its effectiveness is confirmed will it be released to the public.
"Drug experiments are really troublesome." When Li Aiguo returned home, he saw several children chattering around a white mouse and thought that maybe he should use other small animals for the experiments.
However, the size cannot be too large, and cats and dogs cannot be used. In this day and age, dogs are used for guarding the house, and cats are used for catching mice; both are very useful.
As for stray cats and dogs, forget about it; they simply don't exist.
After much thought, I still couldn't come up with a suitable alternative.
Li Aiguo had no choice but to sit under the eaves, reading a book while continuing to ponder.
"Aiguo, busy with something." Uncle Er was picking some vegetables in the backyard garden when he saw Li Aiguo and made a special detour over.
Li Aiguo quickly greeted him, "Second Uncle, is there something you need?"
"Nothing much. Did you hear? Xu Damao's promotion has fallen through again." The second uncle took out a cigarette and offered one to Li Aiguo.
Now my second uncle is the workshop director, and his cigarettes are high-end—they're called Sunflower.
Li Aiguo took the cigarette, stood up, and asked, "What happened?"
Xu Damao was particularly happy a while ago, and he even distributed wedding candy everywhere. The public survey had already passed, and his promotion was a sure thing. How could it all fall through like this?
"It's all because Director Yang is back!" Liu Haizhong said in a low voice.
"As soon as Director Yang returned, he froze all personnel transfers in the factory. Xu Damao was just one step away from completing the final procedure, but he was blocked. Isn't that a pity?"
He paused, then added, "I think Xu Damao is just unlucky. Every time he gets to the crucial moment of promotion, something always goes wrong. Last time it was because of the Jia family, and this time he ran into Director Yang freezing personnel. He's really having the worst luck ever."
Li Aiguo knew this was a tactic employed by the factory leaders after they regained power; by controlling personnel transfers, they essentially controlled the people below them.
"The freeze on personnel transfers should only be temporary, right?" Li Aiguo asked casually.
Liu Haizhong shook his head, his tone becoming increasingly mysterious: "It's temporary, but the personnel department will definitely have to go through the procedures again. Who doesn't know about the mess Xu Damao caused in the factory before? I heard someone even reported him. Whether it will pass the re-examination is hard to say."
Liu Haizhong also felt a bit scared.
Fortunately, he completed his workshop director's paperwork early, otherwise he would probably be hanging in mid-air like Xu Damao right now.
Just then, Aunt Er's voice came from inside the house, urging Liu Haizhong to come home for dinner. Liu Haizhong didn't dare to delay and hurriedly left.
Li Aiguo sat back down under the eaves to read, and soon saw Xu Damao return dejectedly, his head drooping.
“It’s that old bastard Yi Zhonghai!” Xu Damao said through gritted teeth as soon as he saw Li Aiguo.
"Yi Zhonghai went to Director Yang and complained about me, saying that I got the promotion opportunity through the connection of Deputy Director Li."
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo was slightly taken aback, then recalled that he had indeed seen Yi Zhonghai going to work with crutches a few days ago.
At the time, I thought he was eager to make a name for himself, but I never expected that he was trying to curry favor with Director Yang.
"Don't worry, just wait patiently, he'll get promoted eventually." Li Aiguo didn't know how to comfort Da Mao. Just as Liu Haizhong said, Xu Da Mao seemed to be lacking in official luck.
The same is true in the original novel. As Lou Bancheng's son-in-law, he should have had the opportunity to rise to prominence, but he repeatedly encountered setbacks.
Later, he attached himself to Deputy Factory Director Li, hoping to get promoted as he wished, but in the end he did not fare as well as Liu Haizhong.
"That bastard Yi Zhonghai, I'm not done with him!" Xu Damao spat in the direction of Yi Zhonghai's house and stormed off.
Li Aiguo smiled, shook his head, and turned to go inside.
As night fell, the courtyard gradually returned to tranquility.
The lights were on in the deaf old woman's house, which was unusual for her.
The deaf old woman sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding chopsticks in her hand, and picked up a piece of greasy pork.
“Zhonghai, you’re so sensible. You know that I love meat the most. This meat is stewed until it’s tender, just to my liking.”
Yi Zhonghai stood to the side, a fawning smile on his face: "Grandma, if you like it, I'll buy you meat every three days from now on, the best fat, so you can eat to your heart's content."
The deaf old lady ate a few more pieces of meat before putting down her chopsticks and asking calmly, "Did he accept the suggestion I asked you to give to Director Yang?"
“I accept it! Grandma, you are so wise! I did as you suggested and proposed to Director Yang the idea of building a 10,000-ton rolling mill. His eyes lit up as soon as he heard it, and he praised me on the spot for my vision and courage. He even said that he would give me special training!”
As he spoke, the smugness on Yi Zhonghai's face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of doubt.
"Madam, how can you be so sure that Director Yang will approve of this suggestion? I was initially worried that he would think it was impractical and reject my proposal."
"You've lived such a long life in vain. You're not even as good as that bastard Li Aiguo. Director Yang has just regained power and hasn't even warmed his seat yet. He has no achievements to show for it. How can his position be stable?"
What he urgently needs right now is a political achievement that will allow him to gain a foothold and please his superiors!
A 10,000-ton rolling mill—it sounds impressive and powerful enough; how could he possibly refuse?
Despite being scolded by the deaf old lady, Yi Zhonghai was not angry at all.
"Grandma, you are so insightful and wise! Now Director Yang has invited experts from other factories and formed a project team. I am also fortunate to be in the project team. As long as I can do a good job with this project and achieve results, I will definitely be promoted to workshop director in one step! When that happens, I will definitely buy you meat every day and take good care of you."
"What a spineless wretch!" The deaf old woman frowned, her contempt growing even stronger.
"A mere workshop foreman makes you this happy? In my opinion, you should at least strive to become the head of the production department before you're qualified to establish yourself in the steel rolling mill and be able to help me!"
Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's breathing became rapid.
"Grandma, can I really become the head of the production department? I never thought about it..."
"Of course, once you become the section chief, when Sha Zhu gets out, find a way to transfer him back to the steel rolling mill, understand?"
Yi Zhonghai snapped out of his excitement and nodded quickly: "Don't worry, Zhu Zi will definitely be the cafeteria director then."
Yi Zhonghai finally understood that the deaf old lady wasn't trying to help him, but rather to help Sha Zhu.
But it doesn't matter anymore. As long as he becomes the head of the production department, Liu Haizhong will be no threat.
Thinking about all this, Yi Zhonghai strode forward.
"Ouch!"
A sharp pain shot through my leg.
Yi Zhonghai then realized he had forgotten to bring his cane.
(End of this chapter)