Chapter 1265
The family production team of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot alarmed the Ministry of Wate
During working hours.
Li Aiguo arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot and knocked on the door of Section Chief Xing's office: "Section Chief, the Nantongluoxiang Subdistrict Office needs one hundred sets of voice control devices."
Section Chief Xing was drinking tea when he heard this and felt incredibly relieved.
Although the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop is now operating independently and Li Aiguo is fully capable of making decisions on his own, this sensible boy never forgets to report to him on everything.
What a good child!
"You handle it. You're in charge of this whole mess."
No sooner had Section Chief Xing finished speaking than there was another knock on the office door, and several colleagues squeezed in.
"Section Chief, our neighborhood also needs fifty sets."
"Section Chief, the machine factory needs seventy sets."
"Section Chief, our dormitory area needs two hundred sets."
Li Aiguo wasn't the only one who brought back the voice-activated device yesterday.
The leaders and studio staff have also installed voice control devices and are now receiving orders.
"Section Chief, how much will it cost? We need to ask for your instructions."
Section Chief Xing scratched his head. This thing became a hot commodity as soon as it was made?
He subconsciously looked at Li Aiguo: "Aiguo, you're the one who came up with this, so you should set the rules."
Li Aiguo didn't ask for much and accepted the orders at cost price.
The core technology of the voice-controlled device lies in transistors and microphones, which require precision manufacturing by the Red Star Computer Research Institute, but the subsequent assembly work is not complicated.
This is a good opportunity for the families of the locomotive depot's employees to earn some extra money from their work.
Section Chief Xing also handed over the mass production work to Li Aiguo.
Li Aiguo turned his head and walked towards a row of houses to the east of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot office building.
That was the family production team of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Its nature is somewhat similar to the "May 7th Company" that was later promoted nationwide.
The main purpose is to organize the employees' families who are not currently employed to cope with the heavy production tasks, and at the same time solve some employment problems.
As the locomotive depot grows larger, many auxiliary production, logistics services, and simple processing tasks are now handled here.
As soon as Li Aiguo entered the door, a woman with a ponytail came to greet him.
"Li Dache, you've arrived!"
Li Aiguo looked at the girl's smiling eyes, which seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her before.
Seeing the doubt on Li Aiguo's face, the girl's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly straightened her back.
"Li Dache, it's me, Zhou Yi! Zhou Dajiang from the line workshop is my father. Back when you won the motorcycle race with your steam locomotive, I even squeezed through the crowd to present you with flowers!"
"Oh, it's Old Zhou's daughter!" Li Aiguo suddenly realized.
"Your dad has mentioned you a lot in the factory, saying you're a good student. What, you've quit school and come here? Aren't you about to be a senior in high school?"
When Zhou Yi saw that Li Aiguo remembered her, her eyes lit up instantly.
“The school is on holiday these two days, and I can’t stay at home, so I volunteered to come and help out in the family production team.”
What she didn't say was that she had heard most of the work here was assigned by Li Aiguo's studio, which is why she made a special trip here.
Just then, Director Zhang, who was in charge of the family production team, came out and jokingly said with a smile, "Aiguo, don't underestimate Xiao Zhou. He's a high school graduate, educated, and he helped us solve a big problem."
After speaking, Director Zhang looked at Li Aiguo: "You came here in person today because you have a new task, right?"
Li Aiguo nodded to Zhou Yi as a greeting, then followed Director Zhang into the office and explained in detail the assembly of the voice control device.
"That's easy!" Director Zhang's eyes lit up when he heard that it could generate income for the families.
"We recently had a group of family members from other places transferred here, and we were just worried about not having any work. This is a godsend!"
"Alright, I'll leave this to you. Send someone to the studio to pick up the drawings and samples later."
Li Aiguo was concerned about the work at the studio, so he left without lingering.
As soon as he left, Monday quickly went into Director Zhang's office and asked in a low voice, "Director, is there a task coming up at the studio that you'd like me to handle?"
Director Zhang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright. I heard from Li Dache that you're assembling electronic components. You're an educated person, quick-witted, and knowledgeable about these things. You're the most suitable person to go."
Monday's expression brightened.
Li Aiguo returned to his studio and was reviewing the materials sent by Project 62.
The on-site infrastructure work is progressing rapidly. In this era, we have already demonstrated our potential as an infrastructure powerhouse, with ditches, houses, and wind tunnels being built at a very fast pace.
Experts from Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, and Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group have also arrived one after another, and the assembly of large components is proceeding intensively.
After reviewing the materials for Project 62, Chief Engineer Liu delivered the documents for the small aircraft.
Orders for small agricultural and firefighting aircraft are increasing daily.
I'm busy right now.
There was a knock on the door.
Li Aiguo looked up, saw it was Zhou Yi, and said with a smile, "Comrade Zhou Yi, you've come to pick up the blueprints, haven't you?"
"Just call me Zhou Yi." Zhou Yi's voice was very soft as she tiptoed in.
Li Aiguo felt that the girl was a bit strange, but he didn't think much of it. He took out the blueprints needed for assembly and explained them to her item by item.
"Look, this is a circuit board. Connect the red wire here, and the blue wire here... This is called a microphone. When installing it, pay attention to the positive and negative terminals..."
Li Aiguo spoke very seriously, gesturing with his fingers on the blueprints.
She listened very attentively on Monday, and Li Aiguo even took out a set of parts and let her assemble it herself.
"Good job, you've learned it."
"You're the best teacher."
"You first take the blueprints and train the employees' families. Remember, treat the employees' families like children and train them step by step."
I wanted to laugh on Monday, but after thinking about it carefully, I understood what Li Aiguo meant.
It's not that the employees' family members are incompetent, but rather that different professions are like different worlds.
Many things that seem simple to us are actually quite difficult to others.
To ensure quality and increase the enthusiasm of employees and their families, we must do a good job in training.
“I understand.” Zhou Yi solemnly accepted the blueprints.
"I will definitely teach them all and guarantee the quality."
Before leaving, she stopped again and asked cautiously, "Can these parts... be taken home by family members to make? Some of the women can't be left alone at home."
"Of course, as long as you register it properly and don't lose any parts." Li Aiguo didn't even look up, having already picked up the documents on the table again.
Seeing that Li Aiguo still had work to do, he left on Monday with the blueprints.
Monday is also a capable girl.
In addition, many of the veteran comrades in the family production team are experienced and do a very good job in training employees and their families, distributing production materials, and quality inspection.
Night falls.
The hustle and bustle of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot gradually subsided.
On Monday, after a busy day of "voluntary labor," I returned home.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I saw her still laughing at dinner on Monday, and I was a little puzzled: "Sis, what's wrong with you today? Did you find some money?"
On Wednesday, someone chimed in, "Did Director Zhang praise you again?"
Monday snapped out of her daze, her smile vanishing instantly. She snapped to attention and tapped Tuesday on the head with her chopsticks: "Eat your food! Enough with the nonsense! Remember, save the meat in the bowl for Dad when he gets back. Anyone who tries to steal any will have their legs broken!"
"Yes, yes, sis." Tuesday and Wednesday nodded quickly. Their older sister was really ruthless when she hit people, and it hurt a lot.
After finishing my meal and washing the dishes, I returned to my bedroom on Monday.
She took a locked notebook from deep inside the drawer and turned to a brand new page.
He picked up the pen, then put it down.
"Today, I saw Li Dache again. He's busier and more capable than before. When he was teaching me how to assemble circuits, he stood very close to me and didn't look down on me because I didn't understand. He said I have a high comprehension level..."
*****
Recently.
Li Aiguo has been busy producing voice-activated light accessories, and as time goes on, he is already overwhelmed with orders.
Everyone has seen the benefits of voice-activated lights, and some people have even developed a new use for them: preventing theft.
Hanging on the wall, when a thief climbs over, the motion-activated light will turn on with a "thud," serving a similar function to the big yellow dog.
Voice-activated lights, in particular, look high-tech and modern. If others have them and you don't, then you're considered low-class and lacking in taste.
In the afternoon, after get off work, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot received calls from more than a dozen factories and companies near Beijing, requesting to purchase voice-activated lights.
Section Chief Xing was also somewhat excited as he looked at the report.
So many factories and organizations need voice-activated lights; each order represents a network of relationships.
At the same time, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot also rightfully made its contribution.
"Production! Mass production immediately!"
Not enough staff?
The entire family production team mobilized!
Not enough?
The families of workers in suburban motorcycle workshops and small aircraft workshops were also mobilized!
As for supplies... Section Chief Xing chuckled and picked up the phone.
"Hello? Is this Old Zhao from the cable TV factory?"
This is Lao Xing! Haha, yes, yes, I saw your order.
What's our relationship? We're sister companies! I'll definitely give your orders special approval and prioritize production!
Changing the subject, Section Chief Xing's tone became somewhat troubled.
"But Lao Zhao, you know how expensive this stuff is, and our inventory is almost gone. Do you think you could get us a batch?"
"Ah, that's more like it! Sharing what we have!"
After hanging up, Section Chief Xing dialed the next number.
"Ahem, Jianhua Ironworks? I'm Lao Xing from Qianmen Locomotive Depot."
"Yes, I'll handle the voice-activated lights. But Lao Li, we're short a batch of metal casings for the light shells... Judging from what you're saying, it's definitely for making lights! Okay, sure!"
In front of Li Aiguo, Section Chief Xing made calls to four or five factories in a row. After explaining his purpose, the factories agreed without hesitation.
"Wait, I need to make an important call."
Just when Li Aiguo thought it was all over, Section Chief Xing's expression turned serious, and he picked up the phone again.
"Hello? Is this the meat processing plant? This is Lao Xing from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot! Reserve me a thousand catties of pork, fat only! The fatter the better!"
The person on the other end of the phone seemed stunned, probably asking why they needed pork to make lamps.
Section Chief Xing roared confidently, "Making lamps doesn't require fat, but the lamp-making workers need to eat meat!"
Everyone's working day and night, how can we function without enough food and drink? That's the foundation of our success!
"Okay, it's settled then. I'll send a car to pick it up this afternoon!"
"Click!" The phone was disconnected.
Li Aiguo couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
After securing personnel and production materials, production speed increased dramatically, and batches of voice-activated lights were shipped out of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Ordinary incandescent light bulbs were equipped with voice-activated devices, which significantly reduced the electricity burden.
The first to notice the anomaly was the district power bureau, which oversees the area where Nantongluo Lane is located.
The power bureau leadership received feedback from the clerk.
Recently, the electricity consumption in the Nantongluoxiang area has decreased by 10%.
The leader was puzzled at the time. The main source of electricity is light bulbs. Apart from one stingy guy in the courtyard who generates his own electricity, he had never heard of anyone else not using electricity.
Could someone be stealing electricity?
In those days, old-fashioned electricity meters were used, making it relatively easy to steal electricity, such as by placing a magnet on the meter.
How to do?
Check it out.
The power bureau leader slammed his fist on the table and personally led a team to Nantongluo Lane.
The group, in a grand procession, first checked the electricity meter, then the wiring, and even verified the wattage of the light bulbs in several households.
As a result... everything was normal.
That's really strange!
Just as he was wondering, the leader saw a man with a donkey-like face humming a tune as he walked over and called out to him, "Comrade, I have something to ask you. Have you been keeping the lights off in this courtyard lately?"
The donkey-faced man was taken aback by what he heard: "Open it! Apart from the deaf old lady in the backyard being taken away and no one living there, who doesn't turn on the lights at night? How can we live in the dark?"
Suddenly, as if he remembered something, he pointed to the streetlights overhead: "Oh, sir, you mean these streetlights?"
What's wrong with the streetlights?
"Hey! This streetlight is amazing! It's usually dark, but it only turns on at night when someone walks by or makes a sound, or you can stomp your foot. Once someone's gone, it turns off by itself, saving a lot of electricity!" Huh?!
The leaders of the power bureau were stunned.
And this kind of operation?
He quickly sent someone to try it, and sure enough, the light turned on when someone stomped their foot and turned off when they left.
After visiting all these streets, the leader discovered that not only Nantongluo Lane, but several other nearby streets had also installed these "voice-activated lights".
Upon further inquiry, the source all pointed to one place: the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
However, this matter is not under the jurisdiction of the district power bureau, so let's continue to report it.
In those days, the Ministry of Electric Power Industry and the Ministry of Water Resources had merged and were called the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power.
Upon receiving the report, the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power immediately perked up when they heard that electricity would be saved by 10%, and promptly contacted the Ministry of Railways.
The Ministry of Railways was also completely baffled; they had no idea what a voice-activated light was.
Therefore, the two companies decided to go to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot the next day to investigate.
The next day, as soon as Section Chief Xing arrived at work, leaders from the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power came to his door.
Seeing the serious expressions on their faces, Section Chief Xing was startled and quickly ushered them into his office, where he poured them hot tea.
"I heard that your Qianmen Locomotive Depot has come up with a 'voice-activated light'? That's quite a commotion; even the comrades from the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power have been alerted."
The leaders of the Ministry of Railways spoke first.
Section Chief Xing immediately knew what was going on: "Sir, yes, that's true."
However, it's not that we didn't report it; the main problem is... this was a byproduct that Comrade Patriot accidentally created while researching transistor radios.
"Cough cough..." The leader of the Ministry of Railways choked on a mouthful of tea.
"An accident? A byproduct?"
"It was indeed an accident. Comrade Aiguo said that this voice-activated light is like a 'son' of a transistor radio, and some of its principles are the same."
We thought it was just a small invention, mainly to save electricity in the studio, so we didn't report it as a serious project. This was my oversight, and I apologize!
Section Chief Xing quickly replied.
Accidentally? A clever invention?
If it weren't for the leaders of the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power forcibly pulling him over, the leaders of the Ministry of Railways would almost have believed his nonsense.
"Alright, we can talk about the self-criticism later. These two are leaders from the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power, and they came specifically for this lamp. Let's call the person in charge here."
"I will contact Comrade Aiguo immediately."
When Li Aiguo received the call from Section Chief Xing, he was in the workshop of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot discussing the installation of the wind tunnel with aviation experts.
"Engineer Wang, the machining error of the contraction section must be controlled within 0.02 millimeters, as it directly affects the flow field quality."
"Don't worry, we have already pre-embedded boundary layer suction channels according to high-speed wind tunnel standards."
"The next key focus is on manufacturing and calibrating the dynamic pressure unit to ensure that the Mach number control accuracy meets the standard on the first attempt."
"Comrade Aiguo, what do you think?" Chief Engineer Chen looked at Li Aiguo with expectant eyes.
“Old Chen, we should build the best we can, solve the problem once and for all, and not leave any obstacles for future tests. Even if the cost is a little higher, it doesn’t matter, since we’re not getting any benefit from it!” Li Aiguo made the final decision.
Chief Engineer Chen was initially a little apprehensive, as the calibration dynamic pressure device was a large, cutting-edge piece of equipment.
Many overseas wind tunnel laboratories do not yet have this feature because it is costly and difficult to manufacture.
He was afraid that others would gossip about him behind his back.
Hearing this, he nodded: "Do as Comrade Patriot says."
"Aiguo, leaders from the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power have arrived." Just then, the phone rang, and Section Chief Xing's voice came through.
The studio now covers a wide range of areas, including the Ministry of Railways, the First Ministry of Machine Building, the Ministry of Chemical Industry, and the military industry, but it has never been related to electricity.
What's wrong with me today?
Li Aiguo vaguely sensed something, gathered some documents, and looked at Zhou Gaoyuan and Lao Kong: "You two come with me."
"okay."
Li Aiguo led the two to Section Chief Xing's office, where they saw several leaders dressed in gray Zhongshan suits sitting there, all with serious expressions.
The leaders from the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point: "Sit down. Comrade Li Aiguo, right? We're here mainly to verify the status of the motion-activated lights."
According to feedback, this product has a significant energy-saving effect, and we would like to know the specific technical details.
Several leaders nearby took out notebooks, clearly preparing to take notes.
Li Aiguo said, "Sir, the voice-activated light was indeed an unexpected discovery during our research and development of transistor radios."
The initial purpose was to solve the problem of wasted electricity from lights left on unnecessarily. Later, some other companies found them useful, so we started producing some ourselves.
“This is no small number. According to our investigation, in just the past two weeks, no fewer than five thousand sets have been installed in factories and streets throughout Beijing! That’s quite a scale,” a leader said.
Another leader interrupted him: "Old Zhao, don't be so serious. Comrade Aiguo is just promoting a frugal lifestyle, which is a good thing!"
Don't make it like an interrogation; you'll scare our technical heroes.
The leader, Lao Zhao, smiled awkwardly: "Occupational hazard, occupational hazard. Comrade Patriot, don't mind it."
Li Aiguo certainly wouldn't mind. He had a clear conscience, so what was there to be afraid of? Besides, there were leaders from the Ministry of Railways present.
The leaders exchanged glances, and Old Zhao asked, "Could you let us see the blueprints for this voice-activated device?"
“Of course.” Li Aiguo handed over the blueprints he had prepared beforehand.
Several leaders gathered together, initially intending only to glance at the scene, but their expressions changed upon seeing it.
"The drawings are quite good, but why isn't this device drawn in detail?"
“Ah, this is a transistor,” Li Aiguo said.
Upon hearing the word "transistor," the leaders exchanged glances and remained silent.
This thing can only be manufactured by the Red Star Computer Research Institute; it's considered a cutting-edge component.
“Good comrade, we’ll take the blueprints first. As for the voice control device, you can continue making it. The needs of the people are our responsibility,” said a leader from the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power.
"Thank you, leader." Section Chief Xing also breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Li Aiguo, and felt that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot had once again launched a major breakthrough.
"Comrade Aiguo, thank you for your contributions, keep up the good work!" As he left, the leader from the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power patted Li Aiguo on the shoulder.
After everyone left, before Section Chief Xing could even exchange a few words with Li Aiguo, he received a call from the Ministry of Railways.
"Old Xing, I heard that the workshop has developed a voice-activated light that can save a lot of electricity. Hurry up and produce a large batch, the sooner the better." Obviously, the Ministry of Railways had also received the news.
"Sir, how much exactly is this large batch?" Section Chief Xing asked cautiously.
"The exact number hasn't been tallied yet, but we need the Beijing Railway Bureau, the Zhengzhou Railway Bureau, the Guangzhou Railway Bureau... and several bureaus in the Northeast! Just build as many as you want!"
"what?!"
After hanging up the phone, Section Chief Xing looked at Li Aiguo: "Aiguo, it seems we've gotten into a big mess again. Let's have a meeting."
Ten minutes later.
An emergency work meeting was held at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Standing in front of the conference table, Section Chief Xing seemed to have returned to the battlefield where he once commanded thousands of troops.
"Comrades! A new battle has begun!"
"The orders from the family production team have tripled. Are you confident you can produce them all?"
"We are confident!" the leader of the family production team replied.
"Aiguo, are you confident you can get your hands on the core components?" Section Chief Xing knew that most of the components were tinkered with by Li Aiguo.
"no problem."
"Materials Dispatch Department! I need you to do everything in your power to transport raw materials! If there are no planned quotas, then use your connections, borrow, or exchange! No matter what method you use, you must bring these raw materials back to me!"
"Understood, I will personally take charge of transporting the raw materials."
"Meeting adjourned! Everyone to your positions, let's get to work!"
As the crowd dispersed from the meeting room, Section Chief Xing called out to Li Aiguo, who was about to leave.
"Comrade Patriot, please stay for a moment."
Section Chief Xing handed Li Aiguo a cigarette: "Aiguo, the workshop is doing very well. You've made another great contribution. Once these production tasks are completed, the section will reward you handsomely."
"Thank you, Section Chief." Li Aiguo knew Section Chief Xing's personality well; he wouldn't turn a blind eye to any merit he had made.
"Now that our Qianmen Locomotive Depot is getting bigger and bigger, we may need to recruit some temporary workers. Once the ministry's policy comes down, they can be directly promoted to permanent positions. We'll give you a few openings, and you can decide how to arrange them."
"Thank you, Section Chief." Li Aiguo was also taken aback by the news.
"Don't tell anyone, there are too many monks and not enough meat," Section Chief Xing reminded them.
"Section Chief, please rest assured."
Li Aiguo left the section chief's office, looking somewhat troubled.
In those days, the number of temporary workers who could be promoted to permanent positions was extremely limited.
It seems like he didn't get the spot very well.
Should I introduce someone? Who should I introduce? Someone unreliable definitely won't do.
"Never mind, there's still a while before the recruitment starts, so there's no rush."
Li Aiguo didn't think much of it and returned to his studio. He learned that the Ministry of Railways was also making purchases, and everyone in the studio was very happy.
This shows that their work has been recognized.
After working until evening, Li Aiguo rushed home with the blueprints. In the afternoon, he had a new idea: he could improve the voice control device.
Back home, Chen Xueru was making mutton soup, and the house was filled with the fragrant aroma of mutton.
Li Aiguo took the blueprints and sat under the eaves to get to work.
While voice-activated lights are convenient these days, sometimes they're too sensitive, turning on whenever a cat or dog barks.
He plans to add a three-level switch with high, medium, and low sensitivity, allowing users to adjust the sensitivity according to ambient noise.
Liu Haizhong had just gotten off work when he came over.
"Aiguo, I heard that people from the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power went to your section today? Is it because they're going to mass-produce those voice-activated lights?"
The news spread too fast. Li Aiguo handed Liu Haizhong a cigarette: "Second Uncle, you're very well-informed. But it's not that exaggerated. It's mainly because our railway system urgently needs it. The Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power is just here to investigate, and nothing has been decided yet."
"It's definitely going to be mass-produced; this voice control device is so useful."
“Our section chief is thinking about the people, so he’s just setting things up first.” Li Aiguo couldn’t figure out Liu Haizhong’s motives.
"It's a pity that our factory doesn't have a chance." Liu Haizhong said somewhat dejectedly. Seeing that Li Aiguo was still busy, he sighed and left.
After Liu Haizhong left, the mutton soup was ready. Li Aiguo tasted it and found it to be delicious, with chopped scallions sprinkled on top.
While we were eating, there was another knock on the door.
Li Aiguo stood up and opened the door. This time, Yi Zhonghai was standing outside.
Yi Zhonghai smelled the odor in the room, and his expression darkened. However, he didn't dare to get angry at the moment and forced a smile.
"Patriotism, are you eating?"
"Get to the point."
Yi Zhonghai, feeling awkward, rubbed his hands together. "It's like this, about the deaf old lady. It was indeed wrong of her to smash Xu Damao's window, but she's been locked up for several days now. She's so old and in poor health; she's really suffering inside..."
Li Aiguo interrupted him: "Yi Zhonghai, how to handle this is a matter for the local police station!"
"No, someone at the local police station said that as long as you show up, the deaf old lady can be released."
"Oh?" Li Aiguo looked at him with a half-smile. "Who said that? What's their name? What's their position?"
"This……"
Yi Zhonghai fell silent instantly.
He went to great lengths to reconnect with the deaf old lady's old connections, but that person had no authority to release her, so they came up with this idea.
As long as Li Aiguo is willing to plead for the deaf old lady, the local police station will definitely give her a lighter punishment.
But if his name were revealed now, Li Aiguo would definitely inform Wang Zhenshan.
affim.
"Aiguo, don't ask so many questions. Just consider the old lady's age and the matriarch of our courtyard..." Yi Zhonghai dared not say her name, and could only recite scriptures at this moment.
"Just because you're old, you can smash windows? Just because you're old, you can act like a lawless person?"
"Snapped!"
Li Aiguo closed the door immediately.
Yi Zhonghai stood outside the door, staring at the tightly closed door, feeling both angry and cold!
(End of this chapter)