Chapter 1289
Pangu Defense Resounds Throughout the World, Li Aiguo's Double Blow
On the fifth day after Li Aiguo returned to Beijing, Pangu Defense secured another new order.
This time, the buyers weren't wealthy African chiefs, but rather local warlords who were locked in a fierce battle for territory.
These guys need to grab territory, so they must have some handy tools, right?
Although I can't afford a brand-new, high-end AK47, I can still get some older weapons and equipment.
Perfect timing, these are exactly the things that are most abundant in China right now.
The Type 24 rifle, the Hanyang rifle, the Type 38 rifle, the Type 99 rifle, as well as the Bren light machine gun, the Type 11 "Type 11" light machine gun... a wide variety of models, all available.
The gun is a bit old, but it still works perfectly.
After receiving the call, Li Aiguo immediately contacted the weather station.
The meteorological station has now established a dedicated department to coordinate arms exports.
Upon receiving Li Aiguo's call, the comrade in charge of the liaison was so excited he couldn't stop smiling.
"Oh my goodness, these pistols, rifles, and light and heavy machine guns left over from before Liberation were all obsolete and were about to be destroyed and recycled, but I never expected they could be sold for money!"
"Yes, and the price isn't low either! The foreign exchange earned from this deal is enough for our arsenal to produce several batches of new rifles."
"The train driver truly lives up to his reputation as our major arms dealer!"
The weather station staff quickly reported the situation to the farmer.
The farmer acted swiftly, immediately contacting the comrade in charge of military logistics.
Before long, the old weapons that had been gathering dust in the warehouse for years were cleaned and coated with gun oil again.
After careful inspection, they were packed into sturdy wooden crates and soon sailed across the ocean to reach the African continent.
With this deal completed, Pangoal Infantry's reputation grew in the industry, naturally attracting the attention of several other international arms companies.
Although the unit price of these old weapons and equipment is low, it is not as profitable as selling bombers and missiles.
But the sheer number of them is overwhelming; even small amounts add up to a substantial amount, making it a tempting piece of meat.
Trying to steal meat from the mouths of arms giants? Isn't that just asking for trouble?
The most straightforward business battles often involve direct physical attacks.
However, when these arms companies inquired more closely,
Upon learning that Pangu Defense was backed by Hextech and Red Star Pioneers' mining protection forces, they immediately fell silent.
"Forget it, there's no need to go head-to-head with these ruthless people for a few measly coins."
"Yeah, it's just some obsolete light weapons, right? Let's hurry up and talk to Little E about the bomber deal, that's the real money."
"Yes, yes, Agent Smith will take 80% of the profits this time, so we absolutely cannot set the price too low."
Li Aiguo was unaware of these undercurrents, and even if he had known, he probably would have just laughed it off and not taken it to heart.
Because today is the Spring Festival.
Chen Xueru and He Yushui had prepared a large table of dishes early on.
Chen Fangxuan, his eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, second brother, second sister-in-law, as well as Aunt Liu, Zhao Xita and others gathered together.
Just before the banquet was about to begin, Zong Xianfeng and his wife arrived with gifts.
During the time Li Aiguo was away on a business trip to Russia, the two of them had successfully gotten married, and Dasha officially became a Chinese daughter-in-law.
"May our motherland become stronger and stronger, and may our lives get better and better!" Li Aiguo raised his glass and said a very rustic toast.
Those around the table were deeply moved by what they heard, and they all stood up and raised their glasses.
May our motherland become stronger and stronger, and may our lives get better and better!
Just then, the sound of firecrackers crackling outside rang out.
After the dinner.
Li Aiguo helped Chen Xueru clear the table and wash the dishes, but he didn't rush to rest.
Because we have to stay up all year.
This is a long-standing rule.
Two bright red candles were lit inside the room.
The family sat together, cracking sunflower seeds, drinking tea, and chatting about everything under the sun, the air filled with a warm and lively atmosphere.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, several children from Xu Damao's family and several children from Nan Yi's family came over to wish each other a Happy New Year.
Following the old custom, Li Aiguo gave everyone some candy.
When He Yushui came to visit, before Li Aiguo could even speak, Chen Xueru gave him 50 cents as a New Year's gift.
He Yushui took the money and happily took the three children and Liu Tianquan's child to the temple fair.
Li Aiguo then leisurely lay back down in the house.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Li Aiguo took Xiao Hongsheng, Xiao Dongfang, and Xiao Mingwei to the homes of Chen Xingjia and Chen Xingyi. This was a visit to their maternal uncles' homes.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, they went to Aunt Liu's house. He Yushui is considered the aunt of the three little ones.
There haven't been any strong winds yet at this time, and the Spring Festival holiday is a full seven days long.
Li Aiguo rested until the sixth day of the Lunar New Year before officially returning to work.
Early in the morning of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Li Aiguo carried an enamel basin and strolled to the pool in the central courtyard to wash up.
As soon as I arrived at Crescent Gate, I heard Second Uncle's voice.
"Great news! Great news! France is preparing to establish diplomatic relations with us!"
Yan Jiecheng, Xu Damao, Nan Yi, and the other young men started discussing it amongst themselves.
"Really?"
"Isn't France part of the Western camp? How come they've made peace with us?"
"Is that even a question? It's because we're getting stronger and stronger, and they can't sit still anymore!"
Li Aiguo smiled slightly upon hearing this.
It seems that the French are no longer willing to be America's lackey and want to be independent.
I just don't know if, in this timeline, the French will still come to buy our miniature mushroom egg technology, just like in the original timeline.
But then I thought, it seems we haven't fully developed our own miniature mushroom egg technology yet... so never mind.
Li Aiguo greeted the residents and washed his face and rinsed his mouth.
Just then, Yi Zhonghai also prepared to leave for work.
Leaning on his crutches, he slowly made his way to the central courtyard. Seeing everyone chatting animatedly, his face immediately darkened to the color of soot.
Since he became an old man with crutches, Liu Haizhong's status in the courtyard has been increasing day by day.
The residents in the compound now only know about the Second Uncle; they've almost forgotten about the First Uncle.
However, Yi Zhonghai wasn't in a hurry.
The 10,000-ton rolling mill is about to be successfully developed. Once this is done, Yi Zhonghai's spring will come!
Then, let's see who dares to look down on him!
"A bunch of people, instead of getting to work early in the morning, they're all gathered here chatting idly. They really have no sense of responsibility whatsoever!"
Yi Zhonghai glanced at Li Aiguo sideways, snorted coldly, and walked forward with his head held high, adopting an arrogant attitude.
But after taking only two steps, an accident happened.
Unfortunately, his cane bumped into a crack in the bricks on the ground.
If Yi Zhonghai really did break his leg, he would definitely stop and recuperate right now, and it wouldn't be a big deal.
The problem is, he faked his broken leg!
His legs instinctively tried to take a step forward, but his cane was still firmly stuck in the crack between the bricks.
He leaned forward, but his cane remained still.
As the two forces clashed, Yi Zhonghai stumbled and fell face-first into the mud with a "splat".
Seeing this, Xu Damao's eyes lit up, and he immediately seized the opportunity to make sarcastic remarks.
"Hey, old man, you're really enthusiastic!"
In order to get to work at the factory as soon as possible, both of these broken legs have miraculously healed!
That speed is enough to compete in a sports meet!
"Hahaha!"
The onlookers knew perfectly well that Yi Zhonghai's leg injury was fake.
It's just that we all live in the same compound and see each other all the time, so we're usually too embarrassed to point it out to each other's faces.
Seeing his comical appearance now, I couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter.
Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, his face flushed red.
Although he was in excruciating pain from the fall, he could only grit his teeth, get up, put his crutches back on, and hop away dejectedly.
Li Aiguo ate a delicious melon, went home for breakfast, and hummed a little tune as he arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop.
"Patriotism, great news! The transistor radio workshop has been completed! The workers are all veteran workers carefully selected from various factories, and their skills are absolutely top-notch!"
When Section Chief Xing learned that Li Aiguo was coming to work today, he rushed over to share the good news.
"Really? That's great." Li Aiguo was worried about this matter. The transistor radio had not only received military orders, but also needed to be equipped on trains all over the country.
Furthermore, the public security department recently reported that it plans to equip the entire system with this advanced radio.
Next, it is estimated that the transportation and forestry departments will follow suit.
These orders combined are definitely not a small number.
To complete the task on time and with high quality, expanding production scale is an urgent matter.
"The Ministry of Railways has provided support, and the Ministry of Machine Building has also sent people to assist, so you don't need to worry about production."
Section Chief Xing knew that Li Aiguo was usually busy with work, so after a brief chat, he finished explaining the important matters and was about to leave.
He had only taken two steps when he stopped and turned around, saying somewhat embarrassedly, "By the way, Aiguo, my wife really likes the leather jacket you gave me."
But that thing looks way too expensive. How much do you need? I'll pay you."
Li Aiguo brought back a lot of local specialties from Russia, including a batch of fine fur coats.
He naturally didn't forget to give it to Section Chief Xing.
"Section Chief, please keep it without worry. This stuff is actually very cheap in Russia, it's not worth much."
Speaking of patriotism, an idea suddenly came to mind: fur products from Russia and Eastern Europe are much cheaper than in China, so we could buy a batch and bring them over.
However, there's no rush; we can plan it out slowly.
After seeing Section Chief Xing off, Li Aiguo contacted Chief Engineer Qi of the wind tunnel department, who said the wind tunnel would be completed by the end of the month.
Now the large aircraft project is also on the agenda.
I had just opened the documents when the phone rang.
The call was made by Andrei.
Is the line safe?
"Don't worry, it's absolutely safe." Li Aiguo smiled.
"That's good. We have safely delivered all the funds and supplies for purchasing weapons to the 88th Division. In addition, I have also donated a large number of blankets to the families of those veterans in the name of 'Andrei Trading Company'."
After Andrei finished recounting what happened next, he sighed and said, "Patriotism, I really hadn't noticed it before. But after going there in person this time and seeing those conditions, it's heartbreaking."
Li Aiguo could understand Andrei's feelings; those veterans had sacrificed their lives to defend their country on the battlefields of World War II.
What about their families? What kind of lives are they living?
Li Aiguo established Hextech to sell weapons and engage in foreign exchange trading precisely because he didn't want this tragedy to happen.
"We also donated a batch of coal. But as you know, situations like the 88th Division veterans' regiment are all too common here in our Big Brother region."
Our Andrei Trading Company can't possibly manage everything; the costs are simply too high.
"If only there were a cheaper heating device that could be widely adopted," Andrei said helplessly.
Andrei's words reminded Li Aiguo.
Cheap heating equipment?
While manufacturing hydraulic hoses recently, Li Aiguo discovered that the braiding technique on the inner wall of hydraulic hoses was actually quite similar to the technology used in electric blankets in later generations!
It's simply a matter of replacing the steel wire inside with resistance wire.
With just the addition of a simple temperature control device, isn't this just a perfectly functional electric blanket?
You should know that electric blankets are now widely recognized as the cheapest and most affordable way to keep warm!
With temperature control, they can even make an electric kettle, which heats water incredibly fast.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking?" Andrei asked curiously when Li Aiguo fell silent.
"I haven't completely decided yet. But Lao An, I really have to thank you this time." Li Aiguo came back to his senses.
"You're too kind. It's what I should do. In fact, I should thank you." Although Andrei is a playboy, his values are sound, which is why Li Aiguo is willing to cooperate with him.
After hanging up the phone, Li Aiguo temporarily put away the materials on the large aircraft and took out a few sheets of paper.
"Electric blankets... the technology behind them is like a game-changer for me."
Li Aiguo picked up a pencil, and the tip flew across the paper.
Time flies, and two more days have passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the working room of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Li Aiguo was holding several tightly wound nickel-chromium alloy wires in his hand.
He skillfully picked up the needle-nose pliers and precisely connected the connector of the alloy wire to a small temperature controller. Next came the most crucial step: debugging.
As the power gradually increases.
The surface of the alloy wire glowed red.
The mercury column used to measure the temperature also began to rise steadily, eventually stopping steadily in the preset high-temperature safety zone.
"It's done!"
Li Aiguo wiped the sweat from his forehead.
For Li Aiguo, the busy work during this period was well worth it. After a series of adjustments, the power of the electric blanket was stabilized within a safe range.
This sounds simple, but it requires a high level of professional expertise to actually do it.
The resistance and heat generation of the nickel-chromium alloy wire must be calculated precisely, and heat dissipation efficiency and insulation performance must also be considered.
Fortunately, Li Aiguo had a solid foundation in industrial control technology, so handling this level of temperature control system was a piece of cake.
After the mission was accomplished, Li Aiguo immediately sent Zong Xianfeng to invite Section Chief Xing over.
Several section leaders, upon hearing that another shipment had been made, also came over.
"Aiguo, what are you doing? Weaving a fishing net? No, who uses metal wire to weave fishing nets?" As soon as Section Chief Xing entered the room, he looked at the mesh-like metal wire on the table with a face full of doubt.
Although he didn't recognize nickel-chromium alloy, he could tell from the unique luster of the metal that it was definitely not an ordinary material.
Li Aiguo didn't rush to explain, but instead smiled and pointed to the alloy wire on the table: "Section Chief, why don't you reach out and touch it?"
Section Chief Xing reached out and touched it with some skepticism: "Oh! It's hot! The temperature is just right to burn your hand... But what's the use of this thing just for generating heat?"
"Please wait here."
As Li Aiguo spoke, he asked Zong Xianfeng to bring over a blanket, which he then placed over the alloy wire.
After a while, Li Aiguo looked at Section Chief Xing again: "Section Chief, touch this blanket again now."
Section Chief Xing's doubts deepened, but he still did as he was told and placed his hand on it.
His expression changed instantly.
"This...is so warm!"
Seeing this, the other section leaders also curiously reached out and touched it, and immediately realized the wonder of this thing.
"It's really warm! The heat comes up from underneath, and it's very even. But what's the point of that?"
"Hey, didn't you guys notice? Even though this thing is electrified, we don't feel any electric shock sensation when we touch it!"
"Yeah, it would be so comfortable to lie on this thing at night."
Upon hearing this, Section Chief Xing's eyes widened suddenly, as if he had realized something extraordinary.
"Patriotism, is this some kind of new heating device? Is it an upgraded version of the 'hand warmer' we used to have?"
The hand warmers produced by the locomotive depot are now sold all over the world.
But that thing has a fatal flaw: it can only be used as an emergency measure.
If people were to rely on hand warmers to keep warm during long, cold winter nights, the cost would be prohibitively high, making it unaffordable for ordinary people.
But this heating wire is completely different!
As long as it's plugged in, it can continuously provide heat!
The more Section Chief Xing looked at it, the more he felt that this thing was a treasure. The heating wire and the blanket were simply a perfect match made in heaven!
Li Aiguo smiled and handed over the completed drawing: "Take a look at this!"
The drawings clearly show all the technical details.
The layout of the grid-like heating wires, the installation position of the temperature control switch, the interface design of the power cord... everything is included.
At the very bottom, a line of text in bold reads: "[This product features a double-layer insulating and waterproof design and is washable.]"
"You kid... you really are a once-in-a-century genius!" Section Chief Xing exclaimed excitedly as he looked at the blueprints.
"This idea came to me by chance. I saw our maintenance depot's duty officers shivering in the middle of the night, even under thick blankets, so I wondered if I could make one of these."
Li Aiguo smiled slightly and spoke casually.
"The principle of this electric blanket is actually very simple. The weaving of the heating wire can be completed with a slight modification to our existing weaving machine."
"Once this thing goes into mass production, all the shift workers, dispatchers, and train drivers who work night shifts at our locomotive depot will be able to use it and won't have to suffer from the cold anymore."
"We can also install this in the seats of our large off-road vehicles to directly achieve seat heating, instantly upgrading their class!"
"As for exports... I think there must be a huge demand for this stuff in places like Big Brother's, where it's freezing cold."
Upon hearing this, Section Chief Xing's emotions went beyond mere excitement; he was overwhelmed with emotion!
The Qianmen Locomotive Depot can indeed earn a lot of foreign exchange every year through various products.
But these days, who would complain about having too much foreign exchange?!
Without saying a word, Section Chief Xing grabbed the blueprints and turned to leave.
"This thing is considered an industrial product. You wait here, I'll go to the relevant ministries right now and ask them to build a workshop so we can start mass production as soon as possible."
Li Aiguo couldn't help but smile. Now Section Chief Xing had learned his lesson and no longer did things himself, but instead sought help from the ministries.
Section Chief Xing walked to the door and then stopped.
"Make a few more samples and get the mass production process sorted out as soon as possible."
Li Aiguo smiled: "Section Chief, I've already finalized the mass production process. But... Section Chief, don't rush off yet. I have another drawing here; would you like to take a look at it while you're at it?"
Li Aiguo originally planned to bring out the electric blanket after mass production was on track.
But then I thought, why not just build the entire workshop at once, so as to avoid wasting time going back and forth later?
"There's more?!" Section Chief Xing was completely stunned, his eyes widening like saucers.
"Take a look at this." Li Aiguo pointed to the blueprint and explained, "The principle of this stick is similar to that of an electric blanket, but it is mainly used to heat water. Once the water boils, it will automatically turn off the power. It is called a 'fast heater'."
"Good, good, you little rascal, you always surprise me." Section Chief Xing was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily.
"This thing is really going to be mass-produced. We'll have another source of cash. By the end of the year, our locomotive depot will be able to win the title of National Advanced Locomotive Depot again."
The words were spoken.
Section Chief Xing left in a hurry with the blueprints in his hand.
Ministry of Railways.
In front of the leader's office, Section Chief Xing took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
A few years ago, Section Chief Xing would never have imagined that he, as a section chief, would have the power to report directly to his superiors.
Soon, a deep, resonant response came from inside.
"Come in!"
When I pushed open the door, I saw Director Teng frowning as he looked at the subway design drawings.
The first phase of the Beijing subway has been successfully completed and is about to open to traffic, but the design plan for the second phase is something that Leader Teng feels is not quite right.
Upon seeing that it was Section Chief Xing, Leader Teng put down the blueprints and smiled: "Old Xing, what's the rush?"
"Boss, take a look at this!"
Section Chief Xing walked a few steps to his desk and spread out the blueprints.
"This was done by a patriotic comrade. Take a look."
Pointing to the blueprints, he explained, "This thing is really amazing. Once it reaches a certain temperature, it will stop heating up and can automatically adjust itself according to the outside temperature."
"Most importantly, it has no open flame, is safe and reliable, and can be used simply by plugging it in!"
Leader Teng paused for a moment, then followed Section Chief Xing's finger to the blueprint.
"This is?"
"This is a heating device that uses electric heating wires, and a blanket can be placed on the outside. Patriotic comrades gave it a name, 'electric blanket'."
Although Leader Teng did not come from a technical background, he has been in charge of railway work for many years and has become a semi-expert through his exposure to the field.
The principle behind electric blankets isn't particularly complex. He stared at the blueprints for a moment and quickly grasped their essence.
"This electric blanket... is it specially designed to keep warm at night? As long as it's plugged in, it can keep you warm all night?"
"Correct!"
Section Chief Xing excitedly patted the blueprints and said, "Sir, please take another look at the design drawings for this heating product."
"It heats up quickly; once it's plugged in, it can heat water and boil it."
"Comrade Aiguo said that once this thing is made, it can be directly inserted into a thermos to boil water, saving the trouble of filling it with water. It's very convenient!"
As Section Chief Xing finished speaking.
Leader Teng's eyes widened: "Well done, Comrade Aiguo has pulled off a double whammy!"
"These electric blankets and immersion heaters are exactly what we need. That's how patriotic comrades are; the things they make are extremely practical."
As he spoke, Leader Teng looked at the design drawings.
It must be admitted that Li Aiguo's design is extremely ingenious, with each component being selected just right, ensuring both performance and cost-effectiveness.
“I remember… Comrade Aiguo just returned from the Russians a few days ago, right?” Leader Teng suddenly asked.
"That's right, it only took him two or three days to figure out those two things," Elder Xing replied honestly.
"Cough cough."
Leader Teng had just lit a cigarette, but before he could even take a puff, he was choked by these words and coughed repeatedly.
He rubbed his chest and sighed, "It would be such a waste to limit the use of such a beneficial thing to our railway system. I think we should contact the Ministry of Machine Building as soon as possible!"
Picking up the phone and shaking it for a while, Section Chief Xing said into the phone, "Old Song! I just got my hands on two amazing treasures. One is a blanket that can generate heat, and the other is a stick that can boil water. Are you guys in the First Ministry of Machine Building interested?"
On the other end of the phone, Song, a senior leader from the Ministry of Machine Building, was completely bewildered.
A heated blanket? A stick for boiling water? What does that have to do with anything?
However, he quickly realized that Old Teng was definitely trying to get him to "share the credit" again!
The current national emphasis is on "one country, one system".
Over the years, the Ministry of Railways has indeed produced many groundbreaking achievements and has maintained excellent relations with other ministries.
Didn't the aviation sector just recently collaborate with the Ministry of Railways to build a wind tunnel?
This will definitely be the same old trick again.
"Wait here, I'll take some men and head over right away." With that thought in mind, even the top leader of the First Ministry of Machine Building became interested.
Even if these two products don't reach the strategic level of a wind tunnel, it would be great if the First Ministry of Machine Building could also benefit from them.
A moment later, a senior leader from the Ministry of Machine Building arrived with several technical leaders.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Leader Teng simply pushed the two sets of drawings onto the center of the table.
"Take a look, everyone. This is a treasure made by the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop. I think it is very practical and has great potential for promotion."
After listening to Leader Teng's introduction, Leader Song and several experts immediately surrounded him.
They were well aware of how difficult it was to get Leader Teng to utter those few highly valuable words.
He immediately began to study the two blueprints carefully.
Soon.
Before long, a technical expert couldn't help but exclaim, "Brilliant! This thing has an extremely low cost, yet its practicality is outrageously high. If it could be mass-produced, the sales volume would be astronomical!"
"And the older brother's place is extremely cold, so they definitely need it."
"I think this is a good thing."
Before they knew it, several experts were discussing the blueprints enthusiastically.
Seeing this scene, how could Leader Song not understand the enormous value behind these two products?
He turned to look at Leader Teng and asked, "Old Teng, you just said this was developed by the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop... Could it be that Comrade Li Aiguo again?"
"That's right, it's this kid. You know, this kid just can't sit still. I told him to take a proper rest, but he wouldn't listen."
Upon hearing this, Boss Song felt that Boss Teng was in Versailles.
"Your Ministry of Railways has produced a real talent."
As if suddenly remembering something, Leader Song looked at Leader Teng and asked earnestly, "By the way, what is Comrade Aiguo's current professional title?"
"Professional title? I think it's... Chief Agronomist, right? That was awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture before." Leader Teng was a little confused, not understanding why he suddenly asked this.
Upon hearing this, Leader Song couldn't help but laugh: "Old Teng, you've really misjudged a gem. I think Comrade Aiguo's technical skills are more than enough to make him a chief engineer in our industrial sector!"
Upon hearing this, the experts present immediately understood.
If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper. Currently, Li Aiguo is nominally still a member of the Ministry of Railways, but he really has no direct relationship with their Ministry of Machine Building.
If Li Aiguo could be given a professional title in the industrial system, the nature of the matter would be completely different!
"That's right! I think Comrade Aiguo's technical skills are indeed worthy of the title of 'Chief Engineer'!"
"He should have been promoted long ago. The drilling rigs and tunnel boring machines that Patriot built in the past were all top-notch."
"On behalf of the Technical Committee of the First Ministry of Machine Building, I fully support the promotion of Comrade Li Aiguo to Chief Engineer!"
When Leader Teng saw this group of people singing in unison, he was first taken aback, then smiled and nodded.
As long as those old foxes don't try to poach him and give him a more prestigious title, he'll naturally be more than happy to agree.
After all, when his own child is successful, he, as a parent, feels proud, doesn't he?
(End of this chapter)