Chapter 1292
Accident: Yi Zhonghai Breaks Another Leg, Li Aiguo Cleverly Solves the Rolling Mill Mys
Outside the workshop, the workers were still unaware of what had happened.
Seeing the workers pushing standard carbon steel ingots into the workshop, they all crowded in.
This is a test, a historic moment for the steel rolling mill, how can we miss it?
In the crowd.
Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong also tried their best to squeeze forward.
The workshop director and various middle-level leaders had already secured their front-row seats.
As is customary, Zhao, an expert from the inspection team, made a few polite remarks.
Immediately afterwards, all eyes fell on Li Aiguo.
When it was Li Aiguo's turn...
Li Aiguo simply smiled and said, "I won't waste any more time on small talk. Let's start the test."
After speaking, Li Aiguo looked at Director Yang.
The meaning couldn't be clearer.
Director Yang, it's your turn to give the order. Stop dawdling.
Factory Director Yang felt a chill run down his spine. He wanted to object, but couldn't bring himself to speak. He could only look at Engineer Chen.
"Old Chen, we can begin."
Chen's legs were already feeling weak, and all he could do was shout at the technicians, "Prepare for testing!"
Several technicians re-inspected the 10,000-ton rolling mill.
Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai, a core member of the "task force," was using crutches to pretend to help from the side.
Workers hoist the steel ingots between the rolls, and workers at the control panel press the start button.
The rolling mill roared as the rolls slowly rotated, producing a metallic grinding sound the moment they bit into the steel ingot.
"Current is rising! It's now at 65% of the rated value!"
Standing to the side, Factory Director Yang's palms were sweaty as he muttered, "That's enough, that's enough. Any more pressure and something terrible will happen..."
Engineer Chen's eyes darted around, and he quickly seized the opportunity: "Comrade Aiguo, do you think this force is about right? Our machine..."
Without turning his head, Li Aiguo stared at the dial indicator and said, "The rolling force is only a little over 6,000 tons now. The dial indicator shows that the deformation is just 0.6 millimeters, but the actual deformation is only 0.3 millimeters. Continue to increase the pressure!"
Engineer Chen's face was as white as paper as he looked at Factory Director Yang for help.
Just when things were at a stalemate, that old rascal Yi Zhonghai suddenly jumped out.
"Factory manager! We've tested this machine several times, there's absolutely no problem with it, what are you worried about!"
Director Yang cursed Yi Zhonghai's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart.
What do you know, old man? Those experimental materials are all specially made.
Seeing that Director Yang remained silent and Engineer Chen looked timid, Yi Zhonghai was secretly overjoyed.
The opportunity is coming!
"Factory manager, are you worried about the danger? Here's what we'll do: I'll take charge of close monitoring!"
Close monitoring involves observing the operation of the rolling mill at any time, which is an extremely high-risk job.
Yi Zhonghai had done this job before when testing with specially made steel plates.
He was making a huge mental calculation.
As long as you bravely step forward now and demonstrate the noble consciousness of "not being afraid of sacrifice and dedicating yourself to the factory".
Once the test is successful, the big red flower and the commendation are definitely in order!
Even if Li Aiguo has extraordinary abilities, how can he possibly steal Yi Zhonghai's spotlight?
How is Director Yang feeling right now?
Even knowing there's a bottomless abyss ahead, with a gun pointed at the back of your head, you have no choice but to jump.
"Master Yi Zhonghai, then... I'll have to trouble you."
"okay!"
Yi Zhonghai seemed to already see the flowers and applause at the commendation ceremony. Leaning on his crutches, he limped impatiently to the steel rolling mill.
As the load was increased further, the roar of the rolling mill grew louder and louder, and the machine body began to tremble slightly.
The ammeter needle moved upwards, but remained stuck at 70% of the rated value, unable to go any higher.
The dial indicator needle jumped to 0.8 millimeters, and a faint, grating "creak" came from the rack connection.
Li Aiguo's eyes turned cold, and he decisively waved his hand.
"Stop the machine immediately! This machine is clearly defective; if you press down any further, it will explode!"
Old Zhao, write this down: the 10,000-ton rolling mill at Hongxing Steel Plant failed inspection!
Upon hearing the words "unqualified," Director Yang's eyes immediately turned red with anxiety, and he even forgot his fear.
"Chief Engineer Li! Everything's alright, don't worry at all, nothing will happen!"
We know our machines well; we can still press more!
Engineer Chen was initially so frightened that he wanted to let go, but upon hearing that the product was to be deemed unqualified, he hurriedly joined in the commotion.
"Yes, yes, we can't stop, we can add more!"
The workers watching from the sidelines were completely bewildered and marveled at the sight.
"That's strange. At first, Director Yang and the others were absolutely unwilling to conduct the tests, but now that Chief Engineer Li says it's dangerous and we need to stop, they're refusing to do it?"
Xu Damao narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Heh, it seems there's a lot of shady stuff going on with this steel rolling mill!"
Yi Zhonghai, who was standing next to the machine, also heard the piercing "creaking" sound, but he didn't pay any attention to it.
In his view, the more dangerous the situation, the more his abilities would be revealed!
Li Aiguo is still too green compared to him.
"Don't listen to Li Aiguo's nonsense, everyone! Our machines are perfectly fine!"
He's up to no good; he's trying to deliberately hinder us and prevent us from passing the inspection!
Before he could finish speaking, in an attempt to show off his judgment, Yi Zhonghai impulsively reached out and shoved the power switch all the way to the bottom!
The creaking sound at the frame connection suddenly became sharp, drowning out the roar of the rolling mill.
Li Aiguo's expression changed drastically, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Stop the machine! The archway is going to crack! Run!"
Yi Zhonghai suddenly came to his senses and stared at the steel rolling mill in front of him, which was shaking violently as if it was about to explode. He was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and he hurriedly reached out to press the stop button.
But the inertia of such large equipment can't be stopped just like that; the rollers are still spinning wildly.
"Oh my god!!!"
Yi Zhonghai let out a bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered.
At this moment, he didn't care about meritorious service or awards. He even threw away his crutches and burst out with an amazing will to survive. He scrambled out of the way, faster than a young man.
It's just a pity that he was fast, but the memorial arch collapsed even faster.
boom!
The archway crashed down, pinning him to the edge.
The broken steel bars and parts flew out like cannonballs. Several workers who were standing nearby were unable to dodge in time and were hit in the legs and feet, falling to the ground with screams.
Amidst the billowing dust, the entire arena fell into a deathly silence.
Factory Director Yang's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.
It’s over.
It's all over.
The rolling mill was scrapped, and a major accident resulting in casualties occurred.
His life of governance has come to a complete end.
Although expert Zhao had noticed the problem with the machine early on.
But to his utter surprise, it collapsed directly. He was so angry that he was trembling all over and pointed at Director Yang, cursing him.
"What kind of thing have you built?! Garbage?! You're treating human life like dirt!"
"Old Zhao, now is not the time to assign blame, saving lives is the priority!"
Li Aiguo turned to Deputy Factory Director Li: "Factory Director Li, what are you standing there for? Quickly organize the rescue!"
Deputy Factory Director Li was initially stunned by the accident, but he only came to his senses after hearing Li Aiguo's words.
Now that Director Yang has gotten into such a big mess, it's the perfect time for him to step in. If he handles it properly, he'll definitely be able to regain the initiative.
Thinking of this, Deputy Factory Director Li immediately adopted a leader's demeanor and shouted at the security officer in the distance, "Quick! Rush up and save them!"
"Quickly, save them!"
Several security officers were about to rush forward.
Li Aiguo stopped them: "Are you out of your mind? Go and cut off the power!"
Beware of those suspended steel frames above; they could collapse again at any moment! Rushing in blindly will only cause greater casualties!
In those days, domestic factories had no systematic accident and disaster relief training at all; they only thought about saving lives and often neglected the dangers.
Upon hearing this, Deputy Factory Director Li broke out in a cold sweat and felt a wave of fear wash over him.
If Li Aiguo hadn't stopped him, and a few more security guards had been killed, he, the deputy factory director, would have been finished too.
"Yes, yes, yes! Everyone listen to Chief Engineer Li's instructions! No one is allowed to move!" Deputy Factory Director Li shouted quickly.
"understand!"
The situation was urgent, and Li Aiguo did not refuse.
Have the electricians cut off the power first, and then have a few security guards deal with the steel frame that is about to collapse.
After confirming that it was safe, he then directed the workers to start the crane and lift the heavy steel pipes and components that were pressing on the injured person little by little.
Fortunately, the situation isn't too bad.
The injured workers were standing further away, so they only suffered minor scrapes or injuries to their arms and legs from flying debris. They were taken to the infirmary for treatment and rest for a few days and were fine.
But the most tragic case is Yi Zhonghai.
He was standing closest and was struck on both legs by the steel rod, breaking them off completely and leaving them a bloody mess.
That was terrible.
Yi Zhonghai and the workers were taken to the infirmary, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
Factory Director Yang snapped out of his daze and hurriedly explained, "This, this was an accident. Chief Engineer Li, it was caused by Yi Zhonghai's improper operation."
Engineer Chen, who was standing next to him, quickly nodded in agreement: "That's right! I saw it with my own eyes. When Yi Zhonghai turned on the switch, the current was not adjusted correctly at all."
This responsibility rests entirely on him, and I suggest the factory seriously investigate and hold him accountable!
What does it mean to be shameless? This is it.
Li Aiguo ignored the two men's charade and reached out to pat the broken archway.
"Engineer Chen, if I'm not mistaken, this so-called '10,000-ton rolling mill' is actually a copy of Big Brother's 1150 primary rolling mill, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Engineer Chen's expression changed drastically.
The workers who were clearing the rubble not far away also stopped what they were doing and stared wide-eyed.
What?
"Wasn't this developed by our own factory?"
"Could it be that Engineer Chen and his team have been plotting something malicious all along?"
"No way, this is a self-developed project..."
The steel mill workers were skeptical, and the factory leaders looked grim.
When they applied for the project, they applied for it based on their self-developed rolling mill, which is how they obtained a large amount of funding.
If you really cheat, you'll be punished.
Expert Zhao initially thought it was just a matter of substandard quality, but upon hearing this, his eyes instantly sharpened.
"Director Yang, what exactly happened?"
"No, no way! This is something we developed ourselves, how could we possibly copy it? Old Chen, say something!"
Factory Director Yang was truly dumbfounded. He only cared about getting funding and recognition; he had no idea about the technical tricks involved.
At this moment, sweat beaded on Chen's forehead, but he had no choice but to step forward.
"Chief Engineer Li, what 1150 primary rolling mill? I've never even heard of it! Stop making baseless accusations."
I heard you're close to Deputy Factory Director Li. Are you trying to use this to deliberately frame us?
"Look at this machine, how does it resemble Big Brother's stuff at all?"
It has to be said that Engineer Chen is indeed a bit cunning; he's even trying to muddy the waters and steer the issue towards the political struggle.
Unfortunately, he encountered Li Aiguo.
Li Aiguo sneered and pointed to the side of the rack: "You did use your brain."
You altered the outer shell welds, turning the original 1150-ton archway of the older brother's house into a spliced one, and even deliberately welded in a few decorative steel plates to try and deceive people.
You can change your skin, but you can't change your bones!
The archway has a cross-sectional height of 3200mm and a width of 1800mm.
It's exactly the same as the original blueprints from the older brother company—is that also a 'coincidence'?
Engineer Chen swayed slightly, but stubbornly insisted, "Similar sizes... that's just a coincidence!"
"coincide?"
Li Aiguo walked over to the roll and pointed to the roll body. "Then tell me, why is the roll diameter exactly 1150mm and the roll body length 2400mm? You deliberately changed the surface pattern from diagonal to horizontal, but the size of the roll neck and the diameter of the bearing mounting hole are all in line with the big brother's standards."
You can change the surface, but you can't change the core dimensions!
"And this screw, do you think that by changing the appearance and grinding the teeth, you can call it independent research and development?"
Engineer Chen trembled all over, sweat streaming down his face, and he could no longer utter a word in rebuttal.
Factory Director Yang stood to the side, his face ashen, not daring to utter a sound.
Li Aiguo glanced at the two men and said coldly, "If you can replicate the 1150 primary rolling mill, then so be it."
However, you haven't grasped the essence; the displacement difference between the two sides is 0.8mm.
The older brother uses alloy cast steel, while you only use ordinary ZG25!
Li Aiguo has become incredibly popular.
Imitation is not shameful; whose industry didn't start by imitating others?
If you can't even imitate it properly, how dare you use workers' lives to fill this hole? That's utterly immoral!
The older brother's machinery may look rough, but he uses high-quality materials and has a clever core design; it's really something special.
What these guys produced was nothing more than a pile of scrap metal painted green!
Thankfully, today was a trial run without load; if we had actually sent in the red-hot steel plate...
If the machine crashes, none of the people in this workshop will escape!
Imagine what it would be like if a steel plate heated to over a thousand degrees Celsius were to shatter into pieces and explode in the workshop.
It's comparable to a bomb!
When Expert Zhao thought of this, a layer of white sweat broke out on his back.
"Seal off the workshop! No one is allowed to move anything on site! I'll report to the ministry leadership immediately!"
Factory Director Yang tried to plead for leniency, but Expert Zhao didn't even glance at him and turned away.
In the ministry office, Chief Song was quite puzzled to see Expert Zhao rushing back.
"Old Zhao, how come it's so fast? How's the acceptance test for that 10,000-ton rolling mill at the steel mill going?"
"Don't even mention it! Those guys were incredibly audacious, they cheated and made counterfeits, and they even caused a machine to explode on the spot, resulting in a major accident!"
Leader Song's face instantly darkened: "Tell me in detail, what happened?"
After listening to Expert Zhao's report, Leader Song slammed his fist on the table.
"What a fine thing to Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and what a fine Director Yang! They're utterly lawless!"
An emergency meeting of ministries was convened, and when the news spread, the leaders of the First Ministry of Machine Building were all terrified.
A replica of Big Brother's rolling mill?
Or is he just a mediocre person?
Fortunately, Li Aiguo was there and immediately saw through the trick.
Otherwise, if it passes the review and is promoted nationwide, it will not only be embarrassing.
The losses and lives lost are a debt no one can bear!
"I suggest that a special task force be dispatched immediately to investigate the steel rolling mill thoroughly!"
Leader Song nodded.
"Old Liu, you're in charge. No matter who's involved, you must get to the bottom of this!"
"understand!"
When the investigation team entered the steel rolling mill, Li Aiguo had already returned to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
After all, he was only responsible for the acceptance inspection; the subsequent matters were not his concern.
In addition, the first batch of electric blankets and immersion heaters has been produced and is ready to be shipped out. Li Aiguo, as the person in charge, will go to the site to supervise the process.
This time it's different from before; the electric blanket and the immersion heater are now separate into two parts.
Some of it was delivered to the Russians' home through the Andrei Trading Company.
Some of them are sold worldwide through Hextech in the port city.
The goods were loaded onto the train and escorted by fully armed soldiers.
It was already evening when Li Aiguo leisurely rode his mountain bike back to the courtyard house.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard a commotion coming from the middle courtyard.
"Our steel rolling mill has really lost face this time."
"Who can argue with that? Passing off counterfeit products as self-developed ones—isn't that just treating everyone like fools?"
"Director Yang has been dismissed and taken away."
"Yi Zhonghai deserved it. Li Aiguo had already told him to stop, but he insisted on showing off. Now look what happened!"
"Yes, we are so grateful for patriotism this time, otherwise the losses would have been huge."
The residents were talking when they saw Li Aiguo come in, and they all stood up to greet him.
The way they looked at Li Aiguo was quite different from before.
After greeting him with a smile, Li Aiguo inquired about the follow-up matters.
Xu Damao laughed and said, "Aiguo, after you left, the working group from the Ministry of Machine Building came down and arrested Director Yang, Engineer Chen, and all the members of the research group. They're probably being interrogated right now."
"is it?"
This was not unexpected for Li Aiguo, since it involved fraud.
As they were talking, an older woman came out from behind and hurriedly called out to Qin Huairu. The two of them went out together.
Clearly, she went to take care of Yi Zhonghai.
"By the way, how's Yi Zhonghai's leg?" Li Aiguo asked casually.
"They're broken! Both legs are broken again! Hahaha!" Xu Damao was extremely excited.
"That old man has been pretending to be lame all this time, and now look what happened, both his legs are broken."
Li Aiguo raised an eyebrow.
Goodness, Yi Zhonghai really got what he wanted!
Let's chat for a bit.
Chen Xueru prepared dinner, and Xiao Hongsheng came to call Li Aiguo to finish eating before Li Aiguo went home.
After finishing his meal, Li Aiguo, as usual, sat down at his desk and began studying the blueprints for the large aircraft.
the other side.
In a ward at the steel mill hospital, Yi Zhonghai, who had just undergone surgery, lay on his hospital bed, on the verge of tears.
How come he broke his leg again?
An older woman pushed open the door and, seeing his miserable state, felt both sorry for him and resentful.
"Old man, what are you trying to achieve? Why are you so reckless! I heard that Aiguo tried to stop you, but you just wouldn't listen to him."
I, Yi Zhonghai, can't very well say that I wanted to steal credit, show off, and outshine Li Aiguo, can I?
If I were to say that out loud, where would I put my face?
An older woman sighed and continued, "Last time you broke your leg, it was Aiguo who took you to the hospital."
If it weren't for that patriotic shout, you probably would have lost your life there.
Aiguo is a truly authentic and wonderful person!
From now on, you absolutely mustn't hold any grudges against them again.
"A good person..."
Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai nearly coughed up blood, his vision blurred, and he almost fainted on the spot from anger.
Just then, the ward door was pushed open, and several comrades dressed in gray Zhongshan suits walked in.
The middle-aged woman was startled and quickly stood up: "Comrades, what's going on here?"
"We are from the working group of the First Ministry of Machine Building. We need to find Comrade Yi Zhonghai to understand the situation." The leader, wearing a Zhongshan suit, spoke in a cold and hard tone and walked directly to the bedside.
"Yi Zhonghai, now answer our questions honestly. Are you aware that the 10,000-ton rolling mill project team at the steel mill has engaged in fraudulent activities?"
Yi Zhonghai hurriedly waved his hands: "I...I really don't know!"
"I'm just a worker; what do I know about technical stuff?"
The man in the Zhongshan suit opened the folder: "Isn't that a bit odd? According to our survey, many workers say you are a core member of the project team and Chen's most valued 'right-hand man'."
And you were the most proactive in the group, always working despite your injury, practically never leaving the project site. How could you not know that?
"I……"
Yi Zhonghai was completely speechless.
In the beginning, in order to show off his high level of awareness and strong technical skills, he did brag to others every day that he was a core member.
But who would have thought that instead of gaining attention, he would become a prime suspect!
This is truly a case of lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own foot, and smashing it to pieces.
Yi Zhonghai was also well aware that once this kind of thing got stuck with him, he would be completely ruined.
He dared not admit it, so he tried to explain himself.
Those in gray Zhongshan suits were skeptical of his words.
For a time, Yi Zhonghai was in a state of utter chaos.
"Damn Li Aiguo! If you hadn't insisted on doing this extreme test, this old man wouldn't have had to suffer like this!"
*****
Li Aiguo was naturally unaware of Yi Zhonghai's thoughts, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
For him.
The so-called "old man in a courtyard house" might be able to show off his power in the courtyard.
But you're still a long way from being able to outsmart him.
Having transmigrated to this era and been given a second chance at life, Li Aiguo has more important things to do and no time or energy to waste on petty squabbles in the courtyard.
Time passed slowly.
The second batch of electric blankets and water heaters were shipped out of the workshop and gradually appeared in supply and marketing cooperatives in various places.
Li Aiguo also devoted his energy to the development of large aircraft.
On Monday, Li Aiguo had just arrived at work when he received a call from Zhao, an expert from the Ministry of Machine Building.
"Comrade Patriot, the leaders of the ministry are looking for you."
"Now? Old Zhao, is there any result regarding the steel mill matter?" Li Aiguo asked.
"You guessed right."
Expert Zhao briefly explained the situation over the phone.
Just as Li Aiguo was busy producing electric blankets and water heaters, the working group of the First Ministry of Machine Building also investigated the case of the 10,000-ton rolling mill at the steel mill.
The root of the problem really lies with that Engineer Chen.
Engineer Chen's original name was Chen Lai. He was once sent to study under the senior brother for several years.
During my studies, I came into contact with the 1150 primary rolling mill owned by my older brother.
However, that was a key piece of equipment for the older brother, so there was no way to access the core technology.
But this man was audacious; after returning to China, he boasted that he had mastered the entire technology.
His plan was to "reserve the pit first, then fill it with soil."
He first established the project, secured the title, and reaped the benefits, but he had no intention of taking responsibility for whether it could actually be built.
Li Aiguo shook his head as he listened.
This kind of PPT-based car manufacturing tactic has been seen many times in later generations.
I never imagined that there would be such a daring pioneer in this era.
Factory Director Yang was eager to outdo Deputy Factory Director Li and wanted to achieve quick results.
Upon hearing that Engineer Chen had this skill, they immediately felt like they had found a treasure, and gave him money and people, which is how this makeshift team was set up.
"The situation is rather complicated. As for whether Factory Director Yang was aware of the situation, there is currently no concrete evidence."
However, given the severity of the accident, the ministry has decided to temporarily remove him from his post and continue the investigation.
Li Aiguo naturally understood why the situation was complicated.
Director Yang's rise to prominence must be due to the support of others.
It is estimated that the two sides are currently engaged in a game of strategy.
But that's none of his business, and he doesn't want to get involved in those complicated matters.
"What does that ministry want with me?"
"You'll see when you get here, it's great news!" Expert Zhao kept everyone in suspense.
"."
Li Aiguo hung up the phone, rode his mountain bike to the Ministry of Machine Building, and knocked on the door of the top leader's office.
in the office.
Besides Leader Song, there were several other leaders.
The first thing Leader Song said was: "Comrade Aiguo, after deliberation by the ministry, we would like to invite you to serve as the leader of the research and development team for the 10,000-ton rolling mill and lead the team to tackle the problem again."
"So, are you confident you can build our 10,000-ton rolling mill?"
(End of this chapter)