Chapter 8: The Arrogant Agricultural Materials Company

  "You just mentioned that Old Ning, the factory director, has a bad temper and likes to scold people." Qin Hai said.

  Xiao Dongping nodded: "Yes, Old Ning likes to train people, but he has the qualifications to train people! Old Ning understands management, and Qingfeng Factory was profitable every year when it was in his hands. Moreover, Old Ning is very frugal, when the county wanted to take away the profits of Qingfeng Factory, Old Ning refused to give in, all the money earned was used for welfare and building houses in the factory. At that time, during the Spring Festival, each worker would receive 10 jin of meat and 10 jin of loose wine, and on Dragon Boat Festival, each worker would receive 5 jin of eggs. That's why you see Fatty is so plump."

  "......" He was speechless, who let him be a fat man, the area of being hit is much larger than others.

  "What's next?" Qin Hai asked Xiao Dongping, suppressing a smile.

  Xiao Dongping said, "But after Old Ning left and Wei Baolin, this cultured and knowledgeable person took over, Qingfeng Factory has been getting worse by the day. We've changed products seven or eight times, each one unsellable, losing a large amount of materials and equipment, not making a single penny, instead owing the bank a huge debt. Those guys from the Provincial Agricultural Materials Company used to be very polite when they saw me, always inviting me for drinks. But now that I'm gone, it's not like they invite me for drinks, even if I invite them, they won't come."

  "Why is that?" Qin Hai asked.

  Xiao Dongping said: "It's very clear, they refused our goods, of course they don't dare see us now."

  At this point, Xiao Dongping viciously kicked the snakeskin bag at his feet, and a metallic crashing sound came from inside the bag.

  "Refused delivery, what does it mean?" Qin Hai asked again.

  Xiao Dongping said, "This snakeskin bag contains the new rotary tiller blades that our factory has developed. Wei Baolin saw this thing when he went to Japan for inspection and said it was high-tech, so he asked us to learn how to make it too. Actually, the technology isn't that difficult, and our country also has rotary tillers that need blades. We sent two batches to the Provincial Agricultural Materials Company, at first they were okay with it, but later they said our product quality wasn't good and refused to accept it."

  Rotary tiller is a kind of agricultural machinery pulled by tractor, which can perform large-scale plowing and tilling. The rotary blade is the plow head on the rotary tiller, a consumable item that needs to be replaced every few hundred or over a thousand mu due to wear and tear. In Japan, a country with a relatively high rate of agricultural mechanization, around 10 million rotary blades are consumed annually. Although China's level of agricultural mechanization is low, there is still an annual market for around 2 million blades.

  The domestic sales price of the rotary tiller blades is generally 2 to 3 yuan per piece, while the cost is only about half. Wei Baolin, who took over as the director of Qingfeng Factory from Ning Zhongying, accidentally discovered this product and ordered the technical and production departments to develop it and put it on the market. However, after the product was developed, the process of pushing it into the market did not go smoothly. The Provincial Agricultural Materials Company accepted two batches of products from Qingfeng Factory, but then refused to accept any more, citing that the quality of the rotary tiller blades produced by Qingfeng Factory was not up to standard, with an average service life of only two-thirds of the domestic industry level.

  "The agricultural company said that their blade can plow 700 mu, but we can't even reach 500 mu. The Japanese blade can plow 1200 mu. I curse the ancestors of Leng Yueming, the quality of his blades is so poor, it's making me lose face every day in front of the agricultural company." Xiao Dongping muttered to himself.

  Miao Wei whispered to Qin Hai, explaining Xiao Dongping's words. The Cold Yuming that Xiao Dongping mentioned was the technical director of Qingfeng Factory, a genuine university student in the early 1960s, and quite talented. This time, the development of the rotary tiller blade was led by Cold Yuming and Production Director Xiang Jiyong, with these results.

  "I've thought of it, Director Xiao. You said the quality of our blades isn't good, is it because they haven't been quenched after processing?" Ning Mo guessed cleverly, having personally experienced the importance of quenching from his own miserable situation, and thus began to show off in front of Xiao Dongping, "Director Xiao, why not let Qin Hai take a look at these blades? He's an expert at quenching, his skills are top-notch."

  Xiao Dongping said disdainfully, "Fatty, if you don't understand, then don't talk nonsense. Would we sell untempered knife blades? Can't Cold Yuming even get this basic common sense?"

  Qin Hai saw Ning Mo divert the conversation to himself, thought for a moment and said: "Xiao Ke Zhang, if you don't mind, can I take a look at our knife blades? When I was in technical school, I also came into contact with some knowledge of rotary tiller blades. Maybe among many thoughts, there will be one that works."

  Xiao Dongping was also a man of some learning, with a certain cultural foundation. When he heard Qin Hai utter a rather obscure idiom and saw his low-key demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a few pangs of admiration. He bent down to untie the leather strap on the snake skin bag and said to Qin Hai, "The blades are all inside, take a look if you want."

  Qin Hai took out a blade from the bag and examined it carefully under the lamp light, then took out another one and knocked them against each other to listen to the metallic sound. He said, "Xiao Kezhang, the steel material used for this blade is really not quite up to par."

  "Huh?" Xiao Dongping raised his eyes, which had turned bright red from drinking too much wine, and stared at Qin Hai, asking: "What's not passing? Tell me."

  Qin Hai Dao said: "I haven't done any testing, so I can't be sure. But judging from the color and sound of this steel, it should have a high proportion of sulfur and phosphorus, and its toughness does not meet the standard requirements."

  "Not bad!" Xiao Dongping's face showed a look of surprise, "Leng Yueming also told me the same thing, he said it wasn't our processing that had problems, but the quality of the steel provided by Beixi Steel Factory was not up to par, so our blades couldn't compare with those of other domestic companies. Xiao Qin is really impressive, able to spot the problem at a glance. Come on, let me toast you with a cup of wine, a young person as technically savvy as you, our Qingfeng factory doesn't even have one!"

  Xiao Dongping's one sentence scolded Ning Mo, Yu Haitao and Miao Kai in front of everyone, but the three didn't get angry because they really didn't understand technology and didn't think it was shameful.

  Qin Hai raised his wine glass and clinked it with Xiao Dongping's, then took a sip before saying: "However, Director Xiao, I think Director Leng's words are also somewhat biased. The materials aren't good, but that's not something we can change. What we can do is make up for it in the craftsmanship. If the craftsmanship is done right, using this kind of steel to achieve the product quality of domestic leading enterprises is entirely possible."

  "Is that true?" Xiao Dongping put down his wine glass, his expression turned serious. "Xiao Qin, are you saying our product can still be saved?"

  Qin Hai Dao said: "It depends on whether the factory wants to save it or not. If they want to save it, there will naturally be a way."

  "Of course, I want to save it!" said Xiao Dongping. "We have a whole warehouse full of 10,000 blades, if the agricultural supplies company doesn't accept them, the cost of over 100,000 yuan will be wasted. If there's a way to improve the quality of these blades to the domestic advanced level... no, as long as they reach the domestic average level, I'll force the agricultural supplies company to accept them. They dare not accept? I'll slap the blades right in their faces!"

  "Ah... Director Xiao, we should still try to win people over with virtue..." Qin Hai advised, this Director Xiao's temper was really too explosive, was he often subjected to domestic violence from his wife at home, leading to psychological distortions? Hmm, this is a sociological topic worth studying.

  "Xiao Qin, you just said our product can be saved. Is it because you know these techniques yourself or have you seen them somewhere?" Xiao Dongping's wine seemed to have sobered him up a bit, and he asked Qin Hai seriously.

  "Of course, I saw it in a book..." Qin Hai said.

  "Oh..." Xiao Dongping felt somewhat disappointed.

  "Who knows, Qin Hai immediately followed with another sentence: 'After reading it, I will understand it myself.'"

  "Really?" Xiao Dongping's eyes lit up, "You saw it in a book and you can do it yourself?"

  "Absolutely certain. Don't believe me? Ask them." Qin Hai pointed at Ning Mo and the others.

  "No problem at all," Ning Mo said with a loud pat on his chest, "Director Xiao can rest assured of Qin Hai's words."

  Miao Ke knew that Xiao Dongping would not believe Qin Hai just because of their words, so he introduced to Xiao Dongping the process of quenching tools for Qin Hai. Miao Ke's father, Miao Funan, was the director of the casting workshop, and Miao Ke had some understanding of quenching and other processes, so he could also see that Qin Hai's technology was higher than that of Qingfeng Factory. At least, something like trinitrate solution, no one in Qingfeng Factory had ever mentioned it, but Qin Hai could configure it.

  Xiao Dongping remained silent for a long time after listening. What Miao Lei said was credible, with details that didn't seem fabricated. The fact that he could process the 65# manganese steel farm tools to the point of chopping bricks without any damage was something no one in Qingfeng Factory could do. Moreover, Qin Hai had only taken a few glances at the rotary tiller blade and was able to point out its defects, which proved that Qin Hai indeed had some skills. Maybe his promise to improve the quality of the rotary tiller blades was somewhat believable.

  But this matter is too far-fetched, with Ning Mo and a few other small-time hooligans actually being able to get acquainted with someone so capable, and that person just happens to be a recent technical school graduate. This story would not be believed by anyone who heard it. Putting the hopes of an important product from the factory on such a person's shoulders, isn't that a bit too childish?

  Let's just observe for now and see what happens, so as not to make a fool of himself, thought Xiao Dongping in his heart.

  "Oh dear, I've had too much to drink, my head is spinning." Xiao Dongping got up unsteadily and said to the crowd: "You all continue drinking. Fatty, you stay with Little Qin; Little Qin, I'm going back to sleep now, I'll ask you more about this knife later."

  "Xiao Ke Long has drunk so much, otherwise, we'll send you back." Qin Hai stood up and said.

  "No, no, you all continue, you all continue." Xiao Dongping stretched out his hands to stop Qin Hai, saying in a firm tone. After finishing speaking, he picked up the snakeskin bag on the ground and stumbled out of the door.