Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 454 A Little Reward

Minivan?

Director Yang put down his chopsticks, his brows furrowed slightly, and said as he thought, "In 72, the BAIC Second Repair Factory, which originally designed and manufactured the BJ130, was officially renamed Erligou Automobile Manufacturing Plant."

The following year, under instructions from higher authorities, any automobile manufacturing plant nationwide could obtain a design drawing of the BJ130 light truck from the Erligou Plant simply by presenting a letter of introduction from the Ministry of Machinery Industry.

(This is it)
Upon hearing this, Chen Fan's eyes lit up immediately. "Does your machinery factory have any?"

The BJ130 was a great vehicle. He used it to transport old books and machine parts from the scrap yard. Moreover, it was still selling well until the 90s, which shows its quality and longevity.

He wasn't interested in the design drawings themselves, but having the design drawings for this car would give him a more compelling reason to present his own!

Moreover, the origin of this car is quite interesting.

In fact, it was the army of horse-drawn carriages in the capital that spurred the development of my country's first light truck.

Back in the day, before cars became common, goods were transported entirely by horse-drawn carriages. Imagine a city like the capital, with millions of people, consuming an astronomical amount of supplies every day.

Bringing in goods and then hauling out garbage and manure is an astronomical figure.

Therefore, at that time, inns, freight stations, and mule and horse inns that fostered donkeys, horses, and mules were all essential "standard features" of the city, and even the great capital was no exception.

Mules and horses are not like machines. Car engines chug and puff out smoke, but that only pollutes the air; a gust of wind blows it away and it's fine.

But mules and horses need to defecate and urinate!
Imagine what it would be like to see tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of mules and horses moving in and out of the city every day!

So the higher-ups made a requirement that all livestock must have a cloth bag tied to their rear ends as a "manure bag." The purpose was twofold: to maintain the cleanliness of the streets and to collect livestock manure.

For example, Chen Fan's mare can run around Nanhu Commune without any problem, but if she poops in another place, people will exclaim, "What a surprise!"

However, if you want to enter Yunhu city, you have to hang a manure bag on your backside to avoid polluting the environment.

As for what to do with the manure bag?

If the driver of the cart doesn't mind, he can bring his own manure basket to take it back; after all, it's manure.

If you don't like it or find it too troublesome, you have to wait until you go to a caravanserai or mule inn, drop it off at a designated place, and let the innkeeper handle it.

In some small cities, until the early to mid-90s, you could still see drivers sitting on flatbed carts, whipping mules with cloth bags hanging from their backs, roaming freely through the streets.

The army of horse-drawn carriages provided the city with supplies, but also brought many serious problems.

The most serious one is feces.

Even with a manure bag, it's not always possible to ensure it's all aligned correctly or doesn't overflow.

Therefore, "spreading one's influence along the way" is an unavoidable fact.

It was under these circumstances that the capital government at the time decided to develop and produce a light truck to replace the army of horse-drawn carts that were spreading fertilizer everywhere, and this task fell to the Second Repair Shop of Beijing Auto Parts.

As expected of someone who specializes in dealing with cars, the repair shop delivered an unexpected result in just a few months: the BJ130, which has been a bestseller for many years.

However, although this vehicle greatly reduced the number of horse-drawn carriages, it did not completely eliminate them.

What wiped out the army of horse-drawn carriages was another, more popular type of vehicle.

This is also the model that Chen Fan is preparing to bring out.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's question, Director Yang appeared slightly embarrassed. "If there were such a thing, your father wouldn't have been so focused on designing cars."

Deputy Factory Director Li added, “Only automobile manufacturers are qualified to receive the blueprints. There are more than 20 automobile factories across the country producing this car. As a result, automobile factories are in competition with each other for producing the same product. Therefore, automobile factories in this province are unwilling to let other units obtain the blueprints.”

Although production is all based on planned production, the pie is only so big. If more is given to others, less will be left for oneself. And production plans directly affect factory efficiency, which in turn directly affects the positions of factory leaders and employee welfare.

So even in this era, there is still market competition.

Moreover, even if the higher authorities wanted to increase automobile production, it would be impossible.

Although cars are in high demand everywhere, where do the steel for producing cars come from?

With national steel production remaining unchanged or increasing only slightly, steel mills are desperately seeking supplies. If one side increases automobile production, the other will reduce raw material supply. The national economy is interconnected, and this isn't something easily resolved.

Factory Director Yang continued, "Old Li is right. If our machinery factory also wants to produce this kind of light truck, I'm afraid Jiangnan Automobile Factory will not agree first."

Deputy Factory Director Li chimed in, "They're the only car factory in Jiangnan Province. They can produce over a thousand light trucks every year. They've monopolized all the light trucks in the province. Even we have to buy our cars from them."

He spread his hands and said, "But they can only eat until they are seven or eight tenths full. If we compete with them directly, I'm afraid we will have a hard time."

Jiangnan Automobile Factory is a provincial-level unit, a whole level higher than Yunhu Machinery Factory. Moreover, it is located in the provincial capital, and its relationship with the Department of Industry is far superior to that of Yunhu Machinery Factory. Taking food from their bowl is not just a little uncomfortable, but very uncomfortable!

Only then did Director Yang smile, and finally concluded, "Your idea is indeed very good, but there are some practical difficulties."

He shook his head with a wry smile, "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have thought about making whatever I could. If it were just small-scale stuff, they would have turned a blind eye."

Chen Fan took a sip of tea and glanced at him.

Is that what you meant? You clearly couldn't find your way!

Setting down his teacup, Chen Fan shook his head and said, "I'm talking about a mini-truck, a truck smaller than the BJ130, not a light truck."

That's right, what he wanted to produce for the machinery factory was a minivan that would truly "wipe out" the horse-drawn carriage army and become a helpful assistant for ordinary people to get rich!
Leaving aside foreign examples, when it comes to the first minivan in China, many people might immediately think of the legendary Wuling, while others might say it was the Tianjin Dafa that rolled off the production line in 84, and still others might say it was the Changhe that was produced in 82, which was even earlier.

However, there is one car that was released a year earlier than Changhe.

That is the Huaihai Machinery Factory, which will soon be officially renamed from Factory 9356!
Something sounds a little off about that.

That's not the point. The point is that their first product after transitioning to civilian use was the "Flying Tiger" car, which few young people in later generations have ever heard of.

(A newspaper advertisement for Flying Tiger Motors from the 90s. The image is too long to fit here.)
(Flying Tiger Auto)
Minivan?

These words flashed through Director Yang's mind again. Looking at the confident Chen Fan, he realized that he had misunderstood something.

He quickly asked, "What mini-truck?"

Chen Fan dipped his finger in the tea and drew a simple diagram on the table. "Look, this is a flatbed cart. There's an engine on the front of the cart, right under the control panel. Then there are two seats, and that's the driver's cab."

The entire back serves as a warehouse. It's a small, boxy car, slightly larger than a Jeep, with a simple structure and minimal materials. When the warehouse is enclosed, it can be used as a passenger car; when it's open, it can be used to haul goods; and with a cabinet, it becomes a closed van.

Small in size, uses fewer materials, and is fuel-efficient—if such a car could be manufactured, it would definitely be needed in many places.

He looked up and chuckled, "After all, not every unit needs to carry so much stuff in a large container, right?"

It's worth mentioning that the world's first minivan was inspired by a flatbed cart by a Volkswagen designer. However, Volkswagen's version was a bit too big. It was the Xiao Rizi that truly defined and popularized the minivan.

Tianjin Dafa is a joint venture between Tianjin Automobile Manufacturing Plant and Dafa Motor Company.

Looking at the simplified diagram on the table, Deputy Factory Director Li was already dumbfounded. "Isn't this just a common assembly-type vehicle found in rural areas?!"

Before Feihu Motors began production, similar assembled vehicles were available almost all over the country (I won't post the picture here since it's already shown).

Weld an iron frame yourself, or use a wooden cart as a chassis, put a diesel engine in the front, and nail a chair to the chassis, and a "truck" is ready!
That's absolutely insane.

Chen Fan grinned and nodded very frankly, "Yes, the inspiration for this car came from the 'assembly frame car'."

Upon hearing this, almost everyone was speechless.

It really is?
Chen Fan slowly took a sip of tea and smiled, "The people in the production team want to haul goods, but they can't even afford a tractor, or rather, they can't buy one. What can they do? They can only cobble together these kinds of carts."

If we can produce such a car using as few materials as possible, whether for passenger or cargo use, there will definitely be a large market.

He turned to look at Director Yang and said seriously, "The machinery factory doesn't lack materials, but it lacks raw materials for large-scale production. Besides, you can't get fat in one bite. My suggestion is that we might as well start by producing these mini-trucks, or even mini-buses, and see how the market reacts."

If the market response is good, you can then naturally apply to the special district government and the industrial department to establish an automobile manufacturing plant.

By then, the Industrial Bureau couldn't very well hand over the machinery factory's flagship product to the Jiangnan Automobile Factory!

This is not a national task, but rather a spontaneous competition from subordinate units. Even if the Industrial Department is biased, it has to have its limits. It won't provide strong support, but at least it won't become an obstacle.

Factory Director Yang pondered for two seconds, then nodded slightly, "That works too."

He then looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "Then what about the design drawings for this car?"

Chen Fan smiled slightly, "This car is very simple. I've almost finished the design these past few days."

After a pause, he added, "Actually, the most difficult part of building cars is the engine. As long as you have an engine, almost any machine factory can produce cars."

Just as Director Yang and the others were about to nod, they heard Chen Fan continue, "So in order to avoid being held back by engines in the future, I suggest that you manufacture the engines yourselves."

"what?"

Factory Director Yang stared at him blankly. "We can build engines too?"

Although the workshop cooperated with Chen Fan to repair two Volga car engines, that was just repair. As for production... to be honest, he was indeed somewhat lacking in confidence.

Chen Fan waved his hand dismissively, "Don't even mention small-displacement engines, even high-power engines can be built little by little with the resources of a machine shop. The only difference is that they can't be mass-produced."

Ignoring laws and patents, the biggest challenges in replicating an engine are twofold: materials and manufacturing processes, with the most crucial aspect being the precision and quality of the parts.

These two are what are known as "technical barriers." Without suitable materials and equipment, even if the engine can be completely disassembled and measured, it cannot be replicated.

But that's for advanced car engines.

Chen Fan didn't intend for the machinery factory to build supercars, so something that was good enough would suffice.

Besides, how advanced can the engines of this era be?
With the resources of the machine shop and the dozen or so level-eight workers in the unit, Chen Fan was confident he could replicate even the most advanced BMW engine.

Perhaps the only drawback is the alloy material.

Perhaps it was Chen Fan's confidence that inspired them, or perhaps they were simply unwilling to settle for mediocrity.

So, in no time at all, the first car product manufactured by the machinery factory was decided.

Everyone immediately raised their glasses and clinked them together.

Deputy Factory Director Li put down his wine glass, exhaled a long breath, and looked rather regretful. "If we're going to build mini-trucks, then the design drawings for those two vehicles that Xiao Fan drew before will be wasted!"

Factory Director Yang nodded slightly, just about to agree.

Just then, Chen Fan said, "Those two pictures are nothing special, just replicas of the Volga and GAZ. After this disassembly and reconstruction, I already have some ideas."

Factory Director Yang immediately asked impatiently, "What are your thoughts?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I know you all want to build cars, especially sedans like Hongqi and Shanghai brand. I think it's entirely feasible."

Factory Director Yang looked at him in surprise, "Then you suggested we build mini-trucks?"

Chen Fan gently shook his head. "There's no conflict. Mini-trucks don't require advanced technology, and their requirements for engines and other components are low. Even users have low expectations for the product. If we can convert a production line, mass production can be easily achieved."

But passenger cars are different; they require much higher levels of technology and equipment, and with the current conditions of the machine shop, mass production is practically impossible.

These days, cars aren't categorized as luxury or economy; any car is considered high-end. Since they're high-end, expectations are naturally different.

Everyone at the table stared intently at Chen Fan.

Factory Director Yang seemed thoughtful. "You said mass production is impossible. Does that mean it's okay if we don't mass produce it?"

Chen Fan gave a thumbs up, "Uncle Yang is very insightful."

He pointed outside and laughed, "Everyone knows how those two cars got out. Uncle Yang, how long do you think it would take to build a car, given the production conditions of our machinery factory, to manufacture all the parts and meet my requirements?"

Factory Director Yang was in charge of production, so he was naturally familiar with manufacturing. Moreover, he had been checking on the progress of the modification of the two vehicles almost every day.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, he silently considered for a moment before replying, "Without affecting production, each workshop can cooperate and produce a complete set of automotive parts in about 10 days."

He slowly raised his head. "Including the engine."

Chen Fan nodded slightly, "Add in the interior decoration, and with a surplus, we can make one car every half month, right?"

Factory Director Yang nodded. "Pretty much."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "In that case, let's open a high-end handcrafted car workshop in addition to the mini-trucks."

"A high-end handcrafted car?"

Factory Director Yang was a little confused. "Does that mean all the parts have to be made by hand? Half a month wouldn't be enough."

Chen Fan shook his head and smiled, "Of course we use machines if we have them. The so-called 'handmade' is just in contrast to an assembly line. Furthermore, the biggest difference between these handcrafted custom cars and mass-produced cars is the extremely high degree of matching of parts dimensions. If a mass-produced car experiences its first breakdown at 3000 kilometers, a handcrafted car will need to reach 6000 kilometers, or even 8000 kilometers. In short, four words can describe this kind of car: meticulously crafted!"

Upon hearing this, the leaders vaguely understood what was going on.

Mini-trucks are for high-volume sales and are a powerful tool for the growth and expansion of machinery factories, while handcrafted cars are the face of machinery factories, showcasing their technical strength and serving as a booster for their advancement.

Factory Director Yang's face grew increasingly excited. "According to what you said, could this kind of car one day surpass Hongqi and Shanghai Automotive?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "If we're talking about brand awareness and market share, that's impossible. They're like a son to us; newcomers like the machinery factory can't compare."

However, in terms of quality and class, unless they also produce handcrafted cars, they absolutely cannot compare to products that are meticulously crafted and made with no expense spared.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, everyone understood.

This kind of car is not manufactured and sold to ordinary units, but is specially supplied to higher-level leaders for their exclusive use!

The machinery factory isn't short of money; what it lacks are distribution channels and favorable policies. If they use these kinds of vehicles to pave the way...

But this kind of thing can only be done, not said, otherwise it would be considered seeking special treatment, which would be severely criticized!

Factory Director Yang, beaming with joy, raised his glass and clinked it with Chen Fan's, then fell silent about the car business, not even asking about the blueprints.

With an expert who can draw a complete set of car blueprints, are we still worried about not having design drawings?
If all else fails, just use the GAZ and Volga systems, and change the casing.

Next, Chen Fan talked with several leaders about the machinery factory's product line.

The machine factory's product line was too diverse, and many of the tasks were temporary.

When there was a shortage of bicycles, the Commerce Bureau would ask the machinery factory to produce a batch; when there was a shortage of sewing machines, they would ask them to produce another batch; when there was a shortage of electric fans, or any other missing item, the machinery factory would be the culprit.

Who told them to have the most complete equipment and the most talented people?

Faced with this situation, Chen Fan, in high spirits after drinking, launched into a scathing critique, saying, "Are you sitting on a mountain of gold eating cornbread? With such good conditions, you're just working like beasts of burden for the Commerce Bureau."

Are electric fans, bicycles, and sewing machines rare things? Have you ever heard of an electric rice cooker?

Everyone shook their heads in unison.

Chen Fan made a plugging motion with his left hand and pressed down with his right finger. "A rice cooker is just a small pot for cooking rice. As long as you plug it in, press a button, and wait for the rice to cook, you don't have to do anything else."

He picked up his rice bowl and gestured, “How many cities are there in the country, and how many urban families are there? If every household could buy a rice cooker, you can calculate how much that would cost.”

While Director Yang was still pondering how to cook rice with electricity, Chairman Zhao, who was standing next to him, asked Chen Fan, "So where can we buy a rice cooker?"

If you could just plug it in and wait for the rice to cook without having to worry about anything else, that would be quite convenient.

I've never heard of this before.
Although my country imported rice cookers in the 60s, the quantity was extremely small, mainly supplied to foreign experts and specific groups, and they were rarely sold in ordinary stores.

If there's only one place that might have it, it's Wangfujing Department Store, which boasts the most comprehensive selection of goods in the country.

But none of them had been there, so naturally they had no way of knowing.

As for where he asked, it wasn't because he wanted to use it himself, but because he wanted to buy it and make a replica.

Chen Fan looked at Chairman Zhao and chuckled, "That's a good question. Currently, only Wangfujing Department Store and Friendship Store in the capital have it, and some large department stores in Shanghai might also have it. Besides these two places, only Guangdong has it."

Director Qian from the Women's Federation asked curiously, "Teacher Chen, where did you find out?"

Everyone else also turned their attention to Chen Fan.

According to the information they had, Chen Fan should not have left Yunhu.

Chen Fan smiled slightly, his eyes filled with a touch of melancholy. "As everyone knows, besides being a doctor and a mechanic, I am also a literature enthusiast."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up with realization.

Chen Fan seemed not to notice and continued, "I have written a few short articles and was fortunate enough to receive the favor of a few readers, one of whom is from Lianjiang, Guangdong. He works for the Lianjiang Household Appliances Industrial Company. A few days ago, he wrote me a letter that talked in detail about rice cookers and said that the products produced by his company were in short supply, so that's how I found out."

Not many people may know about Lianjiang Household Appliances Industrial Company. However, almost everyone knows the brand of its products.

The hemisphere belongs to them.

Besides the hemisphere, Lianjiang also boasts the famous triangle.

Although these brands are no longer considered high-end and can generally only be found in small appliance stores in urban and rural areas, apart from e-commerce platforms, they were once super giants that dominated the national market and even exported overseas in the rice cooker industry.

Chen Fan was momentarily dazed, vaguely hearing Director Qian ask him, "Why is he writing about rice cookers with you for no reason?"

Chen Fan hesitated for two seconds, "Because he sent me a rice cooker, afraid I wouldn't know how to use it."

He looked up and, as expected, saw pairs of sparkling eyes. He smiled calmly, "I can contribute the rice cooker, and I can also draw a design..."

That's where the conversation ended abruptly.

Factory Director Yang looked around, exchanged a glance with the others, cleared his throat, and smiled kindly at Chen Fan, "You've given the factory management advice, helped the factory hospital's medical staff improve their professional skills, and even spearheaded the car manufacturing project, making a huge contribution to the factory. After a meeting in the factory office, it has been decided to give you a reward."

Chen Fan's eyes lit up. "What is it?"

Factory Director Yang pointed outside and smiled, "It's already in your car's trunk. You'll see it when you get back."

Chen Fan hesitated for two seconds, then said, "I'll bring the rice cooker next time."

……

After a satisfying meal, Chen Fan drove his new car home, beaming with pride.

Unfortunately, the road is a bit short; I went straight from the factory gate to my home.

Jiang Tiantian closed the courtyard gate and turned to walk towards Chen Fan. She saw him open the trunk of the car, revealing several large cardboard boxes that were stuffed full, with even the back seats folded down.

If Chen Fan hadn't made the modifications, greatly increasing storage space without sacrificing comfort, these things still wouldn't have fit.

Jiang Lili was still circling the car, her eyes shining. "Wow, what a beautiful car!"

As he spoke, he touched it with his hand, saying, "It's completely different from the machines in the cotton mill. It feels not only more beautiful, but also of better quality."

Chen Fan brought out a cardboard box and said with a smile, "This was made by seven level-eight craftsmen, ten level-seven craftsmen, and more than a dozen intermediate craftsmen. How could the quality be ordinary?"

He saw Jiang Tiantian trying to move the cardboard boxes and quickly said, "Don't move, you can't lift them."

Jiang Lili rushed over to help her sister, asking, "What are these?"

Chen Fan laughed and walked inside, "You'll see once you move in."

The two sisters carried a box in and gently placed it on the floor of the main room.

At this point, Chen Fan went back and made two trips in a row, and the three of them finally brought in all the cardboard boxes, which were three large and four small.

Jiang Lili circled the box curiously, asking, "What are all these things?"

Jiang Tiantian poked her forehead with her finger in an annoyed tone, "Can't you be a little more composed?"

But his tone was full of doting, without any sense of intimidation.

Now that her parents have returned to work and even moved back to the cotton mill's cadre dormitory area, living in their original two-story villa, and with their own college entrance exam scores far exceeding the undergraduate admission line, they are naturally in a good mood.

If they still maintained some reserve and habitual caution in front of outsiders, they both revealed their true nature to Chen Fan without any pretense.

Chen Fan only learned in the last few days that Jiang Lili could also be lively and active. She was already an 18-year-old girl, but she was still like a little girl who hadn't grown up. She was completely different from the person she used to be.

Chen Fan put down the last cardboard box, looked at the two sisters and smiled, "If you want to know what's inside, just open it and see."

Jiang Lili didn't stand on ceremony; she ran to the study to get her tools and came back to start working.

First, we opened the largest cardboard box, and inside was another layer of cardboard boxes.

Dismantle it again.

When the contents appeared, all three of them were dumbfounded.

Jiang Tiantian stared blankly at the green cabinet. "Is this a refrigerator?"

Before the reform and opening up, Snowflake brand refrigerators were specifically manufactured for storing medicines!
Even the production unit is the Capital Medical Device Factory.

But those who know, know.

In short, this thing is really hard to get; ordinary families simply can't buy it because it's not something you can buy with a ticket; you need an equipment permit.

Even Chen Fan himself didn't expect that the machinery factory would actually provide this.

I suppressed my excitement and continued unpacking.

With the refrigerator as a base, the things that follow aren't as impressive.

The second large box contained a washing machine.

(Washing machine in Jinan in the 70s)
Actually, washing machines have only been in ordinary households for a few years. They were originally used in hotels and other entertainment venues. It wasn't until the early 70s that they were allowed to be sold to ordinary households, and they are still in high demand today.

Chen Fan didn't believe that there was no television when he said there was a refrigerator and a washing machine.

So he opened the third, slightly smaller box.

When the item was taken out, even Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian were stunned, circling around it curiously, asking, "What is this?"

Chen Fan picked up the product manual from the box, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. "An air conditioner?!"

That's right, it's my country's first civilian air conditioner, the Cedar brand CKF-3A window air conditioner.

(Cedar Air Conditioner)
As early as 1965, the Shanghai Refrigerator Factory successfully developed my country's first air conditioner: a three-phase power window air conditioner.

However, it was not put into the civilian market at the time, but was only provided to some special departments for use in maintaining room temperature.

It wasn't until 74 that TZ City Radio Components Factory, the predecessor of Chunlan Group, developed its first civilian window air conditioner at the request of a customer. The product code was CKF-3A, and the brand was "Xuesong".

When Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian heard that it was an air conditioner, they became interested and gathered around it to study how to use it.
Chen Fan ran to the other side to unpack the box, and said with a smile, "Don't worry about the air conditioner for now, we don't need that thing yet."

Jiang Lili turned to look at him and asked curiously, "Why?"

Chen Fan unpacked the box and looked at her with a smile, "This air conditioner can only cool, not heat. It won't be useful for at least five months."

Despite this, it did not quell the two sisters' curiosity. They studied the air conditioner for a while until they heard a sound from the side, at which point they looked up and turned around to look.

A Venus brand color television was sitting steadily on the octagonal table, and Chen Fan was changing the channels.

Extend the antenna on the back of the television, and a blurry image will quickly appear on the color screen.

Upon seeing the television, the two sisters instantly forgot about the air conditioner and ran to the TV together.

Jiang Lili's eyes were full of surprise, "It's a color TV."

Jiang Tiantian tilted her head and gestured, "This is 19 inches, right? It's so big!"

Chen Fan adjusted the signal while holding the antenna and laughed, "Yes, it's a Venus brand 19-inch color TV."

Interestingly, in 70, the Shanghai Jinxing Pen Factory successfully trial-produced the first 47-centimeter all-transistor single-gun dual-beam color television set, marking the birth of my country's first color television set. Almost simultaneously, the Tianjin factory also developed a color television.

But the pen factory in Shanghai went a step further, developing the C47-312 color television in 1974.

It's the one on the table right now.

Whether it's the refrigerator and air conditioner in front of you, or the television set in front of you, they are all extremely scarce and in high demand. I don't know what methods Director Yang and his team used to assemble this set of "modern home appliances".

Compared to the "upstairs and downstairs, electric lights and telephones" that most people across the country still dream of, Chen Fan can be considered to have "achieved everything in one step".

I'm lucky today. TV programs are broadcast twice a day. The first broadcast has two time slots: either from 9 a.m. to noon or from 2 p.m. to evening.

If the program airs in the morning, the second time slot will be from 6 PM to around 10 PM. If it airs in the afternoon, it will air again at 7 PM.

Today is the first time slot after the afternoon broadcast; otherwise, there would be no programs to watch now.

However, once the TV was turned on, no one paid attention to the boxes behind it.

(End of this chapter)