The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 43 The Factory's Second Reward

"Build a new workshop?"

"There's no need for that. The task we received is temporary, lasting at most one or two years. After that, other machine factories will definitely take over a batch of production tasks, and it might even take less than one or two years."

After listening to Section Chief Lü's words, Zhou Zhiqiang thought about it for a moment and quickly realized that building a new workshop was not a good idea.

It sounds like an unreliable decision to specifically recruit senior technicians to produce the equipment needed for the new alloy process furnace.

Their factory did indeed receive a batch of production tasks first because of their production experience.

However, all the steel mills will definitely set up new alloy steel production lines in the future, and the number of equipment needed at that time will certainly not be enough for Dafeng Machinery Factory alone.

There will definitely be other machinery and equipment manufacturers producing these devices, and then quickly completing the production process change.

They might have just finished setting up their new workshop when other machinery factories received orders from their superiors to produce new alloy steel processing equipment.

They painstakingly set up the workshop, but after a year or two, there are hardly any tasks left. What will happen to the new workshop then?
"What you said makes some sense."

After listening to Zhou Zhiqiang's words, Section Chief Lü immediately felt that they made some sense.

They painstakingly built the new workshop, and then all the other machinery factories joined in to produce the new equipment. But what happens to the new workshop when the steel plant no longer needs it?
In a workshop where highly skilled workers are gathered together, are they specifically looking for precision and cutting-edge components to be processed by them?
They are a factory that manufactures agricultural machinery and equipment, not a factory that specializes in military products.

"Zhiqiang, you're quick-witted. How about this, you come with me to find the factory manager and talk to him about this matter."

"No, no, Section Chief, I was just saying. The factory director might have his own judgment."

Zhou Zhiqiang quickly waved his hand and said, "I'm just a junior technician, how can I see so much? Why don't you go by yourself?"

“You’re about to be promoted, you’re no longer just a junior technician. Even if the factory manager has his own considerations, we still have an obligation to persuade him, do you understand?”

After Section Chief Lü finished speaking, he pulled Zhou Zhiqiang toward the factory director's office.

After the two left the technical department, the others started discussing it.

"Hey, what did the section chief mean by that just now? Is Zhou Zhiqiang going to be promoted again?"

"What do you mean he's going to be promoted again? He's never been promoted before."

"Doesn't becoming a permanent employee mean a raise in salary? He had been working at the factory for less than a year when he got his permanent position; I heard that other college graduates take at least a year and a half to become permanent employees."

Li Shun couldn't help but interject with envy, saying that he graduated from high school in the city and then worked in a factory for almost three years before coming to the technical department.

However, after the grading process, he was only assigned to the level 16 technician, which was far behind Zhou Zhiqiang.

Hearing that Zhou Zhiqiang was going to be promoted again, Li Shun's envy instantly turned into jealousy, like a flame doused with hot oil.

"There's nothing we can do, Zhiqiang is capable, we really can't compare to him in that respect."

Zhao Jiabao was quite knowledgeable. He had consulted Zhou Zhiqiang on technical issues and found his explanations of the technology to be clearer than those of anyone else he had heard before.

Moreover, Zhou Zhiqiang made many contributions, such as organizing the factory's technical drawings and classifying machine tools after joining the factory.

They also helped them finish up and repair machinery in the countryside. They were often away from the factory recently because they were on 'special missions'.

Now that the mission is over and we're back at the factory, upgrading is only natural.

However, Li Shun was still unhappy and said, "That's true, but we're all just doing the work, so why does he keep getting promoted?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiabao glanced at Li Shun but didn't continue the conversation, burying himself in his own task.

Although a few people felt envious and jealous, they weren't foolish enough to say it out loud like Li Shun. They all worked in the same office; directly expressing dissatisfaction with their coworkers would be too stupid.

"Factory Director, Zhiqiang's opinion is like this, and I think he makes some sense."

After Section Chief Lü brought Zhou Zhiqiang to the factory director's office, he directly repeated all of Zhou Zhiqiang's ideas.

But the addition of "This is Zhiqiang's opinion" at the end left Zhou Zhiqiang somewhat bewildered.

Zhou Zhiqiang inwardly clenched his teeth. This Section Chief Lü, he could have just said it, but he had to insist that it was his opinion.

However, after listening, Director Zhao sat down to ponder with his teacup and didn't speak immediately, so Zhou Zhiqiang didn't rush to explain.

After a while, Factory Director Zhao finally spoke up, saying, "What you're saying makes some sense; this matter is indeed a bit urgent."

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Lü nodded in agreement and turned to give Zhou Zhiqiang a look: Nothing's wrong at all.

"I thought you came today to ask about the matters discussed at the factory's Party Committee meeting. Deputy Factory Director Liu should have informed you, but he went out this afternoon, so you probably don't know yet."

After hearing what Factory Director Zhao said, Section Chief Lü asked in confusion, "Factory Director, what was discussed at the factory's Party Committee meeting?"

"The commendation from the bureau has been issued, and it is tentatively proposed to raise Comrade Zhou Zhiqiang's treatment by two levels. However, the factory party committee has also decided to add a deputy section chief position in the technical section, and Comrade Zhou Zhiqiang will serve as the deputy section chief of the technical section, receiving the treatment of level 18."

I remember Comrade Zhiqiang was previously a level 13 technician. His promotion of two levels is roughly equivalent to the treatment of a level 18 cadre, so the factory party committee's decision is appropriate.

After Director Zhao finished speaking, he put down his teacup and continued, "Tomorrow morning, the appointment notice from the factory's Party Committee will be posted on the factory office notice board, and the broadcasting room will also notify everyone in the factory."

Comrade Zhiqiang, you'll have to work hard from now on.

Zhou Zhiqiang may have more missions to take on outside the factory, and with his deputy section chief status, he can represent Dafeng Machinery Factory when he goes out.

At least that's what the factory's Party Committee was thinking.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang immediately replied, "Factory Director, don't worry, I will definitely do my best to contribute to the development of the factory and the country."

"Yes, well said."

Factory Director Zhao nodded in agreement, then changed the subject and continued, "Then tell me your thoughts on setting up the new workshop, and elaborate on them."

'So you were waiting here.'

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang felt helpless. Director Zhao first praised him and then belittled him, revealing good news to get him to express his opinion, and then using that expression as a pretext to get him to share his thoughts. It was truly a series of interconnected schemes.

"Factory manager, I have a preliminary idea, would you like to hear it?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Zhiqiang continued, "Setting up a new workshop would be too much of a commotion, and if there aren't many high-precision jobs after the new workshop is set up, then the new workshop's position would be a bit awkward."

Instead of building new workshops, it would be better to establish standing specialized teams with a fixed list of senior technicians; when there is a task, the technicians in the specialized teams can be called up to do the work.

Like special operations teams, they go into action when needed and disband when not, going back to rest.

"During the period of establishing the standing special task force, we will just provide some overtime pay and the rest will remain the same as before."

After all, we can't guarantee that production will always be scheduled for our factory. There are quite a few machinery factories in Beijing that are more powerful than ours, including those large factories directly under ministries.

Director Zhao took Zhou Zhiqiang's words to heart.

Their Dafeng Machinery Factory belonged to the Industrial Bureau. The First Ministry of Machine Building had three or four directly affiliated factories, and the factory had a significantly larger number of senior technicians than theirs.

(End of this chapter)