Dreaming back to 1949, the great powers were there to deceive us

Hu Zhenhua’s question made Lao Guo lose all desire to sleep.

In the lobby on the first floor of Chinachem, hundreds of people gathered together, chatting in twos and threes. These were managers and chief engineers of the machinery manufacturers.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, Hu Zhenhua walked into the hall. When everyone saw the God of Wealth coming, they immediately quieted down.

"Dear seniors, I am Hu Zhenhua. Thank you all for taking the time to come! Today's meeting will definitely not disappoint you."

"Hello, Chairman Hu, I'm Wang Mo, the manager of Levi Motors!"

"Nice to meet you!"

"Hello, Chairman Hu, I am Zou Du, the manager of Xinzhong Machinery Factory."

"Nice to meet you!"

……

Hu Zhenhua shook hands with them one by one, and after exchanging greetings, everyone sat down in the designated areas according to their categories.

The people Hu Zhenhua convened today are roughly divided into seven categories, namely.

Machine tool manufacturing.

Internal combustion engine manufacturing.

Automobile parts manufacturing.

Boiler manufacturing category.

Clock and watch manufacturing.

Cast iron.

Motors and electrical appliances.

After the meeting started, Hu Zhenhua took out a drawing, hung it on the wall, and said,

"Our Tongan Company has a huge demand for transport vehicles. The one marked here is a transport vehicle, which I call a 'four-legged beast'."

"Four-wheeled vehicle" is a term used in later generations to refer to vehicles that do not look like tractors, tricycles, agricultural vehicles, or material transport vehicles. The main components include steering wheels, chassis, front and rear axles, etc.

Describe it in two words: simple!

Of course, Shanghai can also produce some vehicles, but most of them are mainly assembled. It is still struggling to explore independent production and design.

China's overall level in this regard lags far behind that of the West.

Wang Mo, the manager of Liwei Automobile, simply glanced at the drawings and said with a smile,

"Mr. Hu, our company can definitely meet your requirements. How many cars do you plan to order?"

Before coming to the meeting, Hu Zhenhua specifically learned about the background of each company. This Levi Company was originally a foreign-funded company. It was acquired by the Kong family, one of the four major families, in 1946. Its main business is automobile import and maintenance.

If you think that Levitra is developing the national automobile industry, you are completely wrong, because Levitra is a representative of the comprador class.

What is the comprador class? It can be described in two words: profiteers!

If they were just reselling goods, they could also boost the economy. The problem is that the comprador class colluded with bureaucratic capital for their own interests and blocked the development of national industry.

For example, at the end of 1944, Fan Qingsheng developed the first batch of 5 units per bottle of penicillin. War-torn China became one of the first countries in the world to mass-produce penicillin. However, this significant initiative, beneficial to both the nation and the people, received little attention from the Nationalist government. A high-ranking official named Song quipped, "Foreign countries can't even use up all the penicillin they import, so why should China produce its own?"

Why did he say such a thing?

This is because if penicillin is imported from abroad, the comprador class can make huge profits.

If domestic production breaks the monopoly, how can the comprador class make money without doing anything? You have to know that during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the price of a tube of penicillin was as high as a small yellow croaker (1 tael of gold).

The comprador class is essentially the spokesperson for imperialism in China, and they naturally will not support national industry.

Levitra's large-scale import of foreign cars indirectly hindered the development of the national automobile industry, because in terms of technology and cost, how could domestic cars compete with Western cars.

Hu Zhenhua looked at Wang Mo with a smile and replied,

"I believe Levi has the capacity, but our company needs it urgently. I wonder how many vehicles you can provide within a month?"

Wang Mo opened his mouth, but it seemed as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat and he couldn't make a sound.

If Tongan wanted an existing finished car, he could get as many as he wanted within a month, but he wanted a hybrid, which required redesign and assembly.

Strictly speaking, the Sibu Xiang doesn't have much technical content. The engine, gearbox, and chassis can be put together casually, and then debugged at most. Apart from spending some time, there is no difficulty at all.

However, what Levi Company lacks is time.

What TA company wants is equivalent to putting Levi and other companies on the same starting line.

Wang Mo thought for a moment and said,

"Mr. Hu, Levi Company has a wide range of cars and trucks, and we have a great price advantage."

Hu Zhenhua waved his hand.

"There is absolutely no possibility of changing the model I want!"

After saying that, he looked at the representatives from several other companies.

Wen Youyou, the manager of Puxi Iron and Steel, immediately said,

"I wonder if Tongan has more detailed design drawings?"

What Hu Zhenhua provided was just a rendering, but it has been verified by later generations that the layout of each structure is very reasonable.

Hu Zhenhua laughed and said,

"No, I wonder if anyone is confident that they can build a prototype car within a day?"

Wen Youyou was whispering with the technicians around him. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zou Du, the manager of Xinzhong Machinery Factory, said,

"Without detailed design data, the various subsystems of the vehicle may not work perfectly together, which will result in wasted power!"

When Hu Zhenhua heard this, he knew that this person was an expert, and he immediately asked,

"If I allow for some power loss, can Xinzhong Machinery Factory build a prototype vehicle in one day?"

After Zou Du exchanged a few words with Han Shen, the manager of Anyuan Auto Repair Shop, he said,

"It's not a big deal. What I want to know is how many vehicles Tongan can order?"

Hu Zhenhua smiled and stretched out a finger.

"Within three months, I want 1 vehicles, but in the first month, at least 1000. Furthermore, after this first batch of vehicles is delivered, I require you to refine the Sibu Xiang. You must have reasonable design data!"

Zou Du swallowed his saliva, his face became serious, and he stammered,

"Mr. Hu, the design is fine, but as for the production capacity, I'm afraid even the entire Magic City can't match it. We, Xinzhong, produce internal combustion engines. We can't claim to be the only one in the industry, but we can definitely squeeze into the top three. Even if we run at full capacity, our monthly output is only 7000 horsepower. Assuming a Sibu Xiang (Four-Disguise) with 20 horsepower, Xinzhong can only produce 350 vehicles a month. Even with the combined efforts of several internal combustion engine manufacturers in Magic City, we can only meet the power needs of 1000 vehicles a month!"

Hu Zhenhua had long known that China's industrial foundation was weak, but he had not expected it to be so weak. The joy of the industrial survey disappeared at this moment.

Based on this production capacity, Tongan’s subsequent plans will probably be difficult to implement.

Wang Mo from Levi Company saw the opportunity and immediately said,

"Mr. Hu, our company can provide engines and gearboxes in large quantities."

As soon as these words were spoken, many company managers' faces showed gloom.

Imports have always been a sword hanging over the heads of local industries.

Hu Zhenhua really didn't like Wang Mo, but at this time, he was the only one who could cooperate with Tong'an's subsequent plans.

"Mr. Wang, our company was deceived during the cotton import process. Therefore, our company has adjusted its relevant policies. All imported goods must pass inspection before they can be accepted in Tongan!"

Wang Mo's face turned ugly. Hu Zhenhua meant: You need to advance the money!

More than 10,000 engines and gearboxes, how much does that cost!

Wang Mo thought for a moment and came up with an idea.

"Mr. Hu, Liwei can deliver these more than 10 engines and gearboxes in batches, but I have one request: the payment must be made immediately after Tongan passes the inspection."

Delivering the goods in 10 installments means that Levi Company only needs to advance a very small amount of funds each time.

Wang Mo deliberately did not mention other accessories in order to leave some room for other companies to reduce resistance.

Hu Zhenhua laughed heartily.

"Mr. Wang Mo, I'm afraid you misunderstood. I want the whole car, not parts!"

After all, Liwei cannot let other companies off the hook. This order requires the concerted efforts of all the companies in Shanghai.

The hodgepodge is also a motor vehicle. Since it is a motor vehicle, it cannot do without three major parts. Now, the engine and gearbox have been solved, and only the chassis is left.

The chassis is composed of four parts: transmission system, running system, steering system and braking system. It supports and installs the automobile engine and its components and assemblies, forms the overall shape of the automobile, withstands the engine power and ensures normal driving.

Everyone gathered in a circle and talked to each other for just over ten minutes before they finalized the plan. Wang Mo and Wen Youyou, the manager of Puxi Iron and Steel, took the lead in negotiating with Hu Zhenhua.

"Mr. Hu, we've accepted the order for 1 vehicles within three months. However, how do you determine the price? How do you pay for it?"

Hu Zhenhua looked at them solemnly.

"Everyone, by this time tomorrow, can you produce a qualified prototype?"

Wen Youyou exchanged glances with Han Shen, the manager of Anyuan Auto Repair Shop, and said categorically,

"no problem!"

Hu Zhenhua then smiled and made a gesture of invitation.

“Please quote!”

This price is not so easy to quote, because the parts come from different manufacturers and there may be inconsistent quality in the future.

Everyone suddenly discovered a problem, that is, who is responsible for the assembly of the Sibu Xiang?

In just two minutes, a fierce quarrel broke out in the venue.

More than a dozen companies, including Liwei, Xinzhong, and Anyuan Auto Repair, are vying for control of the assembly line.

Hu Zhenhua looked at his nose with his eyes, and his nose looked at his heart, like an old monk in meditation, and never interfered.

According to normal thinking, Tongan would be the most appropriate person to lead this assembly, but Hu Zhenhua's plan does not focus on production, so he does not want to participate.