A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Outside the steel rolling mill, a strange-looking machine was pulling a cart full of people, all of whom were holding red flags and singing patriotic songs.

All of this made those who saw it stop and stare.

"This is a hand-held tractor manufactured by our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!"

Whenever someone asks, Yang Youning always shouts this sentence at the top of his lungs.

"A steel rolling mill can now manufacture tractors?" Everyone who heard the answer was speechless.

A young man with a camera slung over his shoulder snapped a picture of the people on the tractor and hurried a few steps to catch up with it.

He asked Jiang Xia, who was driving the tractor:

"Comrade, hello! Are you from the steel rolling mill going to participate in the parade rehearsal?"

"Was this tractor really manufactured by your steel rolling mill?"

"Is this really a tractor? Why does it look different from the first tractor in China?"

"Hey!! Comrade, don't go! Comrade! Comrade! I'm a reporter from the newspaper!"

"Put-put-put," the tractor carried everyone forward for a while before stopping.

Jiang Xia shook his hands, which were sore from being pulled by the steel cable, and smiled brightly at the reporter who was rushing after him: "Excuse me, comrade, the engine was too loud. I didn't hear what you just said. Could you repeat it?"

"Eh? Oh! Hello, comrade, I'm a reporter from the newspaper..."

"last sentence."

"Tractors are really..."

"In the previous sentence!"

This reporter is good-natured; he didn't criticize Jiang Xia despite the situation.

"Is your steel rolling mill going to participate in the parade rehearsal?"

"Rehearsal? Does a mass parade even need a rehearsal?"

"Yes! There won't be a military parade this year; it'll be a mass parade instead!"

Wow~~~ There hasn't been a military parade in 60 years?

Jiang Xia turned to look at Yang Youning suspiciously, but Yang Youning paid him no heed and continued waving the red flag, "This is a tractor made by our steel rolling mill! Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!"

"Jiang Xia! What are you doing stopping?! Move along! The flag won't fly without wind!"

Jiang Xia, his face darkening, thought to himself: I think what's waving isn't a flag, it's you!

"Reporter, if you could wait a moment, I'd like to give you a proper introduction to this tractor, how about that?"

"China's first hand-held tractor! We even made the engine ourselves!"

"Oh, oh, oh! But wasn't the first tractor Dongfanghong?"

"Hey, that one's tracked, ours's hand-operated, the structures are different! More importantly, this machine is the best proof of our self-reliance!"

"Oh, okay, okay!" The reporter glanced at the tractor's simple appearance and nodded with satisfaction.

Jiangxia rushed back to the tractor, picked up the crank, and cranked it hard to restart it. There was no other way; the rudimentary tractor had no gearbox and would stall as soon as it stopped. To restart it, he had to crank the jack.

Carefully controlling the throttle, Jiang Xia made a sharp turn and drove the tractor back to the factory.

Yang Youning was a little annoyed. He hadn't even had a chance to wave the flag properly before he had to go back to the factory.

"Could it be that the tractor has broken down?" The thought popped into Yang Youning's head, and he was startled.

After turning into the factory gate and walking a distance further, we arrived at the repair workshop.

Yang Youning's face darkened: "It's over, there's really a problem. It's even driven into the repair shop."

Li Changfu and Ren Zhongyuan also rushed over.

"Jiang Xia! What's wrong with the car?"

Jiang Xia waved his hand: "Master! Minister Ren, the car is fine! I just have an idea."

Then, he looked at Yang Youning and asked, "Factory Director? Can you find us a handcart?"

Yang Youning was taken aback. Why would you want a cart?

"Here it is! Here it is!" Du Changyuan, the director of the repair workshop, appeared out of nowhere.

He greeted Yang Youning and Li Changfu, then pointed to a corner of the workshop.

"Okay, do any of the master craftsmen also know carpentry?"

Master Qin raised his hand: "Engineer Jiang, you know all the carpentry work, but it's just the basics. What exactly is wrong with the car?"

"Hey everyone, the car's fine!"

"Well, I wouldn't say there are no problems. There are quite a few things that need to be revised, but that's not something to do today!"

Jiang Xia pointed to the warehouse next to the repair workshop, "There's a lot of timber there. Could you master craftsmen help me install some railings on the carts? Also, connect these two carts together—it has to be a rigid connection, not ropes or chains!"

"Factory manager, is it okay to include this timber as a trial fee?"

Yang Youning waved his hand, "Use it as you like."

Jiang Xia whispered a few more words to Wang Kui, who nodded and drove off in his jeep.

The crowd didn't understand what Jiang Xia was planning to do, but since he was the designer of the blueprints, they figured they might as well do it.

Li Changfu said in a light tone: "Little rascal, let him do whatever he wants."

With a few clanging sounds, a fence was erected around the cart. Several layers of wooden strips were placed on top of the fence to serve as handrails.

"By the way, are all the master chefs who participated in the production here? Everyone, please check with each other to see if they're not here. If they're not here, please send someone to find them!"

…………

After a wait, the master chefs finally gathered together.

Jiangxia respectfully invited them to get into the car one by one.

Looking back, he saw his master, Ren Zhongyuan, Wang Chaogui, and others standing on the cart.

With a gentle pull on the accelerator, "Let's go!"

"Put-put-put-put!!" The engine spewed out a plume of black smoke, slowly churning its wheels like an old ox.

As Jiangxia increased the throttle, the speed gradually increased.

Du Changyuan, who was reporting to Yang Youning, gaped: "Goodness! So many people can be moved?"

"Factory manager, our steel rolling mill is really something!"

Yang Youning, still carrying the same red flag on his shoulder, stuck out his tongue again upon hearing this: "Hahaha! Right! That was really impressive!"

"Hey? Why did you leave again! You little brat! Wait for me!"

Leaving aside Yang Youning, who was chasing after Jiangxia with a flag, Du Changyuan looked at Yi Zhonghai, who was watching the commotion at the workshop entrance, and asked curiously:

"Master Yi, all the level 8 workers in the factory have gone to that truck, what are you still doing here? Weren't you also transferred the other day?"

Yi Zhonghai's face twitched, and he forced a smile: "Hey, I'm just an old man from the courtyard house, you know. Something happened there. I have to go back and deal with it later, so I won't be coming up, I won't be coming up~~"

After saying that, he stared blankly in the direction the tractor had gone, lost in thought.

The tractor returned to the factory gate. Wang Kui, who had been prepared, quickly hung big red flowers on the two carts and handed a red flag to each of the master craftsmen on the carts.

Then, accompanied by two soldiers, they drove a small jeep and followed the tractor at a leisurely pace.

Yang Youning, who had been running all the way, finally jumped onto the first cart.

"You brat! What do you think you're doing?"

Jiang Xia turned his head and smiled, then suddenly stepped on the gas, causing Yang Youning to stumble. Fortunately, he managed to grab the newly installed handrail, and the red flag on his shoulder was shaken open, fluttering in the wind.

"Factory manager! Master chef! And the head chefs!"

"Let's carry the red flag, sing songs, and the students will take you on a tour of the national border!"