A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

The steel rolling mill, the small building of the technical department, the chief engineer's office.

Ren Zhongyuan, along with three old men—Li Changfu and Wang Chaogui—crammed into the office. The lights weren't even on. They watched as the three big leaders got into a small jeep and sped out the door.

"Old Ren, why are you dragging me here instead of drinking some wine?"

Ren Zhongyuan, however, had a serious expression on his face. He and Wang Chaogui exchanged a glance.

He finally spoke up: "Old Li! To be honest, I might have messed you up this time."

Li Chengfu remained nonchalant: "Oh? Tell me about it!"

Seeing that Li Chengfu remained unhurried, Wang Chaogui grew anxious: "Hey, Lao Li! Do you know who came with Minister Xia and the others? That's Wang Huzi!"

"Yes! I know, General Wang, he's a very remarkable person. He's the one who led 100,000 demobilized soldiers north to reclaim wasteland!"

"I heard he also brought back quite a lot of cornmeal."

"Is the important thing cornmeal?" Ren Zhongyuan asked, somewhat exasperated. "It's our tractor!"

"Look at Wang Huzi, he practically wants to drag the prototype away!"

"The product is good, everyone likes it. I even want to drive it to and from get off work!" Li Changfu narrowed his eyes slightly.

It's like I'm picturing myself speeding down the street this morning. Hey, that felt so good!

"Hey, Lao Ren. How about we take the improved model out for another spin tomorrow?"

His words seemed to evoke Ren Zhongyuan's memories of the morning's parade.

The fragrance of the flower rain still seems to linger at the tip of my nose.

Ren Zhongyuan and Wang Chaogui laughed like idiots, hehehe.

It seems like we could try again.

We can produce a prototype once, an improved version, and then another, and even more improved versions can be produced, right?

As the saying goes, their descendants will never cease to exist!

No, no! Ren Zhongyuan shook his head, banishing the evil thought from his mind.

"What I mean is, if Wang Huzi has his eye on something, he'll definitely demand that the Ministry of Machinery produce it immediately. After all, you're a steel rolling mill!"

"What if the Ministry of Machinery Industry sends this precious machine to a specialized tractor factory to make? Wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?"

Wang Chaogui nodded hurriedly, "That's right! After all, considering the overall strategy, what Old Ren said is highly likely!"

"Just like the Imperial Garden Factory back then, wasn't it assigned to the First Ministry of Machine Building for the same reason!"

Upon hearing Ren Zhongyuan say "we," Li Changfu smiled and offered the two of them a cigarette.

"Hey, if that's the case, then the Imperial Garden Factory is the most likely to take over this project. Old Ren, haven't you always treated that factory like your own grandson?"

"If we take over this project, it could really become the number one tractor factory in the country! Who knows, you, the minister in name only, might even get your position reinstated!"

Ren Zhongyuan was stunned when he heard this.

Suddenly, he shouted, "So, Li Changfu! Is that the kind of despicable person you think I am?!"

He threw the cigarette he had just lit onto the ground.

As if he was still not satisfied, Ren Zhongyuan stood up and paced back and forth in the office twice with his hands behind his back.

Suddenly, he turned around and slammed both palms onto Li Changfu's desk.

"Let me tell you, Li Changfu! What I, Ren Zhongyuan, want is not just to be reinstated to my former position!"

What I, Ren Zhongyuan, want is not some imperial garden factory!

What I want is for every household in the commune to have a tractor to drive!

Ren Zhongyuan opened his mouth wide and roared at Li Changfu.

"What I want is for Wang Dahuzi to be able to use this tractor to grow more grain!"

"What I want is for our China to truly achieve a yield of 3000 jin per mu!"

"I want!"

I want all children to never go hungry again!

At this point, Ren Zhongyuan could no longer hold back and squatted down to sob.

"Old Li, I really don't want all this nonsense. You can't just give up this project! I haven't seen any other factory that can make the machine so quickly, except for yours!"

"This tractor is so useful!"

"Alright, alright, you're such a grown man, and you're still peeing like a cat, aren't you ashamed!"

Li Changfu reached out to pull Ren Zhongyuan up: "Get up quickly!"

"I won't get up! I won't get up unless you agree!"

"Hey! How can I agree to that? Can we interfere with the Ministry of Machinery's decision?"

"Why not! You took that idiot factory manager to cry about the project, don't think I don't know!"

Li Changfu blushed. Wasn't this a secret? How did even the Ministry of Agricultural Machinery know?

"Alright, I promise you, no one can take this project away from you, okay?"

Ren Zhongyuan looked up suspiciously: "What guarantee do you have?"

Li Changfu glanced at Ren Zhongyuan, whose face was streaked with tears. "Hey, so he really did cry."

It's no longer appropriate to tease this guy who's so dedicated to serving the people.

"In your understanding, what can a tractor be used for?"

"Farmland, well, it can also be used to transport goods, and people too!"

That's a one-sided view!

"what?"

"Go see for yourself!" Li Changfu pointed to a general outline on the table.

Wang Chaogui was studying the object when he noticed that Ren Zhongyuan had stopped crying. He beckoned to him and said, "Come here, Lao Ren! This thing is amazing!"

Ren Zhongyuan scrambled to his feet, then squatted down again after a moment's thought.

He picked up the cigarette he had thrown away and stuffed it into his mouth: "I can't waste it."

The report's description of a series of agricultural machines had already dazzled Ren Zhongyuan.

"This! Is all of this really possible?"

“Some of it has already started production. Lao Ren, do you think the Ministry of Machinery will hand over this project to someone else based solely on this report?”

Before Ren Zhongyuan could answer, Li Changfu answered his own question: "No! It's impossible to hand it over to anyone else. This is a platform! It's a comprehensive plan!"

"Others? Hmph! They can't even imagine what this is. How can I hand it over to them? Besides, the steel rolling mill is different from the factory in your Imperial Garden. We belong to the First Ministry of Machine Building."

"If we distribute it, who dares to take it? Who is capable of taking it?"

"Hmph! If I don't speak first when spring comes, which insect will dare to utter a sound!"

For a moment, Li Changfu exuded an overbearing aura, attracting Ren Zhongyuan's frequent sidelong glances.

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter!"

"Chief Engineer!"

"Little Ma! How's it going? Did Lao Xia take the project proposal?"

Ma Zhendong nodded repeatedly: "He took it. Minister Xia took it personally. He even told me not to make a fuss!"

"Hahaha, Old Xia, this is what they call Jiang Taigong fishing!"

Ren Zhongyuan gasped: "Old Li! Your schemes run this deep?"

"Pah, speak properly! What do you mean by scheming! This plan will eventually be handed over to Lao Xia anyway, he'll get it sooner or later. I'm just letting him find out on his own."

Li Changfu picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"Old Ren, you just said you were surprised by our production speed? What's going on? And what about that factory in the Imperial Garden? Why hasn't it been announced that it's completed and put into production yet?"

"The first machine rolled off the production line in 58, so why have we only produced less than twenty units so far? Have you thought about why?"

The barrage of questions left Ren Zhongyuan momentarily stunned.