Great Power Industry: You're a private company building an aircraft carrier?

The days leading up to the new year were very stressful, but also inspiring.

A rolling mill production line, a two-billion-dollar contract! The entire First Heavy Machinery Group is working hard on this project, and other projects are temporarily suspended. We need to get the rolling mill built first!

The design drawings are all in the archives. They can start manufacturing by referring to the design drawings. However, some key parts are produced in Laiyang Factory. If Laiyang Factory can manufacture them, why can't our First Heavy Machinery manufacture them?

Just kidding, Laiyang Factory is just a small private enterprise, a small factory opened by a few workers from Shougang Group. Our First Heavy Machinery is the strongest enterprise in China!

Fan Guangming, the head of the technical department, personally led the team to manufacture the key components.

"It is indeed difficult to manufacture nearly 300 tons of rolls, but for our First Heavy Machinery, this is nothing. We have long since successfully developed a series of new material rolls. Now, we are using high-chromium cast iron rolls, and their performance is definitely better than the rolls smelted in the simple electric furnace at Laiyang Plant!" Fan Guangming said confidently.

The most crucial part of a rolling mill is the rolls, which are responsible for rolling steel billets into steel plates, similar to a rolling pin used for making hand-rolled noodles.

However, steel is not dough; in order to extrude it into shape, the rollers must be very hard.

There is a domestic foundation in this field. Rolls made of ductile iron, white cast iron, high chromium cast iron, and other materials have been developed, which can not only be used domestically but also exported.

Can the rolls used in a 5.5-meter rolling mill really stump our First Heavy Machinery?

Soon, the first roll was manufactured.

"Quickly, conduct a hardness test!" Zhao Guangsheng said expectantly.

"Test passed!"

Zhao Guangsheng was immediately relieved. As long as the hardness was up to standard, the roller was almost ready!

"Impact test! Pressurize to one thousand tons!"

Snap, snap snap!

On the testing platform, the rollers were visibly expelling their outer skin, and everyone who saw this felt a chill run down their spines.

The rolls need to withstand 100,000 tons of pressure to roll steel that is 5.5 meters wide. The test has only just begun, and the surface of the rolls has already started to crack!

What's the situation?

Hardness and toughness are two mutually restrictive factors in steel. High hardness may result in low toughness. When the steel billet first enters the rolling mill, there will be a huge impact. If the roll shaft is not tough enough, it may break.

What now?

The impact force wasn't even at the level of a regular steel rolling test; the surface broke off as soon as the pressure was applied!

If such rollers are installed on a rolling mill, even if steel can be rolled out, the surface will be pitted and uneven.

It doesn't meet the requirements at all!

"We need to anneal the rolls to increase their surface toughness!" Fan Guangming quickly summarized his experience.

A few days later, the second roll was produced. After undergoing more rigorous heat treatment, its surface was no longer shiny but instead turned somewhat dull.

“This time there will definitely be no problem, our heat treatment process is top-notch!” Fan Guangming watched as the rolls were put onto the test platform.

Strength test passed!

Impact test: 1,000 tons, no problem! 3,000 tons, no problem! 5,000 tons... *crack*!

The rolling mill shaft broke!

It is required to withstand the impact of 100,000 tons, but it only has 5,000 tons and it is already causing all sorts of problems!

"I refuse to believe I can't make it if I improve the process again!" Fan Guangming said through gritted teeth.

Time flies when research and development are underway; Lunar New Year's Eve has passed, the Lantern Festival has passed, and the Dragon Head Raising Festival has passed...

Each rolling mill roll weighs two to three hundred tons, and twenty rolls have already been made, but not a single one is up to standard!

Zhao Guangsheng was getting anxious.

"Old Fan, are you sure you can handle this?"

"Nonsense, of course I can do it! Give me some more time!"

"But we're out of time! Two months of the three-month timeframe have already passed!" Zhao Guangsheng said anxiously. "Also, we haven't even started developing the hydraulic and electronic control systems yet!"

It's too late, it's really too late!

Research and development is a matter of luck. If you're lucky, you might be able to get it done in a week; if you're unlucky, it might take a year!

When the three months are up, the South Koreans should come to claim compensation!

They didn't even make two hundred million dollars, and now they're losing four billion dollars! Where would First Heavy Machinery come from to raise that much money?

The night was already deep, but the lights in the conference room were still shining brightly.

“I have already contacted the German side,” Xing Fugui said. “Rheinmetall is willing to help us make the rolls, but the delivery time is three months, and they want five hundred million US dollars.”

"This is clearly an outrageous demand!" Zhao Guangsheng said angrily. "Four rolling mills only weigh about a thousand tons. Where would they need so much money!"

“Yes, not only is the price high, but the delivery time is also too late!” Guo Jianli frowned. “Ordering from abroad is definitely not an option. Moreover, the production cycle of such rolling mills abroad is generally one year. We actually need to deliver in three months, which is simply unrealistic.”

"Do you think this could be a trap set by the South Koreans? They don't actually intend to order rolling mills from us; they just want to claim compensation?"

Xing Fugui's words instantly plunged Zhao Guangsheng into an ice cave.

The South Koreans came in a hurry. At the time, Guo Jianli and Xing Fugui were both in a meeting in the capital, and the old factory director was recuperating. The South Koreans were also in a rush.

After contacting them, Zhao Guangsheng had no choice but to sign the contract. Both of them agreed when they called, but now, thinking back…

If something really goes wrong, they'll have to take responsibility for the signature Zhao Guangsheng made!

Thinking of this, Guo Jianli and Xing Fugui felt their whole bodies begin to tremble.

Four billion in compensation—such a huge loss! He's got a death sentence!

“Now, we can only go to Engineer Qin,” Guo Jianli said. “Their factory has already produced a rolling mill of the same level, and it’s still running normally. They definitely have the capability.”

“That’s right, Engineer Zhu and his team have officially joined Laiyang Factory. I heard that Engineer Zhu has even become the top manager. We can definitely ask them for help!” Xing Fugui added.

"Old Zhao, you should make another trip!" Guo Jianli looked at him: "After all, he used to be your subordinate. No matter where he goes, he's still one of our First Heavy Machinery Company's people. He has to help with this!"

Zhao Guangsheng nodded: "Okay, when he wanted to resign and leave our First Heavy Machinery, we didn't make things difficult for him. If he has any conscience, he should help us out!"

State-owned enterprises are not places you can just get into or leave as you please! Some people have been trying to resign for two or three years without getting their applications approved or their employment records transferred, which has dragged down their chances of starting a new job.

Zhu Lijun left, and the people he took with him also left. The First Heavy Machinery Company did not make things difficult for them at all, and gave them the green light all the way, which is very rare!

Zhu Lijun should repay the kindness!

With this in mind, Zhao Guangsheng headed south again.

Although he was somewhat frightened during his last visit to Laiyang Factory, the final outcome satisfied him, and he successfully secured a 2 billion yuan deal.

How full of vigor he was back then!

This Spring Festival, the amount of New Year's gifts distributed by First Heavy Machinery was several times that of other units, and everyone praised him.

Looking back now, he's already starting to regret it.

Why bother? If you don't do anything, you won't make mistakes. Why get involved in this mess?