Doomsday Mechanic: My Train Can Be Modified Infinitely

The massive EIS-7 cast long shadows in the autumn sunlight. When Chen Yishang and his four apprentices stood before this steel behemoth, even the experienced master craftsmen felt a certain visual oppression. The train lay silently on the tracks, its dark gray paint, sharp lines, and five locomotives strung together exuding an immovable industrial power.

"My God..." Zhang Haitao looked up, almost dropping the tool bag in his hand. "This thing...we're going to modify this?"

"Don't be intimidated by its size." Chen Yishang was already in work mode. He patted the cold car body, making a dull sound. "DB stuff has a good foundation. We're adding 'clothes' to it, not rebuilding the skeleton. Dr. Wang, where do we start?"

Wang Zhengyang arrived half an hour early and made some simple preparations. He spread out several hand-drawn 1:100 scale vehicle outline drawings and attached them to the side of the vehicle with magnets. "Today's goal is to establish a basic database," he said clearly and calmly. "We need to conduct precise measurements of key parts of the vehicle to provide a basis for subsequent modification designs. We'll be divided into two groups: Master Chen will lead Li Zhenhua and Zhang Haitao to survey the front area and the first power car, focusing on the anti-collision structure, the cab frame, and the front chassis connection points. Liu Qiming and Wang Jianguo will be with me to survey the middle and rear of the vehicle, focusing on the cargo platform structure, the chassis beams, and the pre-set equipment installation points."

He distributed the tools: a brand-new laser rangefinder, electronic angle ruler, high-precision tape measure, recording board, and digital camera. "All critical dimensions must be measured independently by two people and cross-checked. Measurement points are numbered on the vehicle body using this erasable marker. The 3D coordinates, adjacency relationships, and important structural features of each point must be recorded. Liu Qiming, use your phone to install a simple surveying app, and use it with the laser rangefinder to quickly collect 3D point cloud data—I know you can do that."

Liu Qiming glanced at Wang Zhengyang in surprise, then nodded: "Understood, I'll give it a try."

"Let's begin."

Work commenced quickly. Chen Yishang's group took the lead. The experienced mechanic took out chalk and drew several large circles in the area of ​​the front bumper. "Zhenhua, you measure the overall width, overall height, and ground clearance first. Haitao, come up with me and check the bogie connection structure under the cab. Be careful."

Li Zhenhua was extremely meticulous in his work. He first used a laser rangefinder to quickly scan out several reference dimensions, then switched to a tape measure for manual remeasurement, loudly announcing each measurement and recording it on a board. Zhang Haitao followed Chen Yishang up the work ladder, getting close to the bottom of the vehicle. Chen Yishang tapped the frame with his fingers, listening to the sound to locate the structural welds and reinforcing ribs, while Zhang Haitao used a camera to take pictures from multiple angles to record the information.

In the other group, Liu Qiming indeed demonstrated the technical capabilities of the digital generation. He first used his mobile phone to walk around the middle section of the vehicle body, using an app and a rangefinder to quickly collect hundreds of surface points, generating a rough but usable 3D profile. Then, working with Wang Jianguo, they performed detailed measurements and annotations on the key parts of this profile. Wang Jianguo was particularly sensitive to the various pipes, valves, and interfaces under the vehicle, and quickly marked several reserved interface locations for hydraulic and air lines, as well as several potential load-bearing reinforcement points on the frame, on the sketch.

Wang Zhengyang patrolled between the two groups. His fingers would occasionally lightly touch the parts of the vehicle being measured. It seemed like an inspection, but in reality, he was using mechanical affinity to conduct a more fundamental verification.

When Li Zhenhua reported a steel plate thickness measurement of "14.5 mm", Wang Zhengyang's perception told him that the actual average thickness of the steel plate at this location was 14.62 mm. However, 3 cm below the measurement point, there was a rolling indentation about 5 cm long and 0.8 mm deep, which resulted in a local thickness of only 13.8 mm.

"Mark this point and recheck the thickness distribution using an ultrasonic thickness gauge," Wang Zhengyang calmly instructed, without explaining why. Although puzzled, Li Zhenhua did as instructed and made a special mark on the record board.

As Chen Yishang and Zhang Haitao discussed a reinforcement plan for a chassis weld, Wang Zhengyang walked over and gently traced the surface of the weld with his fingers, his senses penetrating deep into the metal. "This weld has sufficient penetration, but the heat-affected zone is a bit wide, and the toughness of the base material on this side decreases by about 15%. If we want to directly weld reinforcements onto this, the preheating temperature needs to be increased by 50 degrees Celsius, and low-hydrogen welding rods should be used."

Chen Yishang looked at Wang Zhengyang in surprise, then at the seemingly normal weld. "Dr. Wang, how did you figure that out?"

"Experience, plus a little theoretical calculation," Wang Zhengyang said vaguely. "In short, this requires special handling."

After several hours of surveying, the massive EIS-7 vehicle was covered with erasable markers. Data filled the logbook, and Liu Qiming's phone contained hundreds of photos and preliminary 3D point clouds. Everyone was drenched in sweat, but no one complained. The real work, the clear compensation, and the hope for the future fueled the astonishing efficiency of this makeshift team.

At 4:30 p.m., the main measurement work came to an end. Wang Zhengyang called Chen Yishang aside and handed him a handwritten list of materials.

"Master Chen, this is the first batch of needs estimated based on our initial renovation plan. Take a look, based on your experience, how much would the budget be if we purchased everything from reputable channels and from standard brands? What would the delivery time be?"

Chen Yishang took the list, adjusted his reading glasses, and looked at it carefully: Q390C low alloy high strength steel plates (thickness 12-20mm, totaling about 8 tons), ER50-6 gas shielded welding wire (diameter 1.2mm, 200 kg), special explosion-proof coating (temperature resistant and impact resistant type, 100 liters), high strength bolt assembly (M16-M24, various lengths, 500 sets)... and a series of processing tools and equipment.

His brow furrowed deeper and deeper. "Dr. Wang, if we go through reputable large suppliers for all these things, the steel and welding materials alone will cost at least 25,000 euros. Moreover, the lead time for these special plates is at least two weeks, and it could be even longer for larger quantities. Add in the tools and coatings... the initial investment will probably be around 40,000 euros."

"What if...we want to control costs and speed up the process?" Wang Zhengyang asked, lowering his voice, "Are there any other ways?"

Chen Yishang was silent for a few seconds, looked around to make sure his apprentices were organizing their tools in the distance, and then lowered his voice to say, "Yes, we do have some... but we have to find 'special' channels. In Berlin, some materials... have unclear origins. They might be factory leftovers, clearance items, or even 'extra' items from certain projects. The quality needs to be carefully selected, but the price can be 30% to 40% cheaper, and delivery is fast, cash transactions, and no records are kept."

"Are the channels reliable? Who is operating them?"

"There's a guy named Zhang Yiqiang, nicknamed Boss Zhang. He's influential in the Chinese community, dealing in building materials and logistics. He has all sorts of connections." Chen Yishang's voice lowered. "I've bought odds and ends from him a few times when my factory needed them in emergencies, and the materials were usable. But dealing with him... you have to be careful. He only cares about money, and his background isn't clean."

Zhang Yiqiang. This name has appeared again.

"Okay, Mr. Chen," Wang Zhengyang pondered for a moment, "you do two things for me. First, in your own name, find a reliable middleman and discreetly inquire about the approximate price, delivery time, transaction method, and quality assurance measures if we want to purchase these materials from Zhang Yiqiang. Remember, don't reveal the project or our specific needs; just say you're inquiring about market prices for a friend who works in engineering."

"Understood." Chen Yishang nodded.

"Secondly, you should also prepare a detailed price list from legitimate channels. You can choose second-tier brands with good cost performance, and the specifications should be as listed. We need to be prepared for both scenarios—on the surface, we have a formal procurement plan and budget; behind the scenes, we need to assess the risks and benefits of 'special' channels."

"Dr. Wang, what's wrong with you...?" Chen Yishang asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Projects have their rules, but budgets also have their limits." Wang Zhengyang gave him a knowing look. "We need to get things done, and done well, within the rules. Do you understand?"

Chen Yishang suddenly understood and nodded vigorously: "I understand. I'll take care of it."

Just then, Wang Zhengyang's phone vibrated in his pocket. It was an anonymous prepaid phone; only a handful of people knew the number. He took it out and glanced at the screen. It was a short, encrypted message: "Goods arrived, ready for verification. Same place, six o'clock."

Li Ming. The "goods" he was referring to were the top priority item in the "special goods catalog" that Wang Zhengyang had previously commissioned to find—technical data leaked from military laboratories.

"Master Chen, that's all for today. You take the lead in finishing up and organizing the data. Tomorrow we'll start drawing preliminary parts machining diagrams." Wang Zhengyang put away his phone. "I have other things to do, so I'll be going now. I've already put the payment in the hidden compartment of your tool bag, as agreed, in cash."

Chen Yishang touched the tool bag, feeling the thick envelope inside, and nodded: "Don't worry, Dr. Wang."