Chapter 13 A Huge Sum Paved the Way, Acquisition at the Dinner Table

Twenty yuan.

In 1980, this was equivalent to a month and a half's salary for a second-grade worker working themselves to the bone.

Taking it to a state-run restaurant, one could order every single signature dish;

Going to a department store, one could buy a whole new set of clothes for the entire family, young and old;

Going to the supply and marketing cooperative, one could haul away as much white flour and rice as they wanted.

"Hiss—"

Sun Erga's eyes bulged like copper bells as he stared fixedly at those two bills, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

Even Wang Dapao, who was squatting on the ground, paused in his movements.

Liu Guihua stood up directly, not even noticing when the thimble in her hand rolled away.

"This... this is for us?"

Sun Erga's throat felt dry.

That "hardened street veteran" bravado from moments ago had long since vanished into thin air.

"Go to the base guesthouse," Lin Xi said in a flat tone.

"Whatever hearty dishes they have, pick the most expensive ones! Don't save money for me!"

"The main attraction is braised pork; bring three portions!"

"I want the kind that's wobbly and melts into a mouthful of oil with one bite."

"Get two bottles of Xifeng liquor as well. With the rest, go to the supply and marketing cooperative and grab some canned fruit and malted milk—whatever looks good, just bring it back."

Lin Xi lifted his eyelids and glanced at Sun Erga.

"Is this enough for the trip?"

"Enough! It's more than damn enough!"

"Never mind a trip, it's enough even if I had to crawl there on my hands!"

The wrinkles on Sun Erga's face bloomed into a smile like a withered chrysanthemum in late autumn.

He desperately wiped the sweat from his palms onto his trouser legs before carefully picking up the two large bills.

"Manager Lin, look at my foul mouth!"

"I knew you were a God of Wealth dropped from the heavens, here specifically to save us from our misery!"

"Alright! I'm going right now, right now!"

"I'll have words with anyone who dares get in my way!"

Watching Sun Erga dash out the door like his pants were on fire, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Liu Guihua quickly moved a stool over, wiped it vigorously with her sleeve, and smiled with exceptional warmth.

"Manager Lin, please sit!"

"This chair is hard; I'll sew you a thick cotton cushion later!"

"Our Service Center has finally found a great tree to provide us shade."

"There were originally seven or eight people, but hearing a new leader was coming, they've all been hiding in the family quarters these past two days instead of coming to work."

"Hmph, their intestines will turn green with regret now!"

In the livestream, a string of [666] filled the screen.

[Is this the legendary money power of 1980? It's practically a nuclear-level shock!]

[Look at Erga's behavior. He was trying to lay down the law just now, and now he's practically calling him 'Daddy.' Real, so real.]

[Seriously, three portions of braised pork in that era is truly a friendship worth dying for.]

Lin Xi gave a bitter smile in his mind.

"Family, I'm also hurting over these 20 yuan!"

"But there's no other way. To win over this bunch of troublemakers in the shortest time possible, throwing money is the simplest, most crude, and most effective method!"

Half an hour later.

The smell of cooking rose in the dilapidated bungalow, and the aroma of meat filled the air.

Three basins of braised pork were placed in the center, their color bright red and their fragrance tantalizing.

Once the Xifeng liquor was opened, its sharp aroma mixed with the scent of meat, creating the ultimate luxury for that era of scarcity.

Lin Xi didn't put on airs and personally poured a full glass for everyone.

"Everyone, everyone in this base thinks we are outcasts."

Lin Xi raised his enamel mug, looking everyone directly in the eye.

"But I don't have time for nonsense."

"Follow me, and you'll have this kind of meat every day from now on."

"This toast is to having meat for every meal in the future."

The group clinked their mugs together.

As the strong liquor went down their throats, the boldness of these Northwest men was fully drawn out by the fiery kick of the alcohol.

After three rounds of drinks, Sun Erga couldn't keep his foul mouth shut again.

He picked his teeth and pointed at Wang Yu, who was curled up in the corner staring blankly at a circuit board, with a sneer.

"Manager Lin, don't mind this blockhead."

"He's just a half-madman, clutching a pile of electronic junk all day."

"He treats it like his own father. What kind of waves can a stutterer like him make?"

Wang Yu shuddered, burying his head even lower.

He tried to hide the messily soldered board behind his back.

Lin Xi reached out and pressed his hand steadily on Wang Yu's shoulder.

With his other hand, he picked up a piece of braised pork as big as half a fist and stuffed it into Wang Yu's bowl.

"Erga, if you don't have an eye for things, talk less." Lin Xi pointed at the circuit board that others saw as scrap.

"If this thing is junk, then the bunch at the base radar station might as well all change professions and go fix bicycles."

Wang Yu snapped his head up.

Behind the thick glasses, those eyes revealed shock for the first time.

"Are you working on Signal compensation?" Lin Xi asked as if making casual conversation.

"You want to use the receiving logic of the Soviet P-12 radar to suppress interference in civilian bands? Not a bad idea."

"But the way you're connecting it isn't right."

"The grid bias of the second-stage amplification is too tight. Instead of dropping the interference, the signal gets cut first."

Lin Xi pulled over a piece of scrap paper and casually drew a simple diagram.

"Add a High-pass filter at the input end, a 0.01 microfarad capacitor with a 470-ohm resistor."

"Try it again."

*Clack.*

The chopsticks in Wang Yu's hand hit the table directly.

His lips trembled, his mouth half-open, as he stared fixedly at that sketch as if seeing a legendary secret manual.

"A... a... a kindred spirit!"

For the past six months, he had been called a fool and a madman.

No one knew what he was doing, and no one believed he could succeed.

This sensation of having his core bottleneck pointed out face-to-face by a 'master' made him want to kowtow to Lin Xi on the spot.

Lin Xi then looked at Wang Dapao, who hadn't said a word.

The big man was silently chewing on a steamed bun, the calluses on his knuckles frighteningly deep.

"Brother Cannon," Lin Xi poured a mug of liquor and handed it over.

"Others think your strength is only good for moving bricks."

"In my eyes, you are the most precise mechanical processing center in the entire base."

"That aluminum piece just now, you squeezed it three times." Lin Xi held up three fingers.

"The first time was to feel the temperature, the second to determine the center of gravity, and the third to shape it directly."

"The error in each move wouldn't exceed the width of a hair."

"With that kind of touch, throwing you into hauling coal is a waste of talent."

A tough guy like Wang Dapao had his face turn red all the way to his neck.

Because of his background, he had lived with his head down for too long.

When others praised him, it was only to use him like a beast of burden.

No one had ever said his touch was that of a "precise processing center."

"Manager Lin..." Wang Dapao's voice boomed, and there was actually a glint in his eyes.

He suddenly raised his mug and downed it in one go.

With a *thud*, he slammed the mug onto the table; it didn't break, but the bones on the table jumped three times.

"Just for those eyes of yours!"

"From now on, wherever you point, Big Cannon will strike!"

Sun Erga was completely dumbfounded.

The money was given, and their hearts were won.

He thought the guy was just someone with connections, but he turned out to be a max-level technical expert. How was he supposed to compete with that?

"Manager Lin, I, Erga, have only ever respected those with ability in my life." Sun Erga filled his mug and held it above his head with both hands.

"From now on, you are our boss. If anyone dares to act up against you, I'll be the first to slap them!"

Lin Xi smiled; this kind of street-style loyalty was sometimes more useful than rules and regulations.

He pulled out the blueprint he had drawn last night from his pocket and placed it gently on the table.

All eyes focused on it instantly.

"Since the liquor has been drunk, the meat eaten, and everything has been said..."

Lin Xi pointed to the thing on the blueprint that looked a lot like a fan, a hint of craftiness flashing in his eyes.

"Then we shall start with this thing and give the base a little 'Service Center shock'!"