Chapter 48 Want to reap the rewards? Can you afford to pay the price?

...

Shanghai, Huashang Factory, factory manager's office.

Xue Jianhua slammed the teacup in his hand onto the desk.

"Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

On the desk sat a "red star · gentle breeze" unit just bought from the market.

Beside it was a disassembly report that the technical department had rushed to finish overnight.

"Manager..."

The Technical Section Chief stood to the side, trembling, holding a vernier caliper in his hand.

"This... this thing might look simple, but it's all plastic."

"But... but these fan blades are just too uncanny."

"We put our best master craftsmen on it and tried to copy one. The result was that it sounded like a tractor when running, and the wind output wasn't even half of theirs."

"And..." The Technical Section Chief swallowed hard.

"The cost is too low."

"The base is recycled plastic filled with cement, and the fan guard uses a snap-fit structure without a single screw."

"We use either cast iron or steel, and after calculating the costs..."

"Their cost is probably less than 30% of our Huashang Factory's."

Less than forty percent.

These four words slapped across Xue Jianhua's face like a palm.

Costs crushed, performance obliterated.

Is this competition? This is a massacre!

This is going to smash the rice bowls of thousands of people at Huashang Factory and dig up the roots of his, Xue Jianhua's, livelihood!

"Can we reverse-engineer the mold?" Xue Jianhua gritted his teeth.

"It's difficult." The Technical Section Chief made a bitter face.

"For this kind of variable cross-section, dual-curvature blade, unless we have imported five-axis linkage CNC machine tools, we can only rely on an Eighth-Grade Worker to hand-shape it."

"Old Liu from our factory looked at it and said that to master this curvature, it would take at least three months."

Three months? The opportunity would be long gone by then! Summer would be over!

"Useless! All useless!" Xue Jianhua stood up abruptly and paced around the office twice.

Since we can't beat them on technology, then don't blame me for using other means.

"Let's go." Xue Jianhua straightened the collar of his zhongshan suit, his voice cold.

"Go to the First Ministry of Machine Building Industry guesthouse."

"I want to see Director Zhou."

"A military factory that makes missiles, not staying in the mountains to keep secrets, but running to Shanghai to snatch the rice bowl of the civilian market?"

"This is called—disrupting market order!"

...

Hongfeng Machinery Factory, main gate.

Several Jiefang trucks loaded with fans were preparing to drive out of the factory gate, heading to Hongqiao Airport.

Lin Xi stood at the gate, a cigarette in his mouth, giving instructions to Zhao Dagang about the procurement of the next batch of raw materials.

Suddenly, a harsh screech of brakes broke the noise.

Two black Hongqi sedans blocked the factory gate, forcibly obstructing the path of the trucks.

The car doors opened.

Xue Jianhua walked out with a dark face.

Following behind him was a middle-aged man wearing a gray zhongshan suit and a slicked-back hairstyle, holding a briefcase.

That was the typical manner of a ministry leader—Director Zhou from the First Ministry of Machine Building Industry.

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

Xue Jianhua pointed at the truck driver and shouted, "Who let you ship the goods?"

"Do you have the approval documents? Does it meet the national standards?"

The truck driver was an old worker from Hongfeng Factory with a fiery temper; he poked his head out and cursed, "Where did this stray dog come from to block the road?"

"If you delay the delivery of foreign exchange, can you afford the consequences?"

"Foreign exchange?"

That Director Zhou sneered, walked over slowly and deliberately, his gaze fixed on Lin Xi like a hawk.

"Young man, you have quite a big mouth."

"I am here representing the First Ministry of Machine Building Industry to investigate."

Director Zhou took a piece of paper out of his briefcase and shook it.

"Someone reported that Hongfeng Machinery Factory, as a subordinate unit of the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry..."

"...is illegally using military resources to engage in civilian production, seriously disrupting market order, and poses major quality risks."

"Now, I order—"

Director Zhou pointed at the fans about to be shipped to the Lighthouse Country.

"The whole factory is to stop work for rectification!"

"All products are to be sealed immediately!"

Xue Jianhua stood behind Director Zhou, looking at Lin Xi, the corners of his mouth curling into a smug, sinister smile.

"Manager Lin, business is booming, eh?"

"Unfortunately, not everyone can blow the wind in this Shanghai."

Lin Xi narrowed his eyes, looking at these two uninvited guests, and lightly flicked the ash off his cigarette butt.

In the livestream room, the chat exploded instantly.

[Damn! So shameless? Can't win so you call for backup?]

[The First Ministry managing the Seventh Ministry? This hand reaches way too far!]

[Streamer, don't back down! This is a face delivered to your doorstep, you have to slap it!]

[Calling Elder Qian! Calling the base!]

Lin Xi didn't look at the chat, nor did he look at Xue Jianhua.

He just calmly glanced at the Shanghai brand watch on his wrist, then silently counted to three in his heart.

"Director Zhou, is it?"

Lin Xi took a step forward, his face showing no panic, but rather a hint of playful amusement.

"Sealing my factory?"

"You'd better ask first if the owner of this shipment agrees."

"And..."

Lin Xi pointed to the faded Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry emblem on the roof of the factory building.

"Are you sure you want to throw your official weight around in front of a group of people who build missiles?"

...

At the entrance of Hongfeng Factory, the atmosphere was as tense as a drawn bowstring.

The two Hongqi sedans were parked across the middle of the road, and several officials were directing the application of seal strips.

Director Zhou adjusted his glasses, a sense of unquestionable authority emanating from behind the lenses:

"Comrade Lin Xi, the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry is for national defense, not for speculation and profiteering."

"Your kind of cross-system, cross-regional disorderly production must be stopped immediately."

Xue Jianhua stood to the side, a cold smile hanging on his lips.

In his view, this matter was already set in stone.

So what if you're from the military industry sector?

In this territory of civilian industry in Shanghai, dragons have to coil and tigers have to lie down.

Zhao Dagang was sweating profusely with anxiety and wanted to go up to argue, but was stopped by Lin Xi's hand.

Lin Xi was not angry at all; instead, he took a pack of "Chunghwa" cigarettes from his pocket and slowly handed one to Director Zhou.

"Director Zhou, sealing the factory is easy."

Lin Xi brought the lighter over, the flame dancing in the wind.

"But if this shipment cannot be sent out..."

"...can the First Ministry of Machine Building Industry handle the resulting 'international breach of contract' and 'diplomatic dispute'?"

Director Zhou was just about to lean in to light his cigarette when his movement suddenly paused.

He looked up, his eyes sharp: "Are you threatening the organization?"

"I am stating facts."

Lin Xi retracted the lighter, lit one for himself, and took a deep drag.

"This shipment is an urgent order for Sears Department Store in the Lighthouse Country."

"The contract clearly states that for every day of delayed delivery, the penalty is fifty thousand US dollars."

Lin Xi pulled a neatly folded copy of the English contract from his pocket and shook it in front of Director Zhou.

"This has the filing stamp from the Lighthouse Country Department of Commerce on it."

"The total penalty is three million US dollars."

"Director Zhou."

Lin Xi exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Three million in foreign exchange reserves is enough to buy about two sets of imported fertilizer production lines, right?"

Director Zhou's hand trembled.

The cigarette fell.

In this era where foreign exchange was more precious than life, who would dare to let the country pay foreigners three million US dollars?

That wasn't just making a mistake; that was a crime!