Office of the Theater Commander.
"Hey, Lao Liang? What did you hear that you came here so late at night?"
"Sit down, sit down, have you eaten?"
The orderly knocked on the door of the commander-in-chief's office, and Director Liang walked in with a cheerful face. Along the way, he was thinking about how to tell Commander Song the good news so as to sound the most enthusiastic!
Commander Song was obviously preparing to pack up and go to dinner. Seeing Director Liang's sudden visit, he asked with a smile.
"I'm not going to sit down anymore. I just came here to eat. I only had two bites this morning. I've been hungry all day. Let's go quickly!"
"If you have anything to do, sit down and eat and talk later!"
Anyway, when we arrived at the end of the field, Director Liang was no longer anxious and said with a smile. Of course, he was telling the truth. It was not close from Laiyang to Quancheng. We walked in the morning and arrived in the afternoon. At noon, we could only eat some pancakes rolled with green onions in the car.
Commander Song had no objection to Director Liang’s suggestion and said with a smile:
"Yes, yes, let's eat on the dining table. What's wrong with you? Hey! I'm busy too!"
"I'm afraid if I tell you now, you won't be able to eat later!"
"Go, go, go!"
Then the two of them left the office and went all the way to the officers' canteen not far away. There were many people coming and going to eat at this moment, and many of them were orderlies who came to serve meals. After all, there is no commuting in the army, and many leaders The family members also live in the base, so of course the orderlies bring food home to eat.
After the two sat down, Commander Song chuckled and said:
"Come on, you speak first, or I speak first!"
Director Liang held a bowl of egg soup that was clear and watery, drank it in one gulp, and then said with a swipe of his lips rather boldly:
"I'll say it first!"
"Old Song, you know that Wang Ye is going to introduce heavy-duty diesel engine production."
"But at present, their place is really a bit small. The workshop is not big or spacious enough to accommodate the production line, so it needs to be expanded. In addition, Wang Ye is rich this time and is planning to purchase a lot of equipment, resulting in extreme civil construction and infrastructure projects. big."
"In line with the idea that the army, military and industry are all members of the same family, Wang Ye decided to hand over all construction projects to your engineering troops!"
"How's it going? Is that good news?"
After Director Liang finished speaking, he looked proud and arrogant, as if he had played a decisive role in facilitating this transaction, and he was quite proud.
As soon as these words came out, Commander Song immediately froze!
Seeing this scene, Director Liang felt even more proud, and the smile on his face became stronger. He smiled and continued with the egg soup bowl:
"Wang Ye said that the price will be normal. I guess Old Song You won't open his mouth like a lion!"
"I saw Wang Ye's plan, tsk tsk tsk! The scale is incredible. The entire machinery factory area will be expanded at least ten times. This is a big business! Hahaha!"
"Now your engineering troops are in trouble! Something great is going to happen!"
Following Director Liang's voice, Commander Song, who was suddenly frozen, came to life. He stood up and shouted to the cooks in the canteen:
"Quick, quick, stir-fry five or six more vegetables, kill a chicken, and call Lao Lu and the others over here!"
"Tell Lao Zhang to get a bucket of old soil and dry it. Go quickly!"
"Hahaha! We also sent it today!"
Seeing Commander Song's excited expression, Director Liang's pride disappeared inexplicably at that moment. He lowered his head and looked at the food on the table, including scattered pieces of fatty pork stir-fried with cabbage, stir-fried shredded potatoes with chili peppers, and tofu boiled with kelp. Stir-fried pumpkin and winter melon slices, and suddenly there was an indescribable sourness in my heart. The dignified commander-in-chief could only eat this, let alone the soldiers below.
The country has no money, and its military expenditures are only a little. Scientific research institutes, military factories, and third-tier factories also need it. The rest are for the army. No money means no money. Equipment needs maintenance and daily training. In the end, all we can do is talk about it. Picking out every centimeter from inside to outside, everyone wished they could open two petals of a flower for a dollar. Behind the headquarters officers’ canteen at the Dangtang War Zone General Base, there was an open space where vegetables were grown and a few pigs and a group of chickens and ducks were raised. It was not even old. People are reluctant to kill Kaikai meat in the season, and everyone is trying to find ways to generate income, but how can it be so easy to make money?
Finally, following the commander-in-chief's order, the cooks became busy again, calling people, catching chickens, and picking vegetables.
Then Commander Song sat down with a smile on his face and said cheerfully:
"Wang Ye, okay! You didn't forget our troops!"
"Now everyone has a place to eat. The material fee is whatever the stipulation is, and the salary is about the same. The most important thing is that everyone has enough to eat, right?"
"Now they are big players, let's go eat from them this time too!"
Nowadays, the daily food expenditure per person for a Type 1 stove is only 40.5 cents, a Type 2 stove is 50.2 cents, and a Type 3 stove is 60.2 cents. Coupled with the lack of oil and water, many soldiers can eat more than a dozen large steamed buns for breakfast, which is half full. For many warriors with big appetites, this is basically the norm!
"That's necessary. I just earned more than 30 million U.S. dollars in foreign exchange, which is worth hundreds of millions of yuan. How can I lose the food for the soldiers?"
"But Lao Song, you are not authentic! If I don't speak, I'm just cabbage and potatoes."
"I've said something, and now I'm going to kill the chicken? How come you are so arrogant at first and respectful at the end, so you are the same as that kid Wang Ye?"
In response to Director Liang's teasing, Commander Song, who sat down, had no intention of eating. He lit a cigarette, took a long puff and said with a smile:
"There are only a few chickens in the back, can we kill them at will?"
"This meal is pretty good, and there's even egg soup to drink. If I didn't give you the 'International Soup', I'd be giving you enough face!"
"Hahaha!"
The international soup in Commander Song's mouth is, to put it bluntly, a big pot of fried vegetables, water is poured in to rinse, and when it comes to a boil, the soup is scooped out. It was jokingly called international soup by the soldiers, which actually means shabu-shabu water.
"But Wang Ye's project this time is tight on time and the tasks are heavy!"
"They have many foreign exchange-earning tasks and heavy production tasks. They have a very strong need to expand production capacity and have high time requirements. It is indeed a big project!"
"I think we can let the 209th Engineering Group go. Although there are more people, if they eat a few more bites, the work will be done faster."
Commander Song thought for a few seconds and finally made this decision. Director Liang naturally had no objection and asked at the same time:
"By the way, Lao Song, don't you also have something to tell me?"
"Speak quickly and stop being so pretentious!"
Hearing what Director Liang said, Commander Song became proud this time and smacked his lips and said:
"Our engineering team went to eat, and we didn't eat them in vain. We even went to a brigade to eat. Wang Ye knew the news and had to entertain them well!"
"Just last night, the ministry sent something specially."
"At present, it can be regarded as the only and unique scorpion poop in our country!"
"The higher-ups really take this guy Wang Ye seriously. There's nothing to say!"
Following Commander Song's words about Yunshan's fog cover, Director Liang's expression changed drastically. From the initial frown of thinking, to the end, it turned directly into a face full of enthusiasm, as if he had guessed something!
"Oh my god? Real or fake Lao Song? Is that what I guessed?"
"Is it really what I guessed?"
In the end, Director Liang stood up directly, holding the table and staring at Commander Song with a look of disbelief on his face. He confirmed it twice. Commander Song also had a face full of emotion, nodded and said:
"That should be it, right? The country's first military product export license for a state-owned unit."
"Now Wang Ye no longer has to sell dog meat with a sheep's head, he can roll up his sleeves and work hard!"
As soon as Commander Song finished speaking, Director Liang couldn't help but take a breath of air!
In fact, it’s not surprising that Director Liang was surprised, because to some extent, this was a ground-breaking first time. After all, in the early to mid-1970s, the weapons exported by China were all in the name of supporting brotherly countries, and they were given free of charge. of!
The arms trade started in recent years, but it was led by the Ministry of National Defense and organized by the Ministry of Machinery.
But now.
Hongxing Machinery Factory, a former third-tier factory that has now been converted from military to civilian and turned into a state-owned machinery factory, actually received its first unit export license for arms products!
How could this not be shocking?
"Hahaha!"
"I see, we are going to get close to a big family this time!"
In the end, Director Liang couldn't help laughing loudly. At the same time, other theater leaders also received the notice and rushed over with smiles on their faces. It was obvious that this was a celebration.
the next day.
Wang Ye took a nap, but the newly established Laiyang Red Star Mechanical and Steel Complex yesterday did not have any impact at all because their factory director did not get up.
After yesterday's meeting, consultation and coordination, the steel plant has been perfectly connected with the machinery plant and has begun to fulfill its obligation to provide parts processing for the machinery plant. As for the machinery plant, it has also begun to work crazy overtime in three shifts, with people stopping and machines constantly working. state.
At half past five, the workers who had finished the third night shift were yawning as they walked out of the workshop. Some were preparing to go home directly, while others were preparing to go to the big canteen to eat first. But just as they were leaving, one morning Workers on the first shift have already lined up at the door of the workshop. After undergoing a strict mouth-to-nose breath test to ensure that they are not drunk, they can enter the workshop one after another and start working.
All this was arranged yesterday, and it was all the work of the old factory director and the leaders of the machinery factory.
In fact, to a certain extent, the work initiative of everyone in the machinery factory is even much higher than that of Wang Ye. After all, in the eyes of thousands of people in the factory, Wang Ye is too capable, even after leaving the Red Star Machinery Factory. , the world is vast and has great potential, but the Hongxing Machinery Factory is not. Without Wang Ye, a capable factory director, it is estimated that it will soon return to the poverty it once was.
At that time, it was a life they would never want to go back to. Don't look at those old men basking in the sun. They would immediately say that a bite of pig head meat during the Chinese New Year a few years ago would be delicious for several months, or even It was more than half a year ago, and the meat at that time was really fragrant. Unlike now, when the pig head meat is eaten in the mouth, it will not be fragrant the next day. It must be that the pigs are not raised well, and there is a problem with the pork!
But if you let them go back to the days when they drank half of a bottle of wine for half a year and could still drink for another half a year if they refilled the bottle, they would strangle you to death!
However, starting from today, they have no time to praise each other and show off their current lives, because as long as they are under seventy-five years old, as long as their heads are not dizzy and their hands are not shaking, they will all be re-employed and work three shifts a day. Fell down.
"Ah, comfortable!"
At ten o'clock in the morning, Wang Ye got up leisurely.
I washed up casually and staggered to the big canteen for dinner. Nowadays, due to three shifts and the different working hours of different departments in different workshops, the big canteen is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a day, supplying various kinds of food. Plant meals.
After breakfast, Wang Ye leisurely returned to his office. He stood in front of the window and watched the workers coming and going in a hurry. He felt inexplicably fulfilled.
After slowly drinking a pot of tea, Wang Ye started to work.
When Wang Ye first came to Hongxing Machinery Factory, Wang Ye wanted a heavy-duty diesel engine production line. On the one hand, he really wanted to build agricultural machinery such as tractors, and even various construction machinery factories, but more importantly, Wang Ye actually Ye wants to build tanks.
Nowadays, the gap between China's tanks and the world's advanced level has actually been widened. However, because there are not many actual battles, relying on astonishing numbers, they seem to be pretty good. However, in two years, they will be in the Gulf War. The old man was exposed.
Of course, the gap in the combat level of users and the gap in the level of supporting war equipment are all problems, but the gap in the weapons themselves is also an issue that cannot be ignored and is not a reason to make excuses.
In that war that lasted just over a month, thousands of Chinese tanks were destroyed. Facing a more powerful opponent, serious problems were exposed in terms of stability, defense, and attack.
At the same time, it was precisely because of this battle that the reputation of China's arms was completely ruined. As a result, the following thirty years were equivalent to paying off debts. At that time, China's arms had a small international market share. In addition to the previous reasons and this matter Inseparable!
The weapons you have installed yourself are not good enough. If you are beaten by Western weapons, those weapons you are not equipped with yourself are even worse. Don't buy them! Not buying!
Although it sounds cruel, it is true!
Even that war taught China a solid lesson. Although economic development will still be the focus in the future, it will not be as barbaric as it is now. It will have to cut and abandon the burdens in the military-industrial system. With a little more money, they began to pay attention to the research and development of military technology again, which also laid a solid foundation for the take-off of China's military industry thirty years later.
It was also at that time that China determined the development strategy of "replacing equipment with scientific research".
To put it simply, the country still needs to focus on economic development and improve the overall industrial level. Military industry still needs to be researched, but only research, and most of them will not carry out large-scale production and equipment. It is used to save money and only maintain a low level. level of equipment and training.
Until the international situation changed and the atmosphere of war was felt, relying on the country's strong industrial strength, they began to frantically upgrade their capital and troops.
Back to now.
After several months, Wang Ye realized that he had made the mistake of seeking quick success.
For today's machinery factories, even if they have obtained a production line and upgraded a series of equipment, if they want to directly build a tank, it is an incredibly difficult project, and the cycle will be very long, and the gain outweighs the loss!
Under such circumstances, Wang Ye quickly adjusted his strategy and determined the first heavy equipment to be a multi-purpose wheeled infantry armored vehicle, which was often referred to as the "Big Eight Wheel" in later generations.
Compared with tanks, its shortcomings are obvious. It does not have strong enough firepower against heavy armor targets and the armor is not thick enough.
But it actually has more advantages, such as strong maneuverability, strong enough firepower against lightly armored targets, the ability to carry infantry for rapid maneuvers, and the ability to be equipped with different weapon systems to achieve different combat missions.
For example, heavy machine guns, anti-tank/anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank guns, even laser weapons, etc. Of course, these are all future options. Nowadays, for Wang Ye, there are not so many choices of weapons.
In normal history, after the reorganization of the Chinese army, the main tank equipped by the heavy combined brigade was this thing. There were no heavy tanks at all. Light tanks and this thing were the mainstream. After all, they can run fast and fight hard. On the battlefield It’s so important!
"The first big eight-wheeler will only have one kind of weapon for the time being, if it is used as a fast mobile strike fire support vehicle."
"Then let's get twin 40mm dual-purpose cannons!"
"If you use it with some small-caliber rockets, I think it's enough."
"For most small and medium-sized countries, this thing is much easier to use than tanks."
"After all, they are cheap, sturdy, durable, run fast, and fight hard. Unless they really directly provoke the United States or the Soviet Union and face attacks from serious armored forces, in that case, they can just dig a hole and lie down and wait. Death, no hope."
"However, this thing is not easy to sell as dog meat. What name should it be given?"
"What a headache!"
Wang Ye then determined the design direction and decided to develop the weapon first. As for the engine, he needed to wait a moment. He needed to see what the specific situation of the two production lines was like and come up with a design plan based on local conditions.
As Wang Ye was busy, the time soon came to four o'clock in the afternoon.
"Boom!"
Hearing the continuous roar of engines in the distance, as soon as Wang Ye stood up, the staff member rushed in with excitement on his face, and then looked at Wang Ye breathing heavily and said excitedly:
"Factory Director! Factory Director! People from the army are here, they are engineers!"
"Here we come to build a house for us!"
In an instant, Wang Ye's face unconsciously showed a hint of joy, and he said as he walked:
"Let's go take a look!"
Then the two people hurriedly left the small office building. When they walked towards the factory gate, an endless stream of large trucks and a small number of engineering equipment vehicles had already arrived at the gate of the machinery factory!
