Chapter 10

"Ah, Factory Director Chang, you're here! Haha..." Zhao Hongbo got out of his car from a distance and saw Chang Yuanting, then laughed loudly.

"Oh, Factory Director Zhao, you've come!" Chang Yuanting turned his head and saw Zhao Hongbo getting out of the car, walking quickly towards him with a smile on his face.

Zhao Hongbo took a few quick steps, grabbed Chang Yuanting's hands, and shook them vigorously, saying, "I've come to deliver the parts! Am I not late?"

He turned back and called to the two people behind him, "Quick, quick, unload the things we brought!"

"Okay!" The two young men were already moving things out of the car, and upon hearing the call, they sped up even more.

Chang Yuanting saw that the dashboard, bumper, and other items needed by the factory were all brought by Zhao Hongbo, and immediately smiled, "I didn't expect Factory Director Zhao to be so prompt! The leaders are coming, so let's quickly install the parts."

Zhao Hongbo clapped his hands and said repeatedly, "Right, right, let's hurry up and install them. We can't let the leaders see the car without a dashboard!"

Chang Yuanting laughed loudly, waved his hand, and called out to everyone, "Let's move the things and install them on the new car!"

"Okay! Good!" The young men laughed and called out, grabbing the parts and running towards the body shop.

Chang Yuanting smiled and asked Zhao Hongbo, "Why did Factory Director Zhao deliver the parts so late, just before the leaders arrived?"

Zhao Hongbo smiled awkwardly and apologized to Chang Yuanting, "I didn't expect the leaders to pay such close attention to your car and be the first to visit your factory. When I heard the news, I rushed to make the molds and produce them for you. Factory Director Chang, please don't mind! Our task is also very urgent!"

Chang Yuanting laughed heartily, "It's fine, as long as they're here. Shall we go see the car together?"

Zhao Hongbo nodded and said, "Sure, I also want to see what kind of car your factory has made."

"Alright, let's go!" Chang Yuanting led Zhao Hongbo to the workshop with a smile.

At that moment, Lin Qiangsheng was sitting in the driver's seat, removing the steering wheel and then installing the dashboard.

With a few light taps, Lin Qiangsheng patted the dashboard.

The hard plastic, black material, felt smooth to the touch. This made the masters and apprentices, who were used to metal dashboards, exclaim in admiration.

"Looks pretty bright!" The masters couldn't find the right words, so they just praised it as bright.

"Indeed, it looks much better than the patchwork from before!" the other masters said.

Lin Qiangsheng installed the dashboard, tightened a few hidden screws, and then reinstalled the steering wheel.

He looked at the overall effect, which was quite good. At the very least, compared to the car interiors of that era, it was clearly different, a groundbreaking design concept.

"Qiangsheng, come check if the bumper is installed correctly," Chen Bing said at the front of the car.

Lin Qiangsheng got out of the car, went to the front, and saw the black bumper installed in place, smiling, "Yes, that's how it's done."

Chen Bing laughed and said, "You're right, this plastic bumper really looks the part."

Lin Qiangsheng bent the bumper with his hand, but it didn't budge, and he nodded, "Yes, it's quite sturdy. That's the feeling we want. This plastic bumper deforms easily on impact and can bounce back. That's one of its advantages! Unlike metal, which deforms and doesn't bounce back, requiring a trip to the repair shop."

Chen Bing nodded.

At this moment, Chang Yuanting said, "Qiangsheng, is everything ready for the car?"

Lin Qiangsheng turned around and saw the factory director, the head of the department, and Zhao Hongbo watching.

He smiled and said, "Except for the air conditioning and radio, everything is ready."

Chang Yuanting laughed, "You want to install a radio and air conditioning too?"

Lin Qiangsheng nodded, "Of course, a car without these isn't a good car!"

Zhao Hongbo, who was watching, was puzzled. He had been increasingly fond of this car, and now, seeing Chang Yuanting's high regard for this young man, he asked, "Factory Director Chang, who is this?"

Chang Yuanting laughed, "This is the designer of our car, Lin Qiangsheng, a young comrade, ha ha..."

Zhao Hongbo looked at the young man in front of him in surprise, thinking, "He's just a kid, right?"

"Did you design this car?" Zhao Hongbo asked, disbelieving.

Lin Qiangsheng nodded and said, "Yes, I designed it. Factory Director Chang and Director Zheng gave me a lot of help! And the dashboard from your factory, this car is a combination of the best from everyone!"

"Wow, you really know how to talk!" Zhao Hongbo laughed loudly and looked at Chang Yuanting and Zheng Yongmin.

Zheng Yongmin smiled and said, "Lin Qiangsheng's father is a worker here, usually responsible for drawing plans. This is a continuation of his father's good tradition." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhao Hongbo looked at the car and said excitedly, "What's the name of this car? Will you continue to produce it?"

Chang Yuanting smiled and said, "We've named it Jetta. Of course, we will continue to produce it!"

Zhao Hongbo nodded happily, "That's great. When you produce the first batch, remember to reserve one for our camera factory!"

Chang Yuanting and Zheng Yongmin exchanged a smile. Many enterprises and units had already reserved the first batch of cars, so they didn't have to worry about sales.

Indeed, the Shanghai brand car, with an annual production and sales of 5,000 units, was still in high demand! Many units wanting to buy a car had to wait in line.

Chang Yuanting smiled and said, "No problem!"

"Factory Director, the leaders are here, just a few hundred meters away," an older master ran in and called to the factory directors and department heads.

"Oh, hurry up. Go out, everyone, to welcome the leaders, stand at the gate!" Chang Yuanting quickly called everyone to go out and welcome them.

A few hundred meters from the factory gate, three or four Jeeps and a Volga car were driving towards the factory.

People had already been arranged to hold small red flags and wave them as soon as the leaders' cars arrived.

At the factory, someone was looking through an old telescope.

Lin Qiangsheng glanced at the person and noticed the old Japanese military telescope in his hand. He wondered where it came from and decided to ask later, maybe he could buy it for fun.

The cars soon arrived at the factory gate, and the old Jeeps screeched to a stop.

Amidst a warm welcome, the leaders from the Industry Bureau and the Volga car got out of their vehicles.

The leader from the Industry Bureau was wearing a gray Mao-style suit and a pair of large-framed glasses. He got out of the car, clasped his hands, smiled at the factory leaders, and then walked to the Volga car.

An elderly cadre in a light-colored Mao-style suit got out of the car.

He was in his sixties, wearing a dark Mao-style suit and a pair of large black-framed glasses.

"This is Secretary Yang from the Provincial Revolutionary Committee, our second-in-command. Everyone, welcome him!" the leader from the Industry Bureau introduced him to everyone.

"Oh?" Zheng Yongmin and Chang Yuanting were very surprised to see the second-in-charge of the province.

They quickly led the applause, and Zheng Yongmin walked forward and saluted Secretary Yang. He smiled and said, "Hello, Comrade Leader!"

Secretary Yang looked at him in surprise and smiled, "You are Zheng Yongmin, the head of the Revolutionary Committee of the Auto Repair Factory?"

Zheng Yongmin smiled, "Yes! Comrade Leader, I didn't expect you to remember me!"

Secretary Yang smiled, "Don't call me Comrade Leader, we are all directors, no difference!"

Secretary Yang made a small joke, and everyone laughed heartily.

The group warmly led each other into the factory workshop.

"Oh? This is the car made by your auto repair factory? Good!" Secretary Yang saw the new car in the center of the body shop and immediately said loudly.

He took a few quick steps, came to the car, and examined it carefully.

"This is the new car made by all the comrades in our factory! We've given it a resounding name, Jetta!" Zheng Yongmin reported loudly to the leader.

Secretary Yang walked around the car a few times, carefully patting the black body.

The car had been polished to a shine and, in the dim workshop, looked particularly glossy and black.

Secretary Yang nodded repeatedly and laughed loudly, "Good! This car is good! Not inferior to Soviet cars, very good!"

The elderly man then approached the car door, and Zheng Yongmin quickly opened it.

Secretary Yang sat in the driver's seat, turned the steering wheel, and laughed loudly, "Why is this steering wheel Soviet, and the dashboard too?"

The elderly man recognized the Soviet style of the steering wheel and smiled, asking Zheng Yongmin.

Zheng Yongmin smiled and said, "Time was tight, so we used a temporary steering wheel. But everything on the dashboard is designed by us and manufactured by a factory!"

Secretary Yang nodded happily and said, "Oh! I see why this dashboard looks so new. It's our new work? Good! Good!"

The elderly man said "good" twice, patted the dashboard, and carefully touched the plastic surface.

"Good! Nice, it looks very good! This design is excellent, I've never seen it before. Who designed it?" Secretary Yang got out of the car and asked Zheng Yongmin.

Zheng Yongmin gestured to Lin Qiangsheng, who was standing next to Chang Yuanting, and smiled, "Secretary Yang, this is the designer of our car, his name is Lin Qiangsheng."

Lin Qiangsheng walked to the two men, stood straight, and said to the elderly man, "Hello, Comrade Leader! I am Lin Qiangsheng."

Secretary Yang looked at the young man in surprise, smiled, and nodded, "Good! I've heard about you from the comrades at the Industry Bureau, didn't expect Comrade Qiangsheng to be so young! Our automotive industry has talent!"

After saying this, Secretary Yang smiled softly.

The Industry Bureau Director, Qin Qidong, quickly came forward and said, "Yes! Yes! At first, when I heard about young Lin, I didn't believe it! How could someone so young design a car? Today, I see that Comrade Lin Qiangsheng is indeed young! Our automotive industry has a bright future!"

Secretary Yang and Director Qin Qidong asked Lin Qiangsheng a few more questions. Lin Qiangsheng answered well, and both Secretary Yang and Director Qin were very pleased with him. They had a very good impression of this young man.