Chapter 49

Father agreed to let Lin Qiangsheng's small factory be affiliated with the automobile factory. Lin Qiangsheng immediately entered the model mold workshop and started drawing blueprints.

To manufacture watches, the first consideration is how to produce qualified movements. In the watch movement manufacturing industry, there are two major camps in the future: Japanese movements and Swiss movements. They dominate the movement market, with their sales accounting for 70% to 80% of the entire market! The Japanese have an overwhelming advantage in micro-precision machining and ultra-micro-precision machining automation; the Swiss also have excellent movement processing capabilities, along with a rich history of watchmaking, high brand reputation, and recognition.

Lin Qiangsheng drew a large number of blueprints on the table. Fortunately, he had experience in model molds from his previous life.

To manufacture movements, precision small parts require custom equipment, including precision machine tools, slender shaft turning and milling equipment, micro-axis processing equipment, small lead screw processing equipment, micro-worm thread processing equipment, small diameter part processing equipment, small modulus gear processing equipment, micro-hole processing equipment, multi-spindle lathes, gear hobbing machines, and double-column punch presses.

Lin Qiangsheng spent over a month, completing these blueprints by mid-October. During this period, Chen Bing, Zou Xue, and others helped him design and manufacture the equipment.

This showed how much the model mold workshop he had previously established helped him!

Every man has a mechanical dream, once dreaming of inventing or creating some technology, preferably something profound that others don't understand, or becoming a scientist in the future!

A man without a mechanical dream is not a man, but a pseudo-woman!

With this mold processing workshop, Lin Qiangsheng could realize many of his ideas. The molding sand, machinery, and small electric furnaces from the casting workshop could provide a lot of help in making his sand molds, of course, along with the apprentices he personally trained!

Well, the son of the factory manager first started poaching from within the factory, no wonder the workers were hard to manage!

"Qiangsheng, what are these for?" Zou Xue, already a master, still had no airs and graces, always admiring Lin Qiangsheng.

Watching a lead screw processing equipment being assembled, the metal surface gleamed with a bluish light, very clean and advanced!

Lin Qiangsheng, looking at the satisfactory part processing equipment, smiled and said, "These are micro-precision processing equipment."

Zou Xue nodded and said, "No wonder they are so small! What are you going to make that requires such small equipment?"

"Make watches! And many other precise micro parts, all of which need to be processed by these. In a few months, I'll make some watches, and each of you will have one!" Lin Qiangsheng said loudly.

Zou Xue asked in surprise, "Watches? Can you really make watches with this?" Despite being a master in the mold workshop, her salary was only about 35 yuan per month. A SH brand watch cost 120 yuan and required a watch ticket. None of them could afford such a luxury, though they often thought about it.

Chen Bing, hearing this, ran over. He carefully examined the micro-processing equipment and asked in shock, "Qiangsheng, can these small machine tools process watches? How do you do it? Let's start now!"

A watch costs 120 yuan, and even the cheaper ones cost over 100 yuan. Who could afford to buy one! Chen Bing, being at the age of vanity, had longed for a watch. Hearing that these devices could process watches, he immediately became excited!

In ordinary worker families, it was rare for anyone to have a watch! This expensive luxury item was probably equivalent to an iPhone in the future.

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and said, "Next month, I'll have some good watches made for you all to use. You can help me test their performance and see if the time is accurate."

"Okay! Let's do it then!" Chen Bing nodded heavily, happily imagining the days when he would have a watch.

Wearing a shiny watch on his wrist, he would surely attract the attention of girls!

Zou Xue also clapped her hands and said happily, "That's great! Really give them to us?"

Lin Qiangsheng nodded and said, "Of course! When have I ever broken my word?"

The next day, Lin Qiangsheng drove a large解放 (Liberation) truck from the factory, carefully packaging the micro-devices with wooden planks and hay. Although he wanted to use foam, there wasn't much of it in the factory, and he couldn't just take it.

Driving the truck to Wang Guoxi's village, the villagers saw the large truck from a distance and gathered to watch.

"Wang Shifu!" Lin Qiangsheng parked the truck in front of Wang Guoxi's house and called out loudly.

No one was home at Wang Guoxi's, probably out in the fields.

Lin Qiangsheng jumped out of the truck, and an elderly woman in her 60s, standing quite far away, asked warmly, "Young man, what have you brought? Do you need help?"

Lin Qiangsheng saw a few elderly people watching from a distance. Nearby, four or five children were playing and looking at him and his truck.

Lin Qiangsheng nodded politely and said, "Thank you, Madam! Could you please call someone for me?"

The old woman smiled and responded, "Sure!" She ran quickly to the village secretary's house.

Soon, the village loudspeaker sounded, "Puh! Puh! Hey, our village has a big truck! Everyone, come and help unload the cargo!..."

Lin Qiangsheng smiled at the SD accent in the broadcast.

A few minutes later, the village secretary arrived first.

"Is this your truck, young man?" The village secretary was in his 50s, thin but energetic. He was followed by a man in his 30s and a woman of about the same age.

"Yes, Uncle, this is my truck!" Lin Qiangsheng smiled, nodded, and took out a pack of cigarettes, handing a few to them.

The village secretary took the cigarettes and said with a smile, "Alright, young man! Our villagers will help you unload the cargo soon."

Lin Qiangsheng nodded quickly and thanked him, "Thank you, thank you! Everyone who comes will get a cigarette."

The village secretary smiled, "Alright, wait for them, they'll be here soon!"

After another ten minutes, the villagers indeed returned from the fields, about twenty men and ten young men.

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and handed out cigarettes to everyone. The farmers took the cigarettes, examined them carefully, and, unwilling to smoke them, tucked them behind their ears.

"Be careful, be careful! Handle them gently!" The village secretary called out loudly. Without Lin Qiangsheng's instructions, he thought of handling them gently on his own.

After a while, the unloading was quickly completed.

The village secretary approached Lin Qiangsheng and asked, "Young man, what are you moving? These wooden planks are so new, it's a pity!"

The villagers, seeing the new wooden planks, were very curious, observing the large and small boxes from a distance and whispering to each other.

Lin Qiangsheng asked, "What's your surname?"

The village secretary politely said, "I'm surnamed Xu, Xu Zengliang."

Lin Qiangsheng smiled, "I'll call you Uncle Xu. These are all processing equipment. My factory plans to establish a parts processing plant in your village!" As he spoke, Lin Qiangsheng took out an introduction letter and a public letter from his bag, both obtained from his father.

Xu Zengliang took the introduction letter and public letter, carefully examining them in the sunlight. Indeed, it was a big city factory planning to set up a processing plant in their village, as written.

"Your village will cooperate with our factory to establish a parts processing plant..." The seal, date, and everything were complete, it was genuine.

Xu Zengliang happily slapped his thigh and laughed, "Wow! A big city factory is setting up a plant in our village!"

"Oh!" The villagers, hearing his joyful shout, immediately started buzzing. They had heard before that a factory moved to a rural area, and the villagers were transferred to the factory, becoming workers instead of farmers! Being a worker was good! Monthly wages and access to commercial grain, a better life!

Farmers in this era all dreamed of becoming urban residents, working in factories, earning monthly wages, and eating commercial grain.

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and asked, "Uncle Xu, does our village have a place to set up my equipment?"

Xu Zengliang, overjoyed, didn't even ask about Lin Qiangsheng's identity in detail. With the public letter and seal, it was enough. In this era, these documents were like identity cards, always carried.

Xu Zengliang nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes! The village primary school is vacant. The village children now go to the Hongqi commune primary school. It's perfect for setting up these... what are they? Oh, right! Equipment! Hahaha..."

After agreeing, Xu Zengliang called for people to carry the boxes to the village primary school.

The village primary school had three tiled rooms, not new but not old either.

Lin Qiangsheng checked around and found it acceptable. As long as it didn't leak, a thorough cleaning and ventilation would make it a good place for a small factory.

Without waiting for him to say, Xu Zengliang called for people to clean the house inside and out.

At this time, Wang Guoxi returned to the village with his two sons.

He looked at the wooden boxes happily, though he hadn't seen the machines inside. But the scale was much larger than his single table and set of hand tools!

Lin Qiangsheng handed him the equipment list and said, "Once the house is clean, open the boxes and move the machines inside. Master Wang, you can test and inspect the machines, and if anything is不合格 (unqualified), we can make adjustments. I've brought some materials to try processing."

Wang Guoxi nodded repeatedly and said happily, "Sure, I'll check it out right away!"

Lin Qiangsheng noticed two young men standing behind him and asked, "Are these your sons?"

Wang Guoxi slapped his head and laughed, "Forgot to introduce them. This is my eldest son, Wang Huadong; and my second son, Wang Huazhong. I have a daughter who teaches at the Hongqi commune primary school. Hehe..."

Lin Qiangsheng looked at the two young men. The one on the left was about 1.7 meters tall, and the one on the right was half a head taller and younger.

The two young men looked at Lin Qiangsheng shyly, unsure of what to do.

Lin Qiangsheng smiled and said, "Alright. Let's have lunch first, and start installing the equipment in the afternoon!"

Wang Guoxi was overjoyed and said loudly, "Great! Our watch factory will definitely be set up! You can count on it!"