Chapter 77

Not only was Chen Geng stunned, but the other old men around him didn't look much better. They had spent their entire lives working on engines and weren't ignorant about cars. The old factory manager's request was clearly a deliberate challenge!

The old man glared, "Don't worry about the rest for now, Comrade Xiao Chen. I just want to ask you one thing: Can we install our Jin Feng engine and transmission on the 212 Jeep?"

Chen Geng nodded with a bitter smile, "Technically, there's no problem, but what's the point?"

"What do you mean there's no point?" the old man retorted, "Who says a jeep has to be four-wheel drive? Sedans can be four-wheel drive, so why can't a jeep be two-wheel drive? Military vehicles need four-wheel drive because of practical needs, but what's the use of four-wheel drive for civilian vehicles? As long as the chassis is high and the suspension is robust, a two-wheel drive can easily handle most rough roads.

Right now, road construction is booming all over the country. Is there really a need for a jeep to go off-road in the coastal provinces of our country? But if we don't need four-wheel drive, we can save the transfer case, the front drive axle, and the entire front drivetrain, which can reduce the weight of the entire vehicle by about 200 kilograms. The weight saved is money saved..."

The old man's incessant chatter sounded like sophistry and irrationality to the other old men around him. How could there be no need for four-wheel drive in civilian vehicles? Who would buy a jeep without four-wheel drive?

But to Chen Geng, the old factory manager's words were like a thunderclap: Right! Who says a jeep has to be four-wheel drive? For a car that mainly drives in the city, what's the use of four-wheel drive? In the future, there are so many SUVs that don't even have full-time four-wheel drive, let alone part-time four-wheel drive. For the same model, the two-wheel drive version always sells much better than the four-wheel drive version!

Why? Because for most people, most of the time, four-wheel drive is unnecessary, and two-wheel drive is enough. But the weight, fuel, and cost saved by not having a transfer case, front drive axle, and front drivetrain are significant!

After removing the four-wheel drive, the entire front suspension system of the 212 Jeep could be replaced with a standard MacPherson independent suspension, which would not only be lighter but also more comfortable.

The only question was whether the 212 Jeep's engine bay could fit the inline-six engine. Chen Geng was already familiar with the 212 Jeep's specifications and quickly calculated in his mind. To his surprise, it could indeed fit, but it would require a redesign of the engine mounts and a forward relocation of the radiator. However, this wasn't a big issue, as there was still a considerable distance between the radiator and the front of the hood and the steel bumper... Just thinking about the radiator made Chen Geng wince: Who uses pure copper for radiators? But the 212 Jeep's radiator was made of pure copper!

Pure copper!

Copper is very expensive. Every time Chen Geng saw these pure copper radiators, he had the urge to secretly replace them.

Moreover, Chen Geng thought of another benefit of installing the Shanghai sedan's powertrain. His father had told him that to get the Capital Engine Factory to supply 200 engines per year, the factory manager Liu Jinxi had to drink with the Capital Engine Factory's leadership for half a month, getting drunk and vomiting every day. By the end of the half month, he had lost over 10 pounds and couldn't stand the smell of alcohol for the next six months. It took him three months to recover. But if they used the Jin Feng 680 engine and the four-speed manual transmission, the Shanghai Engine Factory would be begging them.

And to be honest, the Shanghai sedan's powertrain was indeed more stable and reliable than the 212's.

Most importantly, using the "212 Jeep's body + Shanghai sedan's powertrain + custom suspension system," Chen Geng was confident he could create a jeep that was as comfortable as a sedan and significantly reduce costs!

As for whether a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive jeep with a front MacPherson independent suspension and a rear solid axle would have a market, Chen Geng believed it would, but it would need to target the right customer base, avoiding the central, western, and northwestern regions. However, given the current business scope of Runhua Industry, this seemed a bit far-fetched.

"I understand what you mean," Chen Geng smiled, finally grasping the old factory manager's intentions, "Old man, you've got a good plan."

The old factory manager showed no sign of embarrassment that his scheme had been uncovered, smiling, "So, what do you plan to do?"

Pretending to think for a moment, Chen Geng finally said with a troubled look, "Old Chang, you're putting me in a difficult position. Can a jeep without four-wheel drive even be called a jeep..."

"Kid, stop pretending!" The old factory manager interrupted Chen Geng without any respect, but still smiling, "I'm not making it hard for you. As long as you buy 1,000 engines from our factory every year, you can take any of these retired old guys. But if you can't do it, you won't take anyone!"

This sounded like an old man taking advantage of his seniority. If someone really wanted to leave, he might not be able to stop them. But Chen Geng admitted that with the old man's influence in the factory, it would be easy to create obstacles. But calling these 50-something-year-old men "little guys" was a bit much, wasn't it?

This time, Chen Geng thought for even longer, over three minutes, before finally saying, "I can figure out how to install the engine, but what about the price? As far as I know, the Jin Feng engine isn't cheap."

The old factory manager, who had been blustering, was relying on his reputation. If Chen Geng refused, he wouldn't have much leverage. Forbidding people from going to Haizhou was a joke: they were retired, so what right did he have to stop them? Besides, he was just a retired old man now, so he should enjoy his retirement. Meddling in factory affairs was tiring.

In fact, when he made his demands to Chen Geng, the old factory manager was nervous. This was a desperate move. The Shanghai sedan wasn't selling well, and as a result, the Jin Feng 680QK engine wasn't selling well either. But the factory needed to feed so many people. This was a ruthless plan, but if it could help everyone eat, it was worth it.

Now, hearing Chen Geng's question, the old man felt relieved and said, "Don't worry about the price, it will definitely be cheaper than the 212 Jeep's engine!"

How did the old factory manager know the price of the 212 Jeep's engine? Because the Capital Engine Factory was selling the "engine—transmission—transfer case" powertrain all over the country. Last year, over 200 factories produced various brands of 212 Jeeps, and this year, over 100 factories were still doing so. He knew the price very well.

Chen Geng nodded, "Since you put it that way, what can I say? I have three final requests."

"Go ahead."

"First, the contract starts next year."

"No problem," the old factory manager agreed readily.

To install the Jin Feng engine on the 212 Jeep, it wasn't a simple task. It would require time to design parts, adjust, test, and even if they started this month, launching a two-wheel drive 212 Jeep by the end of the year would be the fastest possible. Moreover, how to market this jeep was also a problem. Chen Geng's request for the contract to start next year was reasonable.

"Second, the contract only lasts for two years."

"Why?" The old man's eyes widened in surprise.

Chen Geng smiled, "If I can't develop a decent engine in two years, I'll be a failure. But I don't need to tell you that. Let's put it this way: the next two years are a transition period for the Shanghai Engine Factory..."

As soon as Chen Geng said this, the old man's face froze. He understood Chen Geng's meaning: If the Shanghai sedan could improve and gain market traction in the next two years, the Shanghai Engine Factory would be fine, and they wouldn't need Runhua Industry's 1,000 engine orders. But if the Shanghai sedan remained in its current state, even 1,000 more orders from Runhua Industry wouldn't help much.

Chen Geng was essentially giving the Shanghai Engine Factory and the Shanghai sedan two years to improve. If there was no improvement after two years, the 1,000 engine orders from Runhua Industry wouldn't matter much.

After a moment, the old man nodded with a bitter smile, "You're right. What's the third condition?"

"The third condition is..." Chen Geng looked at the old man and said slowly, "We at Runhua Industry hope to hire you as our executive vice president in charge of production."

As soon as Chen Geng said this, the room fell silent!

No one had expected Chen Geng to target the old factory manager. The group of old workers in the room were all stunned: Asking the old factory manager to be your vice president in charge of production? You're really daring!

PS: Brothers, I'm sorry. It's the weekend, and I spent the day playing with my son. I can only update once today. Please bear with me.

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