Chapter 96

As soon as he arrived at the company, Jin Deker, like a dog eagerly waiting for its owner to feed it a bone, circled around Chen Geng, his tongue almost hanging out...

"Chen, are you tired?"

"Chen, I've thought about it carefully, and I think the plan you proposed earlier is more reliable..."

"Chen..."

Seeing Jin Deker, who was almost wagging his tail, Chen Geng's belly was about to burst from laughter.

Having known Jin Deker for so long, this was the first time Chen Geng had seen him act like this. It was a rare opportunity, so he decided to play along a bit more. Pretending not to know Jin Deker's intentions, Chen Geng asked, "Jin Deker, you seem a bit off today. Is there something you need my help with?"

For the sake of the Changjiang 750, Jin Deker had been in a bad mood all day yesterday, fearing that Chen Geng wouldn't be able to get the necessary documents from the vehicle management department of the East China Military Region, which would make his previous efforts in vain. As a result, the usually good sleeper had a rare bout of insomnia last night. Now, he couldn't hold back any longer: "Chen, did you get the documents for the Changjiang 750?"

"Ha ha ha..."

Chen Geng finally couldn't hold back his laughter, tears almost streaming down his face.

Jin Deker wasn't stupid; his earlier behavior was just due to his concern. Seeing Chen Geng laughing uncontrollably, he immediately understood that Chen Geng was just messing with him. His eyes lit up, and he excitedly rubbed his hands together: "Chen, you mean... you mean..."

"That's right, there's no problem with the documents," Chen Geng finally stopped teasing him. The joke had been enough for a friend, but if he continued, it would be too much. He nodded and smiled, "Congratulations..."

"Yes! Yes!" Before Chen Geng could finish, Jin Deker had already jumped up in excitement: "That's great, Chen, thank you so much, really, thank you..."

"Are you that happy?"

"Of course, I'm very happy," Jin Deker nodded repeatedly, waving his arms: "Chen, you know, this motorcycle is very important to me, to my father, so..."

"I have even better news for you," Chen Geng cut in, smiling warmly: "The East China Military Region, to show their appreciation, has decided to give you the Changjiang 750 for free. However, you'll have to wait a few days for the documents, as the process takes some time..."

"That's fine, that's fine, I completely understand, I'm not in a hurry..." Before Chen Geng could finish, Jin Deker's mouth was already twisted with excitement. He wasn't excited about getting the Changjiang 750 for free, but about getting the Changjiang 750 at all, and about fulfilling his wish. Grasping Chen Geng's hand, Jin Deker was at a loss for words: "Chen, thank you, thank you, thank you so much... I'm sorry, I'm too excited, I don't know how to express my gratitude, but you must believe me, I am incredibly grateful, and my father is incredibly grateful... You are the best friend of both my father and me..."

"Do we really need to say this, given our relationship?" Chen Geng smiled innocently, but with a mischievous glint in his eye: "As long as you help us debug the production line and train the workers..."

"Of course, you can count on it!" Before Chen Geng could finish, Jin Deker was already thumping his chest, ready to do anything for their friendship.

I don't believe you for a second!

Jin Deker's performance was enough to make any Chinese person unfamiliar with foreign customs feel a surge of excitement. However, Chen Geng understood that Jin Deker's enthusiasm was partly due to the clear profit-sharing agreement they had established. Initially, the plan was for Jin Deker to receive a "consulting fee" after the carburetor went into production. But as Chen Geng's trust in Jin Deker grew, he upgraded the agreement from a "consulting fee" to a profit-sharing arrangement.

Although it was only 10%, for Jin Deker, the change from a "consultant" to a shareholder was a significant step forward, which sparked a tremendous work enthusiasm. However, Chen Geng didn't expect Jin Deker to work for free, as that would be unrealistic. It was already great that they could collaborate based on mutual benefits.

Knowing that Jin Deker needed to vent, Chen Geng left him some space and went to the workshop to find Old Xie Mingsheng, who was inspecting the work.

"Manager Chen, is there something?" Seeing Chen Geng, Old Xie greeted him proactively.

"Indeed, there is something," Chen Geng nodded: "Old Xie, shall we talk somewhere else?"

Old Xie's expression immediately turned serious, and he followed Chen Geng to a quiet corner. Before Chen Geng could speak, Old Xie whispered, "Is there a problem? How serious is it?"

"No, nothing like that," Chen Geng hadn't expected his casual action to cause such a serious misinterpretation. He was both amused and touched: Old Xie truly treated Runhua Industry as his own business. Waving his hand, Chen Geng reassured him: "Don't worry, everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know that I might be away for a while, and you might not be able to reach me. I thought we should go over some things in the next few days so you have a clear idea of what's going on, in case you need to find me."

"You should have said so earlier," Old Xie immediately relaxed, then asked curiously: "Where are you going?"

Chen Geng shook his head: "I can't say, it's a political task."

"In that case, I won't ask," Old Xie, who had spent his life in revolutionary work, understood the weight of the term "political task" and was genuinely happy that Chen Geng was involved in such important work: "Don't worry, I'll take good care of the place while you're away."

Chen Geng said nothing, just nodded firmly.

In the following days, Chen Geng and Jin Deker had plenty to do. While helping to debug the equipment and production line, they also immersed themselves in the Changjiang 750.

It wasn't that they wanted to replicate a BMW with the Changjiang 750, but the numerous small issues with the bike had become unbearable for Jin Deker after using it for a while.

The Changjiang 750 was a classic, but it had many flaws: the cylinder couldn't withstand high temperatures, there were unpredictable small issues, the platinum ignition system was poor, the 6V excitation AC generator was frustrating, and the carburetor was so annoying that you wanted to kick it.

Jin Deker felt that since the Changjiang 750 was a gift for his father, it should be in perfect condition. Although repairing and maintaining a motorcycle is something every motorcycle enthusiast loves, it shouldn't take more time to repair than to ride.

Chen Geng and Jin Deker were among the best in China in terms of engine expertise. Fortunately, although the Changjiang 750 had many small issues, they were not problems for Chen Geng and Jin Deker. They even enjoyed the process, finding pure pleasure in it.

Doing what you love, even if it's just repairing a car, can be very satisfying. Just like how people who dislike fishing can't understand why fishing enthusiasts can sit by the river for hours and enjoy it, or why some people wash their cars with the same tenderness as they would give their wives, they are not just doing the task; they are enjoying it. Chen Geng and Jin Deker were the same. They were not just repairing and modifying the car; they were enjoying the process. And with the modifications by these two experts, the potential of the Changjiang 750 gradually turned into real performance:

The carburetor was replaced with a 41mm vacuum diaphragm carburetor that Jin Deker had personally processed while debugging the equipment. Compared to the original carburetor, which was barely thicker than a thumb, this new one had a larger air intake and more uniform fuel-air mixture, allowing for more complete combustion.

The air filter section was enlarged and thickened, and a high-flow air filter from the Volkswagen Santana was installed, though it had been modified.

The exhaust system was optimized to make the exhaust smoother and the sound more pleasant, while also adjusting the backpressure coefficient to increase power.

The spark plugs, ignition system, and generator couldn't be replaced immediately as there were no high-end models available domestically. However, Jin Deker had contacted his friends in Shanghai, who would help him order a complete BMW G/S motorcycle-specific CDI ignition system, Bosch iridium spark plugs, and a 12-pole permanent magnet DC generator from Germany. This generator would need to be modified due to its size, but that was no problem for Jin Deker and Chen Geng.

After a simple calculation, Chen Geng remarked, "With these modifications, the maximum power of this bike should easily reach 32 horsepower."

The power had increased from the original 24 horsepower to over 30 horsepower, a more than 30% increase, which was a significant improvement. Unfortunately, Runhua Industry didn't have the equipment to accurately measure the power output.

Jin Deker, however, clicked his tongue, still a bit disappointed: "It's a pity, the engine's cylinder is not good. When I return home, I'll have a set of lightweight forged cylinders custom-made and add a water-cooling system. The power should easily exceed 40 horsepower."