Chapter 35

In the dilapidated courtyard, which seemed to be filled with the vicissitudes of history, there were still some scraps of iron left in the iron smelting furnace, completely sealing it off. Under the effect of rust, they had merged into a single entity, impossible to separate. No wonder this place had been abandoned; this thing had no value left to salvage. So, the iron smelting furnace was left here.

Yang Yuanzhao stepped forward and gently touched the iron smelting furnace. The uneven metal texture and the pain from the rust on his hands were followed by a tinkling sound: "A 15-ton iron smelting furnace has been discovered. Do you want to draw a blueprint?"

Yang Yuanzhao felt a surge of excitement but suppressed his emotions and said, "Draw it!"

Beams of light flickered as the blueprint of the entire iron smelting furnace was drawn. After finishing, he moved on to the other machines. The iron smelting furnace was not just the furnace itself but also included other machines. In a certain sense, the machines used in the Hanyang Iron Works were not inferior, and even better than some of the old iron and steel mills in Britain and America. However, due to lack of maintenance and poor usage, they were now considered scrap iron.

Yang Yuanzhao did not stay in the factory for long. There were only seven or eight machines, and in less than a minute, after a quick tour, he said to Wu San, "Alright, let's go!"

Wu San was taken aback. So fast? Didn't he say he liked it here? He brought Yang Yuanzhao here because it was nearby. In his view, Yang Yuanzhao was just a curious young man who would wander around a bit. The Hanyang Iron Works was quite large, and a thorough tour would be exhausting.

Yang Yuanzhao had already walked out, and Wu San hurriedly caught up, leading him to the next factory. They wandered around, and Yang Yuanzhao, like a curious child, explored every workshop and room with machines. The Hanyang Iron Works had 14 branches with many different workshops. However, most of the workshops were now sealed, and many of the lathes were over a decade, nearly 20 years old. The Hanyang Iron Works had not invested much over the years and had always faced operational difficulties, so there were few new machines. However, the Hanyang Iron Works, under the leadership of Zhang Zhidong, was a state-owned heavy industry enterprise. Many of the machines were large, some even 10 to 20 meters wide.

Yang Yuanzhao was excited, but the others suffered, especially Yang Shixun. Despite his robust appearance, he was in his forties and was quite out of breath after the tour. Yang Yuanzhao noticed and immediately asked Yang Shixun to sit and rest while he continued with Wu San.

Yang Shixun did not pretend and found a shady spot to sit, watching Wu San and Yang Yuanzhao run around like rabbits. He wondered what Yang Yuanzhao was really doing at the Hanyang Iron Works.

Anyone who saw Yang Yuanzhao's expression would be puzzled. He seemed interested in machinery but only glanced at each machine, as if searching for something.

Yang Yuanzhao's mood, however, was different. The Hanyang Iron Works was indeed a model of the Self-Strengthening Movement, costing tens of millions and taking 20 years to build. Although it had not been profitable and had low annual production, the machinery was very complete. Despite the cursory tour, Yang Yuanzhao had gained a lot. His knowledge of heavy industry was limited, and in the modern era, industry was highly specialized. As an engineer, he knew little about engine manufacturing, let alone heavy industry, which was quite different. Although the Hanyang Iron Works had low technological content and was an old factory, it could serve as a reference. With his industrial perspective, he could see which parts could be used and which could not.

The main reason for coming to Shanghai via Hanyang was the Hanyang Iron Works. This choice was definitely correct.

Wu San, who had been bribed with two silver dollars by Yang Yuanzhao, followed him around with increasing respect, showing no impatience despite the wandering. Two silver dollars were a significant amount in the late Qing Dynasty. Guiding a wealthy young master around the Hanyang Iron Works was a good deal. If he could do this every day, it would be great.

Finally, after a thorough tour of the northwest area, which included five branches and various types of workshops, Yang Yuanzhao returned to the tree where Yang Shixun was resting. After a brief rest, Yang Shixun, who had been watching Yang Yuanzhao, said, "Young Master Yang, I have a question, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate to ask."

Yang Yuanzhao, feeling very satisfied with his day, replied, "Uncle Wutang, go ahead and ask."

"I heard the Sheng family is raising capital for the Hanyang Iron Works. Why don't you join in?"

The Sheng family raising capital, Yang Yuanzhao was taken aback. He remembered that in 1908, the Hanyang Iron Works was restructured from a government-supervised, merchant-operated enterprise to a private one, and the Sheng family began to control it. It seemed that his behavior had made Yang Shixun think he was interested in the Hanyang Iron Works. Without an integrated steel mill, joining this field could be a good choice. The 20 million capital raised by the Sheng family only reached 8 million by 1911. With his financial resources, he could certainly get involved. However, Yang Yuanzhao thought for a moment and said, "I'm not interested in this steel mill."

"Not interested?" Yang Shixun looked at Yang Yuanzhao in surprise, completely puzzled. If he wasn't interested, why was he so serious? Could there really be some treasure in the Hanyang Iron Works?

Yang Yuanzhao smiled but said nothing, continuing to walk. There were many things he couldn't explain, so he maintained an air of mystery.

Among the 14 branches, Yang Yuanzhao focused most on the steelmaking blast furnaces and iron smelting equipment. These were small furnaces of about 10 tons, vastly different from the 100-ton or even 300-ton large furnaces of the modern era. However, they were highly comparable, and Yang Yuanzhao could use them to expand to some extent. The prerequisite was finding someone who understood steel, or even someone who knew about steel. Such people were rare in China but more common abroad. In the current world, with long-term economic development, steel had saturated in some countries, like the United States, which had built a lot of railways and had a high demand for steel, leading to significant profits for steel mills.

However, with the rise of highways and industrial shifts, those railways became less useful, and the steel mills shrank. Most of the railways were dismantled, and Japan relied on purchasing scrap steel and rails from the United States to build its fleet capable of challenging the United States during World War II.

Finding steel experts in China was difficult, and Europe was not an option due to the rivalry between Britain and Germany. However, in smaller countries or even the United States, it should be easier to find them. Hiring foreigners, however, came with many issues, such as the risk of leaks. "Non-Han people have different hearts," a universal truth, especially in a world where technology was increasingly valued. Any advanced technology could easily attract foreign attention.

Fortunately, in the steel industry, Yang Yuanzhao did not plan to introduce modern technology. At most, he would reform the existing technology. Steel is the backbone of a nation, the foundation of its comprehensive national power and war potential. This heavy industry cannot be approached with shortcuts. It requires accumulation. The Hanyang Iron Works, despite slow development over 20 years, had not achieved its glory due to vision or leadership. However, the workers and technicians it had trained were a valuable asset. He needed to secure them and use their strength to achieve his own success, the ultimate example of leveraging others' resources.