Chapter 43

The Archivist, however, was not at the Hanyang Iron Works but at the Steel Bureau. Wu San, who was very familiar with everything at the Hanyang Iron Works, led Yang Yuanzhao to the Steel Bureau, which was near the Hubei Board of Revenue, right next to a row of official residences. Fortunately, they had Sheng Huaxuan’s calling card, which allowed them to enter smoothly. They were led to a disorganized large house, where a clerk said lazily, "They’re all inside; you can search on your own!"

Yang Yuanzhao sighed and walked in. Indeed, various documents were haphazardly placed inside. If he wanted to sort them out, it would take more than just a moment. Even with 20 people, it would take at least ten to fifteen days to clear everything out.

Fortunately, Yang Yuanzhao was no ordinary person. He silently thought, "Ding, scan all the documents!"

An invisible light scanned all the documents, one by one. Anything man-made, including blueprints, could be replicated. The all-in-one machine was far more powerful than modern computers and scanners. It took only a few seconds to scan everything, automatically categorize and summarize it, and locate the documents.

In theory, he could have turned around and left, but with Wu San present and having said they were there to search for documents, he pretended to rummage through them. Unexpectedly, he found the list and asked Wu San to help copy it.

Watching Wu San diligently copy the list at the table, Yang Yuanzhao scanned the entire archive room. To be honest, this archive room was probably the only thing left from the Hanyang Iron Works. Not only did it contain detailed records, but also improvements and innovations, and even routine processes. While these might be useless to others, they were very useful to Yang Yuanzhao.

For example, one document recorded an accident. Although it did not provide a conclusion, Yang Yuanzhao’s analysis revealed that the accident was caused by the incorrect order of adding minerals. These details could become part of the future steel plant’s regulations. In modern enterprises, standardization is key. A comprehensive set of regulations is gradually perfected through repeated mistakes.

Yang Yuanzhao planned to build a large-scale steel plant based on the Hanyang Iron Works. Only by absorbing these details could he form a complete set of standards and strict regulations, ensuring safety and significantly increasing production.

Wu San was very busy. In the past, the Hanyang Iron Works had employed nearly ten thousand workers, and over the 20 years, many had come and gone. With Robert’s list, they saved a lot of time. The only downside was that not all the workers at the Hanyang Iron Works were recorded.

The Hanyang Iron Works had been established for 18 years, and at its peak, it employed several thousand workers, most of whom did manual labor. However, the workers received basic training. Over the past decade, China’s political situation had been turbulent, and the Hanyang Iron Works had experienced ups and downs, with a high turnover rate. Who knew where the unrecorded workers had gone.

Yang Yuanzhao sighed. This task would have to be left to Yang Shixun. He could not and would not move all the workers from the Hanyang Iron Works, as that would be too conspicuous. Even if he could recruit a part of them, it would make him very happy. In the list of Hanyang Iron Works workers, he specifically noted the destinations and home addresses of those who had left.

As a government-supervised and merchant-operated enterprise, the Hanyang Iron Works was rife with corruption, and even skilled workers were often oppressed. Due to factionalism and the whims of superiors, many left the Hanyang Iron Works. At its peak, the workforce numbered nearly ten thousand, and among them, at least several thousand met Yang Yuanzhao’s needs.

Holding the list of the 1,500 best workers and other lists, Yang Yuanzhao patted Wu San’s shoulder, who was so tired his hands could barely lift. He left a money bag and then left with the documents. After Yang Yuanzhao left, Wu San cautiously opened the money bag, his eyes immediately narrowing. Inside were not silver dollars but small gold bars. Although there were only two, they were far more valuable than the silver dollars, amounting to at least 20 taels.

Looking around furtively, he hurriedly stuffed the money bag into his chest, fearing that someone might see. His quick actions made it hard to believe he had just been busy all day.

From the Hanyang Iron Works, he obtained everything he needed, including blueprints, lists, and all the records of the Hanyang Iron Works, both in terms of hardware and software. Replicating the Hanyang Iron Works would be no problem. This was an enterprise that Zhang Zhidong had spent 20 years building, the first in Asia.

Yang Yuanzhao had high standards. He would gradually digest these materials, incorporating his own insights and using the all-in-one machine to absorb and integrate them. He would also gradually recruit workers. When the steel plant was finally built, it would shock everyone.

Returning to the Yang family chamber of commerce, he also deposited 20,000 yuan at the Wei family bank. The withdrawal method was the same: as long as he gave his consent, Yang Shixun could withdraw the money. To recruit workers, money was essential. He offered 10 yuan for relocation and 10 yuan for travel expenses for each worker found, and once the number was sufficient, they would all be moved to Baotou.

This trip to the Hanyang Iron Works not only secured all the production lines, machinery, buildings, and everything needed to build it, but also the mining fields, coal selection plants, and even the coke plants. As long as Yang Yuanzhao needed it, he could replicate the Hanyang Iron Works in Baotou. Although the steel produced by the Hanyang Iron Works might not be suitable, with the all-in-one machine, he could simulate the environment and quickly find a suitable solution. The Hanyang Iron Works’ inability to produce qualified products did not mean he could not. With the initial success in the textile industry, large-scale heavy industry had become a necessity for Yang Yuanzhao.

Under Yang Yuanzhao’s push, Yang Shixun began quietly recruiting workers, most of whom had already left the Hanyang Iron Works. This poaching did not attract much attention from the Hanyang Iron Works. After all, this was a large enterprise, and a few lowly workers could not influence the decisions of the superiors. To some extent, it was like a large state-owned enterprise in the future, rigid and bloated.

At night, early 20th-century Hanyang, like other parts of China, was dark. While Wuhan had electricity, it was mostly supplied to the villa areas or the residences of officials. Most residential areas and roads were without electricity.

Yang Yuanzhao lay down early but could not sleep. He reviewed the gains from Wuhan, with the Hanyang Iron Works being the biggest. With the blueprints and minerals he now possessed, he could replicate a complete Hanyang Iron Works. Once the problem of starting from scratch was solved, the future looked bright. He deeply understood how rapidly technology was developing in this era. Germany had transformed from a backward, divided state into a European power in just two or three decades. China now had this opportunity, especially with his穿越 (穿越 means "穿越" in Chinese, which can be translated as "time travel" or "穿越" in this context, but it's not clear what the exact term should be in English. I will use "time travel" for now.) time travel. The only question was how long it would take.

He lay awake all night. The next day, with dark circles under his eyes, he got up. It was time to leave Wuhan by boat.

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