Chapter 115: A Machine That Can Process by Itself?

"Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly it! The holes on the paper tape are the instructions! They command the machine tool on how to move!" Factory Lou Changzhang was so anxious he was stamping his feet. "Minister Zhao, this is an industrial revolution! One machine can replace five to eight skilled workers, working 24 hours without stopping!"

There was another silence on the other end of the phone; Factory Lou Changzhang could imagine Minister Zhao frowning in thought.

"Old Lou," Minister Zhao's tone became cautious, "this sounds like bragging. Even in the Star-Spangled Country, a machine tool with this level of automation is cutting-edge. Are you sure this isn't some kind of trick or misunderstanding?"

"Minister Zhao, I have been working in machinery for thirty years, how could I fail to distinguish truth from falsehood?" Factory Lou Changzhang's voice carried firmness. "You must see it with your own eyes! This is absolutely a subversive invention!"

Another silence followed, and Factory Lou Changzhang held his breath while waiting.

"Alright," Minister Zhao finally made a decision, "I will bring a few experts over to take a look later. However..." his voice carried obvious hesitation, "don't get your hopes up too high; this kind of technology is not so easily broken through."

"You will know once you come!" Factory Lou Changzhang was ecstatic. "I guarantee, this will give you a huge surprise!"

Hanging up the phone, Factory Lou Changzhang let out a long sigh of relief, a smile of Victory appearing on his face.

Although Minister Zhao had agreed to come and see, he was surely half-believing and half-doubting.

It didn't matter; once they saw it with their own eyes, they would have the same reaction as he did!

Just as he was preparing to return to the laboratory, the office door was pushed open violently, and a young man from the Security Section ran in frantically:

"Factory Lou Changzhang! It's bad! A large crowd has gathered around the laboratory, all wanting to see Chief Engineer Li's new invention! We can't stop them!"

Factory Lou Changzhang slapped the table: "What? The news leaked?"

"It has already spread throughout the entire factory!" the young man said urgently. "Everyone is saying that Chief Engineer Li invented a machine tool that can work by itself, and it's more precise than manual labor! The people from the machine repair workshop have all put down their work and are running to the laboratory; even the cooks from the cafeteria have gone!"

"Damn it!" Factory Lou Changzhang grabbed his hat and rushed out. "This is top-secret technology! How could the news spread so quickly?"

Arriving outside the laboratory, Factory Lou Changzhang was dumbfounded.

The corridor and the stairs were packed with people; everyone was pushing and shoving, scrambling to look inside.

A few people from the Security Section had pulled up a cordon, but facing the agitated workers, they appeared powerless.

"I heard that the machine tool can work by itself, without anyone needing to move a hand!"

"My cousin is in the Technical Section and saw it with his own eyes; he said it's more magical than a stage trick!"

"Chief Engineer Li is truly an immortal descended to earth; the last Engine stunned the experts, and this time he's come up with such an uncanny contraption!"

The discussions rose and fell. Factory Lou Changzhang squeezed through the crowd and shouted loudly: "Comrades! Please maintain order! This is classified technology and cannot be visited casually! Everyone go back to work; we will talk once there is an official notice!"

But the workers were not willing to disperse; instead, they became even more excited.

"Factory Director! Let us take one look! Just one look!"

"I've been a lathe operator for twenty years and have never seen a machine tool that can work by itself!"

"Chief Engineer Li, say something; is our working class not reliable enough?"

Just as Factory Lou Changzhang was at a loss for what to do, the laboratory door opened, and Li Mingyuan walked out.

For a moment, the corridor went quiet, and everyone's gaze was focused on this young man.

"Comrades," Li Mingyuan's voice was calm yet full of power,

"I understand everyone's curiosity, but this technology is still in the preliminary research and development stage and needs to be kept secret. Tomorrow, leaders and experts from the Ministry of Industry will come to inspect it, and there will be an official technical introduction meeting afterward, at which time representatives from each workshop will be invited to attend. Please go back to work first, okay?"

For some reason, Li Mingyuan's few simple words were much more effective than Factory Lou Changzhang's shouting.

Although the workers were still curious, they nodded one after another and slowly dispersed.

"Chief Engineer Li, your charm is truly great," Factory Lou Changzhang exclaimed, "I shouted until my throat was sore and it was useless."

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly: "The fellow workers are all sensible people; as long as the reasoning is explained clearly, they will naturally understand."

"By the way," Factory Lou Changzhang pulled Li Mingyuan into the laboratory and closed the door, "I have already contacted Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Industry, and he will bring a team of experts to inspect it."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "I will be prepared. However, they might be skeptical, or even come with the intention of refuting us."

Factory Lou Changzhang frowned: "How do you know?"

"Because," Li Mingyuan's gaze was profound, "this is something that transcends their cognition."

"Then what should we do?" Factory Lou Changzhang was anxious.

Li Mingyuan was confident: "Facts speak louder than words. Let the facts do the talking."

……

In the afternoon, a row of black sedans stopped at the gate of the Rolling Mill, and staff immediately led the visiting guests to the factory conference room.

In the conference room, Li Mingyuan was making final checks on the details of today's demonstration.

Factory Lou Changzhang stood to the side, rubbing his hands nervously.

"Don't be nervous, Factory Director," Li Mingyuan comforted him, "this technology can absolutely stand the test."

"I'm not afraid that there's a problem with the technology," Factory Lou Changzhang swallowed his saliva, "I'm afraid those experts won't understand it, or won't want to understand it. You know, some old pedants are just afraid of new things exceeding their scope of understanding."

Li Mingyuan smiled: "That would be even better; the feeling of slapping their faces will be even more satisfying."

"What?" Factory Lou Changzhang didn't hear clearly.

"Nothing," Li Mingyuan organized the materials, "let them come."

The conference room door opened, and Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Industry walked in with eight experts.

The expressions of the experts behind him varied, but most carried a trace of imperceptible skepticism and arrogance.

"Hello, Minister Zhao! Hello, experts!" Factory Lou Changzhang greeted them enthusiastically, "Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come to our factory for an inspection!"

An old man wearing thick glasses stepped forward and, without waiting for an introduction, said: "Chief Engineer Li, right? I am Professor Chen from the Mechanical Engineering Department of Northern Industrial University. I heard you invented a machine tool that can process by itself?"

The questioning in his tone was undisguised, even carrying a trace of mockery.

Li Mingyuan was neither humble nor pushy: "Yes, Professor Chen. We call it a Numerical Control Machine Tool; through pre-programmed procedures, it controls the machine tool to automatically complete processing tasks."

"Numerical control?" another middle-aged expert interjected, "Are you talking about digital control? We have discussed this concept at seminars, but that is theoretical stuff; there are too many technical difficulties in actual operation."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "Engineer Wang is right. This technology does indeed face many challenges, but we have already found solutions."

"In my opinion, there is still a gap between theory and practice," Professor Chen pushed up his glasses,

"Even the Star-Spangled Country hasn't fully mastered this technology, how could we possibly do it?"

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense.

Factory Lou Changzhang's expression was somewhat unsightly, but Li Mingyuan was very calm.

"Everyone," Minister Zhao interjected at the right moment to smooth things over, "let's not argue for now; let's take a look on-site before saying anything else. Old Lou, lead the way."