Chapter 117: Complete the Modification of Three Production Lines First

"Sorry, I'm just too excited," Minister Zhao said, patting his chest, his face flushed red. "This... this is simply a strategic breakthrough for the country!"

Li Mingyuan maintained that inexplicable calm, smiling slightly: "Minister Zhao, you overstate it. This is just a prototype; there are still many areas that need improvement."

"No, no, no!" Minister Zhao shook his head repeatedly, too excited to speak coherently.

"You don't understand how important this is! The Star-Spangled Country has only just begun researching numerical control technology, and the Polar Bear is still only at the theoretical stage! And we... we already have a practical, working prototype! This... this..."

He seemed unable to find the right words to express his excitement, only able to rub his hands incessantly and pace back and forth in the laboratory like a lion trapped in a cage.

Just then, an even more dramatic scene occurred.

Professor Chen, that venerable old scholar who held supreme authority in the field of machine tools, actually knelt on one knee, grabbed Li Mingyuan's hands with both of his, and had tears in his eyes.

"Chief Engineer Li, please take me as your student!" Professor Chen's voice trembled with excitement. "I have studied machine tools for forty years, and only today do I realize there is a heaven beyond heaven! Your insights, your innovations... I am ashamed to compare myself to you!"

This scene shocked everyone present, including Li Mingyuan himself.

What kind of figure was this Professor Chen in the mechanical engineering world!

Having returned from studies in the Polar Bear, he was one of the most authoritative machine tool experts in the country, yet now he wanted to apprentice himself to a young man?

"Professor Chen, you overstate it!" Li Mingyuan hurriedly helped the old man up, his expression sincere.

"You are a titan in the domestic machine tool field. My work is built upon the foundations laid by those before me, including your years of research. If not for the foundation laid by predecessors like you, I could not have achieved these advances."

Professor Chen took off his glasses, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, and shook his head:

"No, you are too modest. I have studied machine tools my whole life and never imagined that automatic control could be achieved in this way. Your line of thinking completely jumps out of the traditional framework; this is not incremental improvement, but revolutionary innovation!"

The other experts finally came to their senses and swarmed around Li Mingyuan, scrambling to ask questions:

"Chief Engineer Li, how was the control system designed?"

"How is the precision of the servo motor controlled?"

"What is the principle behind the feedback mechanism?"

"Could you explain the paper tape programming method in detail?"

Questions surged in like a tide, almost drowning Li Mingyuan.

He raised his hand to signal for silence, then answered these technical questions one by one, his language concise and clear, without a hint of ambiguity.

Professor Wu listened to Li Mingyuan's explanation, the excitement in his eyes growing more intense.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh, his voice rising by several decibels: "One Numerical Control Machine Tool is worth eight skilled workers, production capacity increases 5-8 times, and the scrap rate drops from 15% to under 1%! This is a revolution in industrial production!"

"It's not just a matter of production capacity," Engineer Wang added. "More importantly, it's the precision and consistency. This technology can produce completely identical parts, with good interchangeability and high assembly efficiency; this is especially important for military production!"

"And the ability to process complex shapes," another expert added. "Some complex surfaces are almost impossible to process accurately by hand, but with numerical control technology, it can be achieved easily. This is of great significance to aviation and precision instrument manufacturing!"

The experts spoke one after another, as excited as explorers who had discovered a new continent, each of them describing the massive changes this technology might bring.

Minister Zhao stood to the side listening, the expression on his face becoming increasingly grave.

He was the only one among this group who considered both the technical and political implications. As a high-level leader of the Ministry of Industry, he clearly knew that the strategic value of this technology far exceeded the single machine before them.

"Enough, everyone!" Minister Zhao finally spoke, his voice carrying unquestionable authority. "This technology is too important; it must be reported to the superiors immediately. I decide on the spot: expand production immediately and promote this technology to key machinery factories across the country!"

He turned to Li Mingyuan, his eyes flashing with excitement: "Mingyuan, how long do you think it will take to put it into actual production? We need a clear schedule and resource requirements."

Li Mingyuan was not carried away by this enthusiasm.

He thought for a few seconds, then answered calmly: "Minister Zhao, if I may speak frankly, it is too early for a full-scale promotion."

Once these words were out, everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" Minister Zhao asked, frowning. "Such an important technology—the faster it is promoted, the better!"

Li Mingyuan explained unhurriedly: "This is only the first-generation prototype; there is still a lot of room for improvement. The stability of the control system, the convenience of software programming, and the user-friendliness of the interface—all these need further refinement. I suggest applying it on a small scale at the Rolling Mill first, improving it while in use, and then gradually promoting it after accumulating experience."

Minister Zhao pondered for a moment and nodded:

"That makes sense. So, what is your specific plan?"

Li Mingyuan had been prepared for a long time and answered immediately: "My plan is to first apply the numerical control technology to our three military production lines. By applying it to these three lines, we can accumulate a large amount of practical experience and discover and solve various problems."

"At the same time," Li Mingyuan continued, "we can train the first batch of operators and maintenance personnel for the numerical control technology, laying the foundation for subsequent large-scale promotion."

"And the time?" Minister Zhao pressed. "How long will it take?"

"Complete the modification of the first production line within one month, and complete the numerical control upgrade of all three production lines within three months." Li Mingyuan gave a surprisingly short deadline. "At the same time, we will begin the research and development of the second-generation Numerical Control System, with the goal of further improving precision and stability."

The experts looked at each other; this schedule was much more aggressive than they had imagined.

But looking at Li Mingyuan's confident and calm expression, no one raised an objection.

Minister Zhao took a deep breath and made his decision: "Good, we will do as you say. Modify the first production line in one month, and complete all upgrades in three months. I will coordinate with the Military Industry Department to ensure the supply of resources. But I have one condition."

"Please speak," Li Mingyuan nodded.

"This technology must be kept absolutely secret," Minister Zhao said with a serious expression. "At least until we have fully mastered it and applied it on a large scale, we cannot let any foreign country know about our progress. This is a national strategic asset; once leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Li Mingyuan nodded solemnly: "I completely agree. In fact, I have already adopted a decentralized production method where each technical team is only responsible for the manufacture of certain specific parts without knowing the final use, to ensure confidentiality."

"Very good," Minister Zhao said approvingly. "This sense of confidentiality is absolutely necessary. Then, from now on, the code name for this project is 'Spring Thunder Project,' and all related information will be handled with the highest level of secrecy."