Chapter 22: Top-Bottom Combined Blowing Steelmaking Technology

Once these words were out, it was equivalent to a confession.

The surrounding workers immediately began to discuss it, pointing fingers.

Li Mingyuan gave a cheeky smile, "How would I know? I was just bluffing you; I didn't expect you to confess."

Jia Dongxu's face turned pale, and he could barely stand steady.

Seeing that things were going poorly, Yi Zhonghai hurried forward to smooth things over, "This... this must be a misunderstanding. Mother Jia did indeed fall and get hurt, but we will investigate the specific situation further..."

"Investigate what else?" Factory Lou Changzhang slammed the table and stood up, "It's clearly a scam, and now you dare to come here and cause trouble! Security Section, show these people out!"

Several members of the Security Section immediately stepped forward, and Jia Dongxu and the others were sheepishly driven out of the factory gates.

Li Mingyuan turned to the workers and said, "Comrades, please go back to work; don't be distracted."

The atmosphere in the workshop quickly returned to normal, and the workers threw themselves back into intense production.

Lao Li walked to Li Mingyuan's side and looked at him with admiration, "Xiao Li, you handled that very skillfully."

Li Mingyuan smiled, "Old Li, some people are just bullies who fear the tough and pick on the weak; the more you retreat, the more arrogant they become."

…………

At the end of the shift, Li Mingyuan rode his bicycle, deciding to first go to the nearby vegetable market to take a look.

As evening approached, there were few people left at the market, the stalls were sparse, and a few people who looked like farmers were still calling out their wares.

"Chinese cabbage, fresh Chinese cabbage!"

"Radishes, freshly pulled radishes!"

Li Mingyuan looked at this barren market, and his heart sank.

There were almost only the most basic vegetables like cabbage and radishes, and meat was even scarcer.

He walked to a meat stall and saw that the vendor had only a few thin slices of pork, with fat making up the majority.

"Master, how much for all the meat?" Li Mingyuan asked.

"Six taels, fifty-three cents a jin," the meat vendor looked at him in surprise, "You want it all?"

Li Mingyuan nodded, "Wrap it all up."

On the way back to the Siheyuan, he was deep in thought.

The level of material scarcity in this era was even more severe than he had imagined; even with money, one couldn't buy much.

"If a war were to break out, how would the troops' provisions be guaranteed?" Li Mingyuan muttered to himself, "Even getting a few hot meals a day on the battlefield would be a problem."

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, "I must find a way to solve the military's food problem, make something like canned goods or convenience food..."

…………

Inside the hospital ward, Jia Zhangshi had thick bandages wrapped around her head, and her complexion was sallow.

"You unfilial son!" Jia Zhangshi grabbed Jia Dongxu by the collar, shaking with rage, "How could you say those things! Now everyone in the courtyard knows I was intentionally staging a scam!"

Jia Dongxu shrank his neck, "Mom, that Li Mingyuan is too eerie; it's like he knows everything."

"You idiot!" Jia Zhangshi said, frustrated that he wouldn't improve, "How could he know? He was just bluffing you, and you fell for it!"

Yi Zhonghai, who was to the side, sighed, "Sister Zhang, things are already like this now; you should focus on recovering and don't worry."

"How can I not worry?" Jia Zhangshi gritted her teeth, "That pretty boy didn't pay a cent, and I fell for nothing, even getting six stitches in my head!"

A glimmer of sharp light flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes, "Don't worry, I will find a way to deal with him. You can't use force with this kind of person; you have to take it slow."

Jia Zhangshi looked at him suspiciously, "What way do you have?"

Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, "Li Mingyuan is a favorite at the factory right now; we have to think of another way..."

…………

Inside the West Courtyard, Li Mingyuan locked the doors and windows and took out several books on steelmaking from the System Space.

As he flipped to the first page, a familiar prompt sounded in his mind.

【Detected that the host is learning steelmaking knowledge. Activate the Insight System?】

"Activate!" Li Mingyuan responded in his heart.

A massive stream of information surged into his mind; various steelmaking technologies, process flows, and temperature control methods played out like a vivid movie.

He saw the essence of the Top-Bottom Combined Blowing Converter Technology—how to significantly improve the quality and output of converter steel by blowing oxygen in from both the top and bottom simultaneously.

He saw the Hexin of Ore Refining Technology—various complex purification methods and how to extract high-purity metal from low-grade ore.

【Insight System activated successfully. The host has gained Proficient Level understanding of 'Top-Bottom Combined Blowing Converter Technology' and 'Ore Refining Technology'.】

【Special reward obtained: Steelmaking process flow has been implanted into the host's memory.】

【Insight Value increased: 12→15.】

Li Mingyuan opened his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the brand-new knowledge in his mind.

"This is great. With these two technologies, I can significantly improve our country's steel output and quality," he muttered to himself, "I must tell the Expert Group about this tomorrow."

He sat down at the desk, spread out blueprints, and began to draw a new design—a set of simple production lines for military instant food.

"I need to design a type of food that can be stored, can be eaten after simple heating, and has enough nutrition..." he pondered with a frown, "Military canned food? Or something like instant noodles?"

Li Mingyuan had a flash of inspiration, "Got it! Compressed biscuits combined with canned meat sauce; the two together are nutritious, easy to carry, and have a long shelf life!"

His pen quickly sketched the outline of the production Assembly Line on the paper—a set of simple and practical equipment that could be fully realized with current technological levels.

"I must go to the Military Industry Department tomorrow and report this idea," Li Mingyuan thought to himself, "If this can be promoted to the troops, more than half of the problem of combat supplies will be solved."

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water, shining on the blue bricks of the small courtyard, casting a silver glow. Li Mingyuan worked at his desk until late at night, and only fell into a deep sleep when the east began to turn white.

…………

The next morning, the Siheyuan was in Silence. Li Mingyuan got up early and pushed his bicycle out the door.

This time, he specifically checked the entrance to ensure no one was lying in ambush before riding away.

At the Rolling Mill, the workers had already begun their intense work; machines were roaring in the workshop, and sparks were flying everywhere.

Li Shouzheng and Cheng Yanhai were already waiting in the office, and seeing him enter, both stood up at the same time.

"Elder Li, Engineer Cheng, I had a new idea last night." Li Mingyuan took a few blueprints out of his briefcase unhurriedly and spread them on the table.

Li Shouzheng and Cheng Yanhai leaned in, and after taking a few looks, both of their eyes widened simultaneously; Shanyanghu's goatee even began to tremble.

"This is... steelmaking technology?" Li Shouzheng's voice changed pitch, and the finger he was using to point at the blueprints trembled slightly, "Where did you get this from?"

Li Mingyuan smiled, "I thought of it on the spur of the moment last night. I feel that our country's Open Hearth Steelmaking efficiency is too low; the steel output per batch is small, the cycle is long, and the temperature is difficult to control."

Cheng Yanhai stared at the blueprints for quite a while, then suddenly stood up and slapped the table, "This... this is simply a revolutionary breakthrough! Even the Polar Bears don't have this kind of technology!"

Li Mingyuan had already walked over to the telephone by this time, "Xiao Wang, please ask Factory Lou Changzhang to come over."