Chapter 607: Retrieving the Blueprints

Xie Er Gai scratched his hair vigorously: "We'll get off the plane and not leave; we'll have the embassy military attaché come forward to protest!"

Ivan waved his hand at him: "Do you think He Yuzhu is stupid? Why would he give us money? If you escalate this to a national level, we're finished. He only needs to say one sentence—'It was they who sold the data to me'—and do we have any way to survive? Besides, this money was sent by Kajia..."

"Then we'll have Kajia testify against him!" Xie Er Gai said angrily.

"In that case, Kajia would be in a very disadvantageous position. She is studying Computer technology; she is much more important than those of us over there!" Ivan analyzed.

"It seems this He Yuzhu had everything calculated long ago. Then tell me, what do we do?" Xie Er Gai sat slumped in his seat.

Ivan lowered his voice: "There is only one way now; we must stick to our story and say... say that we burned the data!"

"Will the country believe it?" Xie Er Gai asked with slight anxiety.

"As long as the five of us keep our stories consistent, what can the country do to us? Besides, these technologies of ours are from over a decade ago; the country won't care. Actually, the technical foundation of the Red Star Rolling Mill isn't bad at all; it's just that their Engineers lacked a bit of confidence. Give them two years, and referring to the experience of the two blast furnaces we built, they can build them just the same..."

Seeing that the plane was about to take off, Xie Er Gai stared at Ivan and said: "I'm asking you, what do we do next?"

Ivan thought for a moment and said: "We'll put it to a vote..."

"Good!" Xie Er Gai nodded.

The plane took off. In the darkness, Xie Er Gai's face was uncertain, his eyes still flickering incessantly.

After the plane's flight stabilized, the five of them huddled together to discuss this matter.

In the end, they reached a consensus.

A large middle-aged man asked: "After we return to the country, if someone asks us why we burned these materials, how... how should I answer?"

"Just say that He Yuzhu had remarkable means and could take things from a distance! We had no choice!" Xie Er Gai said.

Ivan smiled: "Xie Er Gai, you're brilliant. By seizing on this point, our reason for burning the blueprints and data is completely defensible. I was just worrying about how to report to our superiors."

The five of them looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

He Yuzhu returned to the Rolling Mill, found Lao Qiao, and handed over the materials completely intact.

As soon as Lao Qiao saw them, he stood up with a "thump," his face flushed with excitement.

He Yuzhu hurriedly waved his hands: "Lao Qiao, don't get too excited. If you have a heart attack, there will be no one left to build my blast furnace."

Lao Qiao glared at him: "I'm going to call Yang Xiuqing right now and have him send over a hundred people to support us, and I'll strive to take down the project within five months!"

"No." He Yuzhu shook his head, "Lao Qiao, I've changed my mind; I'll give you two months at most. If your furnace isn't put into production soon, my plans for the water pump and Diesel Engine will be completely ruined."

Lao Qiao's eyes nearly popped out: "Factory Director He, you're going too far! Even if that bunch of Russians hadn't left, they couldn't have built it that fast!"

"They couldn't have built it even if they stayed, but now that they've left, we must build it." He Yuzhu's tone was firm, "I'm only short on steel over there. From today on, we work in three shifts, non-stop day and night."

Lao Qiao shook his head helplessly: "You're a fascist."

He Yuzhu softened his tone and looked at the several important Engineers: "Everyone, we really can't afford to wait. There is a great drought this year, and grain production has already decreased... If we let this famine continue into next year, everything will be unimaginable. Therefore, we must do our utmost to build these two blast furnaces. Whatever you want to eat, I will get it for you; four meals a day, and I will serve you myself!"

Lao Qiao and the several Engineers looked at each other and immediately made the decision: "Director He, then we want to eat meat tonight!"

He Yuzhu patted his chest: "Fine! Even if I have to smash pots and sell iron, I'll get it for you!"

After boosting the morale of the Engineers, He Yuzhu ran to the canteen himself.

As soon as he entered, he saw Li Huaide sitting listlessly on a chair, chatting with a young girl from the canteen.

"Senior brother," He Yuzhu walked up, "Is there any fresh meat left in the factory?"

Li Huaide replied in a pretentious tone: "There is some, but not much left."

"Give me whatever you have today and supply it to the workers building the blast furnace. Also, from now on, even if there is no meat at the Tractor Factory, the workers building the blast furnace must have meat at every meal."

Li Huaide stood up from his chair with a "whoosh" and said with a flushed, anxious face: "Junior brother, I really can't do that!"

"Even if you have to pay double or triple the price, you must buy it back for me! I'll put it this way: within two and a half months, those two blast furnaces capable of producing millions of tons must be built. If you can't supply the meat, that is your responsibility." He Yuzhu said with no room for negotiation.

Li Huaide's face changed colors like a dye house, shifting back and forth.

"If you do this job well, I will recommend you for Deputy Factory Director; if you don't do it well, no matter what connections you have at home, you're out." He Yuzhu said with absolute certainty.

Li Huaide's face immediately piled up with smiles: "Junior brother, with those words from you, I will certainly work myself to the bone and never refuse!"

He Yuzhu didn't pick up on that, but turned to look at the young girl: "Li Huaide is not a good person; don't associate with him much. If you're short on money at home, come find me."

The young girl curled her lips and ran away shyly.

Li Huaide was anxious: "Junior brother, you... you... right in front of me, aren't you being a bit too tactless?"

He Yuzhu glanced at him: "I have always been upright and open; I say what I have to say. You can find a mistress or a Xiao Si, no one cares, just don't do it in the factory. Otherwise, I will tell your father-in-law directly about your affairs. I don't believe he would still be willing to promote you if he knew you betrayed his daughter."

Li Huaide sighed, his tone softening: "Actually, I don't have this hobby; it's just that things aren't going well in my official career, and I have to find some way to vent."

He Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder: "Behave yourself; everyone else is still going hungry!"

Li Huaide nodded vigorously. He knew that He Yuzhu was doing big things now, and even if he wanted to use his father-in-law's connections to cause trouble, he wouldn't be able to move him at all.

Just as He Yuzhu walked out of the canteen door, he ran into Liu Haizhong.

As soon as Liu Haizhong saw it was him, he trotted over excitedly: "Zhuzi! Can you give your Second Uncle a chance?"

He Yuzhu stopped and looked at him curiously.

"I know your Tractor Factory is busy as hell and very short on people. Look at me, I'm a proper, veteran blacksmith. My few Apprentices are all technical experts. I'll bring them over to work overtime; we definitely won't be sloppy. I don't ask for anything else, just that after your business is done, you promote me to Workshop Director of the Forging Workshop."

He Yuzhu looked at Liu Haizhong's solemn and earnest appearance and nodded: "Fine."

Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up.

He Yuzhu said: "You take a few with good skills over there first to practice. I can't give you the title of Director yet, but I will give you the treatment of a Director. But there is one condition: you must put in the effort. We are working in three shifts over there."

Liu Haizhong nodded vigorously: "Don't you worry, Zhuzi! Your Second Uncle might have some small flaws, but when it comes to work, I've never shied away. I also teach my Apprentices with all my heart, unlike that Lao Yi, who just plays with words."

He Yuzhu was left between laughter and tears—this Liu Haizhong, even while boasting about himself, had to step on someone else.

Watching Liu Haizhong walk away, He Yuzhu smiled; he really was going to give Liu Haizhong an official position this time to see what he could become.

Just then, Xu Damao was about to ride his bicycle past He Yuzhu, and He Yuzhu grabbed the back seat of Xu Damao's bike.