Chapter 1

"Teacher, I want to tell you that I think I'm going to drop out."

In the dilapidated office, an old electronic clock hung on the wall, displaying the time: September 1, 2000.

Zhang Wen leaned against an old iron cabinet and said helplessly.

"What's going on? Have you encountered some difficulty?"

The teacher's concerned voice came through the phone.

"No, Teacher, my father has passed away. Now there's no one to look after the factory at home, so I have no choice but to drop out first."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

Only then did they continue: "Fine, I approve your application for a leave of absence."

Zhang Wen was stunned. "Ah, Teacher, I applied to drop out."

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?! I, your elder, am approving a one-year leave of absence."

"Come back after a year, and then go straight into my graduate program," a grumpy voice came from the other end of the phone.

"That's enough, take a good rest for a while this year."

"If you have any difficulties, tell me."

"I am, after all, the Director of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Military Industrial University; if you have difficulties, just come to me."

"I'll give you a year. After a year, come back—roll back here to see me!"

Following that, Director Cui on the other end of the phone hung up directly.

Zhang Wen could only smile helplessly.

Zhang Wen had actually transmigrated to this place.

This was a world very similar to his original one.

He had already been transmigrated for eighteen years.

Zhang Wen had only just finished the funeral during the summer break and taken over the factory left behind by his father.

Qingtian Manufacturing Factory—actually, its original full name was Qingtian Equipment Manufacturing Factory, a military industrial plant.

But now, there were really no military orders left, so they could only take on some small orders to scrape by.

But now, it seemed they were about to be unable to survive either.

"Factory Director, our capital chain can last at most three more months. We must find new funding or orders as soon as possible. Only with orders can we apply for bank loans. Only then can our factory survive."

"Moreover, the bank loans aren't being approved anymore."

Chen Chuang, the factory's finance officer, rushed in and said to Zhang Wen.

"Alright then."

"I'll think of a way."

Chen Chuang looked at the troubled Zhang Wen; he also knew this problem had stumped Zhang Wen, who was only nineteen years old.

He sighed to himself, then quietly turned around and closed the door.

Zhang Wen watched Chen Chuang's departing back; he was an old-timer in the factory.

Or rather, when Zhang's father took over this near-bankrupt factory from the state, a large part of the reason was to be able to lay off fewer people.

Everyone tightened their belts together to maintain the factory's normal operation.

For the sake of this factory, most of the Zhang family's funds had basically been poured into it.

And these actions were all seen by everyone in the factory and kept in their hearts.

Although they didn't say it out loud, even though the factory hadn't paid wages for three months now, the workers and management were still holding on, but no one could guarantee how long they could hold on—after all, these people also needed to eat, and their children also needed to go to school.

The entire factory had a total of 500 people, over five hundred families.

Looking at these people, Zhang Wen could only feel a heavy sense of responsibility.

And now the factory couldn't be sold either, not to mention how much the various factory buildings and equipment were still worth.

Zhang Wen simply couldn't sell it.

In the shares of Qingtian Equipment Manufacturing Factory, only sixty percent were owned by Zhang Wen; the other forty percent still belonged to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

That's right, even for such a small, near-bankrupt factory, the shares were held by the State-owned Assets Commission.

And the state did not allow resale; it could only be inherited.

In other words, either grit your teeth and hold on, or go bankrupt—there was no second path.

The State-owned Assets Commission couldn't help Zhang Wen either; after all, an agreement had been signed at the time.

And now, near-bankrupt factories were everywhere.

With so many factories across the country, even if they wanted to help, they couldn't manage it.

They could only seek their own way out.

In his memory, the factory's last order.

Was to build a passenger ship, and it was this project that allowed Qingtian Manufacturing Factory to hold on for a few more months.

However, the problem was what to do afterwards—what to do afterwards was the key.

And where to find new orders was the biggest difficulty weighing on Zhang Wen's heart.

Zhang Wen sighed and could only go out to take a look.

As soon as he went out, he saw the bustling workshop with people coming and going.

Zhang Wen looked at the workshop and couldn't stop sighing; in the past, this was a place for manufacturing tanks and cannons.

Now it could only take on some nearby mechanical processing parts to maintain survival.

The workers who were working all put down their work and greeted Zhang Wen one by one.

"Good day, Factory Director!"

"Good day, Factory Director!"

Zhang Wen also responded with a smile to each one.

These were all uncles and aunts who had watched him grow up, or playmates who had grown up with him.

In other words, they were all the people closest to Zhang Wen.

It was precisely them who were willing to temporarily forgo their wages and use the money to buy materials and equipment, which was how the factory had managed to hold on until now.

Many of them had spent their whole lives in this factory.

In other words, this was their second home.

If the factory went bankrupt, then where should they go?

Under the current circumstances, it was very, very difficult for them to find work again.

Zhang Wen sighed.

Suddenly, an old man of about 50 years old saw Zhang Wen and trotted over.

"Factory Director."

"Oh, it's Chen Shifu. What's the matter?"

Zhang Wen looked at the old man in front of him; he was the factory's engineer, Chen Shifu.

Chen Shifu said to Zhang Wen: "Factory Director, the project for that passenger ship from before has been completed."

"Do we have any projects to continue working on?"

Chen Shifu had spent almost his whole life in this factory and naturally didn't want the factory to go bankrupt.

Zhang Wen looked at Chen Shifu helplessly.

"Chen Shifu, there are none."

Zhang Wen watched helplessly as Chen Shifu's expression changed from eager to dull.

"Sigh, Xiao Wen, don't be too sad. Things are just like this; no matter what, doing our own work well is more important than anything." Even so, Chen Shifu still comforted Zhang Wen.

"Sigh, I know, Chen Shifu." Zhang Wen comforted Chen Shifu.

"By the way, that passenger ship project was negotiated by my father."

"I don't understand it very well yet."

"Can you take me to see the project blueprints and other details?"

"I'll go to the south to see if there are any similar orders."

After hearing this, Chen Shifu didn't care about anything else and pulled Zhang Wen to his own office.

The dim incandescent light illuminated the simple office.

There was a large steel table in the office, which was also covered with a layer of glass.

Chen Shifu pulled Zhang Wen to the table and unfolded a blueprint taller than a person.

He began to introduce it to Zhang Wen.

"This is a passenger ship customized by a transport company from the East Sea."

"It is 25 meters long, 12 meters wide, and the draft is only two meters."

"What? The draft is only two meters?" Zhang Wen asked curiously; as a mechanical engineering student who had been directly admitted to the graduate program,

he naturally knew what such a draft meant.

"That's right. It also uses a catamaran structure. Look, aren't there two hulls underneath?" Chen Shifu introduced with great interest.

"The advantages of this kind of ship, let me think, are good stability, safety, comfort, and it's also more flexible to maneuver than ordinary ships."

"However, the structure is a bit more complex, later maintenance is not easy, and it can only be used in near-shore waters; once it goes to the open ocean, it won't work." Zhang Wen frowned and pondered.

"Hahaha!" Chen Shifu laughed heartily, patted Zhang Wen on the shoulder and said: "Xiao Wen, you are worthy of being a university student. You've learned really well!"

"Let me tell you, this kind of hull, looking across the whole country, only our factory has this technology and this level to manufacture it!"

Chen Shifu proudly raised his head; anyone could hear the pride in his words.

However, very quickly, this sense of pride turned into desolation.

"What a pity. What a pity."

At this moment, Zhang Wen suddenly saw the newspaper on the table.

Seeing Zhang Wen's gaze shift away.

Chen Shifu hurriedly said: "This is the military newspaper that was just delivered this morning."

"Sigh, the Eagle Country's heart to destroy us never dies."

Chen Shifu said with deep sorrow.

But Zhang Wen's gaze caught a piece of news.

"Eagle Country aircraft carriers repeatedly violate our country's South Sea waters."

"Our country urgently needs new weapons and new methods to resist foreign enemies."

Wait!

If they need new weapons to resist foreign enemies, then they will definitely develop new equipment manufacturing.

Then there will definitely be new plans and new weapons appearing.

There will also be bidding and research and development.

The most critical thing is.

His own Qingtian Equipment Manufacturing Factory.

Has this qualification!

Suddenly a voice sounded.

"Ding, host detected, Industrial Powerhouse System has been activated."

"Newbie gift package has been sent."