Comrade, Your Ingredients Are Too Complicated

Chapter 399 Prairie Steel City, let us create an industrial miracle!

On the western section of the Pingsui Railway, thirty kilometers away from Baotou, a transport train belonging to the Eighth Route Army was rushing forward.

This train departed from Yangquan Station, passed through the Zhengtai Line and Tongpu Line and went northward after several twists and turns, carrying much-needed supplies and large equipment for the new base area and finally entered the Suiyuan area.

In the front passenger compartment, a handsome guy with outstanding appearance and temperament looked at the scenery outside the window and said helplessly:

“Huang He, I heard from Old Nie that you have been very busy recently. Why do you have time to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony?”

"Speaking of which, why do you have to hold me back? You are the person in charge of the industrial system appointed by the border area. I am a layman and there is no need to join in the fun."

“Hey, originally I wanted to take a day off and take your eldest sister around Guisui, but it seems that the plan has been completely ruined now.”

Hearing his elder brother’s complaints, Huang He showed an embarrassed smile. After all, it was indeed a bit "immoral" for him to take up the couple's hard-earned vacation.

but!

Today is the day when the No. 1 steel furnace of Baotou Iron and Steel Plant officially starts construction. As a person who has a strong obsession with details, Huang He does not want that classic group photo to be missing from the guest house in the future.

“Hehe, brother you still underestimate your own charm. If the comrades workers in the factory see you attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony, they will not be able to maximize their energy and efficiency.”

“Besides, my situation is quite special and it’s not convenient for me to show my face and take pictures.”

“The first steel plant independently built by our Eighth Route Army cannot do without a heavyweight boss. Who told you to just show up in Guisui? Follow me honestly.”

 In fact, Brother Wu's appearance on the train was really a coincidence in a sense.

  After all, in the original timeline, I was supposed to be handling official business in the mountain city now, and I couldn't spare the time to come to the Suiyuan area thousands of miles away, let alone attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

According to Huang He’s previous plan, he was planning to bring in army reorganization experts to join in the fun.

However, due to the mutual assistance agreement proposed by the north, my eldest brother was sent to sign the written document as the representative of the border area, but he was caught by Huang.

 All I can say is, there are some things that are yours and can never be escaped. The master has his own destiny.

“Sure enough, if you want to talk about who has the best eloquence among our Eighth Route Army, it is definitely you Huang He. You kid, you can make a lot of nonsense about anything you do.”

 “You’re all here, so I’ll go and have a look.”

"But if there is a chance in the next few days, you have to make up for our husband and wife's meal of mutton."

 “It’s a piece of cake! No problem!”

 While the two were chatting, the train was getting closer and closer to the station in Baotou County.

Seeing that this trip was about to reach its destination, Huang He methodically began to sort out the documents scattered on the table and prepare to get off the car in advance.

Looking at the hand-drawn map that looked like a ghostly drawing and the slightly haggard face of his younger brother, Brother Wu asked with some concern and curiosity:

"By the way, what have you been busy with recently? I heard from comrades in the bureau that you have basically not spent much time in the office in the past two weeks, either on planes or on trains."

“I don’t know much about industry, but you must pay attention to your health and don’t exhaust yourself from work.”

“Also, why should our first steel plant and heavy industry base be established in Baotou? Does this place have any special value and significance?”

Huang He was not surprised by his elder brother's question. Army reorganization experts and staff officers had asked similar questions before.

 The lines are separated by mountains, and the preliminary planning work is not a trivial matter. After all, reality is not a skyline.

 After a moment, he first looked at his watch, and after making sure that there was enough time, he began to explain.

“I have recently been tossing between counties, banners and regions, mainly for on-site inspections and to further improve the overall planning, so as to complete the tasks assigned to me by the border region in one step.”

“As for health issues, I’m well aware of them. Brother, you don’t have to worry.”

“The reason for choosing Baotou as the location is very simple, because this place is simply an industrial zone that God feeds every head. Look, it won’t be long before everyone can see what a miracle is.”

 The name Baotou is a homophony of the Mongolian Baoketu, which means a place with deer.

It was originally just a small mountain village at the foot of Daqing Mountain. Later, the Qing Dynasty built a small town in a population gathering place. It was only officially upgraded to the county level in the 17th year of the Republic of China.

After the Pingsui Railway was opened to traffic, businessmen from all over the country came here to try their luck, and its peak population reached 70,000.

What a pity, the Japanese invaded Suiyuan soon after. The cavalry group of the Mongolian Army even set up its headquarters in the county town, and used this as its center to plunder furs, minerals, food and other resources.

 The atrocities of the early days caused a large number of people to flee, leaving the local population less than half of its peak.

According to the above situation, Baotou at this stage cannot be said to be rich and powerful, but it can also be regarded as a family with nothing to live on. This is why Brother Wu is full of doubts.

Of course, as a traverser with an overall view of future generations, it is naturally impossible for the Yellow River to choose its location at will.

The reason why the industrial zone is located in Baotou is very simple, because the area has a large amount of iron, coal and other resources.

 In the future, the proven iron ore reserves here alone will be an exaggerated 1.4 billion tons. The situation of coal is even worse, with 9 billion tons at your disposal.

If it is not enough, there are two large coal mines to the west and south. Once the railway is built, you can directly reach the steel plant.

In addition, the limestone, dolomite and fluorite required for steelmaking are also available around Baotou. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is one system in one city.

As Huang He patiently explained, Brother Wu's eyes grew wider and wider. He never expected that a small county town would actually hide such a mystery.

ˆHis eldest brother’s performance perfectly satisfied Huang’s “vanity.”

 When the train arrived at the station, he put away all the documents on the table, stood up and continued to add:

"I haven't finished what I just said. Baotou is located in a plain. The gentle terrain is very suitable for building large factories. In addition, it is close to the Hetao Plain, so the border area does not have to worry about food problems."

“The water resources required for steelmaking can be completely provided by the mother river.”

“To be honest, such a perfect geographical location, after proper development, is really no different from the Ruhr Industrial Area. It can definitely be called the industrial heart of North China.”

  Ruhr, Brother Wu naturally knows.

He was extremely excited when he thought that the border area would soon have a self-contained heavy industrial zone located in the rear area.

 As for what Huang He just said, was it a blank check?

 Sorry, he really hasn't thought about this issue. Based on past experience, my younger brother has always been a stickler for words, and he always does what he says in any major matter.

  ·······

 Five minutes later, the two walked into the station under the **** of a platoon of guards. The director of the steel plant and the county management staff had been waiting for a long time, and when they saw the real owner appearing, they immediately rushed to greet him.

“On behalf of all the comrades in the county and the whole factory, I welcome the leaders to come to Baotou to inspect the work!”

"The car has been prepared and is waiting outside the station. I don't know if you two want to go to the guest house to rest first, or go directly to the factory to preside over the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the No. 1 furnace."

Hearing this, Huang He looked at his eldest brother.

Considering that the other party would have business to do in the next few days and not have enough time, he thought for a while and said:

“Let’s go directly to the factory, the comrades are still waiting. What’s more, we just had a lot of rest on the train, so there’s no need to rush to the guest house or eat in advance.”

 After receiving the instruction, the soldiers from the security section and the guard platoon immediately opened the way and led the two people towards the parking lot.

 Baotou at this stage is completely different from what Huang He remembered. Everything in the county seems to be in dire need, and there are still few Soviet-style buildings.

Looking at the houses passing by on both sides of the road, Mr. Huang told the county magistrate and factory director:

“While the population is not large now, we have to re-plan the structural distribution of the city. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony is over, I will show you the plan I made.”

“By the way, the main roads in the county must be widened ten times from the original ones, and a dedicated tank road must be left.”

“I only have one request, and that is that it should be used for civilian purposes during leisure time, and that it can take off and land fighter jets during wartime. All standards must be in accordance with the Air Force’s permanent airport.”

"All the resources needed will be collected and sent to Guisui for my signature." As soon as these words came out, the three people in the car took a breath, and the factory director in charge of driving almost stopped holding the steering wheel.

 How could they not be surprised by such a large gesture.

However, the county magistrate didn't ask too much. The tasks assigned by superiors must have deep meaning, and they just need to be carried out honestly.

What's more, the Director Huang in front of me is famous for his foresight and straight-shooting in the border area. He will definitely guide his team to carry out their work afterwards.

 Twenty minutes later, Huang He arrived at the destination of his trip: the steel plant.

 Facts have proved that his guess was not wrong. After learning the identity of the companion, all the comrades in the factory were completely excited and gave the warmest applause.

 There is no way, my eldest brother is everyone’s idol no matter what time he is.

 With the support of everyone, Huang He stepped into the factory area that was beginning to take shape. Whether in this life or in his previous life, this was the first time for him to visit Baogang in the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors and Eighteen Arhats up close.

Before entering the workshop, he imagined ten thousand spectacular scenes in his mind, but they were all empty conjectures.

Even though construction has not started yet and it is still a cold winter, Huanghe feels a heat wave coming towards him, and even vaguely hears the roar of machinery.

 This is the power of industry and the enthusiasm of comrades, a pure and surging sense of exuberance.

“Director Huang, let me introduce it to you. Since the large-scale equipment required by the First Machinery Plant is not yet in place, our steel plant is currently only equipped with a rail beam workshop.”

“The machines you see in front of you will shape the molten steel into the shape of train tracks after they are started.”

“Whether it is the track modification work of the Zhengtai Line or the North-South Tongpu Line, the rails produced by the factory will be used. According to your plan, in the next few years, comrades will start the construction with all their strength.”

Hearing this, Huang He nodded with satisfaction.

Compared with the original timeline, the progress of the border area at this time can be said to be far ahead. What else could he be dissatisfied with?

 “Well, thank you for your hard work.”

“When I return to Guisui, I will personally send a telegram to Director Liu of the headquarters hospital and ask him to select a group of experienced doctors to support Baotou, especially those with experience in burns and scalds.”

As soon as these words came out, the director of the steel plant excitedly held Huang He's hand.

 The current comrades in the factory include those who came to North China from the state-controlled areas to seek life, some who were rescued from the former Japanese-occupied areas, and a very small number of them who were cultivated by the border areas themselves.

 But these comrades workers from all over the world all have a common characteristic, that is, they have some burns and scalds on their bodies.

 There is no way, the environment they were in before was too harsh. When working in a steel factory, you will always get scalded by molten steel due to various circumstances.

 This is also the reason why hospitals directly affiliated with major steel mills in later generations are very authoritative in the field of burns and scalds.

 Nothing else but familiarity with your hands.

While Huang He was chatting with the factory director, his eldest brother had already been sent to the podium by enthusiastic comrades workers. Looking into the pair of burning eyes, he suppressed the excitement in his heart and said:

“Comrades! This is the largest blast furnace in the world! It appears in our country for the first time. You must manage it well!”

“You are all proud people who have gathered from all over the world. I believe that you can work together to create an industrial miracle from scratch!”

After finishing speaking, the whole factory burst into warm applause.

 Everyone was clapping excitedly, unwilling to stop even if their hands were red.

 These are the comrades workers of the current era. Each one of them possesses pure and noble moral character.

 “Come! Let’s ask our Director Huang to say a few words!”

 Listening to the cheers of everyone present, Huang He jogged to the podium. Compared with his elder brother, he, a "layman", is more direct.

“Comrades, I am here to make a promise to you today. In the coming days, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure will be gradually completed in the factory area.”

“Although we are a heavy industrial zone, light industry cannot be left behind! In the first half of this year, I will give priority to planning a woolen mill!”

“Also! Once all the large-scale equipment is in place, I will ask the bicycle factory in Taiyuan to send a batch of finished products and provide each household with a bicycle!”

Hearing the promise of the Yellow River, the workers were stunned for a second, and then they burst into cheers like a mountain roar and a tsunami.

This is the power of combining spirituality and materiality. Although it is somewhat unruly, these comrades who took the initiative to leave their hometowns definitely deserve such treatment.

 After the mobilization meeting, the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially began.

At someone's strong request, my eldest brother picked up the scissors handed to him by the factory director and cut off the red cloth belt with big red flowers.

 In the final photo session, Huang He also had some involvement. He stood in the upper left corner of the camera with his back turned, leaving only a tall and straight figure for future generations.

  ·······

After having lunch in the canteen of the steel plant, the two of them were escorted by soldiers from the Security Section and the Guard Platoon to the No. 1 Machinery Factory in the other corner of the county.

 Well, in Baotou, apart from Lu Bu, the local specialty must be a tank.

 Riding a horse to go to school and work is an inexplicable stereotype. Everyone obviously has one 59.

 In fact, when I was a child before the Yellow River crossed, I was very envious of the local children.

Although there is a J-5 and an unknown anti-aircraft gun on display in the park of his city, they are still much inferior to those in the Northern Weapons City.

This 4A-level attraction is filled with retired equipment from the navy, army and air force. All of them are real ones that have been processed, and each one can be entered and even operated.

Other children go to the park to play on the rides on weekends, but the children in Baotou go to tanks and touch naval guns during the holidays. Their childhood is so hard-core that it’s hard to imagine.

 Unlike the situation at the steel plant, the First Machinery Plant is still in the preparation stage, and many large equipment are still being debugged and assembled.

As soon as they entered the factory, they saw comrades workers installing die forging hammers. The total weight of this thing is a full sixteen tons, and it is a key machine for the production of tank armor.

“Director Huang, it is estimated that it will take another month for our factory to start operations. However, everyone is experienced, and the monthly output is only higher than that of the Taiyuan period.”

"If we can borrow some people from our brother units, the preparation period can be shortened to three weeks."

 The factory director's report sounded quite satisfactory to Brother Wu, and he even felt that one month was a long time.

 After all, nearly a hundred Cicada tanks will be provided in each batch of aid sent to the north. If it cannot be produced in time, part of the inventory will have to be transferred.

 But in Huang He’s ears, starting construction within a month was simply a superhuman act in North China.

When the comrades first got the Cicada tank production line, the assembly step alone took four months, and this was because the system provided all the equipment including sleepers.

Now it only takes a month, which will definitely require working day and night. He can imagine how hard the workers are working.

“Thank you for your hard work, director, you should know what I promised at the steel plant. I will treat everyone equally for our No. 1 Machinery Plant.”

“But the construction deadline really doesn’t need to be so urgent. Safety production is the top priority.”

“If we have more manpower, I will go to Zhang Wanhe and try to transfer a group of comrades with solid foundation from Shanxi Province.”

  Originally I wanted to write 3,000, but instead it ended up being 5,000. There may be 2,000 left before 12 o'clock, and there is a chance to make up 10,000 per day.

 (End of this chapter)