Return to the team 121

  Zhang Zhifang insisted on going to the Hanhua factory immediately, which made Xie Chunyan feel very embarrassed.【All the small cars in the hall had gone out, and she couldn't find a car to send Zhang Zhifang, so Zhang Zhifang squeezed onto the American Jeep opened by the Hanhua factory. Chang Qingbo and Yu Wen Zheng were even more tragic, they could only sit in the carriage of the truck, but they felt very happy about it, because they wanted to study this unusual workpiece carefully.

  "Come on, kid, step on it!"

  Zhang Zhifang sat in the passenger seat of the jeep, saying to Wang Qihu who was driving. At this time, the car they were sitting in was speeding along at 80 kilometers per hour, but Zhang Zhifang still felt it was too slow.

  "Manager Zhang, this speed is already fast enough, any faster and it will be dangerous." Zhu Tiejun reminded kindly.

  "It won't happen," Zhang Zhifang said nonchalantly. "American cars, no problem with performance. I drove this car back then and it ran 100 yards just fine."

  "Will Manager Zhang also drive?" Wang Qiuhu asked curiously.

  "Ha ha, young man," said Zhang Zhifang with a smile, "when I was just a bit older than you, I drove this car and ran back and forth across the 38th parallel several times."

  "38th parallel?" Everyone in the car became interested, "What, did Manager Zhang used to be a soldier?"

  Zhang Zhifang nodded: "That's right, I used to be a soldier. During the Resist America and Aid Korea War, I was a regimental commander, leading my troops all the way into Hanzhong..."

  Zhu Tiejun said: "So to speak, Manager Zhang is my old superior, during the Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea War, I was a new recruit."

  "Oh, Director Zhu also has a military background?..."

  Zhu Tiejun pointed with his fingers a few times: "Xiao Wang, Xiao Lin, and I are all from a military background. That's right, only Old Fan hasn't been in the army."

  "In front of you, I'm just a new recruit." Lin Zhenhua said gloomily.

  Xiao Jipu stirred up a cloud of dust all the way, and it took less than an hour to return to the Hanhua factory. Zhu Tiejun brought Zhang Zhifang into his own office, then arranged for someone to go find Hu Yang immediately. As a result, Kong Haijiang searched around but couldn't find Hu Yang, so he ran to the broadcasting room and shouted: "Hu Yang, master of the sand-turning workshop, please come to Director Zhu's office immediately, someone is looking for you!"

  Hu Yang hasn't arrived yet, but Chang Qingbo and Yu Wen Zheng have already rushed over and are sitting in Zhu Tiejun's office, waiting to see this amazing wood model worker. Kong Haijiang arranged for someone to quickly pour them water and also notified the small cafeteria to prepare food. He didn't understand what Zhang Zhifang's group was about, but hearing Zhu Tiejun say something like that, it seemed like the Light Industry Department also attached great importance to this group of people, so treating them to a simple meal was necessary.

  Hu Yang had just returned from the lumber mill with a load of boards and was covered in sawdust. When he heard that Zhu Tiejun was looking for him, he didn't know what it was about and didn't have time to change his clothes, so he rushed to Zhu Tiejun's office in big strides.

  As soon as he entered, Hu Yang was stunned and stood still at the door. Zhang Zhifang was originally chatting with Zhu Tiejun when he suddenly jumped up and stared straight at Hu Yang, his eyes filled with mixed emotions.

  "Lao Hu, you... ... know each other?" Lin Zhenhua walked forward and asked Hu Yang in a low voice.

  Poplar did not answer Lin Zhenhua's question. He bit his lips tightly, as if controlling the surging emotions.

  "It really was you!" Zhang Zhifang said in a low voice.

  "You... how did you find this place?" Hu Yang asked, suppressing his excitement.

  "I've been looking for you, but I never thought you'd be hiding here. Yan Yuan and Gang from Changhong Machinery Factory just told me, and I still didn't think it was you. Hu Yang, Hu Yang, how did you come up with a name like that?"

  Poplar lifted his head to look at the ceiling, in order to prevent his tears from falling down. He said slowly: "I thought... I would never see the sea again..."

  "How did you get here?" Zhang Zhifang asked.

  "In the 'Dongnian' hospital, there was a martial arts fight. Director Mu, in order to protect me, arranged for me to go to a third-line factory. After working there for several months, they also started fighting. The factory director had been entrusted by Director Mu and through his connections, transferred me to the local area, and finally I arrived at the Hanzhou Machinery Factory."

  Zhang Zhifang nodded: "No wonder" Old Mu had passed away, and before his death, he didn't reveal where you went either. So no one knows where you went...

  "I heard he was also beaten to death." Hu Yang said gloomily.

  "It's been five years since the turmoil ended, why haven't you come back?" Zhang Zhifang pressed.

  "I...I don't know..." Hu Yang replied hesitantly.

  "You don't know?..."

  "Yes, I've thought about going back, but every time I couldn't make up my mind. That place is where Xiaomo's heart was broken, and it's also where mine was broken. I don't dare to go back and face everything there..."

  "Sadly? So you didn't go back to find us because of this..." Zhang Zhifang muttered. He suddenly changed the subject and asked Hu Yang, "In 1974, did you see the news about the Xisha Sea Battle in the newspaper?"

  "I've seen..." Hu Yang said.

  "What's your impression?"

  "We used small ships to defeat big ships, this is the glory of our naval comrades. However, a major military power like us, facing South Vietnam which is just a tiny clown, can only use small ships to fight against big ships, this is the shame of our military industry." Hu Yang said with hatred.

  "Smack! Zhang Zhifang slammed his hand on the table: "You still know shame! You still know you're a military personnel! Now everyone in the army is rushing to change equipment, naval officers are eager for large warships to defend the coast. Technical personnel and workers in the military industry department are busy every day, with no time to eat, as if one person can be used as two. And you! Can a single sentence of sadness become an excuse for you to shirk your responsibility? Did the party and state spend so much money to cultivate you just to talk about sadness with the organization?"

  Hu Yang's psychological defense line was shattered by Zhang Zhifang's sudden shout, and tears flowed down his cheeks. He asked in a trembling voice: "I, I didn't want to escape, but, can the organization still accept me?"

  Zhang Zhifang angrily shouted: "The organization has never abandoned you, it's just that you don't want to return to the team. Our policy is to come and go freely, revolution is not a dinner party, we won't force you. If you're not willing to return to the team, you can leave now!..."

  Hu Yang gritted his teeth and wiped away the tears on his face with his sleeve. He walked to Zhang Zhifang's side, stood at attention, and saluted him with a standard military salute. Then he loudly reported:

  "Comrade Minister, Liu Xianghai, Chief Engineer of Propulsion System Engineering Department of Naval Vessel Research Institute, requests to return to the team!"

  This roar shocked everyone in the house. What, Navy! Chief Engineer! Is this really that ordinary wood model worker Hu Yang?

  Among all the people, Lin Zhenhua was the most shocked. He exclaimed in his heart: This is Liu Xianghai! This is Liu Xianghai, a super cow among cows, an existence like a great god!

  Lin Zhenhua clearly remembered that in the history of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Huaqing University, there was such a record:

  Liu Xianghai is a 1956 graduate of the Mechanical Department of Qinghua University, and was sent to study at Leningrad University in the Soviet Union as a major in ship power. In 1960, he wrote a paper titled "Low-noise propulsion model for large propellers", which overturned the theory proposed by a famous Soviet expert on propellers, causing a sensation in the Soviet military-industrial complex and earning him the reputation of being a naval engineering genius.

  After obtaining his Ph.D. and returning to China, Liu Xianghai was assigned to work at the Naval Vessel Research Institute. Due to his outstanding contributions in the research of propulsion systems for several types of vessels, he was promoted to be the chief engineer of the Propulsion System Engineering Department at the age of 34.

  Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. After the start of the decade-long turmoil, the Ship Research Institute was impacted by the rebels. Liu Xianghai's business leader and also his father-in-law Professor Tai was beaten to death, and Liu Xianghai disappeared in the chaos. Until Lin Zhenhua read graduate school at that time, Liu Xianghai's whereabouts were still an unsolved mystery.

  Lin Zhenhua's graduate supervisor, Professor Yao Heliang, had a lot of dealings with Liu Xianghai in his early years and occasionally talked about Liu Xianghai to his students, always sighing and complaining that heaven is jealous of talented people.

  Who would have thought that Liu Xianghai, whom everyone had been searching for in vain, had actually changed his name and become a woodworker named Hu Yang. If it weren't for Lin Zhenhua's time-traveling, he might have gradually grown old and disappeared from people's sight as a woodworker.

  I'm really muddled, why didn't I think of this? Lin Zhenhua kept scolding himself in his heart. In fact, this self-blame was also unreasonable. Before the mystery was revealed, who could have thought that there would be such a dramatic result?

  When Liu Xianghai requested to return to the team, Zhang Zhifang's eyes also flashed with tears. He raised his hand and returned a military salute to Liu Xianghai, saying solemnly: "Comrade Liu Xianghai, I represent the Navy Equipment Department, welcome you back to the team!..."

  After saying this sentence, he walked forward and tightly grasped Liu Xianghai's hand, saying emotionally: "Xianghai, I know you've been wronged. On behalf of the organization, welcome back!"

  Everyone present applauded excitedly, especially Chang Qingbo and Yu Wen Zheng, who hurried forward to salute Liu Xianghai and said respectfully: "Director Liu, we've been waiting for your return!"

  These two people were transferred to the Research Institute from other units later, and before that, they had only admired Liu Xianghai's reputation but had never met him. They are currently middle-level cadres in the Propulsion Division, and they know very well that if Liu Xianghai returns to the Propulsion Division, he will at least be reinstated as Vice Director and Chief Engineer. This means that Liu Xianghai will become their superior.

  Liu Xianghai shook hands with Chang Qingbo and Yu Wen Zheng, saying: "I'm ashamed, I'm a soldier who fell behind, please help me more in the future, comrades..."

  Just then, the office door was pushed open and Tai Po rushed in. She didn't look at anyone else, but went straight to Liu Xianghai, shouting his alias: "Old Hu, what's going on? I heard that..."

  Liu Xianghai pulled his wife over and pointed at Zhang Zhifang, saying: "Little thief, look who's here."

  Tai Hong turned his head around and saw Zhang Zhifang with an expression of complete astonishment, just like Liu Xianghai at first.

  Zhang Zhifang looked at Tai Mo with affectionate eyes and softly called out: "Xiao Mo, it's me."

  "Uncle Zhang!..." Tai Xian cried out in a loss of composure, and then threw herself into Zhang Zhifang's arms, wailing. At this moment, she was no longer the gentle middle-aged female worker that everyone was familiar with, but had completely transformed into a little girl who had been away from home for many days and had just seen her loved ones.

  Zhang Zhifang gently patted Tai Hou's back, saying emotionally: "Xiao Hou, I'm sorry, I came late. I didn't protect Professor Tai well, and I didn't protect Xiang Hai either. I owe you both an apology..."

  Everyone finished telling their stories of parting, and Zhu Tiejun walked forward, also giving Zhang Zhifang a military salute, saying: "Sorry, Director Zhang, I was slow to react just now."

  Zhang Zhifang hastily pressed down Zhu Tiejun's hand and said, "No, no, it's our fault, I shouldn't have concealed my identity. The fact is that this mission has a certain level of confidentiality, please understand, Director Zhu..."

  "Director Zhang, what's the task?" Liu Xianghai asked anxiously, he had quickly entered his own role.

  Chang Qingbo took out the drawing that he had shown to Lin Zhenhua before and handed it to Liu Xianghai. Liu Xianghai took a glance at it, shook his head and said: "This design won't do, I've recently come up with some new ideas..."

  Zhang Zhifang chuckled and said, "Xiang Hai, there's no rush. Earlier, Xiao Chang and Xiao Yu have already seen the model you made. Is it a 1:5 scale model?"

  "Yes..." Liu Xianghai replied, "Director Zhang, this is just a conceptual design. The actual effect still needs to be tested through dynamic modeling experiments, which cannot be done here."

  Zhang Zhifang said, "I knew it, you wouldn't give up on business no matter where you go. You've been away from your post for so long, but you haven't abandoned your profession at all, and it seems like you've made great progress."

  Liu Xianghai pulled Lin Zhenhua over and pushed him in front of Zhang Zhiji, saying: "Director Zhang, this is all thanks to Little Lin. I was able to do these calculations thanks to the finite element analysis that Little Lin taught me. Little Lin also used his connections with American customers to buy a large batch of English materials for me. Although they are publicly published materials, they have been very enlightening for our thruster design. Moreover, I also learned from Little Lin about mechanical processing knowledge, and now we can already use ordinary machine tools after modification to achieve the five-axis processing of the thruster's propeller."

  Lin Zhenhua awkwardly smiled and said, "Uh, Director Liu, don't try to take advantage of me. If I had known you were Liu Xianghai, I wouldn't have dared to show off my skills in front of you even if you killed me."

  Isn't that right, the people in front of you are all people that Lin Zhenhua needs to look up to. This Zhang Zhifang who previously claimed to be a business manager is at least a general. Good fellow, the regimental commander during the Resist America and Aid Korea era is now the Minister of Equipment Department, what kind of great god is this?

  Zhang Zhifang saw Lin Zhenhua's embarrassment, walked up and patted Lin Zhenhua on the shoulder, saying: "Little Lin is good, I chatted with you all the way here, I can feel that you are a very smart guy, also very responsible. It's just that this economic awareness is too strong, our navy is very poor, maybe we really can't afford to pay your technical fees."

  Lin Zhenhua said: "Director Zhang, now you don't have to pay patent fees either. Our patents are all in General Manager Liu's brain, take him back and everything will be solved..."