Chapter 6: Koi Illustration of the 1970s, Part 6

Upon being brought to the car and examining the engine inside the trunk, Chen Ying frowned. "The material is far too poor."

"Material?" Zhu Aiguo, having never considered that the issue could lie with the materials, was taken aback by her assessment.

"Yes, this type of steel won't suffice..." Chen Ying explained what kind of materials would be required for such an engine to achieve the power output described in the technical specifications, noting how different materials lead to varying levels of engine wear and consumption.

"But this is the best steel we have available in the country right now," Zhu Aiguo said, feeling quite helpless. They could manufacture the engine, but the steel problem was truly difficult to resolve.

So, this meant that if she wanted an engine that met the standards, she would first have to solve the steel problem? Although various metal smelting techniques immediately surfaced in her mind, she wondered, what did that have to do with her?

"My dear niece, do you possess some knowledge regarding metal smelting? If so, I implore you to help; our country is in dire need of these things." Seeing Chen Ying’s hesitation, Zhu Aiguo immediately played the patriotic card—which, of course, was also the truth.

"Very well, Uncle Zhu. Find someone who has the authority to make decisions," Chen Ying replied after a moment of hesitation. As a citizen of this land, she could not simply stand by and watch her country remain backward and vulnerable, even if her original intention had only been to make some money. To avoid further trouble, she decided to settle it all at once.

Zhu Aiguo paused, nodded, and took his leave. A few days later, a car arrived specifically to pick Chen Ying up. Afterward, she met with Liu Hongmei and representatives from the Academy of Sciences. Chen Ying presented the documents she had spent the last few days compiling, which contained knowledge on metal and mineral smelting, and handed them to the obvious leader of the group from the Academy.

Zhan Fei, the Dean of the Academy of Sciences, had originally come out of respect for the engine—which was indeed quite impressive and promised a qualitative leap in certain domestic fields if it met the standards. But this time, the discussion was about smelting, which was even more critical, as all scientific research is built upon foundational materials.

From initial indifference to later glowing excitement, he finally finished the last page, set the documents down with a flourish, and looked at Chen Ying. "Tell me your requirements directly."

"I don't have many. I want a job, a decent salary, and I don't want the workload to be too intense. Once a year per product would be best. Also, I don't want to leave home. That’s all." Chen Ying laid out her terms.

"The job and the compensation are no problem, but can we increase the number of products? As for staying at home, that is too dangerous." Zhan Fei, never expecting such modest requests, began to consider them immediately. Talent like this was scarce in the country, and they certainly wouldn't mistreat her.

However, the latter two requests were problematic. How could they not squeeze such a treasure for all she was worth? And if she stayed at home, could her safety really be guaranteed? What if foreign agents found out? What would happen if such a precious asset were harmed?

"My requirements stay the same, regardless of whether you agree or not," Chen Ying insisted. She knew their concerns, but she had a strong, inexplicable intuition that she should not leave her home. It wasn't about missing her family; it was simply a gut feeling.

Zhan Fei was left speechless. Looking at this willful young girl who happened to have the capital to be willful—this smelting data alone was enough to change so many things in the country—he sighed, "I will report this and wait for the leadership's arrangements."

"Fine. Either way, you can't force me if I don't agree," Chen Ying said with confidence. She knew these documents were merely the basics; she had much more in her mind, but she had only provided this much out of consideration for the current domestic situation. Although she didn't know how she came to possess these memories, they surfaced whenever she wished.

Zhan Fei wanted to cover his face in frustration; the child was too headstrong. Yet, considering her age, it wasn't entirely surprising as she was still a minor. After sending Chen Ying off, Zhan Fei instructed Liu Hongmei and Zhu Aiguo to keep the matter confidential. He then left with the documents, leaving behind four people: two to protect Chen Ying and two to monitor the others, given the gravity of the situation.

The two factory directors, both retired soldiers, had no objections, as they understood the severity of the matter.

Half a month later, several educated youth were sent down to the Red Willow Brigade. Unlike the frail and delicate youth of the past, these new arrivals, both men and women, looked exceptionally spirited.

Furthermore, the brigade specially prepared a new dormitory for them right next to the Chen family. Because of the electric fan project, Chen Ying was given a job as an external consultant for the machinery factory, with a monthly salary of 20 yuan and various ration coupons.

Of course, that was just her public-facing role. In reality, she was a consultant for the Academy of Sciences, earning 100 yuan a month plus subsidies. Additionally, she received a bonus for every invention she presented; for instance, she received a 1,000-yuan bonus this time as a reward for the engine and the smelting technology.

The new educated youth were actually security guards sent to protect her—two men and two women—and she was required to submit one practical technological invention every six months.

To make her public identity more convincing, the Fengcheng Machinery Factory began producing the electric fans she had designed. They weren't the wind-up type, but true electric fans. They were far superior to anything currently available—not only was the airflow stronger, but they were also more energy-efficient.

Chen Ying also modified the wind-up fans into palm-sized handheld versions. They were convenient, required no electricity, and since they were now made of metal, there was no need to worry about wear and tear.

Meanwhile, steel mills across the country were undergoing renovations. Smelting involved every aspect of production, and different smelting furnaces had different requirements; if a furnace failed to meet standards, it couldn't reach the necessary temperatures to produce quality steel.

Once the renovations were complete, the quality of the steel produced would be extraordinary. Chen Ying visited the machinery factory and submitted her results for the second half of the year: the retrofitting of the factory's existing machinery.

The machines they had been using were obsolete foreign cast-offs, nearing the end of their operational life, which naturally led to a high rate of defective products—a total waste.

While she didn't have specific data on those machines in her memory, she understood the underlying principles perfectly. Once she had grasped their operational functions, replicating and improving them was not difficult. To save time, she included the principles behind her improvements and the reasons for their application in her report, allowing anyone with the initiative to learn relevant mechanical knowledge from it.