blenderwars Chapter 185 Evidence Counterattack: Debunking Rumors
Chapter 185 Evidence Counterattack: Debunking Rumors
The night the quality observation meeting ended, the hardware industry in Zhangcheng was in an uproar. News of Xinyuan Hardware being shut down by the market supervision bureau spread like wildfire, and the rumor that Zhao Defa had absconded with the funds with his cronies added a dramatic twist. In Chenqing Precision Manufacturing's office, Lin Chen and Su Qing remained focused, their desks covered with densely packed customer feedback forms and production plans, the lamplight casting concentrated shadows on their faces.
"Mr. Zhang from Shunde Minsheng just called three times. He not only wants to resume the previously suspended order of 8 sets, but also wants to place an urgent order for 5 sets, requiring delivery at the beginning of next month," Su Qing said while checking the ledger, her pen quickly marking on the paper. "Zhongshan Huaguang and Foshan Jiale have also sent confirmation letters, saying that they will list us as an A-level supplier and give priority to purchasing our products in the future."
Lin Chen held the preliminary investigation report from the Market Supervision Bureau in his hand, which clearly stated the illegal acts of Xinyuan Hardware: using substandard steel with a carbon content of only 0.6% to produce bearings, deliberately reducing the bearing thickness from the standard 2mm to 1.5mm, and the product hardness reaching only HRC52, far below the industry standard of HRC58; it was also verified that Zhao Defa sold substandard products by forging quality inspection reports and bribing small distributors, involving 120 million yuan. "Zhao Defa has driven himself into a dead end," Lin Chen said, placing the report on the table. "However, we cannot be complacent. Although we won this case, it also exposed our shortcomings."
Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Uncle Wang walked in carrying two cups of hot tea, his face beaming with excitement: "Factory Director, Manager Su, you must be watching tonight's 'Zhangcheng News'! Our factory's quality observation meeting was reported, and Chairman Wang even specifically mentioned our alloy fusion technology!" On the television screen, a reporter was introducing Chenqing Factory's production workshop to the camera. The camera panned across precision grinding machines and testing instruments, and Chairman Wang's voice came through clearly: "Chenqing Precision Manufacturing has achieved a leap from low-end hardware to precision manufacturing in just three years. Their spirit of technological innovation is worthy of learning by the entire industry."
Su Qing picked up her teacup and took a sip, her eyes bright: "Media reports are a double-edged sword. They not only increase our visibility but also draw more attention to our technology from our peers. Today, Xiao Zhang from the technical department said that several hardware factories from other places called to inquire about technical cooperation, and headhunting companies have also contacted our core technical personnel."
Lin Chen tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, lost in thought: "Technology confidentiality must be put on the agenda. Tomorrow, I'll have Uncle Wang take the lead in developing a hierarchical management system for technical parameters. Only the core technical staff and I will have access to the core parameters. In addition, we need to sign confidentiality agreements with all core employees, improve their welfare benefits, and use stock options to retain them." He looked up at Su Qing, "As for the clients, you organize a follow-up visit tomorrow, personally going to Shunde and Zhongshan. Not only do you need to confirm the order details, but you also need to understand their actual needs and see if we can customize production."
The next morning, Su Qing took Xiao Li from the sales department to Shunde. Lin Chen convened a meeting with the technical and human resources departments, and just as they finalized the framework for the technology confidentiality system, the security guard called, saying that two people in court uniforms were looking for him. "Is it about Xinyuan Hardware?" Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly walked to the reception room.
After the two judges explained their purpose, Lin Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that before Zhao Defa absconded, he owed more than thirty workers three months' wages. The workers had jointly filed a lawsuit and, having learned that Chenqing Factory possessed evidence of Xinyuan Hardware's illegal activities, had come specifically to retrieve relevant materials as corroborating evidence. "We will definitely cooperate fully," Lin Chen said. He immediately instructed Su Qing's assistant to organize the previously collected evidence, including Xinyuan's production reports and quality inspection reports, and personally handed them to the judges. "These materials prove that Xinyuan has been cutting corners for a long time, leading to a break in its cash flow. We hope this will help the workers get their wages back."
The judge took the documents and nodded approvingly: "Director Lin, there aren't many entrepreneurs like you with a strong sense of social responsibility these days. Zhao Defa's assets have been seized, and we will prioritize using them to pay workers' wages. In addition, given your positive performance in this quality incident, the court is prepared to work with the Market Supervision Bureau to promote your factory as a 'model unit for honest business practices'."
After seeing the judge off, Lin Chen had just returned to his office when he received a call from Liu Guangtian. News had just come from the Dongguan branch, which Liu Guangtian was in charge of: a local auto parts manufacturer had proactively approached them to purchase high-precision wheel bearings, with an order value of 200 million yuan. However, they required samples to be provided within a week, and the precision error must be controlled within 0.005mm. "This precision requirement is three times higher than the products we supply to Hongxing Home Appliances," Liu Guangtian said, his voice tinged with hesitation. "Can our current equipment meet it?"
Lin Chen immediately went to the technical drawings and gestured on the bearing structure diagram with his finger: "Our West German grinding machine, after modification, can theoretically achieve an accuracy of 0.003mm, but we need to adjust the grinding wheel speed and feed rate, and also readjust the proportions of the alloy materials. Have the technicians from the Dongguan branch report the equipment parameters first, and Uncle Wang and I will calculate the solution." After hanging up the phone, he immediately called Uncle Wang and the key personnel of the technical department and explained the technical requirements of the automotive bearing in detail.
Uncle Wang carefully studied the blueprints with a magnifying glass, his brow furrowed: "The grinding wheel speed needs to be increased to 3000 revolutions per minute, 50% higher than usual. This will accelerate the wear of the grinding wheel, significantly increasing costs; moreover, the chromium content in the alloy material needs to be increased from 12% to 18%, and our current raw material inventory is insufficient." Lin Chen opened the system panel, brought up the alloy material fusion data, and slid his finger across the screen: "Cost isn't a problem; the key is sample quality. If the chromium content is insufficient, we can use the system to fuse existing materials with high-chromium alloy scrap. This will save procurement time and ensure material uniformity."
As they were discussing, Su Qing called from Shunde, her voice tinged with excitement: "Lin Chen, I have great news! Boss Zhang not only confirmed the order for 13 sets, but also introduced us to the purchasing manager of Guangzhou Automobile Group. They're looking for domestic high-precision bearing suppliers, and they've invited us to a bidding conference next month!" Lin Chen's eyes lit up. Guangzhou Automobile Group is a major domestic automaker; if they could become their supplier, Chenqing Factory could truly enter the high-end market. "You should quickly build a good relationship with Boss Zhang and ask him to help connect us with the purchasing manager. We'll prepare samples and qualification materials immediately."
For the next three days, Chenqing Factory went into full swing. In the workshop, the workers worked in two shifts. Uncle Wang and the technical department stayed by the grinding machine 24 hours a day, repeatedly adjusting the equipment parameters. Lin Chen was responsible for the fusion of alloy materials. He only slept three hours a day, and although his eyes were bloodshot, he was still full of energy. After returning from Shunde, Su Qing worked tirelessly to organize the qualification materials and contacted a third-party testing agency to issue an authoritative report.
On the morning of the fourth day, the first set of automotive wheel bearing samples was finally completed. Lin Chen personally took the samples to the testing room. When the micrometer showed an accuracy error of 0.004mm, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted in the testing room. "0.001mm higher than the required accuracy!" Xiao Zhang jumped up excitedly, "Director Lin, we succeeded!" Lin Chen carefully packed the samples into a specially made packaging box, a long-lost smile appearing on his face: "This is only the first step. We still need to conduct fatigue tests and high-temperature resistance tests to ensure that the samples can pass the stringent inspections of the car factory."
The fatigue test lasted a full 24 hours, during which the bearing rotated 10 times in a simulated car driving environment. After being removed and tested, all indicators showed no significant changes. In the high-temperature resistance test, the sample maintained stable operation at 120℃, far exceeding the car manufacturer's requirement of 80℃. When the test report came out, Su Qing's hands trembled as she held it: "Lin Chen, we can go to the bidding conference!"
Just then, the office phone rang. It was the Zhangcheng City Hardware Industry Association, inviting Lin Chen to attend the industry summit next week and speak as a "representative of honest and trustworthy businesses." "The summit also invites leaders from the Provincial Economic and Information Commission; they want to learn about our technological innovation experience, and there might be policy support," the association secretary said enthusiastically. Lin Chen and Su Qing exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes—this meant that Chenqing Factory had not only gained market recognition but also attracted the attention of government departments.
On the day of the summit, Lin Chen, dressed in a sharp suit and carrying a carefully prepared speech and technical display boards, entered the venue with Su Qing. The venue was filled with hardware company owners and industry experts from all over the country. Director Wang of the Provincial Economic and Information Commission, sitting in the front row, stood up to greet Lin Chen as he entered: "Director Lin, I've long admired your work. Your factory handled the quality incident exceptionally well, setting an example for the entire industry."
Lin Chen quickly stepped forward to shake hands: "Director Wang, you flatter me. We were simply upholding the duties of an entrepreneur." During his speech, Lin Chen didn't engage in empty theory, but instead, drawing on Chenqing Factory's entrepreneurial experience, used detailed data and case studies to illustrate the philosophy that "technological innovation is the core competitiveness, and honest operation is the foundation of our business." When he displayed samples and test reports of automotive wheel bearings, enthusiastic applause erupted in the audience; when he mentioned his intention to promote the common development of local SMEs and share technological achievements, Director Wang nodded frequently, revealing an approving look.
After the summit, Director Wang specifically kept Lin Chen and Su Qing behind to inquire in detail about Chenqing Factory's development plan and technological bottlenecks. "The province is promoting the 'Precision Manufacturing Industry Upgrading Plan,' and your factory meets the support criteria," Director Wang said, pulling out a policy document. "We can provide you with a low-interest loan of 500 million yuan for equipment upgrades and the construction of a research and development center; we can also help you connect with university research resources to solve technical problems."
This news delighted Lin Chen and Su Qing. The low-interest loan of 500 million yuan would perfectly solve the funding problems for the expansion of the Dongguan branch and the construction of the R&D center; and the cooperation with universities would inject more technological vitality into the company. "Thank you for your support, Director Wang. We will definitely live up to your expectations and build Chenqing Factory into a benchmark enterprise in domestic precision manufacturing," Lin Chen said solemnly.
On the way back from the summit, Su Qing looked at the street scenes rushing past the window and sighed, "I still remember when we first started our business, we had to sell jewelry to scrape together 800 yuan in start-up capital. Now, we've actually received 500 million yuan in policy support—it's something I never dared to dream of." Lin Chen held her hand, his eyes firm: "All of this is thanks to our hard work, step by step. From refusing to speculate and hoard grain, to upholding quality and repelling rumors, to actively helping Xinyuan's workers, everything we've done has stayed true to our original aspirations."
Back at the factory, Lin Chen immediately convened a general meeting of all employees, announcing the good news of the policy support they had received and revealing new welfare policies: housing provident fund contributions for all employees, a "children's education fund" established, with children of employees admitted to university receiving a subsidy of 2000 yuan annually; core technical personnel would not only receive equity incentives but also enjoy paid training opportunities. At the meeting, cheers erupted from the workers. Uncle Wang excitedly said, "Following Factory Director Lin, we have a bright future!"
Just as Chenqing Factory was thriving, good news came from the court: Zhao Defa had been arrested by the police, and the assets seized from him were sufficient to pay workers' wages and compensate some of the distributors for their losses. Xinyuan Hardware's factory was to be auctioned off, and after careful consideration, Lin Chen decided to participate in the bidding—he wanted to convert Xinyuan's factory into a research and development center and employee dormitories, which would solve the problem of space for the company's expansion and also provide accommodation for some of Xinyuan's old employees.
On the day of the auction, Lin Chen won the bid for Xinyuan's factory building at a reasonable price. When he entered Xinyuan's old workshop, he saw several veteran workers squatting at the door, looking worried. They were all skilled technicians who had worked at Xinyuan for over a decade, and they were concerned about not being able to support their families after losing their jobs. "Gentlemen," Lin Chen said, "our Chenqing factory is preparing to transform this place into a research and development center. We need skilled technicians. If you are willing to come, you are welcome." Lin Chen's voice made the veteran workers look up, their eyes filled with surprise and anticipation.
"Director Lin, we used to work for Xinyuan. Don't you look down on us?" an elderly technician with gray hair asked cautiously. Lin Chen shook his head and smiled, saying, "Technology knows no borders, and workers have no distinction between old and new. As long as you work diligently and abide by the rules and regulations, Chenqing Factory will provide you with fair opportunities for development." The old workers were moved to tears and expressed their willingness to join Chenqing Factory.
In the following month, Chenqing Factory entered a phase of rapid development. The Dongguan branch was successfully expanded, and the new production line was put into use; the cooperation negotiations with Guangzhou Automobile Group progressed smoothly, the samples passed all tests, and a formal contract was about to be signed; the renovation project of the R&D center was in full swing, and university research teams also moved into the factory to begin joint research and development of new alloy materials.
That evening, Lin Chen and Su Qing, along with their son Lin Xiaoyu, arrived at the renovated Xinyuan factory. Under the moonlight, the sign for "Chenqing Precision Manufacturing R&D Center" shone brightly. Workers were working overtime to install equipment, and in the distant production workshop, the roar of machines blended into a vibrant melody. "Dad, will this place produce the most powerful bearings in the future?" Lin Xiaoyu asked, tilting his head up.
Lin Chen crouched down, stroking his son's head, his gaze fixed on the distance: "Yes, not only the most advanced bearings, but we also want to produce more high-end precision products, allowing China's manufacturing technology to reach the world." Su Qing stood beside him, holding the order report she had just received, a happy smile on her face. A gentle evening breeze carried the faint smell of machine oil from the factory—the smell of those who strive, and the smell of Chenqing Factory's march towards glory.
Just then, Lin Chen's phone rang. It was Liu Guangtian calling, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Director Lin, the contract with Guangzhou Automobile Group has been signed! The first order is for 50 sets, worth 1500 million yuan! Also, our 'high-efficiency wear-resistant alloy bearing' has obtained a national utility model patent, and the certificate has been sent to us!" Lin Chen gripped his phone tightly, a warm feeling welling up inside him—from a courtyard house reborn in the cold night to a leading precision manufacturing enterprise today, he had used technology and integrity to forge his own path of struggle, and every step on this path proved the true meaning of "staying true to one's original aspirations leads to ultimate success."