novelAbuy Should we change the name of Chapter 36, like "Dingyuan"?
Should we change the name of Chapter 36, like "Dingyuan"?
Wang Wenwu took a deep drag on his cigar.
Yes, he knew. He knew how to bargain with British merchants, how to take advantage of German arrogance, how to evade French suspicion, and how to be wary of Japanese cunning.
But he also understood the risks of this game.
If the British discovered they were circumventing export controls, if the Germans found out they were secretly contacting the French, if the Japanese uncovered their secrets...
"Leopard Room" restricted area, Dock No. 7.
The massive "Fuxing" hull is already taking shape. The 262-meter-long steel body lies horizontally in the dry dock, like a sleeping behemoth. The bases for the four twin-gun turrets have been installed, and the towering bridge structure is being welded.
But at this moment, the atmosphere inside the dock seemed to freeze.
Chief Engineer Liu Yongfu stood in the engine room installation area, his face ashen. In front of him was a steam turbine high-pressure cylinder block that had just been hoisted into place—according to the design, this cylinder block should have perfectly aligned with the drive shaft, but now, the alignment error exceeded three millimeters.
"What happened?" Liu Yongfu's voice was very low, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
The foreman in charge of installation, Zhou, was sweating profusely: "Chief Engineer, we've checked, it's not an installation problem. It's that the cylinder block itself isn't machined precisely enough, the inner bore's ovality is too high."
Which company processed it?
"Our own No. 3 machine workshop," Old Zhou's voice trailed off, "Old Li is in charge of boring, he's our best boring machine operator, but the equipment... our secondhand boring machine is twenty years old, its precision wasn't enough to begin with, plus we've been working three shifts a day recently..."
"Enough," Liu Yongfu interrupted him. "Now is not the time for excuses. What's the margin of error?"
"The largest part is 3.2 millimeters, and the smallest part is 1.8 millimeters."
Three point two millimeters. It sounds small, but for a high-speed rotating steam turbine, it's fatal. Eccentric operation can lead to increased vibration, overheating bearings, and even the failure of the entire rotor.
"Take it apart," Liu Yongfu ordered decisively. "Reprocess it."
"Chief Engineer!" Old Zhou exclaimed anxiously, "Disassembly and reassembly takes at least two days, reprocessing takes three days, heat treatment takes one day... that's six days! The project is already behind schedule, and what about the President's side..."
"The President wants a ship that can fight, not just for show!" Liu Yongfu raised his voice. "If the precision isn't good enough, and it explodes during testing, who will be responsible? You? Me?"
Old Zhou lowered his head and remained silent.
Liu Yongfu rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down: "What are the options now?"
The technician next to him, Xiao Chen, opened his notebook: "First, we can disassemble it and re-machine it, slowly grinding it with existing equipment, but the precision might still not meet the requirements. Second, we can contact the Germans to see if we can urgently order a new high-pressure cylinder, but sea freight will take at least two months. Third..." He paused, "...we can try on-site repair and manual grinding to the required precision."
"Hand-ground?" Liu Yongfu frowned. "A 300-kilogram cylinder, hand-ground to an error of less than 0.05 millimeters? How high a level of skill would that require?"
"I can give it a try."
The voice came from behind the crowd. Everyone turned around and saw an old man in his fifties, wearing work clothes and with calloused hands walking over.
"Old Han?" Liu Yongfu recognized him. "Weren't you in the boiler workshop?"
"I heard there was a problem here, so I came to take a look." Master Han walked to the cylinder, squatted down, touched the inner wall with his hand, and then took out a micrometer to measure a few points. "Give me a manual grinding machine, two of my best apprentices, and seventy-two hours. I guarantee the error will be less than 0.03 millimeters."
"Old Han, this is no joke," Liu Yongfu said seriously. "The high-pressure cylinder of a steam turbine rotates at 3,000 revolutions per minute and operates at 35 kilograms of pressure. If the precision is insufficient, people will die."
"I know." Master Han stood up, his gaze calm. "My father was a master craftsman at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, and I grew up in the shipyard. Before the Sino-Japanese War, my father and his colleagues repaired the main gun turret base of the 'Dingyuan' battleship. The error was even greater than this, and it was also ground out by hand, bit by bit."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Later, during the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the main gun turret of the 'Dingyuan' spun around all day without a single problem. Sometimes, the hands of a craftsman are more accurate than those of a machine."
Liu Yongfu looked at the old worker, then at the cylinder, his heart filled with a fierce struggle.
The project is under immense pressure to meet deadlines, but quality cannot be compromised.
"What do you need?" he finally asked.
"A clean workshop, with constant temperature control. The best grinding paste and oilstone. Two meticulous and steady young men to assist you. And..." Master Han thought for a moment, "Make sure you get eight hours of sleep every day, and don't rush the work. Grinding is delicate work; if your hand shakes even slightly, it's all ruined."
"Alright." Liu Yongfu made up his mind. "Old Zhou, arrange the work shed immediately. Xiao Chen, go to the warehouse and get the best grinding materials. From now on, Master Han will be fully responsible for the repair of this cylinder, and everyone will cooperate with him."
The order was given, and the crowd dispersed to prepare.
Liu Yongfu pulled Master Han aside and lowered his voice: "Old Han, tell me honestly, how confident are you?"
Master Han held up five fingers, then lowered two: "Seventy percent. The remaining thirty percent depends on the weather."
"Look at the sky?"
"It depends on luck." The old craftsman smiled, his smile carrying the unique confidence and composure of a craftsman. "Those of us in this line of work all know: machines have their precision, and human hands have their own kind of skill. Sometimes, the feel of your hand is more accurate than a micrometer."
Liu Yongfu patted him on the shoulder: "Then I'll leave it to you. Whether the 'Fuxing' can be launched on time depends on you."
"Don't worry, Chief Engineer." Master Han put away his smile. "We people have left our homes and come here, just to build our own big ships. My biggest wish in this life is to see the ships we build sail back to Southeast Asia, back to our hometown."
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the makeshift shed that had already been erected. His back was slightly hunched, but his steps were firm.
Watching his retreating figure, Liu Yongfu suddenly recalled a sentence Chen Feng had once said:
"Technology can be bought, equipment can be manufactured, but the heart and hands of craftsmen cannot be bought. That is Lanfang's most precious asset."
At the other end of the dock, the artillery installation area is also facing challenges.
The four twin-mounted 381mm main gun turrets each weigh 800 tons. To hoist this behemoth onto the 20-meter-high turret base, two 250-ton gantry cranes need to work simultaneously.
This is the largest hoisting operation in Lanfang's history.
"Inspection complete!" Old Zhao, the hoisting commander, shouted into the walkie-talkie. "Crane number one is ready, crane number two is ready. Turret fixation confirmed. Wind speed is level three, which meets the operating conditions."
On top of the dock, two massive gantry cranes slowly moved into position. Steel cables were lowered, and workers skillfully attached the hooks.
"Raise the hook!"
With both cranes operating simultaneously, the 800-ton steel behemoth slowly lifted off the ground. Everyone held their breath.
One centimeter, ten centimeters, one meter... the turret rises steadily.
But just as it reached a height of fifteen meters, the second crane suddenly emitted a screeching sound!
"Stop! Stop!" Old Zhao shouted into the walkie-talkie, "Crane number two is malfunctioning! Stop lifting!"
The turret hovered in mid-air, swaying slightly.
"What happened?" Chen Feng asked, rushing over. He was in a meeting in the administration building when he heard the news and came immediately.
"The winch gearbox of crane number two is overheating and making abnormal noises." Old Zhao was covered in sweat. "It's probably due to continuous operation and insufficient lubrication."
"Can you complete the hoisting operation?"
"The risk is too great. What if the gearbox jams and the turret falls down..." Old Zhao didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear—it would be catastrophic.
Chen Feng looked up at the turret suspended in mid-air, then at the two gantry cranes. Every minute of delay was a huge risk.
"Are there any backup plans?"
"Yes," Old Zhao said quickly. "We can use four 100-ton hydraulic jacks to create temporary support underneath, and then use a maintenance crane. But that would take at least eight hours, and the turret would have to stay suspended in mid-air for so long, the structural stress..."
"Then let's do it." Chen Feng decisively ordered, "Safety first. Mobilize all hydraulic jacks and immediately build a support platform. At the same time, organize the best mechanics to inspect the crane gearbox."
At the command, the entire dock sprang into action once again.
Hydraulic jacks were transported from the warehouse, and workers quickly erected a steel frame support platform beneath the turret. A mechanic climbed onto crane number two and disassembled the gearbox cover for inspection.
Chen Feng didn't leave. He stood by the dock, watching the workers busily at work. Sweat soaked their work clothes, and oil stained their faces, but not one complained, and not one backed down.
"Commander-in-Chief, please go and rest. We'll take care of things here," Liu Yongfu said as he approached.
Chen Feng shook his head: "I'll stay right here. You're fighting on the front lines, so I need to be here with you."
Time passed second by second.
Four hours later, the support platform was completed, and four jacks firmly held the bottom of the turret. The load on the second crane was reduced, and the abnormal noise from the gearbox disappeared.
"Inspection results!" The mechanic stepped down from the crane. "The gearbox is fine; the lubricating oil was too dirty, and impurities were clogging the gears. It has been cleaned and replaced, and operations can continue."
"Is it safe?" Chen Feng asked.
"Confirmed. We tested the no-load operation, and everything is normal."
"Okay." Chen Feng looked at Lao Zhao, "Continue hoisting. But this time, go slower and be more careful."
"yes!"