179: A half-dead bear is a good bear!

"Brother-in-law, I've already said it, I'm not in charge of personnel recruitment." Wang Zizhong held the phone and tried desperately to explain.

"What? So what if I'm a Deputy Factory Director? I only manage the production of longmao agricultural vehicles."

"I can't bring myself to say that. Our nephew only graduated from a technical school; how am I supposed to arrange that?"

"This really can't be done. I'm just on a fixed salary; Director Ma is the one who makes the decisions in the factory."

Just as Wang Zizhong finished speaking, Ma Quanlin sauntered in.

"You old rascal, you're always pinning things on me. Aren't I in the same boat as you?"

"Turn off your phone. A whole bunch of relatives from our side are calling, including your sister-in-law Sun Ping."

"Same here. Turn it off, turn it off."

Ma Quanlin and Wang Zizhong turned off their phones to escape the world, but Lu Shenwei, who still didn't know the situation, was in for a rough time.

"District Chief Zhou, it's been a while. Do you have any instructions for me?"

"Director Lu, haven't you noticed that your factory gate is blocked by people?"

What did that mean? Blocked?

Lu Shenwei looked into the distance and really did see a massive crowd surrounding the factory gate.

"It really is. Did something happen?"

"You really don't know?"

"Know what?"

Lu Shenwei's mind was currently filled with how to accelerate the modification of the Double Bone Dragon Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and the design demonstration of the unmanned boat; he had no time to think about other things.

"Isn't your factory planning to recruit new technical workers? As soon as the news came out, the entire Qinchuan City exploded," Zhou Wen said helplessly.

Although Julong Steel's total output value hadn't reached number one in Qinchuan yet, the factory's benefits and treatment were definitely the best in Qinchuan, and by a margin of hundreds of streets.

Now, everyone in Qinchuan knew that getting a job at Julong Steel was even more desirable than being a civil servant directly under the capital.

The thirteen insurances and eight funds were secondary; the key was that in this era of high housing prices, Julong Steel provided housing.

What kind of move was this? It was a direct dimensionality reduction strike!

The 998 per square meter price was practically giving it away; anyone would know what to choose.

"Is it that popular? We only offered standard benefits; why is it so sought after?"

Lu Shenwei felt he hadn't done anything special; wasn't he just treating workers like human beings?

"Next time you recruit, make sure to notify the district first so we can coordinate. Your factory's recruitment has caused people from other factories to run off," Zhou Wen reminded him.

Lu Shenwei chuckled and said, "They can also improve their benefits; everyone should compete fairly."

"If those bosses could offer the same benefits as your steel factory, they probably would have switched to making quick money long ago," Zhou Wen said.

He wanted to help Julong Steel become the number one in the province, but he also had to be mindful of the impact on other enterprises in the Qinchuan Advanced Manufacturing Industrial Zone.

"Alright, next time for sure!" Lu Shenwei nodded.

Zhou Wen paused and then said, "Let's leave this matter as is for now, but don't rush. Let me think carefully about how to adjust the layout so that Julong Steel can develop even better."

"Thank you for your concern, District Chief Zhou. I will definitely not let you down," Lu Shenwei said with a smile.

Zhou Wen gave a few more instructions before ending the call. Lu Shenwei casually dialed Ma Quanlin's number, preparing to warn them about the impact of the recruitment.

"Strange, Uncle Ma's phone is off, why can't I get through to Uncle Wang's either?"

Just as Lu Shenwei was muttering to himself, Zhou Cun knocked and entered the office.

"You're back. How is the situation over with the Mao Xiong?" Lu Shenwei asked.

"They want 20,000 longmao agricultural vehicles, but they have modified the vehicle body design."

As Zhou Cun spoke, he handed over the design modification drawings for the longmao agricultural vehicle. Lu Shenwei took one look and frowned.

"Why does this look a bit like our Army's infantry fighting vehicle? Steel plates have been added to both sides of the body to strengthen protection."

Zhou Cun said in a low voice, "I heard that the fighting between Damao and Ermao on the front line is quite intense, and they have lost quite a few infantry fighting vehicles."

"Is Damao really that trash? They can't even beat their own brother."

"It looks like they are fighting Ermao, but in reality, they are fighting all the forces supported by Eagle Sauce. Still, Damao is tough; they've even wrecked the black soil."

Lu Shenwei laughed, "Let them fight hard. A half-dead Damao bear is a good Mao Xiong. As for the matter of adding protective armor to the longmao agricultural vehicles, we need to seek separate instructions from the Army to see what the higher-ups say."

Chen Guang, who was stationed at the Western Theater Command, remained silent for a long while after hearing Lu Shenwei's report.

What was going on? Is the Mao Xiong really this trash now?

This was clearly an attempt to use the longmao agricultural vehicle as an all-terrain vehicle. But honestly, the longmao agricultural vehicle was indeed suitable for running on the endless black soil.

"Don't rush yet. I will ask for instructions from my superiors and will give you an answer by tomorrow at the earliest."

Lu Shenwei nodded in agreement and immediately hung up the phone.

"They said to wait. The Mao Xiong isn't in a rush, right?"

Zhou Cun smiled, "They are quite anxious."

"I know they are anxious, but let's not rush. Everything has its rules. We can only sell if the higher-ups tell us to," Lu Shenwei said casually.

"I called you back early this time to accelerate the research and development of the unmanned boat. Stop everything else you're working on lately and focus all your efforts on R&D."

Zhou Cun nodded upon hearing this, "Director Ma said we have started recruiting again. If we have enough manpower, I am confident that we can build a prototype ship by early June."

"If you encounter any difficulties, let me know at any time. The whole factory will support you unconditionally," Lu Shenwei said solemnly.

Zhou Cun said, "You have already supported the unmanned boat R&D team enough. Even if I, Zhou Cun, have to risk my life, I will not delay the schedule."

"Health is the capital of revolution; it's not to the point where you need to risk your life," Lu Shenwei said casually.

The next day, Chen Guang called to authorize Julong Steel to sell longmao agricultural vehicles to the Mao Xiong, but the unit price could not be lower than 200,000.

"Is 200,000 a bit expensive?" Zhou Cun muttered.

Lu Shenwei pondered, "The higher-ups have their own considerations; we just need to execute."

Zhou Cun relayed the news to the Mao Xiong, and unexpectedly, the Mao Xiong agreed.

"Comrade, this is extortion by Longxia Country. They just added two pieces of protective armor, and the price actually increased by 40,000."

"Now, apart from Longxia Country, which is still willing to sell us equipment, other countries no longer have any dealings with us. 40,000 is 40,000 then."

"Alright, I will pay immediately."

After receiving the payment, Julong Steel Factory began working overtime to produce the longmao agricultural vehicles.

At the beginning of the next month, Lu Shenwei was invited to attend the first commendation conference for the All-Army Industrial Assessment and flew directly to the conference site on an Air Force special plane.

Air Force base camp.

Xu Lei looked at the photos of female soldiers spread out on the table and felt a headache coming on.

"What are you doing? Finding these seventeen or eighteen-year-old female soldiers who just enlisted? Lu Shenwei is already twenty-seven; didn't I tell you?"

The assistant lowered his head, not saying a word.

"Go look again. Find age-appropriate young women, around twenty-seven years old. This time, don't be too ridiculous," Xu Lei sighed.

The assistant gathered the photos, "Yes, I will handle it immediately."

"Remember to keep it confidential; don't let everyone know," Xu Lei instructed.

That afternoon, many cadres in the Air Force camp received a piece of gossip—a certain Great Leader's son was looking for a wife.