66: Send a spy? Here comes the strawberry soldier!

Chapter 66: Sending Spies? Let the Strawberry Soldiers Go!

Kameda Jiro interrupted, "It's not that simple. Julong Steel is a confidential unit of Dragon Xia, and the Dragon Xia military will definitely arrange for guards to patrol day and night."

"Isn't that simple? We can just recruit professional spies to sneak in."

"The people of Dragon Xia are very vigilant; they won't betray their national interests for a few hundred thousand."

"Aren't there still the Strawberry Soldiers from the island? They would definitely be suitable," the Tokko Section Chief sneered.

Japan's Tokko recruited a group of Frog Island spies to head to Dragon Xia, while the Eagle Country Pentagon across the ocean also sent their agents deep into the heart of Dragon Xia.

Unfortunately, the two parties had different goals. Japan wanted to steal the secrets of the Arresting Cable, while the Pentagon simply wanted to investigate why Julong Steel had been awarded by the Navy.

The next day, in the roundtable conference room of Julong Steel Factory.

Wang Zizhong brought the agricultural vehicle research and development team and submitted a thick stack of technical documents.

Lu Shenwei felt a headache coming on as he looked at them. "Director Wang, just give me the highlights."

"Director Lu, after 183 days of rural field research, the longmao agricultural vehicle R&D department has discovered six major problems with our agricultural machinery."

Wang Zizhong opened the investigation report and stated each point one by one.

The longmao agricultural vehicle has plenty of power, but its off-road capability is poor. The areas near farmland are almost all unpaved roads, making it very easy to scrape the chassis and cause the agricultural vehicle to malfunction.

The longmao agricultural vehicle's single-row seating arrangement completely fails to meet the needs of farmers, and the front-wheel drive power is insufficient for certain climbing situations...

Wang Zizhong spoke as he read, and Lu Shenwei nodded frequently. "Are there any others? That's only five points."

"The last point is one I find particularly important. The anti-rust paint on the longmao agricultural vehicle is substandard. The first agricultural machine sent to the countryside only went through five or six heavy rains, yet the steel frame of the carriage and the bottom crossbeams have actually rusted, and rust spots have also appeared on the roof," Wang Zizhong said seriously.

Farmers use the longmao agricultural vehicle on muddy ground and slopes; if an accident were truly to occur due to corrosion issues, he, Wang Zizhong, would be the sinner.

"Anti-rust, power drive, chassis issues, insufficient seating... just these six problems?" Lu Shenwei asked.

Wang Zizhong thought for a moment. "If these six are solved, the others are all minor issues."

Wang Zizhong's team had discussed it privately; it wasn't that these couldn't be solved with current technical levels.

Rather, the cost was too high. Just applying anti-rust paint would increase costs by nearly 1,000 yuan, not to mention raising the chassis, which couldn't be done for less than 3,000.

"I'm afraid the cost of solving these problems will increase," Lu Shenwei pondered.

Wang Zizhong said with a bitter face, "If we solve them completely, the cost will increase by at least 20,000."

An increase in cost meant the selling price would inevitably increase, and a business that sells at a loss just to make a name for itself won't last long.

"Don't worry yet. I will definitely give you a solution within two weeks to ensure the cost doesn't increase significantly," Lu Shenwei said confidently.

The chassis suspension issue is easy to solve, the front-wheel drive problem isn't troublesome either, and the seating is easy to modify. The difficult part is the anti-rust paint.

It's not that the technical difficulty of anti-rust paint is high, but rather the patent issues and the duration of the anti-rust protection.

The best car paint for rust and corrosion prevention on the market currently belongs to Eagle Country's Ford. Using their car paint alone would require paying millions or even tens of millions in patent fees.

Japan's car paint was originally acceptable, but recently it was exposed that the Three Big Moms had fabricated data, and the car paint would fall off in large chunks if you just scratched it.

"Chairman, we are also in contact, trying to push the price down," Wang Zizhong pondered.

Lu Shenwei nodded. The longmao agricultural vehicle technical seminar ended, followed immediately by the progress report meeting for the Large Unmanned Transport Aircraft project.

Ma Quanlin held the documents and spoke eloquently.

The R&D for the Large Unmanned Transport Aircraft was going very smoothly; it only took four months for the technical team to fully master the blueprints.

They are now trial-producing key parts and components. Ma Quanlin is confident that they can set up a complete production line and be ready for trial production within half a year.

"Director Ma, don't rush the large commercial unmanned transport aircraft project. We must ensure quality to build our reputation for commercial cooperation," Lu Shenwei instructed.

In the field of military equipment, they have the Navy's endorsement, so there's nothing more to say.

But in the civilian field, besides Julong Steel Pipe having some sales, other product lines haven't gained much momentum.

The sold-out Longying Drone Model 01 is mostly used for black market trades, and those truly willing to use it for civilian purposes are few and far between.

"President Wang of Nifeng Express has been asking about the progress. He also feels our R&D is too fast and is afraid there's no quality assurance," Ma Quanlin said honestly.

In Wang Jiawei's mind, no private enterprise in all of Dragon Xia dared to take this order, yet Julong Steel not only took it but was also researching and developing at lightning speed, which naturally made him worry.

"Tell President Wang that if he's worried, he's more than welcome to come to our factory and see for himself. I won't let his 600 million in R&D go down the drain."

Lu Shenwei guaranteed, patting his chest. Ma Quanlin laughed and said, "President Wang would love to come, but he can't even get through the factory gates."

Except for official employees, anyone else wishing to enter Julong Steel must undergo a strict background check.

Nifeng Express has overseas business, so Wang Jiawei would be a primary focus of the investigation if he came.

"If he really wants to come, I'll communicate with the higher-ups. We can't exactly keep our God of Wealth outside the door, can we?" Lu Shenwei said with a smile.

Earning ten billion as quickly as possible to exchange for Artificial Sun technology was his current primary mission.

The morning meeting was solid and productive. After lunch, Lu Shenwei was just about to take a nap.

The Finance Officer knocked on his door and approached him. Lu Shenwei asked in surprise, "Is something the matter?"

This top student who graduated from Tilanchao had first-rate money management skills and never caused trouble.

As long as it wasn't illegal, she would do whatever she was told.

"Is your salary not enough? Do you miss Jiaxin?" Lu Shenwei asked.

The Finance Officer shook her head. Lu Shenwei asked again, "Is there a problem with our accounts?"

The Finance Officer still shook her head. Lu Shenwei said with a wry smile, "I'm really not good at guessing a girl's mind. Just say it; as long as it's not illegal, the factory can help you solve it."

"Chairman, I have a junior who just graduated," the Finance Officer said timidly.

The Finance Officer was almost thirty; how could her junior just be graduating?

"Graduating with a PhD? Well, that's great. Arrange an interview for him directly."

Lu Shenwei agreed immediately, but the Finance Officer shook her head. "An undergraduate, also from Tilanchao."

Huh?

"What did he do?"

In the past, Lu Shenwei wouldn't have even asked, but Julong Steel was different now; it was both a confidential unit and a friendly cooperative unit of the Navy.

Hiring not only required an internal review by Julong Steel but also double verification by the Bureau of Secrecy and the Navy departments.

It was almost impossible for someone with a criminal record to get in.

"He helped his boss cook the books. The boss ran away, and he took all the responsibility," the Finance Officer whispered, looking as if she were about to cry.

Lu Shenwei comforted her, "To be able to take the fall for a boss makes him a brave man. How about this: give me his resume first, and I'll find a way."

"Thank you, Director Lu."

"Don't be so quick to thank me. Let me be clear upfront: he's not like you. After entering the factory, he'll have to be a Warehouse Manager first and work for at least a year."