A sharp, piercing screech of tires echoed.
The suddenness of it forced Liu Dahai to slam on the brakes with all his might.
Finally,
In a moment of sheer peril, the truck stopped just feet from the child.
Black tire marks scarred the ground. The intense inertia sent Liu Dahai lunging forward, his forehead smashing into the steering wheel and instantly forming a large bump.
But he had no time to tend to his head. He leaped out of the truck and rushed towards the child.
"Little one, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, the car stopped."
"Thank heavens!"
Pedestrians nearby crowded around, their faces etched with lingering fear.
Especially the child's mother, a stylishly dressed young woman, whose face had turned ashen white, utterly devoid of color!
"Waaah!"
The child finally reacted and burst into tears. But since they were all safe, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Amidst the crowd, an old man with white hair frowned slightly and leaned in for a closer look.
"A fully loaded vehicle, braking to a complete stop within five meters? That's impossible!"
"It's a good thing the driver braked in time!"
Everyone murmured their sentiments. The child's mother, as if escaping a brush with death, clutched Liu Dahai's arm, repeatedly expressing her gratitude.
"Driver, thank goodness you stopped in time, or my child would have been done for!"
The woman grabbed her child, clearly terrified by his sudden dash into the street.
"Fortunately, fortunately!"
Liu Dahai nervously rubbed his palms together, still visibly shaken.
"It's a good thing I just had the brakes at Jiangyang Automobile Factory serviced yesterday. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to stop, and I'd be in trouble too!"
"Jiangyang Automobile Factory?"
The old man in the crowd heard this and his brow furrowed slightly. "Secretary Qian, please go and inquire about this. Being able to develop such advanced technology is a blessing for the province!"
"Understood!"
The polite, fair-faced middle-aged man beside the elder nodded in agreement. "I'll arrange it when I get back."
...
"Making agricultural machinery?"
In Wang Yu's office, the cadres from Jiangyang Automobile Factory exchanged bewildered glances.
Wang Yu had been cooped up in his office all day, and as soon as he emerged, he'd called everyone for a meeting.
The topic? Making agricultural machinery.
Or, more precisely, agricultural transport vehicles, commonly known as farm vehicles.
What was so special about making these? The county had indeed granted their factory the qualification for agricultural machinery production.
But no one had ever considered venturing into this field. After all, it lacked any significant technical content. Frankly, it was just a three-wheeled tractor with a carriage.
These things were everywhere in the countryside, so what was the...
As they accepted the blueprints handed over by Wang Yu, everyone's eyes widened, and they let out involuntary gasps.
Especially Liu Wenming, the head of the technical department, who blurted out an expletive.
"This is a farm vehicle?"
The design on the blueprints clearly and unmistakably depicted a car.
"Little factory manager, did you make a mistake... wait!"
Li Ming, the production director, noticed something was amiss.
The design on the blueprints was simpler and lower-spec than a regular car. Every part that could be streamlined had been. It was only slightly more advanced than a typical farm vehicle.
But if you called it a farm vehicle? No one had ever seen a farm vehicle with four wheels and a driver's cabin.
This was a far cry from the traditional "open-top" tractor-drawn farm vehicles!
"This... this..."
Everyone saw the anomaly, and they were all struck speechless.
"What do you think?" Wang Yu asked with a smile.
After a long pause, someone finally spoke.
"Little factory manager, are these blueprints for a farm vehicle? Why do they look like a car?"
"What, is that not allowed?" Wang Yu countered with a smile.
In his past life, farm vehicles were initially designed to prioritize rural construction. Later, as market demand grew, products resembling four-wheeled cars gradually emerged.
For this purpose, the state even established specific vehicle categories like "low-speed vehicles" and "modified tractors."
Of course, these were products of their time and would eventually be phased out.
But for now, they were undeniably at the forefront of the era.
"The regulations don't prohibit farm vehicles from using car-like designs."
The head of the legal department confirmed.
"Most of the farm vehicles on the market today are produced on a small scale, are crudely made, and lack standardization. The user experience for farmers is terrible.
But they have no other choice, and they don't know that other options exist," Wang Yu stated calmly.
"This design isn't just about the exterior. I've simplified and optimized it based on existing car designs. Compared to traditional three-wheeled farm vehicles, it not only enhances comfort and operability but also significantly improves quality and safety. Most importantly..."
Wang Yu paused for a moment.
"After cost compression, it's even cheaper than ordinary farm vehicles."
"This means..."
"This means, at the same price point, if our product enters the market, it will have a very strong competitive advantage! And then... it will be an instant hit!"
Someone jumped up excitedly. No one was foolish.
It was simple logic. At the same price, why wouldn't you choose something more comfortable, durable, and safer?
"Our country needs to develop and revitalize the countryside, so let us contribute our part! Benefiting the masses is the true way to serve the nation and the people!"
Wang Yu's words moved everyone.
That's right!
Why was the country promoting agricultural transport vehicles? Because cars were too expensive, and ordinary people couldn't afford them!
Limited by the outdated technology and materials of the era, Wang Yu had to rack his brains to balance quality and cost.
He had discarded over a hundred drafts, scrutinizing every detail, before arriving at the current design.
Seemingly simple, it was the crystallization of his efforts and a complete paradigm shift from the ordinary three-wheeled farm vehicles!
"Little factory manager, how is your brain wired?"
Li Ming stroked his chin, his graying beard bristling with admiration.
If it were just an idea, that would be one thing. But this man had turned that idea into reality!
There were several small, intricate details in this design that even he, a master craftsman with decades of experience, couldn't fully grasp.
The only certainty was that these optimizations, as the "little factory manager" himself claimed, improved quality while reducing costs!
Without a doubt, once this product was launched, other agricultural machinery factories on the market would be left in the dust.
"So, everyone, how long do you think it will take to produce the first prototype?"
Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Wang Yu seized the moment and asked.
"Well, most of the parts are readily available, as it's simply a simplified car design."
"We don't have much work right now, and the workers can start working at any time. There's no need to worry about that."
...
After a brief discussion, they concluded that the first vehicle could be developed within two days at most.
Just like the previous brake improvements, the "little factory manager's" wild and imaginative ideas gave everyone immense confidence!
"Right, also, simultaneously report this to the relevant departments for production approval."
Wang Yu added a reminder.
The approval process for agricultural machinery production was much simpler than for automobiles, but compliance was still necessary.
While the previous modifications were fine, they could only be officially sold after reporting, obtaining approval, and securing a production and sales license.
Under Wang Yu's direction, everyone quickly got to work.
Other workers on leave, upon hearing that the "little factory manager" had new work arrangements, eagerly came to report for duty.
After all, being idle at home was still being idle, and perhaps the "little factory manager" would once again strike it rich.
Thus, with everyone in high spirits.
The first car-style four-wheeled farm vehicle soon rolled off the automobile production line.
...
In the debugging workshop, after a series of experimental tests, all the data results were perfect.
"Fantastic! This product is sure to be a hit and sell like hotcakes!"
"Exactly! This way, we can not only clear our backlog of unsold inventory but also generate more working capital."
"And the workers' wages will be secured."
"Indeed!"
...
Everyone seemed to glimpse a bright future.
They chattered excitedly, their faces alight with hope and smiles. Only a few, however, wore expressions of concern.
Among them was Feng Daochun, the director of the sales department.
"What's wrong? Director Feng?"
Wang Yu noticed something amiss and asked.
Facing Wang Yu's question, Feng Daochun managed a wry smile.
"Little factory manager, everyone was very enthusiastic earlier, so I didn't want to dampen the mood. But the fact is, our sales channels have been completely cut off by Jiangyang Agricultural Machinery Factory. No one is willing, and no one is able to sell our products now!"