kingnovel Chapter 202: Market Exchange for Technology and Imitation of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles (Part 2)
Chapter 202: Market Exchange for Technology and Imitation of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles (Part 2)
"By the way, how's the engine replication going? How long will it take to produce a 100% domestic Harley-Davidson WLA motorcycle?"
Zhang Chi's sudden question startled Bai Hongsheng, who was already in a state of turmoil. He immediately and carefully took out another report:
"According to the current progress, after assembling 300 units, the workers on the assembly line will basically be able to reach proficiency. With the establishment of various upstream parts factories, it is expected that after assembling 1000 units, the self-production rate will reach 30%."
Bai Hongsheng paused, looked at Zhang Chi's expression for a few times, and found that Zhang Chi was quite satisfied with the progress, then continued:
"We expect to reach a 75% in-house production rate by the time we produce 5000 units. By then, all parts, except the 740cc engine, will be produced in-house."
"By the time we have 10,000 units..." Seeing Zhang Chi's brow furrowed, Bai Hongsheng quickly changed his tone, "By the time we have 8000 units, we expect the engine imitation work will be complete, and we will be able to produce a motorcycle 100% independently."
After reading Bai Hongsheng's estimated report, Zhang Chi's brows were twisted into a "川" shape.
Motorcycles are already the shortest and fastest large-scale industrial projects, with the shortest upstream and downstream links, yet it still requires so much effort.
What about the car factories, aircraft factories, tank factories, and shipyards of the future? Which of these is not more complex than a small motorcycle? The upstream industries required are even more complex?
"It's too slow. I hope that while the manufacturing and assembly speed remains the same..." Zhang Chi raised his head and stared into Bai Hongsheng's eyes behind his glasses, asking word by word, "3000 units means a 75% self-production rate, and 5000 units will use self-produced engines."
Thinking of the story of the future import of the Su-27 and a certain aircraft research institute, Zhang Chi's words couldn't help but carry a sense of pressure: "Do you have the confidence to do it?"
Bai Hongsheng felt as if he was faced with a sea of blood and corpses. His stomach instantly cramped and a few drops of cold sweat immediately slid down his forehead. He swallowed hard, made up his mind, and shouted:
"No problem at all! I'll deliver your homemade military motorcycle to you within two months!"
Bai Hongsheng naturally saw all of Zhang Chi's reactions. He knew very well that some people could only realize their full potential if pushed.
So he nodded and said calmly, "Okay, get busy. Work hard. I've also reserved a quota for your family in the next round of construction bonds."
Bai Hongsheng's eyes lit up when he heard this. Although it costs real money to claim the bonds, after these factories are built, these bonds can be directly converted into shares.
As long as Zhang Chi's army keeps winning, these shares will be the goose that lays golden eggs. Even though these are virtual shares with only dividend rights but no ownership, the big families in Nanyang are all scrambling to claim them. After all, Zhang Chi uses this money to build monopoly businesses such as power plants.
Bai Hongsheng turned around and left, knowing in his heart that the subscription rights were just a reward for him after the beating.
----
After watching Bai Hongsheng leave, Zhang Chi immediately took off his disguise as a tycoon and slumped down on the sofa in the office without any image.
It had been just over a year since he traveled through time. He first led dozens of people to fight against the risk of being wiped out by the devils at any time, and then had to maneuver back and forth between the White Eagles, the Johns, the devils, the natives, the mainland immigrants, the White Party allies, and the local tyrants in Southeast Asia.
During this process, although his ambition grew rapidly as his strength grew, he himself was indeed exhausted.
In order to maintain an image of wisdom and bravery in front of his subordinates, he had to wear a mask every day.
With a carrot in one hand and a stick in the other, he plays the role of a Machiavellian monarch, a 'Napoleon' of Southeast Asia who is in charge of both civil and military affairs.
Zhang Chi casually flipped through the report left by Bai Hongsheng and others, and curled his lips in dissatisfaction.
As the war progressed, the Anmin Army had divided its troops into three groups to attack. As the battle line lengthened, the demand for logistical supplies became increasingly urgent.
Although the system can be exchanged for an M13 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun by spending 700 Silver Lions, and then removing the gun mount to convert it back into an M3 half-track vehicle.
But the logistics and personnel transportation of the army requires not only half-track vehicles and trucks, but also jeeps and various three-wheeled and two-wheeled motorcycles.
Whether it is reconnaissance deep into the rainforest or small-scale transportation of ammunition supplies to the front line of the battlefield, flexible motorcycles are more suitable than half-track vehicles and light tanks that can be exchanged in the system.
In addition, since only a few roads connecting large cities were built during the John colonial period, the roads between villages and towns were all dirt trails, which naturally restricted the flow of people and materials, and this had a huge impact on economic development.
In order to solve this problem, Zhang Chi decided to take a three-pronged approach.
First of all, if you want to be rich, build roads first.
Several newly established construction corps and the Nanhua Construction Group are working desperately to repair roads in order to ensure logistical supplies for the nearly 20 troops on the front line.
Secondly, vigorously develop water transportation.
The PTF-6 torpedo boat, which costs 700 Silver Lions in the system, becomes an excellent inland transport ship after removing the torpedo launcher and machine gun. With the advantage of shallow draft, this small boat can roam around the densely networked inland area of Pegu and transport supplies.
At the same time, in order to serve the poor masses, Zhang Chi used cement hulls and various types of engines (trucks, armored vehicles, airplanes, tanks) captured from the Japanese in previous battles to build cement motorboats of various sizes and rented them to the people under his rule.
The last step is the development of motorcycles.
Zhang Chike still remembers that in the future, the streets and countryside of Southeast Asia were full of Japanese motorcycles.
He wiped the sweat from his head and gulped down all the cold tea in one breath.
Even in January when snow was falling in the north of Qian Kingdom, he still did not feel cold in the humid and hot Pegu, but rather hot.
This seems to be the reason why people in Southeast Asia love motorcycles?
Apart from the bad roads, the biggest advantage of riding a motorcycle here is that you can enjoy the breeze and cool down.
Zhang Chi grinned, with a hint of sarcasm thinking that most cars at that time did not have air conditioning. Sitting under the hot iron sheet of a Cadillac L luxury car under the scorching sun and steaming like a sauna would be worse than taking a motorcycle ride with his beloved girl in the back seat.
Did I break the curse of preferring to cry in a BMW rather than laugh on the back of a motorcycle?
Not to mention that there is oil, rubber, and iron ore in the controlled area, and the raw materials are complete. The only bottleneck is the precision processing of bearings and engine cylinders.
Therefore, Zhang Chi forced Bai Hongsheng to fully produce the Harley WLA as soon as possible. It was the kind of V-type inline two-cylinder side-valve engine that was fully produced from a screw to a 23-horsepower engine, rather than the "self-production" that the Indian brother had done before Zhang Chi traveled through time.
However, compared to the Renault WLA, the perfect military motorcycle in his mind is the BMW R75 (pictured in the author's description), which has a handsome appearance and enough horsepower, and can pull Soldier Hans to run very fast even on the muddy Eastern Front.
Thinking of the BMW R75, Zhang Chi couldn't help but think of those synthetic humans with Hans appearance that he exchanged from the system.
They had been secretly sent by Zhang Chi to Casablanca in North Africa to contact the three Axis powers: Weihai, Hans, and Italy.
I wonder if they have made contact with the Weixifa Kingdom?
Schneider's artillery casting equipment, Hans' scientists, and Italy's Ansaldo naval gun factory, these things I have been coveting for a long time.
Thinking of this, the tired Zhang Chi unknowingly lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.
Xiao Qi, who came in to check, considerately covered Zhang Chi's belly with a thin blanket, and informed Zhang Guangsong after coming out.
Zhang Guangsong, the chief secretary of the secretariat, immediately waved his hand to signal several people who were still waiting for an interview outside the office to leave and not disturb Zhang Chi's sleep.