The Beacon of Laiyang Metal

Chapter 27 Fighters and Antiques

This time Wei Yuan came back and found that at the gate of his factory, in addition to the previous "Laiyang Weishi Machinery", there was another signboard that read "Laiyang Enterprise Joint Production Headquarters".

After entering the factory, I found that not only was there an extra sign, but there was also a special office and settlement center for the "Command Headquarters". A group of old comrades, headed by Wei Jianguo, were studying the production tasks for the next batch of orders.

It turned out that the joint production of the first batch of orders really benefited these small factory directors who cooperated in advance.

Compared with the original order, which had shortcomings such as a long payment cycle, separate procurement of some parts, and low gross profit, this cooperation not only has quick payment and high profits, but also has the advantage of being biased towards the assembly line production model of some large manufacturers. Each company only does what it is good at, which greatly improves production efficiency.

This group of old comrades simply reintegrated resources and expanded the cooperative enterprises from more than 50 enterprises in one town to more than 200 enterprises in the entire district. They also adjusted the membership system and standardized the specific cooperation procedures. Even the final assembly of "Weishi Machinery" The expansion of the workshop has been put on the agenda, so as to be able to undertake larger orders.

Weiyuan came back this time to prepare another order, focusing on coal mining-related equipment and aircraft manufacturing production lines.

To this day, coal is still an important strategic material and can be directly used in smelting, power generation, heating, and all aspects of life from industry to life. What's more, in the 30s, electricity was still in the development stage, and coal was the well-deserved number one energy source at that time.

Weiyuan learned that in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, ten of the first five-year plans were coal mine projects. Later, the total number of coal mine projects increased to as many as 25, with a total annual output of more than 1500 million tons. By the 32st century , only a single mining area of ​​a large coal mining company can achieve such a production capacity, and the national production capacity exceeds billion tons!

In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, domestic coal mining mainly used Lao Maozi's technical methods, which changed the traditional tunnel-type mining to long-lane mining, and changed the original backward method of digging holes with mice into oblique deep wells and then digging from various depths. The mines are excavated in tunnels and then transported out via large track-laying passages using mine carts.

The method of coal removal is mainly changed from manual coal removal to electric drill drilling and blasting coal removal. Nowadays, coal mines use crawler boring machines to rumble forward, and drum shearers to dig coal and send it to conveyor belts. It can be said that the operation is completely mechanized, which has led to a qualitative leap in the amount of coal mining.

Through later generations of mineral resource storage and distribution data, I discovered that in Andong County, there is a 5-million-ton coal mine in the Laoyashan area. Although it is compared with coal cities such as Jixi, Hegang, and Tieling that often have reserves of hundreds of millions of tons, No, but there is definitely no problem in supplying our own preliminary industrial production.

After some final calculations, Weiyuan made a purchase worth 2 million, including electric drills for mining, iron-frame fixed rock drills, mobile dry drills, wet drills, and various consumables. The annual coal mining amount is 3 million. tons of coal mining facilities.

The reason for purchasing the aircraft production line was that as the date of the September 18th Incident by the Japanese army approached, the pressure on Weiyuan increased. Facing tens of thousands of Japanese Kwantung Army veterans, it was difficult to compete with the opponent in the early stage by relying solely on the strength of its own security group. In a head-to-head encounter, later wars have proven that whoever has control of the air on the battlefield will take the initiative in the war.

At this time, the main aircraft of the Japanese Kwantung Army was the Nakajima Type 20 fighter. It was a monoplane fighter developed in the early 30s by Japan's Nakajima Heavy Industries aircraft engineer Koyama Tei with the assistance of French aircraft engineer Andrew Mari.
  Maximum takeoff weight: 1500kg,

Top speed: 300 km/h,

Maximum ceiling: 9000 meters,
  Maximum range: 500 kilometers,

Weapons: 2 7.7mm machine guns
  It can carry one 100kg or two 2kg aerial bombs at the same time.

Weiyuan selected two fighters for imitation production, a US military "P39 Air Serpent" piston fighter, and a German army's main equipment "Stuka" dive bomber.

The "P-39 Fighter" is a single-seat, single-engine, straight-wing piston fighter that entered service with the US military in April 1939.

Maximum takeoff weight: 3 kg,

Top speed: 612 kilometers per hour, (more than half faster than the main Japanese aircraft in the same period)

Maximum range: 1046 kilometers,

It is relatively powerful in terms of firepower. It can carry four 4mm machine guns and a 12.7MM cannon at one time. It was also one of the first fighter jets to use tricycle landing gear in World War II.

In addition, this aircraft is also equipped with complete communication equipment, which was not equipped with fighter radio stations in many countries during this period.

"Stuka", also known as Ju 87, was finalized in production in May 1940. It is a dive bomber that specializes in ground attack and ground support.

The maximum takeoff weight is 5000kg,

Maximum speed 320 km/h,

Maximum ceiling: 9000 meters,
  Maximum range: 600 kilometers,

In terms of weapons: 2 MG-17 7.92mm machine guns or a 25mm cannon can be selected, which has certain air capabilities.

It adopts a conventional aerodynamic layout of a two-person tandem two-seater under a single wing, and can carry up to 500 kilograms of bombs. The bomb rack under each wing can carry one 1 kilogram bomb or two 250 kilogram bombs, and can also be modified to transform into a torpedo. Attack aircraft.

At the same time, the fuselage is equipped with armor, which showed powerful ground attack capabilities on the Soviet-German battlefield on the Eastern Front. In particular, the scream of the sounder installed on the aircraft psychologically intimidated ground soldiers and enhanced the effect of the attack.

Compared with the Japanese Nakajima 39 fighter jets and the "P-39 fighter jets" and "Stuka" fighter bombers, they are completely different products. Moreover, because Japan is located in an island country and lacks resources, all the equipment it produces has One characteristic is that the thin skin and big stuffing can be saved. Once the two aircraft really fight, if the "P-25 fighter" and the "Stuka" are hit, as long as they are not critical, the fuselage may only have a few more bullets. Kong, but the Japanese Nakajima Type , even if it is hit by a mm artillery shell, it will directly transform into an aerial lighter.

For the two aircraft production lines, Weiyuan gave the requirement that the annual production capacity should not be less than 200 aircraft. After calculating the total order amount reached 3 million, it was not until this time that he discovered that with his own cash reserves, it was obvious that the purchase cost would exceed .

Fortunately, these orders are also paid with a deposit. The first batch only requires a 20% deposit. However, in order to pay for the subsequent purchases, Wei Yuan has to return to his old profession, a time and space dealer.

Peking in May 1930

At this time, there were more than 26,000 shops of various types in Peiping, most of which were concentrated in three major commercial districts, namely Qianmen-Dashilar Commercial District, Wangfujing Commercial District and Xidan Commercial District.

Especially Wangfujing Street, because it is close to the embassy district, it mainly sells glasses, watches, electric lamps, bicycles, cars, and novelty foreign gadgets. However, if you want to buy antiques and cultural items, you still have to go to Liulichang in Peiping.

Lichang Street is located outside Hepingmen in Beiping. It is a famous cultural street in Beijing. It originated in the Qing Dynasty. At that time, most of the candidates who came to Beijing to take the imperial examinations lived in this area. Therefore, there were shops selling books, pens, inks, papers and inkstones here. There are many of them, forming a strong cultural atmosphere. The famous "Baoshengzhai" in later generations is located on Liulichang West Street.

The main purpose of Wei Yuan's trip to Beiping was to buy antiques at "Baoshengzhai" and then resell them for auction in later generations. The so-called golden age antiques during the Republic of China coincided with warlords' melee, and most antiques were difficult to sell at a high price.

In addition, at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, there were a large number of Qing court officials who lost their salaries, and in order to continue to maintain a luxurious life, the old and young people of the Manchu Qing Dynasty began to sell the antiques, calligraphy and paintings that had been collected in their homes for generations, including many treasures.

For example, "Inscription on the Pillars" by the famous calligrapher Huang Tingjian of the Northern Song Dynasty was sold at auction in 2010 for 4.368 million yuan.

清乾隆浅黄地洋彩锦上添花万寿连延图长颈葫芦瓶，2010年10月香港苏富比拍卖行，以2.5266亿港元成交    明永乐御制红阎摩敌刺绣唐卡，2014年11月以3.1亿港元成交。

A Ming Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup was auctioned for a sky-high price of HKD 1999 million in April 4.

"Withered Trees and Strange Rocks" by Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty, also known as "Wood and Stones", was sold for HK$2018 million at Christie's Hong Kong autumn auction on the evening of November 11, 26.

As well as other related treasures, etc., even if Wei Yuan picks up a few at random, they will definitely fetch a sky-high price if they are auctioned 23 years later.

The reason why he did not choose again and continued to sell diamonds, watches, and amine yellow was that Weiyuan was worried that his large-scale sales would affect the market price, so he decided to ship 1-2 times a month, so that he could obtain funding replenishment without worrying about impacting the market. affect the transaction price.

At this time, the wealthy people were only a small group, and they were far from being able to compare with the large market of 13 billion people in later generations. If the market size was put in later generations, even if it was pulled by a container, it could be digested.

The "Baoshengzhai" in front of you is a tall antique building with antique features and carved beams. Just looking at the tall front door and the two huge stone lions squatting at the door, you know that this store is extraordinary.

As soon as Wei Yuan stepped across the threshold of the door, a waiter dressed in green clothes and a small hat came up to greet him:

"This gentleman is here to buy and sell various antiques, calligraphy and paintings on consignment. I wonder if this gentleman is visiting the small shop. Do you want to buy or sell?"

Wei Yuan walked in on his own, first looked around, and casually looked at the layout of the hall. He felt that the front hall alone was more than 100 square meters.

The entire hall is neatly tidied, and everything is wiped clean and shiny. The three-section walnut cabinet has a glass countertop, and you can see that different series of collections are displayed inside, including calligraphy and painting, porcelain, jade, and snuff bottles. Some of the miscellaneous collections, although Wei Yuan is a complete layman in the antique industry, but he still has basic common sense, knowing that those that can be displayed casually in the hall must be some popular goods.

After looking at it, Wei Yuan turned to the waiter and said: "I have made an appointment with the boss of your store before. Please let me know that Mr. Modu Wei is visiting."

The waiter asked Wei Yuan to sit aside, looked at the tea again, and then went to the back hall to report.

After a while, a person came out of the back hall. The middle-aged man in his forties with a neat slicked back hair was none other than Zhuang Yiqing, the owner of "Baoshengzhai". When he saw Wei Yuan drinking tea beside him, he smiled and handed over his hand. road:
  "This must be Boss Wei from Shanghai. Half a month ago, Manager Sun from "Changqi Yangxing" in Shanghai sent a telegram saying that he wanted to introduce the big customer and me. I have been waiting and waiting, and today I finally met him in person. ”.

Seeing the boss of the village joking, Wei Yuan also smiled and said: "I have been busy with secular things, and I have just been able to get out of my clothes these days. It happened that my father's birthday was approaching, so I made a special trip to your store to buy a few antiques as birthday gifts. Your store I have heard of his name, and it is a well-known name even in the antique world in this imperial city. I hope the boss will not hide his secrets and bring out a few more treasures, so that I can open my eyes."

"Hahaha, Manager Sun's friend is also a friend of my old village. Besides, all the people who come to do business are customers. There is no reason to let the customers leave empty-handed. Mr. Wei, just don't worry, you will return satisfied." After that, Then he led Wei Yuan to the back hall.

After passing through the front hall, Wei Yuan discovered that the back hall was also unique. Like the street-facing shop he bought in Magic City, it also had a front store and backyard layout. However, the layout of the backyard of "Baoshengzhai" was much more particular, with hand-copying arcades on both sides. , in the middle of the hall is a large marble screen with a red sandalwood frame on the floor. Turning around the interstitial screen is the main courtyard. At this time, a dozen well-dressed men in the courtyard are wrestling with each other. It is not difficult to tell from the bulging temples that several of them are real masters of the inner family.

Seeing Wei Yuan looking at the big men curiously, Zhuang Yiqing explained with a smile: "In these troubled times, the streets are not peaceful. The patrol policemen on the street alone are unreliable. I have many treasures here, and I have them in the store." There are also others selling them on consignment here, so you have to be careful. These are experts hired at a high price by the "Guangsheng Escort Bureau", and they are usually responsible for the safety of the small store. "

After passing through the long courtyard, we came to the main house, which is an antique two-story building with carved beams and painted beams. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary small building and looks more exquisite. But after opening the door and going in, we found that The interior layout is like a row of bank counters in later generations. There is only a head-sized window on each counter for shipping and purchasing, and there is a special window next to it for money settlement. There are several customers in the room at this time. In the transaction, there are buyers and sellers, and the master chefs and clerks behind the counter are also busy in their own way, and the sound of abacus moving is endless.

"Boss Wei, please come with me."

Seeing Wei Yuan observe the lobby on the first floor for a while, Zhuang Yiqing invited Wei Yuan to the second floor. The second floor was a private room specially used to receive distinguished guests. After the waiters sitting beside them watched the tea, the two parties got down to business.

"I wonder if Boss Wei has any items that he wants to buy? Porcelain, famous calligraphy and paintings, jade, or miscellaneous items such as ancient coins and snuff bottles?"

Wei Yuan said: "There is no requirement for the direction of the objects. Porcelain, famous calligraphy and paintings, jade, or other items are all acceptable, but they must be rare treasures. I have great confidence in your store when I come here!"

Zhuang Yiqing nodded and whispered something to the waiter beside him. He saw the waiter hurried downstairs. After a while, he saw several waiters holding collections one by one and placing tea cups in front of them one after another. on the table.

Zhuang Yiqing first pointed to a porcelain vase and introduced: "This is the Qianlong pastel gourd wall vase. It is a collection of the imperial palace. It was supervised by the Manufacturing Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Qing Dynasty. It was sold on consignment in a small shop by a poor bannerman's son for 2 yuan."

Hiss. Wei Yuan took a breath of air,
  He had also done some homework before coming here, and had a general understanding of the Chinese collections that had been sold at high prices in domestic and foreign auction houses in the past 20 years. At this time, he recognized it at a glance. This Qianlong pastel gourd wall vase was later sold by Sotheby's Hong Kong. Auction house, sister item sold for HK$2.5266 million.

I was originally worried that "Baoshengzhai" was hiding its incompetence, but I didn't expect Zhuang Yiqing to directly give him a big move. The price was only 2 yuan. It was a huge profit, not just a hundred times a thousand times the profit. At this time, Wei Yuan's heart He was ecstatic, but on the surface he pretended to be calm and said calmly: "Okay, I want it." However, his slightly trembling hands revealed that the owner was not at peace at this time.

However, if you think about it from another perspective, it is normal for the antiques that were auctioned to sky-high prices in later generations to be cheap during this period. The reason for this is that on the one hand, many people in the country had no food to eat, let alone spend money to buy antiques. Another reason was that the Qing government left the country at this time. Not long after it ended, a large number of royal collections were smuggled out and resold in various ways. It is said that rare things are more valuable. In this market filled with various treasures, it is surprising that they can be sold at high prices.

Zhuang Yiqing was also a little surprised. As expected, rich merchants didn't even bother to bargain. They asked for 2 yuan. After Wei Yuan's signal, he continued to introduce the second collection.

"This is a Kangxi yellow glaze bowl with hidden dragon patterns. It is also a royal collection. It was supervised by the Manufacturing Office of the Qing Dynasty Internal Affairs Bureau. It is mainly used for sacrifices and blessings for the Qing royal family. It is priced at 3 yuan." As soon as he finished speaking, Wei heard I want it from afar.

Zhuang Yiqing
  "Sapphire longevity and longevity flower pattern, Ganoderma lucidum style, made of blue and white jade, embossed with one large, two small and three ganoderma flowers, flame beads. The height of the handle is embossed with a swimming dragon and a phoenix holding a peony, with small ganoderma flowers in between. The dragon's back is ridged, and the tube is drilled with double The eyes are covered with engraved dragon scales. It was originally given by the emperor to the nobles in the palace. After the Qing Dynasty disappeared, it was taken out of the palace and sold for 5 yuan. Mr. Wei gave this to your father, not to mention the value. The meaning is also very good.”

Sure enough, Wei Yuan said: "I want it, wrap it up!"

There is no hesitation about this product. Just kidding. With the golden sign of "Baoshengzhai" here, there is almost no possibility of buying fakes. You must know that the prices of the other parties are based on the price of antiques. It is not that you can just buy it at any time. Which stall in Liulichang is missing something? If you buy something genuine, you will make a profit. If you buy a fake product, don’t feel bad about it.

If one or two fakes of "Baoshengzhai" really leak out, its reputation will be ruined. If someone takes down the sign, there will be nothing to say. At this time, poverty will return to poverty, chaos will return to chaos, but doing business still relies on "integrity". "Based on two words, especially for this kind of signature old store, the word "integrity" is more important than life.

In the end, it was not until Wei Yuan spent all the 10 yuan he brought and bought a total of twenty or thirty treasures that he stopped purchasing. When he saw that some treasures that had been sold at sky-high prices by later auction houses had not been collected, he shouted in his heart. It's a pity, but this is the first transaction for Lai Ri Fang Chang.

Before going out, Wei Yuan specifically said to Zhuang Yiqing: "I don't have much money this time, so I'll buy these first. If there are any rare things later, the boss of the village will have to keep them for me, or send me a telegram directly."

It wasn't until he saw the store clerk loading all the packaged treasures into his Ford Model T that he said goodbye to Zhuang Yiqing, who had repeatedly asked him to stay as host in the evening.

Seeing the Ford car turning the corner and disappearing, the waiter on the side said to him: "Shopkeeper, this amount is enough for our usual month's business. He is such a big customer, but he said he wanted to celebrate the birthday of the elderly at home as a birthday gift. Where can I Did you get dozens of birthday gifts at one time?"

Zhuang Yiqing conveniently slapped the waiter on the head and said, "You talk a lot. They bought it with real money. You don't care what they did for buying so much. Don't ask around. Boss Wei will be in trouble next time." Waiting, go and do your work."

(End of this chapter)