Chapter 88: In Need of Electricity

Heima Township was one of the less developed towns in Jianghai County. The Sun family village, where Monkey lived, was the most backward in the township.

There weren’t many buses running from Jianghai County to Heima Township—just three trips a day, in the morning, noon, and evening. When Zhao Guoyang arrived at the station, the last bus was just about to leave.

Seeing Zhao Guoyang rushing aboard in quick strides, the bus driver waved and said, “Don’t worry, young man, we were waiting for you!”

Zhao Guoyang thanked the driver gratefully, paid his fare, and sat in the seat right behind him.

On the way, Zhao Guoyang chatted with the driver from time to time. When the driver learned he was headed to Sun family village, he smiled and said, “Oh, you’re going to Sun family village? No need to wait for the stop. When we get there, you can get off directly.”

True to his word, when they neared the village, the driver let Zhao Guoyang off right there.

After waving goodbye to the driver, Zhao Guoyang headed straight for Monkey’s home. Monkey’s house was at the west end of the village, right by its only small river. Zhao Guoyang had been there a few times back in high school, but his memories were now somewhat hazy.

As soon as Zhao Guoyang reached the west end, a watchdog began barking from a house by the roadside. With the barking, a person with a dirty face stepped out of the house.

As soon as Zhao Guoyang recognized who it was, he couldn’t help but laugh. Pointing at him, he said, “Ha! Monkey, what’s going on with you? Spring cleaning at home?”

Monkey had already heard from Zhao Guoyang that he might come by this weekend if he was free, so he wasn’t too surprised.

He wiped his face with his sleeve, grinning awkwardly. “Guoyang, I was just cleaning the die-casting machine in the yard. It hasn’t been used in ages—full of oil and grime…”

Hearing this, Zhao Guoyang felt gratified: This guy, Monkey, really was hardworking and reliable. Having his help was a blessing.

Zhao Guoyang walked over and patted Monkey on the shoulder, shaking his head. “Don’t tell me you were using river water to clean it? Forget it, cleaning machine oil and grime needs some expertise. Come on, I’ll show you how it’s done.”

In Monkey’s courtyard, Zhao Guoyang saw the imported die-casting machine again.

Looking at the iron behemoth lying quietly in the middle of the yard, Zhao Guoyang couldn’t help but sigh: Only a country house could house such a monster with ease.

With Zhao Guoyang’s help, the machine cleaning went much more smoothly.

As they worked, Zhao Guoyang specifically instructed, “Washing mechanical equipment with water is rare. You probably know why—water causes rust and shortens the machine’s lifespan.”

Monkey froze, not knowing what to do. “Ah… then what should we do?”

Seeing Monkey’s bewildered look, Zhao Guoyang reassured him, “Never mind, this is an imported die-casting machine, and the rust protection is excellent. Washing it with water once or twice won’t do much harm. But in the future, use gasoline for cleaning whenever possible.”

“What? Clean the machine with gasoline?” Monkey looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

“It’s not just gasoline,” Zhao Guoyang explained matter-of-factly. “Any alkaline cleaning solution will do, but gasoline is the easiest for us to get. And there are a few things to watch out for when cleaning machines with alkaline cleaners.”

“For heavy grime, you have to pre-clean it, not just douse it in gasoline. Also, for springs, thin-walled steel parts, or high-strength steel, there are special techniques—you can’t just use gasoline directly…”

Monkey nodded repeatedly as Zhao Guoyang spoke.

In Monkey’s eyes, Zhao Guoyang was a genius who seemed to know everything.

After they finished cleaning the die-casting machine and washed their faces, Zhao Guoyang thought for a moment and said, “Monkey, since I’m free today, let’s go to your village and find your village secretary.”

“What, the village secretary?” Monkey asked, confused. “Didn’t you say the business license for our little workshop was already handled at the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Tax Office? Why do we need to see the village officials?”

Zhao Guoyang put a hand on Monkey’s shoulder and said leisurely, “Who said we’re seeing the village officials for paperwork? We’re going to ask them for help!”

Seeing Monkey still looking puzzled, Zhao Guoyang shook his head. “You’re a smart guy—how come you haven’t figured this out? Tell me, how many days since you brought the die-casting machine back?”

“Uh…it’s been several days. Four, five, maybe six…” Monkey mumbled.

“And in all that time, have you ever managed to get it running?” Zhao Guoyang asked, a little exasperated.

“Oh, right! When I hooked it up to my house’s power, it didn’t work at all…”

By now Monkey understood, and slapped his thigh. “I get it—you want to see the village officials to ask for electricity!”

“That’s right!” Zhao Guoyang nodded. “Industrial electricity is different from residential power. Your home outlets can’t provide enough voltage to start this die-casting machine.”

“Now that you mention it, I remember—back in high school, we learned industrial power is 380 volts, right?” Monkey raised his eyebrows.

Zhao Guoyang hummed in agreement. “Exactly. Since your village has a township enterprise, there must be industrial power available. When we see your village chief, we’ll talk to him about getting power. Remember, this factory is our joint venture. You’re the main person in charge; I’m just the investor. Got it?”

“Sure thing, Guoyang—whatever you say!” Monkey nodded vigorously.

Zhao Guoyang trusted Monkey’s street smarts, but since this was their first time handling such matters, he worried Monkey might let slip who the real owner was—if the officials found out, the electricity costs would probably go up.

As for whether Sun family village would provide power, Zhao Guoyang had no doubts at all. In such an underdeveloped area, every bit of investment was rare and highly valued. He wasn’t worried the village would neglect their little workshop.

Sure enough, when Monkey brought Zhao Guoyang to the village committee and explained they wanted to open a factory together, Village Chief Sun Laogen instantly leapt up in excitement.