Chapter 71: How About Let’s Say I’m Just Borrowing It?

“Alright! Thanks, Auntie!”

Zhou Yimin had no choice but to make a trip back to the steel factory. First, he went to find his superior—Team Lead Wang.

“Why are you only showing up now? We’ve been looking for you forever,” Team Lead Wang said, clearly frustrated.

“Well, I was out in the countryside doing procurement!”

Team Lead Wang didn’t even bother to expose him. This so-called countryside trip… wasn’t it just a visit to his grandparents’ village?

But as long as Zhou Yimin could exceed his procurement quotas, Wang didn’t care where he went. You can’t restrict the movement of a procurement officer; otherwise, what’s the point? You might as well just have him sit around the factory and wait to die.

“So, you brat, invented something new again? Be honest—what’s that thing for? The factory director and the others had a meeting today about it, but no one had any conclusions.” Team Lead Wang was curious.

“That’s a solar stove. It uses solar energy to boil water or cook, helping to save firewood and coal,” Zhou Yimin explained.

“Oh? Something that good? You’re impressive! Come on, let’s go see Section Chief Zheng.”

With that, Team Lead Wang brought Zhou Yimin to Section Chief Zheng’s office.

Section Chief Zheng was quite warm: “Yimin, you’re here? Sit down. The reason we called you back today is mainly to understand your new invention. The factory director and everyone else are very interested.”

Then he glanced at Team Lead Wang. “You’re dismissed. Go on.”

Team Lead Wang: “…”

He could only leave, frustrated.

Zhou Yimin gave his explanation again, mainly going over the purpose and function of the solar stove.

“Hmm! That’s a great invention! Let’s go test how long it takes to boil a pot of water. Come, I’ll take you to see Director Ding.”

So off they went to Director Ding’s office.

Director Ding had been working on some documents, but the moment he saw it was Zhou Yimin, he put everything aside and had him sit down. Then he immediately kicked out Section Chief Zheng.

After listening to Zhou Yimin’s explanation, he grew excited. “If it works the way you say, it could really save our country a lot of firewood and coal.

Yimin! If you have any new inventions in the future, don’t bother telling those guys in the workshop. Just come straight to us. We’ll handle it ourselves and not let them steal any credit.”

“Alright! If I invent anything else, I’ll come back and find Team Lead Wang,” Zhou Yimin agreed.

“Good! That’s the way to go. Come on, let’s go test the solar stove’s performance.”

As they stepped out of the office, they saw Section Chief Zheng and Team Lead Wang still waiting.

“You haven’t left yet?” Director Ding raised an eyebrow.

Zheng and Wang thought in unison: There’s something we probably shouldn’t say out loud…

Director Ding said, “Fine, let’s all go together and check out the solar stove.”

Soon enough, the finished solar stove was carried outside and placed in a sunny clearing. On the stand of the stove, a pot of water was set.

A crowd quickly gathered—mostly factory leadership, including Factory Director Hu and others.

After the explanation, they understood that the stove was for boiling water and cooking.

They realized that Zhou Yimin’s inventions were very down-to-earth and aimed at common folk. These were good products—low in technical difficulty, easy to use, and didn’t require specific conditions.

The fact that it didn’t use electricity made it especially appealing to the people.

You have to understand—most rural areas in the country still had no electricity. A product like this would be a hit.

“Factory Director, our workshop could set up a dedicated new product development lab for Comrade Zhou Yimin,” Director Liao spoke up again, still unwilling to give up on trying to recruit Zhou Yimin.

You might’ve said the water pump was just a flash of genius, but now he’s made the solar stove too—what’s next?

How could someone this talented stay in procurement? That would be a complete waste.

“Our logistics department can also provide Comrade Zhou Yimin with a development lab. Don’t act like we don’t have space,” Director Ding shot back.

Trying to poach him? No way.

If your workshop has it, you think I in logistics can’t manage it too? If logistics has it, your workshop might not even have access to it.

Time passed, and after around twenty minutes, the water in the pot began to bubble.

“It’s boiling—it really works!”

“It took a bit longer, but it doesn’t use wood or coal, and you don’t even have to tend to it. The name ‘solar stove’ is spot-on.” The factory committee members started clapping.

Once they clapped, of course everyone else followed suit.

So far, it really was an excellent product.

“Old Hu, come with me to see the higher-ups?”

How could Factory Director Hu miss out on this chance to claim credit?

Director Hu nodded. “Alright, let’s go see what the top brass thinks.”

Then all the leaders took turns giving Zhou Yimin words of encouragement, full of hints that he wouldn’t go unrewarded.

Director Ding was serious about setting up a development room for Zhou Yimin. After returning, he had people clean up a fifty-square-meter room, add a workbench, a couch for resting, and even got basic tools like welding gear.

If Zhou Yimin saw this, he’d probably be speechless. Did they really think he was a professional inventor now?

Factory Director Hu and the committee representative rode to a senior leader’s home and demonstrated the solar stove.

“Another one of your factory’s… uh…” The senior leader struggled to remember Zhou Yimin’s name.

Factory Director Hu quickly filled in, “Comrade Zhou Yimin—the one who invented the water pump. He said this product was originally made to make it easier for his grandmother to boil water.”

The senior leader was moved. “Good! Filial and dutiful—a good comrade. People like this, with strong moral character and real ability, should be properly nurtured. Bring him to see me next time.”

He especially admired young people who respected their elders.

Anyone who’s filial can’t possibly be a bad person.

“Understood!” Factory Director Hu and the committee member realized that Zhou Yimin had officially caught the attention of a major leader. His future looked bright.

After chatting a bit, the water in the kettle began to boil. They timed it—18 minutes.

“Hmm! Very good! Once it’s widely used, it’ll save a lot of firewood and coal. This would be even more useful in areas with scarce resources,” the senior leader noted thoughtfully.

In his view, the solar stove’s usefulness wasn’t just limited to rural areas or average households.

“Comrade Zhou Yimin also said, since our nation’s steel is in short supply, the stove’s frame could be made from alternative materials,” the committee member relayed one of Zhou Yimin’s suggestions.

The senior leader nodded. “Exactly! He’s thought things through. I approve of your factory setting up a dedicated workshop to produce the solar stove. Little Hu, submit a proposal to me later.”

“Thank you for your support, Leader!”

After staying a bit longer, Factory Director Hu and the others left.

They still needed to return to the factory for a meeting—to make sure other production tasks didn’t fall behind while also setting up a new solar stove workshop. The only solution was to expand hiring.

In fact, thanks to the water pumps, the factory was already running over capacity.

Expanding the workforce was now imperative.

After discussion, it was decided: the steel factory would recruit 500 new workers.

(End of Chapter)