Chapter 286 – Testing

Zhou Yimin was waiting right there, and in less than an hour, Master Kong had already made the retractor.

No wonder he had the skills to handcraft an aircraft carrier—he managed to build it just from Zhou Yimin’s rough description.

Master Kong said confidently, “Team Lead Zhou, take a look—does this match what you had in mind?”

Zhou Yimin examined it closely, even tried it out using some cloth strips. It was indeed similar to the retractors used in the future, though the appearance was slightly different. Master Kong had even incorporated a traditional mortise and tenon structure into it.

“Master Kong, as expected of a master craftsman—this is excellent work,” Zhou Yimin said with a thumbs-up.

Master Kong responded modestly, “Not at all. It’s just that this retractor is relatively simple. If it were something more complex, it wouldn’t have been this easy.”

That was true—if there were a technical drawing, even a level-four or five mechanic could make it.

After expressing his thanks, Zhou Yimin took the retractor and left to test it out at the Transport Division.

When he arrived, Zhou Dafu saw him and quickly came forward. “Uncle Sixteen, are you back from your trip?”

“Yes, got back last night. Where’s Captain Li?” Zhou Yimin replied.

“Master Li is busy. I’ll go get him for you,” Zhou Dafu said.

Soon, he returned with Li Feng in tow.

Li Feng teased, “Team Lead Zhou, what brings you here today?”

The two of them got along well, so a bit of joking was no problem.

“I’m here because I invented something that can greatly improve driver safety in the event of an accident,” Zhou Yimin said straight to the point.

Li Feng dropped the joking tone and asked seriously, “Team Lead Zhou, are you being serious?”

Training a driver was no easy feat, and if there was an accident, it was likely the person wouldn’t survive. A broken bone was already considered a minor injury.

“Of course I’m serious. I’ve already made it and now I want to test it out on a truck. Can I?” Zhou Yimin asked confidently.

“Of course! You can pick any truck here,” Li Feng replied excitedly.

A truck was important, yes, but drivers were just as vital. Without them, a truck was just a piece of metal.

Zhou Yimin didn’t pick any of the newer trucks. Instead, he pointed to one that looked quite old and said, “Let’s go with that one.”

“Team Lead Zhou, why not pick a better one, like a Yellow River-brand truck?” Li Feng suggested directly.

If Zhou Yimin’s invention actually worked, it could literally save lives in critical moments. Who could guarantee they’d never have an accident in their lifetime? For the sake of his own safety, Li Feng was fully on board.

Zhou Yimin chuckled. “Captain Li, you trust my invention that much? Aren’t you worried it’s all show and will fail at the critical moment?”

Since it was just a performance test, there was no need to use a good truck—any vehicle would do. But seeing how eager Li Feng was, he went along with him and chose the Yellow River truck.

They quickly began the retrofit. First, they needed to modify the area around the driver’s seat. A hole was cut, and the retractor installed. A separate opening was left for the cloth strip to pull through, with a clasp to hold it in place.

Under Zhou Yimin’s guidance, Li Feng completed the retrofit quickly. Now it was time for the test.

“Team Lead Zhou, how exactly do we test it? How do we know if it works?” Li Feng asked, puzzled.

It wasn’t like they could cause an actual accident just to see if the seatbelt worked.

“First, let’s make a dummy. We’ll accelerate the truck to its top speed and then do an emergency brake. We’ll compare what happens with and without the seatbelt. That’ll give us a very clear idea of whether the seatbelt actually works,” Zhou Yimin explained.

He knew full well how valuable trucks were, and there was no way anyone would approve a crash test using them—or risk their own lives. No leader would agree to putting factory assets in danger either.

Li Feng praised, “Good idea.”

So the testing began. Li Feng volunteered to go first. They made a straw dummy stuffed with scrap metal to give it the weight of an adult, which would make the test more accurate.

The first test was with the seatbelt on.

Li Feng drove the truck to a clear area and began accelerating. After a short distance, the speed reached around 70 kilometers per hour—the truck’s top speed.

Then he slammed the brakes.

The truck’s braking system engaged, and the tires screeched against the road, leaving four dark skid marks.

You could imagine how violent the braking was.

Thanks to the seatbelt, both Li Feng and the straw dummy were firmly held in place. Aside from the initial lurch forward, the belt kicked in instantly and restrained them. Neither of them flew out of the seat.

Even Li Feng was startled. He had assumed they’d be flung forward, like in trucks without seatbelts. But the belt held strong. Other than some chest pain from the belt’s tightness, he was fine.

“Team Lead Zhou, your invention works! On behalf of the Transport Division, thank you,” Li Feng said, bowing deeply.

“All for the people,” Zhou Yimin waved him off casually.

Then came the second test. This time, Li Feng wore the seatbelt, but the straw dummy didn’t. That way, they’d have a clear comparison.

As the truck reached top speed again and the brakes were slammed—

The straw dummy, under the force of inertia, smashed through the windshield and flew out of the truck.

Meanwhile, Li Feng’s seatbelt snapped from the force, and his chest slammed into the steering wheel. But he didn’t fly out like the dummy did.

Both Li Feng and Zhou Dafu were shocked by what they saw.

No one expected the straw dummy to break through the windshield. Truck glass was supposed to be extremely tough—nothing like household glass that shattered with a tap.

To break truck glass, even with a hammer, you’d have to hit it multiple times. For a body to break it like that? It would take extreme force.

Li Feng’s legs went weak from the shock, but he forced himself to stay calm. He rubbed his chest and said, “Team Lead Zhou, your seatbelt definitely works, but isn’t it a bit too flimsy? It snapped after just two tests.”

If it broke in a real emergency, wouldn’t that be the same as not wearing one at all?

So clearly, the material needed to be strengthened.

(End of Chapter)