Master, That's My Wife and My House! - Chapter 9

He encountered a mining accident underground. He had already escaped, but when he heard that some workers were trapped, he went back to rescue them, and then… neither of them survived.

The situation is awkward; not all heroism has a good ending, but that doesn’t stop Chen Feng from finding Wu Wenhua pleasing to the eye now.

“Section Chief Wu is too kind. Our Section Chief Lin is the real expert in technology. He’s the one who usually guides me. But if Section Chief Wu needs anything, just let us know. Our technical department at Wanhuai Machinery Factory will do our best to not let you down,” Chen Feng said solemnly.

Lin Xiaoyi was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Chen Feng to be so eloquent. If it were any other young man, he wouldn’t have cared about anyone else and would have rushed over himself long ago.

Wu Wenhua nodded repeatedly, then released Chen Feng’s hand and said, “Thank you both. Please have a seat, and we can chat slowly.”

“Gentlemen, do you know anything about the conveyor belts underground?” Wu Wenhua asked slowly.

Lin Xiaoyi thought for a moment, then replied unhurriedly, “I am familiar with conveyor belts, but our factory does not produce this type of equipment. If you have any questions about this… Section Chief Wu, we may not be able to help you.”

Wu Wenhua smiled and continued, “To put it another way, do you know what safety threats a conveyor belt poses to workers underground?”

Seeing Lin Xiaoyi’s troubled expression, Chen Feng knew that as the head of the technical department, Lin Xiaoyi rarely went to the field. Wu Wenhua had asked him a question that was outside his area of ​​knowledge.

“A belt conveyor, which miners generally call a belt conveyor, is a type of assembly line equipment with a rubber coating on a woven belt,” Chen Feng suddenly interjected, coming to Lin’s rescue.

A belt conveyor is essentially an assembly line. If you have to distinguish it, it’s faster, can carry more goods, and is longer.

Typically, a belt conveyor ranges in length from tens to over a thousand meters and is responsible for transporting materials such as coal and gangue produced at the production head to the material handling area.

Wu Wenhua looked at Chen Feng with great interest and nodded, saying, “Comrade Chen, please continue.”

Chen Feng pondered for a moment, then continued, “If we’re talking about security threats… there are too many.”

“Belt conveyors rely on the rotation of countless rollers to make the belt move, and the rotating parts themselves pose a risk of squeezing, injuring, or even killing people.”

“Besides, belt breakage, flying debris, belt overlap, slippage, and pull-out can all pose risks of injury or even death. If we really explained each of these issues one by one as soon as possible… it would probably take a very long time.”

Wu Wenhua’s eyes lit up as he listened, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, “You truly are a key member. You’re absolutely right. Belt conveyors are operating equipment, difficult to maintain, and prone to malfunctions. Not to mention the various safety threats that are hard to prevent. To be honest, since I took office as the head of the electromechanical department, it’s only been two months, and there have already been six accidents involving belt conveyors!”

“I’m still talking about serious accidents that cause injury or disability. I haven’t even included minor bumps and scrapes. This accident rate is shocking, isn’t it?”

Chen Feng and Lin Xiaoyi both nodded. But that’s how coal mines are these days. Even in Europe and America, let alone in China, the safety of coal miners is still somewhat dependent on the weather. This is just the way things are.

Wu Wenhua said solemnly, “Now that I’m here and in this position, I’m thinking about what I can do to improve the current situation.”

Lin Xiaoyi frowned and said helplessly, “Section Chief Wu, we really are powerless to help with this matter. Our Wanhuai Machinery Factory has always been supplying power supply switches to the mine, which has nothing to do with what you’re thinking about!”

Wu Wenhua sighed, then said with a solemn expression, “Gentlemen, I know my demands are a bit high, but…”

Wu Wenhua took out a document, which was actually just a few pictures, and introduced it: “Gentlemen, this is something I got from a friend. He said it’s a facility that’s being developed and used in European and American coal mines. After installation, it can make the belt conveyor stop automatically in the event of various emergencies to prevent greater damage!”

Lin Xiaoyi frowned and said, “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Chen Feng’s brow twitched, and he subconsciously said, “Belt conveyor protection!”

“Belt conveyor protection?” Wu Wenhua repeated, then nodded. “Comrade Chen knows about this?”

Chen Feng shook his head. “I don’t know, I just said it casually. Isn’t this just a form of protection?”

Wu Wenhua smiled and said, “Indeed, what else is it but protection if it can make the conveyor belt stop on its own?”

Chen Feng was somewhat taken aback, because he not only knew about this thing, but had also dealt with it for quite some time.

After I was released from prison in my previous life, I could hardly find any decent jobs. In the late 1980s, small coal mines became popular in the country, and they would take anyone who was not afraid of death, regardless of your status.

So Chen Feng worked in a small coal mine for a few years. Because he was knowledgeable in electromechanical technology and eager to learn, he even rose to the position of electromechanical team leader.

Unfortunately, in the late 1990s, the government began to shut down small coal mines, and Chen Feng had to change careers and go into business again.

However, Chen Feng understood this so-called protection very well. In fact, he could say that as long as there was something, he could make it by hand. It didn’t require much skill; it was mainly about ingenuity.

“Gentlemen, I would like to commission your Wanhuai Machinery Factory to try to develop similar equipment. I wonder if that’s possible?” Wu Wenhua looked at the two men.

Lin Xiaoyi looked troubled and wanted to refuse, but the head of the electromechanical department was someone who dealt directly with Wanhuai Machinery Factory, and he had just taken office. If he offended him, how would he live in the future?

Chen Feng remained silent. He shouldn’t have spoken out of turn on this matter. Whether or not it was possible, or whether or not it was done, were matters for the leaders to worry about. Besides… Chen Feng really didn’t believe that Lin Xiaoyi would dare to contradict Wu Wenhua at such a critical juncture.

“Well… Section Chief Wu, I can only say we’ll do our best, but as for whether it will work out, I can’t guarantee it!” Lin Xiaoyi said, forcing a smile.

Wu Wenhua laughed and nodded, saying, “Alright, thank you both. This is my office phone number. If you have any ideas, please feel free to contact me anytime.”

Wu Wenhua handed over a piece of paper, addressed to Wanhuai Coal Mine, but it wasn’t stamped, and he wasn’t worried about what others might do with it.

“It looks like it’s almost noon. Why don’t you two stay and eat at our mine instead of going back?”

Lin Xiaoyi naturally wouldn’t refuse. That’s the good thing about coming here – you can get a free meal at Wanhuai Coal Mine. Otherwise, why does everyone say that coming to Wanhuai Coal Mine is a lucrative job?