NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 9 - We Need Chromium
Chapter 9: We Need Chromium
On these two days of the weekend, with no work and the kindergarten closed, the elderly couple cared for their daughter.
At this moment, Fang Yiyi woke up, and Shi Hui, still a bit dizzy, brought her daughter downstairs. She saw a group of middle-aged women gathered together, pointing and whispering. Shi Hui was also puzzled. What was going on?
Then she saw the group of people approaching.
“Oh, Shi Hui, you have such a good son.”
“Your son is successful, buying a house and putting it under your name.”
“Shi Hui, my sister’s nephew-in-law’s maternal family, has a daughter. She’s so beautiful. When can we introduce her to Fang Jian…”
“Oh, my family also has a suitable girl. How about arranging them together?”
“And my family, too.”
Shi Hui was completely bewildered. What were they talking about? Then, after explanations from the crowd, she finally understood, and her eyes widened in astonishment.
Fang Jian bought a house? Using her ID card? And most importantly, he paid in full!
Looking at her daughter in her arms, Shi Hui felt she should nap!
Fang Jian arrived at Zhang Liang’s company. After graduating from university, this guy returned to his hometown and, with the help of his father, entered a military-industrial enterprise. The headquarters of this military-industrial enterprise was not in Yongcheng. Zhang Liang joined their procurement department. They placed the procurement department in Yongcheng because it was near the sea and had a huge port.
In a sense, what Zhang Liang did was similar to what Fang Jian did—they both procured materials and supplies that were lacking domestically. When the two met, they were both extremely happy. Zhang Liang didn’t hesitate and found a restaurant where they started drinking. They talked about exciting stories from high school, and both laughed heartily.
Suddenly, Zhang Liang received a phone call. He made a hushing gesture to Fang Jian and answered the call, speaking in a low voice. His expression became serious and unpleasant.
Fang Jian couldn’t help but ask, “Zhang Liang, what’s wrong?”
Zhang Liang sighed and said, “Sigh, they’ve gone too far.”
“What happened?” Asked Fang Jian.
“Our company’s shipment in South Africa has been intercepted,” Zhang Liang said angrily.
Fang Jian couldn’t help but smile and said, “Don’t get angry. It’s normal.”
There’s no such thing as smooth sailing all the time doing business.
During his two years in Mali, Fang Jian had seen many cases of shipments being intercepted.
Zhang Liang shook his head and said, “You don’t understand. The supplies we were preparing were directly for the defense industry…” He suddenly stopped, smiled, and said, “Ah, and they were intercepted by that country doing well. It infuriates me.”
Fang Jian looked up, his eyes instantly becoming sharp. Although Zhang Liang didn’t explicitly say it, Fang Jian already knew what these supplies were meant for.
Confidentiality agreements couldn’t be easily revealed. And to be intercepted by that country across the sea was truly intolerable.
“Zhang Liang, what did you order?” Fang Jian asked.
“It’s chromium, metallic chromium,” Zhang Liang replied.
“What is it used for?” Fang Jian asked.
Fang Jian majored in business at university and minored in law but hadn’t studied metal materials. After Zhang Liang’s explanation, Fang Jian finally understood.
Metallic chromium is a special material primarily used for refining stainless steel, heat-resistant steel, and various electric heating elements. Some stainless steel can even perform excellently at temperatures as high as 800℃. Additionally, chromium steel is a good material for manufacturing machinery, tanks, and armored vehicles. Today, metallic chromium is considered one of the most important electroplating metals. In most cases, the chromium layer is specifically applied as the outermost coating for parts.
For example, the inner wall of some gun barrels is plated with a chromium layer that is only 0.005 millimeters thick. The chromium layer remains intact even after firing hundreds of shells and bullets.
Without the physical properties provided by the chromium plating, the service life of most parts would be significantly shortened due to wear, corrosion, and other factors, requiring frequent replacement or repair. Therefore, electroplated chromium is increasingly widely used in many industrial manufacturing processes.
Fang Jian pondered and asked, “Zhang Liang, how much metallic chromium do you need?”
Zhang Liang was shocked and exclaimed, “Do you… have a source?”
Fang Jian smiled slightly and replied, “You tell me first.”
“As much as possible if the price is right,” Zhang Liang said.
“Oh, come on, your appetite is so big?” Fang Jian was surprised.
Zhang Liang rolled his eyes and said, “Over 80% of our country’s metallic chromium needs to be imported. If the price is right, do you think I wouldn’t buy it?”
“Alright, give me a sample, and I’ll see if I can find a source,” Fang Jian said.