On the way back to new york, Dagny found that her taggart Comet Express stopped for no reason. She is deeply worried about the chaos of railway transportation scheduling. She decided to appoint a new branch manager to strengthen the dispatch management, but she didn't expect that the man offered her resignation and then disappeared without a trace. She was very confused. She proposed to James to use Rearden alloy as a new material to make new rails, but James thought that the safety performance of Rearden alloy had not been verified, and all orders should not be given to Rearden company, which was considered as encouraging monopoly.
Rearden made a bracelet for his wife Lillian with the new alloy he worked hard for ten years, but she thought that Rearden only worked to make money and didn't care about his family. Rearden's younger brother Philip has nothing to do after graduating from college. He joined a global development organization and asked Rearden for donations.
When I was young, Dagny and Dean konya were childhood friends, children of wealthy businessmen, and gained the respect of the industry by their own efforts. But Dagny opposed the construction of a railway leading to the konya copper mine in Dean, Mexico, and thought it was too risky. James had a meeting with Warren, the owner of the steel mill, and decided to pass on the crisis, encouraging Mocky, his agent in Washington, to manipulate the parliament to pass the "anti-dog-eat-dog regulations". James took this opportunity to drive durango out of its competitive field, but Dagni thought it was shameful to do so. What she wants is to beat her competitors in fair business competition.
The news came that the Mexican government announced the recovery of copper mines. In order to make up for the loss, Dagny used Rearden alloy to build a railway leading to Witt Oilfield, which increased the oil production there and the company's income. At this time, a mysterious figure found Rearden and asked him to suspend the mass production of alloy, because it would bankrupt many existing steel enterprises, and threatened to ask the National Academy of Sciences to issue a report on the unstable performance of Rearden alloy if he didn't agree, so that his alloy would give up halfway. Rearden turned him down. Sure enough, with the publication of the report of the National Academy of Sciences, the return of Rearden alloy surged, and the board of directors of taggart Company did not agree to use Rearden alloy to build railways. Rearden faces difficulties.
Dagny found Dr. Stadhle, President of the National Academy of Sciences, and explained why she believed in Rearden alloy. Dr Stadhle thinks what she said is reasonable, but the National Academy of Sciences needs the support of entrepreneurs, so it is necessary to issue such a report. Dagny decided to leave taggart Company, mortgage her own shares and reach an agreement with James to build another John galt Railway Company, and use Rearden alloy to build this railway-and call it John galt Railway. Finally, the railway was completed and opened to traffic, with excellent performance and efficient operation. According to the agreement with James, Dagny transferred the John galt Railway to taggart Company, and continued to come back as the business vice president of taggart Company.
After the successful opening of the Johns galt Railway, Dagny became Rearden's lover. While looking for a new factory for Rearden to expand alloy production, they came to an engine company in the 20th century, which was once brilliant and then went bankrupt. There, Dagny found the legendary engine model, which can absorb static electricity in the air as the power of the engine. Unfortunately, it is broken now, and there are few invention diaries left. Dagny looked everywhere for the creator of this engine. In a coffee shop in the Rocky Mountains, she was surprised to see the famous philosopher Hugh, who told her that he could not find him.
After returning to new york, Dagny found that newspapers in new york were all advocating equal opportunities. They think that Rearden alloy should be distributed equally and everyone can use it. All mines and oil should also give every factory an equal opportunity. Just because they opposed it or ignored it before, they don't have equal opportunities to enjoy it. To this end, Witt suddenly fired all the oil workers and turned the existing oil field into a torch. He doesn't know where to go himself. Dagny gave the wreckage of the engine to Dr. Stadhle, and Dr. Stadhle recommended an experimenter from a closed university to continue repairing the engine.
James met Shirley, an ordinary girl who idolized him blindly. His vanity was greatly satisfied and he married her. On the wedding day, Dagny's childhood friend De Antonija made a surprise visit. He brought a surprising news that De Antonija Copper Company was about to go bankrupt, which caused the stock market to plummet. James and other businessmen were scared out of their wits when they learned the news, but he gloated. De Antonija admired Rearden and explained to him that money is the result of free exchange, not the root of all evil, and industrial capitalists have successfully transformed the creator of nature, not the public enemy of mankind. Rearden was deeply inspired and gradually fell in love with De Antonija.
The National Academy of Sciences wanted to carry out a secret weapons development plan, so it wanted to buy alloy from Rearden, but Rearden refused. He thinks that only friends who support his alloy production can buy more alloys, but the National Academy of Sciences issued a report against its will, preventing his alloy from being applied in reality and not enjoying his alloy. If the National Academy of Sciences must, then grab it. Subsequently, the state passed the Equal Opportunity Act, and Rearden alloy was distributed fairly. There are even badminton rackets made of Rearden alloy in the market, but the demand for mining machines and tracks is in short supply. To this end, Rearden secretly refined more alloys and sold them to his best friend, the coal mine owner Tanger.
When the news was revealed, Dr. Ferres of the National Academy of Sciences once again threatened Rearden with the evidence that he had stolen the alloy. The work of the National Academy of Sciences is to safeguard the national interests, and can't care about personal grievances. If we don't sell the alloy, Rearden will go to court. After learning all this, his good friend made up his mind to give up everything and disappear into the crowd. Dagny saw all this and worried that Rearden would suddenly disappear. At this time, because the factory worked overtime, a blast furnace in Rearden had an accident, and De Antonija made a sudden visit to help him save the crisis. Later, Rearden bravely went to court, stated his views on morality, and declared that he was proud of his success and had no obligation to serve the public welfare. His speech won applause, so the court had to sentence him to 10 years in prison, fined 50 million dollars, and suspended execution.
Economic fluctuations have attracted the attention of the Washington authorities. With the acquiescence of the President, Mochi and others decided to issue Decree 10-289. The law requires that all competitions and patents be cancelled, that everything be distributed according to plan and needs, and that no resignation or dismissal be allowed. All disputes should be decided by the newly established joint committee. Dagny doesn't need enough alloy. Rearden ordered a batch of copper from Antonija, but it was taken away by the pirate Lagos during the sea transportation. Rearden cannot supply alloy rails on time. The power of railway transportation was seriously damaged, and the board of directors requested to demolish the track on the John galt Railway to supplement it. Dagny resigned in a rage and went to a cabin in the forest of the family to live in seclusion. At the same time, the work of collecting patents began. Through James and Lillian, Dr. Fells obtained the evidence that Dagny and Rearden spent the night together, and asked Rearden to hand over the alloy patent to the state. Otherwise, publishing this news will embarrass Dagny. For Dagny's sake, Rearden agreed to hand over the patent right of the alloy. But Warren's factory was sunk by the famous pirate Lagos when he was producing Rearden alloy. That night, Lagos came to Rearden and gave him a box of gold bars, explaining that there was a bank account belonging to him somewhere, which contained all the money he had been robbed, but Rearden refused to leave with him.
During her visit to Antonija, Dagny learned from the radio that the vice president of new business sent by the joint meeting to taggart Company was a layman. Because nobody was in charge, the Comet Express collided with a military truck, the taggart Tunnel was completely destroyed, and the east-west main road was interrupted, causing numerous casualties. Dagny returned to new york overnight to direct the rescue, only to find that the competent workers and reputable contractors were gone. At the same time, she found that the experimenter who studied the engine also asked to resign. She had a premonition that he would disappear like everyone else, so she took a bus to Utah all night to find him.
Dagny took in an old beggar on the train. From him, she learned that the inventor of the engine was John galt. In the 20th century engine company, when everyone wanted to implement the system of distribution from each according to his ability and according to his needs, John galt offered to resign and said that he would stop the world. Sure enough, the demand for distribution according to needs made the factory go bankrupt soon, and everyone was unemployed. At this moment, the train suddenly stopped and the driver disappeared. Dagny had a premonition that something was going to happen, so she flew to Utah to find an engine researcher, but he happened to be picked up by a plane and Dagny continued to catch up with him.
The plane crashed and landed in a deep valley. When she woke up, Dagny found herself lying in John galt's home. It turns out that John galt, De Antonija and Lagos are classmates, and their philosophy teacher Hugh and physics teacher Dr. Stadhle like them very much, but the two teachers have different views. After graduating from college, John followed Stadhle as a graduate student, but after learning that Stadhle had established the National Academy of Sciences, he dropped out of school and went to 20th Century Engine Company to invent the magic engine. But he realized that such an invention would be plundered by others, so the three of them set up a secret paradise in the valley, with the engine as the driving force, shielding all external signals and connecting those creators, thinkers, inventors and leaders with the valley. Dagny found her most respected philosopher Hugh, her favorite musician Harry, her favorite star Lulu-she is the wife of Lagos, the most respected judge Narragansett, the best brain surgeon Henrik, the most prestigious banker Midas Mulligan, her best friend-oil tycoon Witt, mining giant Tanger, and her capable workers and contractors. Here, the dollar is the most important symbol, and everything is established.
After the injury, Dagny decided to return to the real world. She doesn't trust Rearden, let alone the taggart company left by her ancestors. John galt promised that she would appear when needed, and take her away from the chaotic real world and back to this utopia. Dagny lied that she died in a plane crash and returned to new york. At this time, James can use the lines of the South Pacific Railway Company for free through government decrees, reopen the east-west trunk line, but drive the president of the South Atlantic Railway Company to commit suicide-James can always pass on the crisis.
The X project made of Rearden alloy by the National Academy of Sciences has finally succeeded. This is a terrible sonic killing weapon. Once it is opened, Fiona Fang will be destroyed within several hundred kilometers, and the inch will not be born ahead of schedule. In order to prove its legitimacy, the National Academy of Sciences declared Dr. Stadhle as the inventor. Through Lillian, Dagny learned that Rearden had patented Rearden alloy for her reputation. She was moved and in pain. Lillian requested that, in view of the sharp increase in business closures at this stage, the radio arranged for Dagny to speak to the audience in order to call back everyone's confidence in the economy.
In the radio address, Dagny confessed that she was Rearden's mistress and was proud of it. Lillian and James both froze. Back home, Dagny sobbed silently at Rearden's feet and told him about her adventures in the deep valley. But just as Dagny can't give up the railway, Rearden doesn't want to give up the alloy.
James continued to hang out with politicians in Washington. He was very excited to learn that the Chilean government is going to take back De Antonija's copper mine in Chile, which will be managed by people's representatives composed of him and Warren. At this time, Shirley found that James was not really her hero. Taggart Railway Company got the support of Dagny. What James needs is her admiration for herself. I didn't expect her to be a person with her own thoughts. She went to see Dagny, hoping for a new life. When I got home, I found Lillian and James in bed. In a trance, she fell into the river and died.
Just as the Chilean government announced that D 'Antonia's copper mine in Chile would be nationalized, a terrible big explosion happened. De Antonija paid the final wages to the workers, and his copper mines all over the world were in ruins. The economic situation has further deteriorated and the number of unemployed people has continued to increase. Because the railway transportation capacity is getting lower and lower, farmers' grain can't enter the city, and the city faces hunger and cold in winter. At the same time, workers demand higher wages and the government demands lower fees. This country is managed by a joint parliament composed of Mochi and maggs, and controlled by maggs. Rearden found many local ruffians and hooligans in his factory. They tried to occupy the factory while Rearden was away. Thanks to de Antonija's timely appearance, he directed the workers to beat back the hooligans, saved Rearden and persuaded him to leave this chaotic world.
Taggart Company broke down at new york Railway Station, and Dagny accidentally found John galt while directing the rescue. It turns out that he has been hiding in his own company as a railway worker. After learning that Rearden had entered the valley, social order became more and more chaotic and riots occurred one after another. In this regard, the president will address the people of the whole country to boost morale and overcome difficulties. Dagny was invited to attend as a business representative. However, at the scheduled time, John galt's speech came from the radio. He stated the reasons why the founders and leaders of the organization went on strike, and pointed out that people should not live for others, nor should they ask others to live for themselves.
Dagny went to John and saw his home in new york. John told him that the security department would support her. Only by pretending to hate herself can Dagny escape, and he will look for opportunities to escape. Sure enough, the agent broke into the house and took John galt away. The president negotiated with John, hoping that he would be in charge of the national economy. John's request to cancel personal income tax was unacceptable to the President, and his teacher, Dr. Stadhle, came to persuade him not to do anything. In order to calm people's hearts, they tied John up, participated in the live TV broadcast, and announced that they would implement the illusory John F. galt economic recovery plan. John broke free and exposed their evil deeds to the audience.
Because of the president's distrust, Dr. Stadhle fled new york and went to the base of Project X, only to find that this horrible weapon was controlled by maggs, and they used it to collect taxes from all over the country. In the chaos, they used mistakes and opened weapons, which turned the base and Fiona Fang hundreds of miles, including the Tagg Bridge leading to new york, into powder in an instant. James discussed with Mocky, feres and others, and decided to torture John with the new torture device F project developed by the National Academy of Sciences, forcing him to submit. Dagny soon informed De Antonija that the men in the valley acted together and rescued John who had been tortured many times but was still strong and unyielding, and they returned to the deep valley together. In the evening, they get together to discuss the reconstruction plan after the chaos and return to the real world.
The place and time of the story in this book are not clear. It is said that new york has a population of 7 million and new york has a population of 7 million. It should be the 1930s. There are many technologies in the book that only existed in the 20th century, but the political system is not realistic. The book says that after 1900, the world moved in a new direction, and there was no world war and no Great Depression. 100 years later, the world entered the era of socialist rule, but technological development, population growth and all other aspects of human development slowed down.
The book assumes that all countries except the United States have become "people's countries". There are technologies from the early 20th century in the book, but there are no technologies developed after the war, such as helicopters and electronic computers. Airplane is not the main mode of transportation, and TV is not as popular as radio. Steel, machinery manufacturing, railway transportation and mining are the most important industries.
The scenes in the book mainly take place in the United States and its neighboring countries: Mexico, Chile, Argentina and other "people's countries", as well as piracy activities in various oceans.