Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 2948 We're trying our best too!

The satellite phone was right next to him, but Yang Xiaotao showed no interest in making a call.

Instead, they had Lou Xiao'e call Ji Xiang.

"Just tell Dean Ji to have them follow the procedures for treatment."

"Use the best of everything you need, and don't make any mistakes."

"Also, have security personnel stationed at the hospital, and no one is allowed to discuss it without authorization."

"You too, you're not allowed to mention this to anyone today."

Yang Xiaotao gave several instructions, and Lou Xiao'e and Liu Lixue looked at each other before nodding solemnly.

Of course, Yang Xiaotao said all these words to Lou Xiao'e.

Liu Lixue is naturally not included in this list.

Their elders are quite extraordinary.

Over the years, every little thing the Ninth Department does has been under their watchful eyes, and they know it all too well.

Of course, Yang Xiaotao also used Liu Lixue as a window to let the old man see the changes in the Ninth Department.

This was very important in the development of the Nine Departments.

After the two agreed, Yang Xiaotao continued to bury himself in his work, as if he didn't care about what had just happened.

In the following days, Yang Xiaotao continued working as usual, but Liu Lixue's expression grew increasingly serious.

Yang Xiaotao simply didn't take the matter to heart and didn't even ask about it.

Then I remembered the words of my elders: observe more, speak less, and don't reveal anything.

Liu Lixue kept her words buried deep in her heart, but every time she met Yang Xiaotao's eyes, she was filled with sorrow, which made Yang Xiaotao feel very uncomfortable, as if he had done something to wrong her.

Perhaps it was Yang Xiaotao's composure, or perhaps he was too busy with work, but the Ninth Division seemed out of place with everything outside. Even when Li Shengli, Xu Yuanshan, and others heard some rumors, they didn't take them to heart.

Through all the ups and downs of these years, they have come to understand a principle.

A person with an upright character has nothing to fear.

As long as they don't do anything wrong, they have nothing to fear from ghosts.

If a ghost were to come knocking, it would have to stand at attention obediently before the Nine Departments.

Of course, the most important thing is that everyone is busy completing their tasks, winning glory for the country, and contributing to the revolution and construction. Who has time to pay attention to those petty squabbles?

In any case, Yang Xiaotao played a key role in this regard.

Regardless of what's going on or what's causing a commotion outside, everything in the Nine Departments continues as usual.

Moreover, as the end of the month approached, some geological personnel had already arrived in Beijing. Due to work requirements, Yang Xiaotao asked the security department to bring them to the Ninth Department, and then he worked with Teacher Xie Jiarong to prepare.

While things were calm within the Nine Departments, the outside world was turbulent.

Second Ministry of Machine Building.

Old Liu sat in the conference room coughing incessantly. Seeing this, Old Qian quickly advised him, "Old Liu, you're not feeling well. Go back and rest. I'll take care of things here."

Old Liu shook his head, "No, this time it's people from our Second Ministry of Machine Building. As the head of the department, how can I leave at this time?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of worry appeared in Qian Lao's eyes, and his face, which had not slept well, looked even more haggard.

"Don't worry, our comrade will be fine."

Seeing Mr. Qian's state, Mr. Liu began to offer words of comfort.

Mr. Qian shook his head, "This is our fault; we didn't do a good job with the follow-up work."

"If we really have to hold someone accountable, I'm willing to take that responsibility."

Old Liu patted the other person's hand and said, "It's not as serious as you make it out to be."

"If anyone is to be held accountable for this, I'll take the blame."

"Besides, there is still room for maneuver in this matter."

Mr. Qian lowered his head and closed his eyes in anguish.

"Thirteen people."

Upon hearing this, Old Liu sighed and remained silent.

The Second Ministry of Machine Building, inside the arm room.

Director Hu sat in a chair, facing three people, all dressed in military green with ribbons wrapped around their arms.

The three were young; one was responsible for asking questions, one for taking notes, and one for observing.

Director Hu was called back from Dengzhou.

On the way back, I heard what had happened.

To be honest, he didn't expect this to happen after two years.

What worries him even more is whether this incident will affect the construction of the Dengzhou nuclear power plant.

That was his life's work.

The failure to complete the project in the Northwest the first time had already disappointed him once.

With nine departments finally taking over, we saw hope for success, and were even just one step away from it.

But who would have thought that something like this would happen at this time?

"Comrade Hu Jun."

Just as Director Hu was thinking about the nuclear power plant, the people above had finished reviewing all of Hu Jun's documents and then began to ask questions.

Hu Jun looked up and said, "That's me."

"Okay, we are members of the investigation team, responsible for the radiation leak issue from the Jiaolong submersible reactor."

“My name is Gu Yuan, you can call me Team Leader Gu.”

The speaker was a young man, who looked to be no more than thirty years old.

Her complexion was fair, and her single eyelids made her small eyes appear long.

Looking at him now, Hu Jun felt very uncomfortable.

"Team Leader Gu, please feel free to ask any questions you may have."

"I will resolutely obey the organization's arrangements and uphold the organization's decisions."

Director Hu demonstrated his attitude: if he knew, he knew; if he didn't know, he didn't know.

Gu Yuan glanced at Director Hu, then smiled slightly before picking up the documents and saying, "Comrade Hu Jun, I don't know if you are aware of what happened on the Jiaolong a few days ago."

"I'll repeat it to you here."

"After the Jiaolong submersible spent 56 days at sea and returned to port, 13 crew members experienced vomiting and diarrhea, and 32 crew members experienced physical discomfort."

"It was later discovered that these people had all been affected by radiation."

"Finally, we found that these people were in a similar situation to those in Kosaka Castle on the Japanese island, which fully illustrates that there were serious technical problems with the reactor during operation."

"Hu Jun, you led the research and development of the Jiaolong submersible's reactor. What is your explanation for this?"

Gu Yuan's voice was like thunder, his expression serious.

Director Hu opened his mouth, wanting to refute, after all, who could know such a thing?

No one can guarantee that their design will be without problems.

How did he answer this?
Seeing that Director Hu remained silent, Gu Yuan sneered, "Hu Jun, please answer my question."

"Is there a problem with the Jiaolong submersible's reactor?"

Hu Jun opened his mouth, wanting to refute, wanting to say there was no problem, but the reality was that thirteen crew members had health problems.

"Yes, there may be problems, but this is unavoidable on the path of scientific research, and it is a normal phenomenon."

Hu Jun's expression was serious, while Gu Yuan sneered, "But the fact is, thirteen soldiers who shed their blood for the revolution did not fall to the enemy's guns, but were killed by your 'normal phenomenon.' Do you think that's reasonable?"

Hu Jun opened his mouth, but could not speak.

Gu Yuan said again, "I need you to give me a clear answer now: is there a problem with the nuclear reactor?"

"Yes, or no?"

Hu Jun clenched his fists, his breathing rapid.

Finally, he nodded silently.

"Have!"

A smile flashed across Gu Yuan's face, then vanished. "Sign for him."

The same scene was unfolding in the next room.

"Comrade Ding Hui, do you have anything to add regarding the reactor construction?"

The young man asked with a smile.

Ding Hui, sitting in a chair below, also looked serious, his palms sweating as he faced the young man's smile.

He was teaching in Dengzhou when he received the news in class and immediately returned to Beijing.

Then they were questioned here.

During this time, he learned what had happened, and his heart sank.

Then, during the questioning, the other party's deliberate guidance made him realize that this matter was not simple, and even implied connections. Hearing the other party's question, Ding Hui thought for a while before speaking, "Comrade, I have something to add."

"Oh, please."

Ding Hui sat up straight and then said seriously, "As researchers, we are naturally aware of the dangers involved."

"But what we need to do is minimize this harm."

"There may be many problems and difficulties in this process, and some people may even have to sacrifice themselves."

"But what I want to say is that scientific progress is achieved little by little through these sacrifices."

"Without sacrifice, how can there be victory?"

"Of course, I know that sacrifice is a heavy topic, but it is all around us."

Originally expecting Ding Hui to say something to shirk responsibility, the young man was instead lectured by Ding Hui's words. Feeling embarrassed, he directly said to the recorder next to him, "Let Comrade Ding Hui sign."

The recorder glanced at Ding Hui, then stood up and picked up the meeting minutes.

Ding Hui took it but did not rush to sign it. Instead, he read it through from beginning to end. He even asked the other party to revise a few blurry parts before signing it.

As Ding Hui walked out of the room, the young man sneered, "Easy for you to say, trying to absolve yourself of any responsibility, how laughable."

"Okay, let's record this and go hand it in."

The recorder and the third person standing nearby both laughed.

This task is very easy.

"Pharaoh!"

"Old Ding!"

Ding Hui, who had just come out, looked at Wang Fuzhi, who was also coming out of the house.

The two exchanged a glance, then both showed a helpless expression.

The two walked side by side, and then they saw Hu Jun walking out from the front.

They all stepped forward quickly, as if on cue, and said, "Director Hu."

Ding Hui called out, and Hu Jun turned around and saw the two of them. He was about to speak, but then he remembered something and nodded quickly, then gestured for the two of them to follow.

The two exchanged a glance, then quickly followed each other forward.

The three arrived at a conference room, and Director Hu knocked on the door and went inside.

Inside the room, Elder Liu, Elder Qian, and relevant personnel from the Second Ministry of Machine Building all stood up.

"Old Hu, how's the situation?"

One person rushed forward to ask, but before Director Hu could speak, Old Qian raised his hand to stop him and then closed the door.

Old Liu then pulled Director Hu and the other two into the conference room, asking, "Tell me, what's going on?"

Director Hu and his two companions sat in the middle of the crowd and then recounted what had happened.

After the three finished speaking, Old Liu took a deep breath and felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Mr. Qian clenched his fists tightly, and everyone else was also red-faced.

"These bastards have their eyes on nuclear power plants after all."

"No need to ask, they're definitely coming for us."

"It's quite possible that an official document will be issued tomorrow, and all our actions will need to be registered and subject to their jurisdiction."

The crowd spoke through gritted teeth, and Old Liu's expression grew increasingly grim.

Director Hu and the other two remained silent.

"Alright, that's enough."

Mr. Qian came out and shouted loudly.

He looked at Director Hu and the other two, and said, "You did nothing wrong in this matter."

"Speaking the truth is a basic quality of a revolutionary comrade, and also the most important quality of a scientific researcher."

"You are not wrong."

Director Hu's eyes were red. "Sir, I've said it before, science isn't without its errors. I've said it before, there are some things I couldn't avoid."

"We're trying too."

As soon as she finished speaking, tears streamed down her face.

Old Qian could no longer hold back his tears, which streamed down his cheeks, tracing the marks of time, and slowly fell.

Logistics Department.

Old Qin stood with his arms crossed, Xiao Feng smoking beside him. The others in the room looked indifferent, but the seven or eight people standing to the side gave off a feeling of overwhelming presence.

These people all appeared calm, but their undisguised murderous aura terrified everyone present.

"Commander, we...we also came here on orders from our superiors."

A young man stood in front of Old Qin, speaking haltingly.

But Old Qin didn't even look at him, still with his arms crossed and legs crossed, and then winked at Xiao Feng beside him.

Seeing this, Xiao Feng stubbed out his cigarette on the table, the ash leaving a long, black mark on the gray surface.

He looked up at the seven or eight people at the doorway, grinned, and said, "If you want to ask, ask here."

"We have nothing to hide."

After speaking, he looked at the design team of the Jiaolong submersible, who were being protected by the crowd.

Everyone's eyes also looked over.

There, Chief Designer Huang sat together with Liu Bin and Wang Feng.

They originally carried out optimization work on nuclear submarines on Jiangdao Island. The current Jiaolong is almost a copy of the Nautilus, and some parts are not suitable and need to be improved.

Unexpectedly, while they were focused on their work, they received orders from their superiors to immediately go to Beijing.

Then I heard about the Jiaolong submersible.

The three of them felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

Seeing everyone's gaze upon them, the three tried to speak, but were pulled back by those around them.

Thinking of the consequences that Elder Qin had analyzed for them, the three of them shut their mouths.

The other party's purpose is very likely related to the Nautilus.

Where did the Nautilus come from?

Nine, Yang Xiaotao.

If Yang Xiaotao hadn't been involved in this matter, they would be willing to take responsibility.

I am willing to take on this responsibility.

But since Yang Xiaotao is involved, they have to be careful.

The Nautilus model deserves at least half the credit for the design of the Jiaolong submersible.

"Ask your questions here, don't treat me like a criminal."

"You should know that those who have made great contributions to the revolution and construction are here."

"A person who has received an individual first-class merit or a collective second-class merit."

Xiao Feng spoke again, his expression serious.

Faced with this situation, the young man leading the team swallowed hard, knowing that things wouldn't go as planned today.

But why ask such a stupid question in front of so many people?

I reckon that as soon as I asked something out of line, I'd be glared at by a group of menacing people.

After thinking for a moment, the young man in the lead gritted his teeth and asked, "I...I have a question."

Xiao Feng nodded. "Go ahead and ask."

The young man didn't name names, but asked the three directly, "The reactor of the Jiaolong submersible was designed and installed by the Second Ministry of Machine Building, right?"

Liu Bin's round face flushed red with anger. The outgoing man found it hard to believe that anyone would set their sights on them, let alone that anyone would be so malicious.

As a key technical member of the Jiaolong submersible, responsible for the structural design and model disassembly analysis of the nuclear submarine, and directly involved in the optimization of the reactor layout, he is the most qualified to speak on this matter.

So he stood up and replied, "This project was designed in cooperation with the Second Ministry of Machine Building. The reactor was provided by our colleagues from the Second Ministry, the location was selected by us, and then we installed it together."

"After we installed it, we conducted actual testing and inspection, and the acceptance department signed and stamped it, so it is qualified."

The young man nodded. "Okay, it was designed by the Second Ministry of Machine Building."

Liu Bin wanted to continue speaking, but Xiao Feng stopped him with a look.

The young man fell silent and said to Old Qin, "Sir, we're done here, but we need this comrade's signature."

Old Qin, who hadn't said a word the entire time, directly reached out and interrupted, "Give it to me, I'll sign it."

The young man was taken aback and was about to refuse when Old Qin's gaze swept over him, and he felt a cold sweat run down his back.

Finally, Mr. Qin signed his name, then waved his hand, and the group of seven or eight people immediately fled the conference room.

After the group left, an eerie silence fell over the room.