The train driver in the courtyard

Li Aiguo also did not expect that the artificial rainmaking plan would be approved so quickly.

At this moment, John Bull, the representative of the locomotive depot, was being greeted in the workshop.

Representative Ed came to Dongda Railway to discuss railway network technology transfer with the Ministry of Railways, but now he has suddenly made a request to purchase a railway geological disaster early warning system.

After investigation, the department determined that the confidentiality measures implemented by Li Aiguo were effective.

Since there was no risk of counterfeiting even if the geological disaster early warning system were exported, they agreed.

However, there was no precedent for exporting this product, and the price could not be assessed, so the ministry simply handed over the export matters to Li Aiguo.

"See that? The Red Star Computer, unique in the world! How fast is it per second?"

"It is also equipped with a unique early warning system that is unique in the world."

"The measurement standard is unique in the world."

Ed initially thought Li Aiguo was a skilled worker who seemed particularly honest and easy to get along with.

Who would have thought that after eating two slices of watermelon, this guy would start introducing the early warning system, claiming it was unique in the world.

"Not 99998, not 9998, just 998, and you can take so many unique things from all over the world back home. Isn't that a great deal?"

Upon hearing this, Ed spoke up: "998 pounds?"

“What are you thinking? This amount of money is an insult to you!” Li Aiguo handed Ed a towel: “It’s £998 million.”

Ed waved his hand, took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, and elegantly wiped his mouth.

"998 million. That price is just too high."

Under the Bretton Woods system of that era, £998 million was equivalent to 24.83 metric tons of gold, which was indeed an astronomical price.

The Bull family is indeed wealthy, and they're not fools.

"We also include five years of human technical support, and our technicians are one of a kind in the world."

"..." Representative Ed felt that if the conversation continued, the two slices of watermelon they had just eaten would become one-of-a-kind in the world.

“We need to think about this carefully.” Representative Ed felt he couldn’t find a way to contribute.

Generally speaking, negotiations like this should involve discussing friendship, relationships, and future development, but this guy only thought about selling goods.

After Ed left in a hurry, the department representative was a little worried: "Did we ask for too much?"

"Good things are worth the price." Li Aiguo wasn't asking for an exorbitant price. Even by today's standards, the railway geological disaster early warning system would be considered an extremely advanced technology.

Selling goods is also an art.

The reason why we have suffered so much is that we have not paid attention to this point.

In later times, German-made tunnel boring machines were sold for 3.5 million yuan each, with maintenance costs as high as 800 euros per hour, and technicians were prohibited from observing them.

The actual cost of a tunnel boring machine is less than ten million US dollars.

For products with high sales volume, adopting a strategy of exchanging low prices for market share can indeed be beneficial for market promotion.

But this is a railway geological disaster early warning device, and only a handful of companies in the world can use it. How many units can be sold?!
Just after the representatives from the ministry left, Li Aiguo received a notification from the Hydrology Bureau that the artificial rainmaking plan had been approved and that he needed to go to the Fifth Academy to handle matters related to rockets.

This wasn't Li Aiguo's first visit to the Fifth Hospital; he was quite familiar with the place.

Compared to before, the Fifth Hospital is now more heavily guarded. A bunker disguised as an ordinary tenement building has been built next to it, and you can vaguely see the black muzzles of guns inside.

A dense electric fence was erected on the wall, and the sentries were equipped with new rifles that they could raise from a great distance.

After undergoing several checks, Li Aiguo finally met the comrade in charge of the liaison.

"Xu Lanruo, it's you."

This person was Xu Lanruo, the deputy leader of the technical team that received the SAM-5 and a student of Qian Xuesen.

Compared to before, Xu Lanruo has become even thinner, and the bottom of her nose is also thicker.

"How is Mr. Qian's health?"

"The teacher is in good health. He was just talking about you a while ago, but he's been away on a business trip these past few days."

Xu Ruolan did not reveal Qian Lao's location, but Li Aiguo could guess that Qian Lao must have gone to the mushroom base.

According to the progress of the mushroom base, the giant mushroom was produced two years ahead of the original timeline. By now, they have already begun to consider the technology of launching the giant mushroom on rockets.

Xu Lanruo was also very happy after receiving the notification from above.

Although the Dongfeng-1 rocket has not been fully developed, they have already used the technology of Dongfeng-1 to build several experimental small rockets.

Based on the testing results of the small rocket, some technical problems of the Dongfeng-1 rocket can be solved, and data support can also be provided for future satellite launch vehicles.

The small rocket originally planned to apply for testing soon.

However, in order to avoid further provoking the Russian and American families, the testing work has been delayed again and again.

"This time we have prepared three small rockets."

Inside the warehouse, three small rockets, each over ten meters long, lay quietly on a shelf.

Standing beside him, Li Aiguo touched the missile's cold outer shell and felt the energy contained within.

"We have tentatively designated this type of rocket as the 'Little Dongfeng.' It adopts a multi-stage design with solid boosters similar to the SAM-5, and its range can reach fifty kilometers."

“Fifty kilometers is more than enough for artificial rainmaking.” Li Aiguo circled the Xiaodongfeng pump and asked, “Why not test a liquid-fueled engine?”

Li Aiguo was practically a member of the Fifth Academy, and Xu Lanruo didn't hide anything: "The Dongfeng-1 does indeed use a multi-stage design with a solid booster and a liquid main engine. The theoretical range can reach 550 kilometers. However, we've encountered some difficulties with liquid fuel. We've tried several times, but without success. The Dongfeng-1 can only use solid fuel."

Liquid oxygen fuel technology was the Russians' signature technology, and even in later generations, not a single piece of information about it was revealed.

However, Li Aiguo remembered that there was another fuel that could replace liquid oxygen fuel, and it was more effective and more stable.

Around noon, after inspecting the small rocket, Li Aiguo was taken to the Fifth Academy's canteen by Xu Lanruo.

While eating, Li Aiguo chatted with Xu Lanruo about rocket technology.

Although he was not familiar with the specific technology, he knew about the development of rockets in later generations.

"To launch satellites in large numbers, the cost must be low. In a few decades—no, perhaps not even that long—reusable rockets will become the mainstream."

"The teacher also holds this view, but where did you get this idea about patriotism from?" Xu Lanruo felt strange, as this was the view of some rocket experts abroad.

Li Aiguo picked up a piece of braised pork and lowered his voice: "I think I read about this in an old notebook. Oh right. That notebook also recorded that when unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and nitric acid are combined, combustion is more stable and releases more energy."

"A combination of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and nitric acid?" Xu Lanruo was stunned for a moment, then after a moment of contemplation, she slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"Let's go back to the lab right away."

The experts all dropped their bowls and chopsticks and left the cafeteria.

Li Aiguo looked at the braised pork.

Braised pork belly: "."

It's a pity that you can't get takeout from the cafeteria these days. Otherwise...
The cook wiped his hands and came out, smiling, "Comrade Aiguo, please go ahead and do your work. I'll save these dishes for you and also prepare a roast chicken for you."

"Whether it's roast chicken or not doesn't matter, I just enjoy researching giant rockets."

Li Aiguo straightened his collar, put his hands behind his back, and followed Xu Lanruo into the laboratory.

The Fifth Academy's laboratories are now modernized and equipped with a Red Star computer as standard.

Xu Lanruo led a group of experts to conduct experiments and then initiated fuel stability tests.

Combining rocket fuels is similar to developing drugs.

Without knowing the specific formula, it would be difficult to find a suitable drug even if billions were spent.

However, once the chemical ratio is determined, the rest is simple.

Li Aiguo's move essentially revealed the fuel formula.

"Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine is much more stable than liquid oxygen, and its theoretical combustion temperature when combined with nitric acid can soar to 3,500 degrees Celsius!"

Another expert wearing glasses pushed up his glasses, which had slid down to the tip of his nose: "Moreover, it has a low freezing point, so it doesn't require the effort of keeping it cold like liquid oxygen. It's convenient for storage and transportation. Team leader, this formula... this formula is simply tailor-made for our Dongfeng!"

Xu Lanruo suddenly raised her head, her chest heaving violently, her eyes filled with surprise and joy as she looked at Li Aiguo.

"Comrade Li, your formula written in your old notes can withstand scrutiny! It is theoretically feasible, and its stability and energy density are much higher than those of the liquid oxygen scheme!"

But where did this notebook come from, and is it even possible to find it?

"I can't remember. You know I love reading, and I read all sorts of things. I only remember seeing it in a used bookstore when I was on a business trip to Chairman Mao's house," Li Aiguo said with a smile.

Xu Lanruo might not believe it if someone else had said this.

But now the higher authorities have officially designated Li Aiguo as a lover of reading, and even wrote a large calligraphy piece for him.

The department even gave Li Aiguo a nickname: "The Train Driver Who Loves to Read".

"Nitric acid is a common chemical reagent and is easy to obtain."

This might be a solution devised privately by an aging scientist in some laboratory.

"I heard recently that some aerospace experts in Russia were kicked out of the laboratory."

"Comrade Patriot is really lucky."

With the persona of someone who loves reading established, these imaginative experts quickly filled in the blanks.

Li Aiguo smiled. This technology, which is mature for later generations, is the key to breaking through the window in the present.

"I only vaguely remember this statement; the specifics will require further investigation by experts like you."

Technical expert Lao Chen suddenly put down his pen, his brow furrowed: "Patriotic comrade, the extreme toxicity of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine is a huge problem! Remember the leak accident in the Russian lab back then? Can our current protection levels and storage conditions withstand this stuff?"

Li Aiguo was prepared: "Double-walled sealed tanks with a negative pressure ventilation system, just like storing mustard gas. I've seen diagrams in my old notes; I'll draw a sketch later." "What if the tank cracks during transport…?"

"Wrap lead plates around a cast iron can! Our maintenance workshop at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot can do that."

Xu Lanruo flipped through her notes and made up her mind: "Verification takes time! Let's do a simulation test at a 1:1000 scale first, with everyone wearing hazmat suits!"

He turned to an expert: "Get several gas masks over here immediately!"

Li Aiguo has witnessed firsthand the work efficiency of military industry experts these days.

Once an idea is formed, calculations and experiments are conducted on the spot, and results are obtained on the same day.

The Fifth Academy itself is conducting fuel experiments and has a full range of chemical reagents. Even if some are missing, these self-made experts can prepare them themselves.

Xu Lanruo led several experts, who were dressed in full protective gear, into the laboratory.

It was already close to 10 p.m.

Under the dim light, Li Aiguo yawned. Seeing that it would take some time for the lab to get there, he lay down on the table for a short rest.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Aiguo was woken up by someone pushing him. When he looked up, he saw Xu Lanruo's excited face.

"It's done! Patriotism, it's done! After more than twenty failures, we have finally succeeded. The two can indeed burn stably when mixed."

If we can find the precise ratio, the energy efficiency ratio could reach 80%, which would be a major breakthrough that could advance our rockets by two years!

Xu Lanruo rubbed her hands excitedly, "Xiao Liu, go and report to Director Qian right away! If this fuel problem is solved, the launch date of Dongfeng-1 can be moved up!"

Professor Liu left the lab to make a confidential phone call.

When Xu Lanruo looked at Li Aiguo again, her eyes had changed, filled with respect: "Aiguo, thanks to your reminder, if this fuel can really be made... I'll ask the institute to give you a major commendation!"

"Whether it's a success or not doesn't matter," Li Aiguo waved his hand. "As long as we can get our own big rocket into space sooner, that's better than anything else."

The combination of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine fuel and nitric acid is considered a relatively early fuel technology.

Once industrial technology improves, we can unleash the ultimate combination of liquid oxygen and highly refined kerosene and launch a massive rocket.

But you have to take things one step at a time, and eat one bite at a time. You can't be impatient.

After receiving a call from the Fifth Academy in the early morning, Qian immediately agreed that the Fifth Academy should organize personnel to conduct further in-depth research on the fuel plan proposed by Li Aiguo.

At the same time, Xu Lanruo was instructed to actively cooperate with the artificial rainmaking plan.

Firstly, it's to collect data on rocket launches, and secondly, it's to alleviate the drought in Beijing.

Isn't the purpose of scientific research to improve people's lives?

With this connection, the comrades from the Fifth Academy cooperated even more, and without taking a break, they began to work busily in the warehouse.

Early in the morning, Li Aiguo arrived at the canteen, yawning.

When the cook saw him come in, he immediately brought out two dishes: one was yesterday's braised pork, and the other was roast chicken.

Li Aiguo picked up a piece of braised pork and took a bite, finding it even more fragrant than yesterday's.

The progress at the Fifth Academy is very fast.

Subsequently, the Hydrology Bureau delivered materials such as silver oxide and cuprous iodide needed for artificial rainmaking.

Chemical experts from the Fifth Academy formulated these materials into the materials needed for rainfall.

With all the materials ready, assembling them into the small rocket became a major problem.

If the high temperature during a rocket explosion burns the rainmaking materials, then artificial rainmaking will be impossible.

"I think we should install a parachute deployment device at the rear of the rocket," Xu Lanruo, a rocket expert, suggested.

Li Aiguo nodded in agreement: "A timer device can be added to the umbrella opening device to control the dispersing time and ensure that the rainmaking material is evenly distributed."

This approach is actually similar to the technical principle of launching satellites using rockets.

The only difference is that one activates a timer within the atmosphere to release the payload.

Another option is to break out of the atmosphere, reach a predetermined orbit, and then release the satellite.

The Fifth Academy has been researching this technology, so this is a good opportunity to conduct a simple experiment.

"It's settled then, Xiao Zhang. Get the blueprints finished right away and notify the experienced workers in the workshop to start production."

Upon hearing Xu Lanruo's words, a young man dressed in a gray Zhongshan suit stood up and said, "I'll go right away."

Li Aiguo felt that the young man looked familiar. After a moment of hesitation, he remembered: "Isn't this Zhang Dongshan? The one who argued with you back when you were in training and he violated the confidentiality rules by hiding a notebook?"

"You still remember this?" Xu Lanruo said, looking at Zhang Dongshan's back. "That kid is very smart and loves to learn. After graduation, he stayed in the Fifth Academy and is now one of the more outstanding technicians among the younger generation."

This was an internal matter of the Fifth Academy; Li Aiguo only mentioned it casually and didn't ask any further questions.

The small rocket still needed modifications, so Li Aiguo contacted the weather forecast command and the General Staff Hydrological Bureau again the next day.

According to the weather forecast system, a large number of cumulonimbus clouds will appear over Xiaoxishan in the suburbs of Beijing in five days.

Professor Huang reviewed the forecast system's results based on the data and provided more precise data: "If the cumulonimbus clouds arrive over Xiaoxishan as predicted, as long as two rockets equipped with rain-inducing materials hit the cloud layer, it will bring at least 200 milliliters of rain to Beijing and the surrounding areas."

This rainfall is sufficient to alleviate the current drought.

Immediately, all departments involved in the artificial rainmaking operation sprang into action.

To prevent rocket crashes from causing accidents, the artificial rainmaking team specifically contacted local authorities and selected a valley for artificial rainmaking.

A garrison from Beijing entered the vicinity of Xiaoxishan to take on guard duties, and at the same time temporarily evacuated the villagers from the valley.

"Old Party Secretary, don't worry, it will only take a few days. Once it rains, the villagers will be able to come back."

"Rain is a great thing! Don't worry, the people in our village aren't the kind of people who don't understand reason." Upon learning that they needed to leave temporarily, the village chief immediately agreed to persuade the villagers without hesitation.

In the dilapidated village office courtyard, the village chief explained the situation and emphasized, "Although I don't understand why these comrades can make it rain, it's because the higher-ups are helping us! If it doesn't rain, this year's harvest will be ruined. Anyone who dares to hold us back will have their legs broken."

Although the members were unclear about the situation, they still responded positively.

"Yes, yes, they're doing it for our safety."

"Didn't you see so many soldiers? They're definitely up to something big."

"Let's go, let's all go. Those with relatives, stay at their homes for a couple of days. Don't always think about causing trouble for the comrades in the team."

The small mountain village was completely cleared out in less than a morning.

Upon learning this news from the leaders of the Hydrology Bureau, Li Aiguo was at a loss for words.

"The villagers were willing to leave their homes for our artificial rainmaking project. If we fail, we will really let them down." The leaders of the Hydrology Bureau were also somewhat moved.

"Don't worry, as long as the little rocket is ready, we are 100% confident."

Li Aiguo wasn't bragging.

Artificial rainmaking is not considered a remarkable technology in later generations, especially now that it receives strong support from various departments.

Considering that they would need to stay in the valley for a while, after the villagers evacuated, the 3rd Company of the garrison set up tents near the mountain village for the meteorological experts and soldiers to rest in.

When Li Aiguo lifted the tent flap, the third company commander was leading his soldiers in performing their duties.

The military blankets were folded into neat squares, a row of white tea mugs were arranged on a wooden board, the toothbrush heads were all facing right, and white towels were folded into small strips and draped over a neatly arranged washbasin next to them, with the red stars on the towels all pointing in the same direction.

"Commander-in-Chief Li, you've arrived." The third company commander put down his bedding and saluted Li Aiguo.

"Thank you for your hard work. To ensure water supply, we specially arranged for two water trucks to be transferred from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. We will have to trouble you with the handover."

The stream on the hill had dried up, and the company commander was worried about how to get water. He was especially happy to hear this news.

In the following days, while waiting for the small rocket, Li Aiguo led Professor Huang to set up a weather station on the mountaintop to obtain more accurate data.

Life goes by quickly and peacefully, but the only downside is the mediocre food.

The cooks of the Third Company, who were in charge of cooking, dug several stoves in the valley, brought in clean water, and set up large iron pots.

The meals were a common "mixed mix" in the team, which was a mix of whole grains and refined grains, with whole grains as the main component.

The rice in the bowl is a mix of thick and thin, with the thicker portion consisting mainly of sweet potato chunks and corn kernels, and the other portion a mix of vegetables and grains, primarily seasonal wild vegetables from the fields.

The cooks are all experts at picking wild vegetables.

"Company Commander, I don't know if you've ever heard the saying, 'The mountains are the granary.'" Li Aiguo said, wiping his mouth after finishing his meal.

The company commander, of course, understood Li Aiguo's meaning and whispered, "This is near the capital, Commander-in-Chief, isn't this inappropriate?"

“Hey, this time we’re doing artificial rainmaking. To prevent wild boars or something from damaging the equipment, it’s perfectly reasonable for the soldiers to kill one or two of those heinous wild boars, right?” Li Aiguo turned to look at Zou Jieguang from the Hydrology Bureau.

Zou Jieguang was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Very reasonable!"

The company commander had had this idea for a while, but he was worried about violating discipline, so he didn't dare to lead anyone up the mountain.

Now that the leader has given his approval, I took a few team members up the mountain after breakfast.

Bang bang bang, several gunshots rang out, and the wild boars that often came down from the mountain to ravage farmland were executed on the spot.

"This counts as wartime supplies!" the third company commander said excitedly.

At noon, Li Aiguo and his soldiers enjoyed a delicious meal of wild boar meat and rice.

The cook's skills were quite good; the meat juice was rich but not greasy, and it was so delicious that it made you forget everything else when you chewed it.

As the company commander ate, he glanced at the excited soldiers and sighed inwardly. He thought that if Li Aiguo were to lead troops into battle, he would probably be a formidable commander.

Time passed by unnoticed, and the fifth day had arrived.

Xu Lanruo, accompanied by her colleagues from the Fifth Academy and escorted by men in gray Zhongshan suits, delivered three small Dongfeng missiles to the Xiaoxishan Valley.

(End of this chapter)