The train driver in the courtyard

The desolate Gobi Desert stretches as far as the eye can see.

Li Aiguo originally thought that the exploration base of Team 519 was located in an uninhabited area, but as he continued his journey and discovered camel tracks, he realized that he had made a serious mistake.

Team 519 has several hundred people, and to ensure the food, drink and other necessities for so many people, a stable supply point is essential.

After two days of bumpy travel through the Gobi Desert, the convoy finally arrived in AKT County.

The county town wasn't big, but it had a supply station from the Ministry of Geology, which finally gave the team members a chance to take a break.

Li Aiguo ate Lanzhou noodles at a roadside restaurant. The soup was topped with chili oil, and after taking a sip, he felt warm all over. He kept saying, "It's authentic."

Just as he was figuring out that this was probably the base, Tang Guangwu picked up the bowl of noodles, drank the last mouthful of soup, wiped his mouth, and said, "It's still early. We've only just arrived at the transit station."

After a morning of rest, the convoy set off again.

This time, we traveled for almost three days before finally entering SL County.

This area is located in the northwestern part of the Tarim Basin and was originally part of the ancient Shule Kingdom. In previous years, an archaeological team discovered artifacts from the Western Han Dynasty here.

Li Aiguo was wondering if he could pick up an old item after getting off the bus, but the convoy didn't enter the county town. Instead, it turned south along a rugged road.

Most of the roads here are built in riverbeds and formed by natural compaction.

The truck was loaded with personal luggage and equipment. The road conditions were terrible, full of potholes and uneven surfaces. The ride was extremely bumpy, with everyone being thrown about and tossed around.

Even Li Aiguo, an experienced train driver, was finding it hard to take it anymore.

After driving another forty or fifty kilometers, the convoy finally arrived at its destination, Tazihong Commune.

The commune was actually similar to a township. Tazihong Commune had only one simple street, with government offices, post offices, schools, and grain stations lined up in a row.

The so-called commercial organization was just a supply and marketing cooperative, a state-run canteen that sold hand-pulled mutton. The price was not expensive, only three cents a pound of mutton, plus a bowl of meat soup.

People on the street were already familiar with Team 519 and paid no attention to the fully armed guards. Many people on the street interacted with Tang Guangwu.

"Old Tang, you guys got your hands on something new again?" A slightly overweight middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit came into the cafeteria and greeted Tang Guangwu.

"Yes, we'll take a break and then go back to the team." Tang Guangwu was very familiar with him, but he didn't mention the geological exploration drilling rig at all.

Sixth Brother was enjoying a bowl of meat soup when he saw Li Aiguo looking at the man. He introduced him in a low voice: "This is the headman of Tazihong Commune, Alikun, which means 'flame.' The young people in the team all call him 'Uncle Flame.'"

He took a bite of meat and added, "He was a tribal chief before liberation, but he was a good person and helped our team a lot."

"Chief?"

"A chieftain?" Li Aiguo was taken aback. He glanced at the villagers in ethnic costumes on the street and realized that he was making a fuss over nothing.

The situation here is different. Some of the original elderly people remained after liberation, and the policies are more flexible.

After exchanging pleasantries with Tang Guangwu, Alikun turned his gaze to Li Aiguo and the others, and asked in broken Chinese, "Comrade, you are an educated person, right? Could you come and be a teacher at our school for just a few days?"

Li Aiguo, unsure of his intentions, stood up and said, "Sorry, I have work to do right now. If I have time, I would be happy to go."

Yalikun seemed to have some obsession with his teacher. He wanted to ask the other comrades for more information, but Tang Guangwu grabbed his arm and said, "Old Huo, the exploration team has been very busy lately. In a while, I will send a few young people with good Chinese skills over there."

Yalikun then smiled: "Then it's a deal."

"Wait here, I'll pay you your wages first," Alikun shouted in the local dialect to a boy behind him.

The boy ran off and returned moments later carrying a bag of dates and raisins. Tang Guangwu tried to refuse, but the boy simply threw it onto the truck.

"Thanks a lot, Lao Huo." Tang Guangwu seemed to have encountered this situation before. After expressing his gratitude, he got into the car.

The truck started again, and Li Aiguo inquired about what had just happened.

“Yalikun is different from other chieftains. He is very enthusiastic. The school in the commune is one of the few schools in the whole county that teaches Chinese. There is a shortage of Chinese teachers, so our team often sends young people to teach there.”

Tang Guangwu lit a cigarette. "The camels used by the exploration team were all provided by the commune. Geologists can't do without the support of the masses; they have to maintain a good relationship with the commune."

"Nothing can be done without being detached from the masses." Li Aiguo agreed with Tang Guangwu's view.

The purpose of our work is to improve the lives of the people. How can we achieve this goal if we don't connect with them and instead remain aloof and distant?

The exploration base was located a dozen miles away from the commune.

It's actually just a large courtyard surrounded by dozens of wooden houses and dozens of tents.

The equipment and materials were stored in the wooden huts, and the team members had to live in tents.

It was already deep winter, and the local winter nights were very cold, with the temperature inside the tent dropping to minus ten degrees Celsius.

Fortunately, the logistics staff brought over a charcoal brazier, and Li Aiguo and the wild car expert slept in the same quilt, which finally made things a little warmer.

In the middle of the night, the wild car expert's stomach problems flared up, and he was in so much pain that his face turned pale.

He tried to show off, saying he could persevere, but Li Aiguo could tell he couldn't at all.

The base doctor examined the wild expert's illness, gave him three pills, and instructed him to take them every six hours, drink some hot water, and rest for a while, and he would feel better.

After tossing and turning for half the night, Li Aiguo finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Li Aiguo was awakened from his sleep by a noisy noise.

Rubbing his face, brushing aside the smelly feet of the wild car expert, Li Aiguo pulled back the curtain and went out.

Several trucks and a herd of camels came galloping from a distance.

Each exploration team was equipped with 10 camels. Each person rode one camel, and the rest were used to carry equipment and tools.

"The comrades from the second team are back." Captain Tang Guangwu seemed very excited.

Two professors dressed in Zhongshan suits also emerged from the tent.

Li Aiguo met with them at the meeting last night.

The two served as the exploration team's advisors and deputy advisors, responsible for providing technical guidance for the exploration work and planning the exploration area.

"The second team has been out for almost a month, and perhaps they have gained something." The younger Professor Liu was just as excited as Tang Guangwu.

Professor He, who was older, was just as depressed as he had been the night before: "Impossible. Before Professor Butvilovsky left, he made it clear that uranium ore can only be produced in granite. There is absolutely no way there can be uranium ore in this Gobi Desert. If you continue, you are just wasting your time."

"Old He, the commune members clearly discovered natural uranium ore," Professor Liu argued.

"This is just a coincidence. The uranium ore might have come from the 712 mine in Hunan Province, just like the dragonfly-eye glass we unearthed at the Washi Gorge site in Qiang County. Does that mean that Roman artifacts were once manufactured there?"

Professor He was getting angry; his white beard trembled with rage.

The technicians also had differing opinions; some supported Professor Liu, while others supported Professor He.

The untrained car expert also came out clutching his stomach, wanting to interject, but was stopped by Li Aiguo: "This is an internal matter of Team 519, it has nothing to do with us."

"I just can't stand that Professor Liu always using his status as a Russian expert to intimidate people," Wild Car said angrily.

“If you’re not convinced, then find a way to locate uranium mines. Arguing here will only make you a laughingstock.” Li Aiguo was well aware that some experts had already been misled.

Not only were they misled by Russian experts, but many were also misled by American experts.

The reason for this phenomenon is that people have stood up, but their hearts are still kneeling.

It's useless to talk to these kinds of people about principles; they can find countless reasons to justify themselves.

Captain Tang Guangwu was well aware of this, so he ignored the arguments and led his guards to meet them.

Li Aiguo was also curious and followed them.

As the trucks and camel caravan entered the base, a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit jumped off; he must have been the captain of the second squad.

"So, Lao Zhao, did you find it?"

“We conducted sampling analysis on twenty numbered yardang sites during our exploration. Here are the samples,” Zhao Yichang said, pointing to the pack on the camel.

"Unload the sample and analyze it immediately."

Tang Guangwu was overjoyed to see that the second team had brought back so many samples and immediately summoned the technicians.

At this moment, the explorers of the second team also began to move samples, and Li Aiguo saw two familiar figures among the team members.

"Tianquan, Huang Ting!"

Although the two were covered in dust, hadn't washed for who knows how many days, their faces were tanned dark red, their lips were peeling, and their hair was a mess, Li Aiguo was certain he wasn't mistaken.

Liu Tianquan and Huang Ting were carrying a large box when they turned around and saw Li Aiguo. They quickly put the box down and ran over, saying, "Brother Aiguo, what brings you here?"

Huang Ting also ran over, her eyes wide: "How are Mother and Kuang Sheng?"

Li Aiguo replied with a smile, "Mother is in good health. Little Kuangsheng can already walk. Now he spends his days chasing chickens and dogs with the other kids in the compound."

Upon hearing this, Huang Ting's tension disappeared, and she couldn't help but raise her sleeve to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Don't mind me, I just miss my child so much. It's been so long, I guess my little one doesn't even recognize me anymore."

The exploration team members, who had just exuded a capable and efficient air, instantly revealed their softer side when the topic of children came up.

Li Aiguo smiled and said, "Don't worry, Yushui shows your photo to Xiaokuangsheng every day, and Xiaokuangsheng calls the photo 'Mom'."

"Really?" Huang Ting's eyes lit up instantly, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

When Captain Tang Guangwu saw that the group recognized each other, he called out to Liu Tianquan and Huang Ting, "You've been working hard lately. Old friends have come, so be warm and welcoming, don't neglect them."

Several team members ran over and took over the work from Liu Tianquan and Huang Ting.

"Come on, Patriotic brother, let's go to our tent."

The exploration team took care of them as a couple and specially provided them with a separate small tent.

The room was surprisingly clean. There was a simple wooden bed and a small table made of adobe bricks. On the table was a framed picture with peeling paint, showing a photo of Aunt Liu holding her son, Xiao Kuangsheng.

Liu Tianquan opened a kettle outside, added some tea leaves, and handed it over: "Brother Aiguo, what brings you here this time?" "Our locomotive depot has built a geological exploration drilling rig. We were originally planning to assemble it today, but it looks like it will have to be postponed." Li Aiguo explained the situation of the geological exploration drilling rig.

"There's such a machine?! Then we won't have to smash rocks one hammer blow at a time anymore." Liu Tianquan was overjoyed.

Huang Ting frowned slightly: "Those above... are getting more and more anxious. But... I think this drilling rig probably won't be of much use."

"That's a debate among professors, it has nothing to do with our patriotic brothers." Liu Tianquan clearly knew that there was a disagreement within the team, so he quickly stopped Huang Ting.

Huang Ting then remembered that Li Aiguo had come all the way to deliver the equipment, and telling him the truth would definitely dampen his enthusiasm.

She quickly changed the subject, asking, "Are Xue Ru and the children alright?"

"It's all good. Xue Ru is pregnant again now, her third child." Li Aiguo didn't seem to care, chatting casually while drinking water.

"Third child? Back when I was in Beijing, Xue Ru planned to have seven or eight. I thought she was joking." Huang Ting clicked her tongue. She was focused on her work and only needed one child.

“Xue Ru likes children.” Li Aiguo then looked at Liu Tianquan: “Where’s Di Quan? Isn’t he with you?”

"The land is all in the southwest, and I can't say for sure which team it is," Liu Tianquan explained. "Exploration work is dangerous, and there are rules in the team that brothers can't be in the same team. If something happens to them, at least their family can still survive."

Just then, Professor He's angry voice came from outside: "What did I tell you? It's a complete waste of time! We might as well move to the southwest and look for minerals in the mountains!"

"Old He, the re-examination hasn't happened yet, don't worry, just wait a little longer." That was Tang Guangwu's voice.

Li Aiguo was also very interested in how uranium ore was tested. He put down his enamel mug and stood up: "Let's go, Tianquan, Huang Ting, let's go take a look."

The group went outside and found that the ore samples had already been moved into the largest wooden house.

The wild car expert was sunbathing in the yard with his hands in his pockets when he saw Li Aiguo walk over and followed him.

Inside the room was a square iron box covered with knobs, pointers, and wires, which looked quite complicated.

"This is a universal gamma radiation meter, used to measure the radiation of uranium ore and calculate the uranium content," Liu Tianquan explained in a low voice.

"Now we need to recalibrate." Professor He took out a dark object, which was clearly a standard radioactive source used for calibration.

The wild car expert shrank back in fright and whispered in Li Aiguo's ear: "Aiguo, this thing emits radiation, right? I heard... if a man gets exposed to it, he can't have children."

"It's alright." Liu Tianquan smiled and waved his hand when he heard this. "The radiation from these radioactive sources and minerals is very weak. As long as you don't come into direct contact with the dust or inhale it into your lungs, it won't cause any harm to your health."

That's true. Many people may feel fear when faced with uranium ore, worrying about its radiation.

In fact, carrying about one kilogram of uranium ore on your person results in a daily radiation exposure equivalent to wearing a luminous watch.

Of course, long-term exposure can have side effects, so if possible, it's best to get anti-radiation clothing.

Professor He studied under a Russian professor and had a very solid foundation, so he quickly completed the recalibration work.

Professor Liu and his colleagues from the second team placed the ore into a glass case and then turned on the universal gamma radiation instrument.

The pointer on the universal gamma radiation meter did not change at all.

"See? Just some ordinary stones." Professor He's voice had lost its previous anger, instead revealing a sense of exhaustion, and his shoulders slumped.

The team members' faces all darkened, and no one said a word.

This was a sample they had collected after enduring wind and rain in the Gobi Desert for over a month, and now it had all been for nothing. It was disheartening.

"We who are in the exploration business are like looking for a needle in a haystack," Tang Guangwu said, trying to cheer himself up. "Once the drilling rig is assembled, we might make a new discovery."

Captain Tang Guangwu stepped forward to encourage everyone, but it didn't do much good.

Li Aiguo wasn't too affected. He vaguely remembered that there seemed to be a large uranium mine in this area, but he couldn't quite recall the exact location.

Professor He then again suggested that the exploration team go to the southwest region as soon as possible, but Tang Guangwu rejected the suggestion.

The old professor was so angry that he rode a camel to complain, but was chased back by Sixth Brother and the guards.

Seeing that morale was somewhat low, Tang Guangwu immediately convened a meeting and said in a deep voice, "Large-scale exploration must continue! This is a task set by the bureau and cannot be changed! Everyone, take a few days off. Once the equipment is installed, we'll start work immediately!"

Professor He, still angry, raised his hand and said, "Comrade Guangwu, even if that drilling rig can drill quickly, how do we determine the drilling area? This area spans thousands of kilometers; we can't just drill like headless flies, can we?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Guangwu's expression changed slightly.

In fact, the drilling work of the exploration team is also carried out according to the terrain and ore.

They tried every technology they could find, but still couldn't locate uranium ore.

At this moment, a hand was raised high.

Everyone turned to look and saw that it was the train driver from Beijing.

"Comrade Aiguo, do you have any good suggestions?" Tang Guangwu asked.

Li Aiguo stood up: "Captain Tang, professors, you are all experts in geology. I am just a train driver and I am not very familiar with geology. Please don't mind if I say anything wrong."

"Let's stick to the facts in this meeting and not label people," Tang Guangwu waved his hand.

Li Aiguo then spoke up: "Since uranium ore is radioactive, why can't we use aircraft equipped with detectors to carry out large-scale prospecting?"

"Isn't that the Russian AH-2 aerial survey aircraft? It's been withdrawn long ago!" Professor He blurted out instinctively.

"What's going on with this plane?" Li Aiguo asked Tang Guangwu.

Tang Guangwu gave a wry smile: "Back when the Russian experts were here, they sent several AH-2s to Hunan Province to form a fourth squadron, and they did find quite a few promising mining sites. We originally wanted to bring them over, but as soon as the experts left, they took all the planes with them."

“If we don’t have the Russian planes, we can build our own.” Li Aiguo looked at the aerial surveying technology in the system.

If it were another type of mineral, the technology available at that time would be far from sufficient to meet the needs of aerial surveying.

However, uranium ore itself is radioactive and constantly emits gamma rays, so it can definitely be detected by installing highly sensitive detection equipment on the aircraft.

The Y-5 transport aircraft is currently being mass-produced by Factory 320 and has entered service.

This aircraft features a corrosion-resistant structure, new mission equipment, and a large medicine box with emergency evacuation capability.

Most importantly, the takeoff distance is only 170 meters, and it only requires a simple runway to take off.

The Y-5 has a simple structure and is not fast, but thanks to these characteristics, it has been able to serve for 65 years.

It is perfect for conversion into an aerial survey aircraft.

Tang Guangwu was clearly taken aback by Li Aiguo's idea and was stunned for a moment.

Professor He had originally intended to refute the claim from the academic perspective that uranium ore can only be produced in granite, but upon hearing that the aircraft was to be modified, his eyes widened in surprise.

Needless to say, Professor Liu and the geological surveyors never imagined that we could have our own surveying aircraft.

A profound silence fell inside the tent.

Professor He was the first to break the silence, raising his hand: "Comrade Patriot, I also support developing measurement aircraft. It's an inevitable trend. The key question is whether the comrades in the Air Force will agree?"

“How will we know they won’t agree if we don’t try?” Li Aiguo stood up and emphasized, “I suggest that we submit an application to our superiors in the name of the exploration team, requesting that a Y-5 be dispatched.”

All eyes turned to Tang Guangwu.

The veteran exploration team leader hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "I can submit this report, but I can't guarantee whether it will be approved."

He simply lacked the confidence to ask the Air Force to send a Y-5 transport aircraft.

Whether they support prospecting in the Gobi Desert or advocate for exploration in the southwest, they all became interested in this surveying aircraft.

The meeting's agenda gradually shifted from "whether to continue exploration" to "how to write a report to persuade superiors to provide aircraft."

These experts and professors are excellent at scientific research, but they are a bit hesitant to write this kind of application report. They spent the whole morning trying to figure it out but still couldn't come up with a solution.

Finally, Tang Guangwu looked at Li Aiguo: "Comrade Aiguo, I heard that you often deal with leaders in the ministry and are also knowledgeable in technology. This report... you should write it, right?"

"I'll draft it, and you can review it later," Li Aiguo readily agreed.

Drafting the report was quite a task, so Professor He and Professor Liu temporarily put aside their differences and gathered in Li Aiguo's tent to help. It wasn't until evening that a five-page report was finally completed.

Tang Guangwu immediately dispatched two guard squads to deliver the package on horseback to the nameless station, from where it would be forwarded.

"Old He, thank you so much this time." Li Aiguo rubbed his sore neck and extended his hand to Professor He.

Despite his bad temper, this old professor is truly a first-rate professional and has solved many problems.

"Don't think that just because I approve of building a surveying aircraft, I approve of your nonsense. Once the aircraft is modified, I will immediately submit an application to the higher-ups requesting to go to the southwest." Professor He was very tough, but he still shook hands with Li Aiguo before snorting coldly and leaving the tent.

This guy is like an old child. Li Aiguo shook his head as he watched his back.

In the evening, the exploration team held a simple bonfire party to welcome Li Aiguo and his team.

In the afternoon, Yalikun from Tazihong Commune specially delivered half a camel, and the wild car expert also brought out his precious instant noodles.

Liu Tianquan and his team lit a bonfire in the courtyard, and they ate meat and drank noodle soup.

Three days later, in a study in the capital.

The higher-level leaders reviewed the application report that Li Aiguo had personally drafted.

"Did our patriotic comrade go to the Northwest?"

"Yes, he went there with an exploration drilling rig this time. We hope to discover a large-scale uranium deposit in the Gobi Desert and get rid of the 'depleted uranium' label." The leader of the geological department, knowing that the leaders were concerned about Li Aiguo's situation, explained in detail.

The superior nodded and then asked a comrade in military uniform next to him, "Old Liu, do you think it's feasible to modify the Y-5 transport aircraft into a surveying machine?"

"Currently, our air force has 170 Y-5 transport aircraft, which is in short supply. However, if the comrades in the geological department really need them, we can still provide a few." After being notified and coming to the study, the leader understood the superior's opinion.

The superior nodded: "Now the whole country is playing a big game, and we should try our best to focus our efforts on the most important things. Since young people are energetic and enterprising, we older comrades should support them."

The leader nodded: "I'll arrange it right away, send a Y-5 transport aircraft over!"

(End of this chapter)