The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

"A-choo!" A deafening sneeze splashed out clear snot like water.

Even so, Director Li still felt an unbearable itching deep in his nasal cavity, as if many ants were crawling around in his nose.

"Something's wrong!"

Li Feng muttered to himself, a hint of uneasiness flashing across his bloodshot eyes.

I gently placed the back of my hand against my burning forehead, and the scorching temperature confirmed that my worries were not groundless - damn, my body, which rarely gets sick, actually had a fever.

There was no doubt that it was related to yesterday. The cold wind that came in from the front of the car flowed through the gaps in the tarpaulin and headed straight for the rear of the car, so he was the one who suffered.

"Lao Lu, Lao Lu! I can't take it anymore. I seem to have a fever. Go to the medical team and get me some Analgin tablets!"

Li Feng tried hard to support his heavy body with his elbows. His voice was very weak and his throat sounded like a broken gong.

The factory director, who was usually vigorous and resolute, now looked pale. Just the movement of pushing himself up caused beads of sweat to slide down his cheeks and soak the pillowcase.

Chief Lu, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened by the weak cry and jumped out of bed.

With the light from the window, he saw that Director Li, who usually stood straight and spoke loudly in front of factory officials, and was so strong that he didn't seem like a young man, was now as fragile as a leaf in the wind, and his heart tightened.

"I was in a very groggy sleep last night, and I thought I heard you coughing. I'll go call someone right now!"

He didn't bother to tidy up his messy hair. He hurriedly put on his coat and military coat and rushed out the door without even tying his shoelaces.

This was no ordinary day. The self-propelled howitzer that the factory had built was now quietly parked in front of the guesthouse.

The leaders of the Artillery Department of the General Logistics Department personally led a team to observe. Every detail is related to whether the hard work of the entire team can be recognized.

If Director Li fell ill at this critical time, the burden of reporting and testing for the entire project would fall on Chief Lu's shoulders alone.

Thinking of this, his steps became more rapid.

Pushing open the wooden glass door of the guesthouse, the cold morning wind carrying tiny snowflakes blew in my face.

To Chief Lu's surprise, several personnel from the Artillery Department of the General Logistics Department were already standing next to their own self-propelled howitzers in high spirits.

They were looking at the gun barrels and tracks carefully, and were talking to each other from time to time.

"They cut the rear armor plate before putting the gun in, and then welded it back together!"

“And this side…!”

When they saw Chief Lu coming out of the guesthouse, the people from the Artillery Department wanted to say hello. They knew his faces from dinner last night. After all, not many people came to Factory 787.

"Our factory director caught a cold and had a fever last night. I have to go to the medical team immediately."

Without paying attention to the leadership of the Artillery Department, Chief Lu explained with an anxious look on his face.

Wu Si got into the car through the open turret and poked his head out of the car. His eyes behind the lenses were full of concern.

"There's no time to waste, hurry up!"

When Chief Lu and the female soldier from the medical team who was carrying a medicine box hurried back, Li Feng, who was lying on the bed, was coughing and sneezing.

"Help me, I can't hold on any longer, I'm in so much pain~!"

"I don't want an injection in the buttocks. It's not because I'm afraid of the pain, but because I'm worried that it will affect my walking and work. I'll just get an IV~!"

Comrade Xiao Yuan, who was peeking into the room, secretly covered his mouth. The factory director was completely different when he was sick than when he was serious.

After the lady from the medical team left, Li Feng was already lying on the hospital bed receiving an IV drip of saline.

With a trace of stubbornness on his pale face, he ate a light hospital meal consisting of a boiled egg, while reading the precautions for self-loading howitzers with his non-IV hand.

The porridge in the aluminum lunch box was steaming, but he left it lukewarm.

"Zhang Cheng, I don't know much about armored vehicles. Just check them out. The requirements are not high. Just make sure they can drive normally~!"

"Master Jia, we drove 400 miles yesterday. Don't worry about the chassis, but you need to check the suspension system carefully. Don't turn around and drive over here, but you can't drive back!"

Li Feng's voice was hoarse, but it still revealed an unquestionable tone.

Maybe the potion entered his body and started to take effect. When he entered working mode, he seemed like a different person compared to before.

"Comrade Xiao Yuan, you are the one who should be in charge of the circuit control system. The car has been parked overnight. Check how much the battery has run and do a few pressure tests on the drive engine!"

"Captain Lu, you and Master Xu should focus on checking the elevation and rotation mechanisms of the gun. The electrical control system is the key, and the mechanical hydraulic system must be foolproof!"

Even though he was lying on the hospital bed, he was still like a young Zhuge Liang in his twilight years, planning and strategizing, and ensuring the smooth and successful completion of the self-propelled howitzer test.

The members who followed gathered around the bed and looked at the usually decisive director's weak but determined eyes.

They knew very well that this self-propelled howitzer was the result of the hard work of dozens of people in the final assembly workshop, and it was produced with countless days and nights of sweat and persistence.

It is a bit of an exaggeration to say that it is research. It is mainly pieced together based on the experience of combining truck-gun and truck-gun.

Up to now, it has never actually fired a shot, and no one has a clue about its performance. At the same time, the factory director of the company just collapsed on the hospital bed.

"Don't worry about me. Just do your own job well. Don't kick around during the test. I don't understand the technology anyway, so I can't help you. It's a waste of your time to make reports. I'll take care of the Artillery Department!"

A sense of confidence surged in their hearts. This was their Director Li, the one who asked not to get buttock injections... Well, it would be difficult for people in their line of work to forget this scene. They would probably know after they returned that their own director was afraid of buttock injections.

Zhang Cheng was lying upside down with a flashlight in his mouth. The circular beam of light moved across the complex mechanical structure. The engine and gearbox all depended on him, a retired armored soldier.

His work clothes were stained with oil stains and he was not aware of the scratches on his fingers by metal parts. The young man was very capable. The space in the cabin of the armored vehicle was small, so he even took off his coat to facilitate the inspection.

"Don't let me down at this critical moment!"

Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth and tightened a loose screw, as if he had regained the tension he had felt during emergency drills when he was in the army.

Director Li fell ill. He drove the whole afternoon yesterday and felt weak all over. He worked with great effort.

Comrade Xiao Yuan checked everything from the battery to the gun's controller and drive motor. She held a multimeter in her hand, and every fluctuation of the pointer touched her heart.

She was also praying silently in her heart at this time. Although Director Li said that the control system was a jackpot, it was very important to her.

Chief Lu and Master Xu carried a ladder and carefully checked the rifling, tracks, and gun body of the gun barrel.

In the cold wind, frost formed on their eyelashes, but they were unaware of it. As time passed, a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Director Li lay on the hospital bed, his eyes fixed on the test site outside the window.

The medicine in the infusion tube dripped slowly, as if counting down for this crucial test.

"Chassis system inspection completed, everything is normal!"

"The circuit control system passed the final test!"

"The gun mechanism is running smoothly and the hydraulic pressure is up to standard!"

As reports came in, Li Feng, who was lying on the window and looking at the people below, finally showed a relieved smile on his tense face.

He quickly pulled out the infusion needle. At this time, only one third of the saline solution was left in the bottle.

"Let's go to the testing ground!"

"Director, your fever hasn't subsided yet~!"

Seeing that Li Feng was so willful and couldn't wait to get rid of the fever, Section Chief Lu stamped his feet in anxiety.

"This little illness is nothing!"

Li Feng put on his military coat and started bragging again. He strode out of the room, not showing any sign of life or death as he had done in the morning.

The cold wind blew up his messy hair, but it couldn't blow away the determination in his eyes. His success depended on this one shot.

At the test site, leaders and experts from the General Logistics Department had already been in place.

The barrel of the self-propelled howitzer exuded a cold smell under the morning sun, like a giant steel beast ready to strike.

Director Li stood at the observation point, his pale face flushed with a sickly blush, but he still stood tall and straight.

The electrically driven gun barrel can turn faster and more obviously than when it is mechanically controlled. The path to artillery automation has finally been paved.

Although there are still many shortcomings, such as insufficient battery power and the need to keep the engine running at all times, it can be considered a breakthrough in the window paper.

"Prepare—release!"

At the command, dazzling flames spurted out of the muzzles of the guns, and a deafening roar echoed in the open space, and the snowflakes that fell on the ground were shaken back into the sky.

The shells cut through the sky with long tails of flame and sped away out of sight. The chassis of the armored vehicle was very stable, much more stable than when the truck gun was first tested.

"Okay~!"

The whole audience burst into warm applause. It seemed that this pieced-together self-propelled howitzer still had the ability to continue firing shells.

Even if it is very sloppy now, even if it was launched very hastily, at least in the eyes of these experts, it is qualified.

The unconventional "experts" of the Red Star Factory have also begun to soar in the field of military industry, leaving a deep impression on the people of the Artillery Department.
Director Li's tense nerves finally relaxed, but his vision suddenly went dark.

He swayed and was supported by the quick-eyed and quick-handed Chief Lu.

"Factory Director~!"

“I’m fine…!”

Li Feng raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a tired but relieved smile.

He opened his arms, faced all the people who came from the Red Star Factory, and announced loudly to them.

"The first test firing of the self-propelled howitzer was a success!"

On this cold winter day, the sound of the cannon not only announced the success of the new self-propelled howitzer.

It also witnessed the perseverance and responsibility of a team. The figure of the sick commander has forever become the most moving scenery in the hearts of team members.

"Ten years later~!" (End of this chapter)