Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1355 Typhoon in the Southern Seas (5k)

Here we go again. Some people in the audience have already developed a psychological aversion to this incident, but they still have to listen.

This is just like what Gao Zhendong heard in his previous life: when we first opened our doors to the world, people would constantly say "imported goods are good," and we had to listen to them because imported goods were indeed good back then. The only thing we had to do was catch up. By the time Gao Zhendong time-traveled, there weren't many imported goods that still deserved that praise.

The words of the colleague from the Space Design Institute sobered up most of the people present. Southerners do indeed have some advantages in this area that they cannot catch up with: "Comrade, thank you for reminding us. They do have some specific advantages in missiles and rockets."

The person from the space design institute added, "What they lack now is experience in large rocket engines and large rockets, but their control technology, especially the control components, is far superior to ours! I believe that they must have a control core with better performance than the C6108."

With their minds solely focused on rockets, they weren't entirely clear on the state of computers, especially since we hadn't officially announced the C6132 and its accompanying "large-capacity" RAM. However, this didn't prevent them from using common sense to speculate on the state of our semiconductor development.

A man from Luo Guo next to him nodded: "You guessed right!"

Everyone else turned to look at him. From Lubyanka? That's alright, they'll know anyway.

The man from Lubyanka looked up at everyone and said, “We have intelligence indicating that they possess at least one component whose performance far surpasses that of the C6108 chip. However, the use of this component is strictly controlled.”

"Then how did you know about the existence of this component?"

The Lubyanka man's smile was somewhat strange: "We know from the Lanxi people that they have reached a certain cooperation with them in some aspects, which allows them to obtain this device under controlled conditions."

As one of the most important countries in the Antria Convention and also a major power, Romania's infiltration of Lanzhou was no less than that of the United States. However, Lubyanka suffered far more and greater losses at the hands of Lanzhou than at the hands of the United States.

"Far beyond? My comrades! If we could get our hands on these components, I could do so much more!" exclaimed a member of the Space Design Institute.

Meanwhile, Lubyanka's people also revealed something else.

"Their solid rocket propellant technology is far more advanced than we imagined! Comrades, we must pay attention to one thing—on the battlefield in North Korea, although the anti-aircraft missiles they deployed were smaller than our S-75 or even S-125, the air defense zone they provided was no smaller than theirs, and even higher than that of the S-125."

Smaller size, greater range—they all knew what that meant. But what they didn't know was that the anti-aircraft missiles they were seeing weren't the latest technology.

Some people are not interested in this: "It makes no sense. We are not using solid rockets in this case, and they are unlikely to disclose the rocket propellant technology to us."

This is something that can be confirmed without testing: the high-energy propellant in rocket engines is somewhat different from ordinary propellants.

However, the colleagues at the Space Design Institute didn't think so: "Regardless of whether we can obtain it or not, this at least shows that they have many unimaginable aspects in rocket technology."

"Indeed, there are many aspects that you wouldn't imagine. For example, solar cells. The solar cells they use can have an efficiency of over 20%. This is clearly stated in their internal publications."

Internal publications are not the same as classified materials; they can still obtain them.

"20%? We should buy some from them." The comrades from the Space Design Institute were immediately drawn to this new information. The Southern comrades really have a lot of good stuff.

Solar panels can be said to be unimportant, since they are all connected to nuclear batteries, but they are also important in a way. Nuclear batteries cannot solve everything; although their energy density is very high, their output power is somewhat limited.

At this moment, a comrade who had been silent all along seemed to have made up his mind: "I agree to cooperate with them."

His comrades looked at him, but were somewhat confused. "You're in the economics field, what are you meddling in rocket-related matters for?"

"Comrade, what's your opinion?" But that's not how you should put it.

The comrade tilted his head and pursed his lips: "Personally speaking, I agree with cooperating with them. Economically, it's a worthwhile deal. We need money for so many things, and we need to find as many people as possible to share our expenses."

Given Romania's situation, even after the oil crisis, its economy was not actually well-off, and the irrational industrial structure exacerbated this problem.

Another problem is that the huge size difference between them and the countries receiving economic aid has led people to consciously or unconsciously overlook one thing: they need people to share the burden. This burden includes military, political, and economic burdens.

Luo Guo's thought: Given their size, it's the same whether they have it or not.

Other countries' perspective: It's pointless for us to go up there, there aren't enough people.

However, this situation is much more logical for southerners. Although their territory is not as large, their population is much larger.

The Luo Kingdom, having almost wiped out a generation of young and strong men, is at a significant disadvantage in this regard. The most typical example is that, from King Xunzong to the previous leader of the map, over a period of 20 years, their three national leaders were almost contemporaries, with their birthdays differing by no more than 10 years, leaving a whole generation missing in between.

Moreover, although they are not wealthy, their total amount is not small, and they can always come up with a figure that even the country itself is tempted by.

What's most remarkable is that while their overall technology isn't advanced, they possess some highly advanced and uniquely advantageous projects that even they themselves cannot match.

The lack of funds was no secret to officials of their rank. Even the most die-hard opponents were tempted by the idea, the only difference being that they demanded strict limitations on the scope of cooperation and the content that Southerners could access.

Another reason that I can't quite explain also played a role: the broken window effect, which both Linochka and Gao Zhendong were considering. The marine reactor was rejected, but they couldn't reject everything, could they?
If not everyone agrees, but the majority approves, then the matter is basically considered approved within their organization. The remaining task is to report it to higher authorities and see what their decision is.

The remaining, and most important, matter now lay before them. The leader asked, "Comrades, what do we do about the graphite-water-cooled reactor?"

This matter is important because it is a prerequisite for the other party to sell the semiconductor production line.

The demands from the Southerners didn't seem excessive; they only requested the purchase of a certain number of graphite-based graphite-cooled power plants, along with the necessary documentation. Similar to their purchase of production lines, they were buying finished products rather than directly acquiring the technology.

However, everyone present knew that selling a certain number of graphite-cooled power plants meant that the other party would eventually acquire all the technology of graphite-cooled power plants, and there was almost no doubt that they had this capability.

However, things went very smoothly. Just as Gao Zhendong had predicted, with the groundwork laid by the graphite pile, things went surprisingly smoothly. In the eyes of most of the Luo people, this was simply exchanging a power plant for a semiconductor production line.

As for graphite piles, what graphite piles? They already have those! What they want to buy is a power plant!
Although the relationship between the two sides is somewhat complicated, they do not currently regard each other as enemies, which greatly reduces the pressure on those present.

"That's all for now. I'll go report to my superiors." These were the last words spoken by the leader in charge of arms sales at the meeting.
-
In the fishing grounds of the southern sea, a large iron-hulled fishing boat is at work.

Not only that, but there are many fishing boats operating in this fishing ground, but they are far apart and do not interfere with each other or communicate much.

The reason for the lack of communication is that a few boats, including this one, are different from other fishing boats, as they fly flags of different colors.

"Boss, if we fish here, won't we get kidnapped by the people on the other side and forced to mine coal in the mountains?" a fisherman asked worriedly while operating the machine to haul in the nets.

Things are different now. Before, this area, spanning hundreds of miles, was inhabited by people from our side. Now... let's not even talk about it.

"What's there to be afraid of? When have those people ever made things difficult for us ordinary folks? Don't worry, I've dealt with them when I was young, it's nothing." As he said this, the boatman seemed to recall the steamed buns he ate on the battlefield when he was young. They were so delicious, and he had never eaten such delicious steamed buns in all his decades of life.

Even when facing enemies, they would still give you steamed buns and let you come and go as you please. The boat captain believes that they will not change now. As long as they fish honestly, what is there to be afraid of?

It's a pity that back then, after receiving travel expenses from eating steamed buns, I was conscripted halfway home and ultimately couldn't be there for my mother's passing. Now that I'm married and have children on the island, there's even less chance for me to go back.

“Okay, you’re the boss, you make the decisions,” the fisherman operating the machine laughed.

The captain carefully observed the speed of the net hauling and chuckled, "You keep an eye on it, I'll go to the helm and hear what's going on." The biggest change since the island reef was relocated was the increased volume and detail of information broadcast from the other side, which was far more useful for someone like him who made a living at sea with his brothers.

They would even broadcast where schools of fish had been found, without anyone knowing how they discovered them.

The sonar on the guided-missile boat: Are you talking about me?

He walked into the wheelhouse, where almost all the navigation and communication equipment was located. There was no one there; they were currently anchoring, and everyone was busy down below, perhaps hauling in the nets or in the engine room.

A strong, clear female voice came from the radio. The boat captain shook his head; this was quite unusual.

However, the message brought by the woman's voice quickly changed his expression.

"Attention all personnel operating XX kilometers southeast of XX Reef: According to meteorological satellite and weather radar data, a tropical storm is forming XX kilometers southwest of this area. Vessels operating in this area are advised to move away from this area as soon as possible and seek shelter from the storm at nearby islands or reefs such as XX Island."

"At XX Reef..."

The radio kept repeating the news, clearly indicating that its importance outweighed everything else; this was the most important thing right now.

The notice did not mention latitude and longitude, which was far less clear and easy to understand for most fishermen at that time.

The captains who operate in this sea area year-round don't even need to look at the nautical charts. A few directional data points flash through their minds, and they immediately turn around and rush out the door, not caring about anything else.

He went up to the deck, grabbed the megaphone, and shouted.

"Hurry! Weigh anchor! Weigh anchor!"

"Stop closing the net! Cut the net! Cut it now!"

The people on deck were momentarily confused. Cut the net? They didn't want the fish anymore? They didn't want the net? Couldn't they just slowly haul it in?
However, the rules of maritime operations and the tacit understanding among the fishermen made them immediately stop what they were doing and start operating according to the captain's instructions.

After shouting those two sentences, the captain saw that the people on the deck had begun to take action, so he put down the megaphone and turned to the microphone leading to the engine room.

"Get ready to set sail! Immediately!"

Even if a ship can escape the storm's range, its engine is its only lifeline. Within the storm's range, losing power will likely result in a grim fate for any ship, regardless of its size.

A ship that is anchored cannot start running immediately because its engine is not in good condition; some preparations need to be made.

The engine sound in the cabin changed, and it was clear that the people below heard it.

The captain was relieved to hear the sounds coming from below. He knew these crew members were reliable, as they had been with him for a long time.

He grabbed a fire axe from beside him, rushed off the deck in a few strides, and joined the fishermen in cutting the fishing nets.

"Boss, what's the rush?" a fisherman asked, trembling slightly, whether from exerting too much force or something else.

They've even abandoned the net and the fish; could it be that the other side is coming to capture them?

Boatman Avenue: "There's a storm to the southwest, not far away. We need to hurry!"

No wonder it's called "chopping the net"—in this situation, the longer you stay, the greater the danger.

A fisherman looked in the direction the boat captain had indicated and said with some doubt, "No, sir? It just looks like there are thick clouds, not like a typhoon."

The boat captain said as he hacked at the fishing net, "This is a notification from the other side. They said it was discovered by some kind of star or some kind of thunder. They wouldn't lie to us."

Not lying doesn't guarantee that something will happen, but the boat captain doesn't want to gamble his life here.

Upon hearing about stars and lightning, the others began to believe it: it was discovered by gods? Well, then, let's run! Modern technology and feudal superstition intertwined in a wondrous way.

Satellites and radar: However, I don't want to play tricks.

The fishermen acted quickly, and the fishing net was soon cut, with most of the fish falling into the sea.

The captain, watching the anchor chain still rattling as it rose, instructed the others, "You all continue to weigh anchor, Xiao Liu and I will go up and prepare to set sail."

Once the boat started moving, several fishermen squeezed into the wheelhouse.

"Boss, where can we hide? There's no territory for us around here anymore. Going to Peace Island is too far, we might not make it in time." They were aware that the situation in the southern seas had changed.

The captain, while steering the boat, replied, "We're heading to XX Reef!"

The others were shocked: "That's the other side's territory now, what if we go there and get..."

The boat captain shook his head: "What's there to be afraid of? They won't, they won't change! We're just ordinary fishermen, nothing to fear. Believe it or not, if the typhoon lasts too long and we can't leave for a while, they'll send us supplies. Steamed buns would be best, hehehe." He thought back to that meal of steamed buns; after all, anyone who's been hungry for three days will never forget the food they ate, let alone meat steamed buns.

A young man shook his head: "I don't believe it. It's good enough that I don't get shot, I want to eat steamed buns too."

The boat captain glanced at him and laughed, "You still haven't seen the world."

The fishing boat sped towards the nearby reef, encountering other fishing boats along the way. Although they were slightly different, their faces were all the same. Nothing happened along the way; the fishing boats from different ports simply rushed into the lagoon of the reef together.

Just as the boat captain had said, although there was a small island a few kilometers away from the lagoon, the people on the island did not do anything special. Everything was as usual, and everyone was quietly waiting for the typhoon to come and then go.

On Peace Island, dozens of kilometers away, is the only stronghold that Zhou Yi controls here.

The island's commander took a piece of paper from his adjutant, glanced at it carefully, and immediately said to his adjutant, "Notify the entire island to prepare for typhoons, following the usual practice!"

The adjutant hesitated to act immediately: "Sir, this is a message from the other side. Could there be a problem? We haven't found anything."

The island's commander glared: "Bullshit! What could possibly be wrong? Their equipment is way more advanced than ours! Listen to them, and you'll be fine. By the time we find out, the wind will have already blown over!"

Seeing that his adjutant was a bit slow, he kicked him: "Hurry up! If they had any designs on us, they wouldn't need to play any tricks. They could just charge at us and we'd have no choice but to surrender. Do you think our meager resources can withstand a proper assault? Let me tell you, this notice was sent to the fishermen, not to us. We're just benefiting from the fishermen's business. They would never do anything underhanded in this kind of thing."

It's clear that the two get along very well, otherwise he wouldn't have said these things to his adjutant at all.

"Okay, I'll be right there." The adjutant took off running.

The earlier and more thorough the preparation, the smaller the loss. Now there's only this small piece of land left; if anything is lost, it can't be replaced in a short time.

(End of this chapter)