In 1978, I was admitted to Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 422 Are you crazy?! Is this a precursor to the weaponization of lasers?
"What? Has this kid gone mad? Didn't he say he wanted to develop supporting facilities? He's just throwing 8 million into laser research?"

Upon hearing this, Li Rui jumped up.

crazy!

Xie Wei has really gone mad.

If the government invests 800 million yuan in laser research, he will feel it's too little. Even if it's 8 billion, 80 billion, or even 8000 billion yuan, he will still feel it's insufficient.

But this is the school's investment.

Results will not be seen in the short term.

"Didn't you put pressure on them?"

Director Wang looked at Li Rui and asked, "Didn't the military require them to accelerate the research and development of laser guidance and supporting laser generators?"

The laser research project at Harbin Institute of Technology was originally proposed to the university by Li Ruisai.

As one of the pioneers and founders of modern defense optical technology and optical engineering, and who was repeatedly persuaded by Li Rui and Xie Wei to become an advisor and visiting professor at Harbin Institute of Technology, Wang Dayan naturally knew what projects the school had.

"no!"

Li Rui shook his head firmly, "Xie Wei never mentioned accelerating the research on laser-guided missiles... Currently, the basic infrastructure is limiting almost all projects at Harbin Institute of Technology. Comrade Liu Debao just came to see me and Leader Long Yaohua a few days ago..."

I won't take the blame for this.

That bastard Xie Wei doesn't value money at all.

On the one hand, they boast about the many difficult projects they've crammed into the school that drain funding, while on the other hand, they squander money on projects that won't yield results in the short term.

"8 billion?"

Even Long Yaohua frowned when he heard about Xie Wei's investment in laser and nanotechnology.

"Send that kid over here!"

"Boss, I called him before I came here, and the kid made an excuse that he was under house arrest and couldn't leave Harbin..."

"..."

Clearly, Xie Wei knew this matter would cause trouble for his superiors, so he naturally wouldn't come forward voluntarily.

In which other areas has he invested?

Long Yaohua really couldn't understand what Xie Wei was trying to do. On one hand, he was making a fuss about developing supporting facilities and not being overly ambitious; on the other hand, he was working on technologies that were absolutely cutting-edge in the world.

Research on extreme ultraviolet light sources, especially at the 13.5 nanometer level, is undoubtedly a pipe dream given the current industrial base and technological level in China.

Xie Wei is not the kind of person who has unrealistic ambitions.

"Nothing else, just integrated circuits, metallic materials, semiconductors, CNC technology, etc..."

Li Rui's words confused Long Yaohua even more, so he said directly, "Since he won't come out, let's go. By the way, Feng Ke is almost recovered, let him come back to school with us. Chu Yunlong and Wei Yong also need to go back, let them keep an eye on this kid! Transfer Wei Changcheng back, and arrange for Qin Weidong to be the head of the military representative office at the school..."

Li Rui was not surprised at all.

Harbin Institute of Technology is not the only institution in China conducting tactical missile research. Feng Ke has far more experience in tactical missile design than others. However, Feng Ke has been abroad for many years, and it would be inappropriate to assign him to other units. In addition, Feng Ke himself requested to return to Harbin Institute of Technology.

Chu Yunlong and Wei Yong should have returned to Xie Wei's side long ago, but because of Xie Wei's previous arrangement to secretly go abroad, these two were put in solitary confinement upon their return...

Otherwise, she would have gone back to Xie Wei's side long ago.

Xie Wei was not surprised at all by Director Wang's arrival.

"We need more advanced laser technology. Not just laser guidance and ranging..."

Faced with questions from a group of industry leaders, Xie Wei responded in this way.

"Every country needs advanced technology! Haven't you always been against building castles in the air without a foundation?"

Li Rui looked at Xie Wei with a dark face, "Even with an investment of 8 million, it's hard to see any results!"

"I told you to take bigger steps before, but I didn't tell you to take such big steps all at once!"

Long Yaohua was furious. He completely disregarded his professional demeanor and scolded Xie Wei with a dark face: "Aren't you afraid of taking too big a step and tearing your balls? You've got a little money in your hands and you're starting to get arrogant?"

Even though he knew Xie Wei wasn't the kind of cadre who was overly ambitious, Long Yaohua found Xie Wei's explanation unacceptable.

Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) made a huge profit of $23 billion in transactions with major investors, and several billion dollars will gradually be transferred back from Hong Kong.

Instead of channeling resources toward fundamental technologies that currently limit the development of various technical projects at the university, such as alloy materials, semiconductor materials, CNC machine tools, and computers, we are investing in extreme ultraviolet light sources, which have yet to be researched much worldwide.

It's really hard to accept.

"Yes, Comrade Xie Wei, laser research is a huge and complex system engineering project. 8 million is just a drop in the bucket. Since the country launched this technology research in the 60s, it has never stopped. The Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics has been engaged in this research for many years. You have cooperation with them, so you should know about the situation."

Director Wang Dayan reminded Xie Wei.

They hoped to see investment in cutting-edge scientific research fields like lasers; otherwise, he wouldn't have joined forces with Wang Ganchang, Yang Jiachi, and Chen Fangyun to submit the "Report on the High-Tech Research and Development Plan," which led to the 863 Program.

This plan was proposed in order to narrow the gap with international advanced levels and avoid being left too far behind, influenced by projects such as the US's Star Wars program, Europe's Eureka program, and Japan's science and technology revitalization policy for the next ten years.

As one of the initiators of the plan, Director Wang was naturally aware of the current level of science and technology and the industrial base in China.

"Professor Wang, research on extreme ultraviolet light sources involves various cutting-edge processes such as lasers, nanotechnology, computer control technology, and ultra-high precision manufacturing... Without such technology, research in other areas would be scattered and disorganized... Laser and nanotechnology are also involved in many projects at the university..."

Xie Wei knew that Director Wang was also worried that he was young and didn't know the importance of things.

If there were any other way, Xie Wei would be unwilling to invest in this research now.

"You mean these technologies are just prerequisite technologies for certain projects?"

Long Yaohua's eyes widened.

Not only him, but everyone else looked equally incredulous.

"What exactly were you doing with those projects?"

Long Yaohua asked Xie Wei.

"There aren't many projects! It's just that the school discovered some fundamental technologies needed for the future development of these projects during some research projects... For example, the 3D metal printing that the school is currently researching—if the performance of various ultra-hard alloy raw materials can be improved to nanoscale powder, the performance can be greatly enhanced... Also, in the process of integrated circuit manufacturing, the precision detection of the photolithography process, etc..."

Xie Wei's face turned serious.

"In other words, your investment is mainly focused on basic infrastructure?"

Director Wang frowned and looked at Xie Wei.

"Sure!"

Xie Wei nodded, "Extreme ultraviolet light sources are just one direction. Currently, Tsinghua University and the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are researching different areas in lithography machines. As long as the basic supporting infrastructure is solved, breaking through from 1 micrometer to 800 nanometers or even 650 nanometers in manufacturing processes is not a problem..."

His meaning was clear: Tsinghua University and the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences will continue their research, and they will not get involved.

"Didn't you always hope to integrate resources from all sides and focus on making breakthroughs?"

After hearing Xie Wei's explanation, Long Yaohua breathed a sigh of relief, but still found it hard to accept.

"Boss, is it really a good thing if we make a breakthrough now?"

"???"

The group of industry leaders were all completely bewildered, looking at Xie Wei with puzzlement. If China could achieve a breakthrough, it would avoid being blackmailed by foreign technology and wouldn't be held back in high-tech fields, saving the country a huge amount of money.

"Analog mobile phone terminals will soon be available in Huadu... Digital mobile phones were already implemented at the school two years ago..."

Xie Wei sighed.

The market demand is huge, and they even have more advanced technology than those on the market, but they simply can't bring it to market!
It's very upsetting.

"What do you mean?"

Long Yaohua's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

The other bigwigs were equally bewildered, looking at Xie Wei with puzzlement and eagerly awaiting his explanation.

"Once we launch digital mobile terminals on the market, what will the international giants do? If we can develop such a technology with such poor skills and such backward foundations, are those international giants who have been researching related technologies and have mastered the most cutting-edge technologies just going to watch us seize the market?"

Xie Wei's words dispelled the doubts on the faces of the bigwigs, replacing them with a heavy expression.

The domestic CNC system is the most obvious example: when companies such as Mitsubishi and Toshiba were preparing to export CNC systems and machine tools, Harbin Institute of Technology launched a three-axis CNC system with low precision to the market, forcing international giants to use more advanced technology to seize the market.

When they realize that there has been no breakthrough in domestic CNC systems, they will not come up with anything more advanced.

"Whatever technology we introduce, the international community will come up with something slightly more advanced to seize the market and prevent us from quickly recouping our investment..."

"Ah~"

Long Yaohua sighed deeply.

"Under such circumstances, shouldn't you concentrate your limited resources on breakthroughs in basic technologies?"

Director Wang understood Xie Wei's meaning.

Internationally, they do not want domestic companies to achieve technological breakthroughs and become their competitors.

At its core, a market economy is about competition.

Whoever has more advanced technology will be able to control the market and gain development opportunities.

"That's only one aspect. More importantly, a backward China is in the interest of Western capital... What they want is our market, not for us to become their competitors..."

Xie Wei's words struck everyone like a heavy blow.

"That's why, even though we've made technological breakthroughs in recent years, we've only provided them to related entities, rather than releasing them to the market... Once international giants discover this, we'll face even more severe market suppression! So, we can only develop stealthily..."

Xie Wei's comment about "developing stealthily" left many big shots both amused and exasperated.

But that's the truth.

"It's useless for a single school to be strong. Although we currently have good relations with the West, are they willing to sell us truly advanced technology? For example, the cooperation on the J-8II is still dragging on; and after our PL-4G was successfully upgraded, Italy has been dragging out the Aspide negotiations, while the US is helping to stir up trouble by recommending the Python-3 short-range air-to-air missile, whose performance is far inferior to the PL-4G..."

Xie Wei is making a complaint.

The PL-4 has undergone at least four revisions to date, with each revision significantly improving its performance.

But the Air Force has only placed orders for twenty or thirty missiles a year so far!
It wasn't that the Air Force didn't support it—the J-7's nose diameter couldn't accommodate an active phased array radar, and the original radar and avionics systems couldn't fully utilize the performance of the PL-4 variant.

"Wasn't that to acquire foreign pulse-Doppler radar? Besides, didn't the Air Force ultimately not buy the Python-3?"

Li Rui knew that Xie Wei was very unhappy about the negotiations between the Air Force and Rafael Corporation.

However, the military has its own predicament: many of the technologies required for the J-7 modification need to be imported from abroad.

Harbin Institute of Technology directly incorporated the 601 Research Institute into its ranks. Project No. 10 had already completed its maiden flight, but the technology used there was not suitable for installation on a second-generation aircraft like the J-7.

It wasn't that the technical department of Factory 132 didn't want to install the active phased array radar developed by Harbin Institute of Technology in conjunction with several other units.

I've tried it.

The J-7's nose radar antenna aperture is only 350 mm in size, while the J-10's nose radar antenna aperture is 700 mm in diameter...

To fit it in, the J-7's airframe structure would have to be redesigned—which is more difficult than redesigning a new fighter jet, and has less development potential.

"Xie Wei, that's a bit unreasonable of you. The Air Force's negotiations with Rafael were mainly about the production technology for the EL/M-2001 pulse-Doppler radar..."

Long Yaohua also spoke up to explain.

In recent years, Harbin Institute of Technology has undertaken many military research projects that are not supported by the state, and the support from the military has been minimal.

The numerous projects have squeezed out research funding for other projects at Harbin Institute of Technology.

Project 10 has completed its maiden flight and is undergoing high-density test flights. It is also facing competition from the F-16/79. The Air Force has not yet placed an order for Project 10!

"Let's not get sidetracked..."

Director Wang was speechless.

He just wanted to know why Xie Wei was investing so heavily in the research of extreme ultraviolet light sources at this time, not to listen to him arguing with the military leaders.

"Laser technology is not just for guidance and measurement as we currently need; we are now preparing to explore the possibility of weaponizing lasers!"

What?
Everyone was so surprised that they stood up.

crazy!

Xie Wei has truly gone mad.

"Xie Wei, the weaponization of lasers...that involves technology..."

Director Wang, being an expert in this field, was prepared to speak to Xie Wei.

"Gentlemen, let's go to the drone lab and take a look before we talk about it."

Xie Wei did not explain.

These days, talking about laser weapons is considered crazy.

Even though laser technology is one of the seven major fields in the 863 Program, the development only focuses on the application of laser technology and the development of new technologies. Ultimately, it is currently just basic research.

Even the most technologically advanced United States can probably only be listed on a PowerPoint presentation.

The group headed towards the drone laboratory.

Over the years, Harbin Institute of Technology has been expanding, and has grown to the scale of Xie Wei's original world.

Several research buildings are located in restricted areas and have been specially isolated. Not only are the entrances guarded by plainclothes armed guards from the military representative office, but there are also guards at the entrances of each building and even on each floor.

None of the projects had signs.

Xie Wei led a group of bigwigs into the Intelligent Research Center.

In a showroom in the building's vast basement, numerous drone models are displayed on a workbench.

We have multi-rotor, single-rotor, fixed-wing, and vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing drones!

"Gentlemen, if these small drones were enlarged and carried several kilograms of bombs, launching suicide attacks against armored formations or bases using swarm tactics, how would the ground respond?"

After introducing himself to everyone, Xie Wei calmly asked the group of bigwigs a question.

(End of this chapter)