Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

The moment the call connected, Lin Feng took a deep breath.

"Professor Chen, the Kunpeng project... is complete."

He spoke calmly, but the knuckles of his hand holding the microphone were slightly white.

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then came a series of rapid breathing sounds, followed by the scraping sound of a chair being pushed away abruptly.

"What did you say?" Old Chen's voice was filled with disbelief. "Kunpeng... is finished? You mean, the aircraft carrier has been built?"

"Yes, Mr. Chen," Lin Feng said, enunciating each word clearly. "All construction work has been completed, the hull has been assembled, all systems have passed testing, and it is ready for sea trials at any time."

There were another few seconds of silence.

But this time, a certain emotion was brewing within the silence, about to erupt.

"Okay...okay...okay!"

Old Chen said "good" three times, each time louder and more excited than the last. Through the phone, Lin Feng could even hear the old man slamming his fist on the table.

"How long? You only took one year and four months!" Old Chen's voice trembled slightly. "Lin Feng, do you know what this means? It takes the Free Country five years! Six years! And you..."

"It's the result of everyone's hard work, Professor Chen," Lin Feng interrupted him. "Academician Zhou, Vice President Zheng, the more than 3,000 engineers and workers at the base... it was their tireless efforts that made it possible."

"I know, I know..." Old Chen calmed himself down. "When and where are the sea trials scheduled?"

"Five days later, in the East China Sea. Weather permitting."

"Alright." Old Chen's tone suddenly became solemn. "I need to report this news immediately. Make all preparations on your end, the highest level of preparation."

The phone hangs up.

Lin Feng put down the microphone and turned to look out the window. In the dry dock, the hull of the Kunpeng gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the setting sun. On the deck, workers were carrying out final cleaning work; on the island superstructure, engineers were conducting final system checks.

Everything is ready, just waiting for that moment.

At the same time, in the capital city.

Old Chen put down the red secure phone and paced back and forth in his office for a full three minutes. Then, he went to the safe, entered the triple password, and took out an encrypted communicator that had never been used before.

This communicator connects directly to the highest levels and can only be activated at critical moments concerning the fate of the nation.

He pressed the only button.

The waiting tone only sounded once.

"Academician Chen." A gentle and steady voice came from the other end.

"Old Li," Old Chen's voice was a little hoarse with excitement, "the Kunpeng Project... has succeeded."

There was silence on the other end of the communicator.

It wasn't silence, but a quietude of extreme focus and restraint. It was as if even breathing was being held back.

A few seconds later, the voice sounded again, still steady, but a slight, almost imperceptible tremor could be detected upon closer listening:

"Be specific."

"The ship's construction is complete, the nuclear power system has passed 1,000 hours of continuous operation testing, the electromagnetic catapult has completed 100,000 endurance tests, and all subsystems have passed debugging." Old Chen spoke quickly, "Five days later, in the East China Sea, sea trials."

This time, the silence lasted even longer.

So long that Old Chen thought the communication had been cut off.

Then he heard that voice—still calm, yet carrying a tremendous weight of power:

"What are the specific dates and coordinates for the sea trial?"

"At 9:00 AM five days later, in the sea area at 122.3 degrees east longitude and 30.8 degrees north latitude."

"Okay." The voice said only one word, "I'll be there."

Communication ended.

Old Chen put down the communicator, his palms sweating profusely. He walked to the window, looking at the myriad lights of Beijing outside, and suddenly felt his eyes welling up with tears.

Thirty years have passed.

From proposing the aircraft carrier concept to repeated failures and restarts... Thirty years, the dream of several generations, finally became a reality on this day.

He picked up another phone and called Lin Feng.

"Lin Feng, the highest directive: the sea trial will be held in five days, and Elder Li will be present in person."

On the other end of the phone, Lin Feng's breathing visibly faltered.

"Understood." He only said two words, but Old Chen could hear the thousand words contained in those two words.

The message reached the base at 8 p.m.

Lin Feng summoned his core team to the command center. More than twenty people were crammed into the not-so-large conference room. When he announced that Elder Li would personally participate in the sea trial, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Then, someone started to tremble.

It wasn't fear, it was excitement.

Academician Zhou took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes vigorously, put them back on, and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Vice President Zheng clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. The younger engineers looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"So," Lin Feng's voice broke the silence, "we need to achieve perfection in these five days. Not just excellent, but perfect. Every single detail must be flawless."

No one spoke, but everyone's eyes changed.

That was a do-or-die, desperate determination.

For the next five days, the base entered an unprecedented state of tension.

Every screw was re-inspected, every circuit was repeatedly tested, and every parameter was checked at least ten times. The workers voluntarily worked three shifts, taking a nap in a corner of the workshop when they were tired, and then continuing to work when they woke up. The engineers practically lived in the control center, eating only a few bites of food before putting it down.

Lin Feng worked non-stop. He explored every corner of the aircraft carrier—from the deepest reactor compartment to the tallest radar mast; from the narrowest pipe compartments to the most expansive flight deck. His notebook was filled with questions, and he investigated each one thoroughly until it was resolved.

The fifth day, 4 a.m.

In the East China Sea, it was still dark.

But the sea was already teeming with ships—two destroyers led the way, four frigates flanked them, and supply ships, hospital ships, and rescue ships stood by in the rear. In the air, two early warning aircraft circled overhead, and four fighter jets patrolled at higher altitudes.

This is the highest-level sea trial lineup.

The Kunpeng quietly anchored in the designated sea area. Its gray-black hull appeared and disappeared in the morning light, like a sleeping behemoth.

At six o'clock, the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

An unassuming gray speedboat approached the Kunpeng. On the speedboat, Old Li, dressed in an ordinary dark jacket, stood at the bow. The sea breeze ruffled his gray hair, but his back remained ramrod straight.

The gangway was lowered.

Mr. Li boarded the ship.

Lin Feng and his core team lined up on the deck to greet him. Everyone was wearing brand-new work uniforms and stood ramrod straight. The moment Old Li stepped onto the deck, someone shouted first:

"salute!"

More than twenty people raised their hands in unison to salute.

Old Li stopped and looked around at these young faces—their average age was less than forty, yet they had fulfilled the dreams of generations of people in this country. His gaze finally settled on Lin Feng.

"Comrade Lin Feng," Old Li extended his hand, "you've worked hard."

Lin Feng grasped that hand, feeling the warmth and strength emanating from his palm: "Reporting to Elder Li, the Kunpeng project team has 3,742 members present as expected. Please provide further instructions!"

"Begin sea trials," Old Li said, uttering only one sentence.

"yes!"

At 9:00 AM sharp, the sea trial officially began.

"Reactor startup!"

"Power 10%...20%...50%...100%! The reactor is operating normally at full power!"

"All-electric propulsion system activated!"

"Speed ​​10 knots... 20 knots... 30 knots! Maximum speed 32.5 knots, reaching design specifications!"

"Electromagnetic catapult system ready!"

On the deck, a J-15 carrier-based fighter jet was pushed to the number one catapult position. The pilot gave a thumbs-up from the cockpit.

"catapult!"

"Whoosh—" A deep roar sounded, and the plane was suddenly accelerated, reaching takeoff speed in less than 100 meters and soaring into the sky.

"Landing tests begin!"

The aircraft circled in the air, adjusted its attitude, and aligned itself with the deck. The tailhook lowered and caught the arresting cable the instant it touched the deck. In just two seconds, the aircraft came to a complete stop from a speed of over 200 kilometers per hour.

perfect.

The tests proceeded smoothly and systematically. Power, speed, maneuverability, catapults, landing, radar, communications, defense... every system performed flawlessly.

Old Li stood in the command room on the top floor of the island superstructure, watching everything through the porthole. He didn't speak, but his grip on the railing tightened.

At 4 PM, the last test was completed.

"Report! The Kunpeng submersible has completed all sea trials! All indicators have met or exceeded design standards!"

A long-suppressed cheer erupted in the command room.

Old Li turned around to face Lin Feng and his core team.

He walked up to Academician Zhou, grasped the old man's hand, and said, "Professor Zhou, you've worked so hard."

Academician Zhou's tears welled up instantly, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He then walked up to Vice Dean Zheng and patted him on the shoulder: "Dean Zheng, well done."

Then, he walked up to Lin Feng.

Eyes facing each other.

"Lin Feng," Old Li's voice was soft, but every word clearly reached everyone's ears, "you've lost weight in the past year or so."

Lin Feng's nose tingled, and he straightened his back forcefully: "Reporting to Elder Li, it's no trouble at all!"

"No, you've all worked hard." Old Li looked around at everyone. "Each and every one of you has worked hard. Today, you have made immortal contributions to the country."

He paused, walked to the porthole, and looked at the red flag fluttering in the wind on the deck.

"This ship deserves a name."

Everyone held their breath.

"Let's name it Kunpeng," Old Li said slowly. "In the Northern Sea there is a fish, its name is Kun. It transforms into a bird, its name is Peng. Kunpeng spreads its wings and strikes the water for three thousand miles—may this ship carry our dream of sailing to the sea."

Kunpeng.

This name was etched into history at this moment.

After the sea trials concluded, Mr. Li did not leave immediately. He visited every important compartment of the aircraft carrier and shook hands with every engineer and worker he encountered. In the reactor control room, he chatted with the young technician on duty for ten minutes; in the hangar, he touched the wing of a carrier-based aircraft; in the soldiers' quarters, he tested the firmness of the beds.

Finally, he returned to the deck.

As the sun sets, the sea is bathed in a golden glow. The Kunpeng slowly sails through this golden expanse, like a moving Great Wall of Steel.

"Lin Feng." Old Li looked at the young man beside him.

"exist."

"The road ahead is long," Old Li said, only three words.

"Yes." Lin Feng understood. "I will continue to work hard and forge ahead."

Old Li nodded and said nothing more.

The warship arrived, and Old Li boarded and left. Even after the warship had sailed far away, he remained standing at the stern, watching the Kunpeng-1 gradually disappear into the distance.

On the deck, Lin Feng and everyone else lined up to watch the speedboat disappear into the horizon.

The wind was strong, making the flags flutter loudly.

Academician Zhou walked to Lin Feng's side, his voice choked with emotion: "President Lin, we...we really did it."

Lin Feng looked at the sea in the distance and nodded.

"Yes, I did it."