Reborn in 2011, I am the chief designer of aerospace.

After two days and three rounds of intense assessments, everyone was indeed somewhat physically and mentally exhausted.

Therefore, everyone agreed with Song Xingye's point of view: it's okay to have fun, but don't overdo it.

Finally, Chang Jian took them on the subway and headed straight to the Jingzhou Ancient Observatory at Jianguomen.

The simplified armillary sphere and the celestial sphere, built during the Ming and Qing dynasties, stand tall and majestic.

The four of them stood beside the enormous bronze Jiheng Fuchenyi, reaching out to touch the cool bronze base, and praising it endlessly.

Chang Jian said, "This place is nice, isn't it? It's quiet amidst the hustle and bustle; most tourists don't come here, hehe!"

"Wow... I've never been to this place before. Could this be the legendary Imperial Observatory?"

Fan Xiaoying leaned on the white marble railing and exclaimed in amazement, "The contrast is incredible! On one side is a steel forest, and on the other side is a bronze dragon."

Song Xingye nodded in agreement; the location was indeed quite unique.

The bustling skyscrapers of the CBD and the constant flow of traffic on the East Second Ring Road surround this elevated area, creating a sense of dislocation, as if the Imperial Observatory has invaded the modern world.

Chang Jian's true colors were on full display this time. He ran over, touched the huge bronze dragon-patterned base, and shouted:

"Hey, you old folks from the Ming Dynasty! Didn't your necks get sore from craning your necks to look at the stars back then? Once we've built our space station, we'll bring a space telescope up there and let you see the stars to your heart's content!"

The few tourists around were amused, but Cao Que took two steps back with a look of disgust, pretending to be looking at the scenery, "I don't know this guy."

Standing to the side, Song Xingye said with some emotion:

"Hundreds of years ago, the Director of the Imperial Observatory also stood here, using the naked eye to calculate the trajectory of the stars, establish the calendar, and predict good and bad fortune."

"Back then, there were no computers, no rockets, only pure awe for the sky. Time flies, and so much time has passed in the blink of an eye. This place has witnessed the fall of two dynasties, yet it still points to the same starry sky..."

Cao Que nodded: "Yes, in the grand scheme of things, these few weeks of summer camp are nothing compared to the scale of five hundred years."

Fan Xiaoying sighed, "On such a small scale, we so-called top students from prestigious universities, the chosen ones, are probably not even worth a grain of sand, right? Hundreds of years from now, who will remember us stargazers?"

Chang Jian listened with a sense of melancholy and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"Yes, what kind of genius would have the chance to make this starry sky remember his name?"

Song Xingye smiled and said, "I think that at the very least, one should be a genius of the level of the four aerospace pioneers, which would barely qualify as passing."

The "Four Elders of Aerospace" is not an official designation, but rather a commonly used term of respect within the industry.

The founders of Dongguo's space program, who led the country from its remote mountains and rivers to the stars during its vibrant early years, are the pioneers of Dongguo's space program.

Professor Qian, Professor Ren, Professor Sun, and Professor Wang.

Qian Xuesen's contributions need no introduction, while the latter three were key figures in rocket, satellite, and spacecraft technologies, forming the most prestigious team of chief designers in the history of East Asian spaceflight.

Chang Jian, Cao Que, and Fan Xiaoying immediately fell silent.

The threshold is too high, so high that even looking up makes their necks ache.

To paraphrase a line from "Farewell My Concubine," how did they become such stars? Do we even deserve to be?

Chang Jian broke the silence, giving a self-deprecating laugh: "Fine, I admit I'm a loser. All I hope for now is to make it through a few more rounds of summer camp and not embarrass Beijing Institute of Technology!"

Cao Que said, "Then why don't you go and worship the Four Elders? Maybe you can get their blessing and change your fate against all odds."

Chang Jian immediately teased, "Old Cao, I didn't expect someone like you who's studied abroad to be so superstitious!"

Cao Que said in a serious tone, "This is called respecting our ancestors, do you understand?"

The group chatted and joked around the observatory for half a day. In the evening, they wandered into a secluded alley, found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, ordered some kebabs and beer, and chatted until late before reluctantly leaving.

After taking a taxi back to the family compound, Song Xingye replied to the unread QQ messages on his phone, then washed up and went to bed.

……

The next morning.

The 59 surviving "preparatory payload experts" took their seats in the multi-functional conference hall, looking quite spirited.

As July arrives, in addition to the Starry Sky Summer Camp, various summer camps organized by Dongyu Group for the autumn recruitment season have also started one after another.

Young, inexperienced faces constantly enter and exit the building.

Of course, the already limited number of conference rooms became a scarce resource, and the new students were all curious as to why such a large conference room on the eighth floor was exclusively occupied.

However, when they heard that the future "successors" of the Star Talents Program were inside, they couldn't help but show an expression of inferiority and silently retreated.

Those who make it into the Star Program are guaranteed at least a regular internship offer from the group.

Compared to these academic underachievers who are still worrying about interview qualifications, they are not even in the same league.

In the conference hall, Li Ang walked onto the stage with a big smile. Several big shots, including General Manager Liang, Engineer Lei, Engineer Lin, and Engineer Chen, were also present.

Looking at the empty seats below the stage, I felt a little regretful, but that's just how the rules are.

Dongyu Group has limited resources and cannot devote itself to cultivating everyone. Therefore, it must make choices and select the best among the best!

Survival of the fittest is a natural law and an ironclad rule in the workplace.

Li Ang looked at the audience and joked, "Why do some of you look like wronged little wives the moment you see me? Are you still holding a grudge against me for messing with you in the third round of assessments?"

Song Xingye crossed his arms and chuckled.

Chairman Chang Jian, who was standing next to him, was one of the many unhappy couples.

Chang Jian rolled his eyes and muttered, "You know perfectly well..."

At this moment, General Manager Liang took the microphone and spoke gently:

"Don't blame Xiao Li. The questions were set by us old guys; he was just responsible for carrying them out."

"I thought that after the first round, you would be more careful, but I didn't expect... haha, you are still so easy to fool."

Lei, Lin, and Chen, who were standing nearby, also smiled.

Although they couldn't be there in person, it's not hard to imagine how desperate and helpless those guys must have felt when they were racking their brains trying to find the 10th FOD item in the dark, sweltering wreckage of the arrow.

Of course, there were also some clever students who saw through Li Ang's tricks and confidently adopted their sixth sense, convinced that there was no 10th FOD.

President Liang's smile faded, and he said seriously:

"Actually, the third round of assessment is not just about testing everyone's observation skills and concentration. In addition to being rigorous, meticulous, and thorough, I also hope that you can learn to prioritize."

"We've given you half an hour. Why do you get an extra point for coming out a minute early? It's so that you can make up your mind sooner, trust your judgment, and decisively step out."

His sharp gaze swept across the entire room:

"You will all become aerospace engineers in the future, shining brightly in various parts of the group. I hope that in addition to listening to all sides, you will also learn to think independently and never take other people's words as gospel."

"An engineer who only listens to others but lacks their own subjective judgment will never become a chief engineer!"

"Even if you're promoted, others can come to you with their problems, but who will you turn to when you have a problem? You'll have no one behind you; you'll be the last line of defense!"

These words resonated deeply, prompting many students to fall into deep thought.

"Alright, that's enough lecturing." General Manager Liang waved his hand. "Next, let Xiao Li announce the content of the new round of assessments."

Upon hearing this, Li Ang picked up the microphone, holding a document, and said:

"Students, time waits for no one, so let's seize every minute. Therefore, we'll begin the fourth round of assessments today!"

The atmosphere in the audience instantly became tense, with some people becoming anxious again, while others remained calm and composed.

Although the rounds of assessments came quickly, all the top students present had fought their way through countless practice problems and were able to withstand the pressure.

Li Ang said loudly:

"The fourth round of assessment focuses on orbit design. It mainly tests everyone's core technical skills. As future chief aerospace engineers, you must excel in theoretical calculations, orbital dynamics, and rapid engineering implementation."

"The track design topic is standardized, and the time limit is five days. No outside assistance is allowed except for computer-aided design. We welcome active monitoring and reporting. If any such report is discovered… the person reported will be eliminated, and 20% of their original score will be awarded to the reporter!"

These rules had actually been explained beforehand, but Li Ang brought them up again to remind those students who wanted to take shortcuts not to lose more than they gain.

Next is the description of the question.

"This assessment requires solving the problems of binary satellite orbit design and maneuver optimization for complex missions targeting large-scale ground targets..."

A PowerPoint presentation was projected onto the screen in the multi-functional conference room.