Traveling Back to the 1960s: The Entire Internet Teaches Me How to Build Missiles

After Xun Hong took off his sunglasses, he had a full forehead, thick eyebrows and big eyes. I guess the kind of customers that street fortune tellers like to serve are the ones who like to serve the most.

As for his personality, he is bold and magnanimous.

Besides his imposing presence on the battlefield, his years of working in the foreign affairs department have also given him a refined and cultured demeanor, almost on par with Director Chen.

He warmly pulled Zhou Yunxiao to sit down, and mimicked the original words, speaking affectionately:

"Comrade Xiao Zhou, the information you copied from Brother Sulian was of great help! Comrade Lu Guangda from the Ninth Academy of the Second Ministry of Machine Building repeatedly told me to protect a young comrade like you and to convey his gratitude."

"He said that before they received the materials you translated, the comrades in the theory department kept running into obstacles. There was some parameter... I can't tell you the specifics..."

Zhou Yunxiao sat on another sofa, just sitting on the edge of it, listening attentively.

He never expected that the person who could make General Xun act as a mouthpiece was actually Old Lu.

It seems that the pile of materials I copied day and night before did indeed play its due role.

Xun Hong continued speaking in his gruff voice.

"Comrade Guangda and his team had a tough time. What is an atomic bomb? It was a complete blank to us. We knew nothing about it. Unlike hand grenades, artillery shells, or bazookas, which we could capture on the battlefield and then dismantle and study in our military factories."

"It's the most advanced weapon in the world. Americans use this thing to intimidate others. Comrade Guangda's arduous mission is to imagine this weapon, which has never been seen before, out of thin air!"

"The only reference materials were the courseware provided by the older brothers, and the most advanced calculation tools were the abacuses in everyone's hands and a few semi-automatic Urals electric calculators, which could only perform 100 calculations per second..."

At this point, President Xun sighed with deep empathy.

"Although I don't understand science, I know it must be very difficult. Who can build an atomic bomb just by imagining it on paper?"

"But Comrade Guangda is very capable! He not only led the team to success, but also made it a great success! However, recently they encountered a problem and discovered that their calculation results were inconsistent with the parameters given by their senior colleague!"

"The comrades in the theory department split into two factions: one faction believed that Comrade Guangda's calculations were correct, while the other faction believed that the elder brother was the authority and could not be wrong!"

Listening to Xun Hong's rambling explanation, Zhou Yunxiao finally remembered.

Isn't this the famous anecdote about Mr. Lu—the nine-operation incident?

It is said to be a key parameter in the implosion dynamics of an atomic bomb, which has stumped countless renowned scientists from the West and the Soviet Union.

Unexpectedly, Lu Guangda led the team to solve the problem on the first try, which can be described as speed being of the essence.

However, because the older brother deliberately provided 'incorrect' parameters, everyone began to doubt their own calculations. In order to verify whether they were right or wrong, they had to start over, and each time they started over... it would waste at least a month!

The entire theoretical laboratory repeatedly built new mathematical models, and then repeatedly verified and discussed them, all in order to make them "match" with the parameters of the older model, or to find the source of the error...

Finally, after verifying the calculation nine times, and with each calculation yielding the exact same result as the first, he boldly proposed:

"Big Brother is wrong! The teaching materials they left behind are fake! Science cannot trust authority; science must trust the truth! We calculated for nine whole months, and these nine sacks of draft paper are the truth!"

Xun Hong recalled the bags of draft paper he saw when he visited the theory lab of the Ninth Academy, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Thanks to the valuable materials you translated, otherwise Comrade Guangda and his team would have continued down the wrong path taken by our elder brother, wasting who knows how much time and energy!"

"Comrade Guangda said, 'Your materials are like a lamp lighting up the darkness for them!'"

"Think about it, what time is it now? Big Brother has withdrawn, and the West is clamoring to carry out atomic surgery. It can be said that trouble could break out at any time, so what we lack most is time."

"Every extra day we strive for, every step we take forward, is hard-won. Comrade Guangda even specifically mentioned that the theoretical models and formulas you translated gave him a lot of inspiration."

"He suddenly had a breakthrough in understanding some problems that he couldn't figure out before, and some hurdles that he couldn't overcome!"

At this point, President Xun solemnly stood up and said:

"Comrade Guangda says he's just a researcher and doesn't know how to talk big. But your translated materials saved them at least two years of wasted time, maybe even more!"

"He said they would definitely make good use of the information you sent. No matter how difficult the conditions, no matter how great the difficulties, they have the ambition and backbone to develop our pride-building missile!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yunxiao nodded confidently, "I also believe that Dean Lu and the others can do it."

After conveying Lu Guangda's gratitude, President Xun patted his arm and said:

"Comrade Guangda should thank you, and I should also thank you properly. I've been looking forward to the completion of our own Project 596 as soon as possible. Why? Isn't it so we can stand taller?"

"Over the years, when I go abroad to attend conferences and deal with foreigners every day, I always feel uneasy. They have this kind of thing, so they speak with authority, while we don't, and many times we have to rely on reason and verbal skills."

"So I, Xun Hong, will remember your contribution. Keep up the good work, young man... As the saying goes, the future will eventually belong to you!"

Zhou Yunxiao nodded emphatically, and seeing that the leader was in a good mood, he casually asked:

"President Xun...when will we hear the explosion of our first 'battery of pride'?"

Xun Hong laughed heartily, "You kid... you're asking a bit too many questions. Your rank isn't high enough to hear them... I can only tell you—it's just around the corner!"

Although he hadn't gotten a single word out of him, judging from President Xun's confident smile, Zhou Yunxiao probably had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

It seems that Dean Lu's progress is quite good, even far exceeding expectations. Maybe it will be finalized next year...

Xun Hong, speaking with a thick Sichuan accent, then instructed, "You mustn't tell anyone about today's conversation, okay?"

"Sir, what have we been talking about?"

Zhou Yunxiao scratched his head.

"Heh...you're quite interesting, kid."

After feigning ignorance, Zhou Yunxiao raised a question: "President Xun, how does the higher-ups plan to disclose the matter of shooting down the U-2 reconnaissance plane? Will they handle it quietly or aggressively?"

Xun Hong looked at him and said, "Why are you so concerned about this? You're not doing scientific research, are you trying to work in the foreign affairs department?"

"Sir, I have a plan!"

"A plan?"

Xun Hong raised an eyebrow with interest. "Tell me more about it!"

About half an hour later, a burst of laughter was heard from inside the room.

Then, the office door was flung open with a clang.

Zhou Yunxiao held the door open and asked Ye Guoquan, Sun Desheng, Xu Qianxue, and others who were "punished" by standing in the corridor, as well as the comrades of the special task force, to sit down again.

When Ye Ling walked over, he saw the brat winking at him and breathed a sigh of relief.

After everyone was seated, Xun Hong seemed to still be thinking about what he had just heard. He couldn't help but feel excited and eager to make a big splash.

He cleared his throat and said to everyone:

"The reason I came to Jincheng is that my superiors have entrusted me with the full authority to handle matters related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and its pilots. However, I am not one to make decisions unilaterally and would like to hear everyone's opinions."

"Do you think this message should be a unilateral notification to Big Brother Surian, so they can vent our anger at the UN General Assembly? Or should we launch our own public opinion campaign and give those foreign devils a good dressing down?"

The members of the special task force come from various departments and have different opinions on this matter.

From a rational perspective, the relationship with the elder brother is now merely a facade, and they have lost their "big backer".

Meanwhile, the Westerners, still eager for trouble and harboring ulterior motives, are making a big fuss about the U-2 reconnaissance plane under these circumstances, provoking others... which is like adding fuel to the fire—making it burn even brighter!

If the provocation escalates too much and the tiger really roars... then things will be difficult to handle.

But we've all been through thick and thin, we've seen it all. We're covered in blood and mud, but we'll just fight again.

Therefore, most people still have courage and determination, believing that they cannot rely on the big brother. Since they shot down the plane themselves, they should spread the word themselves.

This is a good opportunity to give a stern warning to the neighboring weasels, especially the monkeys that are trying to steal the reef—

We can even shoot down a U-2, so you'd better watch out!