I started with a ship full of max-level veterans, and I'm just a complete noob.

The next morning at nine o'clock, when Director Zhang signed the acceptance report for the 500-hour equipment-level life test of the Type B improved pipe in his office, the black-covered document with red lines on the table was no longer just a report card.

Once it enters the ministry's military industry bureau, every set of data that Jiang Ming wrote down over the past two months will become evidence that can be repeatedly questioned.

The report is forty-one pages long, and from the cover to the appendices, it is all bound in black cardboard.

Three holes were punched on the left side, and red cotton thread was threaded through them and tied tightly. The red thread cut into the edge of the paper, causing the corners of the cover to wrinkle slightly.

Wu Hanzhang laid the report flat on the table and took out the red stamp engraved with "Technical Appraisal of the Third Electronics Factory" from his jacket pocket.

He first pressed the inkpad into the inkpad box, then carefully stamped it onto the lower right corner of the cover.

No one in the room spoke when the red mark fell.

Factory Director Zhang picked up a pen and wrote his name in the signature column.

"Three original copies."

"One copy was sent to the Ministry's Military Industry Bureau, one copy to the Confidentiality and Security Department, and one copy was kept in the factory's archives."

"No copies will be kept; all original data and experimental records will be archived and sealed for a ten-year confidentiality period."

Wu Hanzhang nodded and closed the report again.

"I personally delivered the copy to the Military Industry Bureau, and the Confidentiality Department had the Administrative Section send it via confidential express."

Factory Director Zhang grunted in acknowledgment, pulled a document stamped with a red seal from his drawer, and pushed it in front of Wu Hanzhang.

"The commendation order from the ministry just arrived by fax."

Wu Hanzhang took it and glanced at it.

The document states that Jiang Ming's technical level has been promoted from level ten to level eight.

According to the factory's technical grade sequence, the smaller the number, the higher the grade.

Jiang Ming was also awarded the honorary title of "Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Military Electronic Devices".

Old Sun was promoted from a level 7 fitter to a level 6 fitter, and Xiao Zhao was awarded a third-class merit.

"Salaries will be adjusted starting this month."

Factory Director Zhang pulled out another form from under the documents.

"Jiang Ming's allowance will also be increased by one level, and will be paid according to the standard for an eighth-level technical cadre."

"Go and inform Lao Sun that Xiao Zhao's third-class merit award should go through the Youth League Committee's procedures and be handled by the Administrative Section."

Wu Hanzhang folded the documents and put them into his briefcase along with the acceptance report.

"I'll go to Workshop One later and tell them about this."

Factory Director Zhang nodded and continued, "Have you heard about what happened with Xu Chongwen?"

"I've heard about it."

Wu Hanzhang fastened the briefcase.

"Director Wang came by last night and said that there was enough evidence, but the chain of events was not completely broken."

Factory Director Zhang didn't respond immediately. He simply picked up a cigarette case from the table, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff before speaking.

"The deputy director of the materials allocation department is still keeping an eye on things."

"The ministry's message is to wait and see, so as not to alert them."

Wu Hanzhang remained silent for two seconds.

"What about Jiang Ming?"

"He doesn't need to worry about these things."

Factory Director Zhang flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray.

"Let him focus his energy on the magnetron; someone else will keep an eye on everything else."

In Workshop No. 1, Jiang Ming was squatting next to his toolbox, spreading out a 23-page process report on the ground, checking for flaws page by page.

The main body of the report was completed before the 500-hour test was finished, but five appendix chapters are still missing.

Procedure for preparing deionized water columns.

Calcium carbonate standardization method.

Reverse pulse parameter range.

Instrument 24-hour calibration system.

"Tactical timeout allowance" acceptance criteria.

Each item must be linked to a specific test number and operation log.

In the future, anyone who wants to ask where the water comes from, how the instruments are calibrated, or why the pulse didn't burn out the cathode, will have to be able to find the corresponding page number in the original records.

Jiang Ming took a pencil and listed the missing information for the appendix on the manuscript paper.

As the third item was being listed, footsteps were heard at the door.

He glanced back and saw Wu Hanzhang standing outside the door, holding a briefcase.

"Engineer Wu."

Jiang Ming stood up and put the manuscript paper back on the toolbox lid.

Wu Hanzhang walked in and paused in front of the testing table.

His gaze swept over the five pipes before turning to Jiang Ming.

"The acceptance report has been signed, and I will send it to the relevant ministry later."

"There's one more thing."

He took out the commendation certificate from his briefcase and handed it to Jiang Ming.

"Your technical level has been raised to level eight, and your allowance will also increase by one level."

"Old Sun is promoted six ranks, and Little Zhao is awarded a third-class merit."

Jiang Ming took the document, glanced at it, and said nothing.

Old Sun peeked over from the pulse transformer, his voice muffled by the machine's hum.

"Jiang, you really got promoted?"

"He really got promoted."

Wu Hanzhang nodded at him.

"Salary will be adjusted starting this month, and allowances will be available next month."

Old Sun chuckled, tossed the wrench into the toolbox, and finally a smile appeared on his face.

"Then I must treat Engineer Jiang to a meal."

Jiang Ming put the document back on the table, ignoring the joke.

"Engineer Wu, the report is missing five attachments. I can finish them today."

"Can you deliver it again tomorrow?"

Wu Hanzhang thought for a moment and nodded.

"Okay, give it to me before tomorrow afternoon."

"Hurry up, don't stay up too late."

Jiang Ming hummed in agreement and squatted down again to organize the manuscript paper.

Wu Hanzhang did not leave immediately, but stood in the workshop for a while, his gaze falling on the curves on the wall.

"Jiang Ming".

He suddenly spoke.

"The ministry should issue a formal approval regarding the magnetron this afternoon."

"Just keep it in mind, there's no need to rush."

Jiang Ming looked up, his pencil hovering above the manuscript paper.

"What approval?"

"A high-frequency microwave electron tube research laboratory will be established, and you will be the technical leader."

"Fang's side will also be involved; it's a joint project between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and our factory."

After saying this, Wu Hanzhang turned and walked out.

As he reached the door, he turned back and added another sentence.

"Work hard, and don't let people look down on our factory."

Jiang Ming held the pencil, paused for two seconds, then lowered his head and continued writing.

Level 8 technical cadre, head of the research lab—it sounds like every step he takes is a step up.

But he knew in his heart that the further back in the position, the less room there was for any flaws in the data sources.

At 3 p.m., Engineer Fang came out of the confidential cubicle with a newly completed technical appraisal report in his hand.

The report is twelve pages long, with the title "Preliminary Report on Reverse Engineering of Seized Equipment" on the cover.

He walked to the door of Workshop No. 1 and knocked on the door frame.

"Engineer Jiang, the report is finished."

Jiang Ming put down the manuscript, walked over, took the report, and flipped through it.

The report clearly states that the device is a centimeter-wave band eight-cavity magnetron produced by the Soviet Union in the late 1940s, with an unknown model number and a partially worn nameplate.

The equipment is used with a self-made downconverter modulator, with an actual operating frequency of about 2.95 gigahertz and an estimated output power in the kilowatt range. It is recommended to immediately launch a special project to develop domestically produced multi-cavity magnetrons.

After reading the report, Jiang Ming looked up at Engineer Fang.

When will this report be submitted?

"Deliver it this afternoon."

Fang took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Jiang Ming.

"This is the data on oxygen-free copper that I obtained from the Institute of Physics."

"Currently, no factory in China can reliably supply this specification of sheet metal. The only factory that might have stock is Shenyang Copper Processing Plant."

"There is a batch of oxygen-free copper ingots that were imported during the Soviet Union's aid construction in the early 1950s, but the right to use them is under the jurisdiction of the Soviet expert group. China needs to go through foreign affairs approval to use them."

Jiang Ming unfolded the paper, on which were listed several sets of numbers.

The oxygen content is less than 0.05%.

The electrical conductivity is not less than 99.95%.

Thickness specifications, 8 mm to 12 mm.

He folded the paper back and stuffed it into his breast pocket.

How long does it take for foreign affairs approvals to be processed?

"It's hard to say."

Engineer Fang shook his head.

"It could take two weeks if things go smoothly, or a month if things go slowly."

"Moreover, the Soviet expert group might not agree to release them."

Jiang Ming remained silent for a few seconds, then turned and walked back to the testing platform.

He pulled out a notebook from under the toolbox and wrote a few lines on a blank page.

Oxygen-free copper.

Shenyang Copper Processing Plant.

Foreign affairs approval.

The time is undetermined.

He paused, then added another line.

Alternative option: vacuum melting and deoxidation, but equipment is insufficient.

After he finished writing, he closed the notebook and put it back at the bottom of the toolbox.

Fang Gong stood at the door for a while, and seeing that Jiang Ming did not say anything more, he turned and left.

At six o'clock in the evening, the phone in Workshop No. 1 rang again.

This time, it was Xiao Zhao who answered the phone.

After listening for a few minutes, his expression became somewhat unnatural. He put down the receiver and walked over to Jiang Ming.

"Mr. Jiang, it's Mr. Qian on the phone."