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

Comrade Zhao's gaze lingered on Jiang Ming's face for a long time through his glasses.

The only sounds in the meeting room were the ticking of the wall clock and the soft clinking of the teacup lid against the rim of the porcelain cup in Director Zhang's hand.

Jiang Ming did not answer immediately, but instead took out three more items from his bag and placed them on the long table.

The first item is a thermodynamics lecture note handwritten by Qian Xuesen on the cruise ship, the kraft paper cover of which has been worn and frayed.

The second item was a copy of the top-secret numbered ledger established by Workshop No. 1 from day one, with the paper covered in dense writings by Xiao Zhao in carbon ink.

The third item was a palm-sized piece of broken glass, with charred and blackened edges and traces of residual dark red coating still visible on the surface.

"Comrade Zhao, this is a fragment from a sample that failed to sinter at a rate of 2.0%."

Jiang Ming pointed to the broken glass and pushed it in front of Comrade Zhao.

"When the temperature was kept at 800 degrees Celsius, the cerium oxide impurities released abnormal gases, which formed a glassy insulating layer on the coating surface, thus killing the entire pipe."

He opened the ledger and pointed to the data on page thirty-seven.

"This is the attenuation curve of a 0.5% sample. After four hours, the emission current drops precipitously, and the adhesion simply cannot hold up."

"This is a result of 1.2%. It can reach 280 microamps for a short time, but the micropores will collapse over time."

"The final 1.1 percent was determined by comparing three groups: 0.9 percent, 1.1 percent, and 1.3 percent."

Comrade Zhao picked up the ledger and flipped through a few pages, his gaze shifting back and forth between the failure and success data.

Jiang Ming then turned to page twelve of Qian Xuesen's lecture notes, where there was a section on the derivation of a basic formula for phase transitions in high-temperature materials.

"The basic thermodynamics that Mr. Qian taught me on the cruise ship is the starting point for my judgment of the sintering temperature window."

He used a pencil to highlight the notes below the formula.

"The relationship between the heat preservation time at 800 degrees Celsius and the lattice stability is derived from this formula."

"Combined with the hydrogen-nitrogen mixture protection conditions mentioned in the tattered pages left by the Soviet advisors, and the actual data obtained through repeated trials and errors in the workshop, we finally found the hard balance point of 1.1 percent."

Comrade Zhao put down the lecture notes and looked up at Director Zhang.

Factory Director Zhang held his teacup without moving, only nodding slightly.

At this moment, Wu Hanzhang pushed open the door and came in. His gray hair was still covered with chalk dust from the workshop, and he was carrying a stack of bound experimental records.

He put the notes on the table, pulled up a chair and sat down without any ceremony.

"Comrade Zhao, I am the chief engineer of this factory. I was present at every step of the experiment in Workshop No. 1."

He opened the top book and pointed to the date on the first page.

"From the day the high-frequency furnace exploded and the three pipes passed inspection today, it has been a total of forty-seven days."

"The data for each day is here, and the reasons for each failure are clearly written down."

Wu Hanzhang's fingers flipped through the notebook, finally stopping at a page with a photo attached.

That's the detachment pattern of 0.5% of the samples under the microscope.

"If you think these parameters are fabricated out of thin air, then I invite you to look at the corpses of these failed products."

"We lost count of how many tubes we ruined before we managed to get three working."

Comrade Zhao pushed the lens up a bit, picked up Jiang Ming's draft again, and examined it more carefully this time.

He paused for a long time on the line "seven-degree micro-tension chamfering", and compared the material usage recorded in the ledger with the actual launch data.

What is the basis for choosing this chamfer angle?

Jiang Ming did not hesitate.

"Mr. Qian's lecture notes contain the surface tension formula for fluid mechanics."

He turned to page eight of the lecture notes, where there was indeed a mathematical description of the behavior of liquids on an inclined surface.

"I treated the rare earth slurry as a high-viscosity fluid and substituted it into the formula relating contact angle and tilt."

"At 15 degrees Celsius, the slurry will slip and eventually accumulate at the edge."

"Seven degrees is just right at the critical point, and the surface tension is sufficient to pull the excess slurry back to the center area."

"This wasn't calculated in one step; it was determined by trying different angles down from fifteen degrees."

"Twelve degrees won't do, nine degrees won't do, eight degrees is a little off, and finally seven degrees is just right."

He then turned to the corresponding page in the ledger, which contained the coating photos and launch data for each angle.

After reading these documents, Comrade Zhao put them away, and the frown on his face relaxed a little, but did not completely disappear.

"Comrade Jiang Ming, I personally have no doubt about your experimental process."

He took the pen out of his chest and wrote a few lines in his notebook.

"However, the Science and Technology Commission has requirements for the report format. The theoretical source or test number must be noted after each key parameter."

"Your report must clearly state that the derivation was based on existing data and verified through workshop testing."

"This isn't just empty talk; it's what will protect you in the future."

He closed his notebook and glanced at all the materials on the table.

"If anyone questions the source of the technology in the future, you have Mr. Qian's lecture notes, Soviet fragments, and a complete chain of failure records. No one can overturn the case."

Only then did Director Zhang put down his teacup, his voice low and deep.

"Don't worry, Comrade Zhao, I'll keep an eye on the report. I'll have them put it together tonight."

Comrade Zhao stood up, fastened his briefcase, and glanced at Jiang Ming one last time before leaving.

"Young man, it's a skill to create something, but it's also a skill to clearly explain the ins and outs of it."

"The Science and Technology Commission is not trying to make things difficult for you, but rather it is afraid that others will make things difficult for you in the future."

After the door closed, only three people remained in the conference room.

Wu Hanzhang put the experimental records back into his pocket and let out a long breath.

"Damn, I wasn't this nervous when the Soviets were choking me. But when our own people interrogate me, I break out in a sweat."

Factory Director Zhang stood up, pulled the curtains open a crack, and glanced at the jeep that had already driven away downstairs.

"Xiao Jiang, the report must be finalized tonight."

"Xiao Zhao's handwriting is neat; let him copy the original."

"You are responsible for making sure the derivation logic of each parameter is clear and doesn't leave any loopholes."

Jiang Ming slung his bag over his shoulder, nodded, and turned to walk out.

That night, only the incandescent light above the control panel was lit in Workshop No. 1.

Jiang Ming and Xiao Zhao sat facing each other, with piles of ledgers, handouts, drafts and blank report papers between them.

According to Jiang Ming, Xiao Zhao copied the data using carbon ink, and after each paragraph, he would go back and compare it with the original data in the ledger.

From the derivation of tolerances for fluororubber seals to the calculation of temperature gradients in liquid nitrogen cold traps.

From the screening logic of 1/100 ratio to the fluid dynamics basis of 7-degree chamfer.

From the fundamentals of materials science, including the stepped annealing of Kovar alloys, every aspect must be handled with utmost care.

The source of each parameter is indicated.

The formulas on which page of Qian Xuesen's lecture notes, the conditions on which section of the Soviet surviving pages, the number of records in the experimental logbook, and the serial number of the failed sample were all clearly written down.

Xiao Zhao's wrist ached from writing, so he put down the pen and shook his hand.

"Professor Jiang, I used to think that doing experiments was the hardest part, but I didn't expect that writing reports would be even more tiring than doing experiments."

Jiang Ming handed over the last page of the draft and rubbed his throbbing temples.

"Doing experiments is for your own benefit, but writing reports is for everyone else."

"Whether our tubes can be replicated and promoted depends on how clearly this report is written."

As dawn broke, the 23-page process report was finally finalized and neatly stacked on the metal table.

The bottom right corner of each page is stamped with the top-secret number of Workshop No. 1.

Jiang Ming locked the report in the iron cabinet, grabbed his coat, and prepared to go back to his dormitory to take a nap.

Just as I reached the workshop entrance, the security guard jogged over, holding a manila envelope in his hand.

"Jiang, this is a new email. The sender is listed as the Beijing Institute of Mechanics."

Jiang Ming took the envelope and stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the line of handwriting in the upper left corner.

He had seen Qian Xuesen's handwriting countless times on the cruise ship and would never mistake it.

He tore open the envelope and pulled out a thin sheet of paper with only a few lines of text on it.

"Jiang Ming: I am very pleased to hear that you have joined a leading electronics factory. Recently, while sorting through old manuscripts, I recalled that vacuum systems and cathode materials are bottlenecks for domestic industry. If you encounter difficulties in this area, you are welcome to write to me to discuss fundamental issues. Do not be impatient; industrial development is not achieved overnight. Xue Sen."

Jiang Ming folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and then tucked it into his pocket.

He stood in the cold wind at the workshop entrance, looking at the lights of the administration building in the distance, and slowly made a decision in his heart.

He wanted to write a reply to Qian Xuesen.

A cautious technical report.

You need to let your teacher know that you have lived up to their expectations, but you must not reveal a single word of the top-secret details.