Chapter 173: The Beijijixiong Guodu's Calculation

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Beijijixiong Guodu, inside a secret room in the Kremlin.

"So, the Long Country people have really produced many weapons?" a man with a low voice asked, toying with an unlit cigar in his hand.

"Yes, Chief." The Intelligence Department Head handed over a document, "According to our informant's report, they have already reached agreements with many countries."

"It is that young engineer named Li Mingyuan." The Intelligence Chief explained, "According to the files, he once studied at our university, but he never came into contact with projects of this type. His technical breakthrough is baffling."

The few people in the room exchanged glances; the air was filled with a trace of unease and jealousy.

"Regardless," the cigar man finally spoke, "this has only strengthened our decision. Letting Long Country and Star-Spangled Country clash directly, consuming each other's strength, aligns with our long-term interests."

"But if Long Country truly has advanced technology..."

"Technology is one thing, industrial capacity is another." The cigar man interrupted,

"Long Country has just experienced a long-term war, and its industrial foundation is weak. Even with advanced designs, they cannot mass-produce in the short term. We only need to continue providing limited 'technical support' and maintain a wait-and-see attitude."

"Then what about the issue of the sea outlet in Yuandong?"

The cigar man revealed a cunning smile: "Patience, comrades. Once both sides are exhausted, we will step in to 'mediate.' At that time, Long Country will be grateful for our 'help,' and we can logically put forward our 'little requests.'"

"Such as permanent usage rights for Binhai Gangkou?"

"Not just that." The cigar man's eyes flickered with a greedy light, "There is also the resource extraction rights in the Yuandong region, railway transit rights, and perhaps even..."

"Truly... a cunning plan." The person in round-rimmed glasses said softly, their face showing both admiration and a trace of unease.

"This is not cunning, comrade, this is political wisdom." The cigar man corrected, "A weak country has no diplomacy; we must ensure our own national interests come first."

He stood up and walked to the large map in the center of the room, his finger slowly tracing across the Yuandong region.

"This place will be our future strategic stronghold. The more Long Country and Star-Spangled Country consume each other, the more we benefit. So, comrades, our decision is clear—watch, wait, and then harvest."

The others nodded in agreement, but their eyes could not hide their curiosity and vigilance toward that mysterious Long Country engineer far away.

……

Returning to the research institute, Li Mingyuan immediately summoned all the Technical Backbone.

"From now on, we are entering a wartime state." Li Mingyuan looked around at the dozens of tired but determined faces in the conference room,

"'Divine Eagle' Drone must deliver the first batch within one month. No excuses, no delays; this concerns the safety of the nation."

"Twenty in one month?" Airframe Group Leader Lao Wang shook his head, "Chief Engineer Li, even if we don't sleep or rest, it is impossible to complete."

Li Mingyuan did not answer directly, but walked to the whiteboard and quickly drew a flowchart.

"Traditional aircraft manufacturing is a serial process; one step must be completed before entering the next." He explained while drawing,

"But we will adopt a brand-new parallel production model. Each group will produce simultaneously, and finally, we will assemble them together."

He turned to face everyone: "Furthermore, I have designed a set of simplified manufacturing processes, reducing the number of parts by 50% while increasing the degree of standardization. Every part has strict tolerance standards to ensure interchangeability."

"This... I have never heard of this kind of production method." Lao Wang said in surprise.

"Because this is a brand-new concept." Li Mingyuan smiled, thinking to himself that this was actually the modern assembly line philosophy pioneered by the Ford Motor Company after World War II, but it was indeed unheard of in this era.

"Starting tomorrow, we will adopt a three-shift system, working 24 hours without stopping." Li Mingyuan continued, "Each group's work has been broken down to the hourly level, and the schedule will be sent to the group leaders immediately."

Looking at everyone's skeptical expressions, Li Mingyuan took a deep breath:

"Comrades, I know this sounds like an impossible task, but please believe me, this can be achieved. More importantly, it must be achieved."

The atmosphere in the conference room gradually became solemn and determined.

"We will definitely complete the mission!" It was unclear who shouted it first, followed by applause and echoes rising one after another.

After the meeting, Li Mingyuan returned to his office, leaning back in his chair in exhaustion. On the table lay several newly designed blueprints, which were improvement plans for the drone's weapon system.

"Looks like it's time to start preparing the 'surprise package'." Li Mingyuan muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smile.

He picked up a pen and quickly sketched various versions of the Cloud Bomb on the blueprint.

Just then, the office door was pushed open violently, and a communications officer ran in hurriedly:

"Chief Engineer Li, latest news! The Star-Spangled Country Air Force has bombed all major cities in northern Taiyang, and the ground troops' advance speed has exceeded expectations. The Taiyang military is retreating along the entire front!"

Li Mingyuan put down his pen, his expression solemn.

……

A deafening alarm sounded throughout the Red Star Research Institute.

"Attention everyone! Attention everyone! An emergency mobilization meeting will be held in the central auditorium in ten minutes. All personnel must proceed immediately; no absences allowed without special circumstances! Repeat, all personnel must proceed to the central auditorium immediately!"

Li Mingyuan was buried in drawing the final design of the Cloud Bomb; upon hearing the broadcast, he put down his pencil and rubbed his sore eyes.

Having worked for over thirty consecutive hours, his eyes were bloodshot, but his spirit was exceptionally high.

"It has begun." He whispered to himself, quickly putting the blueprints into a confidential folder and locking it in a drawer.

Walking out of the office, the corridor was already bustling with people.

Technical staff, workers, and administrative staff—everyone had a solemn expression, yet carried a kind of inexplicable determination as they walked quickly toward the central auditorium.

"Chief Engineer Li," Department Head Zhao was waiting for him at the corner of the corridor, "The higher-ups have decided; the whole country is entering a wartime state."

Li Mingyuan nodded, not surprised: "As expected. Star-Spangled Country is coming aggressively this time; this is not an exercise, but an attempt to completely annex Taiyang."

The two walked quickly across the courtyard; the central auditorium was already packed.

The auditorium, which originally held five hundred people, was now squeezed with nearly eight hundred, with people standing even in the aisles and by the windows.

A huge Long Country flag hung above the stage, and the atmosphere below was heavy and tense.

Just as Li Mingyuan and Department Head Zhao found their seats, the Military Representative on stage began to speak:

"Comrades!" A tall general's voice was loud and clear, "I will not beat around the bush. The situation on the front line is critical. Star-Spangled Country has dispatched over a thousand sorties of aircraft to bomb Taiyang, and their ground troops have broken through the defense lines, heading straight for the heartland. The organization has decided that the whole country is to enter a wartime state immediately!"

A low murmur of discussion erupted within the auditorium.