Chapter 446: Storm Heart Engine

"Frankly speaking, Comrade Minister," Lebedev lowered his voice, "the technical difficulty of this project is indeed very great. We need a more realistic schedule."

Sokolov's gaze turned sharp: "Realistic? The Chief doesn't want 'realistic', he wants results! I don't care what methods you use, you must accelerate progress! Having been beaten to first place in space, we absolutely cannot lose the missile race as well! Do you understand?"

Lebedev could only nod helplessly: "Understood, Comrade Minister. We will make every effort."

"It's not 'make an effort'," Sokolov gritted his teeth, "it's 'must succeed'! This concerns the future of Beijixiong Guo!"

Inside the conference room, the sounds of the scientists' arguments, the flipping of blueprints, and the ticking of calculators were intertwined, mixed with tension, pressure, and a trace of inexplicable excitement. Regardless, an unprecedented missile race had begun; no one knew what the outcome would be, but everyone understood that the price of failure would be unbearable.

……

Western Long Country, 404 Military Base, fifth underground level.

Silence.

Wrapped in the fifth underground level's thick reinforced concrete and special sound-insulating materials, all the clamor of the outside world was shut out. Even at this moment, as scientists from the Star-Spangled Country and Beijixiong Guo were working day and night to catch up, attempting to crack the mystery of Long Country's "Changfeng", this place remained in a suffocating calm.

But beneath this calm was a silent storm.

Li Mingyuan stood before the reinforced glass window of the central control room, looking down at the vast manufacturing workshop below. Hundreds of engineers, technicians, and scientists were working intently at their respective posts; no one was joking, no one was slacking, only a marvelous symphony woven from steel, electronics, and human wisdom.

"How is the overall progress?" Li Mingyuan asked without turning his head.

Minister Zhang opened the progress chart in his hand: "According to your plan, 65% is already complete. The propulsion system is the furthest along and has already reached the final testing stage; the guidance system and missile body structure are following closely behind; final assembly is expected to start in three weeks."

Li Mingyuan nodded slightly, a glow of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "Today is the final test of 'Storm Heart', let's go, see it with our own eyes."

Inside the huge test workshop, the atmosphere was as tense as the calm before a storm. A piece of equipment with a peculiar shape was firmly installed on a reinforced test stand; this was the heart of the "Changfeng" missile—the prototype of the small turbofan engine codenamed "Storm Heart". Compared to traditional aviation engines, it was nearly half the size, yet it was designed to provide greater thrust and higher efficiency.

"Is everything ready?" Li Mingyuan walked into the control room and looked around at the engineers.

"Yes, Chief Engineer Li," the engine's chief designer, Professor Zheng, replied, sweat already seeping from his forehead, "all systems have been checked, fuel has been injected, the cooling system is ready, and the data acquisition equipment has finished calibration. We are just waiting for your command."

Li Mingyuan nodded, walked to the main console, and pressed the intercom button: "Attention all posts, the final test of 'Storm Heart' is about to begin, confirm that all personnel have evacuated the test area."

"The test area has been cleared, safety locks have been engaged," the response came through the loudspeaker.

Li Mingyuan took a deep breath; he had waited too long for this moment. As a transmigrator, he had brought the design concepts of future turbofan engines, but turning them into reality was far from easy. Material limitations, manufacturing processes, testing equipment—every step was a challenge. Now, the decisive moment had finally arrived.

"Begin the ignition sequence," he ordered calmly.

Professor Zheng pressed the red button on the main console, and a series of indicator lights lit up in sequence. Everyone in the control room held their breath, eyes fixed on the test stand outside the isolation glass and the instrument panels in front of them.

"Ignition!"

Following this command, the "Storm Heart" on the test stand emitted a low roar, followed by a brief, unstable tremor, and then—a ghostly blue tail flame erupted from the exhaust port, illuminating the entire test workshop. Even through the soundproof walls, the roar of the engine made one feel the shock of chest resonance.

"Thrust reading: 1200 kg... 1500 kg... 1800 kg!" the data collector reported excitedly, "Turbine speed is stable, temperature is in the normal range, thrust-to-weight ratio has reached 7.2:1!"

A low cheer erupted in the control room, but it quickly returned to professional calm. This was only the beginning; the real test was still to come.

Li Mingyuan's gaze was like a torch, staring at the rising data curve: "Increase power, 75%."

"75% power!" Professor Zheng repeated, adjusting the control lever.

The roar of the engine became more intense, the blue tail flame grew brighter, and the test stand vibrated violently, but the specially made shock-absorption system held it firmly in place.

"Thrust 2100 kg... 2400 kg! Thrust-to-weight ratio 8.1:1! Exceeding design expectations!" the data collector was almost jumping up.

The atmosphere in the control room became even more tense and excited. The engineers stared intently at their respective monitoring screens, sweat soaking their shirts. This kind of small, high-efficiency engine belonged to cutting-edge technology even in Li Mingyuan's original era fifty years later, let alone in the fifties when material science and manufacturing processes were relatively backward.

"Chief Engineer Li," Professor Zheng turned to Li Mingyuan, his eyes full of excitement, "should we continue to increase power? It has already exceeded our design expectations."

Li Mingyuan pondered for a moment and nodded decisively: "Full power, test for 2 hours. I want to see where its limits are."

"Full power?" Professor Zheng hesitated, "This could lead to excessive material fatigue or structural damage..."

Li Mingyuan looked at him firmly: "That is exactly what we need to know. In actual combat, this engine needs to support the missile flying thousands of kilometers; it must withstand the most rigorous tests. Full power, Professor Zheng."

"Yes! Full power!" Professor Zheng turned and gave the order.

As the control lever was pushed to the maximum position, "Storm Heart" emitted a deafening roar. The ghostly blue tail flame turned into a dazzling white-blue, and the heat wave could be felt even through the reinforced glass. The vibration of the test stand reached an astonishing level, to the point that the floor of the control room was shaking slightly.

"Thrust 3000 kg... 3200 kg... 3400 kg!" the data collector's voice trembled with excitement, "Thrust-to-weight ratio has reached 8.9:1! This... this is simply a miracle!"

Li Mingyuan stood there quietly, a smile finally appearing on his face. This engine condensed all the knowledge he had brought from the future and the most exquisite craftsmanship of this era. It was not just the heart of the "Changfeng" missile, but also clear proof that Long Country could master its own destiny.

"Begin the continuous operation test," he ordered, "record all parameter changes, pay special attention to the temperature curve and fuel consumption rate."

As "Storm Heart" operated stably amidst the thunderous roar, Li Mingyuan turned and walked toward the door: "Professor Zheng, you are responsible for supervising the test; contact me immediately if there are any abnormalities. I am going to check on the progress of other departments."

……

The precision manufacturing workshop formed a sharp contrast with the engine test workshop filled with high heat and noise. It was so quiet here that one could almost hear a pin drop, and the air filtration system circulated constantly to ensure that dust particles in every cubic meter of air did not exceed the standard.

In the center of the workshop, beside several seemingly ordinary but specially modified precision machine tools, stood an old master with graying hair. He was focused on operating a grinding machine, holding one of the key parts of the "Changfeng" missile—the turbine blade connector. This seemingly ordinary metal piece needed to withstand extreme temperature and pressure, with tolerance requirements reaching an astonishing 0.005 millimeters.

Li Mingyuan walked silently behind the old master and observed quietly.

The old fitter, Wang Shifu, seemed to sense something and looked up: "Xiao Li, here to watch the old man make a fool of himself?"

"How could that be," Li Mingyuan smiled, "I am here to see national-treasure-level craftsmanship."

Wang Shifu snorted and continued his work. His hands were as steady as a rock, as if he had merged with the machine tool. Every micro-adjustment, every polish, was incredibly precise.

"This damn thing," Wang Shifu muttered, "your blueprint is really going to be the death of me. This tolerance is smaller than my aunt's needle eye!"

Li Mingyuan smiled noncommittally. The design of this connector was indeed decades ahead of this era; in original history, parts of this precision required Numerical Control Machine Tools and Computer-aided manufacturing to be realized. But under conditions of limited resources, Long Country could only rely on these highly skilled old workers and the design tips Li Mingyuan brought.

"How is it, can it meet the requirements?" Li Mingyuan asked.

Wang Shifu stopped his work and picked up a special micrometer, measuring it cautiously: "Don't worry, although your blueprint is devilishly strange, this old man's hands have never feared anyone." He looked at the measurement result and nodded with satisfaction, "Look, less than two microns of error, completely within the tolerance range."

Li Mingyuan took the connector and examined it carefully. Under the light, the metal surface was as smooth as a mirror, and the edges were sharp enough to almost cut a finger. This was the pride and unique skill of the older generation of workers, using the simplest tools to create the most precise masterpieces.

"Well done, Wang Shifu," Li Mingyuan praised sincerely, "with craftsmen like you, 'Changfeng' will definitely be able to fly steadily and far."

Wang Shifu waved his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed: "Cut the flattery. But seriously, Xiao Li, these designs... are truly amazing. The old man has done mechanical work all his life and has never seen such an exquisite structure. Can this thing really fly thousands of kilometers?"

"It can," Li Mingyuan said firmly, "and it will become Long Country's protective umbrella, making those countries that want to bully us think twice."

Wang Shifu nodded, a proud light flashing in his eyes: "Then we old guys have to work harder. Don't worry, guaranteed quality and quantity, delivered on time!"

Li Mingyuan patted the old man's shoulder and turned to walk toward the other side of the workshop, where the manufacturing area for missile wings and aerodynamic shape components was. Every part, every process, was related to the performance and reliability of the "Changfeng" missile. And these seemingly ordinary worker masters, with their sweat and craftsmanship, were turning the blueprint of the future into reality.