Chapter 99: This Engine Could Not Possibly Be Built

Expert Chen from the Ministry of Industry slapped the blueprints submitted by Li Mingyuan onto the conference table with a loud smack, his brows furrowed like earthworms.

"A 30% increase in power and a 25% reduction in fuel consumption? Isn't this just bragging?"

The conference room was filled with experts from the Ministry of Industry and the First Automobile Manufacturing Plant, every face etched with skepticism.

"Chief Engineer Zhang, what do you think?" Expert Chen turned to the old man beside him.

Chief Engineer Zhang was a veteran figure at the First Automobile Manufacturing Plant, over fifty years old, had studied abroad in the land of the Polar Bear, and was known as the "half-patriarch" of the domestic engine field.

He stroked his graying beard and shook his head: "We have been researching for ten years and have only increased the efficiency of the CA10 engine by less than 5%. This design by Li Mingyuan aims to increase it by 30% in one go?"

He scoffed: "Unless he is an immortal who fell from the sky!"

The same scene was playing out in the conference room of the Mechanical Industry Ministry.

"Absurd! This completely contradicts the basic principles of engineering!" A middle-aged expert wearing thick glasses pushed up the frames on his nose, his tone filled with disdain. "If the pressure in the Combustion Chamber reaches this value, ordinary metal materials simply cannot withstand it."

"Perhaps it's a calculation error?" another expert speculated.

"Error? The entire design is wrong!" The bespectacled expert took out a fountain pen and drew several circles on the blueprints.

"Look here, here, and here—it's completely unreasonable! This kind of design might look pretty in theory, but it's simply unworkable in actual practice."

Deputy Minister Lin of the Ministry of Industry, who was in charge of automobiles and sat at the head of the table, had remained silent, listening to the experts' cacophony of criticism.

He was in his early fifties, his hair already gray, but his eyes were sharp and spirited.

"Stop arguing, everyone." Deputy Minister Lin finally spoke, his voice low and forceful. "Since everyone has questions, let's go see for ourselves."

"Go where?" The experts were stunned.

"To the Rolling Mill, to meet this miraculous Chief Engineer Li." Deputy Minister Lin stood up. "Prepare yourselves; we leave tomorrow morning."

……

The next morning, a motorcade consisting of black sedans drove into the gate of the Rolling Mill.

The car doors opened, and Deputy Minister Lin led over a dozen experts toward the factory administration building.

The news had already spread, and Factory Lou Changzhang and Li Mingyuan stood at the entrance to welcome them.

"Minister Lin, esteemed experts, welcome!" Factory Lou Changzhang was all smiles, brimming with enthusiasm.

Li Mingyuan stood to the side, his expression calm, as if he had long anticipated this moment.

The group entered the conference room; there was little small talk, and Deputy Minister Lin got straight to the point:

"Chief Engineer Li, we have reviewed your Engine design. To be honest, everyone has many questions."

He gestured to the team of experts behind him: "These are all authorities in the domestic engine field. They believe your design parameters are somewhat... unrealistic."

Chief Engineer Zhang coughed and added: "Specifically, a 30% increase in power and a 25% reduction in fuel consumption—under current technical conditions, this is an almost impossible goal to achieve."

The conference room fell silent for a moment, everyone's gaze fixed on Li Mingyuan, waiting for his explanation.

Li Mingyuan, however, unhurriedly picked up his teacup and took a light sip: "Minister Lin, esteemed experts, your skepticism is very normal."

He set down the teacup, his gaze firm: "However, I want to say that theory must be tested by practice."

"What do you mean?" Deputy Minister Lin narrowed his eyes slightly.

A confident smile appeared on the corner of Li Mingyuan's mouth: "In three days, the physical product will reveal the truth."

This statement exploded in the conference room like a bomb.

"Three days? You want to make an Engine prototype in three days?" Chief Engineer Zhang widened his eyes in disbelief.

"That's impossible! Even if the blueprint design is finished, from parts manufacturing to assembly and testing, it's impossible to complete in less than a month or two!"

Other experts also shook their heads, their expressions somewhere between mockery and pity.

Deputy Minister Lin, however, fell into deep thought: "Chief Engineer Li, are you sure?"

Li Mingyuan nodded slowly: "I am sure. Please come back in three days, and I will certainly produce results that satisfy everyone."

Deputy Minister Lin stood up and made his decision:

"Very well, then we shall return in three days."

After the expert team left, the atmosphere in the entire factory administration building became tense.

"Chief Engineer Li, why did you agree to such a short deadline?" Factory Lou Changzhang was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"We do have some parts already in trial production, but assembling an engine from scratch takes at least ten days or half a month!"

Li Mingyuan, however, was exceptionally calm: "Three days is enough; I have already made full preparations."

He turned to the technical section chief beside him: "Immediately assemble the Elite Technical Group; we begin closed-door work tonight."

……

After the experts left the Rolling Mill, they discussed it heatedly in the car.

"Simply arrogant!" The bespectacled expert was so angry his face turned red. "Making a brand-new Engine design in three days? Does he think he's performing magic?"

Chief Engineer Zhang sneered: "Young people, they always like to talk big. However, this Chief Engineer Li has indeed designed quite a few good things, like that rocket launcher and the Anti-aircraft System; they are indeed remarkable."

"A rocket launcher is one thing, an engine is another!" an expert in his early fifties beside him shook his head and said.

"A rocket launcher is, frankly, just a tube plus gunpowder, but an engine is precision machinery involving multi-disciplinary knowledge like thermodynamics, materials science, and processing technology. No matter how much of a genius he is, he can't be proficient in everything, right?"

Deputy Minister Lin listened to everyone's comments in silence, lost in thought.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," he finally said. "In three days, we shall witness the results with our own eyes."

Inside the Rolling Mill's technical conference room, Li Mingyuan stood before the blackboard, explaining the key points of the Engine design to the Elite Technical Group.

"The core innovation of this engine lies in three aspects," he used chalk to draw a schematic on the blackboard. "First, an optimized Combustion Chamber design to improve combustion efficiency; second, an improved fuel injection system to enhance atomization; third, the application of lightweight materials to reduce mechanical loss."

The technical staff watched intently, some already beginning to write furiously in their notebooks.

"I have already assigned the parts and tasks for everyone," Li Mingyuan said, distributing a stack of blueprints. "Starting tonight, we will work in three shifts, 24 hours a day, and must complete the prototype manufacturing and testing within three days."

"Chief Engineer Li, is this really possible?" a young engineer asked timidly.

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly: "It is possible, and it is mandatory. The country needs this engine; we have no reason to delay. Remember one thing: difficulties are meant to be overcome, not complained about."

After the meeting ended, the engineers discussed it privately among themselves.