Chapter 47

Several days had passed since "Xiao Bai's" thrilling official debut.

Wang Hao was still walking with a swagger, seizing every opportunity to brag about how reliable his "dog" was at critical moments.

Completely forgetting that he had almost peed his pants at the time.

After Zhao Gong came, the biggest change was that the "Insect Workshop" was completely on the right track.

The old man was not only awesome at craftsmanship, but also had a set of management skills.

Tools and materials were placed like someone with late-stage obsessive-compulsive disorder, but the efficiency was indeed skyrocketing.

Li Yang had almost become Zhao Gong's shadow, watching the old man scrape and grind a guide rail for a whole morning.

That focus was even more serious than the college entrance exam back then.

It was just that Wang Hao was a bit depressed.

His newly designed "Mantis Catching Cicada" micro-missile.

After Zhao Gong and Li Yang joined forces to "optimize" the installation structure, the vibration problem was solved.

But Zhao Gong then gave him a critical hit.

"The molding process of your missile fuel column is not good."

Zhao Gong held the high-energy fuel sample that Wang Hao was proud of, looked at it against the light, and squeezed it.

Directly sentenced it to death, "The density is uneven, there are air bubbles, the combustion stability must be poor."

"It flies like a fart, sometimes it makes noise, sometimes it doesn't."

Wang Hao was anxious at the time: "Zhao Gong! This process was adjusted by me for three months following the latest foreign papers!"

"Papers?" Zhao Gong glanced at him sideways, "Armchair strategy. According to reason, fireworks factories making rockets know that gunpowder must be pressed slowly layer by layer, pressed tight."

"This thing of yours, are you in a hurry to reincarnate?"

As soon as this was said, Wang Hao instantly wilted, opened his mouth, but didn't dare to refute.

His father Wang Guoqiang had indeed nagged him countless times about "slow work produces fine products," but he always felt the old man's set was too old-fashioned.

Now that he was pointed out by Zhao Gong, he felt a bit embarrassed, but in his heart, he had to be convinced.

Ginger is still old and spicy, especially in this kind of basic process.

Chen Guang, on the other hand, was smooth sailing.

The laser heat sink base that Zhao Gong manually scraped for him had outstanding results.

Even the continuous working time of his newly designed "Bee Sting" micro-laser was extended by double.

Making Chen Guang walk lightly these past few days, looking at Zhao Gong as kindly as if he were his own relative.

That night, it was time for the "Dragon Chant" team's immovable overtime moment.

The new R&D center had better conditions, with a dedicated rest area.

Sofas and coffee tables were all available, and there was even a coffee machine that looked quite high-end.

But I don't know who started it, that familiar box of instant noodles with braised and spicy characters printed on it.

Appeared on the table in the rest area once again.

"Here it comes, here it comes! The overtime life-saving artifact!" Wang Hao was the first to rush up,

grabbing a bucket of spicy beef with quick eyes and hands, tearing open the seasoning packet with practiced movements.

As if the depression from being scolded by Zhao Gong earlier had vanished with this bucket of noodles.

Feng Yan smiled and took a bucket of braised, Li Yang followed silently.

Chen Guang hesitated for a moment.

But still chose the latter between "healthy diet" and "team tradition", taking a bucket of mushroom stewed chicken.

Zhao Gong walked over with his hands behind his back, watching these young people busy around the noodle buckets.

There was no expression on his face, but there was less scrutiny in his eyes, and more of something unclear.

"Zhao Gong, what flavor would you like?" Feng Yan greeted enthusiastically, "Braised, spicy, mushroom chicken, and old altar pickled cabbage..."

Zhao Gong waved his hand, didn't speak, and walked to the corner by himself.

Opened the washed-white canvas bag he carried.

Took out an old aluminum lunch box and a glass jar wrapped in a towel.

He opened the lunch box, inside were neatly arranged pancakes, looking chewy.

Then he opened the glass jar, and a rich aroma mixed with sauce and spicy flavor instantly drifted out,

it was homemade pickles, inside you could see red chili shreds and white garlic cloves.

"Whoa! Zhao Gong, you brought your own dry rations!" Wang Hao sniffed.

His eyes went straight, "These pickles smell so appetizing!"

Zhao Gong ignored him, poured himself a cup of hot water, and ate slowly with the pancakes and pickles.

Feng Yan and the others looked at each other, didn't feel awkward, each made their own noodles, and started eating with slurps.

The rest area was left with only the sound of slurping noodles, chewing pancakes, and the occasional intake of breath from being spicy.

Wang Hao was slurping spicy noodles while imagining the future:

"When our 'Insect Legion' takes shape, in the future, for reconnaissance, let the 'spider' drill into pipes, the 'centipede' go into the water"

"The 'butterfly' stares from the sky... hehe, just thinking about it is exciting!"

Li Yang rarely added a sentence, although his eyes were still fixed on the drawing on the tablet:

"The jumping mechanism of 'Spider-3', if we use the shape-memory alloy Zhao Gong mentioned, theoretically it can achieve silent triggering."

Chen Guang drank noodle soup in small sips, adding:

"The miniaturization of the 'Bee Sting' laser can be further optimized, if we can solve the miniaturization of the energy module."

"The 'invisible bee swarm' carried by a single soldier has extremely high tactical value in theory."

Zhao Gong ate pancakes quietly, listening to the young people discussing one after another.

Those whimsical ideas mixed with hard-core technology.

Made the lines on that face weathered by time seem to soften a bit.

He would occasionally look up at Wang Hao, who was speaking most excitedly.

Or Li Yang, who was focused on the tablet, his eyes carrying a kind of... light like an old craftsman seeing good material.

Feng Yan looked at this scene, feeling quite warm.

He finished the last bite of noodles, put down the fork, and said with a smile:

"Speaking of which, this instant noodle tradition of ours, from Tie Lang Gong Fang to the Dragon Chant project department, has been completely passed down."

"Even if we really make a big name for ourselves in the future, I guess we won't forget the taste of this overtime instant noodles."

Wang Hao immediately echoed: "Must be! This is our military ration! It's the soul!"

Zhao Gong, who hadn't said much, suddenly put down the pancake in his hand.

Using his hoarse voice, he spoke unhurriedly, his tone carrying a bit of teasing from someone who had been through it:

"Soul? I think you guys are just incredibly lazy."

He pointed to the brand-new coffee machine over there, "Isn't that thing better than these instant noodles?"

Wang Hao grinned: "Zhao Gong, you don't understand!"

"Instant noodles, we eat for the sentiment! For the revolutionary friendship of fighting side by side!"

Zhao Gong hummed, didn't refute, but picked up the pickle jar and pushed it toward the middle of the table:

"Try it, brought from home. Better than those preservatives of yours."

Wang Hao was the first to be impolite, took a pair of chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, and the next second his eyes widened.

Panting and giving a thumbs up: "Umm! Tasty! Refreshing! Zhao Gong, these pickles of yours are amazing!"

Feng Yan and Li Yang also curiously tasted it, it was indeed salty, fragrant, and crispy, very authentic.

Even Chen Guang couldn't help but take another pair of chopsticks.

Watching the young people fighting for his jar of pickles, the trace of a smile that was almost invisible on Zhao Gong's face finally became a bit more obvious.

He picked up his cup and took a sip of water, looking at the quiet night view of the research institute outside the window.

And looked at the young people in front of him who were full of vitality and noisy.

As if through them, he saw himself decades ago.

In that old factory workshop full of oil and steel breath.

Himself, who was also arguing until his face was red for a technical problem, and then eating cold steamed buns at the workshop door together.

The times have changed, the tools have changed.

But that spirit of being obsessed and studying for a certain goal seems to have never changed.

He exhaled gently, as if putting down something that had been tense all along.

His whole person relaxed.

This place, these kids, really... are a bit interesting.

Feng Yan keenly captured this subtle change in Zhao Gong.

He knew that the old man finally truly regarded this place as "home".

He picked up his water cup, toasted everyone with water instead of wine:

"Come, no matter if we eat instant noodles or big meals in the future, our 'Dragon Chant', finally has complete muscles and bones, and all five internal organs."

"In the future, we still have to rely on everyone to keep tossing!"

Wang Hao immediately raised his noodle bucket: "Must be!"

"For a more awesome firecracker... ah pui, for a more powerful 'Dragon Chant', cheers!"

Even Li Yang silently raised the tablet in his hand (the screen was still the drawing of "Spider-3").

Chen Guang pushed up his glasses and picked up his water cup.

Zhao Gong looked at these weirdos and shook his head.

Finally, he picked up his enamel mug and bumped it with everyone.

The crisp collision sound echoed in the rest area, mixed with the aroma of instant noodles and the aftertaste of pickles.

Emitting a somewhat outrageous, yet incomparably real R&D atmosphere.