Chapter 102: Range on target, accuracy on target, immediate mass production

205 Artillery Regiment, firing range.

Although the artillery regiment had already been deployed south in full strength, a platoon was still left behind to guard the base; at this moment, the platoon leader stood at the barracks gate, gazing at the distant sky.

Behind him, a group of new recruits chattered noisily.

"The 343 Regiment is a full 150 kilometers away from us; can their shells reach here?"

"Yeah… this… what caliber of cannon would that take!"

As they spoke, everyone suddenly felt a sting in their eardrums; needless to say, something was flying over! And it wasn't small.

Whoosh!

In that moment, someone with sharp eyes already saw it.

"Holy crap, that thing…"

Clang!

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble; that warhead launched from over there had already landed in this firing range!

"205 Regiment reporting: the warhead has landed in our firing range; we'll immediately determine the exact impact point!" After the platoon leader shouted that into the radio, he waved at his subordinates; soon, a little truck drove toward the firing range.

In the firing range, a huge object was slanted into the soil; just looking at its length left everyone stunned.

The part exposed above the soil was four or five meters; including the buried portion, it might be ten meters? Moreover, it had four large fins on top…

"Platoon leader, is this thing a missile?"

"Never mind what it is; don't ask what you shouldn't. Our job is to report the exact impact point—measure it quickly!"

Launch base.

"Range 150 kilometers, error 280 meters—better than we estimated." Zhou Ding finally let out a breath.

If it were prepared for foreign customers, a larger error wouldn't matter, but this is for the troops' own use; too large an error would prevent precise hits and destruction of targets, which would be a major headache! Failing to annihilate the enemy would inevitably invite the enemy's furious retaliation.

"Yeah, that's right—it fully meets frontline needs. Next, you must rush production, aiming to turn out two hundred improved units within half a month and send them to the front!"

"Okay, Representative Zhao, we'll do our best!" Zhou Ding's expression was stern; even if delivering the truck cannon was delayed, they had to supply the troops first!

"Yeah, I'll also go to the factory to supervise production." Representative Zhao nodded, then looked at Qin Miao: "Classmate Qin Miao, you should also go to the production plant for a while?"

Qin Miao quickly shook his head: "No, we still have many projects waiting for us at Ha Gong Da; I don't know anything about this production work…"

This period has worn me out; up to now I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in the dormitory. Now that the missile has been improved, I also need to rest!

Before the year's end, Qin Miao truly didn't want to move… When he goes home for the New Year, he'll have to bring out the electric rice cooker; he can't rely on just one pressure cooker to rule the world!

Before cooking, you press the button to close the circuit and heat it; once the rice is done, the temperature continues to rise above 100 °C, causing it to pop up automatically—because inside there is a thermally sensitive ferrite component, which isn't available domestically yet, so I'd have to go… to the Materials Department?

"How can you not know? The factory's rules and regulations were all drafted by you, and the results are obvious. I heard the new leaders of Ha Cheng have gone to inspect, praised them, and even urged all other enterprises in the city to learn from the Red Flag Boiler Factory, change their work attitudes, and boost efficiency. Let's go together in your Land Rover later!"

Qin Miao's mind raced, and suddenly he thought of something.

"Representative Zhao, actually I think that although the missile is complete, its warhead is still lacking; I have some new ideas and want to go back to the Materials Department to develop a new warhead, so I can really teach those monkeys a lesson…"

"Good, good, good!" Representative Zhao immediately nodded: "Then take your Land Rover back; we'll just take another vehicle."

"Leave the Land Rover for you; I'll take the 212!"

At last I've shaken off a job with no challenge at all—doing well brings no reward, doing poorly… cough cough cough, might actually end up eating peanuts.

Qin Miao rode the 212 back to school; by the time he arrived, it was already dark. There's no way around it—in this northeastern winter, it gets pitch black by four in the afternoon. Honestly, this place isn't really fit for living; should we beforehand coax Ha Gong Da into opening a new campus in a southern border city?

"Thanks, Master Zhao!" Qin Miao greeted the driver, then got out, intending to stroll back to his faculty dormitory building; after just a couple steps, he heard a panting voice.

"San Shui, San Shui! I—I've come to pick you up!"

Qin Miao turned his head and saw, under the streetlamp, a teacher in his fifties who had stopped running; he was wearing a military overcoat, with sweat beading on his forehead.

The head of the Materials Department, Mao Jun!

"Professor Mao, how…"

"Come on, I'll take you there!"

Mao Jun grabbed Qin Miao's hand and strode forward; Qin Miao, for a moment… could only follow along. It looks like his plan to go rest is falling through again!

In 1950, Soviet experts guided the East in establishing the first casting and forging specialty; in 1952, based on that specialty, the Department of Metallic Materials and Technology was formed; by 1993, it was upgraded to a college.

This department is also well‑known, having solved many problems in material production, welding, and so on… but… when the troops called back, saying Qin Miao was to develop a new missile warhead, the people of the Materials Department erupted.

The Mechanical Department thrived, the Aerospace Department thrived, and even the Power Engineering Department got a share of the glory! They used to just look on with envy; now it's finally their turn to shine!

"Come, Classmate Qin Miao, take the seat of honor; from now on, all faculty and students of the Materials Department will follow your orders—we must develop this entirely new warhead in the shortest time possible!" Director Mao exclaimed excitedly.

"Cough cough, Director Mao, this entirely new warhead actually… doesn't need many people; those who have projects should focus on their own first, and those without projects can stay and study together…"

"Nobody's leaving?"

"Don't you all have your own projects?"

"We just want to listen."

"All right." Qin Miao said: "In the Vietnam War, the Americans used a high‑power weapon—one blast creates a huge area of destruction; they even toss one directly to clear a helicopter landing zone."

"You mean a fuel‑air explosive?" Present, the elderly professor Ding Fantao asked.

"Exactly, it's a fuel‑air explosive! This thing is best used in jungles…" Qin Miao launched into a detailed explanation; on his way back he had already thought of this, though he hadn't planned to bring it out so soon—now it's fine; after saying all this, he'll go back to sleep!