Chapter 48: Project

Zhang Wanhe looked over.

Medium build, a bit gaunt, forehead slightly balding, eye sockets somewhat sunken, this person's appearance… looked somewhat familiar…

"Zhou Ding?"

"Mm, Old Zhang, who I am isn't important. Qingshan Machinery Factory, does it have someone named Qin Miao?"

"Mm, I saw him today."

"Could you have your driver take me to see him? It's urgent!"

"Old Zhou, don't rush! We old classmates haven't seen each other in how many years? How have you been lately? What are you busy with? Come on, let's go home for a drink."

Zhou Ding shook his head: "We old classmates should really get together, but… I don't care about today, I really have something urgent."

"Old Zhou, then you have to tell me, what exactly is the urgent matter in looking for Qin Miao?"

"Project 8291."

As these words left his mouth, Zhang Wanhe's face changed instantly.

"Miaomiao, go home first; I'll go out again with your Uncle Zhou."

"Dad, I'm going too!"

"What are you going for? This is a state secret; why are you meddling?"

How could Qin Miao be able to participate? Chu Miaomiao felt a bit indignant inside, but… she didn't say anything.

Watching the Red Flag car leave, Chu Miaomiao suddenly shouted: "Dad, you're not allowed to bully San Shui, or I'll ignore you!"

In the car, Zhang Wanhe felt a slight pain in his chest; this daughter, her elbow's turned outward!

"Old Zhou, what have you been busy with these years?" Zhang Wanhe decided to change the subject.

"I teach at Ha Gong Da."

Ha Gong Da!

"My daughter studies at Ha Gong Da! My elder daughter is even a teacher there; I never expected Ha Gong Da to have an old classmate!"

"Oh oh, I'm in the fourth department, that is, the Aerospace Department."

"What a coincidence, my daughter is also in the Aerospace Department; why hasn't she seen you?"

"This semester I haven't been teaching much; I've been in the Capital, helping Old Huang."

"Oh, since it involves secrets, let's not talk about it; I don't want to hear. Qin Miao… he's so young, how did he join this project?"

"Sigh, this has to start from the summer train..."

Anyway, there was nothing else on the road, so Zhou Ding related the process, omitting the classified parts. Hearing the old classmate's introduction, Zhang Wanhe's eyes widened—his daughter's love interest really is impressive! Humph, if this kid dares to let down his daughter, he'll see if I don't slap him!

Qingshan Machinery Factory, family quarters.

Clang clang, clang clang!

The knocking was too loud; Qin Miao, sleeping soundly, covered his head with a blanket, but couldn't block the sound, so he stumbled up dazedly and walked out unsteadily.

"Dad, you really are, knowing I'm back, you didn't bring the key…"

Creak!

The door opened, and several silhouettes appeared outside.

A smile appeared on Zhang Wanhe's face; mm, good, this kid even calls me Dad!

Clang!

The door closed again.

"Damn it, dreaming, this must be a dream!" Qin Miao slowly walked back.

Chu Miaomiao's father, Zhou Ding—how did these people end up together?

I must be sleepwalking, definitely!

Clang!

Outside, the exasperated Zhang Wanhe had his driver kick the door open with one foot; now the whole building was stirred, many people poked their heads out, then hastily pulled them back.

"Qin Miao, wake up quickly, there's an important matter, come with me at once! Dreaming, you're still dreaming!"

Next door, Aunt Liu listened through the door.

"Leader Zhang has arrived, and there's an important matter—could it be that Chu Miaomiao already has someone? Youth is great!"

Now Qin Miao was truly awake.

"Ay yay yay, Leader Zhang, let go, don't pull my ear, it hurts!"

"Mm, now that you know it hurts, it's real, right? Pack up your things; in three minutes, follow us!"

"Where to?"

"Obviously to the place we need to go!"

Behind the door next door, Aunt Liu nodded, mm, it seems they're going to the hospital; I guess the factory will soon hold a wedding?

Wait until tomorrow, then I'll tell this news to Aunt Zhang and Aunt Wang, so we can all be happy together.

When the Red Flag car left the factory, Qin Jianhua only then got the news, rushing out of the production workshop, seeing only the taillights of the Red Flag car—this son of mine is really busy!

In the early morning, the conference room of the Space Institute remained brightly lit.

"We followed the previous plan, conducted multiple trials, and roughly grasped the pattern of the missile's underwater movement; now, however, due to a research result from Ha Gong Da, we hastily switched to a drag-reducing rod design, which caused the flight failure—I think we should abandon the drag-reducing rod and continue with the previous plan!"

"Yes, although controlling the missile's underwater posture was somewhat complex, we at least managed to pull it off; using the drag-reducing rod, the missile lost control just seconds after breaking the water surface, exactly when the rod detached—this is definitely a problem with the drag-reducing rod!"

Hearing the discussion, the elder in the main seat furrowed his brows: "You all say it's the drag-reducing rod's problem, but what exactly is the problem? When the drag-reducing rod falls off, the missile loses control—what principle is this?"

Everyone fell silent.

Thump thump thump…… hurried footsteps came from outside.

"Old Huang, Comrade Qin Miao has arrived!"

Qin Miao stepped in with complex steps.

When hearing Zhou Ding talk about Project 8291, Qin Miao of course knew this was the development project of the Eastern Giant Wave No. 1, a submarine-launched ballistic missile launched from underwater! The project's name was the hope to complete testing before September 1, 1982.

At that moment, the thin old man sitting in the main seat, who was rubbing his left chest with his right hand, should be the project leader, Aerospace Veteran Huang Lao, who developed the Giant Wave No. 1; Huang Lao had lost eleven kilograms, his heart often ached, he kept rubbing it, wearing out his clothing.

Facing such an elder, Qin Miao's face was full of reverence.

"Oh, Comrade Qin Miao, come, sit down, first watch a segment of the video."

On the screen of a 14-inch black-and-white television, a calm sea appeared, and the speaker sounded a countdown.

"Yao-6 Rocket countdown: ten, nine... one, launch!"

Several seconds later, a milky-white missile shot up from beneath the sea, like a flood dragon emerging from the water; the missile continued upward, and after rising a few meters above the sea, white flame spewed from its tail—there was nothing to be done, that's how the black-and-white television showed it.

The missile accelerated upward while the drag rod at its top began to fall off; just as the drag rod fell, the missile's body started to lose control, quickly deviating from its original upward‑tilted direction—thirty degrees, sixty degrees, ninety degrees…

4.2 seconds later, the missile's body was parallel to the sea surface, and the missile initiated its self‑destruct procedure.

A large firework bloomed in the sky above the sea.

This fucking…