Chapter 50

I never expected it to be this reason!

Yeah, Comrade Qin Miao, your technique is really great!

Ding Wanchun's face showed guilt: "Comrade Qin Miao, I apologize to you; earlier it was all my subjective speculation, and I shouldn't have made personal attacks. Comrade Qin Miao, stay and join our Project 8291!"

It's fine; you all are the rocket experts, I just have a little cleverness. Besides, I've only just started freshman year; doing rockets requires real expertise and down-to-earth work. And… should we stop here for today?

Hmm, let's stop here today; large rocket launch failures rarely have their faults found so quickly." Huang Lao said: "Everyone go back, rest well; tomorrow we'll all go to Dalian to participate in the second launch test, Comrade Qin Miao, you come too.

Me? Forget it; I'm still a college student, not suitable to touch projects with too many secrets!

Qin Miao really didn't want to continue participating; if these people took a liking to him and he ended up joining the project team, how could he continue college?

The regret of my previous life was not getting into Harbin Institute of Technology; this life I must make up for it—although I hardly attended classes there, at least I was on the HIT campus!

It's fine; you've already joined us and made a great contribution!" Huang Lao said: "In future reports to superiors, your name will also appear!

Alright, then I'll go along and watch; after the launch I still have to return to school to continue classes…

Come on, Qin Miao, I'll take you to the dorm!" Zhou Ding said.

The problem was solved, having nothing to do with the drag-reducing rod; Zhou Ding also breathed a sigh of relief—Qin Miao's trip really was quite a ordeal!

Returning to the dorm, Qin Miao only took off his shoes, left his clothes on, lay on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

Then… he was woken up, dazedly got into a car, boarded a plane, kept sleeping, and after disembarking he was almost fully awake.

Dalian, launch tube test base.

Launch test team captain Wang Zhaoqi full of confidence: "After finding the cause last night, we domestically sourced industrial adhesive with higher viscosity and reinforced the bonding of this connector; this time there definitely won't be any mishap! Today, as long as Rocket Seven launches successfully, we'll next mount it on the vessel, striving to complete the submarine launch before National Day 1982, presenting a gift to the motherland and the people!"

Huang Lao nodded: "Back then, Marshal Liu said the PLA is a fierce tiger; adding modern equipment gives it wings like a tiger gaining wings. Now, developing submarine-launched missiles is adding wings to that tiger! To create a stable peaceful development environment for our country!"

Qin Miao also felt moved: ordinary people enjoy peaceful times only because countless people bear burdens forward; those here working on submarine-launched missiles are striving for the nation's stability! Without these great weapons, the tragedies of the Opium War and the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion of China would repeat!

Laughably, there are still some 'banana people' racking their brains to go West, thinking that would let them live a superior life; for that they'd rather betray the motherland, or sell state secrets…

Comrade Qin Miao, you're awesome! You're the pride of our Harbin Institute of Technology!" Just then a middle-aged person walked over.

Senior brother?

Zhou Ding introduced from the side: "This is Comrade Luan Enjie, an outstanding graduate of the 70th class of Harbin Institute of Technology, now serving as overall commander of Missile One…"

Qin Miao rose respectfully: "Greetings, senior brother; you are my role model in study!"

Afternoon, two o'clock sharp.

Rocket Seven, launch countdown!

Launch!

A few seconds later, the milky-white missile left the water and shot toward the sky; a few seconds later, its tail burst into scorching flames, thick white smoke enveloped the entire launch area, the smoke column shot straight to the clouds, the missile gradually shrank, finally becoming a bright point…

The launch test was a complete success!

The site erupted in cheers and joy.

Great!

Today we really ought to have a few drinks!

What's this smell, how…

Ding Wanchun sniffed his own odor: "How long has it been since we took a bath?"

Let's go, everyone to the Naval Guesthouse; our guesthouse has a big bathhouse and bath attendants to give everyone a good scrub!" said the team captain.

The launch tube test succeeded; next we must install the tube on the submarine for submarine launches, which will surely keep us busy, so today let's just take a bath, eat a meal, rest well, replenish our energy before continuing work!

"Scrub bath?" The southern engineer Qiao Ziqiang's eyes lit up instantly.

Project 8291 is also a nationwide effort, with hundreds of units participating nationwide; naturally there are also people from the south who come north to work, having heard of the northern big bathhouses but never having gone.

Right, let's go together!

Huang Lao looked at Qin Miao: "What about you? Will you go with them?"

No, since we're at the seaside, let's just walk along the beach.

In this era, the sky is blue, the sea is blue, no pollution, none of the later crowds; such a vast beach allows a leisurely stroll, a look—October isn't that cold either.

Good, then I'll accompany you for a walk.

Old Huang, don't, you're swamped with state affairs.

What 'swamped with state affairs'? I just want to contribute more to the country; once you youngsters grow up, I can relax!

Huang Lao laughed and walked toward the beach with Qin Miao, while Zhou Ding followed beside them.

Qin Miao, you're quick-witted, often seeing the crux of issues; what do you say, how should we proceed with our submarine-launched missile?

Huang Lao, I'm just a freshman at Harbin Institute of Technology…

No problem, just chat casually.

Alright, then may I ask if you know that I persuaded Dr. Bu'er Boshi to get a large sum of funding, and at Harbin Institute of Technology's Mechanical Department I set up a truck cannon project?

Zhou Ding nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood; he'd been busy with his own affairs, hardly inquiring about HIT matters—Qin Miao, you're from the Aerospace Department, yet after just a month of school you're already busy over in Mechanical? 'Well, after you left last night I looked over some of your materials, and then?'

Nuclear submarines are too expensive; even if we had them, they'd only be a few vessels, and in actual combat they might not be very effective; we should instead move the missiles onto land, make mobile launch vehicles, just like our truck cannon—once towed they can run all over the world, and reconnaissance satellites can't pinpoint our position.

First, the East had the Type 091 attack nuclear submarine; then it was lengthened with a missile compartment, becoming the Type 092 ballistic missile nuclear submarine. As for numbers… externally only one is disclosed, hull number 406; reportedly internally there are classifications Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, but the one that ever appears abroad is always this one.

Even if there were four, each with only 12 launch tubes, at most 48 missiles could be fired—nowhere near enough!

The Yankees' Ohio class has 24 launch tubes per ship, and the Yankees still have 18 of them!

Nuclear submarines are too costly; we can't afford to build many, but land vehicles are far cheaper!

Huang Lao nodded: "Your reasoning is sound, but… our domestic automobile industry is backward; producing a multi-axle mobile launch vehicle like the Russians' is probably impossible!"

Let's make a tow vehicle! Pull a big boiler behind it; on the highway it won't stand out. As for mobility… we mainly rely on the road network; worst case, we mount drive motors on the axles of the three rear trailers, and when needed we can also give it some power.

In later generations, the shore-launched Giant Wave becomes the DF-21 missile—a great weapon, especially the anti-ship variant, which has long been a deterrent to enemies of the first island chain, even the second; those HanYang trucks towing boilers are our national treasures!

As for mounting drive motors on the trailer, that's actually the idea behind later hybrid vehicles; reportedly the DF-21 missile trailer uses hydraulic drive motors, which really aren't practical, so if we do it we'll definitely go electric.

Huang Lao's eyes lit up: "Explain in detail!"

Zhou Ding followed behind, his heart surging; we Ha Gong Da might just snag such vehicle R&D!

"Old Huang, Old Huang!" I don't know how long passed, a panicked voice came from behind: "Oh no, oh no! Our top-secret documents were lost in the bathhouse!"