Chapter 540

Early the next morning, as the sky was just lightening, Lin Zhengpeng had already packed his bag.

Translation: "Early the next morning, as the sky just began to lighten, Lin Zhengpeng had already packed his luggage."

Lin Zhengpeng

The canvas backpack held a few changes of clothes and a thick stack of the Mass Production Optimization Plan. Wrapped around the outside was a peace amulet that Zheng Juan had sewn for him overnight—red cloth enclosing mugwort, with fine stitching, a token of his mother's worry.

Translation: "His canvas backpack held a few changes of clothes and a thick stack of the Mass Production Optimization Plan, the outermost layer wrapped in the Peace Amulet that Zheng Juan had stitched for him overnight—red cloth enclosing mugwort, fine stitching, a mother's concern."

Mass Production Optimization Plan

In the courtyard, Lin Shengli was already waiting for him under the old locust tree, holding a thermal flask.

Translation: "In the courtyard, Lin Shengli was already waiting for him under the old locust tree, holding a thermal flask."

Lin Shengli thermal flask

"This is the millet porridge Aunt Qin made this morning; drink it on the way." Lin Shengli passed the thermal flask over, his tone even, "When you reach the test flight field, first review every stage of the mass production process with the team. If any issues arise, try to figure them out yourself first; if you can't resolve them, give me a call. Remember, you're now the cornerstone—stay steady."

Translation: "\"This is the millet porridge your Aunt Qin made this morning; drink it on the road. \" Lin Shengli handed over the thermal flask, his tone calm, \"When you get to the test flight field, first go over every step of the mass production with the team; if there's a problem, think it through yourself first, and call if you can't solve it. Remember, you're now the backbone—stay steady. \""

Shifeichang mass production

Lin Zhengpeng took the thermal flask; it felt warm in his hands, and his heart warmed too: "Dad, don't worry—I know what to do. With you and a few aunts looking after things at home, I can work without worry."

Translation: "Lin Zhengpeng took the thermal flask, feeling its warmth, and his heart warmed as well: \"Dad, rest assured, I know what to do. With you and several aunts looking after things at home, I can work with peace of mind. \""

Dad several aunts

He paused, then added, "Regarding Lin Qinhua and Chen Mo's Stealth Coating tests, and Zheng Cheng's equipment docking, please keep a closer eye on them."

"No need for me to watch." Lin Shengli smiled, patted his shoulder, "They should be left to venture on their own. As for me, today I plan to go with Aunt Lou to her hotel for a stroll and try the new dishes."

The words carried a deliberately relaxed tone, both to reassure Lin Zhengpeng and because he truly wanted to start enjoying life.

At that moment, Lin Qinhua and Chen Mo also hurried over, holding a stack of freshly organized coating material parameter sheets:

"Big brother, these are the key parameters for Stealth Coating mass production that we sorted out last night. Take them to the production line colleagues for reference; if anything is unclear, call us anytime."

Lin Zhengpeng took the parameter sheets, carefully put them away: "Alright, I'll coordinate with them when I arrive. When you test, also pay attention to safety, don't overexert."

After saying goodbye, Lin Zhengpeng slung his backpack, carried the insulated thermos, and boarded the train heading to Xibei.

The green‑skinned train clanged along the rails, and outside the window the scenery shifted from Jingcheng's blue‑brick gray‑tiles to the Yellow‑Soil Plateau's countless ravines and valleys.

He leaned against the window, opened the thermos, and the aroma of millet porridge wafted toward him; he took a sip, the warm porridge slid into his stomach, dispelling the travel chill.

Two days later, the train arrived at a small station in Xibei, then after a bumpy three‑plus‑hour car ride, they finally reached the Shifeichang.

As soon as they got off, they saw Engineer Lao Wang of the Shifeichang waiting at the gate with several young technicians, each wearing an eager expression.

"Lin Gong, you finally made it!" Lao Wang hurried forward, grasped Lin Zhengpeng's hand, his tone full of anxiety, "There's a problem on the production line: the Stealth Coating spray uniformity keeps missing the standard, already delaying progress by two days."

Lin Zhengpeng nodded, without further words: "First, go check the production line."

Inside the production line workshop, the roar of machines was deafening, workers in blue overalls busily operated the equipment.

Lin Zhengpeng walked to the spray station, stared at the nozzle's back‑and‑forth trajectory, then picked up a defective fuselage skin and examined the coating thickness distribution—thick at the edges, thin in the middle, clearly the spray parameters were off.

"Pull up the previous spray parameters for me to look at," Lin Zhengpeng said to the technician beside him.

The technician hurriedly handed over a tablet, its screen filled with dense rows of parameters.

Lin Zhengpeng skimmed quickly, his finger sliding across the screen, pausing now and then to annotate.

"The problem's found," he said, pointing to a set of data on the screen, "the spray pressure and travel speed don't match, and the nozzle‑to‑skin distance wasn't adjusted for the skin's curvature, causing uneven force."

Lao Wang leaned over, suddenly enlightened: "No wonder! We were only watching temperature and humidity, ignoring the curvature effect."

"Now we can still adjust," Lin Zhengpeng set the tablet down, telling the technician, "Reset according to the parameters I marked, take a spare skin for a test spray; once it passes, resume mass production. Also equip each spray station with a curvature gauge to adjust nozzle distance in real time."

"Got it! We'll adjust right now!" the technician rushed to carry out the changes.

Lin Zhengpeng, without resting, moved to the assembly station to inspect the fuselage component installations.

Seeing workers installing the Fire Control System he had previously developed, he stopped, carefully checked each interface connection, and reminded the young technician beside him: "The Fire Control System is the fighter's core; wiring must be solid, joints need proper waterproof and dustproof treatment, no sloppiness at all."

The young technician nodded earnestly, took out a small notebook and wrote it down:

"Lin Gong, rest assured, we'll strictly follow the standards."

After a busy whole afternoon, the test‑sprayed skin finally emerged. Lin Zhengpeng, holding a thickness gauge, measured the coating thickness point by point; the data showed uniformity fully met the standard, and everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

In the evening, the production line resumed normal operation. Lin Zhengpeng, dragging his exhausted body back to the dormitory, sat down and immediately received a call from Lin Shengli.

"How's it going? Is everything smooth over there?" Lin Shengli's voice sounded relaxed over the phone.

"Solved smoothly, Dad." Lin Zhengpeng smiled, his tone carrying a hint of pride, "It was the spray parameters and nozzle distance issue; we've fixed it, the production line is running normally."

"Good, I knew you could handle it." Lin Shengli's voice was full of satisfaction, "Don't overwork yourself, balance rest and labor. Everything at home is fine; Lin Qinhua and Chen Mo's coating test plan has been submitted, I've reviewed it, very detailed. Zheng Cheng will go with me tomorrow to the Heavy Machinery Research Institute to inspect the equipment."

"That's good." Lin Zhengpeng nodded reassuringly, "Dad, don't always think about having fun; occasionally check our work progress and give us oversight."

"Don't worry, I won't forget the oversight." Lin Shengli said with a smile, "I'm creating opportunities for you, letting you train more. Alright, I won't disturb your rest; go to bed early."

After hanging up, Lin Zhengpeng leaned back in his chair, watching the sky darken outside, feeling a deep sense of steadiness.

He knew the burden on his shoulders was heavy, but with his father's support behind him and his younger siblings fighting side by side, any obstacle could be overcome.

Meanwhile, far in Jingcheng's Lin Family Courtyard, Lin Shengli hung up, a satisfied smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Zheng Juan walked over, handed a cup of hot tea: "How's it going? Zheng Peng's side is all smooth, right?"

"Smooth, this kid is becoming more capable." Lin Shengli took the hot tea, sipped, "Tomorrow I'll take Zheng Cheng to inspect the equipment; when they can handle things on their own, I'll truly be able to rest."

Moonlight streamed through the lattice window into the courtyard, stretching the shadows of the red lanterns long.

Jingcheng's stability and Xibei's bustle, separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, are tightly linked by a shared cause.

Lin Zhengpeng's frontline work in Xibei, Zheng Cheng's upcoming equipment docking, Lin Qinhua and Chen Mo's coating tests, and Lin Shengli's silent guardianship are all adding bricks and tiles to the rise of Daxia National Defense Cause.