Chapter 56: Making a Micro Turbofan Engine!

"Really…… it's giving me a headache!"

"Indeed, sometimes demanding too much of oneself isn't necessarily a good thing."

"In the blink of an eye, over half a month has passed since Li Mingyang last asked the eldest senior sister for materials."

"Since Li Mingyang set his goal of building a high‑level model aircraft, over a month has already gone by."

"He basically goes back and forth between his dorm and the cafeteria each day."

"The only exception is when Li Mingyang runs into a problem—he'll occasionally go to the lab to ask his senior schoolmates for help."

"Or he goes to the school library to check relevant materials and papers."

"Plus, due to being immersed in study every day, he's somewhat unkempt; compared to when school just started, that sunny, handsome big boy."

"Now Li Mingyang's look is truly pitiful—his beard hasn't been shaved in who knows how many days, at least over a week."

"His hair is also a mess—it hasn't been cut in over a month and now covers his eyebrows."

"Li Mingyang originally thought that even if his plan were a bit difficult, it would take less than a month to finish."

"But as the old saying goes, the richer one's knowledge, the more one feels one's own insignificance."

"Li Mingyang's demands have risen step by step from the start; after mastering new knowledge, he always feels he ought to do better."

"He also feels his earlier design has many shortcomings, so he naturally tries every way to fix them."

"When he encounters a problem, he again tries every way to learn and solve it."

"Then…… Li Mingyang plunged straight into an endless cycle of learning."

"By now a full month and more has passed—he hasn't even visited the third‑floor lab area he's been eyeing, let alone built the model aircraft he's been dreaming of."

"After all, he'd thought too simply; lacking knowledge, his aircraft design was like a frog in a well staring up at the sky."

"He used to think such a design was sufficient, but as his knowledge grew, looking back at his earlier ideas he realized they were a total joke."

"Now his new goal is simply to make something himself that won't be laughed at by the lab's senior schoolmates."

"The difficulty is obvious: to avoid being laughed at by the senior schoolmates, what he makes had better be close to their level."

"Each of those senior schoolmates is a doctoral student under an academician—top talent among domestic peers their age."

"Li Mingyang, a freshman who's only been in college for a little over a month, wants to easily catch up with those industry veterans who've been grinding for nearly ten years."

"Such an achievement can't be easily attained in a short time."

"Even with a golden finger's help, it's still the same."

"Why not…… ease up on my demands a bit?"

"If I keep pursuing perfection like this, wouldn't I be going against my original purpose?"

"Sitting on the sofa, I look at the drafts on the coffee table that I've revised over and over; the discarded ones pile up—surely not less than 100 pages!"

"Looking at these, Li Mingyang feels he can't go on like this."

"If I stay in this state, even if I'm truly capable, I'd still just gradually perfect the design through self‑compulsion."

"Even if I unleashed god‑like performance, I could take the design step by step to a level approaching the real J‑20."

"But by then, wouldn't I again feel the design isn't good enough? Wouldn't I again want to keep improving on it?"

"After all, science is inherently endless, with no summit—only ever higher peaks."

"At that thought, Li Mingyang suddenly sees the light; the gloom that had weighed on his heart dissipates largely in just a few seconds."

"Let's just do this for now—try to make a decent model aircraft with my current level."

"At least let me gain some hands‑on experience first; as the ancients said over 2000 years ago, armchair strategy won't do."

"From now on I must not fall into such a dead end again."

"Moreover, making a model aircraft doesn't mean I can't later make new improved versions."

"Even just watching Marvel movies, everyone knows Iron Man kept improving his armor generation after generation."

"Making a model aircraft can totally be a long‑term goal at school; first make one to see what shortcomings I have."

"See if there's anything lacking in my practical side that needs to be made up."

"After finishing a work, spend some time in quiet; after learning more knowledge, accumulate more fresh ideas."

"Then bring out a better design and make a model aircraft No. 2, or No. 3, or even more; that's the right approach."

"Sitting on the sofa muttering to himself, the light in Li Mingyang's eyes grew ever brighter."

"He knows he really had fallen into a dead end before—chasing perfection too hard and wanting to show himself too much."

"It's really a bit like what the eldest senior sister said before—because he's under an academician, he unconsciously holds himself to ever stricter standards in many areas."

"But now it's fine; after Li Mingyang's mind turns around, he shouldn't have this problem anymore."

"But……"

"Immediately after, Li Mingyang's face turned bitter again—although it's true his mind has turned the corner."

"But before his mind turned the corner, his study of engine technology could be said to have neglected sleep and meals."

"It far surpassed his knowledge of other aspects of aircraft."

"If he wants to design a model aircraft that can keep up with his current engine level, he at least needs to catch up on the other knowledge during this time."

"In other words, learning like before—neglecting sleep and meals—Li Mingyang estimates he still needs to persist for a while."

"However, there's no need to push himself as tightly as before, even though the other aspects still haven't caught up."

"But at least as the core of an aircraft—the engine technology—Li Mingyang has already made great progress."

"So……"

"Why not first try hands‑on, making a micro turbofan engine suitable for a model aircraft?"

"For the other aspects, I can slowly make up for them later—no problem."

"As long as the engine is excellent, even emphasizing a brute‑force flying brick isn't out of the question!"