1970s: Hot wife accompanies the army, cold-faced rough man is not easy to tease

Chapter 146: Independence to the Boundless
The supply ship was much faster than the ferry, and it took less than an hour to get from the island to the Dongshan City dock.

Gu Qingye wanted to send Lu Youyou to the 507th Institute first, and turned the car around at the intersection near the military area and drove to the other side.

"The research institute is outside the military zone?"

"Yes, but it's not far. Continue straight for five minutes from the intersection and you will reach the military district gate."

Lu Youyou nodded and looked outside carefully until the car stopped outside a courtyard gate.

After two levels of screening, they were allowed in.

Gu Qingye stayed with Lu Youyou until she completed the entry and exit procedures.

"Comrade Lu, please sit in the reception room for a while. The director is in a meeting and will be here in a while."

"It's ok."

Lu Youyou went to the reception room as she was told and waited for an hour.

There was room to sit and hot tea was available, but no one came.

If she was full of expectations before coming here, she now realized that things were not as simple as she thought.

After another ten minutes, footsteps were finally heard outside the door. It was the same staff member.

"Comrade Lu, please follow me."

Lu Youyou followed him to an office building and stopped in front of a door at the right end of the first floor.

Then Lu Youyou finally saw the director who had been invisible for more than an hour. In addition to him, there were four other men, most of whom were over 40 years old.

"Is this Comrade Lu? I'm Luo Mingde, Deputy Director of the Institute. These are Staff Officer Zhang from the General Staff Office, Director Li from the Equipment Department, and two of our senior researchers, Engineer Liu and Engineer Wang."

It's like saying nothing. With four unfamiliar faces, it's impossible to tell what they're up to. It's also unclear who ordered the benching this morning.

Director Luo didn't seem to be in the mood for small talk. After the introduction, he got straight to the point: "Comrade Lu, we've read your report. Could you please give us a brief oral recitation?"

The assessment starts right at the beginning, with no prior notice and no preparation time. Unless you have real skills, you will definitely be caught off guard.

Of course, Lu Youyou is definitely not included.

After the humanoid computer was turned on, it was obvious that the expressions of the two researchers changed from scrutiny to more seriousness. They opened their notebooks almost at the same time, occasionally making a few notes. It was visibly that the time they spent buried in writing was getting longer and longer.

Deputy Director Luo's expression became more serious.

He was also a technician in his early years. Although he had worked in administrative positions for a long time, he had some basic skills. Although he could not keep up with what Lu Youyou said immediately, he could at least make one thing clear: this young female comrade was indeed capable.

Director Li of the Equipment Department seemed very relaxed. Even though he was a little worried at the beginning, now seeing the expressions of the three experts from the research institute, he felt much relieved.

Only Chief of Staff Zhang had a serious expression, which even became more and more serious.

While Lu Youyou was frantically attacking, he still had time to observe the various people. Four of them could be put aside for the time being, except for this Staff Officer Zhang...

She remained expressionless, not only reiterating what was already in the report but also adding the latest research findings from the past few days. Engineers Wang and Liu finally lost their patience and lobbed question after question, eventually forming a three-person discussion group.

It seems that these two are also academic fanatics who are devoted to research. They are left alone by their leaders and are immersed in the sparks of knowledge.

When the spark came from a plug-in fifty years later, Lu Youyou was no longer the strange lesbian that made people suspicious. She was now the fragrant braised pork, exuding an attractive academic aroma.

Deputy Director Luo had previously worried that Lu Youyou was a relative of the leader. He hated the behavior of outsiders guiding insiders. Now that he knew that she had a lot of plans, he regretted leaving her alone for so long.

He couldn't help but glance at Staff Officer Zhang. They were under the jurisdiction of the General Staff Department, but had always been relatively independent. He didn't expect Staff Officer Zhang to come today. He also said that there was no rush to meet people. He wanted to observe the young people's temperament first and not let people join confidential projects rashly.

What he said was true, but the facts were before him. Lu Youyou was a talented person who convinced two senior researchers in just ten to twenty minutes. The so-called "observation" became neglect. When the time came, the people from the General Staff would just walk away, leaving the mess for them to clean up.

Deputy Director Luo smiled bitterly. What was going on? What kind of magical power battle had come to their place? The research institute was like porcelain, it couldn't withstand any damage!
When Lu Youyou finished speaking, the two researchers were still not satisfied and even asked her to continue the discussion in detail later.

Staff Officer Zhang finally spoke: "Comrade Lu, do you know why you are here this time?"

Lu Youyou: "To verify the new concept of diving equipment?"

Staff Officer Zhang still had a face that looked "dedicated to the public good," and his expression hardly changed from beginning to end.

"Institute 507 is a confidential unit, and outsiders are not allowed to enter or leave at will. We can provide the venue, personnel, and some equipment. Comrade Lu and the institute can conduct experiments in groups to provide a comparison." After saying this, he looked to both sides. "What do you think?"

It seemed a little right, but also a little wrong. Deputy Director Luo didn't understand what he meant for a moment.

Speaking of which, Staff Officer Zhang is his direct superior. Although they have not had any contact with each other for many years, they cannot but take the words of the General Staff seriously.

"Do you mean we should assign a few members to Comrade Lu?"

"Yes, setting aside a separate area will also make it easier for Comrade Lu to display his talents!"

Staff Officer Zhang smiled. This was the first smile he showed since Lu Youyou came in.

Director Li of the Equipment Department felt that it was inappropriate, but he was just a supporting role. If the diving suit did not involve logistical equipment, he would not have a place in today's meeting.

"Isn't that a bit too much trouble?"

Staff Officer Zhang looked at him and said, "We'd rather have some trouble than not, but we must ensure the safe operation of the institute. There's more to this than just diving suits."

This sentence touched Deputy Director Luo. No matter how talented Lu Youyou was, she was just a young woman under 20 years old with only a high school diploma. Whether she was self-taught or had family background, she was far from being able to compare with the formal research projects in the institute.

This is also what most people think. On one hand, there is a research institute with great weight and a high level of confidentiality, and on the other hand, there is a temporary project that is not sure whether it can be researched out, plus an "outsider" who does not seem very reliable. It is easy to decide which one is more important.

Just like that, after sitting on the bench for more than an hour and giving a report for another hour, Lu Youyou finally had a "relaxed and free" research environment that she had never imagined.

She is the boss and has the final say. She even has two assistants, although one is so old that his hair is white, and the other looks about the same age as her.

Oh, by the way, she also has a work badge, and the access areas include the main gate, her own laboratory, the cafeteria, and the dormitory.

It can be said that they are independent to the extreme!
(End of this chapter)