Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 97 Young Comrade, Are You Willing to Embrace Loneliness? (Bonus Chapter)
In the modern world, Institute 207 is a renowned research institute for automatic control technology.

Outside the director's office, Qin Longlong stood still, his palms already clenched with a fine layer of sweat.

The corridor was so bright it was like a mirror, and so quiet you could hear the air conditioning blowing out, but he always felt his heartbeat was louder than that.

"It's been more than half an hour, this is the third one, right?"

Qin Longlong is a top student at Beijing Institute of Technology. He has a solid theoretical foundation and even stronger hands-on skills. He was specially recruited into Institute 207 in his junior year to participate in the development of individual weapons.

Institute 207, a pillar of the military industry, has produced everything from the "King of Land Warfare" Type 99 main battle tank to vehicle-mounted tactical cloud platforms and individual soldier digital combat systems—each a national treasure.

But two weeks ago, the institute suddenly issued a task that left everyone baffled.

The superior's original words were: We must give full play to the initiative and creative ideas of young comrades.

The translation is: You young people have such wild imaginations, come up with some automatic weapons that can be launched from air-to-ground platforms.

The requirements were very specific, but also outrageous.

The operational altitude is limited to 200 to 1,500 meters, and it must be able to withstand gale-force winds of level 8.

It also needs to adapt to extreme cold, high temperatures, blizzards, and other extreme weather conditions to ensure absolute reliability.

The three most critical factors are: low cost, high efficiency, and speed.

Ideally, a mature solution should be developed within thirty days.

When the task was assigned, the entire research institute, especially the experienced senior engineers, were completely bewildered.

In the eyes of professionals like Qin Longlong, this thing is not a weapon at all, but a "high-tech live target".

Drones with machine guns sound cool, but in actual combat they're a joke. On the battlefield, anyone with even a little air defense capability could shoot them down like birds.

However, achieving a level 8 gale is somewhat technically challenging.

Aside from bullying newbies and engaging in counter-terrorism, this thing is just a disposable, expensive toy in a great power rivalry.

But a document is a document.

Driven by the "three mountains" of job evaluation, performance bonuses, and academic grades, countless young researchers still eagerly rushed to tackle this tough challenge, determined to overcome it no matter what.

Qin Longlong felt lucky.

He majored in drone algorithms and excelled in his minor in individual weapon systems. He loved tinkering with these things since childhood and his understanding of automatic weapons far surpasses that of his peers.

His proposed solution relies on the existing quadcopter drone platform, adding panoramic cameras and miniature radar, and further modifying the control platform and ammunition supply system.

Simple, crude and effective.

After several rounds of evaluation by his mentor and experts, his proposal stood out from the competition and became one of the strongest contenders.

Just as he was lost in thought, the office door opened, and a researcher of similar age walked out with a stern face.

Qin Longlong's heart skipped a beat. He knew that his senior brother Zhang, who had entered the institute before him, had performed exceptionally well in aerial laser weapons and was hailed as the new generation of the research institute. He was very likely to be recognized as a young scientific and technological talent.

He looks so pale, something must have happened.

What about yourself?

He stood up straight, feeling uneasy.

"Qin Longlong, come in."

"Okay!" Qin Longlong perked up when he heard his name called.

He nervously wiped the sweat from his palms on his trousers, took a deep breath, and strode into the deputy director's office.

"Automatic weapons researcher Qin Longlong reporting to you!"

Director Liu looked at the young man in front of him, who was so nervous that his back was as straight as a steel bar, and couldn't help but laugh: "Don't be nervous, this isn't some man-eating den."

Qin Longlong forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Director, I'm not nervous."

He said that, but his hands gripped his trouser leg tightly. "You, you, sit down!"

Director Liu pointed at him, his smile carrying a hint of appreciation.

"Your advisor raved about you, saying you're a once-in-a-century talent for researching individual weapons. They're very interested in your proposal and the live-fire test video of the drone you designed!"

Qin Longlong's heart pounded, almost leaping out of his throat.

coming!

The crucial moment that will determine the thickness of your future payslip has arrived!

Director Liu took out a file bag with the word "Top Secret" printed on the cover from the drawer, and his expression became serious: "Comrade Qin Longlong, on behalf of the organization, I have a formal question for you."

"Director Liu, please speak!" Qin Longlong subconsciously brought his feet together.

"You've passed the organization's internal assessment, and your superiors are preparing to assign you some new tasks. Are you interested in taking on more responsibility?"

"I am willing, and I will never let down the expectations of the organization and the people!" Qin Longlong almost shouted, afraid that if his voice was too soft, it would seem that his determination was not strong enough.

Director Liu stood up, walked to his side, and patted him on the shoulder with his broad hand.

"Your superiors are very satisfied with your family background. Your grandfather is a farmer, your parents run a fish farm, and your family has a clean record. By the way, what made you decide to dive headfirst into weapons research and development?"

"I like it." Qin Longlong's answer was straightforward. "I've liked these things since I was a child. I like to study them and make things."

“What a wonderful expression of appreciation,” Director Liu said, his eyes filled with even greater satisfaction. “Northwestern Polytechnical University forges swords for the nation, while Beijing Institute of Technology embodies virtue and reason. But you must know that engineering and science, especially our military industry, are destined to be a lonely journey.”

His tone suddenly turned somber.

"Comrade Xiao Qin!"

"If you were given a mission that required you to keep a secret for the rest of your life, to remain silent to everyone, and perhaps not be able to go home even once in ten years, would you be willing?"

Qin Longlong's mind went blank, and he was completely stunned.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Director Liu waved his hand: "Don't rush to answer. Let me show you something, so you can see the lives of these seniors."

He pushed the top-secret file over.

Qin Longlong opened it with trembling hands. Inside were not technical drawings, but yellowed personnel files.

Most of them are records of personnel who participated in various key national projects in the 1950s and 1960s.

There is a nuclear physics expert whose name was blacked out, and who used a pseudonym for all the papers he published throughout his life.

There was an infrastructure engineer deep in the Gobi Desert. The young man in the photo was full of vigor, but at the end of the file there was only a notification that he had died of illness.

There are even some logistics staff who have cooked their whole lives in a secluded place until they retire, and their children all think they are just raising livestock on some remote ranch!

Countless people have dedicated their lives to guarding a secret, and even as they turn to dust, those secrets remain unsealed.

Qin Longlong's breathing became heavy.

He recalled Director Liu's words, "I haven't been able to go home for ten years."

The faces of my family members kept appearing in my mind.

Grandpa's back, which he couldn't straighten due to a herniated disc, and his stubborn, bull-like temper.

Grandma lost sight in one eye due to complications from diabetes. Last year during Chinese New Year, she held his hand and kept repeating the same sentence: "Longlong, come home more often. Grandma is afraid that one day she won't be able to see you anymore."

His gaze fell on the files again; those people had once been someone else's son, someone else's husband, someone else's father.

What they did wasn't even groundbreaking core scientific research; they simply spent their entire lives tightening screws and cooking in a place that needed to be kept secret.

Qin Longlong was caught in a fierce internal struggle!

Director Liu silently picked up his teacup and observed the other person.
(End of this chapter)