Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 299 Is the Crying Kingdom about to make a move?
Most people who come from the capitalist world are driven by profit, but there are also a few who have ideals and are willing to do anything for them.

The person in front of me is a passionate space enthusiast who hopes that one day humanity will be able to enter space on a large scale.

In the 1960s and 70s, when the Americans were working on the Apollo moon landing program, they thought that large-scale human space exploration was just around the corner. However, they did not expect that the Apollo moon landing was the most glorious moment, and afterwards, human space exploration entered a trough.

To get into space, the first problem you face is money! The Apollo program consumed 20% of the United States' total research funding at the time! And now? In the aerospace field, research funding accounts for less than 5%!
Such a costly project as a space city will likely remain just a dream forever!

Therefore, O'Neal saw hope in the East, which is why he wholeheartedly helped. The first generation of Beidou only needs two satellites to establish a regional navigation system. Once this system is built, he can go and impress NASA!
With this in mind, O'Neal was full of expectations for the project in the East, believing that he could solve the problem the East was facing!
"Yes, so far, humanity is still fighting and killing in the global village, completely unaware of how naive it is. Look up at the starry sky, how dazzling it is! Our future should be the stars and the sea!"

Qin Liang was simply going along with what the other person was saying, but unexpectedly, O'Neal got excited.

"That's right, fighting on Earth is really too naive. The Age of Exploration gave birth to countless great pioneers exploring new worlds. Now, our exploration should extend to space! Unfortunately, few people value this; their vision is too short-sighted! Qin, what are your thoughts on conquering space? For example, space cities…"

"At present, space cities are still too far away," Qin Liang said. "What we need to solve now is the problem of low-cost access to space. If we can't reduce the launch cost, then everything is just a castle in the air."

“That’s right, you’re absolutely right!” O’Neal’s eyes gleamed. “We have to reduce launch costs, and reuse is a great solution. In that respect, I’m optimistic about the Space Shuttle…”

I don't think it will work.

O'Neal was taken aback: "Why?"

"The space shuttle is too complex. Although it is theoretically capable of making 100 round trips, in reality it falls far short of that. In fact, after only a dozen or so uses, there will be serious and irreparable damage. In the next few years, we can see the actual operation of the space shuttle, and then we will have a clearer understanding."

"Why? Cough cough, I mean, how did you come to this conclusion?"

"Well, we can analyze the structure of the space shuttle. The main engine of the space shuttle is a liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen engine. In order to be reusable, it is directly installed at the tail of the space shuttle. This can save costs and the combustion is very clean. However, hydrogen embrittlement is unavoidable."

In the field of high-thrust engines, the Russians focused on the liquid oxygen and kerosene route, while the Americans focused on liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engines. The 680-ton thrust F1 engine played a very important role in the success of the Apollo program. Later, this type of engine was directly used when building the Space Shuttle.

The product of the combustion of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen is water, which is very clean. Therefore, this engine can be reused many times without coking. It sounds very convenient, but in reality... the problem of hydrogen embrittlement is unavoidable. This engine will have problems sooner or later.

The two space shuttle disasters that occurred later were not even due to this kind of problem; a single minor issue could have caused the astronauts to die in space.

"Then what kind of engine do you think we should use?"

"Liquid oxygen and methane are both very clean byproducts of this engine, they don't coke, can be used multiple times, and don't cause hydrogen embrittlement. Moreover, liquid oxygen and methane have similar liquefaction temperatures, so their fuel tanks can be stored together..."

Qin Liang wasn't particularly knowledgeable about aerospace technology, but he knew which approach was correct. Now that O'Neal wanted a low-cost way to enter space, he would offer him a promise so that he would work even harder to help his side after returning.

For such pure individuals, once they gain recognition in scientific research, subsequent collaborations will be very easy.

"What you're saying... is quite interesting. What about spacecraft? Or the space shuttle?"

"No, as I just said, I don't think the space shuttle is that great. Its complex structure inevitably leads to reduced reliability. The traditional rocket and spacecraft combination is still the most reliable. Of course, to reduce costs, the first-stage rocket can be made reusable..."

For the rest of the time, Qin Liang was the one talking and the others were listening. For them, everything was brand new, and it opened the door to a new world!
O'Neal's eyes shone brightly as he looked at Qin Liang with adoration.

An hour later.

"Qin, I've gained a lot from today's visit. I feel that the future of space cities is even brighter! These technologies you mentioned... are they all things that Northwestern Polytechnical University has already started developing?"

"We are still in the feasibility study stage. After all, our first project is a navigation satellite. We will only consider this new project after the navigation satellite is launched."

"Yes, I will go back and immediately help you coordinate the atomic clock. Although I cannot guarantee that we will get the military's purchase price, it will not be increased by more than 10% at most."

"Okay, then we'll wait for your good news."

After inviting them to lunch, Qin Liang, Professor Wang, and others warmly saw them off to their car. As the car drove away, Professor Wang said, "If they can really coordinate the spaceborne atomic clock, it will solve a major problem for us."

"Well, that way the research and development time doesn't matter. Our nuclear physics faculty and students can take their time."

"What? You mean, besides buying them, we also have to do it ourselves?"

“Yes, that’s for sure,” Qin Liang said. “Even if we can buy it this time, do you think we can buy it next time? We can’t pin our hopes on buying from outside. Buying from outside only solves the problem of whether we have it or not, and we can also borrow some technology. In the end, we still have to rely on our own research and development.”

As they were talking, the crackling sounds outside started again.

Qin Liang took a deep breath: "The New Year is almost here!"

For the past few years, we've always gone back to our hometown for the Spring Festival. This year, my father declined several times, saying he'd stay here and let Qin Liang take Yang Duo'er to the capital to spend the holiday with his mother-in-law. After all, we'd agreed last year that the two families would take turns visiting each other from now on.

My father is quite open-minded about this. Yang Duo'er's mother came to Dongfang to work hard and was very lonely during the Spring Festival. This year, we should make sure her family is lively!
A courtyard house in the capital city.

Anne held the paste in her hand and brushed long strips onto the front door. Then she went to get the couplets. As soon as she unfolded them, whoosh... a gust of wind blew and the couplets tore open. When she tried to stick the couplets on the front door, she found that they wouldn't stick; the paste had frozen!
Winter in this capital city is truly...unbearable.

Just as Annie was looking at the two half-couplets in her hand and worrying, a car drove up and stopped at the door, and two people got out of the car.

"mom!"

The voice was incredibly affectionate, and Annie was momentarily stunned: "Liangzi, Duoduo, why aren't you in Bashang on New Year's Eve?"

"Mom, we're spending this New Year in the capital!"

"Mom, these couplets need to be rolled up and pasted on as you unfold them. We need to add some salt to the paste. Come on, let me fix them for you!"

Qin Liang has a wealth of experience in pasting couplets, after all, the climate in Bashang is much colder than here!
Soon, the bright red couplets were pasted up.

A spring breeze blows for miles, along two roads leading to Chang'an.

A thousand-year-old dawn moon, a bridge in Yongding.

This couplet is clearly a distinctive one published in the *Oriental Youth Daily*, judging by the handwriting…

"Mom, who wrote this?"

"I."

"Mom, your calligraphy is really good."

“Of course, when our mother was young, she was a lady from a respectable family…” Yang Duo’er said proudly, while Annie’s face flushed slightly.

"Come on, let's go inside and eat!"

“Liangzi, your dad is really…” Annie said with a face full of emotion at the dinner table, but she didn’t know what words to use to describe him.

In this era, traditional Eastern values ​​are still very evident, especially in rural areas. During the Lunar New Year, it's considered strange if a son and daughter-in-law don't stay at their own home but instead go to the wife's parents' home. We're marrying a wife, not becoming a son-in-law living with her family.

It's truly remarkable that Qin Liang's father considered his mother-in-law's loneliness during the Lunar New Year and arranged for his son and daughter-in-law to spend the holiday with her.

"Isn't that going too far?" Qin Liang said with a smile, "You're staying in the US doing scientific research all by yourself, without taking care of your wife and kids."

"I'm not talking about Duoduo's father, I'm talking about your father..."

"Yes, they're all my dad."

And so, the conversation stalled.

"Come on, Liangzi, have a piece of rib." The mother-in-law looked at her son-in-law with increasing delight.

After dinner, Qin Liang and Yang Duo'er tidied up the room and prepared for the New Year. Annie didn't know how to make things like fried cakes, so she could only watch Qin Liang cook. "Brother Liang, for this New Year's Eve dinner, we..."

"I've checked, we can prepare eight dishes. This New Year's Eve dinner is quite particular..."

Before Qin Liang could finish speaking, the roar of a car engine sounded at the door. He suddenly frowned. Could it be... that they wouldn't even let him have a peaceful New Year? Could it be Old Lin again?
"Comrade Qin Liang, Comrade Qin Liang! Elder Lin asked me to invite you to the airplane terminal..."

"No, I'm not going. I want to have New Year's Eve dinner with my family. It's not right for Old Lin to ask me to come over on New Year's Eve..."

"Mr. Lin didn't invite you to New Year's Eve dinner."

"Then I definitely won't go, they won't even provide meals."

"Brother Liangzi, Old Lin is looking for you, it must be something important, you should go." Yang Duo'er quickly said, "Mom and I are preparing New Year's Eve dinner, waiting for you to come back to eat."

"Ok."

Airplane terminal.

When Qin Liang walked in, he sensed that something was wrong. There was a tense atmosphere in the air, like the atmosphere before a great battle. What was going on?

In the conference room.

"Liangzi, you're here! Everyone was just saying, did you have a premonition about this war in the South Atlantic?"

South Atlantic?

Qin Liang instantly realized, "Yes, there's a war, but... it's not our war, but a war using our weapons. After this war, our weapons will definitely be more popular in the market..."

"The Crying Kingdom has made its move?" Qin Liang asked casually.

Judging from his expression, everyone knew that he had really made the prediction!

"How did you know?"

"Well, that's just my guess. After all, the Crying Country got rich after the golden age following World War II, so naturally the Americans would bleed them dry. When their economy ran into problems, they would use other methods to divert public attention. What could be more appropriate than taking back the Falklands?"

Many people who admire foreign countries envy those abroad, and countless people want to go to the United States, saying that the United States is so developed and is simply paradise. In fact, the paradise of the United States is only built on the foundation of turning others into hell.

Their high welfare benefits and their superior lives are all obtained by sucking the blood of others.

South America's backyard was among the first to be drained of its resources.

In the early 1970s, the United States implemented a loose monetary policy, and low-interest loans poured into Latin American countries. The "Crying Country" was one of the countries that borrowed heavily. By the late 1970s, the dollar appreciated due to interest rate hikes, and the "Crying Country" could no longer repay its debts.

This is called the dollar tide and the targeted harvesting of debt traps. In the late 1970s alone, the United States siphoned off 70% of the country's state assets due to the debt trap. Last year, the country was in dire straits: the domestic inflation rate reached 600%! This is enough to show that the country's economy was on the verge of collapse.

Of course, this is just the beginning; the Americans' approach to this is never-ending.

In 1982, Mexico defaulted on its debt, while Wall Street celebrated with champagne. In 2018, the weeping peso collapsed again, and international hedge funds made $120 billion. In 2022, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, and Ecuador collapsed once more…

From the 1980s to 2020 alone, in just forty years, the tide of the US dollar swept across the American continent seven times, taking away $21 trillion in wealth.

Of course, South America wasn't enough for the Americans either. The Plaza Accord devoured a huge amount of wealth from the island nation. As for Europe, it was frequently ripped off. In 97, the Asian financial crisis caused countless countries to go bankrupt, enriching Wall Street.

In terms of time, they conquered South America in the 70s, Japan in the 80s, the Soviet Union and Southeast Asia in the 90s, and the Middle East in the 00s... The only place in the world they couldn't conquer was the East!
Economic issues were not of concern to those present; everyone was only focused on how the war would proceed.

The Falkland Islands are more than 500 kilometers away from the Crying Country, and the Crying Country's navy and air force can easily strike there. So how should the British react next?

"Has the Crying Kingdom already occupied the entire Falkland Islands?" Qin Liang asked.

"Not yet," Old Lin explained. "Just a few hours ago, soldiers from the Crying Nation landed on South Georgia Island."

This……

This is just the beginning!
Qin Liang said helplessly, "We haven't even started fighting yet, and you've already called me over. Isn't this a waste of time?"

South Georgia Island is located about 1,400 kilometers east of the Falkland Islands, which is quite far! Moreover, it was originally a deserted place, but just yesterday, a group of scrap metal merchants landed on the island, set up a camp, and raised the flag of the Crying Country.

So the Royal Navy's icebreaker HMS Endurance sailed over, carrying two helicopters and a platoon of marines, intending to drive the troublemakers away. However, when they arrived, they found that a 5,000-ton amphibious ship from the Weeping Nation had already passed by and disembarked 100 soldiers.

Therefore, the Endurance realized it couldn't win and had no choice but to return.

This matter seemed insignificant, and even the British didn't pay much attention to it. However, when the news reached the East, everyone sensed something unusual about it.

The Crying Kingdom is about to make its move!
"Let's do a war game simulation first. The Falkland Islands are very close to the Crying Kingdom, and there are very few troops stationed on the Falkland Islands. So, it's not a problem for the Crying Kingdom to occupy the Falkland Islands. The key is how the British will react afterward."

"What other reaction can we have but to send troops?"

"Are you sure the British will send troops? To fight a war halfway around the world?"

Before World War II, there would be no doubt, but now... Britain is no longer the British Empire it once was, and its strength is far from what it used to be. Can it still organize such an operation?

“If they don’t send troops, they will become a laughing stock of the whole world,” Qin Liang said. “Although they are already in decline, they are not something that can be bullied by a country like the Crying Kingdom. This battle can be considered the last sunset of the empire.”

"Can they win?"

"certainly……"

Qin Liang initially wanted to say that victory was of course assured, but... things are different now! The Crying Nation now possesses our Super-7 and our Dongfeng Flying Fish, in considerable numbers, in addition to our Y-10 maritime patrol aircraft...

The British Navy might not necessarily win!
"Of course what?"

"Of course I don't know. I'm just a senior in college. Asking me to deduce these things is a bit too much for me."

"Then let's use a computer to simulate it?"

Qin Liang's eyes lit up instantly.

After the Loongson 1 was developed, multiple chips were combined to form a supercomputer. The Loongson 2 will naturally undergo similar improvements, with its computing power increasing at least tenfold. Using such a computer for war game simulations would be a good choice.

The key point is that the military has this idea, which is commendable!

"In that case, we might as well give it a try..."

As he was talking, Qin Liang felt his stomach growling. He looked out the window and saw that it was already dark. He checked his watch and it was 7:30 p.m.

"Everyone, writing this computer program will take time. Please contact the Computer Science Department at Northwestern Polytechnical University directly. I'll head back now!"

After Qin Liang finished speaking, he turned and left.

"Well... I'll have the driver take you there!"

That's more like it; they didn't say I should stay and continue playing war games with everyone.

"I'll have the driver pick you up tomorrow, and then we'll continue!"

(End of this chapter)