The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

"What are you doing!" Shen Ruowen was shocked when she saw this, and then a surge of anger welled up in her heart. She raised her hand and slapped Wu Hao hard across the face!

“Pah!”

The slap was heavy and vicious, instantly turning Wu Hao's face to one side, leaving a clear handprint.

"She's pregnant! She's carrying a child! Just knock her out, why kill her!" Shen Ruowen roared hoarsely, her eyes slightly red. The care Xing Yuxiu had given her these past few days flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern—when she was "bedridden" due to her foot injury, it was Xing Yuxiu who brought her tea and water, and shared her share of sea buckthorn berries, steamed buns, and egg drop soup; it was Xing Yuxiu who, fearing it would be inconvenient for her, even helped wash her socks and clothes; it was Xing Yuxiu who smiled and said, "Sister, don't be shy, feel at home here."

That warm, kind, and always smiling cook, that woman who was newly pregnant and eagerly awaiting the birth of her baby, is now lying in a pool of blood, a tragic loss of both mother and child!

"I think you've gone mad!" Wu Hao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and raised his hand to cover his swollen cheek. "If she screams, we'll all die here."

His eyes were filled with rage. "Have you been brainwashed by these Great Xia people? Have you forgotten what you're here for?"

"That's my business!" Shen Ruowen glared at him, her chest heaving. "I'm your superior! Who gave you permission to kill someone without my orders?!"

"Superiors?" Wu Hao sneered. "Shen Ruowen, don't think that just because you're pretending to be nice to them, they'll consider you one of their own! I think you've forgotten the 'Grey Magpie's' discipline. Being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to yourself. If you continue to act on emotion like this, you'll be the first one the organization eliminates!"

The words "Grey Magpie" pierced Shen Ruowen's heart like an ice pick, instantly chilling her and extinguishing the tenderness that had just begun to sprout within her. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging emotions, no longer looking at Xing Yuxiu on the ground, hugging Tian Tian tightly in her arms, and turned to walk quickly toward the hole in the wall.

"Hurry up!"

Wu Hao glared at Shen Ruowen's back before quickly following.

Upon reaching the courtyard wall, Wu Hao tore away the camouflage tarpaulin, revealing the large, dark hole. He climbed out first, reaching out to take Tian Tian: "Give me the child."

Shen Ruowen ignored him, hugged Tian Tian's little body tightly with both hands, squatted down and struggled to climb out of the hole. Her forehead accidentally brushed against the brick wall, leaving a shallow wound.

Outside the cave, a jeep was already parked, with a disguised military license plate. A man dressed in the same military uniform as the one used at the base leaned against the car, warily looking around. When he saw them come out, he immediately waved and whispered, "Get in the car quickly."

Wu Hao opened the car door, Shen Ruowen carried Tian Tian into the back seat, and the man immediately jumped into the passenger seat. With a roar of the engine, the jeep suddenly turned around and sped off onto a secluded dirt road.

"Where is Team Leader Gao?" Shen Ruowen asked, her voice now calm.

"He needs to clean up the mess and stall the people at the base. We'll proceed to the first rendezvous point as planned and await further instructions from the organization," the man in the passenger seat replied calmly. He glanced at the child in Shen Ruowen's arms through the rearview mirror. "Besides this child, you didn't get anything else?"

"The base is heavily guarded. If it weren't for Team Leader Gao creating a 'piping' to lure us away, we wouldn't even have been able to get our hands on this child," Shen Ruowen said.

Why not wake her up?

Wu Hao reached out to shake Tian Tian, ​​but Shen Ruowen stopped him: "Don't touch her. This child has a special constitution; if she wakes up and resists, it will be bad for us. Let her sleep."

Shen Ruowen looked down at the sweet and peaceful sleeping face, recalling the little girl's innocent and carefree appearance, and felt a mix of emotions. "Once we return to headquarters and hand her over to our superiors, our mission will be complete."

Just then, a rousing broadcast came from the direction of the base behind us, piercing through the clouds and clearly audible even through the car window:

"Comrades! I have some exciting news to share! The first ground test of the entire engine system of the 'Long Sword' project was a complete success at 10:11 AM today! This is a major breakthrough in our country's defense science and technology! Let us remember this historic moment! Thank you to all the participants for their selfless dedication! The people will not forget! The motherland will not forget! Let us continue to strive and work hard to achieve this goal as soon as possible..."

The broadcast gradually faded and was eventually swallowed up by the sandstorm kicked up by the wheels.

"Damn it!" Wu Hao slammed his fist on the armrest of his seat, his face contorted in rage. "They still managed to pull it off!"

The man in the passenger seat smiled indifferently: "This is just the first step in a long journey. A missile needs countless tests to get into space. We have plenty of time, what's the rush?"

Experimental field.

The massive engine stood proudly on the test stand, like a sleeping steel behemoth. All the key research personnel, technicians, and support staff held their breath, their eyes focused on the monitoring instrument panel and the heavy, bulletproof observation window.

Commander Liu, Chief Designer Wang, Professor Qian, and other core leaders stood at the forefront, their faces filled with solemnity and reverence.

"Final checks at all posts!" The chief test commander's voice came through the loudspeaker.

"Fuel supply system is normal!"

"Oxidant pressurization is normal!"

"Cooling circulation is normal!"

"Data link is normal!"

"Reporting to the commander, everything is ready, requesting test drive!" The chief test driver saluted.

Commander Liu took a deep breath, slowly raised his right hand, and returned the salute. Then, he gave a firm and powerful downward salute.

"start!"

"Yes, sir! All units, go on standby!"

The testing site immediately went into high alert, and all technical personnel retreated to the safe area.

"One minute countdown!"

The various data on the monitoring screen began to fluctuate in real time, and the red countdown started counting down: 59, 58, 57...

The crowd either clasped their hands tightly, stared intently, or held their breath.

"Ten, nine, ... seven, six..."

"Three! Two! One!"

"Ignition!" With the final command, the operator slammed down the red button.

hum-

In an instant, a ghostly blue flame shot out from the engine's tail, instantly elongating and expanding, eventually transforming into a blindingly bright white flame!

The wild roar pierced through the thick bunker walls, pounding against everyone's eardrums and hearts.

Even through specially made glass, it can still give people a sense of overwhelming awe.

On the data screen, curves representing multiple values ​​such as thrust, temperature, and pressure began to fluctuate violently before rapidly climbing.

"The initial stage is normal!"

"Transition state is normal!"

"Thrust has reached 50%... 70%... 90%!"

The flames roared steadily, and the powerful thrust was transmitted through the base, making people's feet slightly numb.

Professor Qian leaned forward, almost touching the observation window, his bloodshot eyes barely blinking.

Chief Designer Wang's hands, which were behind his back, had become clenched into fists.

"100%! Full operational capability!" the monitor's voice rang out loudly.

The most grueling ten-minute long-term assessment begins.

Every minute, every second, felt incredibly long.

On the instrument panel, the curve remained stable at a high level, and the continuous roaring sound became the only background noise in the observation room.

Some people began to instinctively cover their chests.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

Time has never slowed down so much, nor has it ever been so breathtaking.

At the seventh minute, Professor Qian's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Almost simultaneously, the monitor reported: "The combustion chamber wall temperature has fluctuated by about two-thousandths, but is still within the safe range."

The commander kept a close eye on the curve: "Continue to observe, maintain the operating conditions."

The fluctuation lasted for more than ten seconds, but instead of expanding, it gradually subsided and returned to a stable curve. Professor Qian slowly relaxed his shoulders and back, and gently exhaled a breath of stale air.

In the ninth minute, the flames continued to spew out steadily, showing no signs of abating.

All data curves remained rock-solid.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

This countdown is no longer frightening; instead, it is filled with a sense of hopeful anticipation.

"...Three, two, one!"

"Engine shut down!"

As the command was issued, the operator pressed the final button.

The roaring white behemoth suddenly fell silent, the blazing flames slowly extinguished, and finally, calm returned.

Only the immense, lingering sound seemed to still reverberate in everyone's eardrums. It was over.

A brief, deathly silence fell over the entire observation room.

Immediately, the first shout erupted from the monitoring station: "All parameters meet the standards! Test drive a complete success!"

"It's a success!!!"

"We did it!!!"