Love in the Courtyard: Starting with Engineers

With the gas turbine project successfully launched, Li Yu received a call from Minister Liu a few days later, asking him to take the gas turbine technology to the Ministry of Industry to participate in a review meeting on gas turbines.

In the conference room of the Ministry of Industry, a long conference table was filled with leaders and experts from the Navy, research institutes, and the Ministry of Industry. Li Yu, dressed in a well-fitting Zhongshan suit, stood in front of a hastily brought-in blackboard, holding a piece of chalk, explaining the shipboard adaptation scheme for gas turbines.

On the blackboard, rows of data are clearly displayed: maximum power of 22500 shaft horsepower, start-up to full power in 2 minutes and 50 seconds, and stable operation for over 72 hours in low-temperature, high-salt-spray environments. Every single data point far surpasses the current international mainstream LM1500 gas turbine and leaves domestic steam turbines far behind.

"...Based on the above data, we have reason to believe that once this gas turbine is successfully installed on ships, it will completely solve the problem of insufficient power and slow start-up of our naval vessels, giving our warships greater maneuverability and endurance."

After Li Yu finished speaking, the conference room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in low murmurs of admiration. Vice Admiral Qin Zhengguo from the Naval Equipment Department nodded vigorously, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Excellent! Excellent! Director Li's team certainly didn't disappoint us!"

The young technicians were especially excited, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes filled with anticipation for the new technology. In an era of Western technological blockade, being able to produce such an independently developed core piece of equipment was nothing short of a shot in the arm.

But just then, a loud, cold snort shattered the lively atmosphere in the conference room.

Professor Zhang, seated at the far left of the conference table, slowly raised his head. This elderly man, with gray hair and thick reading glasses, was a veteran of the Shipbuilding Research Institute, having dedicated over twenty years to the field of steam turbines and enjoying high prestige within the industry. At this moment, his brow was furrowed, his eyes filled with disdain, and he tapped his fingers heavily on the table: "Hmph, all show and no substance! A mere facade!"

Those three words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the enthusiasm in the meeting room. All eyes turned to him.

Li Yu frowned, turned around, looked at Professor Zhang, and asked in a calm tone, "Professor, what are your opinions on the proposal?"

Professor Zhang abruptly stood up, slamming his pen onto the table. "Opinions? I have too many opinions! Chief Engineer Li, you keep talking about independent research and development, but have you considered whether our domestic industrial base can actually support gas turbines?"

He pointed to the data on the screen, his voice suddenly rising: "22500 shaft horsepower? Sounds impressive! But do you know that the precision requirements for gas turbine blades are ten times higher than those for steam turbines! Can our domestic milling machines produce qualified blades? Even if they could, how high would the maintenance costs be? If even a single screw breaks, we'd have to import it! Isn't this a waste of the country's money?"

"Furthermore, your talk of stable operation under low temperature and high salt spray conditions seems like pure fantasy from a laboratory! How harsh is the environment in the South China Sea? Salt spray corrosion, huge temperature differences—even steam turbines require regular overhauls. Can your gas turbine even last a month?"

Professor Zhang's words struck a chord with the conservatives. Behind him, three other experts who also studied steam turbines echoed his sentiments.

"Professor Zhang is right, steam turbines are a mature and reliable technology!"

"Gas turbines are too complex and not suited to our national conditions!"

Immediately afterward, Professor Zhang pulled a thick joint application from his briefcase and slammed it on the table: "The four of us have jointly submitted an application! We request that the gas turbine naval project be suspended, and that funding and effort be prioritized for the upgrade and modernization of the steam turbine!"

The meeting room erupted in chaos.

Lieutenant General Qin Zhengguo stood up abruptly and retorted sharply, "Professor Zhang! You're being old-fashioned! The South China Sea front is waiting for high-powered engines! Steam turbines take several hours to start up. By the time our warships are up and running, the enemy will have already fled!"

"War is no child's play!" Professor Zhang retorted, "Immature technology will only harm the soldiers if it's deployed on the ship! Chief Engineer Li, if you're truly confident, then publish all the technical derivation formulas and raw experimental data! Let everyone see whether your technology is reliable or not!"

His words revealed his distrust of Li Yu's technology, and he even implied that the technology was a castle in the air and could not withstand scrutiny.

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events and couldn't reach an agreement. The meeting room was in an uproar, with the young technician and the conservative expert arguing fiercely, their faces red and necks bulging.

Just then, the conference room door was pushed open. Minister Liu Jie of the Ministry of Industry walked in with a solemn expression.

The noise stopped abruptly.

Minister Liu Jie glanced around the room, his gaze landing on the joint application. He then looked at Li Yu and Professor Zhang, and said in a deep voice, "Quiet down. In a technological contest, data speaks volumes, not shouts."

He walked to the center of the conference table and said in a calm tone, "The gas turbine project is a key national project and cannot be easily halted. However, Professor Zhang and his colleagues' concerns are not without merit."

Minister Liu Jie looked at Li Yu with trust and expectation in his eyes: "Comrade Li Yu, I'll give you three days. The second review meeting will be held in three days. You need to produce complete technical derivation formulas, original experimental data, and organize a low-temperature, high-salt-spray extreme condition test. Convince everyone with solid results."

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Li Yu showed no sign of panic. He straightened his back and spoke in a firm and resonant voice: "No problem. I will give everyone a satisfactory answer in three days."

Professor Zhang frowned even more as he watched the man's confident demeanor. He snorted coldly, sat back down, and a hint of disapproval lurked in his eyes.

He wanted to see what evidence this young man could produce to shatter the steam turbine creed he had upheld his entire life.

The door to the review meeting was pushed open, and a biting autumn wind rushed in, causing the "Self-Reliance" slogan on the wall to sway slightly.

Li Yu walked ahead, the hem of his Zhongshan suit fluttering in the wind. He clutched the review meeting minutes in his hand, the words "Three-Day Agreement" on the paper white from his grip. Behind him, Qin Zhengguo quickly caught up, lowering his voice, "Chief Engineer Li, those old Zhang guys are just stubborn, don't take it to heart. The Navy fully supports you in conducting the extreme tests!"

Li Yu paused, turned to look at Qin Zhengguo, his eyes showing no anger, only calm determination: "General Qin, rest assured, what I want is not to win a war of words, but to let everyone see with their own eyes whether our gas turbines can withstand the wind and waves of the South China Sea."

At the same time, in the review committee's meeting room, Professor Zhang was surrounded by three conservative experts. Someone handed him a cup of hot tea and sighed, "Professor Zhang, do you really think Li Yu can produce any solid data?"

Professor Zhang blew on the tea froth, his eyes sharp as knives: "Hmph, he can't produce it! Low temperature and high salt spray—that's a hellish environment even steam turbines can't withstand. The hollow blades of a gas turbine, let alone 72 hours, would be corroded and leaking through in 24 hours! I'd like to see how he'll clean up this mess in three days!"

He slammed his teacup down, spilling a few drops of tea. "Notify the technicians at the research institute to come with me to the Longxing factory in three days! I want to personally oversee his testing and see how he manages to pull off this 'castle in the air' lie!"

As night deepened, the assembly workshop of Longxing Machinery Factory remained brightly lit, as bright as day.