Live Stream 1980: Netizens Teach Me How to Make a Rocket by Hand

……

Li Jianguo's house is on the first floor; it's a small two-bedroom apartment of only thirty square meters.

In previous years, the house was cold and empty at this time, with little festive atmosphere.

Li Jianguo is a workaholic and has no children.

My wife isn't in good health, so the two of us just make do with a meal of dumplings to celebrate the New Year.

"Knock knock knock".

"Who is it? It's New Year's Eve."

Li Jianguo opened the door, wearing a cotton-padded coat.

Upon seeing Lin Xi, the perpetually stern-faced man was momentarily stunned.

Immediately, his eyebrows shot up, and he instinctively wanted to curse.

But seeing the redness on Lin Xi's nose from the cold and what she was carrying, he mumbled something instead of speaking.

"You little brat, why aren't you in the dorm? What are you doing running around like this?"

"Master, I'm all alone, I've come here to mooch a meal."

Lin Xi grinned, and without any hesitation, slipped into the room.

"Master's wife!"

"I've brought you something nice!"

Inside the house, the master's wife was kneading dough. When she saw Lin Xi come in, she was so happy that she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Oh, Kobayashi's here!"

"Please sit down, please sit down!"

"Old Li, quickly pour some tea for the child!"

That night, the dim incandescent light in the Li family's house seemed much brighter than in previous years.

The once quiet house came alive with life after Lin Xi joined the group.

Lin Xi rolled up her sleeves and began rolling out the dough with practiced ease.

The teacher's wife was making dumplings, while Li Jianguo was chopping garlic on the side.

The occasional, sparse sound of firecrackers could be heard outside the window.

In the live broadcast room, hundreds of thousands of viewers spent New Year's Eve of 1980 with Lin Xi.

[I'm getting teary-eyed. It reminds me of my grandfather. That's what Chinese New Year was like back then—no cell phones, no Spring Festival Gala, but our hearts were warm.]

The way the teacher's wife looked at the streamer was just like she was looking at her own son.

Although Old Li is stubborn, you can see he secretly gave the only chicken leg to Lin Xi.

Steaming hot dumplings are served, and the aroma of Maotai liquor fills the air as soon as the bottle is opened.

"Master, Mistress, Happy New Year." Lin Xi raised her wine glass, her expression solemn.

"This year, I'm so grateful to my master for protecting me, otherwise I would have been kicked out of the base long ago."

"Stop talking nonsense." Li Jianguo clinked his glass, took a sip, and his eyes lit up.

"This wine... it's fucking excellent."

The teacher's wife smiled and served food to Lin Xi.

"Kobayashi, don't listen to your master."

"He was still mentioning your name yesterday, saying you're a natural talent, but too cunning."

"Being slippery is good." After a few drinks, Li Jianguo's face turned as red as Guan Yu's, and he started talking non-stop.

"In this world, honest people suffer."

"You're capable and cunning; what will become of this space city in the future..."

"Even in this country, there is a place for you."

He looked at Lin Xi with blurry, drunken eyes, then suddenly reached out his rough hand and gave Lin Xi's head a hard rub.

"Lin Xi, I've got it."

"No matter how high you climb in the future, or how high an official you become, even if you become the chief engineer."

"As long as you still have technology in your heart, and our rockets in your heart..."

"I'll accept you as my apprentice."

Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat.

He looked at the old man in front of him who had dedicated half his life to cold metal, and his nose tingled with emotion.

He nodded emphatically, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Master, don't worry."

As the alcohol took effect, the atmosphere became more boisterous.

Taking advantage of the alcohol, Lin Xi finally voiced the thought that had been pent up for a long time.

"Master, for the fans after the New Year, we won't make ordinary ones."

Lin Xi dipped her chopsticks in the wine and gestured on the table.

"We'll use a turbocharger blade configuration!"

"Create a laminar flow duct!"

"What?" Li Jianguo's eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you crazy? How precise does that thing need to be to manufacture?"

"If the balance is even slightly off, it'll spin like a flying guillotine!"

"That's why we have to rely on you!" Lin Xi flattered.

"Besides your 'human CNC' hands, who else could machine this?"

"Hey……"

Li Jianguo grinned, the kind of excitement a tech enthusiast feels when faced with a challenge.

"OK!"

"If you dare to draw it, I dare to drive it!"

That night, the master and apprentice ate dumplings, drank a bottle of Moutai, and dreamed about the stars and the sea all night long.

……

New Year's Day.

Lin Xi wasn't woken up by the sound of firecrackers, but by the frantic notifications from the live stream in her mind.

[Hey host! Wake up! Don't sleep!]

Today is February 16, 1980! The first day of the Lunar New Year in the Year of the Monkey!

Have you forgotten something important?!

[Monkey stamp! The T46 Monkey stamp was issued today!!!]

[You're not going to accept the welfare benefits for transmigrators?!]

Lin Xi suddenly sat up in bed, his head buzzing, the hangover headache almost making him lie back down.

Monkey stamp!

Oh my god! I almost forgot about that!

That's a "legend" in the stamp world, and a "dungeon" that reborn people must run!

A single coin has a face value of 8 cents, and a sheet of 80 coins costs 6.4 yuan.

Doesn't sound like much?

In 2025, the auction price for this entire sheet of monkey stamps will start at 150 million!

Those in good condition can even fetch 200 million!

Even if you wanted to sell it in the 90s, it would still fetch over 10 yuan per edition!

"We're rich! We're rich!"

Lin Xi didn't even bother to wash her face; she grabbed her cotton-padded coat and rushed outside.

It was just dawn outside, and the streets were deserted on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The ground was covered with red paper from last night's firecrackers, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

He pedaled his bicycle and sped towards the base post office like lightning.

The post office doors had just opened.

Inside sat a young female sales clerk yawning, looking at a stack of stamps on the counter with a worried expression.

"Ugh, having to work on the first day of the Lunar New Year, what bad luck," the sales clerk muttered.

"This is the same; they just had to assign these monkey stamps to everyone."

"Each person has to sell 15 copies; if they can't sell them all, they have to buy the rest themselves."

"What kind of mess is this?!"

"Comrade, Happy New Year!"

A gust of wind swept in, and Lin Xi, panting heavily, leaned against the counter, her eyes shining.

"Buy stamps!"

The sales clerk was startled, but when she saw it was a young man, she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"What's all the fuss about during the New Year?"

"Sending a letter?"

"I don't send letters, I collect stamps." Lin Xi pointed to the stack of T46 monkey stamps.

"Give me some of that monkey."

"You mean the Year of the Monkey stamp?" The sales clerk's eyes lit up, and even her way of addressing him changed.

"Yes." Lin Xi pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and waved it around.

"Give us version 10!"

The sales clerk paused for a moment, then asked, "How much?"

"10 pages! A full page!"

"Sure?"

"Absolutely! Hurry, I'm in a rush!"

"oops!"

"Comrade, you have such excellent taste!"

The sales clerk rushed out from behind the counter, her enthusiasm giving Lin Xi goosebumps.

"This monkey stamp was designed by a famous artist!"

"Painted by Master Huang Yongyu! A golden monkey bringing good fortune!"

Fearing that Lin Xi might change her mind, she quickly counted out ten full pages.

"Ten versions in total." The sales clerk quickly calculated the bill.

"One edition costs 64 yuan, so ten editions would cost 64 yuan."

64 yuan.

Two months' salary.

Lin Xi didn't even blink. She paid, took the goods, and left.

The chat room was buzzing with excitement.

[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Can the streamer mail me some?!]

[Sixty-four yuan bought fifteen million in the future?!]

This is faster than robbing a bank!

[The saleswoman suddenly felt a surge of energy leave her body!]

[I would call this streamer's move a "time thief"!]

Stepping out of the post office, Lin Xi took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air.

These 10 sets of monkey stamps are his future safety net.

Even if he can't make it in the aerospace system in the future, even if his business fails.

As long as he holds onto these few pieces of paper, he will still be a wealthy man in the 21st century.

"It's safe."

Lin Xi patted her chest, a smile playing on her lips.

......

Go back to dorms.

Lin Xi found a tin box, filled it with stamps, and hid it at the bottom of the cabinet.

The long-term strategy is complete; now it's time to get down to business.