Traveling Back to the 1960s: The Entire Internet Teaches Me How to Build Missiles

Chapter 72 Top Secret 501

The meeting place where Ye Ling held the meeting was not the conference room in the government building, but the auditorium on the first floor.

When Zhou Yunxiao and Captain Mu walked in, they saw that the auditorium was already packed with people, probably more than two hundred.

These people included both men and women, some I knew and some I didn't; it's likely that representatives from all the major branches came to attend the meeting.

On the stage, Ye Ling sat in the center, flanked by Political Commissar Sun and Chief of Staff Xu, with several other officers in sharp military uniforms seated beside him.

Zhou Yunxiao found a corner to sit down next to Mu Chunsheng, and then greeted Li Difeng, an old acquaintance from the Third Division.

It was 9 a.m. Dudu.

Once everyone had arrived, Ye Ling shouted into the microphone twice, and the loudspeaker above her head also blared twice, instantly silencing the bustling auditorium.

"Secretary Wang, draw all the curtains, close the auditorium doors, and you personally guard the entrance! From now on, no one is allowed to enter this building, and no one is allowed to leave, understand?"

"clear!"

After Ye Ling gave a few serious instructions, Secretary Wang led his men to close the windows and curtains.

Then, Ye Ling glanced at everyone in the auditorium, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Do you all know why I called you all here for this meeting?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Just the day before yesterday, Director Chen from the Science and Technology Commission personally called and assigned our base a glorious and arduous task!"

Ye Ling held up a telegram stamped with "Top Secret" and "Urgent" in red from the platform, and said seriously, "This mission is named Operation Top Secret 501! What does 501 mean? The higher-ups have ordered us to secretly escort something back to base before May Day this year, and to properly safeguard it and ensure its safety."

At this point, the attendees couldn't help but become curious.

He wondered what it was that warranted such a grand commotion.

It should be noted that the row of people sitting on the stage consisted almost entirely of the top officers from all the major units of the Dongfeng Base.

Zhou Yunxiao was also wondering what the top secret 501 was meant to escort.

Ye Ling continued, "Don't think you're just doing the job of warehouse keepers. Let me tell you the truth: this thing concerns the fate of all of you. Even if it costs us our lives, we must protect it and there can be absolutely no mistakes!"

"If anything goes wrong, we'll be sinners in history, guilty of countless crimes! Don't blame me, Ye, for turning ruthless then. I'll deal with you first, and then I'll go to Director Chen to apologize!"

These words were quite serious, immediately dispelling the dismissive attitude of some comrades.

Political Commissar Sun spoke up at the right moment: "Comrades, don't feel too much pressure. As long as everyone cooperates closely and works together, it shouldn't be too difficult to keep an eye on these things."

"As for the location of the guard post—as everyone knows, the Third Division is located in Green Park. A new building has already been built for the headquarters, and we can move there at any time. At the same time, the engineering corps has also built a warehouse, which will be used next."

"We won't move until the top-secret Operation 501 is over. Let that thing stay quietly on its own and avoid contact with the outside world."

At this moment, someone in the audience couldn't help but ask curiously, "Sir, what exactly is Top Secret 501 guarding? Why are they being so secretive? Could it be a new type of missile?"

Ye Ling replied sternly, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. I'll tell you sooner or later. Besides assigning those in charge of Operation 501, this conference will also select a secret task force to escort the 'goods'!"

Upon hearing this, the comrades present finally became lively.

Escorting goods on business trips means being able to leave the Gobi Desert and get some fresh air; everyone has been cooped up for ages, so...

Many people eagerly raised their hands to sign up.

Ye Ling gestured for him to stop, then continued, "The task force has limited personnel, and Chief of Staff Xu Qianxue will personally lead the team to escort the goods. In addition to the fourth division, which is far away in Huludao, and the fifth division, which is responsible for measurement and control, the first, second, and third divisions will each select one technical backbone and one security backbone to form a seven-person team."

"Don't think this is an easy task. Let me make this clear: if anything goes wrong on this escort mission and the goods are damaged, don't blame me for turning my back on you. I'll be like Zhuge Liang, executing Ma Su with tears in my eyes—I'll show absolutely no mercy!"

These menacing words made many comrades back down, and their initial idea of ​​taking the opportunity to get some fresh air vanished.

However, some people had their own agenda. This top-secret Operation 501 was highly valued, and if they could make outstanding contributions, it would be recorded in their personal files, which would definitely be beneficial for their future promotion.

Soon, the nomination of candidates began on site.

The second and third divisions both nominated technical and security personnel, but a minor incident occurred at the first division.

Among the security personnel, Mu Chunsheng undoubtedly has the highest prestige, and his selection would be convincing to everyone.

However, when it comes to selecting key technical personnel, Zhou Yunxiao and another technician surnamed Lu are both highly popular, making it difficult to determine who is the best choice for the time being.

Some supporters believe that Xiao Zhou is more professional and has a higher level of scientific research, especially given his outstanding performance recently, which makes him perfectly capable of handling any emergencies during this escort mission.

Another group of opponents felt that Lao Lu had been working for a longer time, had more experience, and had been tested in several major missions, making him worthy of being entrusted with a top-secret mission like 501.

The two groups argued back and forth, each feeling that their arguments made sense.

After listening for a while, Ye Ling and Political Commissar Sun and others finally understood.

The truth is, we felt that Comrade Xiao Zhou was too young and couldn't shoulder such a responsibility; it would be more prudent for an older comrade to take charge.

Finally, Captain Mu, unable to bear it any longer, slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair and stood up angrily: "What's all this babbling about? Is this a vegetable market or the kitchen of a mess hall? Why are you being so picky? Top Secret 501 is a mission assigned by the organization, and it must be taken seriously. Professional competence should be the first priority, followed by experience and qualifications. In my opinion, Xiao Zhou is more suitable to join the task force!"

Ye Ling glanced at the two parties involved and asked them if they had anything to say.

Zhou Yunxiao said he was willing to obey the organization's arrangements. The technician surnamed Lu seemed to want to try again, so he added another reason: "I'm a member of the troop, and in carrying out such an important task, to unify leadership and strengthen organizational discipline, it's only right that members of the troop should step up first! If I remember correctly, Comrade Zhou hasn't joined yet, right?"

Zhou Yunxiao gave him a strange look.

Are you trying to sabotage me?

If I remember correctly, this Lao Lu was originally from the Theoretical Department of the Second Branch of the Fifth Academy. He didn't have any outstanding achievements. The only thing worth showing off was that he was transferred here when the base was first established in 58, and he was more senior than Director Zhang of the Technical Team.

However, what the other party said really hit the nail on the head, and many wavering comrades began to lean towards the other side again.

Just then, Zhou Yunxiao suddenly asked a strange question: "Comrade Lu, may I ask how old you are this year? And in what year did you join the Tang?"

Old Lu replied, "I'm thirty-five this year, I started working in 1955, what's wrong?"

Zhou Yunxiao smiled and said, "Then you were 29 when you joined."

Old Lu said, "Why are you asking this?"

Zhou Yunxiao said, "What were you doing before you turned 29? Why didn't you become a courtesan when you were 18 and 28?"

Lao Lu: "I—"

Then, ignoring the other party's silence, Zhou Yunxiao looked around the auditorium and said, "I believe that awareness and ability should never be judged by age. When carrying out tasks involving technology, what matters is the ability to solve problems, not seniority."

"Since it's top secret 501, this shipment must be extremely sophisticated and unprecedented. If it encounters any bumps, environmental changes, or even sabotage by enemy agents during transport, causing damage to the shipment, we will face unimaginable technical challenges."

"The experience of veteran comrades is certainly valuable, but experience can often become a fixed mindset. Although I am young, my performance in the recent missions I have participated in has been remarkable."

"As for my identity, although I haven't officially joined the gang yet, I've already submitted my application and am currently under evaluation. I'm confident and capable of completing the 501 escort mission!"

Finally, Ye Ling made the final decision: "Now we need to select key technical personnel who can fill gaps, handle difficult problems, and provide competent expertise. So what else should we look for if not technical skills? My opinion is to put Zhou Yunxiao in this team. Lao Xu, you're the task force leader, what's your opinion?"

Chief of Staff Xu had a good impression of Zhou Yunxiao, and nodded, saying, "Then let's go with Zhou. This kid is quick-witted, clever, and most importantly, he knows a lot of odds and ends of technology. He might be a big help!"