Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

Lin Jianguo is here again.

He was quite adept at the kind of indirect, verbal exchanges he used with Gao Jianguo this time.

The hospital invited him to talk this time not because it was an emergency, but because they wanted to broaden his thinking and gather ideas from all sides.

Lin Jianguo poured out all his demands at once.

It's still about heat resistance; the temperature needs to be between 1800 and 2000 degrees Celsius. It's a one-time use item and won't last long. It can be attached to a metal base, and the base itself can withstand around 1000 degrees Celsius.

The problem is that this thing has to work in a high-temperature, high-pressure, high-speed airflow.

Listen to Lin Jianguo's current level of proficiency; he's practically an expert.

He, along with Engineer Zhao and Chief Engineer Sun, all suspected that Gao Jianguo had already guessed what they were up to.

You can guess, but you can't say it out loud.

Gao Jianguo knew they knew he had guessed it, and he couldn't reveal the truth.

However, with this tacit understanding, Lin Jianguo and his design institute were able to explain the issues more clearly within the bounds of the rules.

This time, there's no need for a guessing game; it's the exhaust nozzle of a missile rocket engine, no doubt about it.

I'm not sure how long it will work, but I imagine it's an infrared air-to-air missile, so it won't be long; it'll basically be measured in seconds.

After reviewing all the tangible technologies in his mind, Gao Jianguo blurted out the answer.

"Molybdenum, tungsten, tungsten-silver alloys, tungsten-copper alloys, cermets, or graphite."

There's no need to even mention carbon-carbon composites right now.

Lin Jianguo's knowledge base could barely handle the previous few items, but when the word "graphite" came out, he was completely dumbfounded.

"Graphite? Isn't that just carbon? This stuff is meant to be thrown into high-temperature, high-pressure, high-speed airflow."

"That's right, so what if it's carbon? Diamond is also carbon, so how come it's so hard? Graphite has excellent heat resistance before it's burned through. Isn't this a one-time process? Just make sure the thickness is sufficient."

Gao Jianguo pondered for a moment and then added a few more words.

"Polycrystalline graphite will do; it's cheap, and you can add some silicon or copper. But what's even more exciting is pyrolytic graphite, which can be made using chemical vapor deposition."

At that time, there was no such thing as pyrolytic graphite in China. Research on it only began in the early 1960s, and it wasn't until the 1970s that it was actually used in missiles and rockets.

But that doesn't stop Gao Jianguo from speaking it out so frankly. In the field of materials, he is currently able to offer more information.

These few words were completely beyond Lin Jianguo's comprehension, and he memorized them in a daze.

Gao Jianguo thought for a moment and then added another comment.

"If the working hours are long, then the design will need to be more complex."

This is quite interesting. It's almost like saying, "If the rocket engine nozzle is working for a long time, then it will be troublesome." In fact, at this point, both sides know that the other is fully aware of the situation, but they still can't admit it verbally. It's quite amusing to think about.

Gao Jianguo knows these things because he was a seasoned military enthusiast in his previous life. During his teenage years, he bought some military-related books specifically to argue with people online.

Later, he struggled in the vast ocean of automation, almost drowning and unable to reach the shore. Those immature thoughts and actions gradually disappeared.

One of the publicly published books is about rocket engine design. Isn't that amazing? In his previous life, these things, which only involved outdated basic theories and technologies, were already available for public sale.

But those outdated items from back then are perfectly fashionable now.

Gao Jianguo has thoroughly studied this book. Now his brain is sharp and his memory is excellent, but it still takes him some time to extract information from the nooks and crannies.

Without prompting or guidance, he couldn't remember anything; there were just too many things to memorize.

Lin Jianguo diligently wrote down every word Gao Jianguo said, and returned to his unit with a head full of questions. He didn't understand, but he still felt that the trip hadn't been in vain.

Back at the design institute, he shared his findings with the engine manager and Chief Designer Sun.

The two looked at him and thought, "Wow, Gao Jianguo has quite the ingenuity. No wonder he's someone who deals with materials."

"Molybdenum and tungsten are unsuitable; they're too heavy and too expensive."

"We hadn't really considered tungsten-silver or tungsten-copper alloys, but it's definitely a viable option, though it's not cheap."

"It should be a method that uses tungsten as the framework and silver or copper as the sweating material to carry the heat outwards."

"Metal ceramics are something we can work on, but how to fire them and how to apply them is a real hassle."

"Polycrystalline graphite? Silicon-infiltrated or copper-infiltrated? This looks promising, and the price should be manageable. We've considered it before, but his explanation was as clear as his."

"Yes, yes, yes, it's a one-time thing. Once it burns away, that's it. As long as the ablation rate remains stable, the problem of pressure changes can be controlled."

"I have classmates at the Northeast Carbon Research Institute; I can ask them if they have any suitable materials."

"You ask around, tsk, what is this pyrolytic graphite? Never heard of it. Vapor deposition?"

"I'll ask my classmate; maybe he knows."

As they were talking, the two stared blankly at the last line of Lin Jianguo's notebook, exchanged a glance, and then Chief Engineer Sun asked Lin Jianguo a question.

"What does he mean by that? Did you spill the beans to him?"

Lin Jianguo shook his head.

"No, he probably had more to say about jobs that require long, continuous periods of work."

Chief Engineer Sun smiled.

"He probably guessed it, but he couldn't say it directly. It's not a secret that you work at our research institute, and every time you talk to him, you ask such precise questions. With his sharp mind, it's not surprising that he figured it out."

Lin Jianguo nodded.

"Yes, I think so. This time I didn't even have to say it a second time; he answered right away."

Chief Engineer Sun cheerfully gave him his instructions.

"It seems he really knows a lot about rocket engines, the kind that can be put into practice and solve real-world problems. Whenever you have free time, go and investigate more."

After thinking for a moment, I added another sentence.

"By the way, next time you go, find out his full name, which department he works in, his position, and his title. I'll add him to the list of key researchers for the model. We've taken so much from him, he deserves some recognition."

Lin Jianguo readily agreed.

While the research institute was celebrating another step forward for the model, Gao Jianguo, after finishing his meal with his research team, went home and immediately went into the south room.

He took out his transistor computer and then started tinkering with his minimalist IDE, cobbled together from asm, vi, and math.

Just as Gao Jianguo was working with great enthusiasm, someone sneaked into the internal security section of the security department of the Third Steel Rolling Mill.

The man, leaning on his cane, shuffled into the internal security department's duty room, where the light illuminated his chubby face, which had been hidden in the shadows.

In the bangs.

He walked into the duty room, panting heavily. He took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face and shouted at the security guard on duty.

"Comrade, I'm reporting Gao Jianguo; he's a spy!!"