94: From Technological Warfare to Space Empire

Xu Haoxiang said that Yang Jia also asked him for his original manuscript.

The slight smile that had been on Lin Yu's face vanished, and he became utterly indifferent.

He had been misled by Xu Haoxiang and almost believed the nonsense that Yang Jia was innocent and that the whole family couldn't be spies.

But now he is certain that Yang Jia has a problem.

This woman's goal was fixated on the manuscript she was writing, and she wasn't willing to let go of even the discarded drafts.

Even the rejected draft shows that she knew her boyfriend had been caught stealing by his roommates, yet she still let him steal, which is completely inconsistent with her image of loving her boyfriend.

Only a gambling addict like Xu Haoxiang would overlook such an obvious mistake.

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes, pondering the purpose of her and the people behind her doing this.

There are virtually no commercial space companies now, and it's almost impossible for private individuals to get involved in this field.

In 1994, China's space program was facing a bottleneck.

But if you look outwards... those who have imposed the blockade are closely monitoring every inch of China's space program's progress.

There are also many people who want to steal achievements through despicable means in order to sell them for a good price.

Lin Yu pondered for a long time. Seeing Lin Yu's low mood, Xu Haoxiang didn't dare to disturb him too much, for fear that if he spoke, Lin Yu would get out of the car again.

One important reason why the Soviet Union couldn't hold out during the US-Soviet war was that it took the war too seriously.

And the Americans themselves...

In fact, they are easily taken seriously, and they will not let go of anything that can be turned into a product.

The United States has already shown its lessons with radium metal children's toys and nuclear fuel simulation toys.

Using radioactive uranium metal rods as wind chimes...

This product, which had harmed many Americans, was actually a bestseller at the time. During the peak of Yilin's popularity, no one would believe these things.

But if we start from this line of thinking... could he use spies to pass on something like this and achieve a counter-espionage plan?

The West and Japan were too strong at this time. If he could weaken them, Lin Yu wouldn't mind doing so.

Are there any things in the future that are theoretically perfect and powerful, but simply cannot be built?

Xu Haoxiang may have made a thousand mistakes, but there is one thing he is right about.

This is Beijing, where Yang Jia's entire family is based. No matter how much she tries to curry favor with foreign powers, Lin Yu is absolutely safe as long as he is in public.

Instead of resisting and running away, we should think about how to maximize our benefits.

Even without considering counter-espionage, the computing power and algorithms required for artificial intelligence may still exist in truly high-end technology overseas.

Eating one of my enemy's cups is better than eating a thousand of mine.

If Yang Jia really is a spy, then we must test whether there is anything better.

The vans kept coming, but Lin Yu was starting to think they were moving too fast.

As Xu Haoxiang got closer to Xidan, he became more and more relaxed. Seeing that Lin Yu was no longer moving, all he could think about was the tender moments he would share with his girlfriend after completing the mission.

Soon, the van stopped at the entrance of Xidan Quyuan Building. Faded lanterns hung on the vermilion lintel, and the rich aroma of Hunan cuisine filled the air as you pushed the door open.

The tangy and spicy freshness, combined with the rich aroma of cured meat, makes one's mouth water.

The mahogany tables and chairs inside gleamed with a warm luster, and a copper kettle in the corner was boiling tea.

The main hall was filled with diners at several square tables, mostly middle-aged people wearing Zhongshan suits or Dacron shirts, with a few fashionable young people who seemed to be children of government officials.

By the window, a woman with long, wavy hair was looking down at a book; it was Yang Jia.

She wore a red velvet coat, bright lipstick, and a cigarette between her fingers. The ashtray was already full of cigarette butts, and on the table was a copy of "Introduction to Satellite Structural Design," with several annotations on the pages.

Seeing Xu Haoxiang and Lin Yu enter, Yang Jia immediately stubbed out her cigarette, a bright smile spreading across her face. As she stood up, she deliberately straightened her back, so that Lin Yu's first impression of her would be of her two firm, white breasts encased in red lining:

"Haoxiang, you've finally arrived! This must be Lin Yu, right? I've heard so much about you; Haoxiang always says you're a genius from the aerospace institute."

Her voice carried the gentleness of a woman from Jiangnan, but her gaze silently swept over Lin Yu, from his ordinary cotton coat to his worn-out cotton shoes, and finally landed on the canvas bag he carried with him, leaving no stone unturned.

Lin Yu nodded calmly, but alarm bells were ringing in his mind.

Yang Jia's demeanor and speech were nothing like that of a woman with a love-struck mind. In particular, the books on her table were not something that could be casually flipped through and placed there. There were also fine annotations on the edges of the pages, which clearly showed that she had studied them carefully.

Considering Xu Haoxiang's naive and foolish nature, and the fact that this woman could actually do that to him, Lin Yu felt even more that this woman was not simple.

Xu Haoxiang saw that Yang Jia treated him with tenderness and gave him face in front of his friends.

He quickly pulled Lin Yu down to sit, and said as if showing off a treasure:

"Jiajia, let me tell you, Lin Yu is amazing. He can draw satellite sketches out of thin air, and even professors use them as lecture notes! I specially invited him here today so that you can also hear him talk about high technology."

Yang Jia smiled and poured tea for the two of them, but her gaze never left Lin Yu:

"I've been wanting to hear Mr. Lin talk about satellite and rocket launches for a while now, since it's a hot topic. I heard that your research group had a bit of an accident with your weather satellite?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu paused, his hand holding the teacup still.

The satellite explosion at the research group's facility, while not top secret, was known only to people within the field...

Yang Jia, being an outsider, seems to know far too much.

He looked up at Yang Jia and said, "Unexpected things always happen during the experimental phase, and there are bound to be setbacks on the road to scientific research."

"That's right." Yang Jia's smile deepened.

"But I heard that the satellite cost as much as $5000 million, and it's such a pity that it's gone."

"If we had more advanced technology, perhaps we could avoid such accidents? For example, could Mr. Lin's latest research change this problem?"

Lin Yu understood immediately; this woman was indeed after his skills.

I just don't know what gives her the confidence to ask him so bluntly. Is she really not afraid of being caught red-handed, or does she think Lin Yu won't guess that she's a spy?

Lin Yu didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Ms. Yang seems to be very interested in the aerospace field?"

"I wouldn't say I'm interested, I just find it novel."

Yang Jia avoided Lin Yu's gaze:

"Haoxiang told me that you've been researching this lately. Could you tell me about the grid wings made of aluminum alloy?"

"I spent a long time looking at a book on rocket construction, and although I didn't understand it, I could at least see what kind of low-carbon steel the slat fins were made of."

"Haoxiang says he used aluminum alloy; this must be groundbreaking new research, right?"

Xu Haoxiang quickly chimed in, "That's right, Lin Yu, tell us quickly, let Jiajia see your skills too."

Among the technologies embargoed by the West, the characteristics of the grid fin almost determine whether a rocket or satellite can be successfully launched.

These are small wings used to help rockets maintain balance. The biggest fear in rocket launches is that the rocket cannot travel on the expected trajectory, and grid wings can greatly save the manpower and resources needed to balance the rocket.

Since grid fins can also be used on missiles, this technology is a top secret and extremely important. Once cracked, it could break free from the constraints imposed by much of Europe and America.

Lin Yu sneered inwardly. How could a woman like you ask such a confidential question? Don't blame him for making things up.