94: From Technological Warfare to Space Empire

"Teacher, what if one day the Americans interfere with GPS and come to our coastline to swagger around?"

We want to retaliate, but we can't even find the enemy planes. What should we do?

The question was asked as soon as it was asked.

The already somewhat oppressive atmosphere became even more subdued with silence.

After a long while, the old professor's voice, now hoarse, echoed in the room:

"Just harassment, not war?"

Lin Yu nodded.

Then, the old professor closed his eyes.

Leaning back against the painting and calligraphy by Yu Youren, he spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Then let him be, let him be, let him do as he pleases. When the country is strong and prosperous, and has the money to develop satellites, then we'll see what happens to him."

When the professor opened his eyes again, they were bloodshot. His lips trembled slightly as he spoke.

"It's late, go back and rest, Lin Yu. Let me work on the project a bit more. Since the research group has lost funding for the satellite, we need to work on something else."

Now we must contribute to the country in the areas where it can be most beneficial.

"For a country, a temporary struggle over appearances is meaningless. We've only been a nation for 40 years. It's impossible for us to catch up with Europe and America so quickly after industrialization."

"The Star Wars program just bankrupted the Soviet Union. Are we supposed to jump in and compete with the United States for space now?"

The old professor gripped Lin Yu's arm, staring intently at him.

It was as if he was trying to persuade Lin Yu, and also as if he was trying to persuade himself:

"If one day the situation you described really happens, I only ask that you, the new generation of aerospace engineers, never forget that humiliation."

The professor then slumped down in his chair, his arms hanging limply, and two murky tears seemed to stream from his eyes hidden beneath his gray hair.

The professor waved his hand listlessly, as if he didn't want to say anything more, signaling Lin Yu to leave.

The calligraphy and painting behind the old professor's chair hung there quietly.

"Ten Years of Building Up, Ten Years of Lessons Learned" is an inspiration from Goujian's conquest of Wu in the Zuo Zhuan, which has always taught the Chinese people not to fight for momentary pride.

And that's exactly what the future nation did.

Perhaps he should learn from him?

But even though he traveled back in time and had a cheat code to climb the technology tree, could he still not change anything?

No! He absolutely will not allow it!

Lin Yu spoke softly, "Teacher."

Upon hearing Lin Yu's call, the old professor wiped away the extra tears from the corners of his eyes. Just listening to Lin Yu's conjecture reminded him of the humiliation during the War of Resistance against Japan, and he felt extremely distressed.

The professor thought to himself that Lin Yu was still young and inexperienced, and with the current budget shortfall, all his efforts would have to be postponed. He was probably even more heartbroken than Lin Yu.

The professor opened his eyes, intending to comfort Lin Yu, but what he saw was a pair of eyes that were both intense and resolute.

The owner of those bright eyes spoke with unwavering determination, his voice growing louder and clearer:

"teacher."

"I assure you, I will overcome all difficulties, I will get through this!"

"Even with technological blockades and foreign sanctions! Even if it means I have to lie, steal, cheat... even eat people!"

"I won't use any means necessary against my own people, but I'll stop at nothing when dealing with outsiders! I will definitely raise enough funds!"

"That kind of future will absolutely not happen! Even if we face encirclement from the whole world, I will build our own satellite communication network!!!"

Lin Yu bowed deeply to the professor, no longer responding to the professor's outstretched hand, turned around and closed the door of the research group, walking back to the dormitory without looking back.

It was already quite cold in Beijing during the fourth nine-day period of winter, and snowflakes were falling from the night sky.

As Lin Yu walked out of the research group, wrapped in the cotton coat his supervisor had given him, he headed back. The biting winter wind blew down a few autumn leaves that had waited until winter to fall from the branches.

It landed on Lin Yu's shoulder as he walked alone under a streetlamp.

Lin Yu walked along, silently reflecting in his mind.

Even though China's manned spaceflight technology was already among the world's best when he traveled back in time, he was still a remarkable figure.

However, China's space program actually started quite late.

The first confirmed commercial launch capability was achieved in 1998.

As for communication satellites, progress was only made in 1997 with the launch of Dongfanghong-3.

And it is only 1994 now.

The Cold War ended less than two years ago, and the European Union had only just been established.

Want to make money by taking advantage of joining the WTO?

Forget about it; the WTO was only established in 1995.

China officially joined the WTO in 2001.

Yeah yeah.

We are now penniless.

There is a fundamental lack of pre-processing technology for various materials and chips.

To build satellites, most of the materials still need to be imported.

Grid wings, atomic clocks... all kinds of equipment are controlled by developed countries.

Even the once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon period between China and the United States has ended.

With its victory in the Cold War, the United States, as the sole superpower, no longer needed China to counterbalance the Soviet Union.

This is the situation Lin Yu is facing.

The only good news is that no one wanted to start a war lightly, giving China a brief period of time to develop.

Under such circumstances of blockade and war not being easily started.

Improving people's livelihoods as quickly as possible by all means is the right path.

When people's livelihoods improve and more high-quality talents are cultivated, that will truly mark the beginning of a nation's rise.

With talent and an industrial base, we no longer need to spend exorbitant amounts to buy raw materials from Europe and America.

Lin Yu understood why he shouldn't try to become fat overnight.

But with the cheat code at his fingertips, it was hard for Lin Yu not to become anxious.

He was originally an ordinary doctoral student at Beihang University in 2026. It wasn't until a few months ago, when a beep sounded in his mind, that he was bound to an alien parenting system and awakened his Su Hui.

The system then waited for Lin Yu to create the first item to activate it.

As a parenting system, it is purely designed to inspire children's creativity and imagination.

However, as a parenting system, it also fundamentally requires children to have practical skills.

If the host wants to use it to create a technological product, the host must first make at least 80% of the product by hand before it can help complete the remaining 20%.

With it, Lin Yu is confident that he can greatly shorten the process of aerospace development.

But right now there is simply no funding.

Without the country's help, he couldn't even achieve 10%, let alone 80%, let alone activate the cheat code.

Now that we can't directly build satellites anymore, we need to figure out what to make as the first self-made item needed to activate the cheat code.

As a reward for his first attempt, Lin Yu only needs to complete 50% of his first item to activate the remaining 50% via the system.

The nation's money should be used to nurture the people, and progress should be made steadily and surely.

If we want to build a satellite communication system that is far ahead of its time, we have to find a way ourselves.

On January 23, 1994, the streets of Beijing gradually began to show signs of welcoming the New Year.

This is the first year that fireworks and firecrackers are banned in Beijing, but the absence of fireworks and firecrackers cannot change people's expectations for the New Year.

The meeting on political and economic reforms has just concluded, and with the interpretation of the socialist market economy system, everyone is convinced that the new China will develop better and better.

But across the Pacific—encrypted documents about developing electronic warfare to suppress China's rise are being signed.

距离1994年10月27日，94华南空情异常事件，还有278天！