Daming: The system rejected my request for salted fish

"Mr. Vice President, one of the two missing craftsmen is from my blacksmith team. I have an unshirkable responsibility for this matter!"

After Sun Chang finished speaking, Yang Chao also quickly spoke up:

"That craftsman is from our firearms department. I failed to manage my subordinates well. Please punish me, Vice President!"

Whether it was Song Zhong, Sun Chang, or Yang Chao, they all misunderstood Wei Wu. They thought Wei Wu was trying to find someone to hold accountable.

In fact, Wei Wu's question about which group the two craftsmen belonged to had nothing to do with accountability, but was just to confirm what the goal of the enemy behind the scenes was.

That’s right, it’s the enemy behind the scenes!

The fact that the two craftsmen were bribed quietly without the Jinyiwei noticing at all is enough to show that the person behind the scenes has extraordinary means.

Since he has set his sights on the Institute of Science and Technology, there must be something he wants here. Wei Wu wants to know what this person wants!

But now, after listening to the answers of Sun Chang and Yang Chao, Wei Wu probably guessed what the other party wanted.

If nothing unexpected happens, it should be steam engines and firearms!

After reaching this conclusion, Wei Wu's eyes suddenly showed an icy light, which frightened the four team leaders next to him so much that they broke out in cold sweats.

At the critical moment, Song Zhong gritted his teeth and stood up and said:

"Mr. Vice President, this matter is caused by my mismanagement. I am willing to accept..."

"Alright, I don't mean to hold you responsible or punish you!"

Before Song Zhong finished speaking, Wei Wu interrupted him with a wave of his hand and continued:

"This incident was clearly planned long ago to target our Institute of Science and Technology. I asked about the two craftsmen's grouping not to hold them accountable, but to understand their goals."

After explaining casually, Wei Wu turned around and looked at Sun Chang.

"After the craftsman disappeared, did you check the tools and blueprints to see if they were missing?"

After Wei Wu finished speaking, Sun Chang gave an answer immediately without any hesitation.

"The tools are fine. The micrometers you gave us have always had strict usage requirements. No one can take them out of the Institute of Science and Technology."

"As for the blueprints, I've been researching motors and ship modifications lately, and I always carry them with me."

"But some time ago I noticed that the blueprints of our first steam engine had been tampered with, but I didn't think much of it at the time."

"It seems that the blueprints of that steam engine have been copied by someone and there's a possibility that they might have been leaked!"

Were the blueprints of the first steam engine tampered with?

Hearing this answer, Wei Wu sighed inwardly: It turns out they are coming for the steam engine!

Fortunately, only the drawings were leaked, and tools like micrometers were not taken away, and the other party did not have industrial artifacts such as machine tools.

Even if you get the blueprints, if you want to make the steam machine, it will take at least half a year just to accurately polish the relevant parts.

This is just the time it takes to make a steam engine. The most critical thing is that there are no measuring tools, and the accuracy of the hand-rubbed parts cannot be guaranteed, and the furnace may explode if you are not careful!

However, no matter what, the drawings were most likely leaked, which is indeed a considerable loss for the Academy of Science and Technology.

Although the current Academy of Science and Technology has designed many other models of steam engines, the earliest model is no longer needed.

Even the design of a triple-expansion steam engine for large ships was completed, and a ship was successfully built.

But no matter what, the steam engine is a technological product that is several centuries ahead of the current stage, and its value is obvious.

You should know that the most difficult part of developing technology is the process from zero to one. As long as you get through this stage, the subsequent problems will be relatively simple.

Now, the steam engine drawings may be leaked, and we don’t know who is behind it or which force is behind it. This is a bit troublesome.