A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Jiang Xia, on whom Company Commander Tang had placed high hopes, was not in good condition at the moment.

It should be said that Lao Wang believed that the boy with the dazed look was not in good condition.

Old Wang, seeing no movement from inside the cabin for a long time, was getting anxious and scratching his head in frustration. Then, seeing the oil-soaked safety rope tied around Jiang Xia's waist, Old Wang's first instinct was to reach out and pull!

Come out, Ginseng Baby!

At first, he was still marveling at how impressive it was that Jiang Xia had managed to do this, but then Xu Hua quickly stopped him.

If you just pull it out like that, it's no wonder you'll cause problems for the little guy!

"Don't pull it out! Quick, find a way to ventilate him and lower his temperature!"

But this "dog hole"-like inspection opening was barely big enough for one person to fit through, so where would the ventilation equipment come from? The workers, who were used to the sea breeze, looked at each other in bewilderment and paced around anxiously.

"Fan him! Let's fan him as we go in!" a young coworker shouted suddenly.

In an instant, everyone sprang into action. With no fans readily available, anything around them became a tool.

Some grabbed oil-stained safety helmets, some grabbed cardboard used to pad parts, some simply took off their rough cloth coats, and some even found two thin pieces of sheet metal...

They crowded around the narrow access hatch, raised their "fans" high, aimed them at the darkness, and began to fan them vigorously and rhythmically.

“Whoosh—bang!”

“Whoosh—bang!”

"One, two! One, two!"

Someone started chanting, and the chaotic movements quickly became synchronized. The burly men mustered their strength and pumped the relatively "fresh" air from the cabin into that sweltering hell.

The wind blew in, forming a gentle but continuous "artificial draft," carrying the smell of sweat and heavy breathing of the workers as it rushed towards Jiangxia.

Just then, Jiang Xia, whose mind was highly focused on the green notification on the "scanner," finally completed the final fine-tuning confirmation. In the instant his mind relaxed, a sudden, cool breeze brushed against his sweaty neck and behind his ears.

"what?"

The feeling was so comforting, like a drop of sweet spring water in the desert, instantly clearing his drowsy mind.

"Where does the wind come from?"

The moment the thought crossed his mind, the hairs on his body practically stood on end!

and many more!

This is a completely enclosed drive shaft compartment! It's part of the submarine's watertight structure! Where is the wind coming from?

Where there is wind, there is a leak!

In the deep sea, this is like being able to take a trip to the underwater palace right away!

A chilling thought sent his adrenaline soaring, sweeping away any lingering fatigue. With extreme difficulty, Jiang Xia turned his almost stiff neck inside the confined space, turning his gaze and the only freely movable part of his head toward the maintenance opening behind him, the only source of light.

Then, he saw it.

Outside the inspection port, the light was dappled by several large figures.

But he clearly saw Old Wang's anxious face, almost on the verge of tears; Teacher Xu Hua's tightly pursed lips and furrowed brows; Teacher Shi Lu's tense expression as he tiptoed inside; and many more familiar faces of his fellow workers, young and old...

They huddled together, arms raised high, waving safety helmets, cardboard, work clothes, sheet metal... using all their strength to fan them in his direction.

The shouts, panting, and the rustling of clothes against the air blended into a noisy yet warm background sound. The coolness, it turned out, did not come from the fatal leak, but from those anxious and strong hands, and from those anxious hearts.

It wasn't a cold, steel behemoth that was devouring him.

He was hit hard by a group of warm people!

Clumsy!

Yet it pulled them out of that sweltering, oily hell with unwavering determination!

Jiang Xia was stunned.

The dark, oily grime on his face seemed to have been washed away by some hotter liquid, leaving two new streaks. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found his throat tightly blocked.

Finally, he could only force a smile towards the light and shadow and the swaying figures, a smile that was perhaps uglier than crying.

He knew they had seen it.

Because a sudden uproar erupted outside, filled with immense relief and a sense of immense satisfaction:

"It's moving! He's moving!"

"He laughed! This brat actually knows how to laugh!"

"Oh my god! You scared the hell out of me!"

The wind howled even more fiercely.

It was no longer just a simple drop in temperature; it was more like a celebratory cheer, a silent, heartfelt greeting belonging only to these men who battled steel and the sea.

……

A few days later, early in the morning.

The beach along the Bohai Bay was still chilly with the night air, the fine sand slightly damp underfoot. Jiang Xia and Lao Wang lay side by side on the sand, their work jackets underneath them, gazing at the horizon where the sea met the sky.

At first, a faint sliver of pale white appeared on the horizon, which quickly turned a pale pink, then gradually revealed an orange-red hue. The sea seemed to be ablaze, as a dazzling golden edge suddenly pierced the dawn, gilding the base of the piled clouds with a molten gold-like luster.

The rising sun, like a giant vermilion seal, slowly pressed itself onto the inkstone of the sea, instantly casting countless rays of light that dyed the shimmering waves into a vibrant golden-red brocade.

The morning breeze, carrying a salty, vibrant energy, dispelled the last trace of weariness.

“From now on,” Old Wang said sullenly, gazing at the sunrise, “don’t work so recklessly. There’s always work to be done, but you only have one life. When you were in that card, I… I almost thought you were going to die in that iron coffin.”

Jiang Xia didn't answer immediately. He just squinted and watched the red sun leap from the horizon, breaking free from its last restraint, and showering its radiant light upon the shimmering sea. The light was warm but not dazzling, full of boundless new life and infinite hope.

The red color warmed him, and he inexplicably recalled something an old man had said in a thick Hunan accent. Looking at the sun, he unconsciously murmured, "We... are all the sun at eight or nine in the morning."

The sun at eight or nine o'clock,

It is never meant to be looked up to.

It is used to ignite the dawn.

"Hey!" Old Wang almost laughed in anger, turned to the side and nudged him with his elbow, "So you didn't take a single word I said to heart? In one ear and out the other?"

Jiang Xia also turned his head, his face still covered with black and white oil stains, only his eyes, reflecting the morning glow, were stunningly bright.

He shook his head and looked at Lao Wang very seriously: "Brother Wang, do you remember what I said before?"

"You've said way too much!" Old Wang said irritably. "I'm not some secretary like Little Liu, am I supposed to write down every single thing you say?"

"If everyone else can do it, why can't I?"

"you……"

Jiangxia turned back, his gaze returning to the sun that had risen above the sea, shining brightly.

“Everyone else is tanning, getting tired, and enduring the long hours. Why can’t I do it? Why should I be special?” Jiang Xia paused, squinting at the center of the magnificent seascape, where a tall, dark, steel figure, incongruous with the romantic morning light, was slowly moving with a slightly awkward posture.

“My dad, and so many experienced workers in the factory, they all got by the same way, didn’t they? None of them thought they were special. I’ve seen this principle since I was a child, and it’s etched in my heart.”

"you……"

Old Wang opened his mouth, wanting to curse "stubborn donkey," but the words caught in his throat.

Think about this kid's behavior. He probably always felt that if you can do a job, you should do it; if there are difficulties in front of you, you should overcome them.

This has nothing to do with honor or showing off, but rather a simple, almost instinctive belief belonging to the older generation of builders—to work diligently in the fields.

These two words seem to have been etched into his very being through the teachings and example of his predecessors, and through the countless selfless dedications of this land. Just like the older generation digging wells in the wilderness, setting off blasts in the Gobi Desert, and building factories in the mountain valleys... without asking why, without considering gains or losses, simply because "this place needs it" and "the country needs it".

Old Wang lay back down, looking at the increasingly bright sky. After a long while, he finally let out a long breath, as if exhaling all his previous worries and fears.

"Fine, you little brat... you've got the argument all figured out."

Old Wang muttered, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, “But you better remember this, for the sun to rise, it needs mountains to support it and clouds to set it off!”

Even if you're the sun at eight or nine in the morning, you still need to rise steadily and firmly first before you can shine and provide warmth for a long time! Next time...

"Do what you can, understand?"

Looking at the fatherly concern in Lao Wang's eyes, Jiang Xia finally gave a soft "hmm" and a tired yet somewhat childlike smile appeared on his lips.

The sun had fully risen above the horizon, its rays becoming brilliant and warm, illuminating the shimmering waves and the two tired yet relaxed figures on the beach, covered in oil and sand.

"Brother Wang, look at that Morning Tide ship, it looks like a dog..."