A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Liu Huaqing did not finish his sentence.

At this moment, this veteran, who cared deeply for the navy, seemed to have turned to Old Wang as a safe haven to confide in, and began to pour out his heart...

That's true. The navy is quite transparent these days, but the older generation tends to keep things to themselves. It's rare to run into an old comrade-in-arms, especially one who isn't part of any active-duty system and has high authority, so it's nice to have a heart-to-heart talk and relax.

"And the airworthiness of the 021!"

"To achieve that high speed of 40 knots, the hull was designed to be slender and long, with a low freeboard. In sea state 4, a person on the deck would be like a popping bean. You know how high the stability requirements are for the platform when launching missiles! If the hull rolls or pitches by even a degree or two, the launch procedure will immediately malfunction. Our 'sea-based flying knife' can't just be used in a calm inland river bathtub, can it?"

"Then there's protection and survivability."

"An 80-ton boat is practically just a layer of sheet metal. If the engine room or missile fuel tank were hit by a 12.7mm armor-piercing incendiary round, the consequences would be unimaginable. Tactically, the requirements are to approach stealthily, launch a surprise attack, and hit and run."

But if you're unlucky, you might be spotted by enemy patrol planes or high-speed gunboats before you even make contact with them. How are you going to deal with those two outdated twin-mounted machine guns on board?

"Right now, we lack short-range air defense, and we don't have many ways to deal with enemy radar and radio reconnaissance. This boat is just a shiny, thin-skinned, high-speed iron coffin; it's fast, but it's also easy to die."

“Those are all our comrades-in-arms…”

Liu Huaqing laid out the most troublesome issues in one go, each one like a heavy stone, making Lao Wang feel uneasy.

It turns out that the seemingly imposing "sea spearhead" was actually entangled in so many interconnected "dead knots": advanced missiles were paired with outdated "eyes"; stability and survival were sacrificed for speed; and at the deepest level, there was the frustration and powerlessness of "good things never reaching the navy" and "information always being a step behind".

"Moreover," Liu Huaqing wiped his face one last time, his exhaustion tinged with intense resentment, "there are also disagreements within the organization regarding the positioning of the Type 021 destroyer. Some think that because of its short range and reliance on missiles, it's a 'one-off high-end consumable,' and that the cost-effectiveness is not as good as gritting your teeth and developing larger ships."

Some believe that the current priority is to rely on these rapidly scalable "sea wolf packs" to hold the front lines.

The more debate there is, the slower the subsequent funding for improvements and in-depth development becomes…

Old Wang's heart tightened, and he nodded emphatically: "Old Platoon Leader, I understand! I'll try my best to invite Comrade Jiang Xia to visit your research institute!"

Actually, he had long wanted to agree to the task, but when he thought of the unique advice that Company Commander Tang had given him before leaving, he swallowed back the words "Leave it to me" that were on the tip of his tongue.

Unexpectedly, Liu Huaqing was taken aback upon hearing this, then waved his hand with a wry smile, "Hey! Xiao Wang, you misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I didn't intend to directly ask Comrade Jiang Xia to be our 'advisor'."

"Besides, I might not be able to get any..." Liu Huaqing glanced at the two figures leaving in the distance and muttered to himself.

"Huh?" Old Wang was truly confused now. "Aren't you going to help you take a look at those... engine and radar problems? Then why did you come to me and say all this..."

"I was thinking," Liu Huaqing leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and made a request that surprised Old Wang.

"I'd like to ask for your help. Could you perhaps use Comrade Jiangxia's connections to apply for a 'Big Yellow Doppelganger' for our institute as well?"

"Huh?" Old Wang was genuinely surprised this time, his eyes widening in astonishment. "You...you don't have any?"

In his mind, although the "Big Yellow" computer developed by Jiangxia was in high demand, a key naval research institute should at least be equipped with one, right?

Liu Huaqing sighed heavily, his face full of bitterness.

Not really.

The navy, a behemoth that will only be admired by many international netizens decades later, is now considered one of the "most distressed" branches of the military.

On the one hand, the construction, maintenance, and operation of large warships are all resource-consuming behemoths. In an era when the country was in dire need of development and resources were extremely concentrated on core strategic projects such as the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program, the budget that the navy could get was really limited.

On the other hand, the grim international situation hangs like the sword of Damocles overhead: the "big brother" in the north has a million troops stationed on the border, eyeing the country covetously, while the south and southeast are also turbulent.

Limited defense resources must prioritize ensuring land border defense and strategic nuclear deterrence. Auxiliary research equipment like the "Big Yellow" was considered cutting-edge at the time, so it was naturally allocated to departments such as aviation, missiles, and nuclear physics, which were considered more urgent and core.

Navy? They'd be lucky to have an iron-hulled ship.

Therefore, much of the Navy's research is being carried out with difficulty in this dilemma of "wanting the horse to run but not wanting it to eat much grass".

"I've heard that now that many research institutes have 'Big Yellow' (a type of antibiotic), they've started something called a 'Hundred Schools Forum' where people from different disciplines can exchange ideas and even discuss issues across different departments?"

Old Wang nodded: "Yes, that's right, it was quite a lively affair."

Liu Huaqing looked up at Old Wang, his eyes full of expectation: "That's right!"

"I've been thinking that whether it's our large ships or small boats like the Type 021, they are essentially weapons delivery platforms. To develop this platform well involves overall design, propulsion, weaponry, electronics, materials..."

No one can do everything alone; we need to brainstorm! Our biggest problem right now is that we're working behind closed doors, information isn't flowing, and our thinking easily gets stuck. If we had a 'big yellow' computer connected to that forum…”

A strange light flickered in the eyes of the ASRock executive:

"We can break down some non-classified technical difficulties and put them up for discussion, and hear the opinions of experts from other fields. Perhaps a single sentence from someone working on the engine could enlighten us who are in charge of the overall layout."

Perhaps our radar engineers can offer new insights into our submarine vibration control from an electronic stabilization perspective… This might be more fundamentally effective than simply asking a genius to take a look; it could at least open up more avenues of opportunity!

At this point, Liu Huaqing glanced at Old Wang, who remained silent. The more he talked, the more he felt this method was feasible.

But then, thinking of reality, his face fell again.

Yes, yes...

These days, tasks are assigned, and everyone is busy. Helping you with your questions is a favor, but not helping is also within our rights...

"Well... we can't let our colleagues from other units help us for nothing. My... our research institute can send them fish!"

When he uttered the words "send fish," a faint blush appeared on the face of this heroic captain who had once faced formidable enemies without fear, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the hem of his clothes.

He knew all too well that those experts who could answer questions at the "Hundred Schools Forum" were all top talents in their respective fields.

What they lacked was never a fish, but the Naval Research Institute simply couldn't afford a decent reward. They had neither scarce experimental materials nor additional funding; the only thing they could offer was dried sea fish that he had someone collect from fishermen along the coast.

This "reward" was so meager that it made his face burn with embarrassment.

Looking at his old leader's embarrassed yet sincere appearance, Lao Wang felt both bittersweet and warm inside.

Good guy!

I knew it...

If Jiang Xia heard what the big boss of ASRock said, he would definitely applaud him.

Isn't this a case of having grasped the essence of "open innovation" decades ahead of time?

It's no wonder that this submarine captain later became a key figure in the development of naval equipment; his vision and strategic thinking had already laid the groundwork for his future success.

"Old platoon leader! Don't worry! Leave this to me!"

"you?"

"Hey! You don't believe me? If we're not going to do it, we'll do the best!"

"Want some Super Yellow Second Generation?!"

"Bullshit! I think you're getting a bit too cocky!"