A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Just as Mulan was struggling to push through the crowd, Jiang Dong saw his sister go to get a rope, and he wasn't idle either.

She ran straight to a low-hanging roadside tree next to the entrance of the venue, stood on tiptoe, and scanned the branches with her dark eyes, quickly selecting a branch that was slightly thicker than her thumb.

Extend both hands to grasp it, and skillfully use your body weight to press down and twist...

"Crack!"

With a crisp snapping sound, she firmly grasped a branch about half a foot long, its broken end fresh and moist.

Jiang Dong weighed it in his hand and seemed fairly satisfied.

Just then, Jiang Qiu came running back, panting, pushing the little cart, and pulled down his grandmother's bulging blue cloth bundle from the top.

Jiang Dong deftly untied the thick cotton rope binding the bundle (it was the same rope Grandma used to tie up luggage, very sturdy), and quickly pulled out a thick, coarse cloth coat that Grandma had kept as a spare from the loose bundle. Seeing that she was ready, Jiang Qiu immediately reached for the cotton rope, gesturing for her sister to help her tie it around her waist, urging, "Quick, tie it for me, watch me!"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Dong squatted down and quickly wrapped one end of the cotton rope around his waist. His fingers flew, and he skillfully tied a complex and solid knot—the technique was somewhat like a sailor's anchor knot. It was unclear who he had learned it from.

"Fifth sister!" Jiang Qiu cried out anxiously, reaching for the rope to switch her younger sister. Although she had been a little cowardly earlier, how could she let her even younger sister take such a risk?

Jiang Dong raised his head, his small face full of seriousness, and shook his head vigorously, pointing to the slender metal flagpole: "Fourth brother, no way. The pole is too thin. You are heavier than me, it can't support the weight, it will bend, and that's dangerous."

After saying that, she took action before Jiang Qiu could refute her.

Jiang Dong moved nimbly, first biting the fresh twig in his mouth, then picking up the coarse cloth coat. Instead of wrapping his hands with it, he quickly threaded one end of the cotton rope through the fabric on the back of the coat, tied a knot to secure it, and made a simple combination of a cushion and a carrying strap.

"Fourth brother, lend a hand!" Jiang Dong called out in a low voice.

Jiang Qiu immediately understood and took the other end of the cotton rope. Jiang Dong carefully looped the rope loop connected to the coarse cloth cushion over the flagpole, then crawled into the loop, placed the cushion under his buttocks, and slung the coarse cloth strap over his shoulder.

Next, she instructed Jiang Qiu to quickly wrap the free end of the rope around her waist and hips twice, forming an adjustable slipknot.

This is not an ordinary sailor's knot, but an arrangement similar to the "stepping up" principle commonly used by electricians—the rope forms a friction point on the flagpole, automatically locking when the body weight falls, and the knot can be gradually moved by coordinating the hands and feet and using the waist and hips to move it when ascending.

"Hey! Fifth brother, where did you learn that? Our silly older brother only taught us trigonometric methods back then?"

Jiang Qiu's eyes lit up, feeling that this was very similar to the scene he had seen of the uncles from the power bureau climbing utility poles.

Those experienced craftsmen sometimes don't use heavy foot catches; they just use a rope and they play with incredible skill.

"Hehehe, Grandpa Fu came to our courtyard last time saying he was upgrading Dahuang's wiring. I learned that from him!"

"Fifth brother! Let me..." Jiang Qiu looked at his younger sister's tender shoulders, still feeling uneasy.

Jiang Dong shook his head: "Fourth brother, you're heavy, this rope can't support your swinging for long. I'm light, the rope is taut, the friction is enough, it can lock. You stay down here and watch the rope to make sure it doesn't get tangled, keep the car steady!"

After saying that, she took the fresh twig from her mouth and rubbed it hard against the flagpole again with the rough bark to increase local friction. Then she held the two ends of the twig with both hands and pressed it against the flagpole as the initial support point.

Preparations are completed in seconds.

Jiang Dong took one last look at his sister and Mulan, who had rushed over anxiously, took a deep breath, and his eyes became extremely focused.

She started!

She pushed off the ground with both feet, using the support of tree branches and the initial friction of the rope around her waist to leap upwards. At the same time, her hips sank slightly, allowing the knot around her waist to lock instantly onto the flagpole with her weight, providing a stable fulcrum.

Next, using both hands and feet, grab the flagpole with both hands and look upwards to find a new gripping point. Use your feet to alternately step on the flagpole to gain momentum, while cleverly using your waist and hips to push the knot under your buttocks upwards little by little in coordination with your breathing!

Although the movements were somewhat slow due to age and limited strength, each step was steady and deliberate. The coarse cloth coat underneath prevented friction, and the knot at the waist provided a constant sense of security and safety.

Jiang Dong even used the tree branch to wed it between his arm and the flagpole when needed, as a short resting point.

And so, relying on the branch supporting his chest and the friction between his hands and feet and the flagpole, Jiang Dong, like a nimble yet stubborn little sloth, used his hands, feet, waist, and abdomen in unison, shuffling and shifting, shuffling and shifting again...

It began to climb very slowly but steadily toward the high pulley that held the tattered national flag.

While most of the crowd's attention was drawn to the old general, either discussing him enthusiastically or secretly plotting, Jiang Dong had already silently and resolutely climbed a considerable distance using her self-created simple rope system. The morning breeze swept by, causing the stray hairs on her forehead to flutter, making her petite figure stand out conspicuously on the gleaming flagpole.

Finally, an Eastern European delegate glanced up casually, his eyes sweeping over the flagpole before freezing in shock. His finger instinctively pointed to the sky: "Look! That child is... Good heavens! She's climbed so high!"

"Look! Up there!" came a gasp, filled with disbelief.

Immediately, more eyes were drawn to the scene, and gasps of surprise erupted in various languages:

"My God! That child!"

What is she doing?

Is she climbing?

Finally, a shout with a strange, astonished tone rang out clearly: "Chinese martial arts!"

The exclamation, like a pebble thrown into a gradually calming lake, stirred up ripples once more. More and more people followed the directions and saw the small figure clinging tightly to the pole, two-thirds of the way up from the ground.

The shout abruptly halted the crowd that had been surging towards the commander, and countless eyes turned to the flagpole. Taking advantage of this brief shift in attention and the momentary pause in the crowd, Mulan finally managed to break free from the encirclement.

She spotted Jiang Dong hanging high on the flagpole at a glance. Her heart skipped a beat, but she moved quickly and steadily, rushing to the flagpole and watching Jiang Qiu struggling to pull on the raising and lowering rope that originally belonged to the flagpole.

This……

Mulan noticed something amiss. The raising and lowering rope that originally belonged to the flagpole was swinging irregularly in the wind, occasionally lashing against the flagpole beside Jiang Dong, and even nearly brushing against Jiang Dong's arm and cheek several times, seriously disrupting her rhythm and balance.

Jiang Dong had to distract himself and his climbing speed slowed down noticeably, his little face tense.

Mulan remained silent, taking the end of the dangling flag rope from Jiang Qiu's hand. Jiang Qiu's palms were sweaty, and he said quickly in a low voice, his voice trembling with tears, "This rope keeps hitting her..."

"Okay, leave it to me." Mulan gripped the flag rope tightly, pulling her arm to straighten it as much as possible, reducing its swaying in the wind and eliminating any interference with the small figure above.

At the same time, at the signal of the old general's angry gaze, several guards broke away from the ranks and quietly approached the flagpole, naturally forming a stable triangular position with Mulan, protecting the flagpole base area in the center.

A silent safety barrier is erected for the small figure above who is struggling against the wind ropes and gravity.

The crowd below, which had been making a ruckus about identities, slogans, and the standoff between the two sides, fell into an eerie silence, leaving only the sound of the wind and the silent pressure of countless gazes converging on a single point.

Jiang Dong sensed the change in the atmosphere below and noticed that the annoying guy rope had been controlled in some way. He turned his head and saw that his future sister-in-law had cleverly stepped on the drooping part of the guy rope after taking the auxiliary rope, reducing its swing amplitude.

That's impressive! She's way smarter than that idiot fourth sister!

She truly deserves to be the sister-in-law I personally chose!

Jiang Dong narrowed his large eyes into crescent moons, then took a deep breath, ignoring the crowd below, and focused all his attention back on his arms and the rough ropes.

After adjusting my breathing, I started moving again.

Only a few meters remained to reach the top.

……