A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

"call……"

Upon seeing this, Old Wang took a deep breath.

This is hardly a travelogue.

This is a group of people, carrying a flag and the confidence of a nation, going head-to-head in a foreign land thousands of miles away.

"Good boy... what a good boy!" Old Wang murmured, but the corners of his mouth uncontrollably turned up, widening until he almost burst out laughing. "He's really made us proud! He's made us proud!"

He could almost see the little guy hanging on the flagpole, fiddling with it, and he could also imagine the proud yet slightly smug look on Xiao Dongdong's face after he came down.

The pleasure I felt from this report was even more refreshing and comforting than drinking a bowl of chilled plum juice on a sweltering summer day.

"This little hero deserves a good reward! A big one!" Old Wang started planning. The little girl hadn't come home yet, but he could start thinking about a gift.

What should I give as a gift? New clothes? Delicious food?

Or... he remembered that Jiang Dong seemed quite interested in firearms. Maybe he should take the little girl to the armory at their hideout when she gets back?

Whatever you want to play, take it; Old Wang will cover it all!

Forget it, that's going too far. We're right by the sea, so let's get some rare seashells, or ask our old comrades on the ship to help us save some pretty sea agarwood.

Just then, a heavy, slow metallic scraping sound came from downstairs outside the window.

"Huh? You're out?"

Old Wang perked up, quickly gathering and folding the scattered documents on the table, then putting them back in Jiang Xia's drawer. He glanced at the door, then at the open window.

The second floor wasn't high, and below was a soft sandy beach. Almost without hesitation, he braced himself against the windowsill with one hand, and his burly body leaped out as lightly as a big cat, landing with only a soft "sand" sound.

He dusted the sand off his hands and strode towards the workshop, waving to the shadowy side of the small building behind him without turning back.

There, seemingly blending into the darkness, a comrade whose face was almost indistinguishable silently took half a step forward. Only a small red dot on his chest, faintly reflecting the light of the distant workshop, marked his presence.

Old Wang didn't stop walking; he simply turned his head quickly, lowered his voice, and said a few words rapidly. The comrade in the shadows nodded silently, then quietly retreated into the darkness, turned, and left, heading towards the base's living quarters area.

After dealing with this minor matter, Old Wang quickened his pace and arrived at the heavy iron door of the workshop that was slowly opening.

As they approached, they saw the heavy security door wide open, and Jiang Xia and a few others walked out while discussing something.

Leading the group was Professor Zhonghua, whose hair was disheveled but whose eyes burned with excitement. He was holding a notebook full of sketches and gesturing eagerly to Jiang Xia.

"...So the key lies in that 'flexible hinge' and the matching nonlinear compensation plate?" Professor Zhong Hua's voice carried the satisfaction of solving a difficult problem, as well as a hint of disbelief and realization.

“We were stuck in a rut, always trying to solve the problem within the framework of rigid connections and linear adjustments, thinking that the material strength or processing precision was insufficient, and desperately trying to improve it in that direction.”

Unexpectedly, the designers had already planned that these stator blades would need to make 'elastic micro-movements' within a very small angle range to adapt to a wider range of intake conditions and operating changes!

This 'softness' is not a flaw, but rather its exquisite quality!

Another researcher, whose name Old Wang couldn't recall, also spoke up repeatedly:

"Always thinking about rigid connections and linear adjustment, believing that the insufficient adjustable range is a problem with the design margin or the drive mechanism, desperately patching up and adding redundancy to the structure and control logic..."

Who would have thought that the real secret lies in that inconspicuous 'flexible element' that allows for minute deformation! It is not passive at all, but actively participates in the adjustment, providing nonlinear compensation!

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

A sea breeze blew, dispelling the distinctive metallic and oily smells in the workshop and invigorating everyone.

Jiang Xia looked somewhat tired, but her eyes were clear. She nodded and said, "Yes, Professor Wu. Our current materials science and design concepts tend to favor 'using rigidity to overcome rigidity,' pursuing absolute stability."

However, sometimes, especially when dealing with complex and ever-changing environments, "flexible adaptation" – allowing the system to have a carefully designed small amount of elastic redundancy – can actually achieve a larger overall stability domain and higher efficiency.

This 'flexible element,' while perhaps not made of cutting-edge materials, lies in its shape, heat treatment process, and its role within the overall aerodynamic and mechanical feedback loop—these are the true technological keys.

"I understand, I understand completely!" Professor Zhong Hua breathed a long sigh of relief, as if a huge stone had been lifted from his heart. But then, the light of excitement dimmed and turned into deep regret.

"However... we currently lack the specific properties of this elastic alloy, as well as the special thermoforming process with micron-level precision. Small-scale replication in the laboratory might be possible, but achieving the stability and lifespan requirements for mass production and installation is a different story..."

"This means that we cannot replicate this machine in the short term."

The other researchers around, who were also involved in the decryption, wore similar expressions. Finding the key only to discover they couldn't replicate the lock's material was a bitter pill to swallow.

“It’s alright, Professor Wu.” Jiang Xia’s tone was calm, even encouraging: “This in itself is an extremely valuable exploration of cutting-edge technology.”

We've figured out the direction and where the gaps lie, which is far more important than blindly imitating without understanding the underlying principles. This path can be a subject of long-term research and development.

"Furthermore, why are we so insistent on immediately replicating the entire machine? Haven't we already discovered many 'byproducts' during this disassembly and analysis?"

For example, the novel blade design of those multi-stage compressors, the compact and efficient combustion chamber structure, and the overall lightweight layout concept...

Could we break these down into smaller parts and see which aspects can be learned from and applied to our own aero-engine pre-research, or even to the improved design of steam turbines for next-generation ships and power plants?

A word to wake up the dreamer.

Professor Zhonghua and several researchers' eyes lit up again. They exchanged glances and began to discuss the possibilities in hushed tones.

"Yes, yes, we can try that cooling channel..."

"The leaf shape data needs to be remodeled, but the underlying principles can be learned from..."

"Lightweight structures are so useful for weight reduction!"

Seeing them rekindle their fighting spirit and delve into exploring new technological paths, Jiang Xia smiled and quietly stepped back a few paces.

Hehehe, the ancestor of aero-engines, with this support, I wonder what good things you can come up with. I really look forward to it!

After Jiang Xia finished his reflection, he turned around and saw Old Wang standing not far away, arms crossed, smiling at him.

"Finished talking? Judging from the enthusiasm of Old Wu and the others, the problem has been solved?" Old Wang greeted them.

"It's like breaking through the most crucial layer of paper."

Jiang Xia rubbed his throbbing temples. "The road ahead is still long, but at least we know which direction to take next."

"That's good! Come on, let's go back and I'll get you something good to eat!" Old Wang put his arm around Jiang Xia's shoulder.

"Uh, don't forget Professor Zhonghua and the others!"

"Can't forget!"

The two boys walked back happily, and Jiang Xia didn't forget to turn back and remind Professor Zhonghua:

"Teacher Wu, once you have a direction, please submit it quickly so I can help you apply for some funding!"

After the two walked a little further away, Old Wang came over and reminded them, "Hey kid, are you thinking of 'squeezing' a sub-project into some big project again?"

Let me warn you, don't make promises you can't keep. Even though you have a 'special channel,' the 'landlord's' surplus isn't unlimited. If your application isn't approved or there are delays, do you really believe Professor Wu and his team will pack their bags and sleep on the floor in your office?

You've seen firsthand the sheer force of those researchers begging for alms!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia was not worried at all. Instead, he laughed and teased, "Experience the daily 'spectacle' at Minister Xia's place? That would be quite nice!"

Old Wang shook his head repeatedly, giving him a "don't get me into trouble" look: "Stop it! Don't badmouth Minister Xia. I don't know who started this trend, but now whenever the factory heads are stuck on a project or urgently need money or materials, they just pack up their bedding and squat in his office, acting like they won't leave until they get it sorted out..."

Minister Xia's office is practically a guesthouse!

Jiang Xia chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Who else could it be? Of course, it's Jiang Xia's excellent mentor, Li Changfu, who set a great example!

Hey, speaking of this, this 'old man,' the young lady has already gotten married, why haven't we seen him anywhere?

Master, I miss you!

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Jiang Xia gently shook his head, pulling his thoughts back. Now was not the time to think about such things.

"By the way, you haven't finished reading that IEC 'travelogue' yet, have you?"

"Hmm? I saw Xiao Dongdong climb up and change the flag, that was satisfying! What happened next?" Old Wang was indeed intrigued.

"Believe it or not, based on all this 'layout' and our people's performance on the spot... this time, we might just be able to make a big profit."

"I want to squeeze the big ones dry, I want to crush all those foreign devils..."

"Haha, no rush, no rush, take your time!"