Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 163：Conversation

Liu Tianhang, mindful of the presence of others, refrained from rebuking Ge Zhicheng too harshly. After all, Ge was the chief engineer, and Liu needed to show him a certain degree of respect.

Once the room had cleared, Liu Tianhang called Ge Zhicheng into his office. He poured him a glass of water and said with a smile, "Ge, have some water."

Ge took the cup, placing it on the table in front of him, still clearly agitated from earlier. Liu Tianhang, understanding his temperament, knew that Ge, proud and somewhat vain in his youth, had only grown more so with age and accomplishments.

"I must admit, I should have been more careful with my words," Liu said with an easy smile, attempting to ease the tension.

Ge's expression softened a little as he heard the apology, and he relaxed, somewhat mollified.

"Commander Liu, as the chief engineer of rocket propulsion, I should have the right to decide on conducting experiments, shouldn't I?"

"Of course," Liu Tianhang replied.

"And, your achievements in rocket propulsion are well recognized by everyone here at the Northwest Base," Liu continued.

Upon hearing the praise, Ge Zhicheng's pride bloomed. He couldn't resist boasting, "Commander Liu, I'm not just tooting my own horn here, but when it comes to rocket propulsion in Dragon Country, I have a fair amount of say. Aside from Long Lao, I believe no one in the country is my equal. Do you know, when I brought over more than 200 researchers, we developed the 300-ton rocket engine in under a year..."

As Ge spoke, his face flushed with pride over past accomplishments. The mood in the room softened as they reminisced, and their relationship warmed.

Liu Tianhang took a sip of water, then changed the topic to the current international space race.

Ge Zhicheng's face grew stormy. "Speaking of the 700-ton rocket engine the Americans have developed, I can't help but think of Bai Yanlang. That man is truly despicable. Not only did he go to the States to be their lapdog, but now he's insulting us Dragon People!"

Liu Tianhang understood Ge's anger well. He too had been enraged by Bai Yanlang's remarks. However, such matters couldn't be rushed.

Liu pulled out a set of design blueprints for a 1,000-ton rocket engine. "Ge, take a look at this."

Ge, confused, took the papers, and when he saw the title, he nearly dropped the cup. "1,000-ton rocket propulsion design blueprints?"

"Yes."

"Th-This..." Ge stammered, still trying to grasp the significance. The United States had only just announced the development of a 700-ton rocket engine, and now here was a design for a 1,000-ton engine, from their own country.

"Is this from Long Lao?" Ge asked, incredulous. He knew that in the realm of rocket propulsion in Dragon Country, only Long Lao could have developed such a design.

"Actually," Liu Tianhang said with a smile, "it's not from Long Lao."

"Not from Long Lao?" Ge was even more puzzled. In their field, aside from Long Lao, he considered himself the only expert.

"Well, it is related to Long Lao. The designer is Jiang Fan, Long Lao's student."

"Jiang Fan?" Ge was taken aback. He had never heard of anyone by that name in the field of aerospace. If he had, surely he would have known.

Liu Tianhang chuckled. "The young man from the control room just now."

"That boy? He looks barely eighteen or nineteen. How could he possibly—?"

Ge shook his head, clearly skeptical. After years of research, he knew how complex rocket propulsion technology was. Without years of hands-on experience, achieving success in this field was impossible. The technology was intricate and precise; even the smallest mistake could lead to failure. He doubted a young man like Jiang Fan, with no apparent experience, could possibly have designed such an engine.

"Come on, Liu. You were once responsible for the technical side too. You can't really believe this blueprint is correct, can you?"

Liu Tianhang understood Ge's skepticism but nodded confidently. "The design has already been approved by the Aerospace Bureau headquarters, and we've been authorized to develop it here at the Northwest Base."

Ge's frown deepened. "The Bureau is being completely irresponsible approving a design that can't possibly work. This could seriously derail our own progress."

"Ge, why not take a closer look at the blueprints? You might find something useful."

Ge, although reluctant to waste time on something he considered impossible, knew that if the Aerospace Bureau had approved it, he would eventually have to oversee the research himself. It was better to examine the design carefully and identify its flaws so he could dismiss it officially.