Chapter 212

The old man's voice was not loud.

Yet it exudes the trust and reliance of family, as if the elders who stayed behind in the home have finally seen the return of a pillar who can shoulder responsibilities.

The researchers they encountered along the way all lit up when they saw Liu Guangqi.

Their hurried steps came to a halt, and genuine smiles bloomed on their faces, their joy impossible to conceal.

"Chief Engineer Liu, you're back!"

"Good morning, Chief Engineer!"

Greetings rang out one after another, making it as lively as a festival.

In the crowd, a young researcher wearing glasses seized the opportunity and quickly squeezed forward.

His face showed the shyness typical of young people, as well as a sincere admiration for technical authorities.

"Chief Engineer Liu!"

"Professor Lu has been talking about you a lot these past few days, saying you'll definitely be here today!"

He rubbed his hands together sheepishly.

"I'm stuck on an integrated circuit crosstalk problem. I've been trying to figure it out all morning, and my brain is almost fried..."

"Could you take a look at this for me when you have some free time?"

If you ask someone else this question, you'll most likely get a polite way of saying no.

But the question was directed at Liu Guangqi.

The answer was completely different: "Okay."

Liu Guangqi smiled and nodded, without any airs: "Put the documents on my desk first, I'll be there in a bit."

"Okay! Thank you, Chief Engineer Liu!"

The young researcher, overjoyed at receiving permission, blushed with excitement, thanked the researcher repeatedly, and then hurried away with the data as if it were a priceless treasure.

"Chief Engineer Liu..."

"Chief Engineer, I have a question too!"

Each fervent call, each familiar and trusting face, silently testifies to one fact—

Inside this computing institute.

Liu Guangqi is no longer a temporary outsider, but an irreplaceable core of technology and a cornerstone of stability.

Enter the conference room.

Professor Lu cleared his throat and gestured for the researchers who followed him in to take their seats.

The old professor adjusted his glasses, preparing to hold a short meeting.

The main purpose was to hear Liu Guangqi's work plan for the future, so as to arrange academic exchanges and research priorities within the institute.

Although the computer field has a relatively short history.

However, it has already formed a complex professional system, with each person focusing on different areas.

In the research institute, many people do not specialize in electromechanical-related fields.

Therefore, when teaching small-scale integrated circuit technology, many fundamental concepts have to be explained repeatedly, and even senior engineers find it quite slow to understand.

"alright."

"Now that I'm back, I probably won't be leaving anytime soon."

Liu Guangqi's voice was not loud.

This caused the conference room to fall silent, and everyone listened intently.

"We can talk about polite things later when we have more time."

"Now, let's get straight to the point."

As he spoke, he took out several neatly folded large blueprints from his briefcase.

"Whoosh—"

The blueprints were unfolded in front of everyone and neatly pasted onto the blackboard.

The circuit design was densely packed with distinct layers and a clear structure. The lines and symbols intertwined to create a sense of rigorous precision, which attracted the researchers present to lean in and examine it closely.

"Next,"

"I will explain the key research directions for the next six months—the improvement of computing power for second-generation computers, which is the advancement of small-scale integrated circuit technology."

He then began his explanation.

His speech was steady and his logic was clear, dissecting the seemingly complex integrated circuit diagrams layer by layer.

Time flows.

Several months later, the integrated circuit CNC workshop under the ministry was finally completed.

Meanwhile, at the research institute,

After Liu Guangqi's technical explanation of small-scale integrated circuits, many people have basically grasped the core concepts.

Progress seems imminent.

"On this historic day, our country has successfully developed its own mushroom bomb..."

this day,

It is destined to be remembered.

Throughout the entire country, from cities to villages, from government offices to factories, all newspapers, radio broadcasts, and news outlets were conveying the same message in the most enthusiastic tone.

That deafening roar from the northwestern Gobi Desert crossed mountains and rivers, echoing throughout the world.

Mushroom bomb—

These three words have now become the ultimate yardstick for measuring a nation's strength.

And now,

Our first mushroom bomb has finally exploded.

The news spread like wildfire, and everyone who heard it felt a surge of intense emotion.

It was a kind of pride and excitement that was hard to describe.

Countless people poured into the streets from schools, factories, and offices.

They converged into a sea of ​​jubilation.

Hats, books, and newspapers were thrown into the air, cheers rose and fell, and smiles and tears glistened on every face.

at the same time,

Across the ocean, those countries that already possess nuclear technology...

Upon receiving the message, their reactions were surprisingly consistent—

question.

They were unwilling to believe it, and found it difficult to accept.

How could such a power suddenly emerge from a land that had been established for less than twenty years and was regarded as a poor and weak agricultural country?

In their eyes, this land was still extremely poor.

Technology was blocked, the economy was restricted, data was destroyed, experts were withdrawn... The iron curtain had long since fallen.

They asserted—

We couldn't build a weapon like that here even in twenty years.

But now, in less than ten years,

A resounding response has shaken the world.

They couldn't understand.

How could a country that was struggling to survive just a few years ago, struggling even to meet its basic needs, give birth to a thunderous roar that cleaved the heavens in such dire circumstances?

This was more than just a loud bang.

This is the most resolute answer given with our own hands amidst the skepticism and disdain of the world.

Inside the building of the First Ministry of Machine Building.

"Urgent Notice! Urgent Notice!"

"my country's independently developed mushroom bomb has been successfully tested in the Gobi Desert in Northwest China! my country has become the fifth country to possess nuclear weapons!"

During the broadcast,

The announcer's voice trembled uncontrollably.

Each word was as powerful and resonant as a hammer blow, instantly penetrating all the rooms and drowning out all other noises.

The entire building seemed to be ignited by the sound.

In the corridor, the usually composed officials hugged each other, patting each other's shoulders and backs forcefully.

Some people jumped up excitedly, their footsteps echoing loudly.

My heart was pounding violently in my chest, as if trying to break free of its restraints.

It became.

The two words vibrated in the air, rolling down the corridor, smashing open the tightly closed doors and windows, and drilling into everyone's ears. First came suppressed, uncertain whispers, then they coalesced into a surging wave that exploded.

"It exploded! Did you hear that? It's ours! It went off!"

The constant temperature of the integrated circuit workshop seemed to be pierced by the distant, deafening roar. Liu Guangqi released his grip on the precision calibrator, the metal tool landing on the padded workbench with a dull thud. He had known this day would come, even earlier than the historical trajectory had predicted, and he thought he was ready. But when the good news transmitted via radio waves finally arrived, a surge of emotion still unexpectedly welled up in his eyes.

He walked to the window.

Downstairs, the usually orderly ministry compound had become a sea of ​​excitement. People poured out of every building, their normally serious faces flushed red, shaking hands, hugging, and some even jumping up. The sounds mingled together, making it impossible to make out the exact words, but the excited, almost broken tones merged into a joyous roar.

Liu Guangqi's gaze swept past the bustling crowd, heading northwest. All he could see was the grey-blue sky of Beijing, but he seemed to see the vast, boundless Gobi Desert, the sandstorms that blotted out the sun, and faces under the dim lights, faces with cracked lips and bloodshot eyes. Cold water slurped down with hard, dry rations; the lines on the blueprints were worn smooth by his fingers; the arguments were sometimes hoarse, sometimes heated. And there was that massive machine, humming low in the rudimentary factory. They guarded it like infants in swaddling clothes, and when exhausted, they would slide down against the cold, hard cabinet, instantly plunging into darkness.

All those hardships that nearly crushed their spines, all those near-desperate perseverance, were caught at this moment by that silent, gigantic cloud blooming deep in the desert. It was not a destination, but a declaration.

"Kuangqi!"

A suppressed, powerful tremor-filled call rang out from behind him.

Liu Guangqi turned around. Director Lin stood a few steps away, his hand tightly gripping a rolled-up newspaper, his knuckles white from the force. This superior, known for his cold and composed demeanor, now had a slightly contorted face, a mixture of ecstasy, relief, and disbelief clashing intensely in his eyes. He strode forward, his iron-like hand gripping Liu Guangqi's shoulder tightly.

"Good...good lad!" Director Lin's voice was terribly hoarse, each word seeming to be squeezed from the depths of his chest. "The sandstorms of the Northwest haven't been in vain! This sound...from today onwards, our backbone is made of steel!"

He abruptly unrolled the newspaper, almost shoving it in front of Liu Guangqi's eyes. The smell of ink wafted out, still carrying the lingering heat of the machine. On the front page, a huge black-and-white photograph occupied most of the space—between heaven and earth, a ferocious yet magnificent mushroom cloud was rising, expanding, and devouring the sky. Above, a massive headline, seemingly cast in blood, was scorching:

my country's first satellite launch was a success!

Liu Guangqi's fingertips brushed across the rough paper, tracing the heavy, mountain-like lead characters. A calm smile slowly curved the corners of his mouth.

Now it's other people's turn to have trouble sleeping.

Almost simultaneously, the door to the Computing Institute's conference room was flung open. A young communications officer, panting from running, holding the same newspaper, appeared, his face gleaming with an unusual light. He opened his mouth, as if to shout something, but the sound caught in his throat, culminating in a short, sharp cry: "It's done! Our...it's done!"

All the researchers who were adjusting equipment and calculating data stopped what they were doing, as if pulled by invisible threads, and instantly gathered around. The thin newspaper was passed from hand to hand, each hand trembling uncontrollably. The soft rustling of the paper against the paper was particularly clear in the suddenly silent space.

Professor Lu Hai pushed up his reading glasses, put them back on, and almost pressed his face against the newspaper. He read slowly and carefully, as if trying to confirm every punctuation mark. As he read, his vision blurred behind the lenses. He abruptly took off his glasses, wiped his eyes heavily with his sleeve, and his gray hair trembled slightly.

"Good...good..." The old man choked up, repeating these two simple words over and over, yet they carried a weight heavier than a thousand pounds. "With this...we who work in computing can finally put down roots...the future will be useful for nuclear simulation, miniaturization, and even larger-scale applications. We...we can finally stand tall and do something truly meaningful."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the faces around him, young or no longer young, yet all equally excited, before finally settling on a spot in the void, as if he saw that weary figure who had traveled west countless times. "Comrade Guangqi… those two trips of his were well worth it!"

Inside the research institute, an unprecedented light ignited in everyone's eyes. It wasn't just the joy of being proud of one's country, but also a clear and weighty sense of mission. That resounding boom from afar, like a powerful horn, dispelled the fog ahead.

The pulse of Beijing changed completely on this day.

Before the end of the workday, a torrent of people spontaneously surged out from various factories, government offices, schools, and alleyways, converging on the streets and lanes. The sound of firecrackers was no longer just a festive embellishment, but a continuous rumble of thunder echoing from one end of the city to the other. The pungent smell of gunpowder permeated the air, but no one found it unpleasant; instead, it was refreshing and invigorating.