Chapter 438 Weight Loss and Optimization

Qian Zhiyuan stood in front of his desk, his work pants covered in black debris, his hands twisting behind his back.

He Yuzhu turned to the last page of the calculation report, his gaze lingering on the line of numbers written in red pen. He didn't speak immediately, but tapped his finger lightly twice on the paper. Only the clock ticked in the office.

"It's been reduced by eighty tons," He Yuzhu finally spoke, his voice not loud. "How many times did you check this number before you reported it?"

"Three times." Qian Zhiyuan's voice was a little tense. "Yesterday afternoon, I took three technicians and recalculated it from beginning to end. Later, I asked Lin Jianguo to run a simulation using Galaxy VI, and the result was the same."

He Yuzhu looked up at him. Qian Zhiyuan's gaze did not waver, but his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Fifty tons lighter than the design," He Yuzhu closed the report and pushed it to the corner of the table. "That's not what you said back then. You said that replacing it with carbon nanotubes would be a good reduction of fifty tons."

Qian Zhiyuan pulled a crumpled form from his pocket and unfolded it, laying it on the table. "Dean He, we changed the radiation shielding layer. The original plan was to replace the lead plates with carbon nanotube composite plates, reducing the weight by ten tons. However, the actual composite plates produced had a density eight percent lower than the design value, but a strength twelve percent higher. This alone reduced the weight by fifteen tons."

His finger moved across the table. "Internal partitions, storage cabinets, lab benches, chair supports—everything was reduced much more than expected. When we replaced the pipe clamps with carbon nanotubes, we found that the original metal clamps were too heavy, so we redesigned the structure and reduced it by another three tons. In the end, it totaled eighty tons."

He Yuzhu didn't reply. He picked up the thermos on the table, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip of water. The water was already cold, and he frowned slightly as he swallowed.

"An extra fifty tons of load," he put down his cup, "what are you going to do about it?"

Qian Zhiyuan pulled a blueprint from another pocket and spread it out in front of He Yuzhu. On the cross-section of the Kunlun, there was an empty section marked with a dotted line at the stern, surrounded by densely written parameters.

"We'll add an experimental module, weighing forty tons. It will be used for in-orbit materials science, space biology, and Earth observation. The Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology has already listed more than twenty experiments. The remaining ten tons will be used to strengthen the life support system."

He Yuzhu's gaze lingered on the drawing for a long time. His fingers traced the edges of the dotted lines, his fingernails leaving a faint mark on the paper.

"Adding the experimental module changes the center of gravity. Have you calculated that?"

"I've calculated it." Qian Zhiyuan pulled out a calculation sheet from under the blueprints. "The center of gravity has been shifted back thirty centimeters. The position of the fuel tank can be fine-tuned to bring the center of gravity back. The propulsion system was designed with a margin of adjustment of plus or minus half a meter, for safety."

He Yuzhu nodded and pushed the blueprints back. "You take the lead on the experimental module project. Collaborate with the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology and relevant research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Multiple people and companies involved; don't let one company handle everything. Money is not an issue."

He paused, lifting his gaze from the table to look at the black shavings on Qian Zhiyuan's glasses.

"Only one Kunlun will be built. Cost is not a concern."

Qian Zhiyuan put away the blueprints and rubbed his hands together. Black dust fell and spread a small patch on the table. He hesitated for a moment, his lips moved as if something was stuck in his throat.

"Is there anything else?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Zhao Weidong. He's been working in the equipment maintenance group for almost half a year and has been doing well. His mother's illness has also improved, and the hospital's subsidy is being paid on time every month. He wants to return to the superconducting group and asked me to ask you if you agree."

He Yuzhu's hand stopped on the thermos. He didn't answer immediately, his gaze passing over Qian Zhiyuan's shoulder and landing on the gray sky outside the window.

"Wait another six months. It's not that I don't trust him, it's the rule. People who attempt to leak information have to be observed for at least a year before they can return to core positions. Tell him to do a good job, and I'll personally approve it in six months."

Qian Zhiyuan opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. He nodded, turned, and left. The door closed softly, but He Yuzhu recognized the sigh in it.

The office fell silent. He Yuzhu stood up and walked to the window. The wind and sand from the Gobi Desert lashed against the glass, making a soft, rustling sound. In the twilight, the distant launch tower was just a blurry outline, like an abandoned skeleton.

the phone is ringing.

He went back and picked up the receiver. Old Sun's voice came from the other end, very low, as if afraid of being overheard.

"Director He, here's a coded telegram from Yang Xiaobing in South America. The US has built a secret base in Antarctica, located on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, near Alexander Island. It has runways, hangars, and underground facilities. The intelligence he obtained says that this base may be used to train biological and chemical warriors and test combat capabilities in extreme environments."

He Yuzhu tightened his grip on the receiver. He didn't speak, his eyes fixed on the map of the Jiuquan base on the table, but his gaze went beyond the map and landed on something much farther away.

"Source of intelligence?"

"Lin Zhenbang obtained it through Chilean military channels. A Chilean Air Force patrol plane took aerial photos, and Lin Zhenbang spent $20,000 to buy copies. The photos were sent back via diplomatic pouch and arrived a week later."

"Tell Yang Xiaobing to continue pursuing this lead. Get as much information as you can about the base's specific functions, troop size, and the number of bio-soldiers."

Old Sun responded. "Director He, should we report the Antarctic situation to the maritime authorities?"

"Don't rush. Let's wait until the aerial photos arrive and we can confirm them. Reporting now without evidence will put us at a disadvantage."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu sat in his chair without moving. He looked down at his hand; his fingers were still gripping the receiver, his knuckles slightly white. He loosened his grip and rubbed his palm.

The next morning, he entered the final assembly plant. The sandstorm of the Gobi Desert had stopped overnight, and the air was crisp, dry, and carried a metallic smell. A 400-meter-long keel lay horizontally on the hydraulic supports, the surface of the carbon nanotubes gleaming a cold, dark gray under the searchlights. The workers had already begun their work; the arc of welding flashed in the gaps of the keel, and the squeaking sound was like the call of some giant insect.

Lin Jianguo came over from the worktable, holding a stack of blueprints in his hand.

"Dean He, we reviewed the experimental module design overnight. The Fifth Academy hopes to finalize the design drawings by the end of this month and begin manufacturing next month."

He Yuzhu took the blueprints and turned to the first page. The dotted lines at the end were now solid, indicating the dimensions, weight, and interface locations. He closed the blueprints and handed them back to Lin Jianguo.

"You take the lead. The Fifth Academy, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Third Factory will work together. We need to produce a detailed design by the end of the month and start construction at the beginning of next month."

Lin Jianguo wrote it down in his notebook.

He Yuzhu walked along the keel. Four hundred meters from head to tail, he walked slowly. His hands touched the surface of the carbon nanotubes, feeling their cool, smooth texture. When he reached the tail, he stopped and looked up at the spot where the experimental chamber would eventually be mounted. It was currently empty, with only supports and pipes.

Forty tons. More than twenty experiments. Chinese scientists will study materials, life, and physics under microgravity there in the future. Meanwhile, Americans are training superhumans under the Antarctic ice sheet.

He turned around and walked back to the factory gate. Sunlight streamed in through the gate, casting the long, dark shadow of the keel on the ground.

Once in the jeep, he didn't start the engine immediately. Instead, he sat in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel. The sandstorm picked up again, the fine grains of sand hitting the windshield with a pattering sound.

He recalled Qian Zhiyuan's expression that morning. When that man said "regardless of cost," there was something in his eyes—not excitement, but a heavy, unwavering trust. He couldn't betray that trust. The same applied to Zhao Weidong's case. The six-month observation period wasn't punishment, but protection. It was to protect Zhao Weidong from making the same mistake again, and to protect others from having any ulterior motives.

He turned the key, and the engine roared to life. The jeep drove out of the base, bumping along the dirt road in the Gobi Desert. In the rearview mirror, the assembly plant grew smaller and smaller until it became a small gray cube.

There was a noodle shop by the roadside. He stopped his car and went inside. The noodle shop wasn't big, with a few greasy tables and a faded New Year's picture on the wall. He ordered a bowl of beef noodles and slurped it down. When he paid, the proprietress gave him change, which he took and stuffed into his pocket.

He paused at the doorway. The Gobi Desert stretched to the horizon, the gray-yellow earth bare except for the wind.

He recalled Yang Xiaobing's coded telegram from the previous night. Antarctica, ice cap, underground base, bio-warriors. Those people, clad in white camouflage suits, ran faster than horses in the sub-zero temperatures. He had seen those kinds of people before—last winter, on the snow-covered ground of Tacheng.

At the end of the road is the Kunlun.

At the other end of the road, beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, lies another secret.