Chapter Forty: The Newly Appointed Chief Engineer Yang

After Director Bai’s personal “banquet” last night, members of the model aircraft power system project team arrived early at the office the next morning. Yang Hui, too, came ahead of time, but even so, he was not the first—Zhong Jianxian always managed to beat everyone to the punch.

Since he was here, he began work, sorting out the final details from the previous evening and continuing from where he left off. Gradually, more people trickled in. It seemed that after hearing the institute would also be working on the airframe, everyone tightened their springs, so to speak, and pushed to accelerate progress.

Eventually, the first to step out and seek help from another specialized department was Xie Lianfa. He rose and went off for reinforcements; he’d run into trouble with the bearing sleeve design and needed the expertise of a seasoned researcher to overcome it.

Watching Xie Lianfa go for assistance, Yang Hui felt a twinge of regret. Deep down, he would rather the project team not seek outside help. Projects like this were perfect for toughening people up; these problems could be conquered with some grit. Yet, in reality, for the sake of progress, Yang Hui still approved of bringing in external support.

In the end, even his own combustion chamber project was completed with the assistance of Deputy Section Chief Wu Dabo from the department. The reason, of course, wasn’t that Yang Hui couldn’t do it himself, but that he simply didn’t have the time.

A rhythmic clicking echoed through the corridor—high heels, perhaps? But that was wishful thinking; in this day and age, what research institute would have high heels? Even so, Yang Yue’s footsteps managed to produce a regular tapping that reached Yang Hui’s ears.

“Yang Hui, step outside for a moment. Director Bai wants to speak with you.” She was merely acting as a messenger. Yang Hui obediently put down his work and followed Yang Yue up to Director Bai’s office on the fourth floor.

They made use of the brief walk to exchange a few words, though with these two researchers, no one expected any romantic banter.

“Yueyue, your institute only sent two people this time. Can you really finalize the airframe in two months?” Yang Hui felt confident about his own responsibility—the power system—but he had his doubts about the airframe. After all, even a small model aircraft was still a flying machine. The main issue was that Yang Yue wasn’t one of the “transmigrators”; without that advantage, how could she possibly complete the airframe in two months?

She slowed her pace—the rhythmic tapping of her shoes ceased—but spoke with unwavering confidence. “Some people said the power system could be finalized in two or three months. Why should my airframe project lag behind the power system?”

Indeed, a woman capable of undertaking such ventures was fiercely competitive, no matter how demure she might seem at other times.

“Ah, you really are… Well, I’ll support you when the time comes,” Yang Hui said. Though he didn’t hold out much hope for the two-month airframe deadline, he couldn’t dampen her enthusiasm. When trouble arose, he would step in, as the man behind this successful woman.

Arriving at Director Bai’s office on the fourth floor, they heard voices inside—Director Bai and Xiao Bo in conversation. Yang Hui and Yang Yue hesitated, neither willing to knock.

“I’ll do it,” Yang Hui declared, seeing no one else move. He raised his hand and knocked.

“You’re here. Both of you, come in. Let me clarify: Yang Hui is responsible for the power system. Yang Yue has been appointed as the chief designer for the project by her institute. You two must regularly update each other on your progress.”

Xiao Bo remained off to the side, silent, his thoughts unreadable.

“Director, we’re too short-staffed—only two people. You need to assign us more personnel!” As chief designer, Yang Yue immediately pressed for more manpower. Though she’d hit a wall over this issue yesterday at another institute, the project had to continue, and recruitment was still necessary.

Perhaps the institute had anticipated this, or arrangements were already in place. “Yes, I’ve thought about this. I’ll draw one person from each department to support you. That should bring your team close to twenty. They may not be specialists, but it should suffice.”

Director Bai certainly wouldn’t pull an entire department for the model aircraft project; drawing one person from each was wiser. Since most were outsiders to airframe design, experience wasn’t really an issue.

With nearly twenty people, the airframe team would just about manage. After considering, Yang Yue found no further objections.

“Let’s confirm: our model aircraft is set to debut at the Paris Air Show. Because of that, we’re choosing the Tornado fighter’s silhouette, which means variable-sweep wings.” Last night they’d renegotiated the aerodynamic design at another institute, but after subsequent events, further discussion was unnecessary; now she could simply issue directives.

On hearing “variable-sweep wings,” Xiao Bo, who had been expressionless and silent, finally showed a flicker of reaction. His determination ignited.

“Director Bai, I’ll take on the variable-sweep wing technology. I guarantee I’ll deliver. I pledge my commitment!” In that moment, an aura usually reserved for protagonists emerged from Xiao Bo—a sign that boded ill.

Yang Yue, you think Yang Hui is better than me, more talented? I’ll show you I, Xiao Bo, am just as gifted and capable of overcoming technical challenges. His spirit soared, determined to win Yang Yue back through his own efforts.

Xiao Bo’s connection to variable-sweep wings was deep. During his time at South Aviation University, he’d specialized in research on variable-sweep wings—a wise choice then. Unfortunately, the school’s information lagged behind reality. By the time he had results and was about to graduate, he discovered that domestic variable-sweep wing aircraft had been discontinued, prompting him to join Base 011 without hesitation.

Variable-sweep wings were a technology the Republic had long envied in the seventies, even acquiring American F-111s from the Vietnam War and exchanging them with Egypt for Soviet MiG-23s. In the end, for various reasons, the technology was abandoned, and the Qiang-6 project at Nanchang Hongdu Machinery Factory, the only public variable-sweep wing aircraft, was canceled. Its cancellation marked the Republic’s complete separation from variable-sweep wing technology.

“Good, young people should be ambitious. I’ll assign you this project. Besides, you’re the only one qualified for this challenge—it’s not for amateurs.”

Director Bai had always intended to give Xiao Bo this sub-project, with another motive: to keep Xiao Bo busy with a time-consuming task, distracting him from thoughts of Yang Yue. Sometimes, work was the best remedy.

But Director Bai never imagined that the success of this project would give Xiao Bo renewed courage, leading to... well, that’s another story.

“Now, Yang Hui, you must push ahead with the power system. Don’t let me down.”

The power system was the institute’s forte; failure here would be truly disgraceful. Fortunately, everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, perhaps even ahead of schedule. Since learning they’d also be responsible for the airframe, the team was energized, arriving early and working hard. Every bit of progress was precious.

“Rest assured, Director. The power system will be the first to be finalized and will fully support subsequent test flights.”

Although the model aircraft project launched the airframe, control, and power subsystems simultaneously, power and control had to come first; without them, airframe test flights could not proceed.

“By the way, you’re working on the combustion chamber, right? Once you have the general plan, hand it over to the combustion chamber division for manufacturing. Then, make time to check out the airframe project. You’re an aerodynamicist, so you understand aircraft development better than the engine specialists.”

Director Bai finally remembered Yang Hui—a peculiar talent in the institute—who could at least contribute to airframe design in some capacity. Without hesitation, he assigned him to the airframe team in a supporting role. The reason for “supporting” was clear: Yang Hui’s main responsibility was the power system, so he couldn’t dedicate too much time to the airframe.

Yang Hui had no reason to refuse; professionally and personally, he should be involved with the airframe group. The institute agreed without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bo grew increasingly smug, thinking to himself with disdain, “This guy really thinks he’s a jack-of-all-trades, trying to meddle in airframe design. Let’s see how he handles it. Does he really think aerodynamics are needed for a model aircraft project? It’s a joke—they’re copying the Tornado’s shape, so what’s the point of aerodynamic design?”

At this moment, Xiao Bo was maliciously waiting for Yang Hui to embarrass himself. But would things truly go as he wished?