Chapter Sixteen: Wake Guidance

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Their acquaintance was brief, but after a few days of interaction and a foundation of genuine sincerity, the two had developed a pleasant rapport. Time was tight; Yin Zhen managed to buy only one middle bunk and one lower bunk. He originally intended for Jiang Jingzhu to take the lower bunk to avoid climbing up and down.

“No problem. You’re so tall, you’d almost hit the upper bunk standing, and sitting on the middle bunk would be cramped. It’s better if I take the upper bunk; I’ll feel more at ease sleeping up there. I’m used to it from school!” Taking off her shoes, Jiang Jingzhu grabbed the handrail, stepped up nimbly, and settled onto the middle bunk.

Time was pressing; they hadn’t gone home. Having left the courtyard, they stayed at a guesthouse for the past few days. Before departure, they had already had a simple meal and freshened up there.

Fortunately, the fighter jet at this time was modeled after the Soviet style, so the cabin was somewhat larger compared to those of later generations. Still, she suspected the pilot must have to curl up to operate it.

“At the start of flying, I was only about 1.82 meters tall!” His clear gaze was easy to read. Yin Zhen touched his nose and smiled softly as he explained. He had enlisted early, and his growth hadn’t stopped. Later, perhaps due to the excellent mess hall food in aircrew training, he grew even taller, nearly reaching 1.9 meters.

Old Xiao had scolded him plenty back then, saying he was either too skinny or too fat, always shooting up unexpectedly.

“There’s an old saying: at twenty-three, a sudden growth spurt is normal!” Few who wanted to grow actually did, but those who didn’t want to seemed to keep shooting up—that was unusual!

“This trip won’t be fast. Even if it’s not delayed, it’ll take about ten hours. We’ll arrive in Shengjing early tomorrow and can rest well during the night. I’ll wake you when we arrive!”

“If I can’t sleep, just wake me to talk!” Experiencing his first relationship and growing fond of the girl, Yin Zhen tried to be as thoughtful and considerate as possible.

“I’m not that delicate. Compared to the seat, it’s already great we can lie down here! I’ll review my notes and fall asleep soon!” The lighting inside the carriage was primitive at best, making reading difficult and straining the eyes.

If she truly couldn’t sleep, she would keep thinking and studying in her mind. Over the past few days, she had squeezed in time to roughly organize all the knowledge she’d acquired in both her past and present lives, feeling she needed more detailed study. Quiet time to learn and reflect was her favorite.

“Just newlyweds?” A woman with shoulder-length hair in the middle bunk across from them teased. “After being married a while, men aren’t this attentive. If you can enjoy it, sister, enjoy it while it lasts!”

Youth was wonderful!

“The bedding and pillows are all included. Your boyfriend’s not stingy; he’s generous!” These extras often came with additional fees, and many tried to save where they could.

“Please forgive me. This is my first long trip; he’s just a bit worried,” Jiang Jingzhu replied politely. “Are you on a business trip?”

Judging by the woman’s attire, it looked like factory work clothes—an emblem of the progressive woman!

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“Yes, I’m the March 8th Red Banner holder at our factory and was chosen to represent us at the Shengjing plant for training!” This was a matter of great pride for her. The new era was wonderful; women could work and hold up half the sky!

Jiang Jingzhu gave a thumbs-up. “That’s impressive!”

They exchanged a few casual words before Yin Zhen urged her to rest. Jiang Jingzhu pressed her bag beside her pillow and pulled the covers over herself.

She was nearly fully recovered. With her hair down, the faint scars from her injuries were invisible. Her spirit was vigorous and full of vitality; there was no trace of the week-long unconsciousness she’d endured.

Since waking, she hadn’t treated herself as a patient at all.

University now was a five-year system. Barring mishaps, in a little over a year—by next June or July—she would graduate smoothly and begin to consider work or postgraduate study. Her grades were good, so graduate school was a real possibility.

She had enrolled before the military-industrial restructuring at Ning Military Engineering Institute. Whether in her former life’s alma mater—the National Defense University—or the current main campus of Ning Military Engineering, the principle was always a fusion of teaching and research, combining theory and practice. They never trained mere bookworms who only talked on paper.

Over three years of university, prior to classes, she had learned some of the most advanced theoretical and practical knowledge available in the country. She had even drawn numerous ship schematics by hand.

Beyond her own discipline, she kept expanding her knowledge reservoir, a habit from childhood. The university library was her favorite place. She did not limit herself; from aerospace to oceanography to missile engineering, she had foundational studies across various fields.

The access to knowledge was not as restricted as in the future. As long as students wished to learn, teachers would teach generously. Non-classified academic papers could be borrowed from the library. The university spared no effort in nurturing them.

However, as a student, whether from her previous eight years of university plus doctoral research or her current studies, and given the limitations of both past and present identities, her understanding of current scientific research was still rather superficial.

She only had a general idea of the timelines for equipment development. The exact progress or detailed schematics of the most advanced gear were confidential and beyond the reach of a student.

Regarding the flight mission in Shengjing, combining Yin Zhen’s identity and the location, Jiang Jingzhu speculated whether it involved the sixth-generation fighter prototype or the fifth-generation trainer test flight.

Currently, the domestic air force was still in the early stages of the sixth-generation fighter. The fifth generation was no longer produced, and the sixth had only been in service for three years.

The sixth-generation fighter was the nation’s most numerous, longest-serving, and most illustrious first-generation jet fighter. The people’s affection for it ran deep; it had single-handedly maintained thirty years of blue sky defense without a single loss.

The navy, however, had only just completed trials on the lead ship of the Type 65 frigate—a far cry from an effective defensive force. The domestic surface fleet technology was insufficient, and to meet urgent needs, downgraded designs were produced. These were far from the most advanced equipment of the era.

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With this limited and outdated hardware, they defended territorial integrity. This scarcity of resources pained her deeply, and she longed to produce equipment in rapid succession as if manufacturing dumplings.

For a maritime nation with nearly twenty thousand kilometers of coastline, this mismatch was glaring.

Ten-thousand-ton warships and hundred-thousand-ton supercarriers remained distant dreams.

The best underwater combat asset was the Type 033 submarine—a Soviet-style conventional diesel-electric torpedo submarine.

Everything was urgently needed now. What should she focus on first? There were many options, but which was most suitable?

Since roughly completing her memory integration, Jiang Jingzhu began pondering this question.

Torpedo?

She savored the word. The first step in her research path gradually became clear.

Whether it was aircraft or vessels, even with detailed blueprints, the time from production to deployment involved overcoming numerous technical challenges. Such equipment could not be developed overnight.

Given the current national situation and limited conditions, large-scale breakthroughs were unrealistic.

Therefore, a weapon capable of enhancing lethality on existing equipment was the optimal choice.

As Jiang Jingzhu’s direction grew ever clearer, her consciousness shimmered with starlight. Pieces of information and learned materials flashed through her mind like meteors streaking across the night sky, illuminating her awareness instantly.

An aircraft carrier’s nemesis—wake-guided torpedoes...