Chapter Seventeen: A Modest Goal

(1/3)

Detecting and tracking targets by measuring the wake formed in the water as a ship sails. Utilizing wake homing technology for guidance, a type of non-acoustic guidance... Unaffected by hydrographic conditions, capable of high-speed travel close to the water surface, making it highly effective against surface vessels.

Half-awake, Jiang Jingzhu set her first research goal, suitable for the current wake-homing torpedoes. It was unrealistic to replicate that groundbreaking invention from the future after rising in rank, and she didn’t have those classified blueprints at hand. However, her advantage lay in understanding future developments.

With numerous non-confidential public materials combined with her knowledge, she was quite confident in deriving a torpedo with a longer range and greater power than the ones currently in use, featuring basic wake guidance effects.

Simulating the wake of a large warship was not easy. Creating a decoy to deceive targets was challenging because the wake takes time to dissipate. Therefore, surface ships find it difficult to effectively counter or evade wake-homing torpedoes.

Such a torpedo, with strong anti-jamming capabilities and potential for future technological advancement, could also be preprogrammed to attack designated targets in multi-target scenarios. It truly was an advanced piece of technology for the present time, capable of sustained effective strikes with immense growth potential.

Although aircraft carriers couldn’t be deployed ashore for now, having countermeasures in advance was still progress.

As the great leader said, it doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat.

More information was mobilized in Jiang Jingzhu’s mind.

The sky had not fully brightened, and the train arrived at Shengjing station. People, dragging their luggage, surged out like a tidal wave...

Yin Zhen carried the luggage and let Jiang Jingzhu walk ahead of him. He closely followed to avoid being separated by the crowded flow of people.

Shengjing was a major station, a provincial capital city. Near the train station was a guesthouse open around the clock. Yin Zhen showed his credentials and registration, and the duty staff assigned a room.

During the day, Yin Zhen needed to go out, so one room was sufficient for temporary use.

“There’s a bathroom in the room. It’s uncomfortable resting on the train. It’s still early; Zhu Zhu, you wash up and rest a bit. I’ll come back quickly. The guesthouse provides meals. The area around the station is crowded and chaotic, but there’s time. After I return, we’ll go out and take a look together!” After inspecting the room to confirm it was safe and well-heated, Yin Zhen gave detailed instructions before leaving.

He was going to a confidential unit and couldn’t bring anyone along.

“Go ahead with your business. I’ll stay in the guesthouse and read. I won’t go out today!” Jiang Jingzhu nodded at her bag and waved to Yin Zhen. She understood the gravity of the situation.

(2/3)

“Alright!” Yin Zhen adjusted his cap and disciplinary badge, closed the door behind him, and disappeared into the darkness of dawn.

After a simple wash, Jiang Jingzhu took out paper and pen, immersing herself in her own mental world. Her thoughts were active, and her pen never stopped moving.

The turbulent forms of wakes in deep fluids, with the distribution of dynamic pressure and vorticity in the wake — this theory had already been proposed.

The Soviet 65-type wake-homing torpedo—next door they were likely developing an upgrade. But that was a distant ace in the hole, classified and inaccessible to them. They had to roll up their sleeves and do it themselves.

If they could achieve it in this era, so could she!

Fluid knowledge from mathematics and physics flashed through her mind: acoustic wakes, bubble wakes, fluid viscosity...

Acoustic characteristics, optical characteristics, magnetic field characteristics, and thermal characteristics...

Ordinary fuel wouldn’t do; switch to high-energy fuel!

Or consider electric propulsion? No wake, low noise, excellent stealth — these were outstanding traits! But without thermal propulsion, torpedoes couldn’t reach high speed and range, a difficulty to be overcome.

Speed insufficient, range only ten kilometers?

Set a modest goal first: speed of fifty knots, maximum range fifty kilometers!

“Any object moving through a resistive medium excites ‘waves’ in that medium. When a ship breaks the water surface, according to the law of conservation of energy, sound waves are mechanical waves. Here, sensors capable of detecting wake waves need to be designed, with the ability to filter out noise and precisely identify targets, forming the backbone of the guidance control module.

Then there’s the engine—boosting engine power. Current domestic engine technology isn’t yet sufficient to support the power needed for higher torpedo speeds and longer ranges...

With a clear goal, Jiang Jingzhu’s mind was largely consumed by it. External perceptions dimmed as she immersed herself in her mental world: warhead, body, tail, warhead bay, control bay, power bay...

Her conceptual structure gradually clarified step by step in her mind’s eye, and line diagrams appeared on her notebook.

Night fell early in the north; as darkness deepened, with a creak, the train door opened. Yin Zhen jumped down from the co-driver’s seat, saluted and thanked the soldier who saw him off, then hurried into the guesthouse.

Things hadn’t gone smoothly today—two round trips before the handover was completed and the task accomplished.

“Comrade, your partner only came out once this morning and hasn’t been out since noon!” The attendant, the same person who handled his check-in this morning and who was now on duty, suddenly remembered and reminded him upon seeing him.

Perhaps the young wife was timid, afraid to leave the room, or something happened. Yin Zhen was just about to knock on the door to check. People here were both warm and cautious.

(3/3)

“Alright, thanks, comrade. I’ll go up and have a look now!” Yin Zhen’s heart tightened. Taking a long stride, he quickly climbed the three flights of stairs and knocked on the door.

“Zhu Zhu, it’s me!”

“Back so soon?” Jiang Jingzhu heard his voice, got up, and unlocked the door bolt. “Is everything done?”

Soon? It had been the whole day... the sky...

“Oh, it’s already dark. I didn’t notice the time!” Jiang Jingzhu glanced outside absentmindedly and slapped her forehead. She had been so busy she hadn’t felt the passage of time.

Yin Zhen quickly scanned her appearance and expression; everything seemed normal. That was a relief.

“You didn’t go out for lunch? Must be hungry. There’s a state-run restaurant nearby. Let’s eat there before heading to the station!”

There was still time to catch the evening meal service at the state-run restaurant.

“I was absorbed in research and lost track of time. Have you eaten? I’ll just grab a little something!” Her mind was exceptionally sharp, thoughts exploding. She had intended to have breakfast in the morning but hadn’t paid attention afterward.

“Let’s go eat together, then come back for your luggage later! There’s plenty of seafood in Qiongzhou; you might not get to eat hometown food for a while!”

“I’m easy to please. I eat anything. Do seafood need ration tickets?” She wasn’t picky. With supplies tight now, everything required tickets—just getting a piece of meat was hard! She stuffed her notebook into her bag, a habitual motion.

“Seafood mostly doesn’t require tickets. If you like it, you can eat plenty!” Living by the sea, seafood was abundant, whereas meat was scarce.

After a long day without mentioning food, the aroma made Jiang Jingzhu and Yin Zhen truly famished.

The state-run restaurant’s evening supply wasn’t abundant, but they were lucky to catch dumplings being served—sauerkraut and pork-filled dumplings, hearty and satisfying. With a bowl of dumpling soup, warm and nourishing, they ate contentedly.

Back at the guesthouse, after a brief freshening up, the two set off again.

At ten o’clock at night, they boarded the number 12 express train to Jing City. From Shengjing to Jing City took twelve hours, arriving at ten the next morning—departing in the evening and arriving in the morning. In this era, such speed was truly remarkable!

Of course, it couldn’t be compared with high-speed rail. Even future era ordinary trains only matched this efficiency.