Chapter 28: Unparalleled

"Ahem... why is everyone in such a rush? Old Meng hasn't even finished speaking, and you're already getting all fired up!" Old Du advised with an elegant, composed air of absolute certainty, leaving the crowd to look at one another in confusion.

Was there something they didn't know?

"When have I ever been a skinning, squeezing Huang Shiren?" Old Meng glared, sweeping his gaze over the impatient group. Were they trying to make a spectacle of themselves in front of Jingzhu? Didn't they fear that Jingzhu would think their senior research predecessors were so unreliable?

"Heh... Old Meng, if you're holding back an ace, why not play it now to put everyone's mind at ease? It’s not that I’m afraid of hardship, but you know how it is with material research—time, cost, and energy. It’s not something that can be done overnight, and when it comes to whether the thing actually works, we can't afford to cut corners!" Lin Yao spread his hands. He was a seasoned veteran; as long as there was a way to solve the problem quickly and he could learn about new materials, he’d be willing to give his own flesh to the cause.

"What I am about to say leaves my lips and stops at your ears. We all know the confidentiality regulations and the stakes involved. All the component drafts, the required material ratios, formulas, and the fuel and ammunition specifications... have already been thoroughly deduced and documented, complete with rigorous implementation steps. Completing the task within a month is already giving everyone enough time, even accounting for the uninterrupted test runs of the engine!"

They had stayed up until the small hours of the morning. In some places, their research had felt strained, but upon opening Jingzhu’s manuscripts for comparison, they discovered that beyond the complete design blueprints, she had meticulously drawn and clearly labeled the data for every single component.

The torpedo’s upgraded casing material, the engine combustion chamber nozzle material, the upgraded fuel, the upgraded ammunition—where there should be a formula, it was clear; where there should be a direction, it was so precise that they wouldn't need many experiments to match the most suitable materials.

They had thought that designing such a torpedo was enough to shock them, but seeing this, they realized they had underestimated Jingzhu’s ceiling. Her ceiling had no limit—at least, none they could see. Her comprehensiveness was far beyond anything they had imagined.

She was truly, concretely walking the path of advanced wisdom, bridging basic theory to industrial research technology. This also meant that Jingzhu had used her brain to construct every detail of the entire torpedo, down to every tiny element.

What could they call a child who could do this, if not a genius? They had seen many geniuses, but a genius this rare was truly one of a kind. They could only call her a "child" because of her age, but she had already grown into a top-tier talent capable of becoming a pillar of the nation. If such a talent were to suffer even the slightest mishap, it would be a loss that would set the nation’s technology back by years. The "preferential treatment" they gave her was merely something Jingzhu accepted with selfless dedication and without complaint.

Fortunately, this was a military district with tight security, and the man in Jingzhu’s household was a famously fierce commander. Even so, they felt the protection was insufficient and urgently sent a coded message to Xiao Yong to intensify the security surrounding Jingzhu, from her files to her personal safety.

If it weren't for the fact that everything was still on paper, if they weren't afraid that excessive control would make Jingzhu feel interfered with, and if the higher-ups hadn't yet reached a final conclusion, the safest way to protect her would be through total secrecy. But for now, this was the only way. They could not afford to lose a talent like Jingzhu.

The group was stunned. Since when had their efficiency become so high? Could it be...

"Do not ask about the specific source. Jingzhu has divided the work; everyone do your part and fulfill your duties!" Old Meng emphasized again.

Jingzhu had pushed forward everything herself, and it stopped with the four of them last night. It would not be known to anyone else, and even the design time and research duration would remain a secret.

"Understood, Old Meng, Old Du. We will always strictly adhere to discipline!" The group stood in unison and saluted. Not asking what shouldn't be asked was common sense.

"We all have our specialties. Let’s divide the work and start simultaneously to finish as quickly as possible. The manufacturing of a torpedo can be divided into several parts. Comrade Wang, the warhead is in your hands; Comrade Lin, the materials; Teacher Du, the guidance system; Teacher Meng, the power room. Old Feng, I leave the precision parts to you. We can overcome some batch parts by adjusting machine tool parameters, but for the precision components, your accuracy is the most reliable. I will coordinate and support everyone, serving you all!"

She firmly believed it could be built; the veteran masters were her foundation. Jiang Jingzhu stood at attention and saluted everyone.

"Received, unconditional execution!" Everyone returned the salute and accepted their tasks in unison.

"I will coordinate with the nearby third-line factories to borrow their equipment for experimental preparation!"

"I will take my crew and drill their skills—we must ensure the precision is rock solid!"

Zhang Jing got off work early today and was picking vegetables in the courtyard. This was a benefit they had received today—the leftovers from the supply and marketing cooperative were distributed among them. For them, this was an enviable perk.

Her husband, Old Su, was always prone to lecturing people with high-minded principles; he wasn't a bad man, just someone who didn't know how to fake things.

As she was picking the vegetables, she looked up and saw an outstandingly well-matched couple walking toward the neighboring Yin family's door. *Tsk tsk*, wasn't that Commander Yin? From the first time she saw him, she knew he was a handsome man, so much so that he made her own husband, Old Su—who was decent enough himself—look like he had just been dug out of coal ash.

The person beside Commander Yin, in such a close position, must be his wife! Oh my, she had finally seen the real person! "Oh my, they say good-looking people should be paired with the best. Younger sister and Commander Yin are truly a match made in heaven! I’ve really had my eyes opened today!"

She was tall and slender, with an oval face, and what was most captivating were those beautiful eyes and elegant brows... Every glance was full of spirit and charm; it was as if all the essence of literature were contained within her.

"This is Sister Zhang Jing, she works at the service cooperative! This is my wife, Jiang Jingzhu!" Yin Zhen introduced them both.

"Sister is too kind, you are also an outstanding woman of the new era!" That sentence was the highest praise of the time. Zhang Jing had a job and loved hearing it; her smile broadened.

As it turned out, Old Su hadn't been wrong—the neighbor was indeed easy to talk to and good to get along with.

"You cultured people really know how to talk. If there's anything you need in the future, just let me know and I'll keep an eye out for you!" She wouldn't promise this to just anyone.

In this era of planned economy with scarce supplies, sales clerks held the power of commodity distribution and were highly respected and envied. The simplest and most unadorned requirement for sales clerks and servers at the time was the sign on the wall: "Do not beat the customers."

This promise was a huge honor!

"Thank you, Sister. I will definitely come to you for advice when I have the chance!"