Chapter 29: Let Us Confer a Rank upon Comrade Ge Dingping
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Professor Li Mingrui and the other fifteen professors stood rooted to the spot, clutching their materials and staring blankly at the bizarre scene unfolding in the main control room.
The unruly Lu Guangjun from that morning was now completely different, and the contrast delivered a powerful visual shock.
Before long, Lu Guangjun noticed Li Mingrui and the others standing at the doorway.
The astonishment in their eyes seemed to say, “Director Lu, you certainly weren’t like this this morning.”
Lu Guangjun was not embarrassed in the slightest. He hurriedly waved them in.
“Professor Li Mingrui, come on in. Why are you standing around outside?”
“Oh, right, right.”
Li Mingrui directed everyone to put their things away, then laid out the blueprints and models they had brought.
The main control room, which had seemed fairly spacious at first, instantly became cramped.
Even the portholes were covered with design drawings.
The other fifteen professors discreetly examined the interior structure of the 956E’s main control room.
Unlike Sun Yongguo and the other three, they were boarding the 956E for the first time, so naturally they were curious.
“That’s enough. Don’t look like country bumpkins who have never seen the world,” Li Mingrui quietly chided them.
“Everyone, take your seats. We’ll be staying aboard the 956E for quite some time. You’ll have plenty of time to look around.”
Su Dingping continued, “Let’s work a little harder tonight. Once Captain Zhou returns tomorrow with the materials, I’ll use the 956E’s internal structure to give everyone a detailed explanation.”
“For now, let’s continue.
“We were just discussing the 956E’s MP-S electronic countermeasures system. We developed the Kong-1 electronic warfare aircraft several decades ago, but after all these years, we have made painfully slow progress in the field of electronic warfare…”
Although the warship’s main control room was extremely crowded, with the nineteen professors practically packed shoulder to shoulder, none of them voiced a single complaint.
They had endured far worse conditions before. This was nothing.
Not long afterward, Lu Guangjun’s phone suddenly rang.
Without even looking at it, he hurriedly cut the call and cautiously glanced around the room.
Su Dingping continued speaking as though nothing had happened, while the other professors remained busy taking notes. It seemed no one had noticed.
Lu Guangjun breathed a sigh of relief and immersed himself in the lesson once more.
But only a short while later, the phone rang again.
He cut it off once more.
Everyone continued as before.
Lu Guangjun could not help admiring their concentration.
Yet barely five minutes passed before the phone rang for a third time.
This time, just as Lu Guangjun was about to reject the call, Sun Yongguo, seated beside him, spoke up.
“Old Lu, answer it. If you don’t, whoever it is will probably keep calling all night.”
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Lu Guangjun looked up and discovered that everyone’s eyes were fixed on him.
Clearly, they had ignored the first two calls, but three was pushing it.
With no other choice, he picked up the phone.
The moment he glanced at the screen, he saw that the caller was Cheng Yiqiang, and an awkward expression crossed his face.
Now he could neither answer nor refuse the call.
“Director Lu, Director Cheng seems rather concerned about you,” Zhang Gongnong remarked meaningfully.
“Answer it. Don’t let Old Cheng worry,” Sun Yongguo added.
With an inward sigh, Lu Guangjun answered the call.
However, before he could say a word, Cheng Yiqiang’s anxious voice came through.
“Old Lu, what’s going on? You haven’t sent a single message all day! Did that fellow Sun detain you? Don’t panic. I’ll go to the commander right now…”
The words left the entire room in dead silence. Everyone wore strange expressions.
Did we detain you?
Aren’t you the one refusing to leave?
We’re already complaining that there isn’t enough room.
“Ahem…”
Lu Guangjun cleared his throat to ease his embarrassment, then said in a solemn tone, “Director Cheng, something unexpected has come up on my end. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Something unexpected? By the way, Old Lu, have you figured out what Sun Yongguo is plotting—”
Before Cheng Yiqiang could finish, Lu Guangjun hung up and shut off his phone.
He shook the device and said, “I’m terribly sorry for causing everyone trouble. I’ve turned it off now. No one will disturb us anymore.”
“Let’s continue,” Su Dingping said.
Time flew by. It was not until the moon had risen high that Su Dingping finally spoke.
“That concludes today’s lesson. Those with questions can discuss them among yourselves when you return. If you cannot resolve them, come and find me. Six o’clock tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”
With that, Su Dingping rose and walked outside.
Only after Su Dingping had gone some distance did Lu Guangjun speak.
“Old Sun, this place is a little small.”
“Small? I don’t think so. It was just right for this many people.”
“I mean, if a few more people came, there wouldn’t be enough room to sit.”
Sun Yongguo put down his notebook and looked at him.
“A few more people? Why?”
“Ahem… Well, I just think it would be livelier if a few more people gathered here to discuss things together.”
Sun Yongguo’s brows drew together slightly. He sensed that something was not quite right.
“Old Sun, look. The 051B improvement project failed, so I have some personnel available on my side. Why don’t I call a few people over to join us?”
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Seeing that Sun Yongguo was about to refuse, Lu Guangjun hurriedly added, “By the way, I still don’t know what that young comrade’s name is.”
“Su Dingping.”
“Su Dingping!”
“You’ve heard of him?”
“Yes!” Lu Guangjun said. “Before going to the 335 Research Institute this morning, I made some preliminary inquiries. I was especially impressed by the members of Engineer Zhang Gongnong’s research team—particularly Comrade Su. He’s a true talent!”
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and quickly asked, “Are all these blueprints and models Comrade Su’s work?”
Sun Yongguo nodded.
Lu Guangjun looked toward the place where Su Dingping had been sitting earlier and sighed.
“I never realized how narrow my perspective was.”
After taking a deep breath, he said solemnly, “Old Sun, didn’t Zhang Gongnong just say that he wanted all the detailed information on shipborne missiles?”
“There’s no need to trouble the commander either. I’ve made the decision. I’ll have people organize everything and send it over tonight! I’ll exchange all the materials for two vacant seats. How about it? Just two!”
“I can’t make that decision. Comrade Dingping is the person in charge of this project.”
The moment Sun Yongguo finished speaking, Lu Guangjun said, “Old Sun, help me discuss it with Comrade Dingping! The people at your 335 Research Institute are striding forward, while the people at my 408 Research Institute are still standing in place. I’m anxious.”
“You’ve already brought people here. What about Director Cheng? Does he need to bring people over too?”
“Director Cheng? What Director Cheng? I’m not familiar with him. Don’t make things up.”
“Then wait for my word.”
With that, Sun Yongguo led Zhang Gongnong after Su Dingping in the direction he had gone.
Watching the two men disappear, Lu Guangjun muttered, “Old Cheng, it isn’t that I don’t want to help you. There’s simply no room left. I’m sure you’ll understand my predicament.”
He immediately took out his phone and prepared to call in reinforcements.
Although Sun Yongguo had not yet given him a definite answer, he had already begun making arrangements.
On the way to Su Dingping’s quarters, Sun Yongguo suddenly spoke.
“Comrade Gongnong, the commander assigned me a task yesterday. Help me figure out how we should handle it.”
He then gave Zhang Gongnong a rough account of what Xu Dongguo had instructed him to do the previous day.
When Zhang Gongnong learned that the application for a First-Class Merit award was already being processed, delight appeared on his face.
After all, Su Dingping was his student, and the achievement reflected greatly on him as well.
“Director, aren’t we naval personnel?”
“We are?”
Sun Yongguo’s gaze moved back and forth between the two of them before he suddenly understood.
That was right. If they awarded Dingping a naval rank, would that not naturally bring him into the navy?
Excellent. Now he had an answer to give the commander.