Chapter 30: The 051B Upgrade—I've Found the Way Forward!

"Dingping, are you resting yet?"

Sun Yongguo knocked lightly on the door of the barracks.

"Dean, please come in."

Sun Yongguo walked in, accompanied by Engineer Zhang Gongnong.

"Dingping, it's past midnight. Why aren't you resting? I know you're young, but your health is the foundation of the revolution."

As he spoke, Sun Yongguo noticed the blueprints on Su Dingping's desk. He had only glanced at them casually, assuming they were lesson plans for the next day, but that single glance made him freeze. The drawings depicted partial sketches of a radar, yet he could not recognize them at all.

"Dingping, what is this radar? Is it for the 956E?"

Hearing this, Zhang Gongnong leaned in to take a closer look. "It doesn't look like it! Although I haven't fully mastered the core of the radar systems on the 956E, I am certain the internal details are not like this."

Su Dingping spoke casually, "I've had some new ideas lately, so I thought I'd give them a try."

"New ideas?" Sun Yongguo was startled. We haven't even fully grasped the core technology of the 956E, and you already have new ideas?

"It wouldn't be a passive phased array radar, would it? I've heard that in the West and in the Soviet Union, the most advanced radar on their warships is the passive phased array!" Zhang Gongnong said. "I think the Kongō-class has them too."

Su Dingping did not explain. Currently, the most advanced radar on warships worldwide was indeed the passive phased array radar. At least for the next seven years, the United States would not achieve a breakthrough in this area. As for the more advanced active phased array radar, the Soviet Union would only make some progress in over a decade. Naturally, he wouldn't mention that he was researching active phased array radar; they didn't even have that concept yet. Currently, it was internationally accepted that the passive phased array radar was the pinnacle of radar technology.

Su Dingping shifted the topic at the right moment: "Dean, Professor Zhang, is there some trouble that brings you here so late?"

"There is a matter we need to discuss with you." Sun Yongguo explained the situation. "After all, you are the person in charge of this breakthrough operation, so we must ask for your stance."

"Even without those materials, Dean Lü bringing two people to learn is no problem at all," Su Dingping said straightforwardly. "The more people, the more strength! The more people who master the core technology of the 956E, the faster our overall improvement will be."

Ever since he saw Lü Guangjun taking notes like a student in the main control room, Su Dingping knew the man still possessed the conscience of a Chinese patriot. Given the previous pressure, it was understandable that he had considered purchasing the 956E a second time. In the grand scheme of things, adding two or three top-tier military industry experts would be of great significance to the future of the Navy. Su Dingping's vision impressed Sun Yongguo.

"Fine! Then it's settled." With the matter resolved, they discussed the subsequent training sessions before he and Zhang Gongnong departed.

Upon learning that Su Dingping had approved his request to bring others, Lü Guangjun was excited. "Old Sun, I owe you a favor! The materials are ready, and they will be here by tomorrow morning!"

After settling things with Su Dingping, Sun Yongguo returned to his barracks and began drafting a proposal to grant Su Dingping a military rank.

...

Meanwhile, at the Harbin Institute of Technology.

Ever since the graduation project assessment ended, Zhao Haikuo had become quite idle. With Professor Zhang away from school, he spent all his free time with Wang Xin. While walking Wang Xin back to her dormitory in the middle of the night, he happened to run into Guo Xueyun as she was leaving the laboratory.

"Senior Brother Zhao!" Guo Xueyun quickly stopped him.

"Little Yun, what can I do for you?"

Guo Xueyun hesitated, looking embarrassed. Wang Xin chimed in, "Your Senior Brother Zhao is one of our own. Go ahead, we'll keep your secret."

After a brief hesitation, Guo Xueyun asked, "Senior Brother Zhao, I want to ask where Junior Brother Su is."

"Junior Brother? Why are you looking for him?" Zhao Haikuo was puzzled, and Wang Xin looked equally confused.

"Junior Brother Su helped me solve a big problem last time, and I promised to treat him to a meal when I had the time! Now that I'm free, I haven't been able to find him for half a month."

Zhao Haikuo realized what was going on. "I'm not sure, either. I haven't seen him for a while."

"Senior Brother Zhao, have you really not seen him?"

"Would I lie to you? Once Junior Brother gets busy, he disappears for months at a time! We in the lab are used to it. Maybe he'll just show up out of the blue one day."

Guo Xueyun was skeptical. "Really?"

"Absolutely true!" Seeing Zhao Haikuo's sincerity, Guo Xueyun had no choice but to walk away, disappointed.

"Haikuo, do you really not know where Junior Brother Su went?" Wang Xin whispered.

"I really don't! If you don't believe me, ask Huang Wei. When Junior Brother is busy, nobody in our lab can find him." As he spoke, Zhao Haikuo glanced at Guo Xueyun's departing back and sighed inwardly: *I hope everything goes well for him!*

He had his suspicions about Su Dingping's whereabouts—that he was likely doing something significant that they wanted to do but couldn't—but he was bound by non-disclosure agreements. Anyone who had to sign two non-disclosure agreements in a single day—one for the military and one for the Security Bureau—would be terrified.

Su Dingping's sudden disappearance from school drew little attention. After all, he had begun keeping to himself a year ago, burying himself in his studies to the point where many classmates had almost forgotten he existed. They couldn't have imagined that a student they were on the verge of forgetting was currently working on a major project capable of shaping the future development of the Navy.

The next morning, when Sun Yongguo and the others arrived at the 956E main control room, they found Su Dingping eating a steamed bun while studying materials. These were the very documents Lü Guangjun had sent from the 408th Research Institute. Lü Guangjun and the two vice-deans who had come with him were also sitting across from Su Dingping, the four of them discussing things from time to time.

"Old Sun, you're here." Lü Guangjun greeted them.

"What's this about?"

"We are discussing integral ramjet engine technology for ship-to-air missiles with Comrade Dingping. As you know, we are quite weak in this area; there hasn't been much progress on the YJ anti-ship missiles or the HHQ air defense missiles," Lü Guangjun explained. "If this technology can be mastered, the striking range of our ship-based missiles will increase significantly! This is of great importance for keeping our enemies away from our borders!"

"I didn't expect that after Comrade Dingping took a look and we chatted for a bit, he would have such unique perspectives. I am deeply inspired! I finally see the direction for the 051B upgrade!"

Lü Guangjun looked at Su Dingping, who was currently discussing technical points with the others, filled with emotion. This trip had been incredibly fruitful, giving him much more confidence in the second upgrade of the 051B.

At that moment, one of the vice-deans from the 408th Research Institute walked over and asked, "Dean Lü, where did you find this external expert? His insights have been incredibly enlightening. Perhaps we should focus more on the internal processes of the engine's 'gas generator' and 'combustion chamber'."

Sun Yongguo replied, "He's not an external expert; he's one of our own."

"One of our own?" The man looked at Lü Guangjun in astonishment. "There's no one ahead of us in the field of ship-based missiles in China, right? At least not according to the National Defense Armament Office!"

"He is one of our own," Lü Guangjun confirmed. "Don't be in a rush. Just settle down and stay here for a while. When we go back, we'll get the 051B upgraded!"

"Yes, Dean!" The man replied excitedly before returning to his seat to continue the discussion with Su Dingping.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Captain Zhou finally returned with his team.