A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 686 On behalf of the organization, I wish to place a "sword" into your hands...

In the corner of the conference room, the few people in Zhongshan suits stood silently, as if frozen into a true sculpture. The elderly man at the head of the group, with graying temples, had an indescribable shock and expectation surging in his sharp eyes, and his tightly pursed lips trembled slightly.

“Il-28…” the old man murmured the word softly.

A composed-looking middle-aged man next to him immediately leaned closer and reported in a low voice: "In 54, we purchased 200 aircraft from the Alliance! In 56, we purchased all the manufacturing data from the Alliance, including a complete set of product blueprints!"

"Where are the drawings?"

"Sealed and stored at Weijian Machinery Factory..."

"Weijian? Factory 122, huh..."

"Such a valuable platform, and the blueprints were sealed away... Why do we still have to go and develop the Dongfeng-113? I'm afraid there are really people in our team who are not truly committed to our goals..."

"Well, boss. You can't say that. The 122nd Division produced a large number of key components based on these blueprints. You forgot, the Alliance stopped providing related technical support in 59. Our Il-28 can still fly, and the comrades from the 122nd Division played a big role."

"Also, didn't the old man say... it's better to mend the fence after the sheep are lost..."

After carefully adding the details, the middle-aged man pulled a bulging file bag from his pocket and handed it to the old man.

Hearing the middle-aged man's explanation, the frost on the leader's face did not completely melt away, but his gaze toward Jiang Xia softened noticeably, even carrying a hint of admiration.

The leader stood up and was the first to applaud.

A burst of applause erupted from the spacious conference room.

Jiang Xia stood calmly in front of them and gladly accepted the high level of applause.

The leader did not immediately walk towards Jiangxia. Instead, he strolled to the table, picked up the A-10 design drawing that Jiangxia called a "scrap draft," and examined it carefully.

The lines are bold, the layout unique, and it's full of violent aesthetics. Of course, this assessment was just what the leader was thinking to himself.

"Your aircraft design is very imposing. Why then did you turn to improving existing models?"

Jiang Xia smiled but didn't answer directly. He took the densely filled notebook from Pang Guoxing, held it out with both hands, and respectfully presented it to this imposing leader. He had already explained the reason, and Jiang Xia didn't want to repeat it.

He has already explained the reasons very clearly.

At this moment, the brief burst of passion had subsided, and like a rock exposed after the tide recedes, a deep weariness and an almost nihilistic sense of calm enveloped him.

Like the fleeting morning mist in the mountains, it was lingering five seconds ago, but has vanished without a trace five seconds later.

The "wise moment" after the passion has faded is perfectly normal.

Well, that's a polite explanation.

The truth is, after rationally withdrawing, there is a huge sense of loss, and the longer the period of time spent in this state, the stronger this feeling, which is similar to a 'side effect', becomes.

Jiang Xia maintained a composed demeanor, putting on a brave face. In truth, what he wanted most right now was to be alone and quietly space out…

The leader was clearly good-natured. He took the notebook and, instead of urging for an answer, naturally helped Jiang Xia tidy up the drawings scattered on the table. As he tidied, he opened the notebook.

As they looked around, their hand movements slowed down.

Finally, he simply pulled over a stool, moved it to a bright spot by the window, sat down, held the notebook a little further away, squinted his eyes, and began to study it intently, as if he had forgotten everything around him.

Taking this opportunity, Jiang Xia raised an eyebrow at Secretary Liu: What's your background?

Xiao Liu glanced at the ceiling, then gave Jiang Xia a wry smile.

Oh... Could it be that the "digitalization project" I proposed has yielded results? Jiang Xia suddenly felt a little uneasy.

Although he firmly believed that his deduction was correct, he was still feeling very anxious, just like you after finishing the final exam and sitting in the classroom waiting for the teacher to announce the results.

However, this feeling of being "up and down" was quickly suppressed by a rationalized sense of emptiness.

This won't do... Jiang Xia raised his eyebrows at Secretary Liu, hoping this guy could provide him with some emotional support.

While tidying up the blueprints, the two friends huddled together: "Hey, aren't you and Lao Wang 'The Wind Howls and the Yi River is Cold'? I thought I wouldn't see you guys for a while!"

"Tsk! It would have been better if we hadn't talked about this; you've led us astray!"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

“Hey! You think you’re the only one concerned about the health of our comrades? The higher-ups have already made arrangements! Others…” Before Secretary Liu could finish speaking, she caught a glimpse of the leader by the window closing his notebook and slowly standing up.

Being cautious, he immediately fell silent, nudged Jiang Xia lightly with his elbow, and whispered, "Stand still."

The two immediately straightened their backs and turned their gazes toward their leader.

After standing up, the leader first carefully straightened the lapel of his Zhongshan suit, his expression solemn. Then, he opened the bulging file bag in his hand, took out a document stamped with a bright red seal, and walked steadily to Jiang Xia.

"Comrade Jiang Xia! We have a sword we wish to entrust to you..."

The leader's voice was loud and solemn, echoing in the quiet conference room.

Seeing Jiang Xia nod, the leader continued with a smile:

"In accordance with the organization's resolution, the following appointments are hereby issued—"

"To meet the urgent needs of national defense modernization and to earnestly implement the principle of concentrating resources on major tasks, after review by the highest scientific… committee and approval from higher authorities, it has been decided to make major adjustments to the 'Dongfeng-113' project, and you are hereby appointed to be responsible for related follow-up and subsequent technical evaluation work. Specific appointments are as follows…"

"I. Termination of the 'Dongfeng-113' Project: Effective immediately, the development project of the 'Dongfeng-113' high-altitude, high-speed fighter jet is officially terminated. All related design, testing, and production activities cease immediately. You will be responsible for the unified receipt and management of the original project team's personnel, equipment, and data."

"Second, you are fully responsible for conducting a comprehensive, systematic, and rigorous audit and technical evaluation of all work related to the 'Dongfeng 113' project since its inception. The scope of the evaluation includes, but is not limited to..."

The more Jiang Xia listened, the wider his eyes widened...

"What a sharp sword..."