Chapter 44: Old Soldiers Never Die, They Just Fade Away!
As a legendary chief designer with great wisdom, Old Zhu’s understanding of his subordinates was as profound as his knowledge of national affairs.
He knew that even if he chased away this group of people, another group like them would come.
Rather than simply evading the problem, failing to address the root cause, it was better to mobilize resources to solve the main contradiction.
Therefore, after Ma Bo Ming presented the problem, he paused for a moment, then calmly answered:
“Tanks are the culmination of all the technologies in our Army’s equipment.”
“The system is incredibly complex, encompassing almost all specialties like vehicles, ammunition, and electro-optics.”
“But do you remember?”
“My resume has never had a background in tanks or armored forces.”
“In fact, I was already 66 years old when I retired.”
“Yet, the organization gave me this task, appointing me as the chief designer of our third-generation tank. I repeatedly declined, but I eventually took on this responsibility.”
“Back then, my office was right next to the original design team for the third-generation tank, led by Old Shi. He, like you, Ma Bo Ming, couldn’t understand why an outsider like me, someone who didn't know anything about tanks, would be appointed to this position.”
“I simply said, 'I've fought wars, I've used them, I'm familiar with them.' ”
“Of course, that young expert is different from me. He hasn’t experienced actual warfare. However, from the weapons and equipment he has developed, you can see that his military design approach is both practical and brilliant. This is something you should learn from. His understanding of war and the Army is advanced and profound. That’s the first point I want to make.”
…
Old Zhu spoke slowly and calmly.
He elaborated based on his own experiences, without a single superfluous word.
His words were well-reasoned and truly classic.
“Do you remember the situation when our 9910 project team first started developing the third-generation tank?”
“Back then, we were still modifying the ‘Five Wheel’ design. The United States, Germany, and Russia had already started equipping their forces with new generation main battle tanks. We were still stuck on the first generation, while they were deploying the third generation.”
“There was a technological gap of two generations between us.”
“Do you remember what I said during the interview on CCTV?”
“I said, ‘It’s pointless to develop a new tank that can only fight to a draw. We must be able to destroy them all!’ ”
“The Western media estimated it would take 30 years to close the two-generation gap, but we did it.”
“Just like the new type of rocket launcher developed by that young expert, it has caught up with the world’s mainstream level!”
“Speaking of this, we’ve raised our own level. We’ve caught up with the world's mainstream level, but they are now the world's best.”
…
Old Zhu’s words held double meaning, giving a subtle compliment.
But everyone present was intelligent and understood his meaning.
“We’re a large team. There are over 400 full-time researchers who are deputy chief designers and above.”
“How did we manage to achieve all the thousands of indicators? How did we succeed in developing a third-generation main battle tank that is domestically produced?”
“It’s because of our systemic victory. We achieved the goal of not necessarily being number one in every aspect, but at least being number two in every field.”
“Through everyone’s concerted efforts, through optimization of the subsystems, and through functional matching and compensation between components and subsystems, we ultimately achieved optimal overall performance. We made 1+1>2!”
“Is this third-generation tank with its own intellectual property still modeled after the Russians and the West like before?”
“No! We’ve studied the third-generation tanks of Britain, France, and Russia, but ultimately we chose to go our own way, learning from the best and without relying on any specific model!”
“From the systemic methodology to the various problems encountered in the actual production of the third-generation tank, we’ve been able to combine the strengths of various schools of thought. Why is it impossible today?”
“Have you all read the article on the Heavy Combined Arms Brigade?”
“Why aren’t you inviting the person who wrote the ‘White Paper’ on the standards of future warfare? Are you going to let the 9910 project become an anomaly in the Army’s equipment after we’re done?”
…
Old Zhu’s voice became slightly heavier.
After his three-part speech, reviewing the 9910 project from beginning to end, as if entrusting a legacy, the entire room was silent, not a single sound.
Refute?
How could they refute?
Every aspect, from the inside out, had been thoroughly explained.
Even the most stubborn ‘factionalist’, even the most arrogant Ma Bo Ming, had to concede.
The words “he’s the only one” implicitly revealed his decision.
If they still couldn’t listen and cooperate, Old Zhu had the means to not solve the problem, but to solve the person who posed the problem.
This wasn’t the first time Old Zhu had opposed the majority opinion.
But this time, Old Zhu was particularly concerned.
Because he was old, truly old.
From the imitation of the first and second generation main battle tanks to the independent development of the third generation, he had poured his entire life into it. He had no more energy left.
But to achieve a breakthrough in tank technology and a brighter future, he needed the younger generation.
He was an old soldier.
He just wanted to contribute whatever he could to the great nation’s ‘tank dream’!
He also wanted…to see the possible future of the Eastern nation’s tank during his lifetime.
Or perhaps, to witness firsthand the Eastern nation’s tank go further, as far as possible, as far as possible…
…
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PS: Five chapters, 10,000 words, complete! Please support with flowers, monthly tickets, and comments! Thank you!