25: The suicide drone is ready!

Zhu Lin looked in the direction Wang Xia was pointing and saw Peng Lin standing under the spotlight in the Great Hall of the People.

The host then read Peng Lin's introduction to all the attending leaders and media reporters:

"A lone lamp illuminates the cold jade, a spark ignites a prairie fire, forging the nation's destiny."

"Comrade Peng Lin has dedicated himself to science and contributed to the nation, developing new weapon equipment such as the Sniper Grenade and Individual Thermobaric Weapon!"

"Through a thousand refinements, he has no regrets; every inch of time transforms into a devoted heart."

"Working day and night, he also designed and developed national heavy equipment for the military, such as the Zhi-8 Heavy Transport Helicopter!"

"He is a role model for all scientific and technological workers in the country; we should learn from him and salute him!"

"Next, please welcome Director Fang of the State Council to present Comrade Peng Lin with his certificate and medal!"

As the host's voice faded, Director Fang of the State Council walked forward to shake hands and pose for a photo with Peng Lin.

He personally pinned the medal on Peng Lin and handed him the certificate for advanced scientific and technological work nationwide.

At the same time, a sustained round of applause erupted.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Peng Lin, filled with shock.

They never expected that the young Peng Lin had made such immense contributions to the nation and the military!

Moreover, the way many attending leaders looked at Peng Lin changed.

Because Peng Lin stood under the spotlight in the center of the Great Hall of the People, and being so young, he was truly eye-catching.

Many leaders from the Ministry of Industry and the Chinese Academy of Sciences who attended and had eligible daughters at home became more active in their thoughts.

Peng Lin, at such a young age, had achieved such honors and accomplishments; his future prospects were limitless.

Some leaders even began to consider asking acquaintances in the Fifth Ministry of Machinery to inquire about Peng Lin's family background and whether he was married.

At the back of the audience, Zhu Lin also applauded Peng Lin with immense pride.

She had never asked him about many things related to his work.

But she never expected that her boyfriend would be so outstanding.

However, Wang Xia nudged her with her elbow from beside her.

"Hey, silly girl, still applauding?"

"You need to keep a close eye on your boyfriend."

"I just heard several people asking about Peng Lin's family situation, especially if he's married."

Wang Xia whispered to Zhu Lin as a reminder.

Peng Lin was so happy, and she was naturally happy for her good friend.

However, Wang Xia was also a little worried that Zhu Lin and Peng Lin had known each other for too short a time and had a weak emotional foundation.

What if a high-ranking official really took a liking to Peng Lin and wanted to recruit him as a son-in-law?

"Are you saying you're afraid Peng Lin will become a heartless man?"

"He's not that kind of person!"

Zhu Lin was somewhat amused by Wang Xia's over-worrying, saying this while looking at Peng Lin.

Next, the two quietly chatted and continued to watch the other award ceremonies.

It wasn't until the commendation conference ended that Peng Lin came to find them.

Then the three of them watched the cultural performance after the commendation conference and attended the celebration banquet.

It wasn't until two or three in the afternoon that the three parted ways in front of the Great Hall of the People.

Since he would be leaving Yanjing in two days, Peng Lin decided to visit General Xu Liyou that afternoon... After buying some seasonal fruits and informing the driver of his destination.

Peng Lin arrived at General Xu Liyou's home in Yanjing.

"Greetings, Chief!"

After being welcomed into the house by the guard, Peng Lin greeted him.

"Comrade Peng Lin, we meet again."

"Would you like some tea?"

"This morning, I had planned to attend your commendation conference, but the military headquarters had an urgent meeting, and I couldn't get away."

The Old General was very happy to see Peng Lin and greeted him warmly.

Afterward, he inquired about Peng Lin's travels and experiences in Yanjing.

And inevitably, they talked about the production of weapon equipment at Changhe Factory.

"The Sniper Grenade, Individual Thermobaric Weapon, and the Zhi-8 have all had their production processes finalized, and everything is being produced in sequence."

Peng Lin reported with great confidence.

Since he became the Chief Engineer of Changhe Military Factory, he had implemented a series of institutional reforms in the technical research and development department and production processes.

Everything had become much more efficient.

"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."

"I'll also tell you frankly, the war will break out as early as the beginning of 1979!"

General Xu Liyou looked towards the south with a heavy heart, saying.

"As long as the new equipment is used properly, it won't be a problem for us to heavily damage the main forces of the Yue Hou Country."

Peng Lin said.

"No, what I'm worried about isn't the south, but the north."

"The reason we've delayed acting against the Yue Hou Country is actually that we're waiting to officially establish diplomatic relations with the USA."

"Now, as long as war breaks out in the south, the Soviet Union's Steel Torrent of a million troops on our border will inevitably take action as well."

"So, at this time, we must rely on the USA to contain the Soviet Union."

"After the New Year of 1979, when we establish diplomatic relations with the USA, Zheng Gong will visit there."

"Only if the USA helps us contain the Soviet Union can we confidently and unreservedly fight a war in the south!"

General Xu Liyou explained to Peng Lin.

"Internationally, the only country that can slightly counterbalance the threat of the Soviet Union is the USA."

Peng Lin nodded.

Peng Lin still greatly admired the planning and strategic resolve of the older generation of military and political figures.

"So, we must fight this war well!"

"Because, to some extent, this war is our pledge of allegiance to the Americans!"

"After falling out with our big brother, the Soviet Union, almost all socialist countries cut off diplomatic relations with us."

"This even included countries like Yue Hou and North Korea, which we had aided."

"Now, to avoid the Soviet Union using force against us, we can only temporarily unite with the USA."

"As for how much value we can demonstrate to the Western bloc, that depends on our performance in this war..."

After the Old General finished speaking, he sighed again.

To counter the threat of the Soviet Union's nuclear surgical strike, Dragon Country could only be forced to be a pawn of the USA.

Now the country was besieged on all sides, absolutely in a very dangerous situation.

Subsequently, the two talked a lot more.

It wasn't until after dinner that Peng Lin bid farewell and left.

And after leaving General Xu Liyou, he felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

Peng Lin believed that relying solely on the Sniper Grenade and Individual Thermobaric Weapon was not enough against the Yue Hou Country.

At least, not violent enough!

The next day.

Peng Lin reluctantly said goodbye to Zhu Lin.

He understood that now was not the time to be overly entangled in romance.

The two agreed to contact each other weekly by phone and letter.

When he had time, Peng Lin would come to Yanjing to find her... Returning to Changhe Factory.

Peng Lin immediately threw himself into work.

"Project Name: 'sickle' Suicide Drone"

"Difficulty Assessment: D"

"Task Progress: 87%"

"Task Reward: 200 Research Points"

He had already solved most of the problems with the suicide drone some time ago.

The only remaining issue was the miniaturization research of the gyroscope used for inertial navigation.

In the time that followed, Peng Lin began to devote all his energy to the research and development of the suicide drone project.

Finally, after nearly a month of day and night efforts,

the "sickle" Suicide Drone was finally completed in design and the prototype manufactured!