Volume 1, Chapter 29: Bringing Glory to the Nation

Three months later, the Heat Treatment Workshop No. 2 was no longer a graveyard.

The modified furnace, which Li Weiguo had dubbed "Li Kui," had become the heart of the workshop. It was ugly, bulky, and covered in welding scars and a tangle of old and new pipes, resembling a stitched-together behemoth that had crawled out of a scrap heap. Yet, inside its chest beat a scorching heart exceeding 1,500 degrees Celsius.

When the first three-inch diameter gallium arsenide single-crystal ingot, uniform in color and texture, was successfully pulled, the entire workshop fell silent for three seconds.

Shen Qingyun was the first to rush forward, wearing thick gloves as if cradling a newborn. He was incoherent, repeating the words "purity" and "integrity" over and over.

Li Weiguo didn't move. He simply leaned against the mottled wall and lit a cigarette, his hands trembling. Ash fell all over him, but he didn't notice. The fifteen-year nightmare had been smashed to pieces by this translucent cylinder.

News of the success spread like wildfire.

The factory’s commendation and a generous bonus were issued quickly, but something else came with them.

"A technical exchange exhibition?" Du Yuze looked at the official document in his hands. "So soon?"

"The higher-ups are taking this very seriously," Shen Qingyun said, his excitement still lingering. "Several sister units have submitted applications, wanting to come and learn about our 'low-temperature Czochralski method' experience. This is an honor!"

Li Weiguo, who was wiping down a vacuum pump nearby, interjected bluntly, "They’re coming to laugh at us, aren't they? To see how we managed to refine gold out of a pile of trash?"

"Old Li, what kind of talk is that!" Shen Qingyun said, displeased. "This is a technological breakthrough, a way to bring glory to our country!"

"I only know that those who come to watch the show never worry about making things too big," Li Weiguo said, tightening a bolt with a harsh screech of metal.

Du Yuze placed the document on the workbench. "Besides the sister units, who else is coming?"

"There is also..." Shen Qingyun hesitated, "a foreign technical consultant from the German company that supplied our production line, a man named Beck. He happens to be in the country on an inspection tour, heard about our project, and the factory decided to invite him."

Li Weiguo stopped his work. He looked up, his oil-stained face expressionless.

"A German?"

"Yes."

"He’s coming to see our 'Li Kui'?"

"He’s coming to see our results," Shen Qingyun corrected him.

"Hmph." Li Weiguo lowered his head again and said nothing more.

Du Yuze, however, felt a stir of concern. He recalled the system database's information regarding common techniques for industrial espionage during this period. So-called technical consultants were often the vanguard of intelligence gathering.

"I will be the lead speaker for this exhibition," Du Yuze decided.

Shen Qingyun was taken aback. "Wouldn't it be more appropriate for me to speak? I know the technical details the best."

"You will be responsible for answering technical questions," Du Yuze said. "I will control the scope. Master Li, you don't need to say or do anything; just stay in the workshop and guard your 'Li Kui'."

Li Weiguo didn't respond, which was taken as consent.

The conference room was packed.

In the front row sat factory leaders and technical directors from several sister units; they were genuinely curious and impressed. In the back row, a blue-eyed, blond German stood out. His name was Beck. Dressed in a suit and tie with a refined demeanor, he looked entirely out of place among the technicians in their simple work clothes.

Du Yuze stood at the front of the room with a projector screen behind him.

He didn't talk much about the process, didn't mention the dilapidated workshop, and certainly didn't show any photos of the monstrous-looking "Li Kui." He only presented the results.

He displayed detection data from crystal slices and performance curves showing superior characteristics.

"...Based on the data above, the gallium arsenide single-crystal produced by our experimental furnace, which we have tentatively named 'Dawn-3,' has reached or exceeded the level of our current imported materials in key indicators such as purity and dislocation density."

A wave of irrepressible gasps and murmurs rippled through the room.

"Incredible! To achieve this level with domestic equipment..."

"This dislocation density is simply miraculous!"

During the Q&A session, the questions from the sister units were practical, focusing on thermal field control and crystal rotation speed. Du Yuze and Shen Qingyun worked in tandem, selectively answering peripheral parameters.

When it was Beck's turn, he stood up with a smile and asked his question in fluent Mandarin.

"Mr. Du, Professor Shen, congratulations on such a brilliant achievement. I have a question: regarding the radar system you are developing, to what extent will this high-quality substrate material improve the signal-to-noise ratio? Do you have any specific projected values?"

The entire room went quiet.

Everyone's expression turned subtle. This was an extremely tricky question. It bypassed the material itself and struck directly at the core of the final application—radar performance.

As a pure scholar, Shen Qingyun's instinct was to answer. He had poured his heart and soul into this project and desperately wanted to share the achievement.

"Regarding that," Du Yuze cut in before him, "our materials department is only responsible for providing qualified raw materials. As for its performance in specific equipment, that falls under the research scope of another project team, and we do not possess that data. It is subject to confidentiality regulations."

He enunciated the words "confidentiality regulations" with sharp clarity.

Beck maintained his professional smile, nodded, and sat back down, as if he had only asked out of idle curiosity.

But Du Yuze noticed that the moment he sat down, a flicker of displeasure crossed those blue eyes.

After the exhibition, the factory leaders enthusiastically entertained the guests.

Du Yuze did not join the banquet. He made an excuse and followed behind the crowd from a distance. He noticed that Beck didn't spend much time talking to the factory leaders; instead, he held a glass of wine and naturally made his way over to Shen Qingyun.

Shen Qingyun was surrounded by people from other units, his face glowing with a long-lost sense of pride.

"Professor Shen, your academic spirit is truly admirable," Beck said, his voice low but loud enough for those nearby to hear. "To achieve world-class results under such difficult conditions... In Germany, a scientist like you would have an independent laboratory, ample funding, and a powerful team."

The words were like honey, hitting exactly at Shen Qingyun's soft spot. It was what he had longed for his entire life.

"Mr. Beck is too kind. Our conditions are indeed... but the challenges are also very meaningful." Shen Qingyun was somewhat reserved, but he couldn't hide his pride.

"I completely understand," Beck said, clinking his glass against Shen's. "Our company has a visiting scholar program specifically designed to invite top scientists from around the world to Germany for short-term exchanges, with all expenses covered by us. I wonder, Professor Shen, would you be interested in seeing what a truly top-tier materials laboratory looks like?"

Du Yuze's fists tightened in his pockets.

He walked over quickly.

"Professor Shen, Director Zhang is looking for you. He says you need to sign off on the procurement quota for the next batch of high-purity gallium immediately." Du Yuze stepped between the two, his tone calm.

Shen Qingyun was startled but nodded instinctively. "Oh, right, I'll go right away."

Du Yuze then turned to Beck, his face expressionless. "Mr. Beck, thank you for your interest in our work. For any future technical exchanges, please submit a formal application through the factory's Foreign Affairs Office. This informal discussion ends here."

He was effectively showing him the door.

The smile on Beck's face froze for a moment before returning to normal. He shrugged. "Of course, it was my presumption."

Du Yuze led Shen Qingyun away quickly.

Once they were far enough away, Shen Qingyun couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing? He was just being polite; you were very rude."

"Polite?" Du Yuze stopped and turned to look at him. "Did he ask about the lattice constant of gallium arsenide, or did he ask about the radar's signal-to-noise ratio?"

Shen Qingyun was stumped.

"One is science; the other is intelligence. He dangled a bait in front of you, trying to extract our most core secrets. You were just about to take the hook," Du Yuze said coldly.

Shen Qingyun's face flushed red and then went pale. He was a smart man; as soon as Du Yuze pointed it out, he understood everything. He wanted to retort, but found he couldn't say a word. His previous excitement and pride instantly turned into a cold sweat of lingering fear.

"He is not the first, and he won't be the last," Du Yuze said, watching Beck chatting and laughing with others in the distance. "Our battle for technological security has only just begun."

[System: Detected high-value target targeted by intelligence gathering.]
[System: Target: Shen Qingyun. Profile: Top academic ability, weak security awareness. Information leakage risk assessment: High.]
[System: Simple counter-intelligence plan generated. Options: A. Physical isolation; B. Information compartmentalization; C. Reverse deception.]

Du Yuze thought to himself: Select B and C.

He looked back at Shen Qingyun, his tone softening slightly. "Professor Shen, from today on, I will be responsible for all external interfaces regarding this project. You and Master Li only need to do one thing: stay in that workshop and push 'Li Kui' to its limit. No one except the three of us needs to know exactly how that crystal rod was made."

Shen Qingyun was silent for a long time before giving a heavy nod.

He turned and walked toward the office building, his back looking somewhat lonely.

Du Yuze stood where he was, watching him walk away.

A figure emerged from the shadows nearby. It was Li Weiguo, chewing on an unlit cigarette and carrying a wrench.

"That foreign devil," Li Weiguo said, "is no good."

"I know."

"Fifteen years ago, the foreign consultants who came here smiled just like that."

Du Yuze said nothing.

Li Weiguo weighed the wrench in his hand, then turned and headed toward Heat Treatment Workshop No. 2.

"I'm going to go keep watch over the furnace."