Chapter 48: You Even Calculated This?
Pokrovsky’s thoughts drifted to Bangalore in India, where compared to him, his counterparts there had it much easier.
It was also in ’57; they allowed A San to assemble and manufacture MiG-17s themselves, and agreed that within the next three years, 50% of the components would be produced locally in India.
As a result, the Indian side couldn’t even manage the most basic assembly. Of the 36 MiG-17s assembled locally in India, 27 had air duct vibration failures. After three years, the localization rate for components hadn’t even reached 10%.
Pokrovsky’s counterparts in Bangalore were already preparing to sharply cut Brother San’s budget. You can’t blame me if you can’t make it yourselves, right? My components are very expensive.
The reason Pokrovsky had stayed in China until today was with a similar purpose in mind—waiting for the Chinese side to fail on their own and come begging to them, then, following orders from Moscow, either make new demands or thoroughly humiliate the Chinese counterparts.
He just hadn’t expected to be the one humiliated. Pokrovsky felt that the Chinese counterparts were overly friendly; if he were in their position, he definitely would have cursed even more filthily.
Yanjing, late July weather was somewhat scorching hot, and the Science and Technology Committee at the foot of Xishan had already received the report from the Harbin front line.
The man in the white shirt who had rushed over overnight clapped repeatedly:
“Good, good. We must internally commend and reward Dean Qian and the Fifth Academy properly, and also notify everyone who should be notified about this good news thoroughly.
We in China have our own ballistic missile—good! Excellent!
Also, call Dean Qian back for a meeting; we have many things that still need communication.
Director Wan, help me note this down. First, organize experts to discuss the practicality of the DF-1 and confirm it as soon as possible; once confirmed, organize mass production quickly.
Second, after mass production, which local governments need to be equipped, and how to advance the related training.
Third, Dean Qian wrote in the telegraph that this technology is world-leading. If the Soviet Union covets it, if we want to sell it, what should we exchange for in return.
Mainly these three points; arrange them as soon as possible.”
For the national defense industry at this time, the DF-1 was simply timely rain after a long drought—at least it could save some people, save some teams, save some industry.
Deployed to the front line, some supporting industrial plants could also be saved.
Regarding the fact that the DF-1 ballistic missile’s precision had reached global top level, after a brief moment of excitement, Dean Qian calmed down on the special plane back to Yanjing and instead felt that a blessing in disguise might be a blessing— from another angle, this might not necessarily be a good thing.
Because the technological breakthrough proved China’s self-reliance capability, easing security anxieties, which would instead create resistance to academic openness.
If technological breakthroughs could be achieved without academic openness, then the motivation for academic openness would be lost.
He couldn’t possibly attribute all the merit to the Monte Carlo Method and Calculus of Variations given by Lin Ran.
Dean Qian kept thinking on the special plane about how to push for loosening restrictions on academic exchanges.
At the moment when Soviet experts had fully withdrawn, academic openness seemed especially important.
The next day, as usual, he arrived at the office, and Dean Qian asked: “Secretary Zhang, where is the latest issue of International Scientific Abstracts?”
He couldn’t find it anywhere on his desk; normally, around mid-month each month, it would be translated into Chinese and placed on his desk.
Zhang Kewen walked into the office and said in a low voice: “Dean Qian, I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet. Comrades from the Science and Technology Committee notified us that the Soviet Union has stopped supplying International Scientific Abstracts.
Including Soviet Academy of Sciences Report and Soviet Academy of Sciences News, all supplies have been completely stopped.
The Science and Technology Committee side told us not to worry; comrades in Moscow are trying to see if they can transport some back.”
Dean Qian slammed the table hard: “Damn Russians!”
In the afternoon, when going to Xishan for a meeting, Dean Qian’s mind was full of how to gain the other’s support when chatting alone with the Science and Technology Committee director later.
But when only the two of them were left in the meeting room, the other waved his hand, signaling the secretary to go out and guard the door to prevent others from coming in.
Then he pulled out a document from the drawer and handed it to Dean Qian: “Old Qian, take a look.”
The words of praise had already been said at the meeting.
Now with just the two of them left, the other wanted to discuss some substantive content with Dean Qian.
After Dean Qian finished reading, he felt like he was having a conversation across the air with Lin Ran far away in Hong Kong; what the other said was exactly what he was thinking—China ultimately had to rely on itself.
“Well said.”
The middle-aged man waved his hand, then pulled out another piece of paper: “This is a song he published in Hong Kong not long ago; you can take a look.”
Dean Qian took it and glanced; just seeing the words “Bystander” made his face change drastically. After reading the full text, he hurriedly explained: “Professor Lin telling us the Monte Carlo Method means he couldn’t possibly be a Bystander.
In my view, this is him deliberately creating a posture to dispel suspicion from himself.”
The middle-aged man nodded: “Of course, I know that, of course.
Just the technical data he passed to us—if we actively expose it to the Americans, Lin would be in deep trouble.
I am very clear about his goodwill toward us, but this song has caused a very bad influence in Yanjing, and with the current climate, Lin can only exist in internal documents in the form of a secrecy project.
In public occasions, we need to downplay his influence as much as possible.
Additionally, because of the success of the DF-1, even though the team led by Professor Hua Luogeng hasn’t yet deciphered the Monte Carlo Method from the three papers Lin Ran mentioned, I’ve strived unprecedented conditions for everyone.”
A hint of expectation appeared in Dean Qian’s eyes: “What conditions?”
“Professor Lin is currently internally codenamed Fermat, a top-level long-term secrecy project.
For a very long time in the future, Professor Hua Luogeng will stay in Yangcheng to assemble a team, taking a portion from foreign exchange reserves to import academic journals from Hong Kong, translate them, and send them back to Yanjing to make up for the gap left by the Soviet Union’s stop in supplying academic journals.
Once the information returns to Yanjing, under the pretext of secrecy, it will only be provided to a few scientists, which can also avoid unnecessary trouble.”
The middle-aged man had not been idle during this period.
Yanjing’s climate wasn’t good, so put it in Yangcheng.
If maintaining academic exchanges with the West wouldn’t work, then package it as a secrecy project, turning it into deciphering information related to the secrecy project.
Dean Qian had privately mentioned to him since returning to China whether it was possible to import Western academic journals, whether there was a way to import from overseas Chinese.
The Soviet Union’s timely cutoff gave him the best excuse.
He had always kept this matter in mind, and this time he finally found the right reason and the right opportunity.
Lin Ran never expected that his idea of leaving kindling would be realized in this way.
After hearing this, Dean Qian felt a chill inside, thinking Lin Ran had planned for everything— even without returning, he could leave a channel for academic exchange between China and the West in this way.
