Study Monster Cultivation System-Chapter 320 - 319, get it clear, Xiao Lin, I am your superior.

At 12 o’clock sharp, the YF-87 underwent its second Reset, and the discussion meeting on the improved route officially began.

Although Li Zheng had gone deep into the data, just like last time, he did not know what the results he had obtained meant, just like an artificial intelligence machine that does not understand the meaning of the language it feedbacks.

In the eyes of the engineers at Institute No. 17, the disassembled engine that revealed images and data of cracks pointed very clearly to a singular result —

Sub-synchronous precession.

In the aerospace field, the effect of this term was akin to Cthulhu’s low chant...

A terrifying and irrational existence.

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Among these, "precession" could also be termed as "vibration."

Speaking of vibration, it was an old friend of aerospace, akin to a bug for programmers, or probability for mobile game players.

During the launch process, rockets would encounter various vibrations, and both structures and materials have their limits, unable to withstand intense vibrations.

In the design phase, these complex situations were obviously considered, and various vibration damping methods were employed, with Yellow 2 adopting the latest style of dampers and energy accumulators for vibration suppression.

Under normal circumstances, this design had no issues, and it would be successful with just a little bit of luck, like an 8.8 out of 10.

But in the most severe vibration environments, the engine unexpectedly emitted Cthulhu’s low chant...

This low chant went unnoticed during the first launch.

In the recent shaft fracture incident, it was also covered by numerous loud noises and similarly went undetected.

But Liu Rui, with his terrifying perseverance, captured traces of it in other test data.

Li Zheng then built on this foundation and used mathematical and algorithmic tools to extract features, expanding the screening range overnight to include all historical data ever.

As he said, such a "low chant" taken alone was meaningless, like the rustling of leaves in the wind, but stacking countless low chants on top of each other…

He finally heard the voice of Cthulhu.

It was just the voice in mathematical form.

Next, Zhu Mingyue took it a step further, translating this segment of low chant into engineering language—

Under harsh vibration environments, when the turbine rotor ran at supercritical speeds, local dynamics and material properties underwent some fascinating changes, causing its inherent vibration frequency to change and consequently resonate with the operational frequency.

This meant that this local area was "mutinying," attempting to rotate and vibrate in its own way.

In this process, the turbine rotor would inevitably endure immense structural stress.

Those minute, invisible cracks, thus formed.

And when the resonance became intense enough, the structural stress exceeded the material yield limit, the cracks rapidly expanded, and then broke apart amid intense rotation.

What was more terrifying was that the sub-synchronous precession was also a kind of self-excited vibration that could lead to even larger vibrations due to vibration.

It was as if 100 Liu Xiangs held hands, forming a circle, and running clockwise, as per the requirement, one circle per minute.

Since they were all Liu Xiang, this pace was nothing to them, so they ran happily.

But suddenly!

A song "Chicken, You’re Too Beautiful" started playing.

One of the Liu Xiangs suddenly became an idol.

And he began to sing and dance!

At that moment, it turned into 99 Liu Xiangs and one singing and dancing idol running in circles.

But this was not yet a breakdown.

After all, the nearby Liu Xiangs would forcefully pull the idol along to run, although it was tiring, 99 Liu Xiangs could still handle one idol.

However, the horrifying part was that the one being pulled along was an idol.

He would not open his arms honestly, hanging suspended while being pulled along by the Liu Xiangs before and after him.

He was there to sing and dance.

In fact, the moment he became an idol, he sang the next "Chicken, You’re Too Beautiful."

In an instant, the two Liu Xiangs beside him were infected, also starting to sing and dance.

The singers and dancers suddenly increased from one to three, making it unbearable for the nearby runners.

But this was just the beginning.

More "Chicken, You’re Too Beautiful" was already washing over them in waves…

When the content of singers and dancers reached 1%, the circle race could still be maintained, only causing some undetectable muscle tearing in a few runners.

When the content reached 3%, the runners could already feel the pain from arm tugging.

When the content reached 5%, the pull would reach the runners’ limit of endurance, either letting go or breaking an arm.

This was self-excited oscillation, which is both the cause and the outcome.

And where the initial "Chicken, You’re Too Beautiful" came from, and how to avoid it, remains an engineering puzzle to this day.

Just as a middle-aged man staying at home always ends up with an idol’s name smeared on his face.

With this, the logic of the accident was completely clear.

In the conference room, Zhu Mingyue also began his reflection and summary.

"In the first Reset, we did not detect any minor local cracks, only focusing on the damage to the exhaust system."

"From the current perspective, the issue with the exhaust system was not isolated; it was caused by the resonance of the turbine system, which initiated a chain reaction. It was just that the exhaust system was relatively fragile and broke before the turbine could."

"Without a doubt, it was the direct cause of the failure of the August 8th launch, yet it wasn’t the fundamental reason."

"After August 8th, when Reset first began, we had a serious case of wishful thinking during our analysis and handling, committing the error of treating the symptoms rather than the cause. We merely strengthened the exhaust system, akin to prescribing cough medicine to a pneumonia patient."

"Ultimately, in the October 5th test, it led to the complete fracture of the shaft system, a tragic outcome."

"Personally, and as a team of Institute No. 17 YF-87, we cannot shirk our responsibility."

"Despite standing in the position of a sinner, I must still thank the comrades of the first institute for their arduous efforts in the Reset mission."

"Among them, Li Zheng and Lin Yujing, made particularly outstanding contributions. Through their profound data analysis, they accurately diagnosed the issue twice, presenting it right before my eyes. It was merely my haste to achieve quick results and redeem myself that led to Yellow 2’s current predicament. I know an apology means nothing, but still..."

Zhu Mingyue then stood up, bowing deeply to everyone present.

"Leaders, comrades, I’m sorry."

Almost everyone in the conference room also stood up almost simultaneously, not intending to accept the apology.

"Alright," Zhao Zhenhua personally came forward, helped Zhu Mingyue back to his seat, and waved to everyone saying, "Cut out this act, sit down, everyone sit."

Once everyone had taken their seats, Zhao Zhenhua sighed and said:

"I am also to blame, I pushed too hard."

"In fact, after the first Reset, when the fault model was confirmed, Zhang Zhicheng already believed that the accident was not simple. This exhaust system had been tested, and it wouldn’t fail without reason."

"His suggestion was to spend another half-month or so to study the cause more deeply."

"It was me."

"At that time, it was I who rejected this suggestion, insisting on improving the exhaust system and carrying out tests as soon as possible."

"So, none of you should bear any psychological burden."

"I said from the beginning, I set the course, follow me, and I take responsibility for any issues."

"Now it’s the same, the responsibility is mine, and this must be noted in the report. It wasn’t Zhu Mingyue who was eager for quick results, nor was it Zhang Zhicheng, it was me, Zhao Zhenhua."

"So, everyone, don’t hesitate, don’t feel guilty," Zhao Zhenhua declared emphatically, "Just fucking keep going, change it again, if something happens again, I’ll still take the heat!"

Zhao Zhenhua’s words once again stirred the emotions of those present, regardless of age, their eyes were slightly moist.

With the head of the first institute being capable of going to this extent, what more is there to hesitate about?

All in!

With this momentum, Zhu Mingyue proposed three approaches.

First, to reinforce the entire shaft system with steel plates.

Second, to redesign, bypassing the issue.

Third, to list all potential causes of resonance and make localized improvements in a carpet-style approach.

Clearly, Zhu Mingyue had already suggested the first two approaches before.

Even if the cause was identified as sub-synchronous whirl, there’s still no clear solution internationally; it’s still an advanced area in engineering design, which is why it’s described as a low chant from Cthulhu.

It can be said that facing this issue, there’s no solution that guarantees 100% success, not even 90%.

Hence, even without knowing the cause, Zhu Mingyue had already suggested the first two approaches early on.

As for the third approach, superficially, it was full of "gambling spirit."

For this, Zhu Mingyue used the most exquisite language to provide a root cause description—

"In extreme conditions, the properties of the turbine rotor change locally."

Perhaps a slight change to the structure could prevent such alterations.

Perhaps reducing the proportion of a certain element in the shaft material could prevent it.

Perhaps it’s the internal damping, perhaps it’s the dry friction, perhaps it’s the aerodynamic effect at the tip of the turbine blades...

Right now, Yellow 2 is facing such an inspiring yet inconclusive situation.

Lying ahead, lies the unknown territory of aerospace and the entirety of engineering.

What they could do, just like every predecessor before them—

Guess.

Test.

Nothing demonstrates the spirit of gambling better than this.

Nothing represents science more than this.

And Zhao Zhenhua.

Whether he is a scientist, I don’t know.

But he is definitely an old gambler.

An old gambler who became the head after braving numerous storms.

There are inevitably elements of luck involved, but also critical moments of judgment.

In his view, the three strategies represent three thoughts, three costs, three outcomes.

One, to tough it out, thicken the steel plates, the cost being giving up the load advantage of the hydrogen-oxygen engine, the result being possibly struggling to maintain his position temporarily, but strangling the future potential of the Yellow River series.

Two, to circumvent, to redesign from scratch, the cost being to push back the technology of the hydrogen-oxygen engine by five years, the result being his downfall, but the Yellow River series might experience a rebirth in the years to come, in a time of more technology and resources.

Three, to grope around, to cross the river by feeling the stones, the cost being sacrificing the last of Yellow 2 Team’s time and his last bit of authority, the result being—

Victors and losers.

If successful, not only would Yellow 2 face a smooth road ahead, but it would also mark a significant technological leap.

If it failed, retirement would merely come amidst scorn, ridicule, and indifference.

Before today, how could Zhao Zhenhua, the old gambler, not know that there was a third way?

It was just that the hope was too faint; crossing the river by feeling for stones in such deep water, where could it be so lucky to touch a stone? Most of the time, it would only sink to the bottom, not even making a ripple.

Even the old gambler didn’t dare to make a move rashly.

But now, he seemed to see the faint ripples of water and felt the outline of the stones.

Using the gambler’s terms—

The feel had come.

But he couldn’t make a move yet...

The more so at such a time, the more he needed to steady himself.

Zhao Zhenhua then looked at Shen Tinglan, "When did the YF-100 used by Institute No. 17 first enter the production stage?"

"Ah…" Shen Tinglan hesitated, "My position… my identity… this…"

After a bout of awkwardness, Shen Tinglan finally sighed and said in a not-so-loud voice, "The earliest planned time is mid-December, the variable depends on the YF-100 team, Engineer Zhu would know more than me."

"Then let’s assume it’s December 15," Zhao Zhenhua scanned the others, "Today is October 30, we have 46 days left. What improvements can we make in 46 days?"

No one dared to answer that question.

They needed to propose several guesses and then conduct experiments; even the first guess hadn’t started yet.

While those at Institute No. 17 were deep in thought, it was Shen Tinglan who spoke first: "Let’s think about it, all improvements focused on rotor damping and vibration reduction, performing equivalent replacements on potential materials and structures, then, at last, verifying… The workload is substantial, but it’s much better than the blind effort before."

Her approach seemed to also awaken Zhu Mingyue.

"The tasks Chief Engineer Shen mentioned, we are confident to complete within 46 days," he said.

The feel came, the east wind rose, and Zhao Zhenhua no longer hesitated, he slammed the table and ordered:

"Let’s do it!"

"Everyone, go for it!"

"Same as before."

"I set the course; I take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

"Even if it costs me my old reputation."

"If you dare present the plans, I dare to slam my fist on the chairman’s table at the group!"

"Once the plan is out, I guarantee the factory starts up."

"Anyone dares to block the way, I’m willing to drag them down with me even if it kills me!"

An end to the dead-end road, the dark willows, and the bright flowers.

Zhao Zhenhua was all-in, and no one could carelessly challenge him.

Of course, at such a time, none present in this room could possibly back down anymore.

"Go for it!"

"The plan is already forming in our minds."

"With the Secretary’s words, what’s another year of hard fighting!"

"Hmm!"

Even Lin Yujing joined the others in shouting to show her alignment.

Once the emotions stabilized a bit, Zhu Mingyue immediately said, "Alright, everyone hurry to the cafeteria to grab something to eat, then immediately come back to start work arrangements."

With those words, he turned towards Zhao Zhenhua, "Secretary, you…"

"I’ll stir up some action, make some noise…" Zhao Zhenhua stood up, "I can’t just burst in and slam the table… I need to build it up, give the company leadership a chance to prepare… At least make them feel our breakthrough here and set the mood."

Amidst everyone’s laughter, Zhao Zhenhua on his way out did not forget to mention Li Zheng.

"I don’t know if it’s coincidence or foresight, but how come Harbin Institute of Technology can do so much in this process?"

Li Zheng humbly scratched his head: "Well, there is indeed an element of foresight in it. Even though I didn’t know the cause of the incident mentioned today, I am well aware that the problem has reached the current technical boundaries, and Harbin Institute of Technology is the farthest along in this area domestically."

"Talking yourself up!" Zhao Zhenhua teased, addressing everyone, "You’ve already seen what Li Zheng is capable of, right? Moving forward, cooperate where cooperation is due; even if you don’t trust him, you have to trust Harbin Institute of Technology."

"Of course," Zhu Mingyue quickly stood up to see him off, "And… we will still need guidance from Chief Engineer Shen…"

"She’s not leaving, just me," Zhao Zhenhua gestured, "But considering Ting Lan still has work over at Institute No. 927, I reckon… not to keep her overnight here until after 12, it would be inappropriate."

Shen Tinglan was startled, looking at her watch said, "Old Liang told me to return before 3 PM…"

Zhao Zhenhua confidently pressed down with his hand, "You heard wrong, he meant for you to go back tomorrow."

"Well then… I guess I’ll take your word for it."

With a crowd seeing off Zhao Zhenhua, they also surged towards the cafeteria.

Even though only leftovers remained, everyone still ate heartily.

As for Chen Hongbing, it was a rare moment of awkwardness, not having a single chance to speak and unclear why he was even there.

But he was also excited, for once the new engine test was successful and Yellow 2 was again on the schedule to enter the launch preparation phase, that would be his time, Chen Hongbing, to make a strong comeback!

But when it comes to awkwardness,

Chen Hongbing was definitely not the most awkward one.

Du Songtao was mixing his cold rice alone, and in a daze, he felt superfluous.

He came intending to save the day… but it seemed he did nothing? Only made things worse?

He had two subordinates before, but now they’ve gone independent...

What’s next, occupying the office just to use the air conditioning?

In self-doubt, a modest figure sat down opposite him, and an arrogant figure sat at his diagonal.

"Yo." Li Zheng greeted as he set down his tray, "Xiao Du, how about joining our group?"

"Damn…" Du Songtao shook his head self-mockingly, "This is a complete defeat of inspiration flow against diligence flow…"

"No, not really…" Lin Yujing, sitting furthest from Du Songtao, and covering her forehead with a pained expression, said, "Diligence, there’s normal diligence, special diligence, and monstrous diligence… Last night felt like I solved a lifetime’s worth of math problems…"

"Ah," Du Songtao sighed, "Xiao Lin still understands me… Why not come back to my side, stop wasting your youth in Li Zheng’s group."

"Um..." Lin Yujing huddled over her tray, shrinking back, "Keep the spore people away, I’d rather join the monkey group than touch the spore freaks."

"Speaking of groups…" Li Zheng gulped down a bowl of egg soup and then pushed the bowl towards Lin Yujing, "Xiao Lin, get me another bowl of soup."

"???"

"Leader." Li Zheng pointed at himself, "Get it straight, Xiao Lin, I’m your superior."

"Pssst!" Lin Yujing’s face contorted as she spewed water crazily.

Liu Rui, all smiles, came over with his tray and sat beside Du Songtao.

"It’s settled, it’s settled, I’m following you, Li Zheng."

Li Zheng, also grinning, started rubbing his hands, "Good, good, good, I’ll make sure you’re well-fed."

"Eh, forgot to get soup." Liu Rui casually picked up Li Zheng’s bowl, "You still want it?"

"Don’t touch, that’s Lin Yujing’s job!"

Lin Yujing: "Pssst!!!"

Li Zheng: "Are you spitting venom…"

Du Songtao: "Actually, I think the spore people are somewhat more approachable than the venomous ones."

Liu Rui: "Maybe… I should get the soup..."

While Liu Rui went to get the soup, Du Songtao also picked up his tray: "Alright, I should be going now."

"Oh?" Li Zheng asked, "Not joining our group?"

"Don’t joke, it’s not that I look down on you, but I just feel like I’m not cut out for Institute No. 17; staying here isn’t much use," Du Songtao said, shaking his head and pursing his lips. "Besides, if Yellow 2 really gets put back on schedule, I might catch the tail end of the first quarter Mars launch window next year. I need to go back and prepare; if I mess up because I’m fooling around, we’ll have to wait another two years."

"That’s a convincing reason." Li Zheng put down his chopsticks, stood up, and stretched out his right hand, "It’s not about diligence flow or inspiration flow; I had my share of luck and inspiration in this incident, and you’ve been through those all-night eight-times kind of efforts."

Du Songtao shook hands with Li Zheng, laughing, "Stop it, you still owe me two favors, remember that."

Li Zheng said with a smile, "If the Voyager launch really goes through next year, consider it paid."

"Alright, let’s hope so." Du Songtao grabbed Li Zheng’s hand again, "After hardships, let’s hope for some luck."

"Luck only favors those who persist." Li Zheng tried to let go but couldn’t, continuing to babble, "So, when Voyager launches next year, see you then."

"Let’s hope so, see you," Du Songtao said, and he winked at Lin Yujing, "18 is the tastiest season for apples; don’t waste the prime of your life, taste it when you should, otherwise Li Zheng might end up eating sour apples."

"What are you talking about?" Lin Yujing waved dismissively, "Stop spouting nonsense, move along."

Yet Du Songtao laughed and indeed pulled out an Asian pear from his pocket, placing it in front of Li Zheng.

"I know you’re confused, but you’ll thank me in the future."

With that, Du Songtao waved goodbye and vanished into obscurity.

"What does that mean?" Lin Yujing asked.

"Probably a bad joke." Li Zheng waved it off, "You’re better off not knowing, this guy can’t stop talking about his old tricks."

As he spoke, he picked up the pear ready to eat.

"Watch out for spores!"

Maybe out of some instinct, Lin Yujing swiftly grabbed the pear and slammed it onto the other side of the table.

"Ha, I got three bowls of soup."

Liu Rui had just come back with the soup, holding a bowl in each hand and one in the middle, managing to set them on the table.

"Reward yourself with a pear," Lin Yujing pushed the pear towards him without hesitation.

"Ah, I thought today’s fruits were already taken," Liu Rui sat down and started munching on the pear.

"My…" Li Zheng reached out weakly.

Lin Yujing had already buried her head in her phone app: "I’ll buy you apples then!"

Li Zheng’s eyes widened.

The blessings have arrived?

What’s the logic in that?