Chapter 940
The definition of success in life is not the same
"Engineer Zhou."
Wang Donglai's voice brought him back to reality: "Now that the thrust vector control problem is solved, what other challenges remain?"
Zu Jimin took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and resumed his engineer's demeanor: "The material tolerance of the combustion chamber wall is a concern. With plasma temperatures exceeding 10,000 degrees Celsius, existing nickel-based alloys will experience creep and oxidation after long-term operation, resulting in a lifespan of only about 60% of the design specifications. We have been working on this problem, but progress has been limited."
Wang Donglai nodded, but did not speak immediately.
He walked to the prototype of the plasma engine and looked up at the behemoth suspended in mid-air.
The silver-gray body is covered with sensor cables, like a giant being held up by countless threads.
He watched for a while, then said something in a low voice, but everyone in the dome heard it.
"Try the Breath of Earth."
Zhou Jimin's pupils suddenly contracted.
Xirang is an "incomplete, preliminary, pseudo-room temperature superconducting material" developed by the Galaxy Technology Materials Laboratory.
Although it cannot yet operate stably at normal pressure and temperature, its zero-resistance characteristic under specific conditions has been repeatedly verified by experiments countless times.
More importantly, the performance of the soil in high-temperature environments—zero resistance means zero Joule heat, no heat loss, and therefore no thermal barrier.
If the soil is made into a coating and applied to the inner wall of the combustion chamber, the high temperature of the plasma will be completely isolated by this superconducting coating.
If heat cannot get in, the material will not creep or oxidize, thus solving the lifespan problem.
"But the working temperature of the Breath of Earth..."
Zhou Jimin hesitated for a moment before speaking, "The critical temperature of the Breath Soil is currently minus twenty-three degrees Celsius, while the combustion chamber is ten thousand degrees Celsius. This temperature difference..."
"It's not about letting the Xirang (a type of algae) come into direct contact with plasma at 10,000 degrees Celsius."
Wang Donglai remained calm as he explained, “A layer of gradient insulation material is added between the inner wall of the combustion chamber and the soil coating. The outer layer withstands high temperatures, the middle layer gradually cools down, and the inner soil layer is always kept below the critical temperature. In this way, the superconducting properties of the soil can be fully preserved, and the heat from the outer layer will never be conducted to the combustion chamber structural material.”
Zhou Jimin opened his mouth, but no words came out.
He had considered this idea before, but the design of gradient insulation materials involves the composite matching of multiple materials, the coefficient of thermal expansion must be coordinated, the interfacial bonding strength must be guaranteed, and the thermal conductivity gradient must be precisely controlled.
If any parameter malfunctions, the entire insulation system will collapse.
This is not a problem with plasma engines; it is a whole topic in materials science.
"I can give you the formula for gradient insulation materials."
Wang Donglai seemed to see through his thoughts, and a faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "The Galaxy Materials Laboratory has already done similar verification, using it on the nozzle extension section of the Hercules rocket. You can take it over and make some parameter adjustments according to the specific operating conditions of the plasma engine, and it should be usable."
Standing there, Zhou Jimin suddenly felt that his more than 30 years of work experience was as light as a piece of paper in front of Wang Donglai.
Wang Donglai provided a complete solution to a problem that had taken him months to solve, all in just a few minutes.
It's not a vague suggestion like "you can try this direction," but a complete answer with specific material formulas, verification data, and adjustment plans.
It's like someone has finished all the questions in advance, and then you hand them the answer book and say, "Copy this."
To put it dramatically, Zhou Jimin's Daoist resolve was on the verge of collapse.
Wang Donglai's impressive abilities only highlighted how incompetent they were.
The more ambitious one is, the stronger this feeling of discomfort becomes.
Suppressing his complex emotions, Zhou Jimin couldn't help but ask, "Academician Wang, when did you prepare these plans?"
In his nervousness, Zhou Jimin even resorted to using honorifics.
When Zhou Jimin spoke, Wang Donglai understood what he was thinking and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
However, he did not answer the question directly because he did not want to lie, but the truth would be too provocative, so it was better not to answer.
"Engineer Zhou, the first verification rocket of the whole rocket landing on the moon project is about to be launched, so I can't stay here for long. I'll be leaving tomorrow, so please feel free to bring up any questions you may have."
"The plasma engine is the core of Project Nantianmen. I think you understand how important this project is, so you bear a heavy responsibility."
“I don’t care about empty titles, and I won’t publish papers. The higher-ups value this project highly, and as long as you make a contribution, it will be recognized.”
"Engineer Zhou, some opportunities, once missed, are gone forever."
When Wang Donglai uttered his last words, he sounded particularly earnest.
Zhou Jimin felt a chill run down his spine.
He certainly knew what Wang Donglai meant by those words.
He signed a confidentiality agreement before he even learned about the importance of this project, 'Project Nantianmen'.
It can be said that the importance of this project is no less than that of the Malan Flower Project back then.
Wang Donglai's words made it clear that he was happy as long as the project progressed smoothly, and that anyone who encountered problems could ask him for help.
Wang Donglai completely relinquished his papers and research findings; they could be given to him.
Such good things are not uncommon.
This was enough to dispel the complicated emotions in Zhou Jimin's heart. After all, he had achieved great success and had disciples and grand-disciples under his tutelage. With these achievements, he could also help his disciples and grand-disciples.
On a larger scale, being able to participate in such a key scientific research project that concerns the future of humanity is an honor in itself.
The slight complex emotion he felt was pure affectation.
If Wang Donglai really had the time, energy, and idea, he could have completely bypassed him and made this happen.
So, from this perspective, he is actually the one who benefits.
If you've gotten a good deal, don't act innocent.
After understanding this, the resentment deep in his heart completely disappeared, and what was reflected on his face was that Zhou Jimin's attitude towards Wang Donglai became even more respectful.
"Academician Wang, I will do my best to do this well and live up to the country's expectations."
A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer; making such a statement in front of so many people is enough to show his choice.
Wang Donglai nodded and said, "Yes, I know Zhou's capabilities. If you have any questions later, you can email me, and I will reply when I see it."
After he finished speaking, Wang Donglai left, leaving behind a stunned crowd.
……
At the same time.
September is the start of the school year. Galaxy Vocational Education School, operated by Galaxy Technology Group, also officially began its first enrollment.
Given Galaxy Technology's enormous investment and its brand name, it was remembered by countless people after the news broke.
This led to a change in the original enrollment plan.
The original plan was to enroll 1,000 students, but the number of applicants exceeded 30,000.
In the end, in order to maintain the quality of education, they stuck to the original plan and enrolled 1,020 students.
now.
On the large playground of Yinhe Vocational School, 1,020 students stood in neat military training uniforms.
Here's something for everyone: military training is mandated by law, even in vocational schools.
Even if it's just a perfunctory military training session, it still has to be done; it can't be skipped.
However, Galaxy Vocational School has made some changes.
They abandoned the old routine of standing at attention and marching in formation, and instead invested more resources and made the methods more standardized.
As the person in charge of Galaxy Vocational Education, Xu Songyao naturally had to take the stage to speak.
The stands on the playground were not equipped with sunshades, which prevented students from being exposed to the wind and sun while leaders were protected from the elements.
Another special case is that a row of equipment platforms was set up on the east side of the playground, displaying many products from Galaxy Technology, such as industrial robot teach pendants, disassembled servo motor modules, and so on.
Hello, students.
A few scattered voices replied, "Hello, teacher," their voices uneven.
Xu Songyao smiled, waved his hand, and said gently, "Alright, don't follow the rules for primary and secondary schools. Our school is different from other schools. We're just having a simple chat today."
The playground quieted down.
"Let me ask you a question first."
Xu Songyao glanced around the audience before speaking, "I think you all have some idea of what impression vocational schools have in the eyes of your relatives and friends."
A slight commotion arose in the queue.
Some people lowered their heads, some secretly glanced at the people next to them, and some showed an angry expression.
Xu Songyao's expression remained unchanged as he spoke, "I won't comment on the current state of vocational education; I just want to say that Galaxy Vocational Education is different."
“I graduated from Tangdu Jiaotong University as the president of the university, and you can find my information online, so I think you can try to trust me.”
"Since the expansion of university enrollment, the undergraduate rate has been rising year by year. You can check the birth data of previous years online. Most of the babies born in 2001 will take the college entrance examination 18 years later. University enrollment data can also be found online. So if you do as I say, you can see that the undergraduate rate is rising."
“In the past, a village might have only one college student, or even none at all. But now, we can’t say that every household has a college student. In fact, families without college students have become a minority.”
Have you seriously considered what these represent?
Xu Songyao's expression had become serious.
"This is the first question I'm leaving for you, and I hope the answer will be helpful."
"Next, I want to talk about something else, which is your employment arrangements."
"This year, Galaxy Technology has a shortage of 470 high-tech control positions and 230 industrial robot maintenance engineers in the intelligent equipment industrial park in Tangdu City."
"Do you know how much their salary is? The starting annual salary is 500,000, plus benefits."
"In addition to these, there are thousands of technicians, as well as other positions."
"I think you've all probably learned a little about Galaxy Technology's salary and benefits online."
"And your work arrangements are precisely aligned with Galaxy Technology."
When Xu Songyao got to this point, the audience below the stage immediately became excited.
"Do you see those things over there? Those are the things you'll be working on for the next three years. They're not teaching models; they're the equipment we're using on our production line. Let me be frank with you. I can't go into detail about how much money Galaxy Technology has invested in this academy, but the training uniforms you're wearing for military training are from the same batch as the ones Galaxy's new employees wear for their onboarding training."
"You should be able to feel its quality as well."
"Tangdu City is experiencing a round of industrial boom, and countless opportunities are hidden here. As long as you can seize them, your future is predictable."
"This school, from day one, wasn't meant to give you a diploma so you could find a job. It was meant to equip you with skills so that when you go out into the world, people will be scrambling to hire you."
"The goal is to cultivate you into the kind of talent that Galaxy Technology needs, so that you can truly apply what you've learned and make the best use of your abilities."
"Finally, let me add a couple more words, which are my reflections as a former educator."
At this moment, the crowd below the stage had become incredibly excited and expectant.
Hearing Xu Songyao say this, everyone craned their necks and pricked up their ears.
"I have worked in the education system for decades, from lecturer to principal."
"On the day I retired, someone asked me what my biggest regret in life was. I said my biggest regret was that we cultivated too many people who were good at taking exams, but failed to cultivate enough people who were good at doing things."
The audience remained quiet, without any extraneous noise.
"This is not just empty talk. I have been in the higher education system for decades, watching graduating classes come in and go. Among them are smart students, hardworking students, and students who are both talented and willing to work hard. But one question has always bothered me: why is there such a big difference between our students' performance in school and their performance after entering society? Later, I came up with an answer that I don't know if it is the answer or not: it is not the students' problem, but the problem of standards."
He paused for a moment, as if letting his words settle.
"What are the standards for universities? They are papers, projects, awards, and all sorts of quantifiable indicators. This set of standards is barely acceptable for research universities."
"But it has a fatal flaw: it doesn't measure a person's ability to solve real-world problems. And that's exactly the ability society needs. So you'll see a strange phenomenon: a student who excels in school might be at a loss when they enter a company. On the other hand, a student who is unremarkable in school might thrive in a factory setting. It's not about who's smarter; it's about the different yardsticks used to measure it."
“When a graduate of Yenching University goes to sell pork, some people say it’s a waste of resources. Not many people would support him or think he’s doing the right thing. That’s a difference in standards.”
"It seems that we stipulate that students who graduate from colleges and universities must be successful, stand out from the crowd, and achieve worldly success. Their jobs must be in offices, respectable, and wealthy."
"People who lack education can become factory workers, work odd jobs, accumulate capital to open a small shop and become small business owners, and so on."
"I believe the world is vast and life has a high margin for error. Graduating from a prestigious university doesn't necessarily mean you'll achieve great success, and attending a vocational school doesn't necessarily mean you'll remain unknown."
"Galaxy Vocational School will do its utmost to help you grow. Over the next three years, we hope that you can grow together with the school and achieve success in your own way."
"Enough with the preamble, I hereby declare the first military training session of Galaxy Vocational School officially open!"
With Xu Songyao's shout, military training officially began, and vocational schools officially opened, taking to the stage. (End of Chapter)