Chapter 121 A Solid Foundation! Deputy Division Commander Qin's Troubles!
"Are you having trouble at work?"
Qin Lie looked into his wife's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and remained silent for a moment before finally letting out a heavy sigh.
"Um."
He released Jiang Wu, sat down on the sofa next to her, and habitually reached for a cigarette, but then remembered something and abruptly put his hand down.
This is his habit after returning home; he never smokes as long as Jiang Wu and the child are around.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Wu poured him a glass of warm water and handed it to him.
Qin Lie took the water glass, but didn't drink it. He just held it in his hand, feeling the slight warmth.
His brows were furrowed, forming a deep "川" (river) character.
"Do you remember the naval equipment reform plan I mentioned to you?"
“I remember.” Jiang Wu nodded. “It’s about the upgrade plan for the submarine sonar and electronic warfare systems.”
Qin Lie had been preparing for this for almost half a year.
After he was promoted to deputy division commander and began to have access to more core military technology data, he keenly realized that their country's navy had a huge gap with the world's advanced level in underwater combat capabilities.
In particular, the sonar system is still at the level of imitation of the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It is both deaf and blind, and once the submarine goes to sea, it is basically a matter of life and death.
Qin Lie was so worried about this that he couldn't eat or sleep. He consulted a lot of domestic and foreign materials and stayed up countless nights before he came up with a complete and forward-looking reform plan.
According to his vision, if this plan could be implemented, their navy's submarine combat capabilities could be improved by at least twenty years.
For someone who values military merit and national honor above all else, this is more important than getting a promotion.
"The plan got stuck at the technical demonstration meeting." Qin Lie's voice was full of frustration and frustration.
"Why?" Jiang Wu asked, somewhat surprised. "Is it technically impossible, or is there a funding problem?"
"Neither." Qin Lie shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "Technically, I've had several of the top experts in the country conduct a simulation, and it's entirely feasible. As for funding, Commander Liao has already given his approval. As long as the plan is approved, money won't be a problem."
"So where did the problem lie?"
"Human." Qin Lie squeezed out the word through gritted teeth.
He leaned back on the sofa and explained the whole story to Jiang Wu in detail.
It turns out that at yesterday's final review meeting, his proposal was met with strong opposition from a group of veteran experts, led by Wang Gu, the chief engineer of the General Armaments Department.
Wang Gu is a veteran in the field of submarine sonar in China. The old system that the Navy is currently equipped with was copied and improved by him when he was young.
He and his followers formed a deeply entrenched and impenetrable "Wang Family Army" within the naval equipment system.
They are conservative in their thinking, stuck in their ways, and regard that outdated system as an inviolable "ancestral tablet."
At the symposium, no matter how detailed the data Qin Lie presented or how rigorous the arguments he made, Wang Gu and his men only had a few words to say.
"This new system hasn't been tested in real combat; it's too risky!"
"Our existing system, though outdated, is reliable! Stability is paramount!"
"Young people, don't always think too high and try to impress others by adopting Western ideas! Our own path is the one that suits us best!"
They even elevated this technical debate to the level of policy and ideology.
They kept accusing Qin Lie of "worshiping foreign things and fawning on foreigners" and "being out of touch with reality," putting a series of heavy labels on his head.
Qin Lie, with a fiery temper, immediately slammed his fist on the table in response.
"Stable? Reliable? Our submarines can't even be detected by enemy carrier strike groups when they go out, while their anti-submarine aircraft fly over our heads without us noticing! Is this what you call stable and reliable?"
"How many outstanding submariners have we sacrificed to learn these bloody lessons! Are you blind?!"
But his roar only earned him a cold look and a dismissive remark: "Young man, too impulsive, too extreme."
In the end, the meeting ended on a sour note.
The reform plan has been indefinitely postponed.
"They're not discussing technology at all!" Qin Lie slammed his fist on the sofa, veins bulging on the back of his hand. "They're just protecting their territory and their pride!"
"That Wang Gu, he's just afraid that if my new plan succeeds, it will prove that he and his system are completely outdated! It will prove that his decades of hard work were a joke!"
"A bunch of parasites who put personal honor and factional interests above national security!"
Qin Lie was trembling with anger; this was the first time he had ever shown such a loss of composure in front of Jiang Wu.
Jiang Wu could sense the immense anger and helplessness in his heart.
This is the immense frustration felt by a pure soldier when he crashes into a high wall built of human relationships, worldly wisdom, interests, and prejudice.
She didn't try to persuade him to "not be angry" or "think positively."
Because she knew that these words were useless to him at that moment.
She simply listened quietly, waiting for him to vent his anger.
After a long while, Qin Lie's emotions finally calmed down a bit.
He slumped wearily against the sofa, like a defeated lion, his eyes dim.
"Xiao Wu, did I... do something wrong?"
"I might have been too impatient."
For the first time, he began to doubt himself.
Jiang Wu felt heartbroken seeing how exhausted he looked.
She moved closer and sat down next to him, gently resting her head on his shoulder.
"You did nothing wrong."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a reassuring power.
"The problem isn't you, it's your method."
Qin Lie turned his head and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"method?"
"Hmm." Jiang Wu raised her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling with wisdom, as if they could pierce through layers of fog and reach the core of the problem.
"Qin Lie, tell me, are you trying to use a technical debate to convince a group of people who don't even talk to you about technology?"
Qin Lie was stunned.
Jiang Wu's words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through his chaotic thoughts.
yes.
He kept presenting facts, reasoning, and data to them.
But the other person kept talking to him about seniority, tradition, and ideology.
They're not even on the same wavelength!
"Is their opposition to you really because of the technology?" Jiang Wu continued to ask.
“No…” Qin Lie murmured, “They are afraid… afraid of being rejected.”
“That’s right.” A knowing smile appeared on Jiang Fu’s lips.
“Wang Gu and the others are like the leaders and elders of a sect. They have practiced martial arts their whole lives, and suddenly one day you tell them that all their martial arts are wrong and should be discarded, so that they can learn my new and more powerful style.”
Do you think they will agree?
Qin Lie was speechless at this analogy.
He had to admit that if he were Wang Gu, he would probably have fought to the death as well.
This is no longer a technical issue; it's a matter of survival and dignity.
"Then... what should I do?" Qin Lie looked at his wife like a student humbly seeking advice.
He discovered that this woman, who usually appeared gentle and weak, always possessed a level of insight and sharpness that shocked him when looking at these complex issues.
Jiang Wu smiled, stretched out her finger, and gently tapped his forehead.
"Fool."
"Since this road is blocked, let's try another one."
Her eyes gleamed with a cunning light, like a little fox.
"To kill a snake, strike its vital spot."
"It's no use trying to reason with these old fogies."
"You have to... poke their lungs, stab them in the heart."
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