"Is this lump of iron really that magical?"
"I heard it was Team Leader Su who came up with this idea; it can make the room as warm as springtime, and it saves a lot of coal!"
"Really? Our old stove needs coal added three or four times a night. It's so smoky and the house is like an icebox!"
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Su Tang calmly stepped forward and began operating the equipment herself.
She put only three coal briquettes into the stove, and then lit the kindling with a match.
Everyone held their breath.
An unbelievable scene has unfolded!
Instead of emitting choking black smoke like an old-fashioned coal stove, a wisp of almost invisible blue smoke drifted out of the chimney and then disappeared.
In less than five minutes, the row of radiators connected to the stove began to emit a warm glow.
"Oh dear! It's hot! It's really hot!" The military wife who was closest to the soldier couldn't help but reach out and touch it. She quickly pulled her hand back because it was so hot, and her face was full of surprise.
Holding a thermometer, Geng Xiangdong loudly announced, "Indoor temperature, fifteen degrees! Eighteen degrees! Twenty minutes later, it has reached twenty-two degrees!"
The crowd erupted in a frenzy!
In temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius, the indoor temperature can reach 22 degrees Celsius. What does that mean? This is a heavenly life that I never dared to imagine before!
What shocked everyone even more was yet to come.
Su Tang turned on a tap on the side of the stove, and a stream of scalding hot water gushed out.
"My goodness! It can even boil water! This will make washing my face and vegetables so much more convenient!"
The soldiers and their families went completely crazy, their eyes shining, wishing they could take their precious child home right now.
Behind the crowd, Zhou Huai'an stood with his hands behind his back, his signature gentle smile on his face. Looking at the bustling scene before him, he pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, revealing an even deeper gaze behind the lenses.
...
Just one day before the mass production plan was about to be officially launched, Zhou Huai'an suddenly raised an "objection" at the Standing Committee meeting of the Military Region.
The atmosphere in the meeting room of the military region's standing committee was solemn.
Director Qian Xuedong had just finished passionately introducing the significant importance of the thermal recirculation furnace and the mass production plan, and proposed to immediately allocate special funds to fully launch production.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Huai'an cleared his throat and began to speak slowly and deliberately.
"Director Qian, comrades, I personally wholeheartedly support the importance of the thermal circulation furnace project and Comrade Su Tang's outstanding contributions." He first gave high praise, then changed the subject, "However, shouldn't we be more rigorous and responsible?"
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze sweeping over each of the standing committee members present.
"This stove is crucial to the heating safety of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in our entire Tibetan region, and it is also a technology with significant national defense potential. I believe that we must be extremely cautious about the issues of technological security and intellectual property rights."
"Although Comrade Su Tang has made outstanding contributions and has exceptional abilities, we must admit that she is not an expert within our system, and her background is... rather special."
"Given the importance of core defense technologies to her personal control, is there any risk involved, given the confidentiality regulations and organizational principles?"
"Smack!"
Director Qian Xuedong slammed his teacup down on the table, splashing scalding hot tea over it.
"Political Commissar Zhou, what do you mean by this!?"
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