On the day of the competition, just as dawn was breaking, the central square of the research institute was already packed with people.
On the temporary platform, a red banner was stretched on each side, with large characters painted in white on it.
On one side is "self-reliance and hard work," and on the other side is "technological innovation and winning glory for the country," which is full of the simplicity and passion unique to this era.
The audience was packed with people, including officers and soldiers in military uniforms, military wives and their families in various colored cotton-padded coats, and even quite a few children who were being led by adults, curiously standing on tiptoe to look around.
Deputy Commander Liu, Director Qian Xuedong, and other military region leaders sat in the first row of the judges' panel, their expressions serious.
Zhou Huai'an, nominally the chief referee of this "open technical exchange competition," stood in the center of the stage, holding a tin megaphone, and delivered a passionate speech.
"Comrades! Today, we are here to witness a historically significant technical exchange! To select the best, warmest, and most coal-efficient stoves for our comrades throughout the military region! We welcome the experts from Beijing who have traveled thousands of miles to bring you valuable technology and experience, and we also encourage our local young comrades to dare to challenge themselves and compete..."
He spoke with great enthusiasm, but the audience below was getting impatient, and the whispers and murmurs were impossible to suppress.
"Why is the political commissar talking so much this week? Let's get started already, we're all waiting to see Team Leader Su's furnace!"
"That's right, I heard it's because Political Commissar Zhou looks down on Team Leader Su, and he insisted on doing this. Isn't this blatant bullying?"
"Shh... Keep your voice down! The boss is upstairs!"
Li Xiumei stood at the front of the crowd, nervously clenching her hands, and kept muttering, "Su Meizi, you must win! You have to prove her worth!"
Zhou Huai'an had clearly heard the murmurs from below the stage, and his smile stiffened. He cleared his throat and announced loudly:
"Alright! I won't say anything more! I hereby declare the open technical exchange competition open for the start of today! First, please welcome the expert group from Beijing to present their findings!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a round of enthusiastic applause broke out.
Four young and strong workers, chanting "Heave-ho!", lifted a huge object onto the high platform.
It was a behemoth, standing two meters tall, its furnace body clad in brand-new steel plates, polished to a gleaming shine that shimmered in the high-altitude sun. The massive furnace chamber and the robust chimney—every component exuded the power of heavy industry, making it look incredibly formidable.
"Wow! This thing is huge!"
"It looks awesome! It's like a little cannonball! It must be warm!"
Some of the uninformed soldiers gasped in surprise.
Gao Dongliang walked slowly onto the stage with his hands behind his back, his face full of undisguised pride.
He picked up the tin megaphone and spoke in a lecturing tone:
"Comrades, this furnace of ours is designed strictly according to the latest thermodynamic principles. Look, this enlarged furnace chamber ensures complete combustion of the fuel! And these rings of heat sinks, which we call the 'matrix-type pressurized heat dissipation system,' can maximize heat exchange efficiency! This is science! This is technology!"
His words left many in the audience confused, but they all felt they were profound and impressive.
At his command, his assistant immediately lit the fire.
With a whoosh, flames burst forth from the furnace, and a wave of heat instantly hit them, causing the audience in the front row to instinctively take two steps back.
Gao Dongliang smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the awe-inspiring expressions on the faces of the crowd below the stage. His gaze, seemingly casually, drifted towards Su Tang's team, filled with disdain.
"Great! Thank you for the expert team's excellent presentation!" Zhou Huai'an led the applause, then shouted, "Next, please welcome our military region's project team to demonstrate their thermal circulation furnace!"
The applause was noticeably more enthusiastic than before.
Amidst the attention of everyone, Geng Xiangdong and Lin Fan easily carried their stove onto the stage.
Compared to the behemoth that is the expert team, Su Tang's furnace is like an insignificant ugly duckling.
It is only half a person tall, completely black, and has a simple and unadorned appearance. In fact, it appears somewhat short due to its compact design.
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