Rich, Rhine Metal; poor, Rhine Steel. 2

Chapter 2: Full of Vigor and Passion! (New book launch, seeking recommendations, seeking monthly tickets!)

Leaving the administration building, Lin Yu glanced at the familiar scenery before heading towards the cafeteria.

He didn’t go to the cafeteria, but instead walked to the small shop next door, stopping in front of a sign that advertised long-distance calls.

He pulled out two yuan and placed it on the counter.

“Long distance!”

“Where to?”

“Lu Province!” (Lu Province is a province in eastern China)

The shopkeeper glanced at the two yuan on the counter and said indifferently, “This money is only enough for two minutes. Keep it short! Every second over is counted as a minute!”

After saying this, the shopkeeper pocketed the two yuan, moved a wooden box from beside the counter, took a key from his waistband, opened the box, revealing a white landline telephone.

Recalling the number from memory, Lin Yu dialed.

“This is Lin Yu! Has the old factory director been released? When did he get out?”

“This morning?”

“Okay, I understand!”

Having spoken as quickly as possible, he hung up and extended his hand towards the shopkeeper.

“57 seconds, give me one yuan back!”

Behind the counter, the shopkeeper stared at the time displayed on the telephone, looking as if he had swallowed a fly.

After much dawdling, he finally took out a yuan from the cash box under the counter and reluctantly slapped it on the table.

Taking the money, Lin Yu turned and headed towards the cafeteria.

Strolling around the cafeteria, seeing the wasted vegetables, he confirmed that he had indeed returned to 2001.

Otherwise, the cafeteria food wouldn’t be so terrible.

Passing over his usual vegetarian dishes, Lin Yu stopped in front of the braised pork and potatoes, generously placing five yuan on the counter.

Pointing at the braised pork and potatoes, he loudly said, “Give me five yuan’s worth!”

His extravagant demand caused others in the cafeteria to look at him sideways.

You should know that Shengmajiaogou Vocational Technical College received government subsidies, and students only paid about one or two jiao (a tenth or twentieth of a yuan) for a meal.

Five yuan for meat and vegetables?

Was he trying to eat himself to death?

While the students stared, the cafeteria lady was unfazed. With a swift movement, the five yuan vanished.

In its place was the serving spoon.

The cafeteria lady held the spoon with one hand, the spoon full of potatoes, not a single piece of braised pork.

Looking at Lin Yu with a compassionate air, she asked, “Where’s your rice bowl?”

“Borrow one!”

“Fifty jiao!”

“Oh!”

Reluctantly paying ten jiao, Lin Yu received a new rice bowl and a box of potatoes.

Grumbling to himself, he returned to the dormitory. Before he even entered, he heard an argument inside.

“I think within the next 20 years, we will definitely have an aircraft carrier.”

“Maybe 25 years, because our design must keep up with our usage, and the international situation.”

“We should solve the ‘if we have one’ problem first, and then solve the ‘if it’s good’ problem!”

Hearing it was about aircraft carriers, Lin Yu kicked open the door, walked into the room, and asked, “What are you arguing about?”

“This.”

Zhou Hang, a tall figure, picked up a magazine on the table and pointed to a page, saying:

“Seeing this news, we’re arguing about when China will have an aircraft carrier.”

Looking at the page Zhou Hang was pointing to, Lin Yu saw the magazine and the subject of their argument.

*Modern Warships*, 2001, Issue 12.

Judging by the time, it was the latest issue.

The top page was *Domestic Maritime Summary*, mainly recording important recent maritime events in China.

There was one important piece of news: a domestic entertainment company had purchased the Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag from Ukraine.

Placing his rice bowl on the table, Lin Yu pretended to calculate on his fingers.

After a while, he said, “Within 20 years, the navy can launch ships like dropping dumplings.” (This is an idiom describing something being done quickly and efficiently.)

“As for the air force! We will also have our own 4th and 5th generation fighters! And better bombers.”

“And, the performance of our fighters will even surpass America’s, becoming the strongest.”

Hearing Lin Yu’s words, the others present were completely stunned.

As students in related majors, and even graduate students, they all knew how difficult it was to achieve this.

It wasn’t a simple matter of surpassing something just by saying so.

Entering the new age of electrification, with continuous advancements in technology, aircraft and ships require more and more supporting functions, and the professions become increasingly complex.

To surpass, the difficulty increases exponentially.

But right now, the situation in China could only be described as impoverished and backward.

“Haha! Old Lin’s drunk!” Zhou Hang chuckled, shifting his gaze to Lin Yu’s rice bowl.

Just as he was about to speak, Lin Yu lifted the lid of his rice bowl, pointing at the braised pork inside, said:

“Imagine boldly, whoever imagines better gets to eat two more pieces of meat!”

Wow——

Zhou Hang snatched the rice bowl, and said excitedly:

“By 2020! Our first aircraft carrier will be launched! It will be an independently produced aircraft carrier! Using entirely our own technology!”

“And, this aircraft carrier can carry 30 carrier-based aircraft!”

“At the same time, this aircraft carrier will be escorted by five 7,000-ton destroyers, along with two supply ships and one medical ship!”

“Then, this carrier battle group will frequently pass through the Miyako Strait!” (Miyako Strait is a strategically important strait between Japan and Taiwan)

After stating his vision, Zhou Hang was about to eat when Long Yu, from Chongqing (a city in southwestern China), slapped his hand.

“Don’t be a wimp.”

“By 2020, we will have two carrier battle groups!”

“Since it’s a hypothetical scenario, why not think bigger?”

“My two carrier battle groups will easily crush your one! More than enough!”

“The braised pork is mine!”

Just as Long Yu was about to reach out, Zhao Zekai, a quiet person from Shanghai, stopped him.

“By 2020, one of our carrier battle groups can easily suppress two American carrier battle groups!”

As soon as he said this, Zhou Hang and Long Yu were completely shocked.

They even stopped their motion to open their rice bowls.

Seeing their reaction, Zhao Zekai was very pleased, took the rice bowl, and said triumphantly:

“What are you looking at? When making hypotheticals, you need a power comparison to make it a real hypothetical!”

He stuffed a piece of braised pork into his mouth, turned to Lin Yu, and asked:

“Old Lin! What do you think?”

“As the headmaster’s most favored student, tell us your thoughts?”

Lin Yu, who had just sat down at his desk to write, heard the question and said without looking back:

“One of our destroyers is equivalent to an entire American carrier battle group!”

The most audacious words, delivered in the most nonchalant tone.

The others, who were dividing the meat, were stunned for a moment, then unanimously gave a thumbs-up, saying in unison:

“Worthy of being the headmaster’s favorite student, you’re the only one who dares to think big!”

Turning their heads, the three continued eating.

In just two minutes, the last bit of gravy in the rice bowls was devoured.

Zhou Hang went behind Lin Yu, looked at what he was writing, and frowned, asking:

“Are you planning to join the navy?”
(End of Chapter)

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