A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 723 Who can give me some money to tide me over?

While the comrades in the desert were overjoyed at not having to waste time waiting for the data results.

As Jiang Xia muttered about needing to retrain some of the clueless technicians, he followed Lao Wang into the next carriage.

As soon as I stepped inside, a mixture of the aroma of rice, the smell of stir-fried vegetables, and... um? the rich aroma of stewed meat?

The steaming heat instantly whets the appetite.

Before even reaching the small dining table, Yang Youning filled a bowl with rice and placed it on top with a thud.

"Come on, come on! If you're not eating well, something's wrong with your brain..."

"Wow! This...this food is pretty good! Look, this is one of the perks of traveling with the factory manager. Braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, and seaweed soup? Uncle Yang, food on the train isn't cheap!"

Jiang Xia walked in and looked at the sumptuous meal in front of him. He couldn't help but think of the dark, greasy steamed buns he had eaten on his previous business trips, and couldn't help but tease Yang Youning a few times.

Hmph! Yang Erlengzi has definitely gotten cocky. Didn't he see that the factory director Liu from Quancheng was on a business trip and everyone else was just eating steamed buns? You're on a business trip with me and you've even ordered two dishes and a soup? Although you don't need meal tickets for food on the train, it's expensive!

While Jiang Xia joked, a thought unconsciously popped into his mind: "I was the one who suggested that Lao Yang come along on this business trip, so according to the 'rules'... shouldn't I treat him to this meal?"

This idea stemmed from his habit of following his mentor on projects in his later years. Back then, his mentor would always wave his hand and say: "Xiao Jiang, what would you like to eat? Please, it's up to you!"

Now, it seems the roles have been reversed? This business trip was suggested by Jiang Xia, who also brought Yang Youning along. In every sense, he is now the "team leader"?

Looking at the sumptuous meal in front of him, and then at Lao Wang and Company Commander Tang beside him, a subtle feeling of being taken advantage of by Yang Youning welled up in Jiang Xia's heart.

but……

"A man can't lose face when he's out in the world!" Jiang Xia thought to himself, then put on a hearty smile and warmly greeted, "Old Wang! Company Commander Tang! Come, come, don't be shy! Sit down and eat with us! It's on me today! Plenty to eat!"

Old Wang chuckled and replied, "Alright! Then let's have another stir-fried pork with chili peppers!" Company Commander Tang smiled as well, didn't refuse, and came over.

"Let's go! We're all big-bellied men, so we don't need tickets. Let's eat our fill today! Oh, right, Squad Leader Ru is here too, let's invite him to join us!"

"No... there are still the other soldiers! They're all familiar faces. We didn't get enough to drink in the courtyard last time, so let's reunite on this train!"

Jiang Xia recalled the soldiers who formed the cordon when he boarded the vehicle; many of them were familiar faces. He waved to them generously and made the above decision.

"Are you sure? Please go all in?"

"Yeah! Last time we only ate half of it and you guys had to drive around Beijing for ages, I felt really bad about that!"

Company Commander Tang raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the back of the carriage: "Jiang is treating! Have the head chef in the dining car bring out his best skills! Don't worry about running out of ingredients, we'll resupply in six hours!"

"Yes!"

One of the badge-wearing soldiers smiled and bowed to Jiang Xia: "On behalf of the 98 comrades, thank you, Little Jiang!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome! Thank you for your trouble, coming with me in this freezing weather!"

"Wait...wait...how many people?"

"Report! The guard company should have 98 men, and 98 men are present. Please give instructions!"

"No, no... no instructions!"

"Yes!"

Jiang Xia watched the guards walk away, secretly clutching the ten-odd yuan in her pocket, almost crying...

Just as I was about to say something, I heard Company Commander Tang, who had just sat down, sigh deeply: "After this mission, I may have to say goodbye to my old brothers. That's fine, let's consider this our farewell dinner."

"Huh? You're retiring from the military?" Jiang Xia exclaimed in shock. "Then the special forces training syllabus we submitted earlier... shouldn't be like that, right?"

Company Commander Tang remained silent, only shaking his head heavily...

That's true, you can't just ask around about what's going on in the team!

Jiang Xia slammed his hand on the table. "Master Chef! What else can we serve? I want to make sure everyone has a good meal!"

Yeah, that's how men are when they're hyped up. At this moment, the little guy completely ignored the fact that he'd only brought a pittance...

But don't worry, at worst we can just give Yang Erlengzi to the railway boss.

The special train clattered along, and Little Dumbbell jingled...

"Clang clang clang..."

The electric bell in the lithography machine prototype workshop also rang.

The workshop, which was originally packed with people, is now completely empty.

After confirming that no one had been left behind, the heavy airtight door was slowly pushed up by two technicians behind Dr. Lan Ying. The heavy door hinges made a creaking sound, and finally closed tightly with a clang, completely isolating the dust and noise from the outside world.

"Activate primary filtration and air supply! Power setting three!"

"Yes!" Xiao Guan, the technician standing by the control cabinet, forcefully flipped a large knife switch.

"Click!" The sound of electricity being switched on rang out. Immediately afterwards, he turned a knob to the position marked "3".

The hidden air vents in the workshop ceiling and walls suddenly roared like wild beasts!

If you look closely, you'll find that the fan blades of these blowers are almost identical to those in an air fryer, except that they are several times larger.

A strong airflow began to rush in. After observing for a while through the cloth strip hanging from the vent, Xiao Guan raised his right hand.

"Air supply, good!"

"Old Zhang, turn on the secondary high-efficiency filter! Check the differential pressure gauge!"

Another technician, Lao Zhang, quickly switched on another set of valves. He stared intently at a U-tube differential pressure gauge, watching the mercury column inside slowly change.

"Secondary pressure differential is normal! Airflow is stable!"

"Keep the air supply running! Everyone exit, prepare for the purification process!"

The technicians quickly checked the valves and instrument readings, then retreated through another small door.

In the simple purification preparation room next door, Master Weng was already waiting. Master Weng, who had already taken a full shower, still washed his hands and face with soap again.

They changed into cotton overalls, put on hoods and masks of the same material, and didn't forget to wear cloth shoe covers.

Finally, he went into the "air shower room".

It was basically just a tin shack containing several large industrial fans. The fans roared to life, the powerful airflow making his clothes cling to his body with a whooshing sound. A dozen seconds later, the door leading to the workshop on the inside was finally opened.

Master Weng took a deep breath and walked into the workshop, which was shrouded in several high-powered incandescent lights and filled with the roar of fans.

Deep within the workshop, the contact lithography machine, the culmination of countless hours of hard work, stands quietly in the central area. Its square shape resembles the ventilation experimental cabinet that Jiang Xia gifted to Professor Fang Zhou and his colleagues.

Yes, that's right. This main body is actually just something Jiang Xia was too lazy to design, so he just copied it directly. How could it be different?

The only difference is that the fume hood has a few fans, while this lithography machine has a high-pressure mercury lamp and a complex optical system. Lenses, mirrors, and homogenizers are all integrated inside, thanks in no small part to the skills of the "Mirror Immortal".

Located in the middle of the equipment, it is the "heart" of the entire lithography machine.

The most eye-catching feature here is the two precision mobile platforms!

Yes, two independent, mobile platforms driven by precision mechanics!

Yes, you read that right, two platforms!

Needless to say, this was definitely Xiao Dai Mao's doing again.

Master Weng stretched his arms and legs, stood in front of the lithography machine, and raised his right hand high.

"First photolithography experiment, commence!"

Meanwhile, deep in the desert.

"An experiment based on the photovoltaic effect, commence!"

……

On the train, Jiang Xia's trembling hand reached into his bag: "Operation Find Extra Cash, Begin!"

Urgent! Can anyone give me 5 yuan online for Jiangxia? Otherwise, Xiaodai Mao will have to go shovel coal at the locomotive!