Chapter 20: A New Subject for Analysis, 052D!

Chapter 20: A New Subject for Analysis—052D!

"Senior Sister, it's getting late. You should head to the lab."

Guo Xueyun snapped out of her trance. "Right, right, let's go this way."

It wasn't until the moon was high in the branches that Su Dingping finally left Professor Wu's laboratory.

"Junior Brother Su, thank you for today. I'll treat you to dinner next time!" Standing at the door, Guo Xueyun seemed to remember something and added, "I'll definitely pick somewhere where we won't be disturbed."

With a wave of his hand, Su Dingping left the place with a carefree air.

As Su Dingping departed, Guo Xueyun packed her things and hurried toward her dormitory.

She had only taken a few steps when two men wearing administrative jackets suddenly blocked her path.

"Hello, are you Guo Xueyun?"

Guo Xueyun looked at them warily. "Who are you?"

"We are from the Security Department." The man produced his credentials to show his identity and then said, "There are some matters we need you to cooperate with regarding our investigation. This way, please."

Glancing at the credentials, Guo Xueyun realized they were indeed from the Security Department.

At that moment, her heart began to pound.

Being targeted by the Security Department was never a good sign.

Arriving at a secluded classroom, the lead man sat facing Guo Xueyun, while another man took out a voice recorder and a notebook to begin recording.

"Don't be nervous. Relax."

Guo Xueyun nodded repeatedly, but her internal tension did not diminish in the slightest.

"We want to know about Zhao Haikuo. How much do you know?"

"Senior Brother Zhao? You should be asking about Wang..."

The lead man waved his hand and said, "I ask, you answer. Do not say anything irrelevant."

Guo Xueyun took a deep breath. She speculated that she had been targeted because she and Wang Xin had lingered too long outside Professor Zhang's lab today, and because she had recently had contact with Su Dingping.

After a moment of thought, she said, "Senior Brother Zhao, he..."

After questioning her about Zhao Haikuo, the lead man continued.

"How much do you know about Su Dingping?"

"Junior Brother Su? I've only met him twice..."

Guo Xueyun recounted everything she knew in meticulous detail.

Half an hour later, the lead man took the notebook from his companion, flipped through it, and handed it to Guo Xueyun. "Take a look. Is there any discrepancy?"

"No."

"Then sign here." As he spoke, the lead man produced a non-disclosure agreement.

Once Guo Xueyun finished signing, the lead man packed the documents away and said, "We have never met." Immediately after, he and his companion disappeared quickly into the night.

On the other side, Zhao Haikuo, who had finished his date with Wang Xin, was surfing the web in an internet cafe.

Although the authorities had stepped in regarding the incident at HIT today, news had still leaked out.

On the Tie Xue forum, a pinned post caught his eye.

*<Naval Commander Visits HIT Laboratory: Is the Navy Sharpening Its Sword for Three Years?>*

*'This afternoon, a laboratory at HIT was cordoned off by the military, and no one was allowed entry. Shortly after, a naval commander arrived on-site, yet the university's high-level officials were barred from entering. From this, I deduce that since the last disturbance by the American aircraft carrier fleet, the Navy has learned its lesson and is making a major move! Perhaps, in the near future, we will possess our own modern warships! I post this as proof!'*

Beneath the post, countless people were arguing.

"Entering modernization? Unlikely! The gap between 'non-modern' and 'modernized' is massive. Plus, with Western technological blockades, breaking through won't happen in just three or five years!"

"In ancient times, a sword was sharpened for ten years. Why can't our Navy sharpen its sword for three?"

"I'd love to see an aircraft carrier pop up tomorrow, but that's unrealistic. Give it eight to ten years!"

"I don't believe it! Can any HIT students come out and weigh in?"

Before long, a reply was bumped to the top.

"Brothers, stop guessing. This has nothing to do with naval modernization! The Navy's official website has just released the latest news: the two Modern-class guided missile destroyers (Type 956E) purchased from Russia have arrived!"

"So they bought them! I thought there was a breakthrough. What a letdown."

Looking at those replies, Zhao Haikuo felt both anxious and helpless.

He knew the general situation, but restricted by non-disclosure agreements, he couldn't say anything. That feeling made him incredibly restless.

He typed on the keyboard countless times, only to delete the text every time, eventually just giving the post a "like."

After this incident, he lost interest in browsing the web and stood up to head back to his dormitory.

He had only walked a few steps out of the internet cafe when two men in administrative jackets blocked his path.

"Zhao Haikuo?"

"Who are you?"

"We are from the Security Department. We want to talk to you to understand the situation."

Hearing "Security Department," Zhao Haikuo shuddered.

"I haven't said anything! You can check the internet. I was dying of suspense just now! I've signed an agreement; I absolutely won't reveal a single word."

Just as he finished speaking, a black business van pulled up.

"Let's have a chat."

Seeing the situation, Zhao Haikuo could only obediently get into the car, muttering, "I'm really innocent."

The lead man closed the car door, and with a roar of the engine, the vehicle drove off into the unknown.

Meanwhile, Su Dingping was standing before the 'Warship Encyclopedia' wall within the Military Industry Illustration forging space.

Although the two missile systems had not yet begun analysis, the entry representing the 956E on the 'Warship Encyclopedia' wall had been completely lit up.

Radiating out from it, three other entries were flickering dimly.

Two were Western, and one was Chinese. He had to choose one of the three.

The moment he saw the 052D, Su Dingping's eyes instantly lit up.

"What's a Modern-class? If we're going to build something, we build the China Aegis—the 052D!"

Su Dingping had a deep impression of the 052D.

Evolved from the 052C, it was the Navy's first true "Aegis" ship to break into the ranks of the world's advanced warships! Its comprehensive combat capability far exceeded the Japanese Kongō-class guided-missile destroyers.

The first 052D was launched in 2012 and officially commissioned in 2014, over a decade ago.

But now, Su Dingping could access the core technology of the 052D. This meant the commissioning date of the 052D would be moved forward by at least ten years!

With this thought, Su Dingping lightly touched the entry representing the 052D.

Immediately, the other two entries dimmed, and at the same time, a brand-new virtual panel appeared in his mind.

【052D Guided Missile Destroyer—Aegis Ship. Displacement: 6,800–7,500 tons. Length: 155m, Width: 18m. An advanced 'second-generation' destroyer.】

【052D Guided Missile Destroyer Primary Propulsion System (Analysis time: 485 days, Progress: 31%); 1130 Close-In Weapon System (Analysis time: 399 days, Progress: 35%); Type 346A Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (Analysis time: 1,916 days, Progress: 8%); Forward 48-cell + Rear 32-cell Vertical Launch System (Analysis time: 657 days, Progress: 12%); 'Star' Combat Management System...】

Following that, another virtual panel surfaced.

【Triggered 'YJ Anti-ship Missile System' core technology! Triggered 'HHQ Air Defense Missile System' core technology! (Note: After completing the analysis of the warship's main core technology, you may proceed to analyze the core technology of the shipborne missile systems.)】

Looking at this information, Su Dingping's breathing grew rapid.

"I've already analyzed the 956E and mastered its core technology, yet the analysis time for the 052D is still so long! It seems the gap between the two is indeed massive!"

(End of Chapter)