Material Empire

Gu Qinyuan continued: "Three years ago, Robert Birch of Carnegie-Mellon University released a research result, arguing that retinoid-based Schiff base has a good radar absorbing effect and can reduce radar wave reflection by 80%. %. The proportion of this material is only 20% of the ferrite material, and it is a very promising organic absorbing material. However, after that, the research results on this material have not been published again. According to our It is guessed that the US military should have included it in the scope of secrecy."

"Then have we done research on it?" Qin Hai blurted out, then quickly waved his hands and said, "Sorry, does this also involve our confidentiality?"

"Since I invited you here, I don't need to keep these things a secret from you." Gu Qinyuan said, "To be honest, after we read the reports on this, we commissioned Pujiang Jiaotong University to do some research to confirm this material. It does have a certain wave-absorbing ability, but its wave-absorbing ability mainly comes from the special electromagnetic properties of the complex formed after complexing with metal ions. It depends on which metal ion is used to form a complex with it. Further research is needed."

Qin Hai nodded: "Well, I seem to understand a little bit, so are we continuing the research in this area?"

"No." Gu Qinyuan simply shook his head and said.

"Why?" Qin Hai wondered.

Gu Qinyuan smiled wryly and said, "Xiao Qin, your question is a bit like that asked by Emperor Hui of Jin."

"What do you mean?" Qin Hai was depressed, "Teacher Gu, I don't read much, and I dare not compare with yours in literature and history. What kind of allusion is this Emperor Hui of Jin?"

"Why don't you eat minced meat? Mr. Qin should have heard of it, right?" Li Zhongyun interjected. The intellectuals of the previous generation had good knowledge in liberal arts. That bit of liberal arts knowledge is really not enough.

"Teacher Gu means that you can't do what you want to do." Qin Hai kind of understood that retinyl schiff base is a general term, which contains tens of thousands of types, plus metal complexes. Choices can produce an innumerable variety of materials. Finding the type that best suits your needs requires a lot of experimentation, or more directly, a lot of money, and it's really not something that can be solved by just opening your mouth.

Qin Hai has long known that retinoid-based Schiff bases are a very promising stealth material, but he doesn't know exactly which Schiff base has the best wave-absorbing performance. Researchers tried repeatedly, summed up the rules, and proposed the optimal design. To do this, the cost may be calculated in tens of millions.

"Without money, nothing can be done." Gu Qinyuan said unabashedly, "What we can do now is to make ferrite stealth materials first, even if it is only a phased result. With this result, we can Write a report to the Science and Industry Committee to apply for the next round of funding. I have always thought that the retinoid schiff base is very promising, but there is no money, how do you ask me to do it?"

"Aren't we a military industry? Investment in national defense always needs to be guaranteed?" Qin Hai asked helplessly.

"Who said that? Our country is now centered on economic construction, and the investment in military industry is the least. Our funds are just enough to pay salaries. Fortunately, several subordinate factories can do some civilian products to generate income. Otherwise, we I can't even get reimbursed for the train ticket for a business trip, let alone take a plane when you go out like you, Mr. Qin." Wu Honglin said full of complaints. Regarding Qin Hai's flight, Wu Honglin was full of envy, jealousy and hatred, and would say a few sour words whenever he got an opportunity.

Li Zhongyun also said: "That's right, our military industry is the poorest in the country now, Mr. Qin, you are a full man who doesn't know how hungry a man is hungry."

"Why are you talking about this to Xiao Qin?" Gu Qinyuan glared at the two assistants, as if he felt that his family's ugliness should not be publicized, and at the same time he didn't want to lose his prestige in front of Qin Hai, a capitalist, he said to Qin Hai: "Now The whole country is very difficult. Our army must share the country’s worries. We can understand this. When the 70X Institute was first established, there were no such buildings. It is much more difficult than it is now. .”

"I'm taking the liberty..." Qin Hai lowered his head and said, feeling very uncomfortable.

Since the early 1980s, the country has shifted its focus to economic construction. The highest level has made a very bold strategic judgment, that is, it believes that China will not face a large-scale war in the next 20 to 30 years. Based on such a judgment, investment in the military field has been greatly reduced, specifically manifested in large-scale disarmament and the dismantling of a large number of military projects.

The Gulf War in 1991 made the Chinese military see a modern warfare model beyond common sense, which stimulated the pursuit of cutting-edge military technology, and many projects were restarted. But until the Yugoslavia crisis in 1999, the country's investment in military industry was very poor, which made many military fans of later generations feel sorry.

Objectively speaking, reducing military investment and using limited financial funds to support economic construction has played an important role in China's successful economic transformation. It is precisely because of such a decision that China did not end up with economic bankruptcy like the former Soviet Union, which was involved in an arms race. People in later generations cannot understand the financial distress of the year, and it is inevitable to have various criticisms of this decision.

Gu Qinyuan broke the silence and said with a smile: "Comrade Xiaoqin, anyway, what you told us today is still very helpful to us. For example, the use of soluble conductive materials you just mentioned The idea of ​​molecular solution deposition to form a wave-absorbing film layer has inspired us a lot. Although we have no funds to do experiments in this area, some theoretical pre-research can be done, and this does not cost much. .”

"Hehe, I'm not that optimistic." Qin Hai said bluntly, "If there is no experimental support, your theoretical pre-research can't go on at all. We are already more than ten years behind the Americans, and now they are running. We are climbing, and I am afraid that the gap will only widen and widen."

"Then what should we do? The current situation is like this, and it's not that we don't work hard." Wu Honglin retorted angrily.

"I understand. In fact, the help you need most is not technology, but money. Or, let me help you get some money." Qin Hai said.

"What do you mean? You mean, you can help us apply for funding?" Gu Qinyuan asked in surprise. He asked Li Zhongyun and the others to invite Qin Hai, the main purpose of which was to let Qin Hai help them solve the problem of ferrite material spraying , didn't think about money at all. Unexpectedly, after Qin Hai had a conversation with them, he threatened to help them get money. Could it be that Qin Hai's father-in-law is the director of the National Defense Works Office, so he can approve hundreds of thousands of funds for them?

Qin Hai shook his head and said: "I have no way to help you apply for funding, but you all know that I am a businessman, I wonder if I can cooperate with you to do some business, not to mention how much scientific research funding I can earn, at least It can also improve everyone's life, and I, a commoner, have made some contributions to the cause of national defense."

The difficulties faced by 70X are not much different from those universities and scientific research institutes that Qin Hai has been to. If we have to compare them, we can only say that military industrial institutes are more difficult than local institutes. Those scientific researchers in local institutes can go outside to give lectures secretly, or help private enterprises solve some technical problems and earn some pocket money. The scientific research personnel of military industrial institutes are constrained by the secrecy system, and they can't even earn such extra money. They can only rely on state appropriations for maintenance, so their lives are even more embarrassing.

For those researchers in local institutes, Qin Hai took the method of dredging from the bottom of the pot and directly digging them into his own School of Materials. But for military industrial units, he can't do this. First, he can't dig it out easily, and second, he dare not dig it out. Poaching the corner of the Ministry of Education, even if the officials above have opinions, there is nothing to do, but Qin Hai has to feel how hard his head is to poach the corner of the military.

Since you can't poach people, and you can't bear to watch these people waste their time because of financial problems, there is only one way, which is to find a way to help them earn some money. At the very least, it can improve the lives of these conscientious scientific researchers. If it is done well, it may really solve the problem of their scientific research funding sources, so that China's military technology level will not be farther and farther away from foreign countries.

As for ways to make money, Qin Hai thought to himself that there are still some ways. The military has some privileges. If they are used well, there may be a win-win result. This is what Qin Hai hopes to see the most. If it doesn't work, I have the right to do my duty. As a time traveler, it's a bit unreasonable not to do something that benefits the country and the people.

Qin Hai thinks this way, but Gu Qinyuan and the others think otherwise. Gu Qinyuan looked at Qin Hai for a long time, and then said: "Xiao Qin, you should know that it is different now from the past few years. The Military Commission stipulates that the army is not allowed to engage in business. You should not think about it."

"No way, didn't Mr. Wu just say that the factories under you are engaged in civilian products to generate income, isn't this business?" Qin Hai asked.

"This can't be regarded as doing business. This is self-manufacturing. How can it be regarded as doing business?" Wu Honglin retorted eloquently.

"Okay..." Qin Hai didn't intend to continue the fight with Wu Honglin, because the two sides had different understandings of the word business. The military’s prohibition of doing business is aimed at some troops participating in local smuggling and other bad behaviors in the 1980s. Things like the production of civilian products by subordinate enterprises are not within the ban of the Military Commission, but are encouraged. And what Qin Hai wants to do is to let the military engage in production, to be precise, to help military enterprises revitalize their operations.