Study Monster Cultivation System-Chapter 284 - 283 one-day tour

August 31, the scorching heat was nearing its end.

Li Zheng’s systematic foundation in aerospace studies had finally reached a point where he could modestly claim some understanding.

Gladwell had proposed the "10,000 hours" rule in his book "Outliers"—

"The reason people see geniuses as extraordinary is not because they have supernatural talents."

"Rather, it’s because of their continuous and relentless effort."

"10,000 hours of practice is a necessary condition for anyone to go from ordinary to extraordinary."

Li Zheng felt ashamed.

In these 21 days,

he had only put in 2,000 hours.

He was merely one-fifth of the way toward becoming extraordinary.

Luckily, because he had reached graduate-student level depths in his study of physics and chemistry during his preparation for the competitions, his progress in material science, thermal physics, and mechanics resembled an old demon emerging from the mountains, powerful and unstoppable, without needing to expend too much effort to master the basics.

As for mechanical engineering, it was a tough nut to crack; he had invested more than 1,200 hours and had barely reached the graduate-student level.

During this process, he felt deeply the boundlessness of "life’s limits and endless knowledge," as well as...

An unimaginable joy.

Unfortunately, due to restrictions on his identity, he couldn’t find any learning materials in areas such as "aerospace science and technology," "aerospacecraft and weapon design," "weapons science and technology."

Therefore, even though he had trudged through nearly a month, he only dared to claim a slight understanding.

This made him extraordinarily nervous on the subway to Southern Suburb.

Not good, seriously not good.

He didn’t have that confident feeling he usually had facing competitions.

Thinking about it made sense, the subjects in academic competitions were high school students, and the usual preparation time was two years, during which they had to spend a considerable amount of time studying other subjects, so the intensity of the exams was limited.

The recruitment level examination at the Aerospace First Institute, however, was aimed at legit graduates and postgraduates from prestigious schools.

His frenetic cramming for over half a month was hardly enough to reach such a high threshold...

What made him even more uneasy was that he couldn’t find the standards for such an evaluation.

Whether it was the written test papers or the interview questions, he had very few resources he could access.

And even if he could access them, there was no one to tell him the correct answers, no one to guide him, and no one to tell him how many points were considered passing.

Of course, he could cling to his mother’s coattails and ask for help from bigshots in the field.

But that seemed unfair, not just to the fairness of interning at the Institute but also to the competition with Jingguo.

In the end, Li Zheng had no choice but to tough it out and figure things out as he went.

...

At 8:50 AM, Li Zheng, following the directions on his map, arrived ahead of time at his destination—

China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

Also known as China Aerospace First Institute.

Visually, it looked more like a military-controlled area.

The square gate, made entirely of stone, supported by eight straight stone pillars, bore the name "China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology" in eleven large characters, and in front was the emblem of China Aerospace, hinting at a rocket shooting into the blue sky.

By the gate, Big Brother Soldier stood, meticulously straight.

Inside, of course, Li Zheng had no idea.

But he knew that like this research institute, there were about a dozen others distributed across the country, simultaneously advancing research and manufacturing in various types of launch vehicles, satellites, missile weapons, and space technology, among other areas.

Thinking of these, Li Zheng subconsciously rubbed his hands together.

He really wanted to learn it all.

Unfortunately, even in the era of the internet, the barriers to such knowledge were genuinely formidable, requiring one to become a part of it to grasp it fully.

Five minutes later, Lin Yujing arrived, carrying an umbrella, wearing the same light blue dress as if she had not seen Li Zheng, and headed straight for the reception room.

"Why would you carry an umbrella on such a sunny day?" Li Zheng chased after her and pinched the blue umbrella, "It’s a rare opportunity; why not enjoy the sun?"

"You enjoy it then," Lin Yujing, not even looking at him, closed her umbrella and went into the reception room.

"Are you just afraid of getting tanned?" Li Zheng followed her in, "No worries, a bit of tan is healthy."

Lin Yujing sighed, pulled out a mirror, and gave it to Li Zheng: "Take a look at yourself, see how tanned you got just from a few days in the South China Sea."

Li Zheng jumped in shock.

He was astonished by the man in the mirror.

The scruffy, sun-blasted look from days immersed in studying, hairs a bit longer, sparse stubble, all lent him a roughly sexy air, different from the neat, meticulous look he sported during competitions.

Being someone who rarely looked in a mirror, every rare glimpse of his own image clearly impressed him with how much handsomer he had become, making him startled every time.

It was an experience unique to the truly handsome, incomprehensible to ordinary folks.

"Isn’t this quite good?" Li Zheng asked, rubbing his stubble.

"Typical of Scum Chap who rolled around in the melon fields, liking all dirty," Lin Yujing tucked away her mirror, patted the umbrella, "Think about it, Xiaoke was already suspicious of the two of us sneaking off together; if I also got tanned, wouldn’t that give her something to hold against us, then she’d go around barking day in, day out..."

"That’s alright, I don’t mind," Li Zheng laughed loudly, "Anyway, it’s already done; it is what it is."

"Well... never mind, I’ll mostly stay here during my senior year and won’t go back to school much," Lin Yujing said, patting Li Zheng on the shoulder, "Remember to prepare some midnight snacks and bring them here, outsiders can’t get in."

Li Zheng, observing her expression, couldn’t help feeling a bit panicky, "Are you... very confident... haven’t slacked these three weeks, have you?"

"Just randomly studying, physics is not that hard, I’ve already learned a lot of it in competitions," she replied.

"Hmm…" Li Zheng murmured, lowering his head.

"What?"

"The major I chose for the examination is..." Li Zheng swallowed, "Mechanical Engineering, and a double major in Dynamics and Thermal Physics."

"Haha!" Lin Yujing clapped and laughed loudly, "Alright, from now on you just focus on improving your cooking skills, I’ll handle Yellow 2."

"Damn... I really was too arrogant, I underestimated the amount of studying required," Li Zheng scratched his head, "I might as well admit defeat and go for physics instead."

"Like I care. Come on, name a dish - Steamed Lamb~~~ What else?"

"Get lost..."

"Quickly recite it and see if there’s a Fried Fish Fillet~~"

"Enough already..."

While they were talking, the door inside the courtyard was pushed open, and a bespectacled woman in her forties with her hair tied up walked into the reception room and directly looked at the two of them.

"Are you Li Zheng and Lin Yujing?"

"Yes," Lin Yujing nodded and replied before Li Zheng, "Lin Yujing and Li Zheng."

"Welcome, welcome," the lady came over smiling, "I’m from the human resources department, Liang Yu."

"Hello, Teacher Liang."

"Hello, Teacher Liang."

After shaking hands with them, Liang Yu led them to the registration desk: "Got your ID cards with you? We need to register."

Both of them took out their ID cards and started the registration and photo-taking process.

Meanwhile, the uncle in the reception room, serving as part of the background, had been silently observing them for a while.

But he could never guess their identities.

Seeing Liang Yu arrive, he curiously asked, "Recruiting interns again?"

"Yes," Liang Yu nodded, "We have written tests and interviews today."

"Oh..." the uncle glanced at them again; they didn’t look like graduate students and then asked, "Are you still recruiting undergraduates?"

"Hey, I’m not sure, I’m just here to pick them up," Liang Yu didn’t elaborate further, just gave a laugh, "By the way, are there any parcels or letters from HR that I can take with me?"

"Let me check..."

Even Li Zheng could feel the awkwardness of the conversation.

Having high school students take the exam really puts the academy in a tough position.

Looking at it this way, even if they don’t pass, it would be understandable.

If they do pass, that would be a miracle.

"It’s only making night snacks for a year, not a lifetime..."

With an even more nervous heart, he followed Liang Yu into the academy.

Walking down the tree-lined path, Liang Yu gave a few instructions along the way.

"So, I know you’re both excellent students, but there are a few things I need to clarify beforehand."

"First, from this moment on, you are entering a confidential environment, and after you leave, you cannot disclose any information about what happens inside."

"Second, all photography and recording are prohibited. Do not look around carelessly."

"Third, I will be your supervisor during this visit. Please do not leave my sight and, without a special reason, do not stray too far from me."

Upon hearing this, both became nervous.

Especially Li Zheng, who immediately entered a state of glaring intensely at Liang Yu, not daring to glance at anything he shouldn’t.

"Haha, no need to be so tense," Liang Yu said with a laugh. "Those rules are just standard procedure. The real secure areas are beyond another door. The area we are in now is mainly for administrative offices and isn’t too sensitive."

Li Zheng didn’t dare say much and hurriedly nodded, carefully following along.

Lin Yujing, however, fully embodied the concept of ’glancing around,’ not missing a single detail about anything related to rockets.

Naturally, Liang Yu wasn’t really in a position to manage that; she was actually quite nervous herself.

The HR director had informed her that these two were related to some high-ranking officials and wanted to intern at the academy.

But the high-ranking official also understood the seriousness of aerospace, only asking to relax the educational standards, with everything else being strict.

In short, treat it as a day trip with an interview, she thought.

Thus, starting from August 9, Liang Yu began communicating with Li Zheng.

In those interactions, she realized...

This guy definitely didn’t want a one-day visit...

Li Zheng’s level of seriousness was as if he was here to stay for a lifetime.

You’re just a high school student, why put yourself through this...

The Aerospace First Institute is not like other organizations; it has very stringent requirements for education and expertise, especially in its core technical units. They can’t just slip someone in downlesai coach spireritely without meeting the proper criteria, and the difference here was just too great.

Naturally, Liang Yu had also seen their profiles.

Even if they were high school geniuses...

You’re just a park in Lake Ying; where’s the genius from there?

She didn’t know that Li Zheng kept a low profile by nature, merely following the instructions and listing his educational background without mentioning his competition awards.

All in all, Liang Yu’s mindset at that moment was just one—

Accompany the prince and princess on a good day trip.

After an awkward journey, the three of them finally entered the main building of the institute.

As soon as Li Zheng entered, he shivered.

Because in the center of the hall, there stood a half-body bronze statue.

It was of an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit, with a kind and gentle expression, and who was extremely good at studying.

The bottom has framing—

[Modern Chinese physicist, world-renowned rocket expert, first dean of the academy]

[Qian Xuesen]

Li Zheng suddenly looked solemn, inexplicably feeling a sense of belonging.

Although his understanding of the aerospace organizational structure was limited,

this academy had to be the most prestigious one.

In previous communications, Liang Yu had some understanding of Li Zheng’s obsession,

but she could never imagine that it would reach this extent.

She had heard of girls who couldn’t walk past a bag without stopping…

but she had never seen a man who had to stop and salute at the sight of Elder Qian.

Lin Yujing hurriedly explained on his behalf, "Sir is Li Zheng’s guiding light in life, Teacher Liang, please understand… understand…"

"Understand… understand…" Liang Yu swallowed and said, "Li Zheng really is… more obsessive than I imagined… more… more sincere."

"You meant to say obsessed, didn’t you…"

"No, no, no, how could that be, haha…"

Following that, after making another phone call, the three of them took the elevator up to the fifth floor reception room.

Li Zheng and Lin Yujing skillfully took out pen and paper, then stored their phones and other unrelated items in their backpacks, placing them next to the reception room door.

Afterward, the two of them sat down at opposite ends of the table.

This act quite pleased Liang Yu.

Their conscientiousness and efficiency, not even the well-prepared students coming for exams could always achieve it.

If these two were really master’s students from Ji Hang, they might just be admitted.

Thinking about this, Liang Yu sighed.

Alas, since they were so dedicated to their one-day visit,

I should get serious as well.

Then she began introducing, as usual with recruitment, formally,

"Welcome both of you to the internship recruitment for Department One of our academy."

"The recruitment process will consist of one written test and two interviews."

"Considering time constraints and the upcoming start of the term, we will conduct all three stages in one day."

"Before the examination begins, let me briefly introduce our academy."

"Our academy is formally known as the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, also known as Aerospace First Institute and Rocket Academy."

"The academy was founded in 1957, with Mr. Qian Xuesen serving as its first dean."

"Also, the academy is recognized as the birthplace of China’s aerospace efforts, and is the oldest and largest base in our country for missile weaponry and launch vehicle research, testing, and production."

"Over 62 years, our academy has nurtured numerous leading figures in China’s aerospace field, including 6 ’Two Bombs, One Satellite’ heroes, 31 academicians of both Academies, and 2 recipients of the National Highest Science and Technology Award."

At this point, Liang Yu shivered suddenly.

She couldn’t help it, Li Zheng’s gaze was too fervent…

"Um, this…" Liang Yu managed to divert her eyes from Li Zheng to continue speaking,

"Both of you are here for the internship recruitment of Department One of our academy."

"Department One is formally known as the First Design Department,"

"It serves as the chief design center for the ’Yangtze River’ and ’Yellow River’ series of launch vehicles in our country."

"As a system integration research and development unit, Department One encompasses various research and design specialties, including general design, remote telemetry testing, booster transmission, rocket body structure, and electrical systems."

"In its glorious development history, Department One has produced 13 academicians of both Academies and trained 58 chief designers and commanders."

At this point…

Lin Yujing also became fervent.

"Um…"

Just because the current commander and chief designer, one was her dad and one was her mom.

However, Liang Yu did not know this, after all, it was through another mom’s connections.

After finishing the introduction, a confused-eyed engineer with a very professional hairstyle knocked and peered into the room: "Is it here?"

"Come on in." Liang Yu quickly welcomed him, introducing him to the two, "This is Mr. Zhou Chenglong, a key designer of Department One. He and I are jointly responsible for your written examination and first interview."

"Hello, Teacher Zhou."

"Hello, Teacher Zhou."

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"Hello… nice to meet you." Zhou Chenglong, seeing how eager the two were, became somewhat shy, "I am actually here to attend a meeting with the director, and just got roped into this, so I’m not really a teacher..."

Despite his modest words, his shiny, unblemished forehead betrayed him.

He must be very professional.

Liang Yu continued, "Department One has been really busy lately. If there are no further questions, shall we start the test?"

Li Zheng and Lin Yujing eagerly nodded in agreement.

Initially, they thought it would be an examination administered by administrative staff; they hadn’t expected it to specially involve technical staff from Department One…

Now was the crucial time for ’reset’, and yet they had wasted technical manpower on this.

It truly felt like a sin.

Seeing their dispirited looks, Liang Yu didn’t quite understand, but Zhou Chenglong naturally did.

"It’s okay." Zhou Chenglong smiled and placed his computer bag on the table, "I was actually in a meeting anyway, this opportunity allows me to do some data analysis, you haven’t delayed anything, in fact, you’ve liberated technical productivity."

Seeing his smile, Li Zheng and Lin Yujing each smiled as well.

This inexplicable understanding, however, made Liang Yu feel like an outsider.

She could only silently open the kraft paper envelope and hand over the two sets of papers to Zhou Chenglong first.

Zhou Chenglong looked over the papers and said, "Hmm... both candidates specialize in physics..."

Li Zheng’s eyes lit up, "Ah?"

Lin Yujing glared, "Ah?"

"What’s wrong?" Zhou Chenglong asked.

"I thought I was applying for..." Li Zheng started, then quickly waved his hand, "Never mind, physics is fine."

He knew very well that he had discussed physics and mechanical engineering with Liang Yu and, if possible, was also considering including power engineering and thermophysics.

Looking at it now, Liang Yu probably didn’t take this recruitment seriously and just remembered physics, casually ordering two sets of papers to be brought over.

That’s fine, that’s fine...

After all, if there’s a choice.

Who would want to become like Li Yi anyway.

Zhou Chenglong, seeing that the two had no further objections, then read from the papers.

"I’ve talked with Director Chen about your situation, you’re still in high school, right?"

"I understand your passion for aerospace."

"But let me be frank, the difficulty of this paper is based on the standard of a masters in physics and related fields."

"Especially in mechanics, mechanics, thermodynamics, and other aerospace-related fields, the difficulty is even higher."

"In addition, there are plenty of requirements for specialized knowledge in the aerospace field."

"Our regular recruitment for internships for master’s students in school, it’s this level of difficulty."

"Normally, the written test is selective admission."

"But this time’s written test is special, as only the two of you are participating, let me arbitrarily draw a score line..."

"Hmmm... about 55 points."

Zhou Chenglong said as he handed them each a paper.

"Just let me know if you really can’t do it."

"Don’t lose confidence, those who are truly supposed to take this test are already in their mid-twenties, having studied for seven or eight more years, you’re just in high school now, getting around ten points would be quite impressive."

The two nodded in agreement, each taking a paper, then they buried their heads and began to work.

As for their answers, Zhou Chenglong didn’t care at all. He too found a table to set up his computer, and casually said to Liang Yu, "Sister Liang, you can go take care of other matters, I will keep an eye on them here."

Liang Yu politely said, "No, your section is really busy right now, I’ll keep watch here."

"Hey, it’s actually more convenient for me to work here," Zhou Chenglong said, pointing downstairs with a wry smile, "If I go out, I’d have to head back to the meeting room. This time it’s an accident reporting meeting with other departments. The director and Teacher Shen are watching over it, I need to hurry and finish up the Reset plan."

"Ah..." Liang Yu said, looking at Zhou Chenglong, "Your work intensity has been high recently..."

"Hey, our department, since ’58, when has the workload been anything but high?" Zhou Chenglong glanced at his computer and said, "It is now nine-fifteen, standard time to finish at eleven-fifteen, and then I’ll grade for another fifteen minutes, let’s say eleven-thirty, I’ll call you then."

"Well, thank you for the effort," Liang Yu conceded, glancing at the two engrossed in their papers and then stood up, lifting her brows and whispered, "I’ll go to the office and get a meal ticket then, I’ve come here after all, might as well experience our institute’s food service."

"Hahaha... they’ll definitely regret it afterward." Zhou Chenglong had just finished speaking when he suddenly remembered something, promptly standing up and leaving the reception room with Liang Yu; he closed the door before asking, "This is a bit messy, let me confirm with you again...

"Go ahead." Zhang Yu quickly nodded.

"The recruitment test for the two of them was instructed by Director Chen from our department, right?"

"Yes."

"It’s mainly just like a day tour, right?"

"Our director told me so," Liang Yu gestured, "Everything will follow the regular recruitment standards, no special treatment, not necessarily to employ... From what I’ve discussed with Li Zheng... he is indeed one of those very enthusiastic aerospace enthusiasts, really eager to give it a try."

"Hmm, that’s not bad..." Zhou Chenglong pursed his lips, "I was just wondering... what if they really score over 55 points?"

"What standard does 55 points fall under in the usual selection process?"

"About the top 30%."

"Well, they won’t make it then."

"But what if they do?" Zhou Chenglong nodded seriously, asking again.

"Physics master’s level, and top 30%." Liang Yu clapped her hands, laughing with disbelief, "How could that be?"

"Hmm... you’re right." Zhou Chenglong shook his head, "I’m probably overthinking it; they are just here for a day tour after all."

Liang Yu looked at Zhou Chenglong’s expression, which seemed off, and quickly pressed, "Cheng Long, what are you really trying to say?"

"Better just call me Little Zhou... I can’t live up to that name," Zhou Chenglong chuckled, "To be cautious, you go back and ask your director exactly whose connections are involved. Our director is currently in a meeting, and it really wouldn’t be convenient for me to ask."

"Agreed."

Liang Yu pondered all the way to the elevator.

It was clearly an impossible thing, yet why did Zhou Chenglong inquire so meaningfully and repeatedly, even asking her to make further inquiries on their end?

That look was almost saying, "Think about it, meticulously think about it."

Ding!

The moment the elevator reached the floor.

She suddenly realized.

So that was it.