Chapter Twenty-Nine: Offering Everyone a Lighter Bite

Three days later.

In the brightly lit, crowded auditorium, Shen Jiang was awarded the Lighthouse Angel Mission Medal No. 092. This was the third Angel she had taken down, a feat of distinguished service.

The representative sent by the Military Commission was an elderly general with graying hair and three stars on his shoulders. He held Shen Jiang’s hand for a long time, expressing that the Party, the people, and all of humanity owed her their gratitude.

After the handshake and the photo op, the hall erupted in thunderous applause.

Camera flashes popped incessantly below. Photographers from Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, *People’s Daily*, and the *PLA Daily* stood with their heavy professional gear, while reporters hammered away at their laptops. It was clear that an overwhelming flood of triumphant news was about to blanket the public's computers, phones, and televisions. Tonight, the top headline on *Xinwen Lianbo* would undoubtedly be: "Another Great Victory for the Eastern Theater Command! Invading Enemies Successfully Eliminated! Military and Civilians Unite in Solidarity; The Angels Shall Not Return!"

Shang Lu, as the director of the Operations and Engineering Office, had been dragged over by Old Man Ji to represent the 151 Ground Crew engineers for a CCTV interview.

"Adhering to the Party’s leadership, diligently studying our craft, implementing every detail, advancing steadily, thinking critically, and excelling at summarization—these are our keys to victory. We strive for the 'Four Completes and Four Nevers': serving the people wholeheartedly, going all out to overcome technical bottlenecks, maintaining our equipment from start to finish, comprehensively improving our skill levels, all while remaining humble, undaunted, and steadfast."

Facing the smiling reporter and the dark, gaping eye of the camera, Shang Lu recited the script with a blank expression.

When it was Old Man Ji’s turn, he simply said, "Nothing to say. Just got lucky."

After the commendation ceremony came the debriefing. The base commander, the political commissar, the chief engineer, and members of the Joint Command Center each gave speeches. The commander was a kind-faced little old man, rumored to be a former naval technical officer who had led the technical breakthroughs for the 094 strategic nuclear submarines in his early years. His first words upon taking the stage were, "Comrades, I will say only three things."

"You all did a good job."

"A really good job."

"Really good."

The commander’s small eyes crinkled until they disappeared; he was clearly genuinely happy.

But when it was Old Man Ji’s turn, his tone was far less polite. He started with a roar of, "You idiots!"

"Blockheads!"

"Morons!"

Shang Lu sat in the audience next to a reporter wearing a press badge. Curious, he glanced at the draft on the man’s laptop screen: "During the meeting, the base leadership stated that regarding the oversights, shortcomings, and areas that failed to reach perfection during this mission, every department must reflect seriously, summarize experiences, draw lessons, strengthen drills, raise vigilance, and prepare fully for the next mission."

Well, not a single one of Old Man Ji’s curses made it into the report.

The meeting adjourned near noon. Shang Lu left the main gate with his colleagues from the Operations and Engineering Office. As the group of five stepped outside, they were blocked by someone.

"Yo! Xiangbing! Uncle!"

The man greeted Wang Xiangbing enthusiastically, gripping his hand and patting his shoulder. He was a lean young man in blue coveralls with an ID badge hanging around his neck. He was about the same height as Wang Xiangbing, roughly thirty years old, with prominent cheekbones and a pair of drooping, thick black eyebrows.

Behind him stood a large group of people—roughly twenty or thirty—standing silently to the side.

"1047?"

Wang Xiangbing froze for a second, forced a smile, stepped closer, and declined the cigarette the man offered.

"Didn't you go on a business trip, brother? You're already back?"

"Got back yesterday. It was a small matter; you know I have plenty of friends in the Science City’s administrative offices, just a word was enough." The man chuckled and pulled Wang Xiangbing’s shoulder tightly. "Next time you go to Chengdu, I’ll definitely introduce you to... let me tell you, that stuff is incredible. Can't say what it is due to confidentiality, but it’s truly eye-opening."

"Appreciate the thought, but with my level of skill, I’d better not go to such prestigious places and cause trouble," Wang Xiangbing said, waving his hands. "If I interfered with their work, I’d become a sinner against the nation."

"Can't say it like that. You’ve served at 151 for so many years, guarding the front lines with such great service; how could you be a sinner? When your term is up, I’ll talk to the rear offices and try to get you transferred over." The man changed the subject. "Oh, Uncle, I heard your office got a new comrade? Where is he?"

Without waiting for Wang Xiangbing to introduce him, the tall man walked past him, took two steps toward Shang Lu, and looked him up and down.

"This is our new engineer and current director, a top student from the Automation Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: Shang Lu," Li Wenxuan said, helping with the introduction.

"Hello, hello. I’m the director of the Computing Engineering Office, Tang Di." The tall young man shook Shang Lu’s hand with practiced familiarity, his face beaming. "I heard early on that the Operations Office got a big shot from the Chengdu Institute of Automation, so I came specifically to meet you and pay my respects. Hope you don’t mind the intrusion."

Shang Lu nodded blankly.

"Seeing you is better than hearing about you. You really are a young talent. Not long since you graduated, right? I’m also from Science City, so we’re basically alumni." Tang Di was very warm. After saying this, he leaned in closer and lowered his voice as if sharing a secret password: "Formally coded. You can call me 1047, brother."

Only those with a background in Science City would understand. This "code" was a high-level identification marker. Among the hundreds of thousands of people in Science City, not everyone was a core technical researcher. Logistics, administration, support staff, contractors, and security made up a huge portion of the population. Only the core elite possessed these high-level codes. One person, one number; their work category, department, and rank were all embedded within it. Knowing the code meant knowing the person's status.

Having a code versus not having one represented two worlds of difference. The gap was as vast as that between a full-time university graduate and someone who got in through an adult education entrance exam.

Tang Di winked. "Brother Shang Lu, what’s your code? Maybe we’ve worked on the same team before."

"Uh..." Shang Lu stiffened, hesitating, his eyes darting left and right.

Seeing Shang Lu’s unnatural expression, Tang Di immediately understood. These days, it wasn't uncommon for outsiders to impersonate insiders, or for those in peripheral roles to pretend to be core personnel. Even within the Chengdu Institute, not everyone had a code. He couldn't hide a smug sense of triumph behind his drooping brows. With an "I see how it is" look, he patted Shang Lu on the shoulder. "No worries, no worries. We’re still alumni. If you have any problems, just find me."

As Tang Di and his group walked away, Bai Shu snarled at their backs, "Stupid 1047!"

"Who are they?" Shang Lu hadn't quite caught up yet. Who was this guy?

"The Computing Engineering Office," Li Wenxuan said. "1047 is their director. We’ve never gotten along. Under his leadership, they’ve snatched up all our work, leaving us with nothing to do."

"Then he’s a good man," Shang Lu said.

"He wants to be the base’s chief engineer," Bai Shu interjected. "He’s afraid you’re better than him and will steal his spot."

"But he really is impressive. A true Science City product. In this day and age, top technical talent like him is the most sought-after," Wang Xiangbing sighed. "He really is the person with the most potential to become chief engineer at this base. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if he got the job."

"Shang Lu is also from Science City!" Bai Shu insisted.

"But the other guy has a code," Wang Xiangbing said with a shrug.

"So what if he has a code? He keeps a string of numbers on his lips all day long. Didn't his parents give him a name?" Bai Shu snapped. "If he’s so amazing, why isn't he back at Science City saving the world? Why come to 151?"

The others chimed in, and Shang Lu finally understood the situation. The Computing Engineering Office was the most core and powerful department in the 110 Workshop system. Under Tang Di’s leadership, it had grown to nearly a hundred people. Unlike the idle Operations Office or the drudgery of the Motion Office, the Computing Office managed the "brain" of the Red Lotus and maintained close contact with the pilots. They had performed brilliantly in numerous missions and drills, winning the "Sharp Knife Red Flag Squad" honor and the rolling red flag dozens of times. As the head of such an impeccable department, the director of the Computing Office was effectively the second-in-command under the chief engineer within the workshop system.

Unlike the "pie in the sky" minor director position Shang Lu held, Tang Di was the true candidate for chief engineer. He met every requirement: a pedigree from the Chengdu Science City, a legitimate code-holder—among all the grassroots cadres at Base 151, those with high-level identification codes could be counted on one hand. Such top-tier talent rarely appeared on the front lines.

Not to mention, having worked at 151 for many years as the head of a core department, he was experienced and battle-hardened. 1047’s credentials were flawless. He knew it, too, and had recently begun acting as the de facto deputy chief engineer, frequently issuing orders to the other two offices and departments.

Facing the aggressive and numerous Computing Engineering Office, the Operations Office had no recourse. Their only means of retaliation was to run toward the Computing Office whenever they were being chased by inspectors.

"Is the code really that important?" Shang Lu scratched his head. He hadn't realized that, other than for entering labs or checking archives, this thing had a function for being worn on one's person?

Everyone else nodded.

"It’s the Tsinghua degree of our era," Wang Xiangbing said.

"Wrong," Li Wenxuan corrected him. "It should be more like a Tsinghua PhD."

"Wrong," Zhang Zhong corrected him again. "It should be even higher. Those with codes are solid technical pillars. The lower the number, the more powerful they are. Under 500 is 'Outstanding Youth' level, and under 50 is academician level."

The group’s descriptions grew increasingly absurd.

Shang Lu thought to himself, isn't this just like the public imagining that every student at Tsinghua or Peking University spends twenty-four hours a day studying?

"Shang Lu!" Bai Shu called out. "What are you thinking about?"

"You don't want him to be the chief engineer?" Shang Lu’s gaze shifted, turning surprisingly cold.

"No," Bai Shu said.

"Good. He will not become the base’s chief engineer. If the day ever comes when Old Man Ji needs to select a successor and no one in the entire base can surpass him... that still won't matter." Shang Lu crossed his arms, turned around slowly, and said calmly, "Because I will step in."

For that second, he looked just like a legendary master hiding his true strength. His indifferent air stunned those around him. But soon, Wang Xiangbing, Li Wenxuan, and Zhang Zhong reacted. The grown men lunged at Shang Lu, grabbing his shoulders, and multiple claws dove into his ribs to tickle him.

"Acting cool, are you!"

"Acting! Keep acting!"

"Why don't you say you're the base commander!"

Shang Lu immediately broke character, laughing and begging for mercy.

"Brothers, mercy! I won't act anymore! I won't, I won't! Let’s... let’s go eat... ah—"