Chapter 39: Stretched Thin

As night fell, the Bifang drone circled gracefully above the waters of the Zhuhai-Macau Jinwan Airport. Viewed from the perspective of the "Eye of God," the nightscape of Zhuhai-Macau resembled brilliant jewels embedded along the coastline. In the distance, the lights of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge stretched like a luminous ribbon, connecting the two cities and shimmering with the nostalgia of travelers. Nearby, the Jinwan Airport terminal was brightly lit, and the dense trails of aircraft taking off and landing streaked across the night sky like falling stars. On the sea, the flickering lights of fishing boats intertwined with the neon glow of the shore, creating a tapestry of motion and stillness. The city skyline, outlined by artificial light, appeared enchanting; the silhouettes of skyscrapers emerged faintly in the darkness, as if whispering of the city’s prosperity and vitality. The Eye of God captured it all, permanently freezing the beauty of the Zhuhai-Macau night.

The drone continued its steady, circular path. The flight control room was quiet, with no sound echoing within. Old Jia checked his watch; it was already 6:30 PM. He turned to Long Wuyang and said, "Go prepare dinner for the engineers in the flight control room. I don't think this holding pattern will end anytime soon."

Long Wuyang glanced at the control room and addressed the group, "Let’s head to the canteen for dinner, and we can bring food back for the team here. Uncle, are you coming with us, or should I bring your meal to you?"

"Bring me a portion; I’ll wait here," Old Jia replied.

Just then, Dr. Yu Ying’s voice broke the silence: "Zhao Tianyu, are you near the runway at Jinwan Airport? Report on the situation."

"Understood, Dr. Yu. All four of us from the ground support team are near the runway, preparing for the landing. However, the airport is extremely busy right now with a large number of military aircraft landing. Both the Russian 'Swifts' and the Chinese 'August 1st' aerobatic team have arrived." Gao Tianyu’s voice was loud, and the sound of rushing wind could be heard on his end.

"Can you find out how much longer the military landings will take?" Dr. Yu asked.

"When the Zhuhai tower instructed us to enter a holding pattern, I asked around on the sidelines. These military planes were originally scheduled to arrive in batches this afternoon, but the Navy added a last-minute field-adaptability exercise—a live-fire air-drop drill involving four Z-8 transport helicopters—so the original schedule was adjusted. Now, the exhibition aircraft are landing throughout the evening. It’s hard to say how long the delay will be, but it likely won't be short," Gao Tianyu’s voice crackled through the speaker, accompanied by the wind.

"Understood. Keep tracking from the airport and report back if you have any updates," Dr. Yu said.

He then turned to the data officer: "Report on the drone's fuel level and remaining endurance."

Wu Yutong, the data officer, replied immediately, "Fuel remaining is 50%, speed is 350, and endurance is four more hours."

Dr. Yu issued the ninth command: "Planner, take control of the drone. Speed 350, altitude 3,000, standard holding pattern. Operators, rotate out for a rest."

"Received. Speed 350, altitude 3,000, standard holding pattern," replied the planner, Lin Yueshi.

Long Wuyang returned with dinner, and the female engineers in the control room began rotating shifts to eat. Old Jia and Dr. Yu sat in a corner of the hangar, chatting over their boxed meals.

Dr. Yu said with lingering apprehension, "Mr. Jia, I’m so glad I followed your advice and topped off the fuel. The path today has been anything but smooth—constantly having to yield to military aircraft. It’s much less stressful when the plane has plenty of fuel! At the very worst, I can circle in the sky for another four hours; they have to let me land eventually!"

Old Jia chuckled, "You think the people on the ground aren't worried just because you're the one circling up there? As long as there’s something flying in the sky, the people on the ground can’t sleep! They only feel at ease once all the planes have landed safely. So, believe me, they are more anxious than you are, haha!"

"Hmm, that makes sense. Well, hearing you say that makes me feel much better! Here, have a piece of meat—it’ll help calm your nerves." Dr. Yu placed a piece of braised pork into Old Jia’s bowl.

Old Jia took a bite, the savory juices coating his mouth, and said with a satisfied smile, "This industrial park’s canteen is quite good. The food is decent. Is it expensive?"

"Not at all. The park offers very favorable living and logistical support to the companies based here, including housing. There are government subsidies meant to ensure researchers can focus on their work without worrying about daily life. These apartments were provided to us by the park for free," Dr. Yu explained.

"It seems that cities across the country are pouring real capital into the low-altitude economy," Old Jia remarked. "That’s the only way to rapidly develop the aviation industry. Any amount invested in technology is worth it."

"Oh, right," Old Jia said, as if suddenly remembering something. He glanced around to ensure the students were out of earshot, then lowered his voice and asked mysteriously, "How much is your research funding? Is it enough? This isn't a secret, is it? Could you share?"

Dr. Yu gave a wry smile, wiped his oily mouth with a napkin, and whispered, "Research funding is always stretched thin; no matter how much you get, it’s never enough. This project is the first large-scale one for our Aviation School, so the funding is relatively guaranteed. Over the years, they’ve invested nearly 100 million in total."

"Only 100 million?" Old Jia asked, shocked. "You managed to build this aircraft with 100 million? That’s incredible! 100 million is barely enough to build one kilometer of highway! In the aviation industry, you usually can’t even produce a prototype without sinking several hundred million into it!"

Dr. Yu grinned. "That’s the advantage of conducting research within a university. We have a powerful pool of faculty and students. These high-end talents work on research as part of their academic duties, which doesn't cost much. Unlike commercial R&D, where most of the money goes to personnel costs."

"Ah, indeed, that is an incomparable advantage. Look at these graduate and doctoral students—they’re basically working for you for free! You probably only cover their meal money, right? Dr. Yu, it looks like you’re the cold-hearted capitalist here!" Old Jia laughed.

"Sigh, there’s no choice. Our research budget is too tight. To prioritize R&D and manufacturing, administrative travel expenses and student subsidies are indeed meager. But it’s like this everywhere in the country; we’re doing better than some, even if not the best," Dr. Yu said, self-deprecatingly.

Old Jia continued, feigning mystery, "I heard the Yuyuan campus gets over 13 billion in annual research funding—more than the entire fiscal revenue of our Jingchu City last year. If your project is so impressive, why has it only received 100 million after all these years? Is it not being taken seriously?"

"What can I do?" Dr. Yu spread his hands and leaned back, smiling bitterly. "You know how it is. In Yuyuan’s history, the School of Mechanical Engineering has always been the leader, followed by the School of Electronics. The School of Aviation was always a small department. We used to only handle supporting roles for national-level projects and never independently researched a complete aircraft system. This drone is the first full-system project for our school, which is why the funding is even this much. But compared to those old, major departments like Mechanical Engineering, where any random project gets hundreds of millions, we’re far behind. To put it bluntly, we just haven't proven our strength yet."

"I see," Old Jia said, suddenly enlightened. "Well, I don't think it’s a lack of strength. Every era has a dominant field that represents its most advanced productive forces. Forty years ago, it was mechanical engineering; twenty years ago, it was electronics. Now, the tides have turned, and it’s time for ships and planes. I believe that in the coming years, your Aviation and Shipbuilding schools will become the quintessential representatives of 'new quality productive forces,' and your funding will increase. Of course, you have to produce significant, impressive projects."

"You’re right," Dr. Yu agreed. "The low-altitude economy is the bright future for our Aviation School, and it’s a long-term, high-potential path for the aviation industry. The students born in the 2000s who are entering this field have chosen the right road."

"Indeed," Old Jia added reflectively. "It took China 40 years to achieve industrialization. Now, China has the most complete industrial chain in the world. Yet, in high-end fields like aerospace and biomedicine, we aren't quite strong enough, and we are still being held back by others in many areas. When China captures all these high-end sectors, our high-quality economic transformation will be complete. This is the career path for your generation, and it is the dividend of the era for your personal destiny."

The two men continued to talk about everything under the sun, feeling a sense of mutual appreciation. Despite the gap between their generations, their minds were perfectly in sync.

When everyone finished dinner, they returned to their stations. Time slipped away quietly. An hour passed, and the flight control room remained silent. Two hours passed, and it was still quiet.