Chapter 62: Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Adjusting the curriculum?
What does that mean?
Sun Yongguo furrowed his brow slightly, looking puzzled.
"Dingping, are you unsatisfied with everyone's progress? It's fine, I'll go back and urge them a bit more."
"Dean, you've misunderstood. Everyone's progress is quite evident, but if we keep dragging it out like this, it will be detrimental to the overall situation."
"Look at you, Dingping, your mind is still caught up in what just happened," Sun Yongguo forced a smile. "Actually, we've experienced too many things similar to this over the years, and by now, we can face them with a calm mind."
Pausing for a moment, he added, "After all, some things cannot be rushed. The more anxious you are, the easier it is to lose your footing."
Su Dingping spoke in a calm tone.
"Dean, I haven't lost my footing; I'm simply adjusting the curriculum. Didn't I mention before that there is a third phase of the curriculum? Now we are just bringing it up on the schedule a bit earlier."
"Really?"
Su Dingping nodded heavily.
"Then I can rest easy. Get some sleep early, we still have a mountain of things to do tomorrow."
With that, Sun Yongguo rose and left.
After seeing Sun Yongguo off, Su Dingping closed the door, turned off the lights, and instantly appeared within the military industry encyclopedia's forging space.
He glanced at the [052D] analysis panel. Although the analysis progress for quite a few core technologies had exceeded 50%, crucial core technologies like the 'Type 346A Active Phased Array Radar' had yet to reach 30%.
During this period, dividing his time between lecturing and racing to conquer the core technologies of the 052D meant that progress had not been particularly fast.
Picking up pen and paper, he re-mapped his subsequent plan.
Early the next morning, when Su Dingping appeared in the classroom looking radiant and energetic, the heavy hearts of Sun Yongguo and the others finally settled.
They had truly been worried that Su Dingping might have lost sleep all night out of anxiety, but looking at him now, his mental state was quite good.
"Next time, keep your mouth shut," Sun Yongguo shot a glare at Lü Guangjun.
Walking up to the podium, Su Dingping said:
"Everyone, I have an announcement to make today."
"Starting the day after tomorrow, the second phase of the curriculum will officially come to an end."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the professors below shifted slightly.
The SA-N-7 Hurricane air defense missile system was a regional air defense system and a major weak point for the navy; its complexity was clearly far greater than that of the Moskit supersonic anti-ship missile system.
Counting yesterday, only three days had passed in total.
Trying to thoroughly master the core technologies of the SA-N-7 Hurricane air defense missile system in three days was an immense challenge—or rather, practically impossible.
"Dingping, what has happened?" Sun Yongguo asked hurriedly.
Lü Guangjun also chimed in, "Dingping, the SA-N-7 Hurricane air defense missile system is a problem we urgently need to solve. Isn't three days far too short?"
Although he had participated in the secondary modernization of the 051B, he was well aware that the 956E surpassed the 051C in regional air defense capabilities, which was precisely why he had eagerly come to study here.
His own knowledge foundation was no longer sufficient to support him in modernizing the 051C.
Now, Su Dingping suddenly terminating the second phase of the curriculum ahead of schedule had caught them off guard.
"Rest assured, everyone. I am merely suspending the lectures for the second phase, but I will provide you with the relevant core technologies. With the foundation built over these past three days, if you dedicate a little time, you will have no problem."
Changing the subject before they could interject, Su Dingping continued:
"Additionally, Dean Sun, the day after tomorrow you will dispatch a team to the Eastern Fleet to participate in the optimization of the other 956E destroyer!"
Hearing this, Sun Yongguo and the others instantly realized why Su Dingping had abruptly adjusted the lecture schedule.
The other professors, completely unaware of what was happening, remained utterly bewildered.
"Dingping, would you reconsider?"
"Dean Sun, my mind is made up." After arranging the tasks, Su Dingping spoke once more: "Everyone, let us begin class."
Two hours later, as a session concluded, Su Dingping addressed Sun Yongguo.
"Dean Sun."
Sun Yongguo and Lü Guangjun exchanged glances and then walked outside.
Seeing that there was no one around, Su Dingping said:
"Dean, I must trouble you with a matter."
"By all means, speak."
"Please contact Senior Captain Xu and suspend Captain Zhou's drills. I have a use for the 052."
The 052?
What use could it possibly be?
The gap between the 052 and the 956E was substantial indeed.
Sun Yongguo was momentarily stunned.
"Dingping, the 052 is still merely non-modernized. If you pour your efforts into it, wouldn't it... not be worth it?"
"Dean, do you remember the third phase of the curriculum I mentioned?"
"I remember."
Just as the words left his mouth, Sun Yongguo seemed to realize something, and said in sudden astonishment: "Dingping, could it be that you..."
"Yes, Dean. I am going to modernize the 052!" Su Dingping said with a solemn expression. "I already have the concept in mind. Originally I wanted to wait, but given the current pressing circumstances, it must be brought forward."
Sun Yongguo opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
Modernize the 052?
In what direction?
How?
He was still completely in the dark, never expecting that Su Dingping already had a clear direction and intended to execute it.
"Even if the 052 is modernized, it will still fall somewhat short of the 956E. Senior Captain Xu's previous thought..." Sun Yongguo lowered his voice, "Could we set up a production line for the 956E and disguise it when the time comes? At the very least, we must not let the Polar Bear Nation discover any clues."
"What do you think, Dingping?"
Su Dingping shook his head and said:
"There is little point in that."
Sun Yongguo looked at Su Dingping with a questioning gaze.
"To us right now, the 956E is powerful! But facing the Eight-Eight Fleet of the Eastern Ocean, it remains no match."
Su Dingping explained:
"Last night, I made a deep study of the Eight-Eight Fleet's organizational structure, and I believe that if our navy wishes to catch up and surpass them, relying on mass-producing our current warships holds zero possibility."
"Our military budget is already tight, and trying to bridge the gap with sheer numbers is not the right path. We must threaten the enemy through quality!"
Threaten the enemy through quality?
Sun Yongguo's heart trembled.
This was something they had never even considered before.
Catching up was already so difficult; how could they speak of surpassing?
"The 051C won't do, and the 956E won't do either! We must have a new generation of modernized warships!"
"Therefore, the modernization of the 052 is imminent."
Of course Sun Yongguo understood Su Dingping's words.
It was just that things had always been done that way in the past, and changing strategy so abruptly left him feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.
There was a time when the 956E—a vessel that made the navy drool with envy—could no longer resolve the navy's dilemmas.
After a long moment of stunned reflection, Sun Yongguo drew a deep breath, his expression turning solemn.
"Alright, I understand your meaning."
After discussing a few more details, Su Dingping led Sun Yongguo back to continue the class.
...
At the North Sea Fleet Headquarters, Xu Dongguo, who was still troubled by the Kongō-class guided-missile destroyer, received a call from Sun Yongguo.
After listening to Sun Yongguo recount the events of the previous night, Xu Dongguo said angrily, "Comrade Yongguo, didn't I tell you to keep it confidential! This is the pressure borne by our entire navy; how could you let Dingping shoulder it alongside us? He is only twenty years old! How could your conscience bear it?"
Xu Dongguo was now deeply worried. With the navy facing countless hardships right now, what would happen if Su Dingping got scared off?
The loss would be catastrophic.
"Chief, this matter was truly an accident."
Following that, Sun Yongguo recounted what had happened today as well.
Upon hearing it all, Xu Dongguo was dumbfounded.
"What did you say? Dingping wants to modernize the 052?"
"Yes, Chief. Dingping feels that we need a new generation of modernized warships; the 051C and the optimized 956E no longer catch his eye."
Although he could not see Su Dingping, Xu Dongguo caught another layer of meaning from Sun Yongguo's words.
Could it be that the modernized 052 would turn out even stronger than the optimized 956E?
How could that be possible!
Even if the core technologies of the 956E were crammed into the 052, it would still merely be a replica of the 956E.
"Did Dingping say how he plans to do it?"
"Reporting to Chief, he did not."
Clutching the receiver, Xu Dongguo remained silent for a long while.
The 956E was gone, and the North Sea Fleet's current mainstay, the 052, could not be spared in the short term. Once an emergency arose...
He had personally witnessed the core technology of the 956E being conquered, and coupled with the corroboration of Sun Yongguo and the others, he had been willing to take that gamble.
Right now, the modernization of the 052 was still nothing more than castles in the air, and everything remained unknown.
"Comrade Yongguo, what are your thoughts?"
"Reporting to Chief, I think we can give it a try! In any case, the 051C will be ready for mass production before long, so losing one 052 won't have too massive an impact on the North Sea Fleet!"
Recalling Liu Huaming's earlier admonitions, and building upon his trust in Su Dingping, Xu Dongguo hardened his heart.
"Comrade Yongguo, notify Zhou Qinglei and tell him to fully cooperate with Dingping! Whatever demands Dingping makes, fulfill them to the utmost of our ability! If any situation arises, notify me immediately, and I will handle it!"
"Understood, Chief!"
Hanging up the phone, Xu Dongguo rose and paced back and forth across the room, a whirlwind of thoughts spinning in his head.
In the two months since he met Su Dingping, he had successively played several risky moves—a stark departure from his usual cautious, steady, and meticulous self.
Even with his composure, he could not help but curse under his breath at this moment.
"Damn it, nothing ventured, nothing gained!"