A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 1029 Impatience is our greatest enemy.

"The enemy won't let me go, but I'll go anyway!"

Upon hearing this, Director Zheng was startled, and almost dropped the cigarette in his hand.

How could he not understand the weight behind that simple sentence?

This is exactly what they mean by: "Even if there are thousands of people against me, I will still go!"

At that time, China was in a difficult situation of being surrounded by many sides. It had been less than two years since it established diplomatic relations with Cambodia. This visit by the central leadership was a key step in breaking the blockade and winning international support.

This is not only a state visit, but also a declaration to the world that China will never bow down. If the trip is postponed because of the conspiracy of a group of petty people, it will not only damage the international reputation of the newly established China, but also chill the hearts of those friendly countries.

Our predecessors worked tirelessly to carve out a path for the nation amidst numerous barriers! This indomitable spirit allows no room for retreat.

Since there is no way to retreat, deciphering this telegram is imperative!

In the dead of night, only the blindingly bright fluorescent lights overhead illuminated the 701 Bureau's decoding center, their humming tubes casting a somber glow throughout the room.

The night breeze outside the window, carrying the lingering warmth of midsummer, swept past the closed windowpanes, accompanied by the soft rustling of mosquitoes hitting the glass, making the room feel even more deathly silent...

Even the sound of the pen nib gliding across the scratch paper sounded unusually sluggish, mixed with the pervasive smell of sweat and ink, making it hard to breathe.

Xiao Wu, one of the bureau's youngest and most skilled codebreakers, slumped in his chair like a wilted eggplant.

The paper in front of him was covered with various assumptions and derivations. One line was repeatedly circled and crossed out, and next to it were the words "suspected keyword phrase?" followed by a large question mark and a series of irritating scribbles.

"No...not at all!" He grabbed a handful of hair, his voice hoarse from anxiety and consecutive sleepless nights.

"Old Ma, look here! The seventh to eleventh groups of numbers in the second coded telegram, I initially thought they might be some fixed coordinates or code. After applying several known shift rules, I was able to piece together a seemingly reasonable combination of Latin letters! At the time, I thought... I thought I had really found the breakthrough. I was overjoyed and thought I could at least decipher a few more segments before dawn!"

His speech quickened, his fingers stroking the worn, frayed cover of the codebook: "And what happened? I excitedly tried to apply this set of self-righteous rules to the beginning of the third coded message. I'd barely cracked the first half when the logic completely fell apart! The context just didn't add up! It's like... like you're following a map halfway down a path and suddenly a wall appears in front of you!"

Across from him, the middle-aged codebreaker known as Old Ma listened silently, his brows furrowed in a deep frown. The ashtray in front of him was piled high with cigarette butts.

Xiao Wu let out a heavy sigh, filled with despair: "Now I understand! That string of numbers wasn't a keyword at all! It was probably just... a trigger signal for a dynamic code table switch!"

The little we've deciphered is nothing more than a misleading "sweet treat" deliberately left behind by the enemy. If we continue down this path, we'll fall completely into a trap!

“Dynamic code table?” Old Ma keenly caught the word, raised his bloodshot eyes, and looked at Xiao Wu with suspicion. “Where did you hear this word? It’s not called that in our current textbooks and case studies.”

Xiao Wu paused for a moment, seemingly realizing what he had said, and subconsciously replied, "Comrade Jin Zhen mentioned it during a study session... He said that the latest theoretical research has begun to envision an encryption core that automatically changes its corresponding relationships based on specific conditions. He also said that our... our latest digital radio secure communication project is already trying to apply a prototype of a similar principle, isn't it?"

"Jinzhen? The digital radio project?" Old Ma's astonishment deepened. He put down his pencil. "How come I've never heard of such a well-developed new project in the bureau? And it uses such advanced technology?"

Xiao Wu was a little confused by Lao Ma's reaction, but the immense pressure and ingrained thought made him continue, "Uh, it was mentioned at the study session... By the way, you weren't here then..."

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped, a terrible thought uncontrollably popping into his head, his face instantly turning pale. "Right... the encryption method the enemy used this time was so tricky, so... 'advanced'... Comrade Jin Zhen... he just happened to be sent abroad at this critical juncture to participate in some meeting..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was crystal clear.

The other equally exhausted codebreakers in the decoding room paused for a moment upon hearing this, exchanging complex glances.

Seeds of doubt sprout easily in the soil of extreme fatigue, repeated setbacks, and immense pressure. Jin Zhen is the bureau's ace; his abilities and understanding of the latest encryption technologies are unmatched.

If... if he...

"okay!"

A deep, stern voice cut off the nascent suspicions like a bucket of cold water. Director Zheng had appeared at the door of the decoding room, his face ashen, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Wu and Lao Ma like a knife, finally settling on Xiao Wu's dejected face.

"Do not make any unfounded or off-track speculations, and even more so, do not allow unwarranted suspicions about your comrades!" Director Zheng's voice was not loud, but it was filled with anger. "Have you all forgotten the bureau's confidentiality rules and internal trust principles? Comrade Jin Zhen was assigned by the organization to carry out an important international cooperation mission! His loyalty and professionalism are beyond question!"

Startled by the glare, Xiao Wu jolted awake, realizing he had misspoke. He quickly lowered his head, stammering, "Chief...Chief, I...I didn't mean that. I was just too hasty, my mind was a bit muddled..."

Old Ma awkwardly looked away, picked up his pencil again, and scribbled haphazardly on the paper.

Director Zheng looked at his capable subordinates, who were on the verge of collapse due to long-term high pressure and no progress, and felt a mix of emotions.

He knew how much pressure there was, how desperate it was to face such an unprecedented code, but he also knew that once doubts arose, they could be more destructive to the team than external enemies.

He suppressed his anger, walked to Xiao Wu's desk, picked up the paper filled with chaotic deductions, glanced at it, and his tone softened a bit, but remained serious: "Pressure and difficulties are understandable. But put your energy into the right thing, into analyzing the telegram itself! Instead of letting your imagination run wild and scaring yourself!"

Unfortunately, Director Zheng's warnings and guidance did not seem to fully penetrate Xiao Wu's mind, which was shrouded in anxiety and frustration.

As Director Zheng turned to the other codebreakers to get information, Xiao Wu stared at the string of numbers on the paper, which seemed like a mockery, and couldn't help but sigh softly. That sigh was filled with exhaustion and a longing for "Superman":

"Sigh... If only Comrade Jinzhen were still in the bureau. He's best at tackling tough problems with completely unfamiliar structures, especially code tables that might have dynamic features."

If it were him, he might have already started from some inconspicuous redundant bit or self-checking code and reversed the process to deduce the key generation rule... instead of like us, going about things haphazardly and not even getting close to the point..."

His words seemed to be addressed to Old Ma beside him, or perhaps they were an unconscious attempt at self-comfort.

But this low-voiced sigh precisely confirmed Director Zheng's worst fears—faced with immense difficulties, some comrades' confidence had wavered, and they had even begun to subconsciously place all their hopes on a temporarily absent "savior," and this mentality itself was a dangerous reflection of pressure.

Silence fell over the room again, broken only by the scratching of pens on paper and the occasional heavy sigh that indicated a lack of progress.

Pressure, like a rising tide, silently washes over everyone.

"Old Zheng, what's troubling you? Your eyebrows are so thick they could trap a fly."