CDJMM – Volume 2 – Chapter 16 The State Slaps and Teaches the Scum a Lesson (16)

The winter of 1991 was exceptionally cold.

In the evening, when Le Jing stepped out of the laboratory for some fresh air, he noticed that snow was beginning to fall from the sky. This was the first snowfall of the year.

Le Jing exhaled a puff of white breath and, faintly, seemed to hear the tolling of a funeral bell coming ever closer from the northeast.

“Ah, it’s snowing!” Le Jing’s assistant exclaimed with delight as he stepped out of the lab and gazed at the sky.

“Ah, right—you’re from Guangdong. It doesn’t snow often where you’re from, does it?”

The assistant nodded, staring in wonder at the flurries dancing through the air. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen snow like this.”

Their conversation drew the attention of the others inside the lab. Soon, everyone rushed outside, looked up at the sky, and enjoyed the first snowfall of 1991.

Le Jing’s laboratory had been secretly established by the state for manned spaceflight research, focusing on rocket engines. The researchers there ranged from middle-aged scientists in their fifties to fresh university graduates. At 19, Le Jing was the youngest researcher in the lab. Even his Guangdong assistant was already 23, a graduate student at a southern military university.

Le Jing’s identity here was that of a prodigy from the University of Science and Technology of China’s youth program. His name, age, and past experiences were all fabricated. He was here to combine practice with learning, deepening his understanding of the theoretical knowledge stored in his mind.

Le Jing gazed quietly northward before suddenly speaking: “Come to think of it, next week is Christmas.”

Someone immediately responded: “That’s a Western holiday. We don’t celebrate it here.”

“So what about Christmas? We’ll still be stuck in the lab, working diligently, right? Sigh, I didn’t even go home last Spring Festival, and I don’t know if I’ll get to this year either.”

Le Jing listened quietly, smiling but saying nothing.

He was the only one in the group who knew the script of history.

The Christmas of 1991 was destined to be recorded in the annals.

These people, who spent every day immersed in the lab with blueprints and components, already had dreary lives. The first snowfall opened the floodgates of conversation; they chatted and joked freely.

“Ah, that’s nothing. My mentor didn’t go home for over ten years for that project. His family thought he had died out there.”

“At least we already have the core data and blueprints. There are no technical breakthroughs we need to make—we just have to assemble the parts step by step. Our mentor back then really was feeling his way across the river.”

“I wonder which experts developed all these advanced technologies. Amazing. When the manned space program restarted, I was ready for an eight-year battle. But now, after only two years, we’re already more than halfway through our plan. I have a feeling that at the latest, by the year after next, our astronauts will be able to go into space!”

【Natural First Unit: Hehe, they’ll never guess that all the data came from the streamer (secretly pleased.jpg)】

【I Want to Quietly Think of You: But it feels so unfair to the streamer… and so frustrating. Look, it was clearly the streamer who did all this, but no one knows. As the greatest contributor, the streamer still has to remain anonymous. It’s so heartbreaking.】

【Lazy Cat: But there’s nothing that can be done. After all, the streamer’s identity as a time traveler is the biggest secret. It’s impossible to tell anyone.】

【Zero Room: Your name is unknown, but your deeds will live forever!】

Le Jing exhaled deeply, a faint smile unconsciously appearing at the corner of his lips.

As the centennial inscription in the literary journal said: Though men know not of it, does it speak not? History bears witness! Does it speak not? The mountains and rivers have their names!

The researchers’ conversation continued: “Chairman once said, ‘We can reach the moon in the ninth heaven.’ We’re finally about to make it happen!”

“The manned spacecraft is almost complete. Is a space station far behind? One day, we’ll have our own space station too!”

Yes. There would be a space station. Advanced fighter jets. Aircraft carriers.

Everything. This indomitable nation would have it all.

It was at a moment like this that he saw Cang Bohai walking toward him through the snow. Naturally, everyone else in the lab also noticed the figure braving the heavy snowfall.

Cang Bohai had come to pick him up.

Le Jing thought that it was probably time for him to leave as well.

The work in the lab had already gotten on track, and his studies were mostly complete. He no longer needed to stay here—there were other, more important tasks awaiting him.

…
…

The history of the 20th century was destined to remember December 25, 1991.

On that Christmas, the Red Soviet, that seemingly indestructible iron body, collapsed with a thunderous crash.

When Le Jing learned this news from Cang Bohai, he was conducting experiments in his private lab.

Although this information had already been an unspoken secret in China’s intelligence agencies for two years, and the state had already made numerous strategic arrangements based on it, seeing the fall of the great Soviet firsthand still left Cang Bohai in a daze, a feeling of unreality lingering in his mind.

Could such a mighty Soviet really collapse so easily?

In the end, the only force capable of defeating the Soviet was the Soviet itself.

And what about China?

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, China, as the largest existing socialist country in the world, was bound to become the target of all capitalist nations uniting against it. Western powers like the UK and the US would stop at nothing to contain China’s rise—they would use any means to crush the red specter floating over China.

China’s path ahead would grow increasingly difficult.

If it could not withstand the endless “peaceful evolution,” then China would be the next Soviet.

Cang Bohai’s once uneasy heart strangely calmed as he saw the young man’s focused and composed profile.

Yes, they were not like the Soviets.

This young man before him, though physically fragile in appearance, possessed a terrifying intellect capable of overturning the entire world.

He was a time-traveler from the future.

Because of this young man, China had a chance to cheat on the global stage of earthly tests.

From that point on, the revival of the Chinese nation would be unstoppable.

【Tsundere Apricot: Huh? Does this mean I’m witnessing history too?】

【Reward, Reward: Just as pear blossoms bloom across the horizon, soft veils float over the river; Katyusha stands on the steep shore, singing as if in the bright spring sunlight… Farewell, Red Soviet, QWQ】

【Peerless Elegance: The Soviet truly was our wise teacher and friend… Its birth was to awaken China; its growth was to guide China; its prosperity was to aid China; even its demise was to warn China.】

【Red Bean Paste Dumpling: But! Only dead bears are good bears.】

【Blue Leaf: From now on, the banner of socialism is ours to carry! One day, we will raise the red flag across the entire world!】

【Silent Momo: Go China!!!】

Outside, the snow began falling again.

The heavy snowfall seemed as if even the heavens were bidding farewell to that red giant.

Le Jing paused for a moment, then returned to his current work. His workload was heavy.

He had just exchanged a learning chip from the system, containing key information on aircraft carriers.

…

…

On October 7, 1993, Shenzhou-1 was launched.

As an unmanned experimental spacecraft, Shenzhou-1 was designed to test the spacecraft’s life support systems, attitude control systems, and other technologies.

Finally, after a 21-hour flight, the Shenzhou-1 spacecraft successfully landed in Inner Mongolia.

That day, Le Jing was storing all the data in his mind onto the lab computer.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly—it was a good day.

When Ge Yi entered the room, he saw the boy, who had been tirelessly working for years, still immersed in his tasks.

No matter the time, the boy was always diligently working, with almost no time to rest. He looked at the boy’s relentless typing with a sense of awe.

He opened his mouth, but it felt as if something was blocking his throat; he didn’t know what to say. In the end, he silently bowed deeply to the boy’s figure hunched over the desk and left without a word.

Any words seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the boy’s great achievements. Even if no one knew now, someday, the motherland would know, and the people would know the boy’s accomplishments at this moment. The motherland would never fail any patriot.

……

The news of Li Shuran’s critical illness came in early 1994.

Upon hearing this, Le Jing was momentarily stunned. A phrase suddenly came to mind: Life between heaven and earth is like a white horse passing through a crack—suddenly, it is gone.

※

Li Shuran lay on her sickbed, her face pale and wan, her breath faint, chest barely rising.

Li Yian entered the room and saw his grandmother in her critically ill state. Though he had not spent much time with her growing up, he deeply respected this elder who had devoted her life to the country.

So, upon hearing the news of her illness, he had flown overnight from Singapore to return. 

Seeing her so weak now, his eyes reddened immediately. He hurried forward, clasping her hand tightly, his voice trembling with emotion: “Grandma, do you know? The Shenzhou-1 spacecraft has already launched! Your long-cherished dream of manned spaceflight is about to come true! Please wake up…”

The elderly woman on the bed was as still as a sculpture, cold and lifeless. Li Yian held her hands tightly, trying to warm her icy palms. He babbled on and on, his words all circling around one thing: he just wanted her to wake up soon.

It was at this moment that Le Jing entered. His sister lay quietly on the bed, as if she could depart at any moment. Although historically Li Shuran lived to be 96, in this timeline, history had already been rewritten at the moment Le Jing arrived, making past records irrelevant.

A butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon might trigger a storm across the Pacific. Who knew whether his own “butterfly effect” might hasten Li Shuran’s death?

After wiping his tears and standing up, Li Yian was surprised to see Chang Jingchen standing at the door. “How are you here?”

Le Jing paused briefly, then said, “I came to visit an old friend. Can we be alone for a moment?”

Although Li Yian was full of questions, years of studying abroad had left marks on him. Over the years, he had speculated about the sudden reason for his overseas education. Most of his guesses were related to this seemingly ordinary boy before him.

He looked at Le Jing deeply, then left silently.

Le Jing sat on the chair beside the elderly woman’s bed. He had asked his private security team to clear the area. In other words, within ten meters of the room, only he and Li Shuran were present. The system had also hacked into the room’s surveillance, so nothing he said would be transmitted outside.

He gently lifted the frail right hand of the elderly woman and placed it into his own, white and firm, the hand of a young man. The contrast between old and young was stark.

He studied her aging white hair, the dark spots on her face, the loose wrinkles…

Is this really Li Shuran?

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reconcile the frail elderly woman on the bed with the memory of the bright-eyed young girl he remembered.

【Element: Ms. Li Shuran aaaahhh (crying loudly.jpg)】

【Feng Ge Laughs at Confucius: No, no!! Ms. Li Shuran didn’t die until 2008! It’s only 1994 now!】

【Look Look: But the streamer has already changed this era’s history, so even if Ms. Li Shuran’s death date comes early, it’s not surprising!】

【Lazy Cat: Nooo! Ms. Li Shuran, wake up! You haven’t even seen our Shenzhou-5 launch yet—how can you go to heaven so soon (crying.jpg)】

As if hearing the live-stream audience, the elderly woman’s eyelids trembled, her lips moved slightly, releasing faint breaths.

She whispered, “Shenzhou… space…”

Le Jing tightened his grip on her hand, leaning close to her ear and softly saying, “You’ve done so well over the years. I’m proud to have such an outstanding sister.”

Her eyelids twitched violently, a murky tear fell into her white hair and disappeared.

“The rest, leave it to your brother.”

“The dreams you didn’t accomplish, I will fulfill for you.”

【Narration: ?????】

【Source: What the heck????】

【Phoenix Praise: Brother??? Sister?!】

【Ji An Sugar: Has the streamer lost his mind??】

Li Shuran suddenly opened her eyes and looked intently at the boy beside her.

In a weak voice, she asked, “Who… are you?”

Le Jing glanced at the heart monitor by the bed—the previously nearly flat line began to rise and fall again.

Le Jing: …Sister, how are you alive again???