As a district in the northwest of Moscow, Shukino is actually a town. It only established an administrative district in 1918 and is a special administrative district directly under the Central Government.

Although this town is on the edge of the Moscow ring road, it is still too desolate compared to the downtown area of ​​Moscow. This is mainly due to the fact that Comrade Sherbakov put the main municipal planning on The southern and western parts of Moscow are less invested in the eastern and northern regions.

In addition, the Xiu Jinnuo District should also be regarded as an area with a relatively concentrated industry. Here, there are more than a dozen large-scale industrial enterprises, and the "electric steel furnace" factory is one of them. This is an enterprise that used to mainly produce steel. , But after the nuclear R&D project was launched, the plant was transformed.

The Kurchatov Research Institute was set up in the original workshop of the factory. To be honest, the conditions are still relatively difficult, but for a team of researchers including Kurchatov, even in the face of this They can also be contented under difficult conditions.

The reason for this is very simple. Although the conditions here are difficult, everything needed for research work, whether it is manpower or materials, is very sufficient. Although Comrade Vannikov is a bit bureaucratic, he also likes laymen to command experts. , But one thing that cannot be denied is that he is really very supportive of the work of the institute. Any condition, as long as the researchers put it forward, he will try his best to solve it.

It is precisely because of his personality that he intervenes in the "ABC computer" matter, perhaps because he thinks it, or because someone has suggested to him that something like a computer may be useful for simplifying calculations. Help, so he stretched his hand over and took this Victor through the Foreign Intelligence Agency to obtain a computer.

Because the nature of the company has changed, the work it is engaged in is extremely closely related to nuclear project research and development. Therefore, the "electric steel furnace" factory has become a unit strictly controlled by the Political Security Bureau. It was impossible to get close. The entire Kurchatov Square and the two nearby streets were blocked. Without a special pass, it was impossible to get to the checkpoint.

When Victor’s car turned into the square, there were already several cars parked in front of the three-story building. The four armed guards in front of the building stood upright with their waists straight. If not surprisingly, Comrade Malinkov should It's already a step ahead.

Valenka parked the car directly in front of the building, got out quickly and opened the door for Victor, waiting for him to get out of the car, and then whispered: "Comrade Malinkov has arrived. I saw his driver."

Victor nodded slightly, said nothing, and walked straight towards the entrance of the building.

Victor has been to this research institute several times before, and he is quite familiar. According to the report obtained before, the computer arranged by Vannikov should be assembled in the basement, and the basement entrance of this building is not there. The front hall of the building, but the easternmost side of the corridor on the first floor.

No need for others to lead him, Victor himself walked through the front hall of the building and went straight into the hallway.

He just turned the corner of the corridor and saw several people standing at the end of the corridor. He recognized them from a distance. Among these people was Malinkov in a gray tunic suit and the middle-aged man in military uniform next to him. , Is the head of the "Special Committee" of the Kurchatov Institute and the "Electric Steel Furnace" plant, Vannikov.

Among the remaining two people, the one standing to the left of Malinkov was Kurchatov himself. As for the vigorous young man standing on his right side, Victor also knew that it was Georgi Nikolayevich Flyrov who proposed the "gun-like" atomic bomb structure theory.

Flyrov is the youngest one among the core experts of the Soviet Academy of Sciences included in nuclear project research. This talented young man in nuclear physics research has just turned 30 last month, but Has been nominated as a corresponding member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences.

However, according to Viktor's understanding, the contradiction between Flyrov and Kurchatov was so deep that even if they walked opposite, they would only have to stare at them.

When Flyrov proposed the "gun-like" atomic bomb structure theory, he was still in Leningrad. Leningrad at that time was in the most difficult period of the German siege, because it was a non-combatant, Flyrov and his old mother, every day Only a very small amount of food can be obtained.

At that time, Flyrov, who was almost starving to death, wrote a letter to Kurchatov, hoping that the other party could transfer him to Moscow in order to escape the fate of being starved to death.

As a result, this letter was written without a response from Kurchatov at all, so he sent his own research on the theory of "gun-like" atomic bombs to Kurchatov, but the latter Still ignored him.

Feeling helpless, Flyrov began to write a letter to Sergei Vasilyevich Kaftanov, who is in charge of the science and technology department of the People’s Commissar of National Defense, expounding some of his views on the development of nuclear weapons in major Western countries. At the same time, he also explained his "gun-like" atomic bomb theory.

Fortunately, Kaftanov still valued him more, so he forwarded his letter to Comrade Stalin, and then Comrade Stalin personally gave instructions to transfer Flyrov from Leningrad to Moscow.

When Flyrov received the transfer order, it was already April last year, and his old mother had starved to death a month ago.

Regardless of why Kurchatov did not lend a hand when Flyrov needed it, at least in the latter's eyes, his mother's death was inseparable from Kurchatov's indifference, and the contradiction between the two Also from this.

Of course, for Victor, the character of these experts engaged in scientific research is not a matter of concern. Nuclear weapons research and development projects require the knowledge and ingenuity of these people, not their noble morals.

The few people who walked quickly towards the end of the corridor, when they approached, Victor first reached out to Comrade Malinkov and smiled: "I'm very sorry, Comrade Malinkov, I'm a bit late."

"We also just arrived," Comrade Malinkov said with a kind smile. "The technicians are still doing assembly work. I heard that the assembly process is a bit complicated, and the power consumption of this equipment seems to be very large. I don't know. Can the power transmission equipment be supported here?"

Victor smiled, did not speak, turned his head, and shook hands with Vannikov and others one by one.

After shaking hands and greetings with everyone present, Victor turned to Comrade Malenkov again and said: "That's it, Comrade Malenkov, I have specifically stated in the report I submitted before, this set of computers specially obtained from the United States, It is used to analyze linear equations, and other types of calculations are not applicable."

Speaking of this, he glanced at Vannikov and went on to say: "On this issue, I think the two comrades Kurchatov and Flyrov should have more say. After all, computers are a kind of equipment. It’s not a person. It can only understand scientific data, not administrative orders. It’s like we can only ask an excavator to shovel, but not to cut wheat.”

After speaking, he turned to Vannikov and asked: "What do you mean, Comrade General Vannikov?"

To tell the truth, Victor has grievances in his heart on this matter. After all, the "ABC computer" was brought back by the Foreign Intelligence Agency at his request. This is a feat of the Foreign Intelligence Agency. After the evaluation by the Science and Technology Review Committee, it must be reported.

As a result, Vanikov thrust a jar horizontally and took the things away. What if he reported that it was useful, but if the report said it was useless, wouldn't it be trouble for Victor?

Although Vannikov is an admiral, Victor will not shock him. In the final analysis, his admiral is only an admiral in the technical arms. As for the posts of the People’s Committee and the Special Committee of the People’s Committee of Ammunition, he is not scared. Living in Victor, after all, the level of the People’s Committee of National Security is one level higher than that of the People’s Committee of Ammunition.

The most important thing is that Victor has reason in this matter. He won’t be able to forgive others, but he can’t say nothing. Otherwise, the next time others reach out to the circle in which he is in charge, they will only stretch out their hands. Even more unscrupulous.

Vannikov apparently also understood the true performance of the "ABC computer", and it was useless to know that he snatched it, and this useless thing for them was very important to the computing center.

To put it bluntly, he grabbed resources and grabbed an own goal. Not to mention that Victor didn't say anything bad, even if he did, he had to pinch his nose to recognize it.

Therefore, facing Victor's obviously sarcastic question, Vannikov just laughed and said nothing.

"Comrade Victor is right," Vannikov did not speak, but Comrade Malinkov said with a smile, "When it comes to work in the field of science and technology, we must always face it with a scientific attitude. Take it for granted. The notion is not bad."

As if to say such a sentence casually, he turned off the topic and said: "Before, I have consulted several experts from the Academy of Sciences, and they are all very interested in this device. Therefore, my opinion is that this It seems a pity that this kind of equipment is put into use directly. The best way is to form a related research team to conduct in-depth research on this technology."

After speaking, he looked at Victor again and asked, "Comrade Victor, what do you think of this proposal?"