In this era, transport planes had limited ranges, and it was impossible to fly from Hong Kong to Berlin without interruption, and had to land and refuel constantly at the airport on the way. The first stop after leaving Hong Kong is Sanya, Hainan, which is the future tourist resort Sanya, but at this time Sanya does not have the appearance of a tourist city, but a military port under construction. Five Ju.46 transport planes landed at the just-completed Sanya Airport, and taking advantage of the opportunity of refueling, Pan Yucheng and several attachés from the power group got off Chang Ruiqing's plane and took another plane. Li Fuji of the Institute of Physics and Pan Wenzhao, chief of staff of the Armored Corps Command, got into the Ju.46 transport plane in which Chang Ruiqing was riding.

"The two of you are here just in time, sit down and talk." Chang Ruiqing beckoned to the two, and then ordered Natalie, who was on the same plane with him all the way. Lesinskaya sat down beside her. "Mr. Zemin, let's talk about what uranium is."

At this time, the engine of the plane began to roar again, and the noise in the cabin was terrifying, and Li Fuji almost shouted: "Uranium is the name of a chemical element, the atomic number is 92, and the element symbol is U, which is the heaviest element that can be found in nature." After refining, the metal uranium looks like nickel. It is chemically very active, but it does not explode, has a peculiar radioactivity, and can cause a blurry shadow on the photographic negative; It's a little hot to the touch; Prolonged exposure to it can cause minor burns and adverse health effects......"

Sun Yuexun and Gao Xiaowen accompanied Chang Ruiqing on the trip as usual, just when Li Fuji introduced uranium. The two of them brought over the brewed coffee. Chang Ruiqing took a cup, took a sip, and then interrupted Li Fuji's popular science lecture. said: "Mr. Zemin, let's talk about the military use of uranium. ”

Li Fu nodded, took out a few mimeographed pieces of paper from the briefcase he was carrying, handed them to Chang Ruiqing, Leshinskaya and Pan Wenzhao, and then continued: "The density of metal uranium is very large, and the mass of the projectile made is also greater than that of a steel bullet of the same volume. According to the principles of physics, in the case of equal gunpowder. The kinetic energy gained by the projectile is the same, while the relationship between the momentum p and the kinetic energy ek of an object is ...... That is to say, the penetration of the projectile is directly proportional to the square root of the projectile mass, which is the main reason why the armor-piercing performance of uranium alloy armor-piercing projectiles is very strong. ”

Pan Wenzhao, chief of staff of the armored corps, interjected and said, "Mr. Zemin." As far as I know, Zhonghua Heavy Industry has cooperated with Krupp in Germany to develop tungsten alloy armor-piercing bullets, and has made considerable progress, compared with tungsten alloy armor-piercing bullets. Does uranium alloy armor-piercing projectile have obvious advantages? ”

Li Fuji frowned and said, "Of course, the advantages of uranium alloy armor-piercing projectiles are very obvious. One of the advantages is that uranium metal has self-sharpening, and its warhead is constantly self-sharpening during armor-piercing, while tungsten alloy armor-piercing projectiles are self-blunting. At a certain rate, the penetration capacity of depleted uranium shells was increased. In addition, because uranium oxidizes easily, after it hits an armored vehicle such as a tank, it can trigger uranium combustion due to the high temperature generated by the impact, which in turn produces a higher temperature. Softens the armor at the point of impact and reduces the strength of the armor. Piercing the armor piercing bullet into the armor. It forms a large post-sabotage effect, killing and injuring the crew and destroying the internal equipment of the tank. Finally, a large amount of cloudy uranium oxide dust produced when uranium burns can also contaminate the surface of armored vehicles such as tanks, forming a source of radioactive contamination and causing radioactive damage to the enemy. ”

"Sounds good, so when will the panzers get their hands on uranium alloy armor-piercing shells?" Pan Wenzhao took a sip of coffee, looked at his brother-in-law Chang Ruiqing again, and then said: "China Heavy Industry has already taken out a sample of tungsten steel armor-piercing bullets, can uranium alloy armor-piercing bullets be produced within a year?" ”

"Impossible." Li Fuji said: "The untreated uranium metal is too radioactive, and it will cause radioactive damage to the personnel who come into contact with them in the process of processing and use, so we must first remove uranium metal, the most radioactive isotope uranium-235, and then process the remaining part into uranium alloy armor-piercing bullets." ”

Pan Wenzhao looked at his brother-in-law again, the latter was just squinting his eyes admiring the Polish beauties around him, I don't know if he has put his mind on the issues to be discussed?

"How long will it take to get uranium alloy armor-piercing shells?" Pan Wenzhao was silent for a while, and then asked.

"I don't know, maybe 5 years, maybe 10 years."

"What about the price?"

"Very, very high! Under current technical conditions, the cost of one tonne of treated uranium metal is estimated to be ...... Tens of millions of dollars! ”

"Tens of millions of dollars? Oh, my God! Panzers can't afford to use this. Pan Wenzhao was so shocked that he almost bit his tongue, he inhaled a cool breath and said to Chang Ruiqing: "Chairman, this price really belongs to the range of fantasy, and uranium alloy armor-piercing bullets have no practical value!" ”

"But it's really valuable for research." Chang Ruiqing finally took his eyes off the beauty, looked at Pan Wenzhao with a smile and said: "Wenzhao, the armor of the tank is getting thicker and thicker, and now the tungsten alloy armor-piercing bullet is enough to deal with the situation, but what about the future?" In 10 or 20 years, I am afraid that the tank armor of the Soviet Red Army will break through 100mm, or even reach 200mm, and then tungsten alloy armor-piercing shells may not be enough. So it is necessary to study in advance uranium alloy armor-piercing shells with stronger armor-piercing capabilities, do you understand? ”

"But the cost ......"

"As technology advances, costs will definitely come down." Chang Ruiqing said in a gentle tone: "At present, the Armored Forces Command only needs to submit an application to the Ordnance Technology Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense for the development of uranium alloy armor-piercing shells. You don't have to worry about the rest, and all weapons and equipment research and development plans are going on as usual. ”

"Yes." Pan Wenzhao didn't dare to oppose Chang Ruiqing's order, so he had to nod and say: "When my subordinates return to Nanjing, I will immediately apply to the Ministry of National Defense." ”

"Good." Chang Ruiqing turned his head to look at Natalie again. Lesinskaya: "Miss Lesinskaya, the technology and equipment for separating uranium-235 are very complex...... We do not have the strength to develop it alone, so we will entrust the research and development to British and German technicians and precision equipment manufacturers, and the Science Department of the Intelligence Bureau will also do its best to follow up and try to obtain key technologies by all means. ”

"Okay. I'll do my best. The Polish beauty nodded and agreed.

Pan Wenzhao, who was on the side, couldn't help but interject again: "Chairman of the committee, my subordinates still think that tungsten alloy armor-piercing bullets are completely sufficient, if you want to get a better armor-piercing effect." R&D should be focused on artillery......"

"Got it, got it." Chang Ruiqing smiled. "The development of large-caliber tank guns and anti-aircraft guns will also be carried out with all their might, and the funds for the development of uranium alloy armor-piercing shells will not be deducted from the funds of the armored forces, and the Ministry of Defense will have a separate budget."

Hearing Chang Ruiqing say this, Pan Wenzhao was not easy to take seriously, but he still had an incomprehensible expression. Actually, for Chang Ruiqing's decision. Not only did Pan Wenzhao not understand, but even Li Fuji, who presided over the uranium alloy project, did not understand. Although he did not yet know how to extract the isotope of uranium-235 from uranium metal on a large scale, he knew that it would be very expensive! And the reserves of uranium ore itself are not very rich. The cost of mining and refining is also relatively high. The armor-piercing bullets produced with this material will be so expensive, Li Fuji really can't imagine it.

In fact, Chang Ruiqing, like Pan Yuzhao and Li Fuji, never thought about what depleted uranium armor-piercing shells he wanted to do. That's just an excuse to cover people's ears. What he really wanted was to use the technology of Britain, France, Germany and other countries to build an isotope separation plant for China. It is used to produce high-purity uranium-235.

As for the use of high-purity uranium-235, of course, there is only one use, that is, to make atomic bombs! In the memory of Chang Ruiqing's later generations, the biggest technical difficulty in producing the atomic bomb was to obtain weapons-grade uranium-235 or plutonium-239, which are more than 90% abundant. The former can only be obtained by isotope separation, and the production cost and technical difficulty are extremely high. The latter, which needs to be obtained through a nuclear fission reaction, is not only expensive to produce, but also requires the construction of complex heavy water reactors and reprocessing plants...... This also involves the discovery of nuclear fission! Although Chang Ruiqing is not a physicist, he also knows how to uncover the Pandora's box of nuclear fission, and even knows that once the nuclear fission phenomenon is exposed in advance. Then the world's leading military-scientific and technological powers will soon be thrown into the race to produce atomic bombs. China, on the other hand, with its weak industrial base and scientific research capabilities, is doomed to fail to win this race.

So. After thinking about it repeatedly, Chang Ruiqing could only carry out the research and development of separating uranium-235 in the name of developing uranium alloy armor-piercing bullets, and was ready to seek help from China's friends Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, relying on their strength, so that China could obtain the ability to separate uranium-235 isotopes before the nuclear fission phenomenon was discovered.

Of course, the risk of this is that the phenomenon of nuclear fission is likely to be exposed sooner, and the atomic bomb may also be invented sooner. If any country were to follow China's lead and build an isotope separation plant, they would surely find nuclear fission after the plant was up and running, and as long as they put enough uranium metal together, or put enough uranium-235 in a pile of enough purity, the chain reaction would automatically occur...... After a tragic nuclear accident, physicists in Western countries will surely discover the mystery for the first time! By then, however, China should have acquired a full set of isotope separation plants for refining high-purity uranium-235. And the China Power Construction Project, led by Pan Yucheng, should also be able to provide enough energy for the isotope separation plant. In this way, the biggest bottleneck in the manufacture of atomic bombs is expected to be "easily" broken by China.

……

At the same time that Chang Ruiqing thought that he had started the Manhattan project in China without knowing it, the revolutionary prophet who was far away in Moscow was always paying attention to Chang Ruiqing's second trip to Europe.

The atmosphere in the Kremlin has not been too good and not too bad in recent times. The joy brought by the victory of the Persian War and the successive shattering of the ice of British and American diplomacy has gradually faded. The bad news from China cast another shadow over the minds of the Soviet leadership. Although the trial of the "Chinese People's Revolutionary Party Rebellion and Traitor Case" is still going on unhurriedly. But the final result is already a certainty, and all the backbone of the People's Revolutionary Party and internationalist fighters are dead! The reason why the case has not yet been finally concluded is that the Chinese revisionists want to attract the attention of the people as much as possible, and use this to carry out anti-Soviet and anti-Soviet propaganda, right? What is even more disturbing is that the Chinese dictator Chang Ruiqing actually left China at this time to visit Europe, clearly wanting to discuss with British, French, German, and Italian imperialism how to deal with the Soviet Union.

"Comrade President. This is a photo taken in secret recently by Japanese and German comrades. Skryansky pulled a stack of photographs out of his bag and placed them in front of President Trotsky. Lenin, who had recently been recovering in Sochi, suffered a minor stroke, which, although not life-threatening, worried the Soviet GCD. In order for Comrade Lenin to recuperate with peace of mind. The Central Committee of the USSR GCD urgently announced a resolution to elect Lenin as Honorary Chairman of the USSR GCD and Trotsky as Chairman of the USSR GCD. So from now on, Comrade Trotsky will be the first person of the world revolution in the name of the word.

"Chairman, a preliminary investigation has made it clear that Chang Ruiqing's visit to Germany was accompanied by Pan Yucheng, head of China's electric power department, and Shi Jianfei, chief of staff of the Chinese Air Force. Pan Yuzhao, chief of staff of the Chinese armored forces, and Li Fuji, director of the Chinese Institute of Physics, ...... "Skryansky picked up a photograph sent by a Japanese-G agent disguised as a reporter and introduced it to Trotsky.

"Director of the Institute of Physics? Is there no mistake about the day g? Is this guy really a physicist? Trotsky was a little puzzled. Why did Chang Ruiqing bring a physicist on a visit? Is it to discuss the theory of relativity on the road to relieve boredom?

"It is indeed a physicist, this Li Fuji is also a professor at the Central University in Nanjing, and there are secret party members of the Japanese G among the Japanese professors."

Trotsky frowned and did not ask any further questions. Skryansky picked up another photograph of a mushroom cloud and said to Trotsky: "This one was taken on the outskirts of Swabia in Germany. There's a secret weapons base there. Rumor has it that the Germans are secretly testing earthquake weapons! In addition, the German GCD reported that the German reactionary authorities had secretly set up a Wehrmacht Institute for Seismology, led by the world's most eminent geophysicist and seismologist, Benno. Professor Gutenberg is the director. Over the past year or so, the institute has conducted more than a dozen seismic weapons demonstrations at the Eplat test site near Swabia. It is likely that this photograph was taken during an earthquake when the weapon was real.

In addition, the Czechoslovak GCD also reported that in recent times. China bought a large amount of uranium ore from Czechoslovakia and hired Czechoslovak engineers with experience in uranium mining and exploration to work in China. Comrades from Hungary, the Netherlands, Denmark also reported. Recently, China's scientific research institutions are recruiting a group of young physicists and chemists to work in China at high salaries. At the same time, China has also purchased a large number of advanced physical and chemical equipment in Britain, France, Germany and other countries. There is also news that the Chinese Institute of Physics wants to cooperate with the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy of Sciences in Germany and the Cavendish Schusher Yàn Office in the United Kingdom. Judging from these indications, Li Fuji of the Chinese Institute of Physics and Chang Ruiqing are likely to start cooperation talks with scientific research institutions in Britain, France, Germany, and other countries on their visit to Europe, and it is very likely that they will be involved in the development of secret weapons......

Hearing the word secret weapon, Trotsky immediately showed a wary expression: "Do you know what the secret weapon is?" Could it be a reactionary seismic weapon? ”

Just as Skryansky wanted to speak, Vatsettis, who was next to him, stepped forward and said: "Our weapons experts, with the cooperation of the Japanese comrades, have carefully searched the entire area affected by the Great Kanto Earthquake and have not found any signs of the use of earthquake weapons. ”

"So what's going on with the Great Kanto Earthquake?" Trotsky looked up at Vatsetis and asked rhetorically. "Do you think it was the result of some kind of God's apparition?"

After the victory of the Japanese Revolution, the Soviet Union and Japan invested a lot of manpower and material resources to investigate the secrets behind the "Great Kanto Earthquake Incident". However, after more than a year of searching, there is still no clue, at least no signs of seismic weapons have been found. Therefore, some of the top leaders of the Soviet GCD gradually began to believe in the explanation of the theory of immortals, and some even privately banned Christianity from Trotsky! However, Trotsky was resolutely opposed to this, and even removed several high-ranking GCD officials who proposed such a proposal from their posts!

"No, no...... I don't think there is a God in the universe! Vasetis hurriedly changed his words: "Comrade Chairman, from the photos and intelligence analysis of Skryansky just now, China, Britain, France, Germany and other countries are about to carry out a secret weapon research and development work, which is likely to be related to earthquake weapons!" We should pay close attention to this study, and even follow up immediately, because the Soviet Union must not lag behind in the study of key secret weapons, otherwise it will affect the course of the world revolution. ”

These words were on Trotsky's mind, for the Red Prophet was well aware of the importance of advanced weapons in warfare. Isn't it the credit of the Soviet Union's resounding victory in last year's Persian War that advanced Soviet tanks have made it?

"You're quite right." Trotsky nodded. "The Soviet Union cannot lag behind in the development of secret weapons, and it cannot lag behind in the development of other weapons and equipment, especially tanks and armored vehicles! Comrade Vatsettis, I ask the People's Commissariat of Labor and Defense to do its utmost to accelerate the pace of research on Soviet weapons and equipment. In the future, the Red Army needed to equip the whole world with the most advanced tanks and aircraft, and, of course, secret weapons! (To be continued.) )