Chapter 34: Development

Chapter 34: Development

Hearing her question, Guan Yuqi paused, then couldn't help but say, "If it’s the latter, then she is truly incredible."

"This is the first time I've ever seen someone learn how to route these cables after just one demonstration."

"That’s right, it took me a whole week..." Xiao Yu whispered from the side.

She wasn't the only one; the others hadn't fared much better.

At that moment, Xu Qiao ran back with a coil of wire, looking somewhat worried as she asked, "Squad leader, was I too slow? I’ll try to speed up."

Guan Yuqi looked at her and said, "Your speed still needs some work. Keep it up."

The others wanted to say something, but they opened their mouths and held back.

Perhaps it was her competence that had won over the communications squad; after only one day of training, everyone’s attitude toward her had shifted.

The communications company's training was completely different from what she had imagined.

Physical training consisted mostly of weight-bearing exercises while carrying various pieces of communications equipment. Driving ground stakes, setting up antennas, and even connecting lines made her feel less like she was in a military camp and more like she was in a technical trade school.

Listening to this, Xu Qiao’s eyes practically gleamed with excitement, and she immediately grasped the core point: "With frequency hopping and anti-jamming communications, does that mean we can avoid being monitored?"

Though she didn't know why Xu Qiao was so excited, Guan Yuqi nodded. "It does indeed have those capabilities."

She coughed lightly to mask her embarrassment.

"I brought you here to see this so you could learn about the history of our communications company and make up for that missing lesson."

Seeing Xu Qiao look at her in surprise, she continued to explain, "Since you came here from the recruit training company, besides undergoing training, you also need to understand our company's history."

"This is considered one of the historical artifacts of our unit."

"So... we’re starting our training from here?"

"From the initial single communications squad to later becoming a full communications company, we have been rebuilt several times due to the cruelty of war. It took many twists and turns to reach where we are today."

But before Xu Qiao could be happy, Guan Yuqi added, "However, as our radio equipment upgrades, the monitoring equipment also upgrades. In the war of communications, it has always been a battle between the spear and the shield."

Guan Yuqi laughed suddenly. "Yes, this thing isn't even the first telegraph machine we ever used."

Guan Yuqi looked at her. "You missed this part earlier; I am making it up to you now."

Looking at the telegraph machine, Xu Qiao asked, "Are you saying that during the war, this was used to send messages behind enemy lines?"

"We need to learn this?" Xu Qiao looked at the radio in front of her, hardly believing her eyes.

Xu Qiao nodded in realization.

Xu Qiao nodded without hesitation. "It’s a telegraph machine, but... isn't it a bit too ancient?"

Guan Yuqi looked at her with amusement. "What are you thinking? This is an antique now; how could we let you handle it?"

"The upcoming training will indeed start with this, but... it will be on the first generation of radio stations we produced ourselves."

"You recognize it?" Guan Yuqi was surprised by her reaction.

Perhaps it wasn't a 'comrade-in-arms' that had fought alongside her, but perhaps back then, this very machine had transmitted intelligence that saved the lives of a group of soldiers.

She had expected to learn technical skills, but hearing these words left her momentarily stunned.

"We are the famous 'unsung heroes' of the communications company. Not only during the war years, but even after our reconstruction, we have earned many honors."

This remark made Xu Qiao realize that everyone else had already gone through this orientation; she had simply arrived late.

Hearing this, Xu Qiao felt a complicated swell of emotions.

She never expected to encounter it here, in this way.

"What's wrong?" Perhaps noticing the change in her expression, Guan Yuqi looked up.

"The third generation of equipment was based on small and medium-scale integrated circuits. We independently developed and produced shortwave, ultra-shortwave, and microwave (relay, satellite communication) equipment, as well as encryption devices. Various standardized communications vehicles were gradually equipped to the troops. At the same time, we introduced a small amount of Western communications equipment, forming the third generation of radio communications equipment."

Fortunately, Guan Yuqi didn't make things difficult for her and continued, "Speaking of radios, the radios we produced ourselves have gone through four generations, starting from the first."

"The fourth generation of equipment, following the rapid development of microelectronics technology and the needs of electronic warfare, is based on large-scale integrated circuits. We developed a batch of anti-jamming communications equipment with adaptive, frequency-hopping, and spread-spectrum functions, which greatly improved the confrontation capabilities and intelligence level of radio communications equipment. This achieved the standardization and serialization of equipment, forming the fourth generation of radio communications equipment."

"That’s right, this is the only radio we’ve kept that was truly used behind enemy lines," Guan Yuqi confirmed with a nod.

After Xu Qiao had learned all the things that looked like they were meant for combat engineers, she hadn't expected the first communications device she would face to be an old-fashioned radio.

Xu Qiao finally collected herself and shook her head. "I just didn't expect it to have been preserved until now."

"The second generation of equipment, with the development of semiconductor devices and frequency synthesis technology, saw the research and production of FM radios, relay machines, tropospheric scatter machines, and shortwave single-sideband radios, which were primarily characterized by semiconductor devices. This initially achieved the serialization and miniaturization of equipment, including 15-watt shortwave single-sideband radios and ultra-shortwave radios, forming the second generation of radio communications equipment."

"Although we are just a communications company, we were established during the war years. From operations behind enemy lines to providing communications for combat units, we have experienced countless battles, both large and small."

"The first generation of equipment was mainly based on Soviet-style vacuum tube communications equipment. We organized the development of walkie-talkies and field radios, and successfully replicated nine types of AM and FM radios, including the Type 91 100W shortwave radio, the Type 81 15W shortwave radio, the Type 71 2W shortwave radio, and the Type 702 ultra-shortwave regenerative walkie-talkie. This formed the first generation of radio communications equipment."

"But this is the treasure of our company; not just anyone can touch it."

"However, we are now more than just radio stations. After the fourth generation of radio equipment, communication systems have particularly emphasized the network system functions of radio communications. By adopting various radio transmission means, combined with digitization and various encryption measures, the new generation of communication systems has higher reliability, survivability, and anti-destruction capabilities, making them better adapted to the needs of future high-tech warfare."

"Although the concepts of different generations of communications equipment are now blurred, it has always been upgrading and improving, and our equipment has become more and more advanced."

Listening to her, Xu Qiao felt truly overwhelmed.

She realized that the development of this era was something achieved only after many years of hard work.