Because the technology itself is its symbol.

Now that the engine problem has been completely solved, and the problems such as vector nozzle, stealth design, avionics system, etc. have been learned from the J-22, what else can stop them from building a STOVL fourth-generation aircraft?

?

As soon as the program aired, the direction of domestic public opinion suddenly reversed.

The military fans cheered for joy, and the banana people felt as if they were mourning for their heirs.

Of course, these banana people in China are not the only ones who are dying to have an heir.

On the other side of the sea, the turret.

Paine stood silently in his office. This was not the first time that he, as the actual leader of the May Conference, faced the controller of the Corner Tower, but it was definitely the most difficult moment in his career, and even in his life.

For no other reason, things went wrong.

Moreover, there is no room for redemption.

Sitting opposite him was a senior official from the Department of Defense named Bob. At this time, he was banging the table, pointing at Paine and cursing angrily.

"Are you all stupid? How could you be so stupid?"

"J-20B! Fourth-generation aircraft! STOVL! Do you know what these words mean?"

"I've said it before, if you can't do it, then report it directly to Congress and hand over the authority to us. We always have other ways to interrupt their projects!"

"But now? Until last week, your feedback in the report was 'everything is fine'!"

"Tell me, where is normal? Are you talking about their project running normally?"

"Yes, you are right. All your actions have not had even the slightest impact on them. This is really normal!"

Paine grinned bitterly, took a deep breath and replied:

"I admit that we made a serious mistake. We underestimated their scientific research capabilities."

"But in fact, this is indeed unpredictable. Please think about it. Even if you were personally commanding it, you would never have imagined that they could build such an aircraft in just half a year."

"It's not half a year, it's ten years!"

Bob slammed the table again and said in an iron-clad tone:

"Do you have amnesia? I have said countless times at the meeting that they have been preparing for this project for at least ten years."

"And, I also emphasized that their breakthrough could happen at any time, maybe today, maybe tomorrow."

"Now, I'm right."

"And what about you? You didn't react at all!"

"This is simply a joke. I heard that you are even planning to assassinate scientific researchers to slow down their progress. Can you use your brain to see if this is possible?"

"We almost succeeded."

Paine argued.

He was a little unconvinced. He did almost succeed. Even from his perspective, the plan was perfect.

However, there seemed to be an invisible force interfering with the progress of the matter.

He even felt that he was fighting against some kind of omniscient and omnipotent shadow.

If this were not the case, how could the other party be so vigilant and even catch their own person so quickly after the incident happened?

Bob opposite took a deep breath, suppressed the urge to take out a gun from the drawer and shoot Paine to death, and then continued:

"This is not a near success. What you call a near miss is actually at least a distance from here to the sun!"

"Do you think the matter will be solved after a few core scientists are eliminated?"

"Let me tell you, their accumulation of talents is not much weaker than ours, especially the geniuses who can change the overall situation. They definitely have more than one, not just a few, but a group of them!"

"Even if you eliminate one, others can quickly take over. Can you handle it?!"

Paine was speechless. At this moment, he deeply felt the gap in the way he looked at the problem from different standpoints.

The May Meeting itself is an intelligence department, and what it does is always buried underwater. Therefore, the way to solve problems is also more inclined to point-to-point, small-scale, and leverage the smallest force to achieve the greatest results.

As for Corner Tower, they disdain to use this kind of conspiracy.

More often than not, they will use absolute power.

This also leads to their concepts being completely different from their own.

I couldn't even argue, because they simply couldn't listen.

Paine sighed and lowered his tone.

"Things are already like this, and all we can do now is to find ways to make up for it."

"I'm not asking you for help, I'm asking for cooperation."

"In the past, we had too little cooperation, and many times we were even in a competitive relationship, which is unhealthy."

"Humph, I really wish you had understood this earlier."

Bob looked at Paine with contempt and continued:

"But now, it's too late."

"The J-20B has already made its first flight, but our F-35 is still in the laboratory."

"What's even more stupid is that in order to cooperate with your so-called public opinion offensive, they even actively slowed down the progress of the F-35 project."

"They have taken a step ahead, and this step is of great significance."

"This is definitely not alarmist. The situation is very serious. Although the competition has just begun, we are already lagging behind."

"Mr. Paine, I hope you understand this: this is the first time in nearly two hundred years that we have fallen behind."

"And you are the main culprit for this backwardness."

"You will be nailed to history's pillar of shame."

"Now, don't talk about cooperation anymore. I have reported to Congress and applied to remove you from all positions."

"Go home and retire."

"I hope you can live to be old."

"Now, get out of my office!"

Paine looked at Bob in shock, knowing very well what the other person meant.

Go home and retire.

For a key person like him who has mastered a lot of information, where can he be accommodated?

There was despair in his heart.

At this moment, he had already foreseen his own ending
Chapter completed!