"They're from the Beijing Industrial Design Institute," Huo Tingzhou explained.
"Yes, I know."
Jiang Si had been living in the military family compound for nearly a year now. She could easily distinguish between military families and outsiders.
Naturally, she was aware.
What puzzled Jiang Si was why the design institute staff were all standing in front of her house at this moment.
Judging by their sweaty foreheads, they must have been waiting for quite some time.
This situation wasn’t just confusing for Jiang Si—Minister Wu from the logistics department and Section Chief Deng from the camp defense unit, who had accompanied the group, were equally baffled.
Earlier that morning, they had accompanied the design institute team to assess the damaged factory building.
Then, at Dean Gao’s request, right after lunch, everyone had come straight to the family compound.
But as soon as they reached the entrance of Colonel Huo’s residence, Dean Gao suddenly stopped.
And there he remained, unmoving, for over half an hour.
Noticing Dean Gao’s intense gaze fixed on the attic of Colonel Huo’s house, Minister Wu stepped forward.
Tentatively, he asked, "Dean Gao, is there something wrong with this attic?"
He was no expert in architecture, after all.
But the layout and configuration of the colonel’s residences in the family compound were identical.
Moreover, ever since the attic was built, Jiang Si had kept the windows open daily for ventilation.
So the internal structure of the attic was still somewhat visible from the outside.
"Originally, the roof was a sloping design, and there wasn’t that wall inside the attic," Minister Wu explained before continuing on his own.
"That wall’s placement is quite odd. The attic’s space is already limited, and having a wall abruptly placed there would definitely affect both lighting and ventilation."
Dean Gao remained silent, adjusting his glasses as he lifted his head.
His eyes returned to that wall.
At first glance, the wall seemed arbitrarily placed, but its presence was anything but accidental.
Its thickness, height, even the slope of the roof—everything appeared to have been meticulously calculated.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have turned out so flawlessly.
On the surface, it sacrificed natural light, but in reality, it significantly enhanced wind resistance.
Moreover, he could tell this was a reconstruction based on the original structure of the house.
Had it been built from scratch, the wall could have been positioned in a more optimal location.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Dean Gao’s expression softened with admiration.
"Section Chief Deng, you mentioned earlier that this attic was built according to Comrade Jiang’s ideas?"
"That’s correct," Section Chief Deng nodded.
He then pulled two blueprints from his bag. "These were both drawn by Comrade Jiang. We simply followed them to recreate the design exactly."
There were blueprints too?
This was something Dean Gao hadn’t anticipated.
Taking them, he quickly skimmed through the drawings.
The more he examined them, the more astonished he became.
"Minister Wu, what does Comrade Jiang do for a living?"
Her occupation?
Minister Wu was momentarily taken aback. "She doesn’t work."
"She doesn’t work?" Dean Gao’s disbelief was palpable.
"Y-yes," Minister Wu replied, adding an explanation when he noticed Dean Gao’s stunned reaction.
"Comrade Jiang is Colonel Huo’s wife. She only came to the military base last year to accompany him. She’s currently six or seven months pregnant and has been resting at home."
That was all the information he had. Whether Comrade Jiang had held any previous jobs, he couldn’t say.
It was at this moment that Jiang Si and Huo Tingzhou arrived.
"Colonel Huo, Comrade Jiang."
Seeing the two return, Section Chief Deng called out a greeting.
Minister Wu was about to introduce everyone when Dean Gao Boqian proactively extended his hand.
"Comrade Jiang Si, hello. Forgive the intrusion. I’m Gao Boqian, Dean of the Capital Industrial Design Institute."
He then gestured to the others beside him. "This is my assistant, Little Li, and here are Engineer Wang and Engineer Zhang."
"Dean Gao, it’s a pleasure."
Jiang Si shook his hand and greeted the others politely.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jiang Si asked, "May I ask what brings you here, Dean Gao?"
Though she phrased it as a question, she had a hunch it was related to the attic.
After all, the group had been staring intently in its direction the entire time.
Not to mention, Dean Gao was holding the blueprint she had drawn.
It wasn’t hard to guess.
Dean Gao didn’t beat around the bush. "Comrade Jiang, the attic in your home is quite unique, especially in its structural design and roof modifications."
"I just reviewed your blueprint, and I must admit, I’m very curious."
"Would it be possible for us to take a look inside?"
Before Jiang Si could respond, Dean Gao looked at her earnestly.
"Additionally, I have a few questions I’d like to ask for your insight."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone present widened their eyes in surprise.
Engineer Wang and Engineer Zhang, who had accompanied him, exchanged glances.
Had they heard correctly?
The dean had just used the word "insight" when addressing a woman barely in her twenties?
Jiang Si, however, remained unfazed. She nodded calmly. "Of course. Please, come inside."
The door opened, and the group made their way up to the attic.
Dean Gao examined every detail meticulously, his gaze sweeping over the walls, roof, and load-bearing structures. Occasionally, he tapped the surfaces lightly.
Seeing their dean’s thoroughness, the others followed suit, taking notes and observing carefully.
"Comrade Jiang," Dean Gao suddenly spoke up, "the roof slope here is quite shallow. Aren’t you concerned about water pooling and leaks?"
After all, Qiongzhou Island’s rainfall far exceeded that of most inland and coastal cities.
Jiang Si answered smoothly, "A gentler slope reduces wind resistance, making the roof less likely to be torn off. There are three layers of waterproofing and an additional felt membrane. As long as the integrity remains intact, leakage shouldn’t be an issue."
Dean Gao nodded thoughtfully, as if recalling something. He turned to Jiang Si again.
"Comrade Jiang, why did you add this wall here?"
"Typically, one would reinforce the load-bearing wall or install diagonal bracing in this spot. Wouldn’t that save both materials and labor?"
This was the same question the defense team had asked earlier.
At the time, Jiang Si had glossed over it briefly.
But Dean Gao was an expert in this field—vague answers wouldn’t suffice.
Moreover, she could tell his questions weren’t meant to challenge her but rather to confirm a hypothesis.
For the next ten minutes, Jiang Si provided a detailed, technical explanation in response.
From there, their discussion expanded to frame mechanics, lateral resistance, horizontal load distribution, and more.
Throughout the exchange, Jiang Si handled herself with effortless confidence.
Before they knew it, nearly two hours had passed.
If Dean Gao had only been suspicious before, by now, he was certain.
This Comrade Jiang... is definitely not some amateur!
Her ideas aren’t just flashes of inspiration either.
Behind every seemingly simple decision lies solid mechanical logic and spatial reasoning.
Suddenly, he thought of those diagrams Jiang Si had drawn.
Simple yet profound.
That was his assessment.
After sorting through these thoughts, Dean Gao’s gaze finally settled on Jiang Si again.
This time, beyond curiosity, there was unmistakable admiration.
Noticing the late hour, Dean Gao said, "Comrade Jiang, your answers have given me much to reflect on. I’ll be staying in the military district for a few more days."
"If it’s convenient for you, we could continue our discussions later."
His words were generous with praise.
"Dean Gao, you’re too kind," Jiang Si replied, not out of false modesty.
When it came to foundational skills, she couldn’t compare to the experts present.
The reason she could speak so confidently today was entirely due to the advantage of her transmigration—knowing more than others by standing on the shoulders of giants.
These people before her were the true pillars of Huaxia’s architectural design field.
That much, Jiang Si understood clearly.
