Abstract: This paper reviews the author’s tortuous journey in the cause of physical mechanics since 1956, when he embarked on the field under the guidance of Profs. Qian Xuesen and Guo Yonghuai. The journey encompasses early efforts such as translating lecture notes and building research teams, the temporary dissolution of the Physical Mechanics Research Group following the "Great Leap Forward" movement, and the subsequent reconstruction and multiple transformations of research directions into high-temperature gas dynamics and nanomechanics. The paper details the establishment and adjustments of key research entities, including the High-Temperature Gas Research Group, the Department of Chemical Physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and the Supercritical State Task Force. It also documents the pivotal decisions made by the two directors—Profs. Qian Xuesen and Guo Yonghuai—regarding research orientations, organizational structures, and talent cultivation.