Chapter Summaries

Jiang Yan Hai cooperated with Silver Fox’s group as they transported her toward Beihai, while Er Dan monitored their communications and movements. Their escape ran into a traffic-police inspection near the Guangdong-Guangxi border, where Silver Fox warned her not to interfere.

• Silver Fox told Jiang Yan Hai that cooperating would help get her safely out of the country, and she acknowledged that she could cause trouble if she chose.
• The group set out for Beihai by national and provincial highways to avoid the more extensive surveillance on expressways, while Er Dan monitored their communications.
• Near the Guangdong-Guangxi border, the group encountered a traffic-police inspection and worried that Jiang Yan Hai might call for help.
• Silver Fox drew his pistol and demanded Jiang Yan Hai cooperate; she said she would not endanger innocent people, and the group prepared for the inspection.

Silver Fox’s group transported Jiang Yan Hai toward the coast while Dark Blade tracked them and Fire Phoenix reviewed the failed interception. Ye Cunxin realized that Jiang Yan Hai had warned the team, though she had not yet explained how.

• Silver Fox’s group passed through a checkpoint and continued through Gui Province toward their planned escape route near Beihai.
• A Dark Blade special operations team moved in on the two accomplices, while a stealth reconnaissance drone followed Silver Fox’s vehicles.
• Aboard a military aircraft, Tan Xiao Lin reassured Fire Phoenix that Silver Fox’s ambush had not been their fault.
• The team discussed how unlikely it would have been to rescue Jiang Ling if she had been an ordinary scientist.
• Ye Cunxin suddenly said that Jiang Yan Hai had warned them, leaving the others asking when.

Ye Cunxin explained that Jiang Yan Hai had deliberately revealed the Controlled Nuclear Fusion materials to test Silver Fox, and Fire Phoenix realized their instructor had suspected him much earlier. As they arrived near Beihai, Silver Fox warned Jiang Ling against calling for help, and Jiang Yan Hai said he wanted to see Silver Fox get caught.

• Ye Cunxin reminded the team that Jiang Yan Hai had mentioned resolving the Controlled Nuclear Fusion materials while they left Huawei Laboratory.
• Ye Cunxin reasoned that Jiang Yan Hai had used the information to test Silver Fox and force the suspected traitor to act.
• Fire Phoenix concluded that Jiang Yan Hai had deliberately exposed the information, and the team joked that they should simply follow his orders.
• Fire Phoenix landed at Beihai Airport and boarded vehicles waiting near the hangars.
• Silver Fox warned Jiang Ling to maintain their friendly appearance after leaving the car, and Jiang Yan Hai said he wanted to watch Silver Fox get caught.

Silver Fox led Jiang Yan Hai and four men to a fishing boat in Beihai after checking that no provinces had been locked down and confirming their escape route. They boarded with the help of Da Hong, who agreed to take them out toward international waters, while Jiang Yan Hai remained silent.

• Silver Fox checked the news and their travel plans, then concluded that the military exercises were a pretext to search for them.
• Silver Fox and Jiang Yan Hai reached Da Hong's home near Beihai and learned that a boat was ready to leave within an hour.
• Silver Fox persuaded Da Hong to take the group out, warning that his fishing boat's disappearance would draw suspicion.
• Da Hong said goodbye to his wife and told local fishermen he was taking tourists out for a trip.
• Silver Fox, Jiang Yan Hai, and the four men boarded Da Hong's fishing boat, and two of the men fell asleep in the cabin.

Jiang Yan Hai questioned the middle-aged spy steering the boat about his past, his beliefs, and why he had never turned himself in. The boat continued toward its destination as the group waited to leave international waters.

• The fishing boat left the dock, and Silver Fox and the others relaxed as it headed out to sea.
• Jiang Yan Hai asked the middle-aged man why he had become a spy, and the man described his long, ordinary life as an agent alongside his wife.
• The middle-aged man said he and his wife had considered turning themselves in, but their child, fear of prison, and the danger of being eliminated held them back.
• The middle-aged man told Jiang Yan Hai that he now believed in socialism, and Jiang Yan Hai said he understood how people could become trapped by their past choices.
• The middle-aged man admitted he had considered turning himself in while bringing Jiang Yan Hai to the boat, but cowardice and his growing concerns stopped him.
• The boat continued across the sea while Silver Fox and the others waited for the critical moment of leaving international waters.

As the boat reached international waters, Jiang Yan Hai attacked Silver Fox’s group and revealed his combat skills while posing as Jiang Ling. Fire Phoenix secured the cabin, leaving Silver Fox bewildered by the scientist’s claim that he had also received military training.

• Jiang Yan Hai noticed that Silver Fox and the other men had pistols ready as the boat neared international waters.
• Jiang Yan Hai knocked out one man, killed another, shot two attackers in the wrists, and held Silver Fox at gunpoint.
• The middle-aged man at the helm shut off the engine and surrendered without resisting.
• Ou Yang Qian and Ye Cunxin led Fire Phoenix into the cabin and secured the men.
• Jiang Yan Hai told Silver Fox that he was Jiang Ling, a civilian researcher who had also received military training.

Jiang Yan Hai captured Silver Fox’s team and assured the middle-aged man that his children would not be punished for his crimes. As the team was taken away, a Type 051 destroyer arrived, remaining in service as a witness to the Republic’s naval history despite its impending retirement from combat.

• The middle-aged man admitted he had trusted Jiang Yan Hai’s confidence and asked the government to protect his children from trouble and hostile intelligence agencies.
• Jiang Yan Hai said the children would be investigated but would not be implicated in their father’s crimes, then ordered the captives taken away.
• Silver Fox realized the operation had been monitored from the start and that the spies who had helped the team were likely being arrested as well.
• A Type 095 Attack Nuclear Submarine surfaced, sent over twelve team members, and dived away as a warship approached.
• Jiang Yan Hai and the others saw that the approaching ship was the navy’s last active Type 051 destroyer, which would leave combat service after the year and become a maritime museum in Haizhu City.

Jiang Yan Hai and the others returned safely after their mission, while the old warship began its final journey toward becoming a maritime museum. At the Dark Blade Unit base, Black Hawk reported that nineteen suspects had been arrested and that the highest-ranking spy identified so far had been captured, though others might remain hidden.

• Jiang Yan Hai and the others boarded the old warship, which returned to port under the protection of submarines and destroyers.
• Jiang Yan Hai, Fire Phoenix, and the others flew back to the Dark Blade Unit base, where Jiang Yan Hai removed his disguise and changed into uniform.
• Jiang Yan Hai went to the information command center and asked Black Hawk for an update on the investigation.
• Black Hawk reported that nineteen individuals had been arrested and their networks were being screened.
• Black Hawk identified the person responsible for Silver Fox’s transfer and several leaks as the highest-ranking spy captured so far, but could not confirm whether other spies remained.

Jiang Yan Hai ordered the operation against the captured network to continue while protecting the arrested couple’s uninvolved children. Meanwhile, China and Russia advanced their investments in Africa, and preparations began to reveal the Star Gates to Russia and friendly countries as the strategic game entered its second stage.

• Jiang Yan Hai told Black Hawk to monitor the captured network closely and protect the arrested couple’s children if they were confirmed uninvolved.
• Jiang Yan Hai left the interrogation and sentencing of the captured people to the relevant specialists and state authorities.
• China prepared to reveal the Star Gates of Great Qin and the Song Dynasty to Russia and friendly countries such as Mabu Country.
• China and Russia expanded their investments in Mabu Country, while China rapidly built ports, bases, railways, and other infrastructure.
• Chinese-backed investment and security support helped stabilize the Republic of Evia, eliminate Rebel Army forces and terrorists, and restore infrastructure and industry.

The Republic of Evia and other war-torn countries recognized that they needed a powerful partner and embraced China’s investment and guidance. Evia’s recovery continued through close cooperation, with both sides accepting favorable terms and building mutual trust.

• Evia and other countries concluded that weaker nations had to align themselves with stronger powers to survive.
• Evia’s leaders credited Chinese investment with rebuilding cities, creating jobs, and restoring safety after the civil war.
• Chinese experts and businesses helped Evia develop infrastructure and advised its government on finance, healthcare, education, law, and other fields.
• Evia’s people increasingly used renminbi because Chinese residents and businesses dominated trade and the currency seemed more reliable than their own.
• Chinese companies bought Evian resources at market prices, and Evia and Goa voluntarily lowered prices for Chinese merchants, strengthening cooperation.

China revealed its secret cooperation with Africa to Russia as Jiang Yan Hai returned to research and fighter design. More than eight months after the Jiang Ling incident, Jiang Ling announced that her team had completed and tested a Controlled Nuclear Fusion reactor, leaving China poised to build a commercial power station.

• China shared its activities in Africa with Russia to strengthen their relationship and divert attention from developments at home.
• Jiang Yan Hai returned to ordinary life with Li Ruo Bai while working on Controlled Nuclear Fusion materials and designing a next-generation Phantom fighter jet.
• More than eight months after the Jiang Ling incident, Jiang Ling appeared in a special news report with her research team.
• Jiang Ling announced that the reactor had run for two months with an average Q value of around 4.5 and that a larger power station design could reach a Q value of around 6.
• Jiang Ling said the planned fusion power station would generate approximately 60 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

Jiang Ling’s interview announced the enormous promise of China’s Controlled Nuclear Fusion program, prompting widespread admiration at home and an uproar abroad. The chapter left China prepared to invite foreign scientists to observe some technologies while keeping the reactor’s crucial materials and data beyond their reach.

• Jiang Ling said that fusion power could sharply reduce electricity prices and eventually supply energy to space stations and lunar bases.
• Insiders questioned whether Jiang Ling had ever been a separate scientist from Jiang Yan Hai, but Jiang Yan Hai refused to clarify and maintained the mystery.
• Online commenters praised Jiang Ling and speculated that she might soon receive another major science award.
• News of Controlled Nuclear Fusion stunned the international public and academic community, while China planned to restrict exports and protect the reactor’s core technologies.

After international scientists confirmed China’s controlled nuclear fusion breakthrough, energy markets reacted sharply, while doubts about Jiang Ling’s newly discovered elements fueled an online smear campaign against Jiang Yan Hai and his colleagues. Jiang Yan Hai dismissed the attacks and watched for the people directing them.

• International scientists confirmed that China had achieved controlled nuclear fusion with a Q value of 6, prompting celebration and a plunge in energy prices.
• A paper described Jiang Ling’s discovery of two new elements, but foreign chemists failed to extract them and questioned whether she had concealed steps or fabricated the discovery.
• Foreign and domestic media spread criticism of Jiang Ling, while Weibo users argued over the accusations and most supported Jiang Yan Hai.
• Li Ruo Bai asked Jiang Yan Hai whether the hostile comments had upset him, and he said he was watching to see when the people behind them would reveal themselves.

Jiang Yan Hai responded to the controversy over Jiang Ling’s research by using an official Weibo account to announce that she would retract her papers and had no time to prove her claims. The posts stunned scientists and supporters, while trolls celebrated and officials offered no further comment.

• Li Ruo Bai suggested buying Weibo to stop paid trolls, but Jiang Yan Hai told her to wait because the harassment would soon end.
• A week after Jiang Yan Hai published his paper, Science announced it would retract Jiang Ling’s paper on the new element unless she could prove the element existed.
• Jiang Yan Hai borrowed an official Weibo account and posted that he was Jiang Ling, then thanked Science and Nature while announcing requests to retract his papers.
• The posts quickly became trending topics and baffled scientists and supporters who had expected Jiang Ling to defend her work.
• Trolls flooded the comments with insults, while official accounts only stated that Jiang Ling had retracted her papers and Jiang Yan Hai made no further response.

Foreign scientists and media tried to pressure Jiang Ling into revealing how she discovered a new element, but she ignored them. After the Nobel Prize Committee announced that she might win both the Physics and Chemistry prizes, Jiang Ling rejected the invitation, saying she was too busy and uninterested in awards.

• Foreign scientists and journals issued both accusations and polite requests for Jiang Ling to explain her research, while Chinese officials reposted their statements.
• Chinese netizens realized that the foreign academics were eager to learn from Jiang Ling, but she continued to ignore the controversy.
• The Nobel Prize Committee announced that it had invited Jiang Ling to be nominated and said she might win the Physics and Chemistry prizes in the same year.
• About thirty-six hours later, Jiang Ling posted that she was too busy and uninterested in the Nobel Prize, and told the committee to give it to someone else.

Jiang Ling refused the Nobel Prize and Jiang Yan Hai rebutted Western media that accused her of disrespecting past laureates. Jiang Yan Hai then launched the restricted Xing Hai website and published 328 Chinese-language papers on Controlled Nuclear Fusion, leaving readers with a new barrier to understanding the research.

• Netizens and Western media reacted to Jiang Ling’s refusal of the Nobel Prize, with some outlets claiming she looked down on famous scientists.
• Jiang Yan Hai answered the accusations, arguing that refusing an award did not mean disrespecting scientists and criticizing the media’s conduct.
• Jiang Ling stopped appearing publicly while Jiang Yan Hai began the next phase of his plan.
• Jiang Yan Hai had Er Dan build Xing Hai, a website that required doctoral credentials and supporting documents to access its full articles.
• Jiang Yan Hai contacted several professors and published 328 papers on Controlled Nuclear Fusion, written entirely in Chinese with idioms and uniquely Chinese terms.

Jiang Yan Hai launched Xing Hai, a scientific blog hosting papers reviewed by Er Dan, and hoped it would become a leading journal with Chinese as the language of cutting-edge science. The blog went online quietly, but its papers on Controlled Nuclear Fusion were expected to draw attention from researchers abroad.

• Jiang Yan Hai explained that translating Chinese idioms into English was difficult and said his papers shared knowledge with scholars at home and abroad.
• Jiang Yan Hai placed Xing Hai's server at the national supercomputing center and tasked Er Dan with handling registration, reviews, and paper verification.
• Jiang Yan Hai opened Xing Hai with 328 papers credited to Jiang Ling, while restricting who could register and preventing direct copying and pasting.
• Jiang Yan Hai kept Er Dan's review standards strict and expected it to explain why rejected papers failed.
• Jiang Yan Hai launched Xing Hai without publicity, expecting foreign researchers seeking Controlled Nuclear Fusion papers to discover it.

Jiang Yan Hai declined the Nobel Prize, and physicists withdrew from the Physics Prize after comparing their work with Jiang Ling’s achievements. Jiang Ling accepted China’s State Preeminent Science and Technology Award and explained why recognition from her own country mattered to her, before Jiang Yan Hai turned back to his work on the Illusion Simulation Program.

• Jiang Yan Hai declined the Nobel Prize invitation, while three physicists withdrew their applications for the Physics Prize because they considered their work inferior to Jiang Ling’s.
• The other Physics Prize applicants also withdrew, leaving the Nobel Prize unable to present the award without undermining its authority.
• Jiang Ling accepted China’s State Preeminent Science and Technology Award and said she was moved to be recognized by her country and its people.
• Jiang Yan Hai stopped responding to the Nobel Prize controversy and continued working amid a surge of new discoveries and materials in China.
• Jiang Yan Hai began working on another matter involving the Illusion Simulation Program.

Jiang Yan Hai visited Research Institute No. 382 after Professor Wu Min invited him to discuss improving its simulation training system. Wu Min introduced a brainwave capture device and a new Pangu System-designed program resembling a holographic virtual game, but its capabilities remained unexplained.

• Jiang Yan Hai arrived at Research Institute No. 382, where Professor Wu Min greeted him and praised the feedback on the upgraded simulated combat system.
• Professor Wu Min told Jiang Yan Hai that a new material had enabled the institute to develop a Brainwave Capture Device that controlled machines through thoughts.
• Jiang Yan Hai recalled a less precise brainwave-controlled drone and asked whether researchers could now calculate all human brain activity.
• Professor Wu Min said they could not fully capture brain activity but could achieve greater precision, and led Jiang Yan Hai to an experimental hall.
• Professor Wu Min showed Jiang Yan Hai a simulation pod and said the institute had developed a program somewhat like a Holographic Virtual Game.

Professor Wu Min explained a neural-deception system that could let people experience VR simulations without moving their bodies, and Jiang Yan Hai recognized its potential for combat training. The chapter ended with Jiang Yan Hai considering human trials using death-row prisoners and ways to analyze and reduce the risks.

• Professor Wu Min explained how a new material and special waveforms could deceive the brain into feeling that it had sent movement signals without the body actually moving.
• Jiang Yan Hai asked whether the system could enable pseudo-full-immersion simulation games and let soldiers train in combat scenarios.
• Professor Wu Min said tests had been limited to the Pangu System and warned that realistic simulations might cause lasting harm.
• Jiang Yan Hai recalled his experiences in the Illusion Simulation Program and asked whether the new system had been tested on people.
• Professor Wu Min said human trials had not begun because death-row prisoners might reveal the secret if released.
• Jiang Yan Hai considered using prisoners in sealed worlds and relying on data analysis to reduce risks before future trials.