The Information Engineering Research Institute of the Hua Academy of Sciences.
Seeing the gray-haired old man approaching, Academician Gao Junfa hurried over and asked him a question.
"Xue, did you get an answer? What exactly is going on?"
Some time earlier, a sudden directive from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had suspended the entire Quantum Encryption Algorithm project.
Nearly everyone involved in the project had been dumbfounded, with no idea what had happened.
As the project's academic lead and the most respected person among them, Academician Xue had naturally been put forward to visit the Science and Industry Bureau on their behalf and demand an explanation.
Over the past few days, Gao Junfa had been hoping to ask his old friend whether he had managed to get that explanation, but he had never run into him.
Now, it seemed he had.
Judging by his expression, however, the news did not seem good.
Seeing Academician Gao hurrying toward him, Academician Xue Jinhui instinctively wanted to hide. But there was nowhere to hide, and Gao had already called his name. He could only watch helplessly as Gao approached, then clear his throat and explain.
"It's a rather complicated story... anyway, all you need to know is that the Quantum Encryption Algorithm has already been solved."
Solved?
At this unexpected news, Academician Gao Junfa froze before his eyes went wide. His expression was every bit as shocked as Xue's own had been when he first heard the news.
"Solved? How is that possible!"
"...I was just as surprised as you at first," Academician Xue Jinhui said after a moment of silence. "But it's true. I've confirmed it with my own eyes."
Seeing that his old friend did not seem to be lying, Academician Gao Junfa asked urgently, "You've seen the algorithm?"