Chief Engineer

Lü Yongchang fell silent.

Beside him, Fang Xu and Guan Hualiang cast concerned looks his way.

Under everyone's gaze, he nodded gently.

"Of course."

"Hahaha! Good!" Hong Qiming laughed heartily and clapped softly. "That's what I expect from the young people of Xia Country! You're willing to shoulder responsibility!"

Then Hong Qiming changed tack. "From this moment on, you are no longer a sophomore at Sandao Kou University!"

"You are the chief engineer of Xia Country's Controlled Nuclear Fusion Project! Academician Fang Xu will be your deputy!"

The laboratory fell silent.

Fang Xu, Guan Hualiang, and the researchers in the laboratory all stared at Hong Qiming and Lü Yongchang in disbelief!

Was Minister Hong... serious about what he had just said?!

Excitement stirred in Lü Yongchang's heart.

He had never expected the Xia Kingdom Parliament of this era to be even more "reckless" than he had imagined!

They were actually putting him, a second-year undergraduate, in charge of such an enormous project!

Now he could carry out his plans even faster!

Perhaps out of consideration for Lü Yongchang's age, Hong Qiming's expression grew solemn as he added, "Lü Yongchang, you need to think this through. The task Chairman Li has assigned is to achieve preliminary controlled nuclear fusion within one year. At the very least, Xia Country's own controlled nuclear fusion must produce results on par with ITER!"

At those words, Fang Xu's pupils contracted sharply!

After all, Xia Country did not even have a controlled nuclear fusion experimental reactor it could truly call its own!

Could this task... really be accomplished?!

Unlike the anxious people around him, Lü Yongchang wore a faint smile.

He nodded gently. "I accept the assignment!"

"Moreover, I can guarantee that within one year, Xia Country will fully master Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology!"

"What?!"

"Yongchang! What nonsense are you talking about?!"

As soon as Lü Yongchang finished speaking, Fang Xu and Guan Hualiang cried out in alarm!

Guan Hualiang went so far as to scold him sternly. "Lü Yongchang! A scientific undertaking of this magnitude isn't something you can make idle promises about! Apologize to Minister Hong at once!"

As he spoke, Guan Hualiang lowered his head and apologized to Hong Qiming. "Minister Hong, Yongchang is still only a sophomore, after all. Sometimes he speaks without thinking..."

Naturally, Hong Qiming did not take such a minor matter to heart.

With a quiet chuckle, he waved a hand to interrupt Guan Hualiang, then looked with interest at the somewhat youthful Lü Yongchang before him.

"Do you understand the implications of what you just said?"

Lü Yongchang's expression remained calm. "Of course, Minister Hong. I know what I'm saying!"

Guan Hualiang covered his eyes with one hand and let out a deep groan. "What a disaster..."

He even began to wonder whether bringing Lü Yongchang here had been a mistake!

Lü Yongchang offered no further explanation. He simply took a USB Drive out of his pocket and held it out to Hong Qiming.

"Minister Hong, please look at the contents of this USB Drive before deciding whether I'm telling the truth!"

Hong Qiming raised an eyebrow slightly and accepted the USB Drive.

"Heh... you're becoming more interesting by the minute, young man!"

"You do understand the consequences of deceiving a ministerial-level senator, don't you?"

As he spoke, Hong Qiming turned to Fang Xu. "Academician Fang, please do us a favor and project the contents of the USB Drive. Let's see what sort of surprise he's brought us!"

Looking helpless, Fang Xu stepped forward and took the USB Drive from Hong Qiming.

As he passed Lü Yongchang, he let out a deep sigh.

He had a feeling that Xia Country had lost its gamble.

He even found it somewhat laughable.

How could Xia Country have placed its bet on such a green youngster?!

Lü Yongchang, meanwhile, remained perfectly composed.

The contents of the USB Drive were the product of an entire night spent typing in his dorm room.

There was not much-just the detailed blueprints for the Reactor of a controlled nuclear fusion reactor.

The workload had been immense, but thanks to the potential he had been forced to unlock in his previous life, he had barely managed to finish.

A few minutes later, a projector was brought over.

Once the projector was connected to the computer, Fang Xu plugged the USB Drive into a port.

"Hm?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Fang Xu's face the moment he saw the file on the USB Drive.

At the same time, he instinctively double-clicked the left mouse button and opened it.

An intricate blueprint appeared on the white wall!

"This is..." Hong Qiming's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the blueprint and muttered to himself.

Not just Hong Qiming, but Fang Xu and every researcher in the laboratory froze, staring blankly at the blueprint before them.

As the head of the Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Fang Xu immediately connected the blueprint before him with the simplified diagram on the blackboard.

He swallowed slightly and asked in a low, hoarse voice, "Lü... Yongchang, is this a detailed blueprint for a controlled nuclear fusion reactor?"

Lü Yongchang smiled and nodded, naturally. "Of course. To be precise, it's a detailed blueprint for the Reactor."

"Do you believe me now?"

Hong Qiming also recovered from his shock. As he looked at Lü Yongchang, his eyes shone with excitement!

"You little rascal... you completed this all by yourself?!"

Although he already knew the answer in his heart, he still found it hard to believe.

To complete a blueprint like this single-handedly...

Although he did not know much about scientific research, he understood just how much accumulated knowledge it took to produce a blueprint like this!

Normally, drawings of this kind required several people, or even several teams, working together!

Lü Yongchang smiled and nodded, confirming Hong Qiming's question.

Hong Qiming's gaze wavered slightly. He could not understand the blueprint, nor could he judge its authenticity or reliability.

But... from the expressions on Fang Xu's and the researchers' faces, he could tell just how astonishing this blueprint was!

Beside him, Fang Xu slowly exhaled and gave Lü Yongchang a look filled with conflicting emotions.

Only moments earlier, he had thought that entrusting such a tremendous responsibility to this green youngster was a mistake.

Now, however, he decided to take back those words before he had even spoken them.

What green youngster?!

He was simply... simply inhuman!

Fang Xu swore inwardly!

In all of Xia Country's history, he had never heard of anyone completing the blueprints for a large piece of equipment single-handedly!

Although these were only part of the blueprints for a controlled nuclear fusion reactor, they were still astonishing enough!

"You... how long did it take you to finish this blueprint?"

Fang Xu asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Lü Yongchang stole a glance at Fang Xu's expression and gave an awkward chuckle. "Uh... a little over a year, more or less?"

All right.

A little over a year was still accepta... like hell it was!

Fang Xu's expression twisted. "Something this complicated only took you a little over a year?!"

Then had they, the researchers, spent nearly ten years working for nothing?!