Public opinion began to stir

The next day.

Before anyone had noticed, a news story quietly appeared on the front page of the newspaper.

"Xia Country's experimental controlled nuclear fusion reactor program officially launches today!"

Unsurprisingly, the news also made Weibo's trending list.

Countless comments poured in from users.

"Huh? They're officially launching the experimental controlled nuclear fusion reactor program already?"

"Didn't they only achieve ignition a couple of days ago? Isn't this moving a little too fast?"

"Can an expert explain what this news actually means?"

"Here's the explanation: successful ignition only means Xia Country can ignite a fusion reaction inside a controlled nuclear fusion device. They're still a long way from truly mastering controlled nuclear fusion. This experimental reactor is where the real research into controlled nuclear fusion begins."

"So that's how it works... Still, that's pretty fast. Hopefully Xia Country can give ITER a good slap in the face and develop controlled nuclear fusion first!"

"I wouldn't count on it. I heard ITER's controlled nuclear fusion technology is already close to maturity. Everyone should understand why they kicked Xia Country out at a time like this."

"..."

Meanwhile, an article appeared on Zhihu.

"A futile endeavor! Stellarators can never achieve controlled nuclear fusion!"

As time passed, the article's influence gradually grew.

Reposts, likes, shares...

The internet's reach was immense.

In just over ten hours, the article shot to the top of Weibo's trending list!

After returning from his meeting with Senator Li, Lü Yongchang did not take a moment to rest. He headed straight into Sandao Kou University's Nuclear Physics Laboratory.

He needed to begin the second controlled nuclear fusion experiment as soon as possible.

Only after achieving sustained controlled nuclear fusion in the Stellarator could he propose building a Fusion Demonstration Reactor to Senator Li!

"What the hell is this garbage!"

"This is infuriating!"

While Lü Yongchang was bent over his desk studying the data collected during the first ignition, someone pushed the office door open, and Fang Xu's furious voice rang out from the doorway.

Seeing Fang Xu's flushed face, Lü Yongchang paused, then put down his fountain pen and asked, "What happened?"

"Did another researcher get the data wrong?"

Fang Xu shook his head repeatedly at Lü Yongchang's question, then pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and set it in front of him. "Look at what they're saying online!"

"This is infuriating! Any random clown can crawl out of the woodwork and spout nonsense now!"

Confusion flickered in Lü Yongchang's eyes as he looked curiously at the phone screen on his desk.

The somewhat familiar interface immediately made him smile.

"Well, well! Academician Fang, you browse Zhihu too?"

Fang Xu shot Lü Yongchang an irritated glance. "What are you talking about? I don't browse that stuff. A friend sent me this link!"

Lü Yongchang shook his head with a smile and reached out to scroll.

"A futile endeavor! Stellarators can never achieve controlled nuclear fusion!"

The moment he saw the title, his eyebrows rose slightly, and his expression grew considerably more serious.

The article was short, only a few hundred words.

Its contents, however, were rather jarring.

The first half objectively described the differences between stellarators and Tokamak Devices, placing particular "emphasis" on stellarators being devices discarded by Western countries.

At this point, Lü Yongchang looked up at Fang Xu in surprise. "What... what's wrong with this?"

"Isn't it pretty well written?"

"These are all facts!"

Fang Xu sighed deeply. "Keep reading."

Lü Yongchang gave Fang Xu a doubtful look, then scrolled down again.

Gradually, he began to see the problem.

Judging by the first half alone, the article was a perfectly respectable piece of popular science writing.

But the second half betrayed its bias.

First, the article stated that ITER's Tokamak Device could sustain a fusion reaction for as long as twenty-six minutes, using that to highlight the Stellarator's "shortcomings."

After all, during the first ignition experiment, the Stellarator had sustained a fusion reaction for only about two minutes.

Second, the article explicitly listed the research funding Sandao Kou University had received through the Stellarator project-a full billion!

At the end of the article, the author attacked Sandao Kou University's Nuclear Physics Laboratory in extremely harsh terms.

Money-grubbing, chasing grandiose achievements, wasting Xia Country's public resources...

It painted Sandao Kou University and the Nuclear Physics Laboratory as utterly worthless!

"See? I don't know who wrote this, but if I find out, I'll..."

Fang Xu's voice came from beside him, his teeth clenched.

Unlike Fang Xu, Lü Yongchang calmly closed the page and handed the phone back.

Lü Yongchang's reaction left Fang Xu momentarily at a loss.

He took his phone back with a bewildered expression. "Yongchang, aren't you angry?"

To him, this article was practically the same as someone pointing at their noses and hurling abuse!

As an academician of the Academy of Sciences, Fang Xu knew, deep down, that he could not swallow an insult like this!

He had expected Lü Yongchang, as chief engineer of the Controlled Nuclear Fusion Project, to be even angrier!

But... reality had proved Fang Xu utterly wrong.

Lü Yongchang chuckled and slowly shook his head.

"It's just some online influencer putting out misleading opinions. It isn't worth getting angry over."

"What, are we supposed to put our work aside and go online to write a rebuttal?"

For a moment, Fang Xu had nothing to say.

Lü Yongchang lowered his gaze to the data on his desk and said casually, "We're scientists. These fleeting moments of praise or disgrace aren't worth worrying about."

"I believe that once we successfully achieve controlled nuclear fusion in the Stellarator, these so-called rumors will disappear on their own."

"Don't forget what controlled nuclear fusion means to Xia Country."

With that, Lü Yongchang devoted all his attention to the materials before him.

Fang Xu, meanwhile, remained rooted to the spot, a complicated expression on his face.

He had never expected that, after more than forty years of life, he would see things less clearly than a youngster barely into his twenties!

Controlled nuclear fusion was not some contest over personal honor.

It was a struggle over the nation's destiny unlike anything seen in a century!

Although Lü Yongchang had put the matter aside, Jiang Yongxing, dean of Sandao Kou University's Nuclear Physics College, could not let it go.

After all, this was slander against Sandao Kou University!

He immediately reported the entire matter to Minister Hong Qiming.

"Hiss..."

"All right, understood. I'll have someone investigate this thoroughly."

Hong Qiming's grave voice came through the receiver.