Xia Country News

"Ahem!"

The host, Yiyi, cleared her throat softly, interrupting Deng Haochu's impassioned speech. "Mr. Deng, there's a news report I think you should hear."

Interrupted yet again, Deng Haochu looked like a mage whose spell had been cut short. His face flushed red as he glared furiously at the host before him.

"You!"

"Can't you just let me finish?!"

An apologetic smile appeared on the host's face before she said softly, "According to reports, Sandao Kou University's second nuclear fusion experiment was a complete success."

"The modified Stellarator successfully sustained controlled nuclear fusion for thirty-five minutes, breaking ITER's previous record of twenty-six minutes."

Deng Haochu's pupils widened slightly as he stood rooted to the spot.

"Mr. Deng?"

A hint of mischief appeared in the host's eyes as she gently prompted him. "Mr. Deng, did you hear what I just said?"

Deng Haochu snapped back to his senses.

His face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he muttered, "No, impossible... that's absolutely impossible!"

"Mr. Deng, this is an announcement released by Sandao Kou University."

Yiyi "kindly" reminded him.

Deng Haochu's mouth twitched before he suddenly roared, "Impossible! This has to be rigged!"

"The Stellarator could never run stably for thirty-five minutes!"

Bang!

Just as Deng Haochu was shouting in the studio, a loud crash came from the entrance.

Everyone turned toward the studio doors.

Several men in police uniforms walked into the studio with stern expressions and went straight up to Deng Haochu.

"Deng Haochu?"

"Please come with us!"

As he spoke, the officer in front pulled his credentials from his pocket and held them up before Deng Haochu.

That evening.

In a villa in Capital City.

As usual, after dinner, Lü Guoqing sat on the sofa, reached for the remote beside him, switched on the television, and tuned it to the news channel to wait for the daily broadcast.

As the hour hand of the wall clock reached seven, a familiar melody played from the television.

"Good evening, viewers, and welcome to today's Xia Country News."

"Our latest report: the Nuclear Physics Laboratory at Sandao Kou University in Capital City conducted its second controlled nuclear fusion experiment this afternoon."

"The experiment was a complete success, extending the duration of sustained controlled nuclear fusion to thirty-five minutes and breaking ITER's previous record of twenty-six minutes!"

Hearing this, Lü Guoqing's pupils widened slightly, and he clapped his hands.

"Impressive!"

"Sandao Kou University's nuclear physics program really does deserve its reputation as one of the best!"

Zhou Qingru's slightly annoyed voice came from the kitchen nearby.

"What are you shouting about over there? You wouldn't even help me clear the dishes!"

Hearing his wife's complaint, Lü Guoqing gave a sheepish chuckle and quickly shut his mouth.

"Our latest report: the Chief Engineer of the Controlled Nuclear Fusion Project is a second-year undergraduate at Sandao Kou University..."

Before Lü Guoqing could react, the picture on the television changed.

On the screen, a young man in a white short-sleeved shirt held a whiteboard marker and wrote the final line of letters on a blackboard.

"Under student Lü Yongchang's leadership, the Sandao Kou Nuclear Physics Laboratory overcame multiple technical hurdles and successfully achieved controlled nuclear fusion technology in the laboratory..."

Meanwhile, the television showed a series of clips of Lü Yongchang conducting research in the laboratory.

By now, Lü Guoqing could barely process what he was seeing.

He slowly stood up, staring at the television in disbelief, and called out, "Qingru! Qingru, come and look!"

Zhou Qingru's impatient voice came from the kitchen. "Look at what? Don't you know I'm still washing dishes?"

"Our... our son is on the news!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a clatter rang out from the kitchen.

A moment later, Zhou Qingru rushed into the living room with her apron still on, looking somewhat panicked. "What?! What happened?! What's wrong with our son?!"

Lü Guoqing opened his mouth but could not get a single word out.

He felt that no words could possibly express the shock he was feeling at that moment!

All he could do was point helplessly at the television screen. "That... that's our son, isn't it?"

Zhou Qingru stared blankly at the screen, shock gradually surfacing in her eyes.

Perhaps because the Controlled Nuclear Fusion Project was so important, Xia Country News devoted a full five minutes to the report.

Two whole minutes of that were spent introducing Lü Yongchang.

The television picture flickered slightly before returning to the news anchor.

"In other news..."

Lü Guoqing and Zhou Qingru did not take in a single word of the reports that followed.

They were still standing dumbly in front of the television, staring at the screen in a daze.

After a long while, Lü Guoqing swallowed and came back to his senses. "That little rascal... he went and did something this huge without saying a word!"

"I... I need to call him and give him a good talking-to!"

As he spoke, Lü Guoqing reached for the phone on the coffee table.

A moment later, Zhou Qingru shot her husband a fierce glare. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Lü Guoqing's hand froze, and he gave his wife a sheepish smile. "I... I'm calling our son to ask what's going on..."

Zhou Qingru rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Is that something you can just ask about?"

"What if it involves classified information? Do you want to get Yongchang into serious trouble?"

Lü Guoqing's expression stiffened, and he slowly withdrew his hand. "Then... do we just sit here and wait?"

While the two were wrestling with the dilemma, a phone rang.

It was Zhou Qingru's phone.

Zhou Qingru's expression shifted, and she hurriedly bent down to pick up her phone from the coffee table.

The instant she saw the caller's number, an excited smile spread across her face. "It's Yongchang!"

Lü Guoqing's eyes lit up, and he immediately urged her in a low voice, "Answer it! Hurry up and answer!"

Zhou Qingru nodded repeatedly and hastily answered the call.

"Mom?"

As soon as she switched on speakerphone, Lü Yongchang's voice came through.

"Yongchang, that report on Xia Country News... what's going on? You're working on nuclear fusion now?!"

Before Zhou Qingru could speak, Lü Guoqing impatiently blurted out his questions.

"Uh..."

There was a hint of hesitation in Lü Yongchang's voice.

Zhou Qingru glared at Lü Guoqing and quickly added, "Yongchang, don't listen to your father! If it involves any confidentiality regulations, you don't have to tell us!"

A soft laugh came from the other end of the line. "It's not really a matter of confidentiality. I just didn't expect this to make it onto Xia Country News..."

"Yes, I am researching controlled nuclear fusion technology now."

"Then you're the Chief Engineer of Xia Country's Controlled Nuclear Fusion Project now?!"

Lü Guoqing's question caught Lü Yongchang off guard again.

I didn't expect Xia Country News to reveal even that!

Still, it was nothing to be ashamed of, so Lü Yongchang readily admitted it.

Lü Guoqing and Zhou Qingru looked at each other. After a long silence, Zhou Qingru said slowly, "Yongchang... remember to take care of yourself."

Hearing those words on the other end of the line, Lü Yongchang felt a sting in his nose, and for a moment, his voice caught in his throat.

"I will."