The next day.
The first rays of morning sunlight shone through the glass into Huaqing University's nanotechnology laboratory!
A researcher in a white lab coat anxiously awaited the results of an experiment.
As the machine went "beep, beep..." and printed out the results, he hurriedly picked up the report and examined it carefully!
A smile gradually spread across his face, and then he laughed aloud!
"Haha... wonderful! Wonderful!"
Just then, the girl sleeping with her head on a nearby desk was woken by the noise!
Bleary-eyed, she said,
"Uncle, what are you laughing about?"
"Xiao Fei, we did it! The nanoscale optical interferometry technique you mentioned was correct, and we've even developed it! Haha..."
Hearing Qiao Shan's excited words, Qiao Yifei instantly lost all her sleepiness and hurriedly stood up to check the results!
Her eyes widened, brimming with excitement.
"Ah! This is fantastic, Uncle! We actually succeeded so easily, and its performance is several times better than the previous atomic force microscopy technique! Haha..." Qiao Yifei was thrilled too!
"Yes, and it's all thanks to you! Haha... by the way, how did you come up with the idea for this technique?" Qiao Shan asked.
"This... this wasn't something I developed!"
Qiao Yifei spoke with some embarrassment. How she wished she had developed it herself!
Unfortunately, it was something her younger friend Jiang Fan, whom she considered a little dull-witted, had casually told her!
"You didn't develop it? Then it must have been one of Huaqing's experts or professors?"
"No, not them either," Qiao Yifei said!
"Then who was it?"
Qiao Shan asked, looking somewhat bewildered too!
"It was Jiang Fan!"
"Jiang Fan? He actually knows nanotechnology?"
Qiao Shan's face was full of surprise.
The talent Jiang Fan had displayed in controlled nuclear fusion had already stunned everyone present, yet Qiao Shan had never expected him to have such profound expertise in nanotechnology as well!
He was unquestionably a genius in the scientific research world.
At this thought, Qiao Shan silently resolved to make Jiang Fan his student, no matter what.
He did not want to miss out on such an outstanding student.
With that in mind, Qiao Shan said to Qiao Yifei,
"Yifei, how did you and Jiang Fan get along yesterday?"
"I..."
The Dragon Country Northern Controlled Nuclear Fusion Base!
Jiang Fan had barely climbed out of the military off-road vehicle before he leaned against a wall and started throwing up!
The road here had been far too rugged. Throughout the journey, the jolting had churned his stomach like a raging sea!
The moment he got out, he could no longer bear it and vomited. Fortunately, he had not eaten much that morning!
Seeing Jiang Fan's condition, Zhou Huaide could not help laughing and teased him,
"Xiao Fan, back when I first came here, there wasn't even a road. The entire stretch of grassland was full of bumps and hollows. I threw up more than ten times on that two-hour trip, haha..."
Just as Zhou Huaide and Jiang Fan were chatting and joking, a researcher in a white lab coat came running over and said anxiously,
"Commander-in-chief Zhou, you're finally back."
When Zhou Huaide saw who it was, he said with a chuckle, "What's wrong, Wenshan?"
"They're all gone! While you were away these past two days, they were all transferred out!"
Zhang Wenshan spoke so incoherently that Zhou Huaide looked utterly bewildered.
"What do you mean, all gone? Take your time and explain."
Zhang Wenshan took a couple of breaths, trying to calm himself down.
"While you were in the Capital these past two days, the higher-ups said they needed to develop a new project and transferred our researchers out just like that!"
"What? Who had the gall to steal my people? Come on!"
Zhou Huaide flew into a towering rage. The higher-ups had indeed previously ordered him to suspend controlled nuclear fusion operations on October 20 of this year.
But it was only July 28 now. According to the plan, there were still three months left. Yet they had actually transferred out the researchers under him already.
Ever since the controlled nuclear fusion project was established, he had stood fast here for ten years, day in and day out. Even if he had no achievements to his name, surely his toil counted for something!
They had actually poached his personnel without so much as a word.
He had invited Jiang Fan here this time precisely to save the controlled nuclear fusion project. He had tremendous confidence in Jiang Fan and believed that, under Jiang Fan's guidance, they would definitely be able to develop controlled nuclear fusion.
But now the researchers had been transferred away. With no one left, how were they supposed to develop controlled nuclear fusion?
The more Zhou Huaide thought about it, the angrier he became as he arrived at the office.
"Wenshan, who gave the order?"
"Chief Liu!" Zhang Wenshan said!
Zhou Huaide immediately picked up the office telephone and dialed!
After a few rings, a deep voice came through!
"Who is this?"
"Chief Liu, what is the meaning of this? It isn't time to suspend my northern base's project yet, and you've already transferred my researchers away..."
The person on the other end waited for Zhou Huaide to pour out everything he had to say before replying slowly,
"Xiao Zhou! I understand how you feel. After all, you've been in charge for ten years, and you're attached to this project.
"Although the order you received was to suspend controlled nuclear fusion on October 20, this project hasn't made any major breakthroughs in ten years. It's only three months left, isn't it? Don't be so particular about it."
Zhou Huaide said, "Chief, on this trip to the Capital, I discovered someone talented in controlled nuclear fusion. I believe he can definitely develop it!"
The chief said, "I know about what you're saying. The head of the National General Administration of Science and Technology discussed it with me yesterday. At present, there have been no major breakthroughs in controlled nuclear fusion anywhere in the world. We don't think he can change much on his own..."
Zhou Huaide said, "Fine, let's set all that aside for now. Yesterday, the chief of the National General Administration of Science and Technology said I could have one month. If I could keep nuclear fusion stably controlled for 100 seconds, he agreed to give me another year to research controlled nuclear fusion!"
The chief said, "Haha... Xiao Zhou, controlling nuclear fusion for 100 seconds would mean a major breakthrough in controlled nuclear fusion. Even Beautiful Country, which has the most advanced technology in the world, can only maintain stable nuclear fusion for ten seconds..."
Zhou Huaide said, "I believe Jiang Fan can do it! You must transfer those researchers back so they can work with us to complete this challenge..."
Seeing how stubbornly Zhou Huaide refused to budge, the chief grew somewhat angry and snapped,
"Do you know what those researchers were transferred to work on?
"They're researching fighter jets! In another six months, the World Military Competition, held once every ten years, will begin.
"You should remember the humiliation our Dragon Country suffered at the last World Military Competition even more keenly than I do! This time, do you want Dragon Country to lose face before the entire world?"
The chief's words instantly left Zhou Huaide speechless.
He recalled the last World Military Competition. His comrade-in-arms of nine years had died in that competition...
Zhou Huaide hung up the phone and sank weakly onto a stool.
"Commander-in-chief Zhou, what should we do?" Zhang Wenshan asked from beside him!
"How many researchers are left at the research base?" Zhou Huaide asked!
"Eighteen!"