77: Chapter 77 Don't believe me? Let's go see.

Jiang Jing had just finished his introduction regarding the Water-powered Engine technology, but the air in the private room had congealed to the point where it could almost be wrung out.

"Mr. Jiang." Zhang Mingyuan pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, his eyes behind the lenses flashing with suspicion. "Are you aware that the energy conversion efficiency you just described breaks the second law of thermodynamics?"

The voice of this former chief engineer of the National New Energy Laboratory was not loud, but it stirred up a wave of hushed discussion within the private room.

Jiang Jing's expression remained unchanged. "Dr. Zhang, I understand your skepticism. But that is precisely where our technology breaks through."

"A breakthrough?" Professor Li, a materials science expert, couldn't help but interject. He was in his fifties with greying hair and spoke with a heavy academic tone. "Young man, I have been researching in the field of materials for thirty years, and I have never heard of any catalyst capable of achieving controllable nuclear fusion of water molecules at room temperature!"

Chen Wei tapped her slender fingers lightly on the table. This business elite, a graduate of Harvard Business School, had a look of caution in her eyes. "Mr. Jiang, if you'll excuse my bluntness, if you truly possessed technology of this caliber, it should have been classified as top secret by the state long ago. How could you…"

She looked around the private room meaningfully. "…discuss it openly in a commercial restaurant?"

A few chuckles echoed in the room. Jiang Jing noticed that even Wang Ye, the hacker who had remained silent the whole time, raised an eyebrow. The eyes visible above his mask were full of the sentiment: "This guy is bluffing."

"Everyone's skepticism is quite reasonable," Jiang Jing said unhurriedly, appearing confident. "But scientific progress often comes from breaking through existing knowledge, doesn't it?"

"Scientific progress requires empirical evidence, not a PowerPoint presentation," Zhang Mingyuan said coldly. The plate in front of him was almost untouched. "Mr. Jiang, do you have any experimental data? Even the most preliminary results?"

Jiang Jing put down his knife and fork and wiped the corner of his mouth. "In fact, we already have a prototype."

This sentence was like a bomb falling into a calm lake. The people who were whispering suddenly fell silent, and a dozen pairs of eyes stared straight at Jiang Jing.

"A prototype?" For the first time, surprise appeared on Zhao Tiejun's rugged face. The voice of this former special forces commander sounded like sandpaper rubbing together. "Are you saying… it has already been built?"

"It's at the R&D workshop in the suburbs," Jiang Jing replied calmly. "The final assembly was just completed yesterday."

After a moment of silence, Mr. Liu, a financial expert, suddenly laughed out loud. "Mr. Jiang, you're taking this joke too far. For technology of this level, the R&D cycle from theory to prototype would take at least ten years. You…"

"Mr. Liu is right," Engineer Wu, a mechanical engineering expert, chimed in. He was in his early forties, and his hands were stained with engine oil that couldn't be washed off. "I've been working with engines for twenty years, and the material endurance testing alone takes three years. You're saying it's already fully assembled? Unless it's a toy model!"

The sound of skepticism in the room grew louder. Even Lawyer Zhang San, who had maintained a professional smile the entire time, frowned. "Mr. Jiang, I must remind you that if this is some kind of… marketing strategy, it may involve commercial fraud."

Jiang Jing's gaze swept over everyone present. He could clearly feel the atmosphere of distrust—how could these experts, who had spent years struggling and climbing in their respective fields, easily believe that a young man could achieve a breakthrough that even a national-level Laboratory could not?

"Everyone." Jiang Jing stood up, his voice steady and powerful. "I know that empty words are proof of nothing. Since everyone has doubts…" He picked up his napkin and wiped his hands. "How about we go to the workshop and take a look right now?"

This proposal made the private room fall silent again. Everyone looked at each other, clearly not expecting Jiang Jing to be so straightforward.

Chen Wei was the first to stand up, her eyes flashing with the wariness of a shrewd businessperson. "Mr. Jiang, are you sure you want to demonstrate it now? What if… the results are not as expected?"

"Then that would prove I am a fraud." Jiang Jing looked directly into her eyes. "Dr. Chen can expose me on the spot and even win a reputation in the industry for having a discerning eye."

This half-joking remark eased the atmosphere slightly, but the sense of skepticism remained heavy.

"Interesting." Wang Ye finally took off his mask, revealing an unusually pale young face. "I bet fifty cents that it's a scam."

Zhang Mingyuan sighed, as if facing a stubborn student. "Mr. Jiang, as a man of science, I must remind you that science is not magic, and it is impossible to…"

"Dr. Zhang." Jiang Jing interrupted him. "Do you remember the XXX ballistic theory published by Elder Qian?"

Zhang Mingyuan nodded, puzzled. "I know it, what about it…"

"That theory was simply incomprehensible to everyone at the time because it was too advanced," Jiang Jing said meaningfully. "Sometimes, the truth really does rest in the hands of the few."

These words seemed to touch Zhang Mingyuan. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up. "Fine, I'll go and see your 'miracle'."

With Zhang Mingyuan taking the lead, the others also stood up one after another. Jiang Jing noticed the looks they exchanged—some curious, some disdainful, and mostly waiting to watch a joke unfold.

A motorcade consisting of three business vehicles drove toward the suburbs. On the way, Jiang Jing heard the experts in the back seat whispering.

"It must be some variant of a fuel cell…"

"Maybe it's just a repackaged electrolysis device…"

"The young man is crazy for fame…"

The corners of Jiang Jing's mouth curled up slightly. He knew that before long, these whispers would turn into gasps of astonishment.

The R&D workshop was located in an inconspicuous industrial park, and its exterior was disappointingly ordinary.

When getting out of the car, Professor Li couldn't help but shake his head. "This is it? An invention that will change the global energy landscape is being developed in a place like this?"

"It's convenient here, and no one disturbs us," Jiang Jing responded lightly, taking out a key to open the main door.

The interior of the workshop looked much more professional than the exterior. Various precision instruments were neatly arranged. On the central workbench, a device about the size of a car engine was covered by a translucent dust cover.

"This is…" Chen Wei's voice trembled slightly, not knowing if it was out of anticipation or skepticism.

Jiang Jing strode to the workbench and pulled off the dust cover. "The Water-powered Engine prototype, model X-1."

Everyone gathered around, and a strange tension filled the air.

The device looked… too ordinary. A silver-grey metal casing, a few pipes connecting to a water tank and testing equipment—it lacked any of the "black technology" feel they had imagined.

"This is it?" Engineer Wu couldn't help but reach out and touch the casing. "The material is ordinary aviation aluminum; the high-temperature resistance is nowhere near enough…"

Zhang Mingyuan had already crouched down to inspect the connections. "This design… is too crude. It doesn't even have basic safety valves?"