41: Chapter 41 The everyday life of the city touches our hearts! Strolling along the pedestrian street, we feel the warmth of people's lives; remote assistance ensures progress (2)

During the meeting, Mu Li listened carefully to everyone's reports. Addressing the technical difficulties encountered, he quickly cleared his thoughts and proposed specific solutions: "We can rely on the Commercial Operation Data Analysis System to accurately predict load changes in the power grid. Combined with the preliminary direction of the livelihood energy demand survey, we can optimize the Energy Output Fluctuation Warning Plan on this basis. This will ensure the plan meets the requirements of the North China Power Grid while satisfying the needs of the people. Zhao Kai, you take the lead and organize the technical staff to optimize according to this idea. Report any progress to me at any time."

"Understood!" Zhao Kai responded immediately, his tone filled with conviction.

The remote meeting lasted for over half an hour, and all issues were properly resolved. After hanging up, Mu Li breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of tea from the cup on the table, a relaxed smile still lingering on his lips. Zhang Hongyuan said with a smile, "Engineer Mu, you are truly dedicated, not forgetting work even while out shopping. However, with a leader like you, our project will surely proceed smoothly."

Mu Li smiled and said, "The project is the result of everyone's collective hard work. Everyone is striving for the project, and as the person in charge, I cannot slack off. However, through today's stroll, I've gained some new insights. Previously, I always felt that advancing the project meant overcoming technical difficulties and meeting various indicators, but now I understand that the ultimate goal of the project is to make the lives of ordinary people better. These insights will give our work more direction and warmth."

In the afternoon, the two continued to stroll along the pedestrian street. They passed a maternal and child store with various baby products displayed at the door—tiny clothes, little shoes, and plush toys that were incredibly cute. Mu Li saw a pair of young parents choosing milk powder for their child; the husband patiently compared the ingredient lists of different brands while the wife gently teased the child in her arms. The child giggled, their face overflowing with a happy smile. He thought of his own parents; when he was young, they had always taken such meticulous care of him, working hard to ensure he had a good life. A wave of warmth surged in his heart, and the sugar figure in his hand seemed to taste a bit better.

Not far away, a street performer was playing the guitar and singing. The singing was melodious and pleasant, with a hint of world-weariness and a love for life. Many pedestrians stopped to listen quietly; some took out their phones to record, while others hummed along softly. Mu Li also stopped and closed his eyes, feeling the tranquility and relaxation brought by the song. The pressure and fatigue from this period seemed to dissipate in the melodious singing, leaving only peace and warmth in his heart.

As the song ended, warm applause rang out from the surroundings. The street performer bowed in thanks and said, "Thank you all for your support! Next, I will sing 'Clouds of My Hometown' for everyone who is working hard for their dreams, and for our increasingly better hometown!"

The melodious singing rose again, and a wave of emotion welled up in Mu Li's heart. For the dream of Controllable Nuclear Fusion technology, he had stayed far from home, struggling for countless days and nights at the construction site in Ji Province. His dream was not just a personal pursuit, but also to better develop the energy industry of his hometown and the motherland, so that more people could live happy lives in their hometowns without having to leave their families.

Around three in the afternoon, Mu Li received a call from a staff member Zhang Hongyuan had arranged at the construction site to report the latest situation. The staff member said, "Engineer Mu, please rest assured. Everything is normal at the construction site. The maintenance of the core equipment has been successfully completed, and the recruitment for the operations team is proceeding in an orderly manner. No problems have arisen."

"Good, thank you for your hard work," Mu Li instructed. "Continue to maintain a rigorous attitude. Report any situation to me at any time; there must be no carelessness."

After hanging up, Zhang Hongyuan said, "Engineer Mu, it's getting late. Should we head back? You still have remote work to handle this afternoon; don't overwork yourself."

Mu Li nodded, his gaze sweeping over the bustling scene of the pedestrian street with reluctance. "Alright. Thank you so much for today, taking me to so many places, eating local snacks, and even experiencing sugar blowing and seeing sugar paintings. It made me feel a long-lost sense of life and childhood wonder. I've been so busy with work lately that I almost forgot what the lives of ordinary people are like and the simple joys of childhood."

"I'm glad you could relax," Zhang Hongyuan said with a smile. "Actually, occasionally detaching from work to experience the lives of ordinary people and rediscover some childhood wonder can also give us more motivation to advance our work. After all, the purpose of our hard work is to make such a life even better and to ensure children can have a carefree childhood."

The two walked back along the pedestrian street, passing the sugar painting stall again. The old man was still skillfully sketching patterns, and the children's cheers remained loud. Watching all this, Mu Li secretly made up his mind: he must speed up the project's progress so that the first commercial Nuclear Fusion Power Station could be completed and put into operation as soon as possible, providing a more solid energy guarantee for the happy lives of these ordinary citizens and the carefree childhoods of their children.

Returning to the parking lot, the two drove back to the construction site. On the way, Mu Li's phone vibrated again, this time with messages from his university class group. The Class Monitor, Li Zhe, posted the specific address and time for the class reunion in the group and @everyone, reminding them to arrange their time in advance. The classmates in the group responded one after another, expressing their anticipation for the reunion. Someone suggested bringing childhood photos, and someone else mentioned revisiting university games. Looking at the messages in the group, Mu Li's anticipation for the reunion grew stronger. He thought of his roommate Chen Feng, whom he had bumped into in Jing City, and Zhao Lei and Sun Hao, with whom he had dinner. He remembered the bits and pieces of staying up late and laughing together with his classmates during university, and his heart was filled with warmth.

At five in the afternoon, the vehicle returned to the construction site of the Ji Province Nuclear Fusion Power Station. As soon as Mu Li got out of the car, he saw Lin Wei and Zhao Kai waiting at the entrance of the Main Control Room. "Engineer Mu, you're back!" Lin Wei stepped forward and handed over a preliminary progress report on the revision of technical standards. "We have revised the technical standards according to the suggestions you made during the remote meeting. This is the preliminary progress report for your review."

Mu Li took the report and walked into the Main Control Room, reading through it carefully. Inside the Main Control Room, members of the R&D Team were working intensely, each focused on their task in an orderly manner. Seeing everyone's busy figures, Mu Li felt a sense of relief. He said to Lin Wei and Zhao Kai, "This progress report is well done—clear logic and thorough details. Continue to advance according to this idea and communicate with me if you have any questions. Additionally, the optimization of the Energy Output Fluctuation Warning Plan must also be accelerated to ensure it can be completed on time. At the same time, fully consider the needs of the people to give the plan more warmth."

"Understood!" the two responded in unison, their eyes filled with determination.

Mu Li stayed in the Main Control Room for over an hour, learning in detail about the latest progress of the project preparation. He gave full recognition to the work of the R&D and construction teams and encouraged everyone to keep working hard, maintaining their focus and passion to ensure the project's smooth progress. Subsequently, he returned to his temporary office and began handling some remaining work issues from the afternoon's remote meeting.

At seven in the evening, after finishing his work, Mu Li picked up the paper-cutting he had bought on the pedestrian street today and examined it closely. In the paper-cutting, the silhouette of the Nuclear Fusion Power Station was clear, and the surrounding scenery and figures were lifelike, full of beautiful visions for the future. He hung the paper-cutting on the wall of his temporary office. Looking at it, the bustle he had felt on the pedestrian street during the day resurfaced in his mind—the old man selling sugar paintings, the joy of blowing sugar figures, the citizens lining up to buy Donkey Meat Fires, the enthusiastic handicraft shop owner, the happy young couple... These ordinary figures and simple joys became the warmest motivation in his heart.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Just then, the system's voice rang in Mu Li's mind: [Detected that the host has completed the walking street stroll experience, gained a deep appreciation for the lives of ordinary people and childlike fun, clarified the project's core values and its warmth regarding people's livelihood, efficiently coordinated and advanced the project preparation work, deepened the foreshadowing of the class reunion, completed the "Marketplace Original Intent · Value Reshaping" plot challenge, and received 180,000 system points. Current remaining points: 1,147,000 + 180,000 = 1,327,000 points.]

[Unlocked new function: Livelihood Energy Demand Survey System, capable of accurately surveying energy demands across different regions and groups, providing data support for energy scheduling and service optimization during commercial operations.]

[Received reward: Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology Popular Science Manual, covering the basic principles, development history, and application prospects of Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology, which can be used to popularize relevant knowledge to the public and enhance the project's social recognition.]

Mu Li felt a surge of joy. The 1,327,000 system points, the newly unlocked function, and the reward would provide stronger support for the preparations for the project's commercial operation.

He immediately sent the relevant information about the Livelihood Energy Demand Survey System to the team members, asking them to formulate detailed survey plans based on the actual situation of the project and to fully listen to the needs of the people; at the same time, he also forwarded the Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology Popular Science Manual to everyone, urging them to study it carefully so they could better popularize relevant knowledge to the public and let more people understand the value of this technology.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Mu Li walked out of the temporary office and headed to the construction site canteen for dinner.

In the canteen, members of the construction team and the R&D Team were eating together, chatting and laughing, with a very harmonious atmosphere.

Mu Li found an empty seat, sat down, and started chatting with the staff nearby, asking about their work and living conditions with a gentle smile on his face.

A young construction worker said: "Engineer Mu, did you go shopping in the city center today? I heard it from Manager Zhang. We are usually busy with work and rarely have time to go out for a stroll. How did it feel? Did you eat anything delicious or see anything fun?"

Mu Li smiled and said: "The pedestrian street in the city center is very lively and full of the atmosphere of daily life. I ate donkey meat sandwiches and sugar art, and also experienced sugar blowing, which helped me feel the lifestyle of ordinary citizens and the joy of childhood. In fact, the purpose of our hard work is to make such a life even better. Once the project reaches a certain stage, I will arrange for everyone to take turns resting, going to the city center to stroll, relaxing, tasting local specialties, and rediscovering a bit of childhood fun."

"That's great! Thank you, Engineer Mu!" the young construction worker said excitedly, his eyes full of anticipation. Other staff members also expressed their thanks one after another, and the atmosphere in the canteen became even livelier.

After dinner, Mu Li returned to his temporary dormitory. After washing up, he lay on the bed, recalling what he had seen, heard, felt, and realized on the pedestrian street today.

The old man selling sugar art, the joy of blowing sugar figures, the enthusiastic shop owners, the happy citizens, and everyone's expectations for the nuclear fusion power station project were all deeply imprinted in his mind.

These experiences made him even more determined to advance the project and made him realize his responsibility and mission more clearly — not only to overcome technical difficulties but also to imbue the technology with warmth, truly benefiting the people's livelihood.

He took out his phone and opened the university class group chat again. The classmates in the group were still discussing the details of the class reunion. Some suggested playing childhood games, some suggested sharing childhood anecdotes, and some suggested going to the old street near the school to relive their university days. Mu Li looked at the messages in the group, his heart filled with anticipation. He was already looking forward to next month's class reunion, expecting to reunite with his classmates, relive their youth, and find more long-lost happiness.

Mu Li sent a message to Chen Feng: "Chen Feng, are you sure you can attend the class reunion next month? We can go back to the old street near the school together and try the snacks we used to eat."

Soon, Chen Feng replied: "Of course I can! I already cleared my schedule a long time ago, just waiting to get together with you guys! The four brothers from our dormitory can finally reunite. When the time comes, we won't just eat snacks on the old street; we'll also play childhood games together. We won't stop until we're drunk, and we won't stop until we've had our fill of fun!"

Looking at Chen Feng's reply, a brilliant smile spread across Mu Li's lips. He replied: "Good! Let's have a great reunion then, relive our youth, and rediscover our childhood fun!"

Putting down his phone, Mu Li closed his eyes and gradually drifted into sleep. In his dream, he returned to that pedestrian street full of the hustle and bustle of daily life, feeling the happy life together with ordinary citizens; he saw the first commercial Controlled Nuclear Fusion Power Station successfully put into operation, with a steady stream of clean energy being delivered to thousands of households; he saw his classmates laughing and talking at the reunion, playing childhood games together, and reliving the beautiful years of their youth... These beautiful scenes inspired him to keep moving forward in the wave of the new energy revolution, going all out for the dream in his heart, for the happy lives of ordinary citizens, and for that pure joy.

The next morning, Mu Li got up early and went to the Main Control Room to hold a team meeting.

At the meeting, he shared what he had seen, heard, felt, and realized on the pedestrian street yesterday, with a warm smile on his face: "Through yesterday's experience, I have realized more clearly that our project is not just a technical project, but a project that concerns people's livelihood and is full of warmth. Every one of our tasks carries the expectations of ordinary citizens for a better life and the yearning of children for a happy childhood. Therefore, we must advance the project preparation work with a more rigorous, responsible, and warmer attitude to ensure that the first commercial Controlled Nuclear Fusion Power Station is built and put into operation as soon as possible, so as not to let down the country's support and the people's expectations."

After listening to Mu Li's sharing, the team members were greatly encouraged, their eyes full of fighting spirit. Lin Wei said: "Engineer Mu, you are right! We will definitely devote ourselves to the project preparation work with even more enthusiasm, balancing technical rigor and the warmth of people's livelihood, and go all out for the happy life of ordinary citizens!"

Zhao Kai also said: "We will accelerate the progress of revising technical standards and optimizing the early warning scheme for energy output fluctuations to ensure that all tasks are completed on time. At the same time, we will also use the Livelihood Energy Demand Survey System to carry out detailed survey work, fully listen to the voice of the people, understand public opinion, make full preparations for commercial operation, and let our technology truly benefit everyone."

Mu Li nodded and said firmly: "Very good! I believe that with our joint efforts, the first commercial Controlled Nuclear Fusion Power Station will surely be successfully built and put into operation. Let us work together and continue to strive for the dream in our hearts, for the energy cause of our motherland, for the happy life of ordinary citizens, and for the happy childhood of children!"

After the meeting, the team members immediately threw themselves into intense work. In the Main Control Room, everyone was full of energy and fighting spirit, their eyes showing not only persistence for technology but also care for people's livelihood. Watching everyone busy, Mu Li felt full of confidence. He knew that although the project preparation work still faced many difficulties and challenges, as long as the team members were united and went all out, there was no difficulty that could not be overcome.

Mu Li walked to the window and looked toward the distant Ji Province urban area. The morning sun shone over the city, bringing vitality and energy to it. He thought of the hustle and bustle he felt on the pedestrian street yesterday, thought of the ordinary citizens' expectations for the project, and thought of the pure joy when blowing sugar figures. He secretly made up his mind: no matter how many difficulties and challenges lie ahead, he will lead the team to move forward bravely, overcome all difficulties, let Controlled Nuclear Fusion Technology benefit thousands of households as soon as possible, make the lives of ordinary citizens happier and better, and let every child have a carefree childhood!

At the same time, he was also looking forward to next month's class reunion. He believed that this reunion would not only allow him to relive his youth but also allow him to exchange insights on industry development with his classmates, and perhaps even bring new ideas and opportunities for the project's advancement. Amidst the busy work, this attachment to youth and longing for childhood fun had also become a warm driving force on his journey forward, inspiring him to keep moving forward and write a more exciting and warmer chapter.