46: Section 46

However! Now, Academician Wang had actually provided the one and only solution!

This official press conference was also being broadcast by major platforms like Yanjing TV.

Because China was facing a comprehensive blockade by the joint forces of Western Countries, the impact this time went beyond just cutting-edge industries; even the daily lives of ordinary people were significantly affected.

Consequently, the entire nation was watching this press conference. Everyone was staring intently at the broadcast, desperate for an official explanation.

They had originally just hoped for a morale booster, but Academician Wang dropped a bombshell the moment he spoke. Foreigners aside, even the Chinese people themselves found it hard to believe at first.

"Holy shit, below one nanometer?"

"Leading the world?"

"Did they really produce a photolithography machine overnight?"

"How is this possible? Don't treat me like an idiot just because I don't understand these complex things. I know the basic logic that you have to walk the road one step at a time. How can you reach the sky in a single bound!?"

"Is there any expert out there who can explain this? How much of this is actually true?"

"Who is this old man speaking? I've seen him at previous press conferences; is he an official? They didn't just find some random scapegoat to take the heat, did they?"

"Don't talk nonsense! This is one of the most senior academicians in our country's scientific research institute!"

"Exactly! For over twenty years, Academician Wang has been instrumental in our country's full-scale digitization, making daily life convenient for everyone. The fact that he's here to speak in person proves that this isn't just empty talk!"

"Holy shit, my apologies. I didn't realize he was such a big shot!"

"Wait, so that means... with this super research expert Academician Wang testifying, plus the mysterious but reliable name of Lin, doesn't that mean China really has its own photolithography machine???"

Once the netizens heard Academician Wang's background explained, they finally realized the weight of the person speaking on stage!

Their hearts were instantly put at ease, and most of the skeptical voices vanished, leaving the screen filled with "Holy shit" and "666".

"China is awesome!!!"

"Too strong! It turns out China has been hiding such an awesome tech expert all along!"

"It's Lin again! As expected of Lin. Is this Lin just too powerful? Could it be a secret research organization in China?"

"I wonder if Lin is among the officials present today?"

"Probably not. Lin's identity must not be exposed casually, otherwise, they would definitely be targeted by those Western Countries!"

"Exactly! Lin is China's hope!"

"Hahaha! We finally have our own photolithography machine. We can finally hold our heads high!"

Clang—!!! Following the cheers from the many yellow-skinned people on the screen and the enthusiastic applause, someone—no one knew who—carelessly knocked over a glass of champagne, drawing the attention of everyone in The White House back to reality.

The crisp sound echoing through The White House once again felt like a bullet hitting the President, making him stumble in panic.

"shit!"

"Turn it off! Turn it off!"

"China is spreading fake news! Everyone, don't panic!"

"This is all fake! Everyone must trust my judgment and trust the professors at our research institute!"

The President could no longer force a smile. He immediately ordered his secretary to turn off the live projector and pull down the curtains.

"Mr. President..."

This time, no one responded to the President. Instead, they looked at him with deep concern.

"The banquet is over! All departments, gather in the conference room!"

China had gone this far. If he, as President, continued to enjoy the banquet without any countermeasures, he would surely be impeached and removed from office in a couple of days.

At that thought, the President lost all appetite. He hated China to the core. Holy shit!

Why couldn't this damn China wait a couple of years to rise!? And this damn Lin—where on earth did this mysterious organization come from!?

"Hubert, I'll give you a few more days. You must find out exactly what this Lin is!"

"At the very least, tell me whether it's a person or an organization!"

"Oh my God, this feeling is just awful!"

"Investigate! You must investigate this immediately!"

Upon arriving at the conference room, the President unleashed his fury on Hubert, the head of the intelligence department.

Hubert felt helpless. He really had no choice! They had planted quite a few informants in China, but none of those who could reach China's high-level officials had heard anything about Lin.

Even in casual conversations, Chinese officials had never let those two words slip! The name Lin seemed to have appeared completely out of thin air!

However, this couldn't be blamed on him. After all, Lin Bai was just a shut-in with zero public profile, and he had absolutely no connection to the government.

The only public contact was Li Yaoyao; all other arrangements were made in secret, which Lin Bai himself was completely unaware of.

Even the Special Decision Group, including Chief Yun, exercised restraint and never chose to approach Lin Bai directly. All information was submitted through Li Yaoyao and the National Security Bureau.

The only people who knew of Lin Bai's existence were the Special Decision Group and a tiny fraction of the top brass at the Yanjing headquarters—leaders at least at the same level as Chief Yun were the only ones qualified to know.

Those spies, no matter how high they climbed, could never enter the true inner circle. Consequently, it was naturally impossible for them to uncover even a shred of information.

However, following Lighthouse Country's usual practice, even if they didn't know what China was doing, as long as it was something China wanted to do, they would just focus on causing trouble!

Since the spies couldn't gather intelligence, they would simply fish in troubled waters by stirring up public opinion!

The spies, having received their orders, found an opportunity to cause trouble:

"Hehe, that's easy to say, but I can brag too. I could say I have a 0.0001-nanometer photolithography machine at home!"

"Exactly! The higher-ups are just fooling you, and you're all getting high on your own supply. Ridiculous!"

"If you've got the guts, bring out the real thing and show it off. What's the point of just talking?"

"Don't be surprised if in two weeks they claim 'technical difficulties' and delay it for another three to five years. That would be hilarious, hehe."

"And isn't the excuse even more ridiculous? Saying it's 'too advanced to display' and then just brushing it off~"

"If the officials had said they developed a 30-nanometer photolithography machine, I would have believed it without hesitation. But to jump over such a massive gap and go straight to below one nanometer? I, for one, don't believe it!"

"I'm a netizen from Northern China. Does anyone have information about this photolithography machine? Can you add my Twitter so we can chat in detail?"

One downside of the internet age is that it's hard to distinguish truth from falsehood. As these comments kept appearing, many people became anxious again, worrying that this was all just a fleeting dream.

After all, when the 90-nanometer-level photolithography machine appeared, most of the Chinese public had heard the news. Although it was still lagging behind, it was at least progress, and at the time, many citizens had great confidence in China's research department.

But this time, a sudden, leap-forward advancement was announced, making them feel like they were dreaming. They were genuinely starting to panic.

"Holy shit, no way. Are things really going to keep reversing back and forth?"

"Is there actually a photolithography machine or not?!"

"Can the officials come out and give us a straight answer? Even releasing a video would be fine!"

"Don't let it be that they tried to fool the Western Countries but ended up fooling their own people instead. That would be hilarious!"

Seeing the panicked public, those spies and agents responsible for gathering intelligence thought they had guessed correctly, believing this was a complete and utter scam!

After all, even they, as the world's strongest technological power, hadn't been able to break the one-nanometer barrier. Their most precise equipment barely reached three nanometers, and due to the complexity of manufacturing, there were no more than two such machines in the entire Lighthouse Country!

How could mere China possibly create something out of nothing and produce one below one nanometer?!

Chapter 58: Reversal? Is China just spouting empty words and fooling the whole world?!