9: Chapter 9 This is a miniature nuclear bomb

Southern Jiangsu National Materials Laboratory.

Twelve midnight.

Under the dazzling incandescent lights, several researchers wearing white lab coats gathered in front of a precision instrument, staring intently at the data jumping on the screen.

"This is impossible..."

Professor Li, who was in charge of the testing, took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes hard, then put them back on to re-verify the numbers on the screen.

They still hadn't changed, consistent with the previously tested data.

"Test it again."

His voice trembled slightly: "Use the X-ray diffractometer to do another crystal structure analysis."

"Yes."

The assistant immediately operated the instrument.

Ten minutes later, the latest test results came out.

Professor Li stared at the report, freezing in place.

"Professor Li... This..."

The young researcher beside him said with a trembling voice:

"This molecular structure... simply does not exist on Earth!"

Professor Li did not speak, but his hands were trembling slightly.

Having engaged in Materials science research for fifty years, he had seen countless minerals, alloys, and synthetic Materials.

But the gemstone in front of him—

Its crystal structure completely subverted his cognition.

That was a never-before-seen geometric arrangement, precise, complex, breathtakingly beautiful, yet filled with incredible contradictions.

"What about the elemental analysis?"

Professor Li forced himself to calm down:

"Are the results from the mass spectrometer out?"

"They are out."

The assistant handed over another report.

Professor Li took it, quickly skimmed through it, and then froze completely.

[Elemental Analysis Report]

[Sample: Unknown Crystal]

[Testing Method: Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)]

[Result: Three Unknown Elements Detected]

[Element A: Atomic number approximately 125, not in the existing periodic table]

[Element B: Atomic number approximately 138, not in the existing periodic table]

[Element C: Atomic number unmeasurable, suspected superheavy element or island of stability element]

[Remarks: The above elements should not exist in Earth's natural environment]

"This..."

Professor Li's throat felt dry.

Superheavy elements.

Island of stability.

These were all concepts in theoretical physics that mankind had never truly synthesized or discovered.

And now, they appeared within this tiny gemstone.

"What about the energy detection?"

Professor Li asked the most crucial question.

The assistant's face turned even paler:

"Professor Li, you had better take a look yourself..."

Professor Li took the energy detection report.

Upon seeing the first line of numbers, his hands began to tremble violently.

[Energy Density: 1.26 × 10 ^ 13 Joules / cubic centimeter]

[Total Energy: Approx 1 × 10 ^ 11 Joules]

"This... How is this possible..."

Professor Li's voice was squeezed out almost from between his teeth.

What kind of concept was this?

The energy contained within a fingernail-sized gemstone—

Was equivalent to 150 tons of TNT equivalent!

Equivalent to the power of more than a dozen heavy aerial bombs!

If all the energy in this gemstone were released, it would be enough to raze the entire laboratory to the ground in an instant!

All buildings within a radius of hundreds of meters would turn into dust, and everyone would instantly evaporate in the light and heat of the explosion.

The shockwave would sweep across several kilometers, destroying all life.

This was not a gemstone.

This was a miniature nuclear bomb!

"Report... Report immediately!"

Professor Li stood up abruptly:

"Notify Captain Zhang! Notify the military region! Notify everyone!"

"This thing is too dangerous!"

One in the morning.

Zhang Weiguo was awakened by the urgent ringing of the phone.

"Hello?"

"Captain Zhang! Emergency!"

On the other end of the phone was Professor Li's panicked voice:

"That gemstone... the test results are out..."

"You must come over and see it immediately!"

Ten minutes later.

Zhang Weiguo rushed into the laboratory.

"Where is the report?"

Professor Li handed over a thick stack of documents.

Zhang Weiguo quickly flipped through them, his expression growing increasingly grave.

Unknown molecular structure.

Elements not existing in the periodic table.

Energy equivalent to dozens of aerial bombs.

"Are you sure?"

Zhang Weiguo stared intently at Professor Li:

"Are these data all real?"

"We tested it more than a dozen times."

Professor Li's voice was firm:

"We used different instruments and different methods, and the results were all the same."

"Captain Zhang..."

Professor Li hesitated for a moment:

"What that young man said... could it be true?"

Zhang Weiguo fell silent.

He thought of the words Su Mingyuan had said.

"The portal."

"The Zombie World."

"Being forcibly teleported."

Previously, he had found it absurd and ridiculous.

But now, the existence of this gemstone itself was a subversion of common sense.

"Report it immediately."

Zhang Weiguo made his decision:

"I will report directly to the provincial department, or even... Central Command."

"This matter has already exceeded our scope of handling."

Two in the morning.

Great Xia National Academy of Sciences.

In the emergency conference room.

More than a dozen top domestic scientists connected via video conference, and the gemstone's test report was displayed on the screen.

"Everyone, that is the situation."

Presiding over the meeting was the Vice President of the Academy of Sciences, an elderly man in his seventies:

"What is placed before us now is an unprecedented thing."

"A gemstone of unknown origin, containing incredible energy, brought back by a young man who claimed to have been 'teleported to the Zombie World'."

"We need to make a judgment—"

"What on earth is this?"

"Is what that young man said true or not!"

The scientists on the screen looked at each other in dismay. After a few seconds, a voice sounded:

"I suggest immediately setting up a special investigation team."

"No matter what the truth is, the importance of this matter goes without saying."

"If what that young man said is true..."

The speaker paused for a moment:

"That means there is a passage leading to another world."

"This will completely change humanity's understanding of the Universe."

The conference room fell into a brief silence.

A moment later, the vice president spoke:

"Then, who will be in charge of this special investigation team?"

"I recommend Tao Zhe."

A voice suddenly sounded, and then everyone froze for a moment.

Tao Zhe?

That super Genius?

"Where is he now?"

"Beijing. Doing experiments at the Chinese Academy of Sciences."

The vice president nodded:

"Contact him."

Beijing, Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In a laboratory.

A young man who looked twenty-five or twenty-six years old was sitting in front of a computer, his fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard.

On the screen were dense mathematical formulas and code.

His name was Tao Zhe.

He was 25 years old this year.

He was admitted to Tsinghua University's gifted youth class at the age of 5.

He obtained a Ph.D. in physics at the age of 12.

At 15, he became the youngest researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

He was proficient in more than a dozen disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and even psychology.

He had published more than 130 top journal papers, fifty of which were included in Nature and Science.

Some said his IQ was as high as 500.

Although this was an exaggerated statement, no one could deny that Tao Zhe was the Genius closest to a god in this era.

Ding-dong.

Tao Zhe's phone rang.

"So late, who is still calling me?"

Tao Zhe glanced at the screen and frowned slightly: "Hello?"

"Xiao Tao, there is an urgent mission that requires you."

The voice of the vice president came from the other end of the phone:

"Now, immediately, right away, rush to the Southern Jiangsu Provincial Security Bureau."

"There is a sample that requires you to test it personally."

"What kind of sample?"

Tao Zhe asked.

The vice president was silent for a few seconds, seeming to ponder how to tell Tao Zhe about this matter:

"A gemstone that may come from an Otherworld."

Tao Zhe froze.

An Otherworld?

"Are you joking?"

"I never joke."

The vice president's voice was very serious:

"I have already sent the test report to your email. You will understand after reading it."

Tao Zhe hung up the phone, opened his email, and clicked on the report.

Three seconds later, he stood up abruptly!

"This..."

Tao Zhe stared intently at the data on the screen, his eyes flashing with unprecedented brilliance.

Non-existent elements.

Incredible energy density.

This could not possibly be something from Earth!

"Interesting..."

The corners of Tao Zhe's mouth curled into a smile: "Too interesting."

He didn't have time to pack his things and immediately rushed out of the laboratory.

Two hours later.

Tao Zhe arrived at the Sunan Military Region garrison.

"Dr. Tao, you have finally come."

Zhang Weiguo greeted him personally:

"The sample is in the Materials laboratory, I will take you over."

"No rush."

Tao Zhe waved his hand:

"I want to see that person first."

"The young man who brought back the gemstone."

Zhang Weiguo was stunned for a moment:

"You mean... Su Mingyuan?"

"Correct."

Tao Zhe's gaze was very serious:

"If what he said is true, then he is the only person who has ever touched 'another world'."

"The information he holds is far more important than that gemstone."

Zhang Weiguo was silent for a few seconds and nodded:

"Follow me."

Isolation room.

Su Mingyuan was lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

From yesterday until now, nearly a dozen hours had passed.

He didn't know whether the country believed him or not, nor did he know how the country would treat him next.

However, the countdown in front of Su Mingyuan was still continuing.

[55:17:43]

Right at this moment, the metal door opened.

Su Mingyuan sat up abruptly.

Zhang Weiguo walked in front, followed by a young man behind him.

That young man wore casual clothes and carried a backpack, looking just like a college student.

But his gaze was sharp, focused, and filled with a desire to explore.

"Su Mingyuan."

Zhang Weiguo spoke: "This is Dr. Tao Zhe, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences."

"He has some questions he wants to ask you."

Tao Zhe stepped forward, stared at Su Mingyuan, with a faint smile on the corners of his mouth:

"Hello, Su Mingyuan."

"I am very interested in your story."