41: Has Professor Chen gotten into trouble?

It wasn't until Chen Ming was escorted away by the men in black that the students finally reacted.

"What's going on?"

"Did Professor Chen get into trouble?"

"Are they filming a movie here?"

Students poured out of the classroom, eager to see the excitement.

Many people pulled out their phones and continuously snapped photos of the professor's receding back.

In the last row of the lecture hall.

A student whose hair was long enough to almost cover his eyes never once looked up, his fingers rapidly sliding and tapping on his phone screen.

His slightly chubby best friend next to him, however, had watched the entire event.

"Oh my goodness, Brother Fei, the old man Chen was taken away by men in black."

Zhang Zhifei's controls were thrown off by the shaking, nearly getting hit in the face by an enemy ion cannon. He impatiently shook off Wang Shuo's chubby hand.

"I saw it, I saw it. Don't interrupt Dad while he's team fighting."

"If I can't keep the number one spot when the monthly settlement comes, are you going to pay me the ten thousand yuan bonus?"

Wang Shuo immediately retracted his hand, giving a small smile, his spirit of gossip having fully ignited.

"Brother Fei, do you think Professor Chen went to participate in some kind of confidential mission?"

"None of my business."

Zhang Zhifei used six fingers simultaneously, making his mech on the screen execute an extremely tricky curved Z-shake maneuver, dodging the attack while simultaneously landing a precise shot that destroyed the opposing team's last mech.

[Victory]

"If the sky falls, the tall guys will hold it up. Right now, I only care about my ladder rank points and my bonus."

Zhang Zhifei exited the combat interface. Above his game ID, Zero, was a golden title: [No.1].

This was the fifth consecutive month he had dominated the leaderboard of the game titled "Deep Space Iron Cavalry."

"Brother Fei is awesome."

"Uh, Brother Fei, I want to sleep in tomorrow morning, so about breakfast..."

"The usual—five yuan for the errand fee. Scan code or cash?"

Zhang Zhifei pushed back his fringe and looked at the chubby guy with a fatherly smile.

Relying on his exquisite gaming skills, the money Zhang Zhifei earned just from game bonuses and boosting was enough for him to live comfortably in college.

Moreover, every now and then, he would charitably support his three roommates, whom he considered his helpless sons.

Evening.

The pure black vehicle carrying Professor Chen Ming drove into an air raid shelter.

After passing several security checkpoints manned by armed guards, the vehicle finally stopped in front of an elevator shaft.

"Academician Chen, please."

Chen Ming was escorted into the elevator. The numbers on the electronic display rapidly dropped, finally stopping at floor -30.

The elevator doors silently slid open, and the sight before him was suddenly vast and bright.

This was an extremely futuristic underground hall, brightly lit, with a high, wide dome.

The hall was bustling with people; a rough count put the number at no less than a hundred.

Chen Ming scanned the area and recognized several familiar faces in the crowd.

These people were all top experts in the nation's physics, materials science, and engineering fields, many of whom were national-treasure-level scientists rarely seen in public.

At this moment, these researchers, who usually dominated their respective fields, were queuing up to orderly sign documents at a temporary registration desk.

Chen Ming felt doubt in his heart, and while he was feeling lost, he spotted a familiar figure.

"Old Zhou."

Chen Ming quickly stepped forward.

"Old Zhou, what exactly is going on here?"

Zhou Qiming and Chen Ming had known each other for many years and had collaborated on the research of several key national projects multiple times.

"I was also urgently summoned. The task given to me by the higher-ups is to guide the advancement work for the carbon nanotube t-4."

"Your Xinghai organization has already managed to produce the T-4?"

Zhou Qiming stood even straighter.

"Yes, we brute-forced it into existence using money."

After everyone had signed the non-disclosure agreement, a side door opened, and No. 2 Leader slowly walked into the hall, surrounded by his entourage, and ascended the podium.

The previously somewhat noisy hall instantly fell silent, and everyone's gaze focused on the leader, who possessed a gentle appearance yet inherent dignity.

No. 2 Leader was personally present!

"Comrades."

No. 2 Leader looked around at the familiar and unfamiliar faces below the stage; they were the backbone of Longguo's scientific research field.

"The strategic significance of the undertaking we are about to begin, its profound impact on the nation and the future of the people..."

No. 2 Leader's voice suddenly rose, his words filled with decisive power.

"The research and development work for this project is absolutely no less important than the Azure Sky Project we achieved back then by tightening our belts!"

This statement exploded in the hall like a clap of thunder!

The expressions of all the scientists below the stage, regardless of age or experience, changed completely.

The Azure Sky Project was a historical monument etched into the very bones of the Longguo people, the cornerstone that shattered nuclear blackmail and established the nation's status as a great power, and the supreme spiritual symbol in the hearts of all scientific workers.

Everyone's emotions were intensely stirred at this moment, but deep doubt also arose in their hearts.

What exactly was this project that could be given such an extremely high designation?

"Back then, facing blockades and threats, our predecessors relied on abacuses and scrap paper to force a detonation..."

"Comrades, do you have the confidence to win this battle!"

We do!!!

After No. 2 Leader finished his address, he was met with a response like a mountain roar and a tsunami.

The eyes of the hundred-plus top scientists were now burning with raging flames—a fighting spirit ignited by a noble mission, and the supreme honor of participating in and creating history.

The ancestors paved the way for Longguo with blood and tears; now it was time for this generation to continue upholding and implementing the Party's mission—to serve the people.

Chen Ming tightly clenched his fists.

Next to him, Professor Zhou Qiming was trembling with excitement.

At this moment, the giant circular screen at the front of the hall suddenly lit up.

[flint Nuclear Energy Battery - Phase One R&D Log]

When this title appeared, a hint of confusion flashed through the minds of many people in the audience.

The word "battery" seemed somewhat inconsistent with such a grand and mobilizing setup.

However, when the document scrolled down and revealed the core overview, the entire hall instantly sank into a suffocating silence.

[Technical Principle: Based on a completely new physical architecture, achieving ultra-high energy and power output through the efficient, direct capture and conversion of stable isotope decay energy...]

[Standard Module (Civilian Grade): Approximately 1,000 times the efficiency of lithium-ion batteries.]

[Maximum Module: Approximately 2.1 times the designed energy density of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.]

[Sustained Lifespan: Theoretical operational life of 50 years, requiring no recharging during this period...]

[Safety Features: Radiation level lower than the environmental baseline, no risk of chain reaction...]

Below that were more detailed parameters and a foolproof R&D roadmap.

"These figures..."

Below the stage.

A nuclear energy expert adjusted his glasses, his eyes wide, his lips involuntarily trembling.

"The energy density of the maximum module is actually higher than..."

At this point, he was so excited he was reaching for the emergency heart medication in his pocket.

Chen Ming: "The smallest unit module achieves 1,000 times the efficiency of a lithium battery. This completely overturns the existing energy system!"

While the group of scientists, who held crucial positions in Longguo, were still reeling from the shock of the flint specifications, the central electronic screen in the hall went black and quickly switched to the next file.