Chapter 101 The Mentor's Blessing

The day after the birthday party, it was still sunny and calm in the Gobi Desert.

Lin Mo woke up early as usual, did his usual round by the device, and returned to the Prefabricated Building to check the data. Everything was the same as yesterday, yet it felt a little different.

At ten o'clock, his phone suddenly rang.

It was Wang Zhenguo.

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment and quickly answered.

A familiar face appeared on the screen—white-haired, wearing reading glasses, with a smile at the corners of his eyes. Behind Wang Zhenguo was a bookshelf packed with various professional books and journals.

"Lin Mo!" Wang Zhenguo's voice came from the phone. "Happy birthday! Yesterday was your thirtieth birthday, wasn't it?"

Lin Mo felt a warmth in his heart. "Teacher Wang, you still remember."

"I remember, how could I forget?" Wang Zhenguo took off his reading glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "On the first day you joined my Research Group, your files said November 15th. Back then, you were just a young lad, and now you're already thirty."

Lin Mo smiled.

"How is it in the Gobi Desert? I heard you've made another big splash," Wang Zhenguo said. "Lithium Extraction from Seawater, with costs at thirty-five thousand, and the state's announcement causing global lithium prices to plummet—this old man watches the news every day, and it gets my blood pumping."

Lin Mo felt a bit embarrassed. "It was all done together as a team."

"I know, I know." Wang Zhenguo waved his hand. "Is that old fellow Chen Xueming finally convinced by you? With his temper, it's not easy for him to be impressed by someone."

Lin Mo thought of the long message Chen Xueming had sent that night, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Teacher Chen is now the core of our team."

Wang Zhenguo nodded, a look of gratification in his eyes.

"Lin Mo, you know, what I'm most proud of in my life isn't how many papers you've published or how many awards you've won." He paused. "It's watching you all leave my side and go on to achieve great things."

Lin Mo's throat felt a bit tight.

"Room-Temperature Superconductivity, Lithium-Sulfur Battery, Lithium Extraction from Seawater—every step has been right on the mark. Every step is solving problems for the country," Wang Zhenguo said. "As your teacher, I'm happy to see it."

Lin Mo opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in his throat.

"Oh, right," Wang Zhenguo suddenly remembered something. "Where's that girl Li Xiao? And Zhang Zhe? Call them over so I can see them."

Lin Mo turned and called out to them.

Li Xiao and Zhang Zhe quickly ran over and crowded in front of the phone screen.

"Teacher Wang!" Li Xiao's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "How have you gotten so thin?"

Wang Zhenguo touched his face. "It's good to be thin; it makes me feel energetic. You're the ones having a hard time in the Gobi Desert. I saw the weather forecast; it must be below zero there at night, right?"

Li Xiao nodded. "It's five degrees below zero, but it's warm in the Prefabricated Building. Captain Zhou installed heating for us."

Zhang Zhe added from the side, "And mutton soup. Captain Zhou stews a pot every few days. After drinking it, your whole body feels warm."

Wang Zhenguo laughed. "That's good, that's good."

Chen Xueming had also stood behind them at some point.

Seeing him, Wang Zhenguo's eyes lit up. "Old Chen!"

Chen Xueming took a step forward and nodded at the screen. "Old Wang."

"I heard you're working under Lin Mo now?" Wang Zhenguo asked with a smile.

Chen Xueming smiled too. "Not under him, but with him."

Wang Zhenguo looked at his expression, stunned for a second, then burst into laughter.

"Good, good, working together is good," he said. "Old Chen, I've known you for thirty years. I used to think you were too arrogant, but seeing you like this now, I'm relieved."

Chen Xueming felt a bit embarrassed but didn't argue.

Wang Zhenguo looked at Lin Mo again.

"Lin Mo, what are your plans next?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment.

"The industrialization of Lithium Extraction from Seawater still needs to be pushed forward; the Floating Offshore Platform is set to be completed next year. Also..." He paused. "We are doing preliminary research on Tritium Extraction."

Wang Zhenguo's eyes lit up. "Tritium Extraction? The one for Nuclear Fusion?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"The principle is similar to Lithium Extraction from Seawater; both involve using Magnetic Field Separation for isotopes. Teacher Chen is leading the team on it, and the feasibility of the principle has already been verified."

Wang Zhenguo was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

"Good," he said. "Good."

Two words, said twice.

Lin Mo knew this was the reaction Wang Zhenguo only had when he was at his happiest.

"Lin Mo," Wang Zhenguo said, his expression suddenly becoming serious.

"Hmm?"

"You're thirty now. Thirty is the prime age for getting things done," he said. "When I was thirty, I was still pulling all-nighters in the laboratory, not knowing what I would achieve in this life. Looking back now, those all-nighters weren't in vain."

He looked at the few people on the screen.

"What you are doing now is much bigger than what I did back then. Room-Temperature Superconductivity, Lithium-Sulfur Battery, Lithium Extraction from Seawater, and now Tritium Extraction—these things can change the country, and they can change the world."

He paused.

"The greatest achievement of my life isn't those papers or those awards; it's having taught all of you."

Lin Mo's eyes suddenly grew hot.

Beside him, Li Xiao sniffled.

Zhang Zhe blinked hard.

Chen Xueming lowered his head, lost in thought.

"Alright, enough sentimentality," Wang Zhenguo waved his hand. "Lin Mo, keep up the good work. If you need anything from me, call anytime. This old man can still help you look up materials and revise papers."

Lin Mo nodded vigorously.

"Teacher Wang, please take care of your health."

"I know, I know." Wang Zhenguo smiled. "You too. The wind and sand are strong in the Gobi Desert; wear more clothes."

The video call ended.

The Prefabricated Building was quiet for a few seconds.

Li Xiao said softly, "Teacher Wang's hair has turned much whiter."

Chen Xueming sighed. "He's worried too much over the years."

Lin Mo looked at his phone screen and remained silent for a long time.

He remembered the first time he met Wang Zhenguo.

Back then, he was just a master's student who had just joined the Research Group and knew nothing. Wang Zhenguo taught him step-by-step how to search for literature, how to conduct experiments, and how to write papers. Later, when he graduated with his PhD, Wang Zhenguo said, "Go on, fly as far as you can."

Later, he went to the Gobi Desert and did those things within the "system."

Wang Zhenguo never asked about his secrets; he just said every time he called, "Do a good job, don't bring shame to our Research Group."

Lin Mo knew that Wang Zhenguo treated him like a son.

And he regarded Wang Zhenguo as a second father.

"Teacher Lin?" Li Xiao called out softly.

Lin Mo snapped out of it and looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

Lin Mo shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said. "It's just... I miss Teacher Wang a bit."

Li Xiao nodded.

Chen Xueming walked over and patted his shoulder.

"Once we're through this busy period, go back and visit him."

Lin Mo nodded.

Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly over the Gobi Desert.

The distant device shimmered with a metallic luster in the sunlight, like a sleeping giant beast waiting for its next awakening.

Lin Mo looked in that direction, suddenly remembering what Wang Zhenguo had just said:

"What you are doing now can change the country, and it can change the world."

He took a deep breath.

Then he would keep doing it.

That evening, Lin Mo sat alone in the Prefabricated Building and turned on his computer.

On the screen was the optimization plan for the next stage of Tritium Extraction. Magnetic field gradients, multi-stage series, low-temperature experiments—every item required repeated scrutiny.

He watched for a while, then suddenly stopped.

He took the birthday note out of the drawer and read it again.

"Teacher Lin, happy thirtieth birthday. Thank you for leading us this far. — All of tritium road"

He looked at it for a long time, then carefully folded it and put it back in the drawer.

He turned off the computer and lay down.

Outside the window, the Gobi wind blew gently.

He thought of Wang Zhenguo's words, of Chen Xueming's long message that night, and of the smiling faces at the birthday party.

Thirty years old, the first day had passed.

On the second day, he would keep going.

Going even further.