Chapter 103 Turning Pressure into Motivation
Early the next morning, Lin Mo called everyone into the meeting room.
Calling it a meeting room was a stretch; it was actually the largest Prefabricated Building, usually used for meals and discussions. Today, the table had been pushed to one side, chairs were arranged in a circle, and a whiteboard was temporarily hung on the wall.
Chen Xueming sat on the left holding his thermos, Li Xiao sat on the right clutching her tablet, Zhang Zhe was next to her, and Zhao Gang leaned against the doorway—exactly the same as the last meeting.
But the atmosphere was different.
The news Fang Lin brought last night weighed on everyone's heart like a heavy stone.
Lin Mo stood before the whiteboard, looking at them, and remained silent for a few seconds.
“Everyone knows about what happened last night,” he began. “The International Science and Technology Alliance has been established. Twelve countries, thirty-seven giants, with Smith as the Chief Scientist. Their goal is to contain us.”
No one spoke.
“Director Fang said this is pressure,” Lin Mo continued. “I think she's right. But pressure is something that can either crush a person or be turned into motivation.”
He wrote a few words on the whiteboard:
“The more others try to suppress us, the more results we must achieve.”
Chen Xueming looked at those words, his eyes narrowing.
Lin Mo turned to look at them.
“I want to hear your thoughts.”
There was silence for a few seconds.
Chen Xueming was the first to speak.
“Thoughts?” He set his thermos down on the table with a thud. “My thought is—let them try to suppress us.”
Li Xiao was taken aback for a moment.
Chen Xueming stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and picked up a marker.
“They formed an alliance, so what are they afraid of? They're afraid of us catching up. They're blockading us, so what are they afraid of? They're afraid of us breaking through. The more they jump around, the more it proves we are on the right path.”
He drew an arrow on the whiteboard, pointing into the distance.
“Then let's show them the way.”
Lin Mo looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
“Teacher Chen, how do you want to proceed?”
Chen Xueming turned around and looked at everyone in the room.
“Nuclear Fusion.”
Those two words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
Li Xiao took a sharp breath.
Zhang Zhe's eyes widened.
Zhao Gang, leaning against the door, raised an eyebrow.
Chen Xueming continued: “We have Lithium Extraction from Seawater, we have the principle verification for Tritium Extraction, and Room-Temperature Superconductivity is already a reality. We have all three cornerstones of Nuclear Fusion.”
He looked at Lin Mo.
“Lin Mo, doesn't that system of yours have Tokamak Blueprints?”
Lin Mo nodded.
“It does. But the prerequisite technologies still need to be tackled.”
“Then let's tackle them,” Chen Xueming said. “We are currently working on Tritium Extraction. For the First Wall Material, we can find partner institutions. As for the Plasma Control Algorithm—Li Xiao, can you do it?”
Li Xiao was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
“I can. Give me time, and I can do it.”
Chen Xueming then looked at Zhang Zhe.
“Regarding the equipment, any problems?”
Zhang Zhe thought for a moment: “A Nuclear Fusion device is much more complex than Lithium Extraction from Seawater. Many pieces of equipment aren't available off-the-shelf domestically. But... they can be customized. As long as we have time and money.”
Chen Xueming nodded and then looked at Lin Mo.
“Lin Mo, what do you say?”
Lin Mo looked at him and was silent for a few seconds.
Then he smiled.
“Teacher Chen, you've already assigned everyone their tasks.”
Chen Xueming also smiled.
“Didn't you say pressure becomes motivation? Isn't this motivation?”
Lin Mo stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and drew an even larger arrow next to the one Chen Xueming had drawn.
“Then let's do it.”
He turned to face everyone.
“But we need a rhythm. Nuclear Fusion won't happen in a day; we have to take it step by step.”
He wrote several keywords on the whiteboard:
Tritium Extraction (Preliminary Research) → First Wall Material (Seeking Cooperation) → Plasma Control (Led by Li Xiao) → Tokamak Design (System Blueprints) → Device Construction (Long-term)
“Teacher Chen will continue leading the Tritium Extraction, striving to complete the principle verification within six months.”
Chen Xueming nodded.
“For the First Wall Material, I'll contact some acquaintances at the Materials Institute to see if there are any existing results we can learn from.”
“Plasma control,” Lin Mo looked at Li Xiao, “you start forming a team now to specifically work on the algorithm models. If you need anything, just say it.”
Li Xiao took a deep breath and nodded.
“As for the equipment,” Lin Mo looked at Zhang Zhe, “you first research domestic companies capable of making Nuclear Fusion equipment. Make a list, and we'll gradually reach out to them.”
Zhang Zhe gave an affirmative response.
Finally, Lin Mo looked at everyone.
“This goal is massive. it might take five years, ten years, or even longer. But starting today, we will take it step by step.”
Chen Xueming raised his thermos.
“Then let's start today.”
Li Xiao raised her hand.
Zhang Zhe raised his hand.
Zhao Gang also raised his hand—even though he didn't do the technical work, standing at the door was the best form of support.
Lin Mo looked at them, a warm current surging in his heart.
“Good,” he said. “Then let's do it.”
After the meeting adjourned, Li Xiao caught up with Lin Mo.
“Teacher Lin, the Plasma Control Algorithm... I'm afraid I won't do a good job.”
Lin Mo stopped and looked at her.
“Li Xiao, do you know who created the data model for the Lithium Extraction from Seawater?”
Li Xiao said softly, “It was me.”
“And the optimization simulation for the Lithium-Sulfur Battery?”
“That was also me.”
“What about the airflow collection system design for Tritium Extraction?”
“It was... it was me.”
Lin Mo smiled.
“Then what are you afraid of?”
Li Xiao opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.
Lin Mo patted her on the shoulder.
“You are already an expert. You just haven't realized it yourself yet.”
Li Xiao looked at him, her eyes slightly red.
“Go on. If there's something you don't understand, ask anytime.”
Li Xiao nodded vigorously and turned to run back to the Prefabricated Building.
Lin Mo watched her back, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
In the distance, Chen Xueming was standing by the device, talking to Zhang Zhe. The two were gesturing, seemingly discussing a complex problem.
Zhao Gang returned from his patrol and passed by him.
“Professor Lin, can this group of people really pull off Nuclear Fusion?”
Lin Mo looked at him.
“What do you think?”
Zhao Gang thought for a moment.
“I used to think it was impossible. Now... I don't know.”
Lin Mo smiled.
“Then just wait and see.”
That evening, Chen Xueming sat down next to Lin Mo with his lunch box.
“Lin Mo.”
“Hmm?”
“What I said today wasn't out of impulse.” He looked down at the mutton in his lunch box. “I truly believe it.”
Lin Mo waited for him to continue.
“I'm fifty-seven this year,” Chen Xueming said. “I've worked with materials my whole life without achieving anything major. Now that I finally have something, I want to see it succeed in my lifetime.”
He looked up at the device in the distance.
“If Nuclear Fusion can be realized in our hands, my life will have been worth it.”
Lin Mo remained silent for a few seconds.
“Teacher Chen.”
Chen Xueming turned to look at him.
“You're only fifty-seven; you're still young.”
Chen Xueming was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
“You kid, you sure know how to say the right things.”
Lin Mo also laughed.
In the distance, the night wind of the Gobi Desert blew in, carrying grains of sand that rustled against the Prefabricated Building.
But neither of them moved.
They just sat there, watching the device operating under the moonlight in the distance.
Watching that thing they had built together.
Watching that thing that would become even greater in the future.