Chapter 118 Li Xiao's Platform
"Wait another five minutes."
Li Xiao's voice came from inside the Prefabricated Building, tinged with a hint of nervousness. She stared at the screen in front of her, fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard as strings of code flowed past like water.
Chen Xueming stood behind her, holding a thermos, looking calm. But upon closer inspection, the fingers gripping the cup were slightly white.
Zhang Zhe squatted in the corner, pretending to debug equipment, but his eyes kept glancing toward the screen from time to time.
Lin Mo leaned against the doorframe, waiting quietly.
Zhao Gang stood furthest out, looking bewildered. He didn't know what was happening, but seeing everyone's expressions, he knew it must be something big.
"Done," Li Xiao suddenly said.
She took a deep breath and pressed a key.
The screen flashed, and a 3D model emerged.
It was a massive toroidal device with a silver-white metallic texture, surrounded by a complex magnet system. Blue magnetic field lines flowed around the device like tamed lightning. Plasma glowed faintly in the center of the ring—an orange-red light, warm and bright.
Zhao Gang was stunned.
"This... this is..."
Li Xiao stood up and pointed at the model on the screen.
"A data simulation platform for the Nuclear Fusion device. The initial version."
She walked to the screen and began the demonstration.
"This is the real-time status of the magnet system." She clicked, and a part of the model lit up. "Magnetic field strength, temperature, current, stress—all parameters can be monitored in real-time."
She clicked again, and another part lit up.
"This is the Vacuum Chamber. Internal pressure, temperature, impurity concentration—all visualized."
"This is the heat load distribution of the First Wall Material."
"This is the operational efficiency of the Tritium Breeding Blanket."
"This is the heat exhaust status of the Divertor."
As she spoke, she switched screens. The 3D model rotated, zoomed in, and zoomed out between different perspectives, every detail clearly visible.
Chen Xueming's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Zhang Zhe had already stood up and leaned toward the screen, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.
The corners of Lin Mo's mouth curled up slightly.
Zhao Gang froze there, only managing to choke out a sentence after a long while.
"This... this thing is more advanced than our command system."
Li Xiao turned to look at him, a bit embarrassed.
"Captain Zhao, you've used a command system?"
Zhao Gang nodded.
"I have. A battlefield command system that displays friend and foe positions, firepower distribution, and communication status in real-time. But that's 2D, it's not so..." He thought for a moment, unable to find the right word, "so good-looking."
Li Xiao smiled.
"Looking good isn't the point; the point is accuracy." She switched to a data interface. "These parameters all come from the design blueprints in Teacher Lin's system, combined with the data we've accumulated from our own experiments. The simulated results have an error margin of no more than three percent compared to actual conditions."
Chen Xueming finally spoke.
"Li Xiao, how long did this take you?"
Li Xiao thought about it.
"Three months. Sleeping four hours a day."
Chen Xueming fell silent.
He remembered three months ago when Lin Mo suggested letting Li Xiao take the lead on the Plasma Control Algorithm. At that time, he had worried whether this girl could handle the burden.
Now, she hadn't just created the algorithm; she had built an entire simulation platform.
"Girl," Chen Xueming said.
Li Xiao looked at him.
"You've grown up."
Li Xiao was stunned for a moment, her eyes turning slightly red.
But she didn't let the tears fall, only offering a smile.
"Teacher Chen, I haven't grown up yet. This is just the initial version; there's still so much more to add later."
Chen Xueming nodded.
"Then add it slowly. We have ten years, after all."
Lin Mo walked over and stood in front of the screen.
He looked at the 3D model, the pulsing data, and the blue magnetic field lines.
Then he turned his head to look at Li Xiao.
"Li Xiao."
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Li Xiao was momentarily stunned, then shook her head.
"Teacher Lin, it's only right."
Lin Mo said nothing more, only patting her on the shoulder.
That evening, Captain Zhou stewed another pot of mutton.
While eating, Zhao Gang was still rambling about that simulation platform.
"Li Xiao, can that thing of yours be connected to our security system?"
Li Xiao thought about it.
"Theoretically, yes. What functions do you want?"
Zhao Gang gestured as he spoke, "That 3D map—could it be replaced with one of the base? Then mark the sentry positions, patrol routes, and surveillance coverage. If something happens, one look would tell us where people are and where they aren't."
Li Xiao's eyes lit up.
"I can. I'll develop a separate version for you."
Zhao Gang grinned.
"That would be great!"
Chen Xueming snorted from the side.
"Captain Zhao, you're trying to use the girl as free labor."
Zhao Gang glared.
"What free labor? I'm trading mutton for it!"
Everyone laughed.
Lin Mo held his bowl, watching the group, the corners of his mouth turned up the entire time.
He remembered three years ago when he first met Li Xiao. Back then, she was just a fresh graduate student running errands for Wang Zhenguo, unable to even write code smoothly.
Now, she could build a data simulation platform for Nuclear Fusion on her own.
She could discuss integration plans for the security system with Zhao Gang.
She could make Chen Xueming say something like 'You've grown up.'
He watched Li Xiao as she laughed and bargained with Zhao Gang, a strange feeling welling up in his heart.
That feeling was called pride.
After dinner, Li Xiao returned to the Prefabricated Building to continue debugging her platform.
Lin Mo followed her in and stood behind her, watching for a while.
The 3D model on the screen was still rotating, blue light flashing.
"Li Xiao," he suddenly spoke.
Li Xiao turned around.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever thought about what this platform could become in the future?"
Li Xiao thought about it.
"I want to make it into a complete Digital Twin System," she said. "Not just for monitoring, but for prediction. Where the magnets might have issues, when the first wall needs replacement, when the plasma might become unstable—all with early warnings."
Lin Mo nodded.
"How long will it take?"
Li Xiao shook her head.
"I don't know. Maybe five years, maybe ten."
Lin Mo looked at her.
"Then do it."
Li Xiao smiled.
"Okay."
Lin Mo walked out of the Prefabricated Building and stood in the night air of the Gobi Desert.
The moon was very bright, bathing the ground in silver-white. The distant device shimmered with a metallic luster under the moonlight, like a slumbering giant beast.
He thought of the 3D model he had just seen.
Contained within it were his blueprints, Chen Xueming's experimental data, Li Xiao's code, Zhang Zhe's equipment parameters, and Zhao Gang's security requirements.
It was something they had all built together.
He looked in that direction, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
Then he turned and walked toward his own Prefabricated Building.
Tomorrow would be another new day.