Chapter 124 Director Zhang Complains

Early morning in the Gobi Desert; the horizon was just beginning to turn a pale, fish-belly white.

Lin Mo was already standing on the sandy ground outside the temporary Prefabricated Building, clutching the newly printed parameters for the tokamak-3 First Wall Material.

He had stayed up until 3:00 AM again last night; the system simulation showed that the fatigue life of the tungsten fiber composite material under long-term thermal load was 12% lower than expected, requiring adjustments to the sintering process.

The wind howled, whipping up fine sand that stung his face. He was completely oblivious, however, simply staring blankly at the data on the paper.

"Director Lin, didn't you sleep again?" Li Xiao walked over carrying two cups of soy milk, her eyes filled with concern. "You've been pulling all-nighters for a week straight."

"I couldn't sleep." Lin Mo took the soy milk and offered a strained smile. "If the fatigue problem of the First Wall Material isn't solved, ignition is just empty talk. Director Zhang is pushing hard, but scientific laws won't change because of administrative orders."

Li Xiao sighed. "Director Zhang's expression wasn't very good when he left yesterday. Do you think he might..."

"Might what?" Lin Mo took a sip of soy milk. "File a complaint? Let him. We just need to do our job well."

Even though he said that, Li Xiao could still see a trace of worry in Lin Mo's eyes. It wasn't fear, but a kind of helplessness—time was clearly tight, and yet they still had to divert energy to deal with this nonsense.

In the provincial capital city three hundred kilometers away, inside a government guesthouse.

Director Zhang sat at a desk with several sheets of paper spread out before him, clutching a pen, his brows furrowed into a knot. He had been sitting there all morning, and the ashtray was filled with cigarette butts.

"That kid, Lin Mo, is just too stubborn!" he muttered, taking a fierce drag of his cigarette. "What did I say? I just said we need to speed up progress, is that wrong? And look at him, he talked back to me in front of so many people, making me lose face!"

The secretary beside him carefully handed over a cup of tea. "Director, Professor Lin is also doing what's responsible for the project..."

"Responsible? Am I not responsible?" Director Zhang slapped the table. "The higher-ups are watching this project! Next June—that's a military-style pledge we made! With his current attitude, if we can't produce results by then, who will take responsibility? Can he, a young scientist, bear it? In the end, it'll be us administrative staff who take the fall!"

The secretary dared not respond.

Director Zhang took two more puffs, stubbed out the cigarette, and picked up his pen again. This time, he had made up his mind, and the tip of the pen pressed heavily onto the paper:

"Report on the Passive Work and Delays in Progress by Lin Mo, Person in Charge of the 'Artificial Sun' Project"

"Director, you are..." The secretary leaned over to look, and his expression changed.

"I am being responsible!" Director Zhang didn't even look up. "What was I sent here for? To supervise progress and coordinate resources! Now that the project is advancing slowly and the person in charge is stubborn on key issues and won't listen to dissenting opinions, if I don't report it, that would be dereliction of duty!"

He wrote three pages in one go, from Lin Mo "refusing to listen to administrative advice," to "adjusting technical routes without authorization," and finally "repeatedly emphasizing difficulties and lacking a spirit of tackling key problems," concluding:

"In view of the above, it is recommended that the higher authorities send personnel to the project site to comprehensively evaluate the project progress and the work status of the person in charge, ensuring that this major national scientific and technological project proceeds on schedule."

Signed, stamped, and sealed.

"Send it via express mail; it needs to be mailed out today." Director Zhang handed the envelope to the secretary and let out a long sigh, as if he had unloaded some heavy burden.

Two days later, Beijing, a department within the Ministry of Science and Technology.

On the desk of Department Director Zhou Jianguo lay the report transferred from the provincial capital.

He was in his early fifties, with graying hair and glasses—a typical scholar-official. After reading the report, he took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and asked the Deputy Director opposite him: "Old Liu, what do you think?"

Deputy Director Liu shook his head with a bitter smile. "This Director Zhang... isn't he overstepping his bounds? It's not like we don't know the situation over with Lin Mo. Lithium Extraction from Seawater was just announced as a success, and the Tritium Extraction efficiency is at 99.3%; the project progress is clearly very fast. Now that the Nuclear Fusion base has just been launched, don't the preliminary demonstrations, blueprint designs, and equipment bidding all take time? It's been less than two months, and he's already claiming they are passively working?"

Zhou Jianguo didn't respond; he read the report again, then took another document from his drawer—the "tokamak-3 Project Weekly Report" submitted by Fang Lin three days ago. It clearly stated: Problems were discovered in the simulation of the First Wall Material; they are organizing a team to tackle the issue and expect to complete the optimization plan within two weeks.

He placed the two documents together and compared them for a long time.

"Have you read Fang Lin's report?" Zhou Jianguo asked.

"I did. She explained the problems clearly; there are difficulties in the technical breakthrough, but the direction is clear and the progress is controllable. This is the attitude of a scientist." Deputy Director Liu paused. "That Director Zhang... he's purely a layman blindly commanding, and he got angry and embarrassed after being talked back to."

Zhou Jianguo nodded, then shook his head. "However, he is, after all, the administrative head sent from above. Now that he has formally filed a report, we cannot ignore it."

"Then what should we do? Send an investigation team?" Deputy Director Liu frowned. "Isn't that just adding to the chaos? They are in the middle of a technical breakthrough; if we go over with a bunch of people asking this and that, how can they get any work done?"

Zhou Jianguo pondered for a moment. "An investigation team must be sent, but it cannot be a big, public affair, nor can it affect the project's progress. Here's the plan—"

He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

When Fang Lin received the call, she was on her way to the new base.

The off-road vehicle bumped along the Gobi Desert, and the mobile signal was intermittent. When she heard Zhou Jianguo say, "The investigation team will arrive in three days," she was completely stunned.

"Director Zhou, this..." She tried to keep her tone calm. "May I ask why an investigation team is being sent all of a sudden?"

There was silence on the other end for two seconds. "Director Fang, you should know. Someone wrote a report stating that Lin Mo is passively working and delaying progress. The Ministry must provide an explanation."

"Passively working?" Fang Lin almost laughed in anger. "Director Zhou, have you read my weekly report? Problems were found with the First Wall Material, and Lin Mo and his team have been working continuously, sleeping only three or four hours a day. Is that what you call passive work?"

"I have." Zhou Jianguo's voice sounded helpless. "But Director Zhang's report is written in great detail, and some leaders in the Ministry are paying attention. Director Fang, you and I both know that for this kind of matter, if we don't investigate it clearly, it will actually be disadvantageous for Lin Mo."

Fang Lin took a deep breath. "What is the scale of the investigation team? What is the procedure?"

"Streamlined personnel, just three people, led by Deputy Director Liu. The main task is to understand the situation and verify the issues, without affecting the project's progress. You just carry on with what you're doing; just cooperate."

"...Understood."

Hanging up the phone, Fang Lin leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror and dared not speak.

After a long while, Fang Lin opened her eyes, took out her phone, and dialed Lin Mo's number.

"An investigation team?"

Lin Mo's voice was calm, perhaps even numb from fatigue.

He paced on the sandy ground outside the Prefabricated Building; the wind and sand hitting his face felt much lighter than the irritation in his heart.

"Yes, they'll arrive in three days." Fang Lin's voice came through the phone. "Director Zhang filed the complaint. He said you are passively working, delaying progress, and refusing to listen to administrative advice."

Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. "Passively working? I've slept less than twenty hours in the last seven days, and that's called passive work?"

"I know, we all know. But Director Zhang's report has been submitted, and the Ministry must have a procedural response." Fang Lin paused. "Lin Mo, listen to me, this isn't a big deal. When the investigation team comes, just keep doing what you're doing and explain the work clearly. I know Old Liu; he is a reasonable man and won't make things difficult for you."

"I'm not afraid of things being difficult." Lin Mo looked at the distant Gobi Desert, his voice low. "I just don't understand, when time is so tight and the tasks are so heavy, why do we have to waste energy on this kind of thing? The fatigue problem of the First Wall Material, the efficiency optimization of Tritium Extraction, the debugging of the digital twin system—which one isn't urgent? Now, on top of that, we have to free up hands to deal with an investigation team."

Fang Lin was silent.

"Forget it." Lin Mo took a deep breath. "What's meant to come will come. Let them come; I have nothing to hide."

After hanging up, he stood in the wind and sand, motionless for a long time.

In the distance, Zhao Gang strode over, his face livid. "I heard that bastard Director Zhang filed a malicious complaint?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"Damn it!" Zhao Gang kicked the sand fiercely. "I should have blocked him from entering the base in the first place! What a piece of work! He doesn't understand anything, only knows how to nag, nag, nag, and when he gets talked back to, he files a complaint. Does he even have any shame?"

"Brother Zhao." Lin Mo held his shoulder. "Don't be impulsive. I'll handle this."

Zhao Gang glared. "How will you handle it? He's an administrative leader sent by the superiors, he has connections! You're a scientist, you want to fight them?"

"I'm not fighting." Lin Mo shook his head. "I'm just presenting the facts. Every decision I've made has data support and a scientific basis. If the investigation team wants to check, let them check until they understand."

Zhao Gang wanted to say more, but Lin Mo had already turned and walked toward the Prefabricated Building.

"Li Xiao!" He called out. "Pull out all the simulation data for the First Wall Material and organize it into a report. Also, the experimental records for Tritium Extraction, the development logs of the digital twin system—everything that can prove we are working, get it all ready."

Li Xiao poked her head out of the Prefabricated Building, saw Lin Mo's expression, and didn't ask any questions, nodding immediately. "Okay, right away."

By evening, the news had spread throughout the base.

Chen Xueming came out of the laboratory, heard the news, was stunned for a long time, and then let out a cold laugh. "A complaint? What are they complaining about? That we work too hard? That we solved problems others couldn't?"

"Teacher Chen, keep your voice down." The assistant beside him whispered a reminder.

"What am I afraid of?" Chen Xueming raised his voice even louder. "In all my life, what kind of storms haven't I seen? Back when I was abroad, being ostracized and having my results stolen, I never bowed my head. Now that I've returned to the country to do such a big thing, could I be scared by a complaint from someone who doesn't understand technology?"

Even though he said that, he still found Lin Mo after dinner.

"Lin Mo, I heard about the investigation team." Chen Xueming offered him a cigarette; Lin Mo waved his hand, so he lit it himself. "What are your plans?"

Lin Mo sat on the sandy ground, watching the sunset in the distance, silent for a long time.

"Teacher Chen, tell me, what are we really doing all of this for?"

Chen Xueming was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "What, are you feeling discouraged?"

"Not discouraged." Lin Mo shook his head. "I just can't understand it. Room-Temperature Superconductivity, Lithium-Sulfur Battery, Lithium Extraction from Seawater, Tritium Extraction—which one wasn't a tough nut to crack? We cracked them all. Now, Nuclear Fusion, the dream of humanity for decades, we've finally reached this step, and we're on the verge of ignition. But at this very moment, someone is concerned not with how to solve problems, but with how to file complaints and shirk responsibility."

Chen Xueming smoked his cigarette, not responding.

"I know administration has its rules—they want progress, results, and reports." Lin Mo continued. "I've cooperated with all of that. But he wants me to skip verification and ignite directly; do I dare? That's plasma at over a hundred million degrees; one slip-up and the whole base is gone. Can he bear that responsibility? He says he can, but does he understand what plasma confinement is? Does he understand what First Wall Material thermal load is? He doesn't understand anything, so on what basis does he ask me to gamble with scientific laws?"

Chen Xueming exhaled a puff of smoke. "Because he wants political achievements."

Lin Mo smiled bitterly. "Yes, political achievements. But shouldn't our political achievements be spoken for by solid results? When Lithium Extraction from Seawater succeeded, why didn't he file a complaint? When Tritium Extraction reached 99.3%, why didn't he file a complaint? Now that we've just entered the breakthrough stage and encountered some difficulties, he's jumping up."

"Because he doesn't understand." Chen Xueming stubbed out his cigarette. "People who don't understand technology fear 'waiting' the most. They can't understand that some problems just need time and repeated trial and error. They only look at the calendar, not the experimental curves."

Lin Mo nodded, then shook his head.

"Teacher Chen, tell me, if one day we really ignite it and really make Nuclear Fusion generate electricity, will they say then—'Oh, I knew it would work; my pushing for progress back then was justified'?"

Chen Xueming laughed heartily. "They definitely will! And they'll say it with perfect confidence!"

The two looked at each other and laughed.

As they laughed, Lin Mo stood up and brushed the sand off his body. "Alright, I've figured it out. Let them investigate, we'll do our own work. With data in hand and truth in my heart, what do I have to fear?"

Chen Xueming also stood up and patted his shoulder. "That's the Lin Mo I know."

Three days later, 9:00 AM.

An off-road vehicle kicked up yellow sand as it stopped at the entrance of the base.

The car door opened, and Deputy Director Liu stepped out with two other people. He was in his fifties, with graying hair and glasses, looking refined and scholarly.

Fang Lin went to greet him. "Old Liu, thank you for the trouble."

"Director Fang, long time no see." Deputy Director Liu shook her hand and lowered his voice. "Where is he?"

"The laboratory." Fang Lin also lowered her voice. "He pulled another all-nighter last night and just dozed off for a bit. Should we wake him?"

Deputy Director Liu shook his head. "No rush, let him sleep. We'll look around first and understand the situation."

He turned to the two people accompanying him. "Xiao Li, Xiao Wang, you follow Director Fang, look at the laboratory, and ask about the data. I'll go find Director Zhang to have a chat."

Fang Lin was stunned. "You aren't seeing Lin Mo?"

"I will, of course I will." Deputy Director Liu smiled. "But not now. Let him get enough sleep; when he wakes up and is refreshed, we'll have a good talk."

He looked up at the desolate Gobi Desert and the Nuclear Fusion base under construction in the distance, sighing with emotion. "To be able to set up such a huge project here, to be able to stay in a place like this for months—would such a person be passively working? Old Zhang, oh Old Zhang, you really don't understand scientists."