Chapter 173 The Night Before Ignition

At two in the morning, the night wind in the Gobi Desert ceased.

The entire base fell into a strange tranquility. There was no sound of wind, no roar of machinery, and even the footsteps of the usual night patrol became exceptionally light. It was as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for something.

Lin Mo left the dormitory without disturbing anyone.

He walked through the empty corridor and past the brightly lit control room—through the glass, he could see Li Xiao still inside, staring at the data on the screen. She didn't notice him, as focused as a statue.

He didn't go in to disturb her.

Continuing forward, he passed the equipment room. The door was slightly ajar, and light snoring came from inside—Chen Xueming was sleeping here tonight, guarding those valves and gauges, saying it was the "last night, so I have to watch over them to feel at ease."

Lin Mo stood at the door for a few seconds, then gently closed it tight for him.

Finally, he passed through the security gate that was manned twenty-four hours a day and walked toward the tokamak-3.

The device was even more awe-inspiring than during the day.

The massive toroidal structure shimmered with a cold metallic luster under the spotlights. The dense network of pipes and coils were arranged in an orderly fashion like the skeleton of some giant beast. The Cooling System pipes extended from underground, thick like the roots of a thousand-year-old tree. The outer wall of the Vacuum Chamber reflected the lights, casting Lin Mo's blurred silhouette.

He stood before the device, looking up at it.

Seven years ago, it was just an icon in the system.

Five years ago, it turned into dense lines on a blueprint.

Three years ago, it began to take shape bit by bit on this wasteland.

Now, it stood here like a giant about to wake up.

Lin Mo reached out and gently touched the nearest pipe. The metal was icy, but he knew that in over ten hours, plasma at over a hundred million degrees would flow through here, igniting the first Artificial Sun in human history.

"Are you nervous?" he asked softly.

The device, of course, would not answer.

But he seemed to hear his own heartbeat, exceptionally clear in the silent night.

Lin Mo slowly walked a full circle around the device.

Each step was very slow, as if he were measuring something. He passed the coils of the Magnet System, remembering the night Chen Xueming almost broke down during debugging. He passed the modules of the First Wall, remembering the days and nights of thirty thousand simulations. He passed the Divertor, remembering Factory Director Liu patting his chest and saying, "Give us three months," and remembering how Chen Xueming looked when he returned having lost a significant amount of weight.

Every component had a story.

Every person had left their mark on it.

When he reached the back of the device, he suddenly stopped.

On the largest pipe, someone had written a line of words in crooked marker:

"If the ignition is successful, I'll treat the whole team to whole roasted lamb! — Zhao Gang"

Beside it was an even smaller line of words:

"Count me in! — Li Xiao"

And next to that:

"Add me too, I'll be in charge of the roasting. — Old Wang from the Canteen"

Lin Mo looked at those lines and suddenly smiled.

As he smiled, his eyes grew a bit hot.

He reached out to touch the writing and said softly:

"Alright. If the ignition is successful, it's on me."

Lin Mo sat down on a rock next to the device.

He didn't know who had moved this rock here, but it was perfectly aligned with the front of the tokamak-3, like a natural spectator's seat. Sitting here, looking at the massive device, he suddenly thought of Wang Zhenguo.

He took out his phone, hesitated for a moment, and then dialed the number anyway.

The other side picked up almost instantly.

"Xiao Lin?" Wang Zhenguo's voice was a bit raspy, clearly having been woken up, but no displeasure could be heard. "Not asleep yet at this hour?"

Lin Mo said softly, "Teacher, I'm next to the device, and I can't sleep."

Wang Zhenguo was silent for a few seconds, then laughed:

"It's only right that you can't sleep. The night before I launched my first satellite back then, I didn't sleep all night either."

Lin Mo also smiled. "Teacher, were you nervous?"

Wang Zhenguo thought about it and said:

"Nervous. But more than that, I was expectant. It was like a child I'd waited half my life for was finally about to be born."

He paused, his voice softening:

"Xiao Lin, tomorrow is the day."

Lin Mo nodded, even though he knew his teacher couldn't see him. "I know."

Wang Zhenguo suddenly asked, "Are you afraid?"

Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds, then said:

"I am. Afraid of failure, afraid of letting people down, afraid of failing everyone."

Wang Zhenguo didn't comfort him, but simply said:

"It's right to be afraid. Those who aren't afraid can't achieve great things. But once you're done being afraid, what needs to be done must still be done."

He emphasized his tone:

"Tomorrow, the whole world will be watching."

Lin Mo's hand tightened around his phone.

"Teacher, can you really come tomorrow?"

Wang Zhenguo laughed. "I'll come. Even if I have to crawl, I'll crawl to the Gobi Desert. I promised you."

Lin Mo's nose felt a bit stingy, and he couldn't speak.

Wang Zhenguo seemed to sense it and said softly:

"Xiao Lin, don't think too much. Go sleep for a while. Tomorrow, I'll come see you."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Mo pressed it against his chest, feeling that slight, weak warmth.

Then he looked up at the massive device.

Tomorrow.

The whole world would be watching.

Lin Mo sat on the rock for a long time.

The wind picked up again, blowing fine sand that stung his face slightly. But he didn't move; he just sat there, looking at the tokamak-3.

At four in the morning, footsteps came from a distance.

Lin Mo turned back and saw Chen Xueming walking over. He was draped in an old work uniform, his hair was a mess, but his eyes were startlingly bright.

"Old Lin," he sat down next to Lin Mo, "I knew you'd be here."

Lin Mo looked at him. "Weren't you sleeping in the equipment room?"

Chen Xueming shook his head. "I woke up, saw you weren't there, and guessed you were here."

The two of them sat side by side, looking at the massive device.

Chen Xueming suddenly said, "Old Lin, do you think it will light up tomorrow?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment, then said:

"It will."

Chen Xueming turned to look at him. "So certain?"

Lin Mo also turned his head and looked at him:

"Because we've done everything that can be done."

Chen Xueming was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"Alright, I believe you."

Neither of them spoke again; they just sat there, watching the horizon gradually turn white.

In the distance, the lights of the base gradually dimmed, as the automatic control system adjusted the brightness. The silhouette of the tokamak-3 became clearer and clearer in the morning light, like a photo gradually developing.

A new day had finally arrived.

Lin Mo stood up and brushed the sand off himself.

"Let's go, there are still a few hours to endure."

Chen Xueming also stood up and walked back side by side with him.

After a few steps, Lin Mo suddenly stopped and looked back at the device.

In the morning light, it stood silently, like a giant waiting to be awakened.

Lin Mo said softly:

"Wait for me."

Then he turned and walked into the brightening dawn.