Chapter 176 Zhao Gang's Report
At six in the morning, Lin Mo had been lying down for less than half an hour when his phone rang.
He picked it up and saw it was Zhao Gang.
"General Manager Lin, I hope I didn't disturb your sleep?" Zhao Gang's voice came through the phone, sounding a bit raspy but full of energy.
Lin Mo smiled. "I wasn't sleeping. Go ahead."
Zhao Gang didn't waste any words. "All security checkpoints have been inspected. The three outer defensive lines and the two layers of security in the core area are all manned. I just finished another personal inspection, and I've checked every nook and cranny."
He paused, his tone growing more emphatic.
"You can rest assured; not even a fly will be able to get in."
Lin Mo held the phone, a wave of warmth washing over him.
"Brother Zhao, thank you for your hard work."
Zhao Gang laughed on the other end of the line. "What hard work? It's been three years; isn't this exactly what we've been waiting for?"
He suddenly lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard.
"General Manager Lin, let me tell you, the boys under my command didn't sleep at all last night. They were all standing guard with their eyes wide open, more energized than during the New Year."
Lin Mo paused for a moment, then smiled. "Tell them to watch the ignition well today, and they can catch up on sleep afterward."
Zhao Gang laughed heartily. "That sounds great! I'll thank you on their behalf, General Manager Lin!"
After laughing, he suddenly turned serious.
"General Manager Lin, tomorrow... no, today, are you really going to press that button yourself?"
Lin Mo was silent for a second. "Yes."
Zhao Gang was also silent for a second, then said, "Alright. When you press it, I'll be right behind you."
Lin Mo's nose felt a bit sore, but his voice remained calm. "Okay."
Hanging up the phone, Lin Mo looked at the sky brightening outside the window.
Zhao Gang's words still echoed in his ears: "Not even a fly will be able to get in."
He knew that behind these words lay three years of persistence, countless days and nights of patrolling, and the determination to risk one's life.
Meanwhile, behind a sand dune on the outskirts of the base.
Zhao Gang put away his phone and jumped down from the off-road vehicle.
He was wearing desert camouflage, a walkie-talkie tucked at his waist, and binoculars in his hand; he was like a taut string.
Captain Zhou ran over, stood at attention, and saluted. "Captain Zhao, everything is normal on the east side."
Zhao Gang nodded and raised his binoculars to look into the distance.
The morning in the Gobi Desert was exceptionally quiet, with the distant sand dunes glowing golden in the morning light.
Occasionally, a few birds flew by, quickly disappearing from view.
"What about the west side?" he asked.
"The west side is also normal," Captain Zhou said. "The second team just reported they found a few geological prospectors. We checked their IDs, everything was fine, and we've already persuaded them to leave."
Zhao Gang put down the binoculars and looked at him.
"Today is the most critical day. Tell the boys to stay sharp. After today, I'll treat them to drinks."
Captain Zhou grinned. "Captain Zhao, that's a promise!"
Zhao Gang glared at him. "It's a promise. But the condition is—there can't be any mistakes today."
Captain Zhou stood at attention. "Understood!"
Zhao Gang walked along the perimeter line.
Every few steps, he would stop and look into the distance with his binoculars.
He had been looking at those familiar sand dunes and desolate beaches where no one ever came for three years; he could draw a map of them with his eyes closed.
But he dared not relax.
He knew today was the last day.
It was also the most dangerous day.
After walking for half an hour, he returned to the command vehicle.
Several surveillance screens were set up in the vehicle, displaying real-time footage of various key locations.
A few team members were watching, not daring to blink.
"Any incidents?" Zhao Gang asked.
A team member shook his head. "Everything is normal."
Zhao Gang nodded and sat down on a nearby rock.
He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a puff of smoke.
The smoke slowly dissipated in the morning breeze, much like those past years.
He remembered the first time he met Lin Mo three years ago.
Back then, he thought, what kind of big things could these researchers accomplish?
Later, he found out.
What kind of big things could they do?
They could make the Artificial Sun light up.
They could turn the impossible into the possible.
They could make the whole world look at this wasteland.
Zhao Gang stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.
In the distance, the tokamak-3 gleamed in the morning light.
He suddenly smiled.
"Good lad," he said softly, "today, it's all up to you."
At seven in the morning, Zhao Gang called Lin Mo again.
"General Manager Lin, let me confirm with you again—the core area has been cleared, and all unauthorized personnel have been evacuated. As for the observation group, Director Fang is leading the team herself, and they will enter at nine o'clock sharp. The press area is five hundred meters away, with a separate signal line, so it won't affect the control room."
He paused and asked, "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the line, then said, "Brother Zhao, stand by my side today."
Zhao Gang was stunned. "Me? Stand by your side? What do I know about this?"
Lin Mo smiled. "You don't need to know anything. As long as you're standing there, I'll be at ease."
Zhao Gang opened his mouth but couldn't find any words.
After a long while, he managed to say, "Alright. Then I'll stand by your side."
Hanging up the phone, he stood there, stunned for a long time.
Captain Zhou came over. "Captain Zhao, what's wrong?"
Zhao Gang shook his head and didn't speak.
But his eyes were a bit red.
That morning, Zhao Gang went on his final patrol.
He walked past every perimeter line, checked every sentry post, and said the same thing to every team member: "Today, we will witness history together."
The team members didn't quite understand the meaning of these words, but looking at Zhao Gang's expression, they all felt that today was surely a big day.
At nine o'clock sharp, Zhao Gang returned to the entrance of the control room.
He straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.
Inside, Lin Mo was already sitting at the main control console.
Chen Xueming was standing behind him, Li Xiao was staring at the screen, and Fang Lin was communicating with the observation group.
Everyone was busy, but each person carried a strange sense of calm.
Zhao Gang walked behind Lin Mo and stood still.
Lin Mo looked back at him and smiled. "You're here?"
Zhao Gang nodded. "I'm here."
Then he just stood there like a statue.
Outside the window, the sunlight was just right.
The sky over the Gobi Desert was transparently blue.