Chapter 177 The Final Preparations
At exactly 5:00 AM, the alarm went off.
Lin Mo opened his eyes and realized he had actually slept for a full hour. Outside the window, the sky was already turning white; dawn in the Gobi Desert came quickly.
He rolled out of bed, washed up briefly, and put on the dark blue work uniform that had been prepared long ago. Facing the mirror, he adjusted his collar, looked at the slightly weary but determined face in the reflection, and said softly:
"Let's go."
He pushed the door open; the corridor was quiet. But he knew everyone was waiting for him.
At 5:15 AM, Lin Mo pushed open the door to the control room.
The lights were blinding, and dozens of screens were flickering with data simultaneously. Everyone was at their posts; upon hearing the door open, they all turned their heads in unison to look at him.
Chen Xueming stood beside the main console, holding a stack of data reports, his eyes rimmed with darkness but shining brilliantly. Li Xiao sat in front of the computer, her fingers hovering over the keyboard; on the screen was the latest set of simulation results from the Digital Twin System. Zhao Gang stood at the door like an iron tower, a walkie-talkie clipped to his waist. His face showed the weariness of a sleepless night, but his back was straight as a rod.
Fang Lin stood up from a corner and nodded at him. She was holding a tablet displaying the latest updates on the observation delegation.
And there were those whose names he couldn't recall—the heads of various subsystems, technicians, and logistics support personnel. Everyone was staring at him; their eyes held anticipation, nervousness, and something indescribable.
Lin Mo walked to the front of the main console and stood still.
"Report on all systems." His voice was calm, but everyone heard him clearly.
"Magnet System is normal." Chen Xueming reported first.
"First Wall is normal." Another voice followed.
"Divertor is normal."
"Vacuum system is normal."
"Cooling System is normal."
"Tritium Cycle system is normal."
"Diagnostic System is normal."
"Digital Twin System is normal." Li Xiao reported last, her voice trembling slightly but clear.
Lin Mo nodded and looked at the clock on the wall.
5:20 AM.
Four hours and forty minutes until ignition.
At 5:30 AM, Fang Lin walked over to Lin Mo.
"As for the observation delegation, everyone is up and having breakfast. They will depart on time at 7:00 AM, arrive at the base at 7:40 AM, and enter the viewing area at 8:00 AM."
Lin Mo nodded: "What about the reporters?"
"The press area is 500 meters away. The signal has been tested three times, and all live broadcast equipment is ready. At the moment of ignition, it will be broadcast synchronously to 123 countries around the world."
Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds, then said:
"Director Fang, thank you."
Fang Lin paused for a moment, then smiled:
"What are you thanking me for? This is something we're doing together."
At 5:45 AM, Chen Xueming handed Lin Mo a cup of coffee.
"Old Lin, this is the last time. Once you finish this cup, we ignite."
Lin Mo took the coffee and took a sip. It was bitter, but his heart felt sweet.
He looked at Chen Xueming and suddenly asked:
"Teacher Chen, are you nervous?"
Chen Xueming thought for a moment and nodded: "Nervous. But not afraid."
Lin Mo smiled: "Li Xiao said the same thing."
Chen Xueming also smiled: "That's because we aren't alone."
The two looked at each other and said nothing more.
But in that instant, they both saw the same thing in each other's eyes—trust.
At 6:00 AM, Zhao Gang walked up to Lin Mo.
"General Manager Lin, everything is normal on the perimeter. Security for the observation delegation has been coordinated, and Director Fang's team is leading the way. The three lines of defense in the core area are all in place."
Lin Mo looked at him and suddenly asked:
"Brother Zhao, will you stand by my side?"
Zhao Gang paused, then nodded vigorously:
"I will. I'll stand right by your side."
Lin Mo smiled and patted his shoulder.
At 6:30 AM, Li Xiao suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed at the screen, her face pale: "General Manager Lin, there is a data fluctuation in one of the Divertor temperature sensors!"
The atmosphere in the control room instantly froze.
Lin Mo walked over quickly and stared at the line of data—there was indeed a fluctuation, an amplitude of 0.3 degrees, lasting for three seconds, then returning to normal.
He was silent for three seconds, then said:
"Teacher Chen, what do you think?"
Chen Xueming had already pulled up the historical data for that sensor. He looked at it for a dozen seconds, then let out a long breath:
"No problem. It's a sensor self-test; it happens every morning at 6:30. The fluctuation is within the allowable range."
Li Xiao's face slowly regained its color, and she patted her chest:
"You scared me to death, I thought..."
Lin Mo looked at her and smiled:
"It's fine. Keep watching."
At 7:00 AM, Fang Lin's walkie-talkie rang.
"Director Fang, the observation delegation has departed and is expected to arrive in thirty minutes."
Fang Lin replied "Received," then looked at Lin Mo.
Lin Mo nodded, stood up, and walked to the window.
Outside the window, the sun had fully risen, casting golden sunlight over the tokamak-3 and dyeing it a brilliant golden-red. The massive device stood quietly, like a giant waiting to be awakened.
He turned around and looked at everyone in the control room.
"Everyone," his voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly, "in three hours, we ignite."
No one spoke, but everyone stood straighter.
Lin Mo took a deep breath and looked back out the window.
The countdown had begun.