Chapter 33 New Blueprints

Lin Mo woke up at six in the morning.

He wasn't woken by an alarm, but by the fire burning in his heart. 580 research points lay in the system like a pile of fuel waiting to be ignited; he only needed to light the fuse.

He finished washing up and, skipping the cafeteria, headed straight for the laboratory.

The hallway was quiet, echoing only with his footsteps. As he passed the Security Control Room, he glanced inside—Zhao Gang was already on duty, his left arm still wrapped in bandages, but standing ramrod straight facing the screens on the wall.

Zhao Gang seemed to sense something and turned his head; seeing him, he gave a nod.

Lin Mo nodded back and continued forward.

Basement Level 3, Materials Science Division laboratory.

Lin Mo turned on his computer and pulled up all the data accumulated over the past few days. Pilot-scale production parameters for Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials, performance indicators, stability tests... dense rows of numbers filled the entire screen.

He took a deep breath and said internally, "System, exchange for the [New-type Lithium-Sulfur Battery] technology package."

"Confirm exchange? This will consume 500 research points. Current balance is 580 points."

"Confirm."

In an instant, a massive influx of information flooded his mind.

It wasn't just simple text descriptions, but a complete technological system—the molecular structure of electrode materials, electrolyte formulas, temperature curves for preparation processes, material selection for packaging technology... every step and every parameter was presented clearly in his mind.

Lin Mo closed his eyes, letting the information flow.

Five minutes later, he opened his eyes, which were shining with light.

"So that's how it is."

The core challenges of the Lithium-Sulfur Battery were twofold: first, the poor conductivity of sulfur; second, the polysulfides produced during the charging and discharging process dissolved easily, leading to rapid capacity decay. For decades, countless scientists had met their downfall facing these two hurdles.

But the emergence of Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials changed everything.

If superconducting materials were used to create the electrode framework of the battery, it would not only completely solve the sulfur conductivity issue but also use the strong magnetic field generated by superconducting coils to firmly "pin" the polysulfides to the electrode, preventing them from dissolving.

"Superconductivity + Lithium-Sulfur," Lin Mo murmured to himself. "This isn't a simple addition; it's a chemical reaction."

He began to draw the technical roadmap on the computer.

Step one: design the structure of the Superconducting electrode framework. Porous materials must be used to provide sufficient attachment space for the sulfur; the continuity of the conductive network must be ensured so electrons can flow without obstruction; and mechanical strength must be considered so it doesn't shatter after a few charge-discharge cycles.

Step two: optimize the electrolyte formula. Ordinary Lithium-Sulfur Battery electrolytes react easily with polysulfides; a new type of solvent and additive must be found that can ensure ion conduction while being compatible with superconducting materials.

Step three...

He became immersed in those parameters and formulas, losing track of time.

At exactly eight o'clock, Li Xiao pushed the door open, carrying two portions of breakfast.

"Teacher Lin! I knew you'd be here!" She set the breakfast on the table. "The cafeteria auntie said if you didn't come to eat, she'd bring it to you herself."

Lin Mo looked up, startled for a moment. "What time is it?"

"8:05." Li Xiao looked at the dark circles under his eyes. "You didn't stay up all night, did you?"

Lin Mo shook his head. "I slept; I just got up early."

Li Xiao stared at him for two seconds, clearly not quite believing him, but she didn't press the matter. She pushed a portion of breakfast toward him. "Eat quickly, then get back to work."

Lin Mo took a bun, took a bite, and suddenly said, "Li Xiao, we're going to tackle Lithium-Sulfur Batteries next."

Li Xiao's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Lin Mo nodded and turned the computer screen toward her. "This is the preliminary technical roadmap. Take a look and tell me what you think."

Li Xiao leaned in and stared at the dense chart for a full three minutes.

"Teacher Lin," she looked up with a complex expression, "if we pull this off, are we going to be rich?"

Lin Mo paused, then laughed. "Maybe."

Li Xiao blinked. "Then how much do I get?"

Lin Mo was amused by her. "Understand this first, then we'll talk."

Li Xiao stuck her tongue out and continued looking at the diagram. After a while, she suddenly pointed to one of the nodes and asked, "Does the design of this electrode framework require 3D modeling?"

Lin Mo nodded. "Yes."

"I can try," Li Xiao said. "I've learned some 3D modeling software. I'm not very proficient, but I can learn."

Lin Mo looked at her, suddenly feeling that this girl had truly grown up.

"Alright," he said. "Research the relevant software first. If you need any resources, find Logistics."

Li Xiao nodded excitedly. "Mission accomplished, guaranteed!"

At noon, in the cafeteria.

Lin Mo found a seat with his tray and had just sat down when Zhang Zhe came over and sat across from him.

"I heard you're starting on something new again?" Zhang Zhe asked.

Lin Mo glanced at him. "Li Xiao told you?"

Zhang Zhe didn't deny it, only saying, "Lithium-Sulfur Batteries?"

Lin Mo nodded.

Zhang Zhe was silent for a few seconds, then said, "So many people have worked on that, and they all failed."

Lin Mo looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Zhang Zhe looked back at him, his gaze devoid of doubt, only curiosity. "Why do you think it'll work?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment, then said, "Because we have Room-Temperature Superconductivity."

Zhang Zhe froze, his brow furrowing as he clearly processed the meaning of those words.

"Superconducting material as the electrode framework?" he asked.

Lin Mo nodded.

"Magnetic fields pinning the polysulfides?"

Lin Mo nodded again.

Zhang Zhe was silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed.

That was the second time Lin Mo had seen him laugh.

"Interesting," Zhang Zhe said. "Count me in."

At two in the afternoon, Lin Mo went to see Fang Lin.

Fang Lin was reading documents in her office. Seeing him enter, she looked up. "Something the matter?"

Lin Mo sat across from her. "Director Fang, I want to launch the next project."

Fang Lin raised an eyebrow. "What project?"

"New-type Lithium-Sulfur Battery," Lin Mo said. "It needs to be paired with Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials."

Fang Lin put down the documents in her hand and looked at him. "Do you know how many people outside are watching us right now?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"Do you know that George hasn't been caught yet?"

Lin Mo nodded again.

"Do you know that if Lithium-Sulfur Batteries are also developed, how many people will want your life?"

Lin Mo was silent for two seconds, then said, "I know."

Fang Lin stared at him for a long time, then asked, "Then why do you still want to do it?"

Lin Mo met her gaze and said word for word, "Because it can be done."

Fang Lin didn't speak.

Lin Mo continued, "Lithium-Sulfur is the core direction for next-generation battery technology. Its energy density is five times that of lithium-ion batteries, and the cost is only a third. If successful, electric vehicles will have a range of three thousand kilometers, grid storage costs will drop by eighty percent, and the entire energy landscape will change."

He paused. "Director Fang, we have Room-Temperature Superconductivity in our hands now; that's an advantage no one else has. If we don't push forward now, by the time others catch up, it'll be too late for regrets."

Fang Lin was silent for a long time.

Then she smiled.

"Fine," she said. "Since you've made up your mind, I'll support you."

She stood up and walked to the window, her back to Lin Mo. "But there's one condition—security measures must be upgraded. As for Zhao Gang, I'll have him arrange for more people to follow you."

Lin Mo nodded. "Understood."

Fang Lin turned around and looked at him. "Lin Mo, you aren't just one person anymore. What you carry on your shoulders is the future of the entire country."

Lin Mo looked at her and said seriously, "I know."

At seven in the evening, Lin Mo returned to the laboratory.

There was an insulated lunch box on the table filled with steaming hot food. A note was tucked under it:

"Teacher Lin, remember to eat! — Li Xiao"

He looked at the note, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

He opened his computer and continued the day's work.

The structural design of the electrode framework needed repeated optimization. Pore size, porosity, specific surface area... every parameter affected the final performance. He drew version after version, deleted them, restarted, deleted them, and restarted again.

At ten o'clock, Li Xiao pushed the door open.

"Teacher Lin, it's time to go back."

Lin Mo didn't look back. "Just a little longer."

Li Xiao walked over and stood behind him, looking at the 3D model on the screen.

"This structure," she suddenly said, "doesn't it look like a honeycomb?"

Lin Mo paused, staring at the model for a few seconds.

Honeycomb. Hexagonal. The optimal structure for space utilization.

"Makes sense," he muttered to himself, then began modifying the parameters.

Li Xiao stood beside him, watching him arrange those hexagons neatly, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"Teacher Lin," she said softly, "I think I helped."

Lin Mo turned his head, looked at her, and smiled.

"Yes," he said. "You helped."

Li Xiao smiled so broadly her eyes curved into crescents.

At one in the morning, Lin Mo finally completed the first version of the design.

He stood up, stretched his stiff neck, and walked to the window.

Outside, the moonlight was perfect. The mountains rose and fell under the moonlight like silent giants.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Zhao Gang:

"Still on duty?"

Three seconds later, the reply came:

"Yes."

Lin Mo smiled, put away his phone, and walked out of the laboratory.

At the end of the hallway, the light in the Security Control Room was still on.

He knew that man was still there.

Outside, the night was deep.

A new journey had begun.