Chapter 94 New System Notification
The night was deep. The wind on the Gobi Desert had stopped, and it was rarely as quiet as a mirror. Lin Mo sat alone in the Prefabricated Building, the computer screen in front of him flickering with a faint light, displaying the optimization plan for the next phase of Lithium Extraction from Seawater.
But he wasn't looking at it. He stared at the number in the upper left corner of his vision that only he could see.
research points: 5270
Without realizing it, he had accumulated so many.
Room-Temperature Superconductivity, Lithium-Sulfur Battery, Lithium Extraction from Seawater—every step was an accumulation. laboratory verification, success in Pilot-scale production, cost accounting, national announcements—every breakthrough resulted in the system automatically calculating a sum of research points.
With a thought, he brought up the system interface. The familiar blue light screen unfolded before his eyes, with a few lines of text flickering on it:
"Detected that cumulative research points have exceeded 5000."
"New technology unlock permission has been opened."
"Do you want to view the list of redeemable technologies?"
Lin Mo took a deep breath and selected "Yes." The light screen flashed, and rows of technical entries appeared.
The top one was marked with a red "NEW":
【Controlled Nuclear Fusion "tokamak-3" Design Blueprint】
Description: The next-generation tokamak-3 device based on Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials, capable of achieving continuous and stable output.
Required research points: 5000
Prerequisites:
Superconducting coils (Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials) — Satisfied
Tritium Extraction (extracting tritium from lithium) — Not satisfied
First-wall materials (neutron radiation resistance) — Not satisfied
Plasma control algorithm — Not satisfied
Lin Mo's gaze fixed on that entry, his heart skipping a beat.
Controlled Nuclear Fusion.
The ultimate answer to energy.
When Room-Temperature Superconductivity appeared, he knew this day would come sooner or later. But actually seeing these words appear in the system still gave him a sense of unreality.
He clicked on the details. Dense technical parameters and design blueprints unfolded before his eyes—magnet layout, vacuum chamber structure, heating system, diagnostic system, tritium breeding blanket... Every part had detailed descriptions and diagrams.
The most critical part was the note "based on Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials."
Traditional tokamak-3 devices require superconducting coils cooled with liquid helium to over two hundred degrees below zero, which is expensive and complex to operate. However, Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials can work at room temperature, and the strength and stability of the magnetic field far exceed traditional solutions.
This meant the device could be made smaller, cheaper, and easier to achieve continuous operation.
Lin Mo flipped through the pages one by one, his mind spinning rapidly.
Tritium Extraction technology—this could be extracted from lithium. A byproduct of Lithium Extraction from Seawater? Or developing specific lithium-based materials?
First-wall materials—neutron radiation resistance, this would require finding new alloys or composite materials.
Plasma control algorithm—he could ask Li Xiao, her data model would come in handy.
And...
He suddenly stopped.
Each of these prerequisites was a huge technical challenge. Even with the system blueprints, achieving industrialization would require countless experiments and optimizations.
But he remembered three years ago, when he first saw the Room-Temperature Superconductivity blueprints.
At that time, he also thought it was a fantasy.
What about now?
Room-Temperature Superconductivity had already entered the Pilot-scale production stage, Lithium-Sulfur Battery was about to go into mass production, and Lithium Extraction from Seawater had broken international blockades.
Step by step, they had made it through.
He took a deep breath and closed the details interface. The system popped up another prompt:
"Tip: Some prerequisite technologies can be accelerated via research points."
"Tritium Extraction technology: Estimated 1200 points"
"First-wall materials: Estimated 1500 points"
"Plasma control algorithm: Estimated 800 points"
Lin Mo calculated silently.
Adding them up came to 3500 points, plus the 5000 points for the tokamak-3 blueprints, totaling 8500 points. He currently had 5270 points, still short by over 3000.
But after Lithium Extraction from Seawater, there would be new breakthroughs. Lithium-Sulfur Battery mass production, Room-Temperature Superconductivity application, the completion of the offshore floating platform—every step would bring new research points.
The problem was time.
The goal of Controlled Nuclear Fusion was too big, too far, and too daunting.
But precisely because it was so big and so far, it needed to be started now.
He leaned back in his chair and looked at the night sky outside the window.
There was no light pollution on the Gobi Desert, the sky was densely packed with stars, and the Milky Way spanned the horizon.
He remembered the line from the day the system was activated: From today on, every step you take is creating history.
Room-Temperature Superconductivity was the first step, Lithium-Sulfur Battery was the second step, and Lithium Extraction from Seawater was the third step.
Controlled Nuclear Fusion was the fourth step.
Perhaps it was the hardest step.
But also the most worthwhile one.
He withdrew his gaze and looked back at the system interface.
The red "NEW" was still flickering, like a beating spark. He reached out and tapped lightly in the void.
【Controlled Nuclear Fusion "tokamak-3" Design Blueprint】 has been added to the redeemable list.
"Current research points: 5270"
"Required research points: 5000"
"Prerequisite completion: 1/4"
Lin Mo looked at that "1/4," the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
One quarter, it had already begun.
He closed the system, stood up, and walked to the window.
In the distance, the Lithium Extraction from Seawater device was still running, its indicator lights blinking like an untiring eye.
Further away was the boundless Gobi Desert and the endless starry sky.
He remembered Chen Xueming's long message from last night, remembered him saying, "This Gobi Desert, this device, this group of people, is my home."
Home.
Yes, this was home.
And this home would go even further in the future.
He turned back to the computer and began searching for information related to Tritium Extraction technology.
The night was still long, and the road was still far.
But it had already begun.
The next morning, Li Xiao was the first to notice the dark circles under Lin Mo's eyes.
"Teacher Lin, did you stay up late again?"
Lin Mo smiled and didn't speak.
Chen Xueming walked over holding a thermos cup and glanced at him: "Something up?"
Lin Mo thought for a moment and nodded.
"After you finish eating, come sit at my place. There's something I want to talk to you about."
Chen Xueming and Li Xiao looked at each other, both seeing the curiosity in the other's eyes.
But neither asked.
The rule on the Gobi Desert: when it's time to say something, it will naturally be said.
After breakfast, the three of them sat in Lin Mo's Prefabricated Building.
Zhang Zhe had also been called over, looking bewildered.
Lin Mo closed the door, looked at them, and was silent for a few seconds.
"There is a new direction," he said, "I thought about it all night and want to hear your thoughts."
Chen Xueming put down his thermos: "Speak."
Lin Mo took a deep breath.
"Controlled Nuclear Fusion."
The room was quiet for a full three seconds.
Then Zhang Zhe opened his mouth wide: "What?"
Li Xiao's eyes widened round: "Teacher Lin, you said... Nuclear Fusion?"
Chen Xueming didn't speak, but the thermos in his hand stopped in mid-air, motionless.
Lin Mo nodded.
"I know it sounds like a fantasy. But think about it, we have Room-Temperature Superconductivity, we have Lithium Extraction from Seawater. Tritium can be extracted from lithium, and superconducting coils can directly use Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials. The remaining first-wall materials and plasma control need to be tackled."
He paused.
"It's difficult. Very difficult. It might take ten, twenty years. But if we succeed—"
He didn't finish, but everyone knew what that meant.
The ultimate answer to energy.
Chen Xueming was silent for a long time, then spoke, his voice a bit hoarse.
"Lin Mo, do you know how many companies I saw abroad that claimed to be working on Nuclear Fusion? Dozens. How much money was burned? Tens of billions. And the result? Not a single one succeeded."
Lin Mo nodded.
"I know. But none of those companies had Room-Temperature Superconductivity."
Chen Xueming was stunned.
That's right.
Those companies, those laboratories, those scientists who claimed "success is still thirty years away"—what were they missing?
It was a superconducting material that could truly raise the magnetic field strength and lower energy consumption.
And this, they already had.
Chen Xueming stared at Lin Mo, his eyes complex.
"Your system... even has this?"
Lin Mo nodded.
"There are blueprints. But the prerequisite technologies need to be tackled by us."
Chen Xueming took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
"Damn it," he said.
Li Xiao and Zhang Zhe looked at each other, not knowing if Teacher Chen was cursing or marveling.
But Lin Mo understood.
It wasn't a curse; it was amazement.
It was that complex emotion of instinctively wanting to retreat when facing a goal that was too big and too far, yet being unable to help but be attracted to it.
"Teacher Chen," Lin Mo said, "I don't intend to start working on it right now. Let's finish the industrialization of Lithium Extraction from Seawater and build the offshore floating platform first. But I want everyone to have an idea—where we are heading next."
Chen Xueming looked at him, silent for a long time.
Then he stood up, walked to the window, and looked at that device in the distance.
"Lin Mo, when I was in my twenties, my biggest dream was to see Nuclear Fusion succeed. Later, after seeing too much, I stopped thinking about it, feeling it was a matter for the next life."
He turned around and looked at Lin Mo.
"But now, I suddenly feel that maybe I can see it in this lifetime."
Lin Mo stood up and walked over to him.
"Then let's see it together."
Chen Xueming looked at him and finally smiled.
He smiled a bit complexly, but there was something in his eyes that hadn't been seen for a long time—that thing was called "hope."
"Alright," he said, "then let's see it together."
Li Xiao said softly from the side: "Teacher Lin, can I ask a question?"
Lin Mo looked at her.
"That... blueprint, have you seen it? What does it look like?"
Lin Mo thought for a moment, not knowing how to describe it.
"Very big. Very complex. Very... beautiful."
Li Xiao blinked: "Beautiful?"
Lin Mo nodded.
"Like a star."