3: Chapter 003 One Man's Choice for the Nation's Fate
When the first faint glimmer of dawn passed through the dirty window glass and fell onto the desk covered in scratch paper, Lin Mo suddenly realized that he had remained hunched over his desk all night without sleeping.
He slowly straightened his somewhat stiff and aching back. His eyes were bloodshot, yet they shone with a startling brightness—there was no trace of fatigue, only a near-burning excitement.
This night, it felt as if he had performed a frantic deep dive into an ocean of knowledge. Under his relentless sorting and forced understanding, the vast and complex information infused by the system was no longer a chaotic torrent; instead, it had begun to form several relatively clear threads. Especially regarding the "Lunar Regolith Solidifier" and several key "Lightweight Composite Materials," he couldn't say he had completely mastered them, but he at least understood the core principles and the critical steps for preparation.
On the paper were his dense notes: complex chemical equations, precise molecular structure diagrams, and various insights and questions he had annotated. To any materials science expert, this content would be considered world-shaking, yet it now lay quietly in this dilapidated rental room that cost only a few hundred yuan a month.
He put down his pen, massaged his throbbing temples, and his gaze fell on the cold instant noodle soup beside him. A distinct sense of hunger rose from his stomach.
Reality, like a cold tide, instantly washed away the brief frenzy of his immersion in intellectual exploration.
Money.
Safety.
And... where exactly should this technology go?
Hold onto it personally? The moment this thought surfaced, he snuffed it out. Setting aside the fact that he had absolutely no funds or equipment to verify or produce it, even if he got lucky and somehow managed to produce something, what then? Even a child knows the principle that "possessing a jade treasure invites trouble." Before those massive capital and multinational forces, he was like an ant that could be crushed at will.
Then, sell it? To whom? Among the private domestic enterprises, few would likely have the courage and strength to take on such earthquake-inducing technology. Sell it abroad? This thought filled Lin Mo with a physical sense of disgust. He, Lin Mo, might be poor and down-and-out, but the blood flowing in his veins hadn't grown that cold yet! To sell technology that could break his motherland's shackles and allow it to soar to those rivals who were sparing no effort to blockade and suppress his country? He would rather let these blueprints rot in his mind!
"Phew..." He exhaled a long breath of turbid air, stood up, and stretched his stiff limbs. Walking to the window, he watched the street below gradually begin to bustle. Steam rose from breakfast stalls, and commuters hurried along.
This was his country, the land where he was born and raised. Here was the familiar atmosphere of daily life, and the dreams he had studied hard for and yearned to serve.
Just then, the faint sound of an old television from the room next door drifted over; it was broadcasting the morning news. The host's clear and articulate voice carried a subtle hint of solemnity:
"...In response to the latest round of sanctions announced by the Pretty Country yesterday, our Ministry of Commerce spokesperson once again expressed strong protest and firm opposition. These sanctions, for the first time, include several core components of our 'Guanghan Palace' lunar exploration project within the scope of the embargo. Experts analyze that this will cause serious obstacles to our deep space exploration program..."
"It is reported that due to this impact, the stock prices of many domestic companies related to the aerospace field continue to fall, and some cooperative projects are facing the risk of stagnation..."
Lin Mo's hand on the windowsill subconsciously clenched. His knuckles turned slightly white from the force.
This is going too far!
Those guys really want to lock Dragon Country firmly to the ground, even stripping away the right to look up at the stars!
A surge of heat, mixed with anger, indignation, and a strong sense of mission, rushed to his head. Under this rush of hot blood, the last trace of hesitation completely vanished.
He couldn't wait any longer!
What did personal safety matter in the face of the national destiny?
His future as a single individual was as light as a feather compared to whether the entire nation could break its shackles and stand firm under this starry sky!
His thoughts instantly became crystal clear—hand it over to the state!
Only by relying on the powerful organizational capacity, solid industrial base, and incomparable resource mobilization of the state machinery could this blueprint from the future be turned into reality most quickly and reliably! Only then could he deliver the loudest slap to those arrogant blockaders!
As for the risks... he believed that for a "contributor" who could provide technology of this level, as long as it was handled correctly, the state would never mistreat him, much less let him fall into danger. The key to the problem lay in "handling it correctly."
He thought of the [Elementary Information Encryption Technology] rewarded by the system task.
This was the key! A key that would allow him to establish contact with the state safely while perfectly hiding himself.
After making his decision, Lin Mo felt his entire spirit change. The previous confusion, anxiety, and sense of heaviness were swept away, replaced by an unprecedented firmness and sense of purpose.
He turned back to the desk, carefully gathered all the scratch papers covered in notes, then found a lighter and walked into the narrow bathroom.
Flames rose as the paper quickly curled and blackened in the dancing fire, turning to ash before being washed away by the water. All physical traces that could potentially expose information were completely eliminated.
Having done all this, he washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror—his eyes were sharp, as if he had been reborn.
"Let's do it."
He whispered to himself, as if making a solemn vow.
"System," he thought silently, "I will master the basic principles and complete the task as soon as possible. Then... let's begin."
The young man in the mirror slightly curled his lips into a cold and confident arc.
A technological counterattack, initiated by him alone yet destined to shake the entire Blue Star, was about to quietly begin in this humble room.