45: Chapter 45 The Night Before Ignition

The Gobi night was deep and silent, with only the lonely howl of the wind across the wilderness. Yet deep within Xihe Base, this silence was an illusion, an extreme suppression before the storm.

Final assembly had been completed several hours prior.

At this moment, the 'Golden Crow' demonstration reactor stood quietly at the center of the core chamber like an ancient giant clad in silver armor. All external pipelines and supports had been withdrawn, revealing its complete, independent form to the world for the first time. Beneath its cold metal shell lay fully connected energy circuits, an environment evacuated to the ultimate vacuum, superconducting magnets on constant standby, and tens of thousands of sensitive 'nerve endings.' It remained silent, yet one could almost hear the world-shattering power about to be ignited roaring soundlessly within.

Inside the control center, the lights were bright, yet it was so quiet one could hear each other's breathing. The massive circular screen no longer displayed chaotic data streams, leaving only a few core parameters slowly pulsing, like the steady heartbeat of a slumbering giant. All non-essential personnel had been cleared out. Those remaining were the core decision-makers of the 'Golden Crow' project and the final responsible persons for each system.

Elder Chen sat in the main seat, his graying hair particularly striking under the lights. He wasn't looking at the screen but had his eyes slightly closed, fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his thigh as if reviewing every detail or engaging in some silent prayer. This senior academician, who had witnessed and participated in countless major projects for the Dragon Nation, was now filled with indescribable tension and anticipation.

Long Zhantian stood like an iron tower at the only entrance to the control center. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, sweeping over every face present and peering through the thick blast-resistant glass into the dark night outside. The impenetrable net he had deployed around the base's perimeter was operating at its peak. All air defense systems were on standby, and all reconnaissance units, like vigilant compound eyes, monitored every movement within a hundred-mile radius. He absolutely would not allow any accidents at this final juncture.

Chief Engineer Wang sat before the control console, a thick stack of final inspection confirmation sheets in front of him, each already signed by the responsible person. Beside his hand was a red button protected by a transparent cover—the final ignition command switch for the 'Golden Crow.' He didn't flip through the confirmation sheets again, merely watching the few lines of green parameters on the screen that signaled 'all systems ready.' His eyes were calm, yet they concealed turbulent storms.

A thousand miles away, in a rented room.

Lin Mo didn't turn on the light, allowing the glow from his computer screen to illuminate half his face. The interface before him no longer displayed complex technical diagrams but an extremely simple monitoring screen—a real-time remote sensing data stream of Xihe Base's external environment, accessed through special permissions. He couldn't see inside, but he could feel the immense, restrained power permeating the Gobi night sky.

His points, 2,980, lay quietly in his account. Several crucial 'insurance' options that might be needed at key moments—such as [Ultimate Information Flow Encryption] and [Regional Strong Electromagnetic Pulse Shield (One-Time Use)]—had been pre-selected and were ready for immediate activation upon exchange. His consciousness seemed tightly connected to the distant Xihe Base by invisible threads.

Tomorrow, when the Gobi sun rose again, it would either herald the dawn of a new era... or unimaginable disaster and silence.

Meanwhile, at CIA headquarters, in the temporary command center for Operation Vulture.

James Craig stared at the satellite image of the still-silent Xihe Base, his brow furrowed. Although he believed it to be an energy storage facility, the Dragon Nation's unusually 'quiet' recent reactions and some inexplicable abnormal electronic silence phenomena around the area had amplified his unease.

'Is it possible... we misjudged?' he murmured to himself, then immediately dismissed the thought. 'No, impossible! Controlled nuclear fusion? By them?'

Nevertheless, he picked up the communicator and issued an order: 'Notify all our action teams inland in the Dragon Nation to raise their alert level. I want to know immediately if there's any... unusual activity in 'G-7' zone!'

For many, this night was destined to be sleepless.

Inside Xihe Base, some quietly recited operational procedures repeatedly; others stared blankly at family photos; some walked to open areas, gazing at the stars, seeking inner peace.

Elder Chen finally opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over each colleague present. He spoke slowly, his voice soft yet clear to everyone's ears:

'Comrades, this land beneath our feet was once considered the edge of civilization. Tomorrow, we will do something groundbreaking here.'

'We may succeed, igniting our own sun, breaking free from our shackles, and stepping toward the stars.'

'We may also fail, paying an unimaginable price, enduring immense pressure and skepticism.'

He paused, his eyes becoming exceptionally sharp and firm:

'But no matter what, we stand here! We chose the most difficult path and have taken it to the final step!'

'This is not just Patriot X's fight alone. This is the charge we, all of the Dragon Nation's scientific and technological workers, have launched together for our country's future!'

'I believe we will succeed!'

There were no grand declarations, only the heavy weight of responsibility and conviction silently passing through the control center, coalescing into an unshakable force.

On the night before ignition, the starlight dimmed. Only the flame of human will burned fiercely deep within the Gobi, awaiting the earth-shattering moment at dawn.