21: Chapter 21 The Oil Crisis and the Shadow of War
The Gulfstream G650 business jet sliced through the clouds once again, though its heading was the exact opposite of the one it had taken months ago when returning from Star City. Inside the cabin, the sharp edge and exhaustion of having just fought a fierce battle were gone, replaced by a deeper, more introspective gravity.
Lin Shen leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to rest. Moments from the Silicon Valley trip flashed through his mind like fast-forwarded film—the confident presentations by federal experts at the seminar, the sharp probes hidden beneath Professor Miller's gentle exterior, the thrilling remote strike during the password challenge, and the subtle, complex gazes that followed in subsequent exchanges...
This trip had undoubtedly altered the international academic community's perception of the Dragon Kingdom in the field of Topological Quantum Computing, especially in the topological direction. They were no longer viewed as mere chasers or bluffing challengers, but had been tagged with a new label: a "latent variable" armed with unique theoretical weapons, clear thinking, and decisive action. This brought limited respect, but also invited deeper wariness and attention.
For Lin Shen personally, this journey was a tempering process. From the initial pressure of facing grand propositions to maneuvering through sharp questioning, and then to the shock and realization of witnessing the rear team break the deadlock with thunderous means... he felt his dimensions for viewing problems and thinking about strategies had broadened. While the technology tree provided the direction, turning this blueprint into reality required dealing with far more than just technical difficulties.
The "firefly" channel had just received an encrypted briefing, informing them of the latest progress of the "Xuance Group". Topologist had made new optimizations to the theoretical model of Topological Quantum Computing, providing stronger guidance for experimental measurements; Shen Hong's communication with Professor Wu Qingquan's team was becoming increasingly smooth, and the initial electrical testing of the first batch of bismuth sulfide-niobium nitride heterojunction samples would be conducted next week; the "on-chip light source" simulation for the photonic chip led by He Yun had also achieved stage-by-stage breakthroughs... Everything was proceeding according to plan, racing against time.
However, the latter part of the briefing caused Lin Shen's excitement, just stirred by the Silicon Valley trip, to quickly cool down.
The briefing summarized the recent international situation, especially the turmoil in the energy sector. Just as they were focused on the academic confrontation in Silicon Valley, the winds of the world situation had already shifted.
Due to escalating geopolitical tensions, "accidental" production facility failures and transport channel security issues in major oil-producing regions, coupled with the fueling of certain financial capital, international crude oil prices had staged a thrilling straight-line surge over the past month. Brent crude oil futures prices had successively broken through the psychological barriers of 120 and 130 dollars per barrel, rising by more than 40% in just a few weeks, and showed no signs of stopping, instead, driven by panic buying, continuing to sprint toward "unknown waters" of 150 dollars or even higher.
Global stock markets, especially energy-intensive industries such as aviation, transportation, and chemicals, plummeted in response. Protests against soaring energy prices broke out in many countries, increasing social instability. Central banks of major economies were forced to make difficult choices between "curbing inflation" and "preventing economic recession," and monetary policy fell into a dilemma.
The most alarming part of the briefing was the reports of unusually frequent "joint patrols" and "security exercises" in the Star City Strait (one of the world's most important crude oil transport channels) recently, as well as news that a certain federal naval carrier strike group had "just happened" to finish its rest and began "routine deployment" to the area. Between the lines, a thick, dangerous atmosphere mixed with energy crisis and military deterrence permeated.
"Oil weapon," a big stick that had been brandished many times in history, in the new era background, carrying multiple factors such as finance, technology, and geography, once again revealed its ferocious outline. And this time, the target it pointed to seemed exceptionally clear.
Lin Shen opened his eyes and looked at the rolling sea of clouds outside the porthole. Below, the vast Pacific Ocean shimmered with cold blue light under the sun. This ocean, and the key waterways it guarded, seemed to have become a Sword of Damocles hanging over the lifeline of the global economy.
"It seems that we have just come down from a battlefield of 'computing hegemony' and are about to be drawn into another vortex of 'energy hegemony'." Counselor Han, sitting opposite, put down the encrypted tablet in his hand, rubbed his eyebrows, and said with a heavy tone, "The command headquarters urgently summoned us back to the country, I'm afraid it's not just to summarize the Silicon Valley trip."
Lin Shen nodded. He remembered the meaningful advice from Academician Qin on the phone before he left: "...The path of Topological Quantum Computing must be persisted in, but eyes must also look wider. The challenges facing the country are multidimensional."
The plane began to descend. Through the thin clouds, one could already see the winding coastline of the motherland in the east, and that piece of familiar and vibrant land. Unlike the exquisite, efficient, yet faintly cold and competitive atmosphere of Silicon Valley, this land carried a larger population, more complex needs, and... the most basic right to survival and development that must be guaranteed under external pressure.
Energy is one of the cornerstones of this right. As one of the world's largest energy importers and consumers, the Dragon Kingdom has a very high degree of dependence on oil. The violent fluctuations in international oil prices and potential supply risks bring not only economic costs but also major hidden dangers to national security.
The plane landed smoothly in the special area of the Capital International Airport. This time, there were no welcoming crowds, only a few unmarked black sedans waiting under the boarding stairs. Lin Shen and Counselor Han quickly got into the car, and the motorcade drove away from the airport, merging into the evening traffic, but soon turned onto a confidential road leading to the suburbs.
The car was very quiet. Through the one-way window, Lin Shen watched the shelterbelts that flashed past on both sides of the road, looking somewhat solemn in the twilight. He felt that this time, upon returning, the situation he faced might be more complex than the struggle for quantum hegemony, and also closer to the lifeline of national survival and development.
About an hour later, the motorcade drove into a group of buildings that looked like an ordinary scientific research park, but after passing several strict sentry posts and underground passages, it finally stopped in front of a low building without any windows.
This was a backup underground command center for the "Jiuzhang Special Project", with a higher security level than the previous research base.
Guided by the staff, Lin Shen and Counselor Han passed through several heavy airtight doors and entered a medium-sized conference room. Several people were already sitting in the conference room. In addition to Academician Qin and several core leaders of the "Jiuzhang Special Project", there were two people Lin Shen did not know, but whose aura was clearly different—one was an old man in a dark Zhongshan suit with a serious face, and the other was a middle-aged officer in military uniform with rank insignia showing a general rank.
Academician Qin saw Lin Shen, nodded slightly, and signaled him and Counselor Han to sit down.
"Comrade Lin Shen, Comrade Counselor Han, you have worked hard." Academician Qin went straight to the point, "Your mission to Silicon Valley was completed very well, reaching the expected results, and even exceeding them. The headquarters affirms your work."
After a brief affirmation, Academician Qin changed the subject, his face becoming serious: "However, the international situation has changed suddenly. You should have already seen the relevant briefings on the plane. The energy crisis is no longer a concept in economics textbooks, but an imminent real threat, and it is deeply tied to geopolitics and military security."
The old man in the Zhongshan suit took over the conversation. His voice was not high, but it carried a calmness and majesty of someone who had been in a high position for a long time: "I am Director Zhao from the National Energy Security and Development Committee. Everyone is clear about the current situation. The soaring oil prices are just a superficial phenomenon. Behind it, someone is trying to use the energy card, combined with multiple means such as finance, technology, and military, to exert a new round of comprehensive pressure on us, disrupt our development rhythm, and even force us to make concessions on core interests."
The general in military uniform continued: "From a military perspective, the security risks of key energy channels are rising sharply. Conventional maritime escort forces are facing great pressure, and it is treating the symptoms but not the root cause. We must fundamentally improve our independent energy security capabilities and anti-risk capabilities."
[part:gemini-3.0-flash]
Academician Qin looked at Lin Shen. "Lin Shen, you previously had a very deep research foundation in the field of fusion energy. Although it was interrupted for three years due to the accident, the foundation is still there. This urgent recall is because we hope that while you continue to advance the work related to the Jiuzhang Special Project and Chasing Light plans, you can also set aside some energy to assist the country in re-evaluating and promoting an extremely important strategic energy technology—Controlled Nuclear Fusion, especially its miniaturization and engineering application paths."
Controlled Nuclear Fusion! An Artificial Sun!
Lin Shen's heart skipped a beat. This was the ultimate energy dream he had been obsessed with since his student days, and it was also the source of the accident that changed his fate. After being in a coma for three years and waking up to devote himself to the frontiers of photons and quanta, he almost thought he and this dream had drifted apart.
He hadn't expected that at such a moment, with the dark clouds of a global energy crisis looming, this dream would be placed before him again in such a direct and urgent manner.
"We know this is sudden, and we know your current tasks are already very heavy." Academician Qin understood Lin Shen's shock and softened his tone. "But the situation is pressing. The country has invested in the fusion field for many years and made a lot of progress, but we've encountered many bottlenecks on the road to engineering, especially miniaturized practical applications. We need new ideas; we need the courage and wisdom to break conventions. The kind of interdisciplinary thinking and the ability to implement frontier ideas you've shown in the photon and quantum fields make us feel that perhaps you can bring some new perspectives to this old problem."
Director Zhao added, "This isn't asking you to build a reactor immediately. Instead, we hope you can use your knowledge base, especially that... unique 'systematic deduction' ability, combined with the latest domestic and international research progress, to re-examine the key paths and core bottlenecks for achieving fusion energy, focusing on evaluating the possibilities and potential breakthroughs of miniaturized and modular designs. We need a bold yet pragmatic strategic analysis report that transcends existing frameworks."
Lin Shen took a deep breath, quickly digesting this sudden, heavyweight task. Energy crisis, fusion dreams, national trust... these words intertwined to form a peak even more towering than Topological Quantum Computing, and one more grounded in reality.
Subconsciously, he let his consciousness sink deep into his mind.
That massive and complex technology tree was still quietly suspended there. On the [Information and Computing] branch, the nodes for [Photonic Chip Basic Architecture] and [Topological Quantum Computing] emitted a faint glow, representing the fields he was currently cultivating.
And his gaze involuntarily drifted toward another thick main branch of the technology tree—[Materials and Energy].
On this branch, in the area near the base, nodes like [Fossil Energy], [Fission Nuclear Energy], and [Renewable Energy (Wind, Solar)] were glowing steadily, representing technologies already in large-scale use. In a higher region shrouded by a gray "lock," he saw that familiar and heart-pounding name—[Controlled Nuclear Fusion (Analyzable)].
Similar to the initial state of the [Photonic Chip] node, this node also appeared in an "analyzable" gray. However, its "lock" looked much heavier, and the prerequisite requirement branches extending around it were more numerous and complex, involving several massive sub-directions such as [High-Temperature Plasma Confinement], [First Wall Materials], [Tritium Self-Sufficiency], [Energy Extraction], and [System Integration], with each sub-direction densely packed with countless specific technical challenges.
Just a rough "look" was enough to feel its despair-inducing level of difficulty. This was definitely not something one person, or even a single team, could overcome in the short term.
However, just as a sense of helplessness began to rise in Lin Shen's heart, he noticed a very tiny, almost imperceptible branch beneath the [Controlled Nuclear Fusion] node pointing to a sub-node named [Compact Fusion Device Concept]. The "lock" on this sub-node seemed slightly lighter in color than the main node, and its prerequisites were relatively concentrated, mainly revolving around new confinement concepts (such as Spheromaks and Field-Reversed Configurations), high-temperature superconducting magnets, and advanced tritium-producing materials.
This sub-node seemed to vaguely correspond with the "miniaturization and modularization" idea mentioned by Director Zhao.
What made Lin Shen's heart stir even more was that when he focused his attention on the [Controlled Nuclear Fusion] node, the technology tree fed back an extremely weak but definitely present sense of "resonance." This resonance did not come from his fusion research experience before the coma, but felt more like... it was producing some extremely obscure, cross-domain association hints with his knowledge of photons, quanta, and even topological states of matter?
Could it be that the key to solving the fusion problem didn't just exist in the traditional fields of plasma physics and nuclear engineering, but might also be hidden in the intersection of more fundamental physical laws and material properties?
This thought was like a spark in the dark, flashing by, yet it made his spirits suddenly rally.
He looked up at Academician Qin, Director Zhao, and the general, his gaze becoming firm once more.
"I accept this task," Lin Shen's voice was clear and powerful. "Although my fusion research was interrupted for three years, I will relearn and organize everything as quickly as possible. I will try to use all possible new knowledge and tools to re-examine the breakthrough paths for fusion energy, especially the potential of the miniaturization direction. I need the most comprehensive and up-to-date domestic and international fusion research materials, as well as consultation channels with top experts in related fields (such as high-temperature superconductivity, radiation-resistant materials, and plasma simulation)."
Seeing Lin Shen quickly adjust his state and show such determination, a hint of relief appeared in the eyes of the leaders.
"We will fully coordinate the materials and expert support," Director Zhao nodded. "The access to the Energy and Materials section of the 'Starry Sea' knowledge base will be fully open to you. Relevant data reports (non-core classified parts) from the national magnetic confinement fusion experimental devices (EAST, HL-2M, etc.) and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) will also be provided to you for reference as soon as possible."
Academician Qin gave a final exhortation: "Lin Shen, remember, this does not conflict with the quantum and photonic research you are currently conducting; they may even inspire each other. Science is interconnected. Your task is not to replace the existing fusion research teams, but to act as a 'strategic scout' and a 'thought collider' to explore those corners that might be overlooked and propose bold hypotheses. Time is tight and the pressure is great, but the country believes you can shoulder this responsibility."
After the meeting ended, Lin Shen was taken to a temporary underground studio prepared for him, equipped with the highest level of information security measures. This would become his forward command post for the next period, simultaneously dealing with the three fronts of quanta, photons, and fusion.
Sitting at the brand-new workstation, Lin Shen didn't immediately start reviewing the massive amount of fusion data. He first contacted the core members of the Xuance Group and the Chasing Light photon team through the firefly channel, briefly informing them of his new task direction and performing remote deployment and coordination for the upcoming work. This ensured that the research of the two groups could continue to advance in an orderly manner under the responsibility of Sun Qiming, He Yun, Topologist, and Shen Hong.
Only then did he pull up the latest research reports, experimental data, and theoretical summaries regarding Controlled Nuclear Fusion, especially compact fusion devices, from the "Starry Sea" knowledge base.
The vast information unfolded before him like a cosmic nebula. Simultaneously, in his mind, the [Controlled Nuclear Fusion] node and its sub-node, [Compact Fusion Device Concept], began to glow slightly, as if injected with new "analytical" power.
The night outside was already deep. This fortress hidden underground was silent.
But Lin Shen knew that on the screen before him and on that tree in his mind, a silent battle concerning the fate of future energy and even the direction of human civilization had quietly begun.
The dark clouds of the oil crisis and war were gathering on the horizon, and beneath these clouds, he had to find that ultimate fire of energy for this country and for this planet—the one that could dispel the darkness and bring infinite light.