30: Chapter 30 The Global Energy Landscape Was Overturned Overnight
The news of the qilin-1 grid connection and the 0.15 yuan electricity price was like pouring a ladle of ice water into a boiling oil pan. It didn't cause cooling, but rather a violent explosion and chain reaction restructuring that swept through global politics, economics, and technology. Within just a few days, its shockwaves completely reshaped the context and power dynamics of global energy discourse.
The first to bear the brunt was the Star Continent Consortium and its underlying capital alliance. The instant backlash from the financial markets was brutal. Crude oil prices were slashed in half again, dealing a devastating blow to the massive and complex positions they had built—including futures, options, and various derivatives linked to oil prices—to drive up prices and create panic. Margin calls flew in like snowflakes. Several mid-sized hedge guns involved in the short-selling collapsed first due to liquidity depletion, triggering a broader risk of chain defaults. Although the consortium's core capital was substantial and they urgently mobilized astronomical sums for market support and liquidation to avoid a systemic collapse, the enormous losses were already incurred. Their discourse power and deterrent force in the energy financial market were severely damaged.
The more profound impact lay at the strategic level. The success of qilin-1 was not just a victory for a technical product; it announced a possibility: a country could, through complete technological autonomy and innovation, build a base-load energy supply capability that does not depend on traditional fossil fuel systems and possesses significant economic competitiveness within a relatively short period and at an affordable cost. For certain forces that use energy as a core tool for geopolitical and financial maneuvering, this was nothing short of pulling the rug out from under them.
Almost at the same time the qilin-1 news was confirmed, the energy policies and diplomatic stances of major global economies began to undergo subtle yet rapid adjustments:
Traditional energy-exporting countries fell into collective anxiety and fragmentation. Some countries urgently dispatched personnel to Dragon Country to explore potential cooperation in nuclear technology, renewable energy, and even power grid construction, attempting to find new economic pillars for the 'post-oil era.' Meanwhile, internal contradictions intensified in other countries, with conservative forces and reformists arguing incessantly over whether to accelerate economic transformation.
Major energy-importing countries (especially in Europe and parts of Asia), after experiencing the double shock of an oil price rollercoaster and supply security concerns, saw their interest in Dragon Country's 'Qilin' technology skyrocket. Despite technical protectionism, security doubts, and political considerations, the immense temptation to escape reliance on a single energy channel and reduce energy costs prompted the diplomatic and commercial departments of many countries to begin active outreach, seeking technology transfers, collaborative construction, or even just more evaluation information.
The Federation's reaction was the most complex. Official statements emphasized 'safety standards,' 'nuclear non-proliferation,' and 'fair market competition' as usual, but its think tanks and media began publishing endless analyses on the potential long-term impact of 'Qilin' technology on global energy geopolitics and the petrodollar system. They called for accelerating the research and deployment of their own next-generation nuclear technology (such as Small Modular Reactors, SMR) while starting discussions on whether stricter export controls were needed for related technologies and materials.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) instantly became a global focal point, urged by various countries to conduct a safety assessment and technical review of qilin-1 as soon as possible to confirm its claimed safety and advancement. Dragon Country expressed its welcome for international supervision and cooperation that met the standards.
After the initial panic-driven crash, the energy market gradually entered a new, fragile balance. Although oil prices retreated from their peaks, they continued to oscillate at relatively high levels, reflecting the market's repricing of the uncertainty regarding the future role of traditional energy. Meanwhile, stocks in global power, new energy, and nuclear-related sectors remained active as capital began to reallocate, searching for winners under the new energy paradigm represented by 'Qilin'.
In the midst of this global vortex, the 'Firmament' base seemed to be the only calm point in the eye of the storm. But Lin Shen knew that beneath this calm lay even weightier responsibilities and expectations.
Director Zhao's subsequent instructions were clear: 'Qilin' has attracted the vast majority of fire and attention, which creates a rare 'strategic ambiguity period' and 'development window' for 'Torch Dragon' and even more cutting-edge explorations. They had to seize the opportunity and accelerate progress.
The Deep Blue virtual theory group's high-precision calculations regarding the WSe2/HfO2 interface system were still in intense progress. Preliminary feedback showed that while that 'anomaly point' had weakened in more rigorous models, the characteristics of strong electron-phonon coupling and possible unconventional pairing instability still existed. Although the theoretically predicted characteristic temperature had decreased, it remained significantly higher than traditional materials. This was enough to pique the great interest of experimental materials scientists. After consulting Director Zhao, Lin Shen sent a summary of this highly uncertain but clearly directed theoretical prediction through top-secret channels to the top domestic 2D materials and interface physics experimental team for their reference when designing exploratory experiments. This was the first 'theoretical prediction' produced by the Deep Blue project that could directly influence experimental direction; although the risk was extremely high, the significance was monumental.
At the same time, Shen Hong sent news that, bolstered by the confidence and resource allocation brought by the success of qilin-1, the Torch Dragon engineering team had received additional funding and equipment support and had begun planning the upgrade for 'Torch Dragon-2.' The goal was to extend plasma confinement time to over 500 milliseconds and attempt to increase plasma temperature and density. Shen Hong and Lin Shen were asked to participate in the preliminary conceptual design, focusing on evaluating the optimization of the high-temperature superconducting magnet system, candidate materials for the new first wall, and the feasibility of possible 'unconventional' plasma control concepts inspired by the Deep Blue group's theories. Lin Shen immediately coordinated with Tide and Stardust to organize the preliminary results of their simplified model on 'Topological Order Parameter and Electromagnetic Field Coupling,' forming a minimalist technical concept brief to submit to the Torch Dragon-2 design team as a backup idea that might bring an 'unexpected surprise.'
While Lin Shen was handling these various threads simultaneously, a special notice from the Jiuzhang Special Project command center interrupted his work rhythm. The notice required him to immediately prepare an analytical brief on the 'Potential Impact of Recent Energy Technology Breakthroughs on the Global Quantum Computing Competitive Landscape,' focusing on evaluating whether the major national-level scientific engineering organizational capabilities demonstrated by qilin-1 and the prospect of significantly reduced energy costs would change the resource investment landscape for quantum computing R&D, the priority of technical route choices, and even the motivation and models for international cooperation. The brief had to be submitted within twenty-four hours.
This was a brand-new, cross-disciplinary strategic analysis task. Lin Shen had to temporarily set aside the specific technical issues at hand and mobilize the macro vision and strategic thinking he had honed during his trip to Silicon Valley and under the recent multiple pressures.
He first accessed the latest reports in the 'Star Sea' database regarding the quantum computing R&D investment and strategies of major global countries, performing a preliminary comparative analysis combined with the engineering capabilities, cost control, and decision-making efficiency reflected in the public information about qilin-1.
His core judgments gradually became clear:
Increased Confidence in Resource Investment: The success of qilin-1 proved the country's ability to concentrate resources to conquer major and complex strategic scientific and technological projects. This might strengthen the decision-makers' support and patience for high-risk, high-reward frontier projects like Jiuzhang Special Project. Expectations of stable and low-cost energy also cleared a major economic obstacle for the future large-scale operation of quantum computing centers (which usually consume massive amounts of energy).
Technical Route Choices May Become More Diverse and Radical: With more solid basic energy security, the country might have more confidence when laying out future technology to support 'non-mainstream' paths like Topological Quantum Computing—which require long-term investment but offer potentially disruptive returns—as an important supplement or even insurance for mainstream superconducting/ion trap routes.
Changes in the Attractiveness of International Cooperation: 'Qilin' technology could become a new bargaining chip for diplomacy and scientific cooperation. Some countries that have expertise in quantum computing but are limited by energy costs or industrial foundations might more actively seek cooperation with Dragon Country in frontier fields like quantum in exchange for benefits in energy technology. Conversely, traditional technological leaders might further strengthen technical protection and alliances in core fields like quantum due to feeling more comprehensive competitive pressure.
Expansion of Quantum Computing Application Scenarios: Cheap, abundant, and stable electricity will greatly promote the development of potential quantum computing application fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, and simulation, which in turn will create a demand for stronger computing power, forming a virtuous cycle.
At the end of the report, Lin Shen cautiously added a paragraph of personal reflection: 'The reshaping of the energy landscape is not only about the "power" of computing resources but is more likely to change the "ecology" of technological competition from the ground up. When "infinite energy" or "cheap energy" moves from a distant vision to a tangible reality, all technical development routes, economic models, and even international rules based on the assumption of "energy scarcity" may need to be re-examined. As a frontier exploring the essence of matter and information, the development trajectory of quantum computing will perhaps also undergo deeper interaction and entanglement with this profound energy revolution.'
The brief was submitted within the time limit. It might be just one of many references for high-level decision-making, but Lin Shen hoped that through it, he could convey a broader, systemic perspective that viewed different technological frontiers like energy, information, and materials as a dynamic whole.
After finishing all this, night fell once again on the plateau. On the simulated scenery screen, the galaxy remained brilliant.
Lin Shen walked to the screen and looked toward the boundless starry sky. There were countless burning stars performing natural, violent nuclear fusion, releasing light and heat that illuminated the universe.
'Qilin' had lit up the earth and stabilized the current game.
But for those like them who gazed at the stars, the goal was always that more primal, more magnificent source of energy—controlled nuclear fusion, the true artificial sun.
The global energy landscape had indeed been overturned overnight.
But this upheaval was perhaps merely the overture to an even greater chapter.
In the silence of 'Firmament' and under the starry sky of the plateau, Lin Shen knew that the era belonging to them—the era of challenging the fire of the stars—was quietly accelerating toward them, accompanied by the roar of 'Qilin' and the low hum of 'Torch Dragon.'