181: Chapter 181 The Ocean Dream, Made in China!

Cold Controlled Nuclear Fusion.

These words, dropping into the test hall, carried an impact even greater than the word "Mecha" had just moments ago.

The hall was so silent that one could hear the hum of the overhead exhaust ducts, as well as the suddenly ragged breathing of everyone present.

Everyone present looked at one another, their lips trembling violently, yet no one dared to be the first to speak.

What was there to say?

Should they say that Iron Man was just a movie, that the arc reactor on his chest was something the screenwriter dreamed up on a whim, and that it didn't exist in real-world physics?

Or that cold nuclear fusion was still classified as "pseudoscience" and an "academic scam" by the global academic community, with not a single credible experimental paper to its name?

Had it been before, the experts present could have confidently slammed the table and stood up to argue using either of these two points.

But in front of Lin Yuan?

Who would dare to slam the table?

He Mingde stood where he was, his Adam's apple bobbing several times, until he finally couldn't hold back.

"Academician Lin."

His throat felt parched, and each word was laced with a tremor.

"You just mentioned Cold Controlled Nuclear Fusion... regarding this technology, do you already have a plan, or..."

At this question, everyone's ears pricked up, and they even held their breath for a moment.

Lin Yuan turned his head, glanced at him, and then smiled.

The smile was relaxed and casual, carrying an almost nonchalant air of inevitability.

"What else?"

"If I didn't even have a plan, how could I dare to stand here and bring up mecha with you all?"

As soon as Lin Yuan's voice trailed off, He Mingde's breathing grew heavy, his chest heaving violently.

The dozens of experts around them exchanged glances, their eyes swirling with near-manic shock.

Good heavens!

Their Thermonuclear Fusion hadn't even been fully implemented and connected to the grid yet!

And yet this young man had quietly grasped Cold Controlled Nuclear Fusion—something that didn't even exist in theory—in his hands?!

Was he going to drag that ultimate fantasy, which had only ever existed in sci-fi movies and comics, into reality?!

He Mingde stood there for several seconds, barely managing to suppress the tumultuous emotions churning in his mind.

He licked his dry, chapped lips, and suddenly, an incredibly absurd image flashed through his mind as he blurted out:

"So, by that logic..."

"Does that mean in the future, our Xia could also produce an Iron Man?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, his face flushed, and he felt it was somewhat ridiculous.

A dignified academician who had spent most of his life working on nuclear physics, actually asking such a childish question in a serious research facility.

But he couldn't help it.

With Cold Controlled Nuclear Fusion combined with mecha, and Lin Yuan having just specifically mentioned Iron Man, what else could possibly pop into his head but the image of Iron Man?

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan did not answer directly. He simply tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps."

Three light words, neither confirming nor denying.

Yet, to everyone listening, those three words carried ten thousand times more weight than a ten-thousand-word thesis published in the journal Nature!

Because, given Lin Yuan's track record, he never spoke without substance.

He wouldn't even bother saying the word "perhaps" for something he wasn't certain about.

The hall fell into a dead silence that lasted several seconds.

Then, an incredibly strange yet exhilarating atmosphere quietly spread among them.

Zhou Changming stood there in a daze, his mind uncontrollably conjuring an image—

A silver-gray steel giant, with a bright red flag emblem painted on its shoulder armor and a glowing blue cold fusion core embedded in its chest, standing proudly amidst the steel torrent of Xia, its sword pointed The Other Side of the Ocean, fighting for Xia!

The image was so magnificent that every hair on his body stood on end at that moment!

"Hiss..."

He drew a sharp breath, his expression becoming incredibly subtle.

Another expert beside him came to his senses at this moment and blurted out dryly.

"Something's not right."

"Isn't Iron Man a movie from The Other Side of the Ocean... that's a story they made up, a dream they created."

"And yet, in the end, why is this dream about to become reality here in our Xia?"

Once these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall grew even more peculiar.

All the experts looked at one another, their faces displaying a strange expression—part absurd, part exhilarating—wanting to laugh but unable to.

Zhou Changming even burst into laughter.

"Ha! What do you call this?"

"A Dream The Other Side of the Ocean, Made in Xia?!"

As these six words landed, everyone present was momentarily stunned.

Then, the entire test hall erupted into uncontrollable laughter.

"Hahaha! Old Zhou, your tongue is truly sharp!"

"Isn't that the truth? They spent so much money making movies, indulging in their own fantasies for so long, and here we are, without saying a word, bringing it straight into reality!"

"When the whole world sees it, good heavens, Iron Man won't be The Other Side of the Ocean, but in Xia! Working for Xia! Doing the work for Xia! Tell me, what kind of constipated expression do you think those people on the other side will have when they see that?"

Laughter rang out one after another. Even He Mingde couldn't hold back, his mouth stretching into a wide grin.

It had been decades.

Decades of being held by the throat, forced to swallow humiliation.

Hearing this today, even if it was just a concept that hadn't materialized yet, just imagining that scene was enough to ignite a raging fire in the chests of these old men.

After the laughter subsided, it slowly died down, but the glint in everyone's eyes was terrifyingly bright.

Lin Yuan scanned everyone's expressions, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. He clapped his hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Alright, seniors, I'll be taking my leave now."

He tilted his chin toward He Mingde, gesturing to the portable hard drive in his hand.

"The technical roadmap is all in there. Dean He, please go through it with everyone first. Mark anything you're unsure about, and I'll follow up with you later."

"As for Controlled Nuclear Fusion, I expect it to be wrapped up within a month. I trust you all."

Upon hearing this, He Mingde hugged the hard drive to his chest as if protecting some peerless treasure, and nodded vigorously twice.

"Rest assured!"

"We'll definitely handle everything here steadily for you!"

"Go ahead and focus on your south heaven gate!"

He paused, then reached out a large, calloused hand and patted Lin Yuan heavily on the shoulder. The old man's nostrils flared, and his voice sounded thick.

"Go and build the most hardcore deterrent for our Xia."

Lin Yuan didn't speak. He simply returned a barely perceptible nod.

He turned and strode toward the hall exit. His back was straight, his pace steady, the hem of his Zhongshan suit swaying gently as he walked.

He had taken only three steps when Zhou Changming's muffled, booming voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Academician Lin!"

Lin Yuan turned his head.

Zhou Changming grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Go get them!"

Lin Yuan was amused. He shook his head, gave the group a casual wave, and without looking back, pushed the door open and walked out.

No sooner had he left than He Mingde impatiently turned around and rushed to the nearest computer.

"Quick! Everyone come over!"

He fumbled to plug the portable hard drive into the data port while shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Let's see what good things Academician Lin Yuan has left us!"

The dozens of experts swarmed forward, their heads crowding together as they stared at the screen.

The hard drive's read speed was incredibly fast. A few seconds later, the file directory fully expanded on the screen.

From the step-by-step optimization strategy for confinement parameters to the phased breakthrough path for plasma density, and the complete engineering technical roadmap to boost the Q-value from 1.25 to over 10...

The naming of every folder was so precise it was hair-raising.

He Mingde opened the first file. Densely packed data, formulas, and engineering drawings filled the entire projection screen.

"Hiss..." In the hall, a dozen people drew a sharp breath in unison.

"This... this is too detailed!"

Zhou Changming leaned toward the screen, his nose almost touching it. His eyes scanned from top to bottom, over and over again, his fingers trembling incessantly against the edge of the screen.

"My god, he even calculated the gradient parameters for the divertor's heat load distribution? And he listed three sets of backup plans?"

"How can this be called a 'small idea'..."

He Mingde muttered, turning to the second page, before freezing in place for three seconds.

He then jerked his head around, looking toward the hall exit. The door had long since closed, and that young man had already walked far away.

... Outside the test hall. The sunlight was perfect, and the breeze was gentle.

Lin Yuan walked unhurriedly along the heavily guarded corridor, his footsteps echoing crisply in the empty passage.

He turned the last corner and pushed open the building's side door.

A black bulletproof business vehicle with special license plates was parked quietly on the side of the road.

Qin Meng stepped forward first and efficiently opened the rear car door.

Lin Yuan bent down and climbed into the car, leaning back against the comfortable leather seat, and casually pulled the seat belt over to buckle it.

"Click."

Qin Meng closed the door, quickly walked around to the other side to get in, and sat in the passenger seat.

The engine gave a low hum.

Lin Yuan stared at the confidence progress bar deep in his mind for a few moments, smiled slightly, and calmly issued an instruction to the front row.

"Go to Xishan."