199: Chapter 199 Why don't we have a scientist like Lin Yuan?

The Other Side of the Ocean.

A certain white building, underground conference room.

A top-secret evaluation report delivered overnight was spread out on a long table, its cover embossed with bright red "Top Secret" characters.

Several big shots, whose every step could normally make the globe tremble, sat around the table with gloomy expressions.

No one spoke.

The old man sitting in the main seat flipped to the last page of the report, his gaze lingering on the conclusion column for a long time.

Then, he closed the report and slammed it onto the tabletop with a "thud."

“They have announced a grid connection within one month.”

The old man's tone was extremely low, yet it carried an intensity of hysteria that was suppressed to the limit.

“This is not a bluff, gentlemen!”

“No country would use something as directly verifiable as grid-connected power generation to bluff.”

Silence filled the conference room for three seconds.

The old man's fingers tapped heavily twice on the table, and his eyes became extremely fierce.

“I don't care what methods you use.”

“I need a complete response plan within forty-eight hours.”

“Including but not limited to diplomatic pressure, additional trade sanctions, and... special measures when necessary.”

In the conference room, several pens moved rapidly across notebooks simultaneously.

No one questioned the rationality of this directive.

Because everyone understood that this was no longer a technical competition.

This was a war concerning the survival of hegemony.

...

Meanwhile.

An ordinary morning The Other Side of the Ocean, everything was as usual.

However, the moment countless citizens habitually picked up their coffee and swiped open their phones, they were collectively stunned.

Social media homepages, news push bars, short video information flows...

Every single one was filled with the hair-raising term "Xia Country Nuclear Fusion."

In the social media feeds, screens were filled with shocking bold headlines—

《Xia Country's Nuclear Fusion Final Ignition Successful, Grid Connection Announced Within One Month!》

《Energy Gain Factor Breaks 20, Human Energy Landscape May Be Completely Rewritten!》

Screenshots of that silver-white device were repeatedly forwarded, accompanied by panicked interpretations from various media outlets, overwhelmingly occupying everyone's homepage.

“...Is this a science fiction movie being filmed?”

A middle-aged man, who had just finished fueling his car and was looking at the bill with heartache, stared blankly at his phone screen.

He clicked on the comment section, which had already completely fallen, filled with disbelief and a large-scale collective mental breakdown.

“My God, they are actually going to achieve energy freedom, while we are still marching in the streets over rising gasoline prices!”

“Grid connection in a month? A month?! I have to wait in line for three months just to change a power meter at my house!”

“I heard their electricity bills will drop to at least one-tenth of the current price in the future! Can anyone in the comments teach me how to immigrate to Xia Country? I'm serious.”

Emotions of bitterness, jealousy, and panic spread frantically across the internet like a plague.

Soon, a post that surpassed twenty million views in just half an hour was quickly pushed to the top of the trending lists on major platforms The Other Side of the Ocean.

The title had only four words—

《Twilight of the Old Hegemony》

Behind the poster's ID hung the certification of an economics professor from a top-tier university.

The core argument of the post was extremely sharp—

“Once Xia Country completes the nuclear fusion grid connection, its national industrial electricity costs will drop to one-tenth or even less of current levels.”

“What does this mean? It means the cost of goods manufactured in Xia Country will once again experience a cliff-like drop.”

“Xia Country's industrial products, which were already synonymous with being high-quality and inexpensive, will completely crush the price floor of all global competitors with the support of nearly free energy.”

“And with Xia Country's current technological iteration speed, which has already exceeded the scope of human cognition, our proud status as the world hegemon—”

“How much longer can it be maintained? Or rather, is it already over?”

The last sentence of the post was screenshotted, forwarded, and quoted by countless people.

Panic, like a flood bursting through a dam, rushed from academic circles into financial circles, and from financial circles onto the dining tables of ordinary citizens.

“Why can Xia Country keep creating miracles?”

“Why don't we have a scientist like Lin Yuan? What are our elites doing? Researching how to change genders?!”

“Where exactly has our taxpayers' money been spent?”

These soul-searching questions filled the homepages of major forums.

No one could give an answer, only endless silence.

...

Meanwhile.

Xia Country, Xishan Base.

While the other side of the ocean was deeply mired in a swamp of panic and anxiety, the black business car Lin Yuan was riding in had already smoothly driven through the final checkpoint of the base's perimeter.

Controlled Nuclear Fusion, a perfect conclusion.

Next, his entire energy would be completely focused on the south heaven gate project.

Chengying Mecha.

Individual Combat Armor.

These two things were the steel fangs about to be shown to the world, sufficient to pierce through the old era.

After arriving at Xishan Base, Lin Yuan first went to the Heavy-duty Preparation Workshop.

Stepping through the main door, he was greeted by a wave of metallic heat even more scorching than the last time.

From a distance, he could hear the dense roar emanating from inside the workshop.

The shriek of high-frequency cutting tools, the dull friction of heavy crane rails, the dispatch calls rising one after another in the walkie-talkies...

All the sounds stacked together to form a deafening industrial symphony.

The moment Lin Yuan's tall and slender figure appeared at the workshop entrance.

Not knowing who saw him first, someone shouted excitedly:

“Academician Lin is here!”

Subsequently, the entire massive workshop seemed to have been hit by a strange pause button.

Pairs of bloodshot but incredibly bright eyes, carrying an extreme fever of worship, fixed intensely on Lin Yuan.

No one spoke, but that silent reverence was more violent than a tsunami.

“Academician Lin!!!”

Shen Changhe, wearing a safety helmet and clutching a walkie-talkie, rushed down the metal stairs two steps at a time.

“You're finally back!”

Shen Changhe strode up to Lin Yuan, reached out both hands, and firmly grasped Lin Yuan's hand.

“Congratulations, Academician Lin!”

“The final self-sustaining ignition was a huge success!”

“As soon as the News Broadcast came out today, the entire Xishan Base exploded!”

“When everyone here heard the news, each one was so excited... they almost lifted the roof off this workshop!”

Shen Changhe laughed unrestrainedly, the wrinkles on his face revealing an unprecedented, triumphant satisfaction.

“Now that Controlled Nuclear Fusion is out, those people The Other Side of the Ocean must be so anxious they can't sit still!”

“However, even if they can't sit still, they'll have to force themselves to stay down!”

Shen Changhe waved his hand sharply, then turned and pointed toward the brightly lit, full-speed-operating massive production line behind him.

“Academician Lin, look!”

“This morning, as soon as it was known you were going to push the final ignition of nuclear fusion, the morale of the entire base was directly ignited to its peak!”

A raging fire burned in the depths of Shen Changhe's eyes, and his voice was hoarse with excitement.

“When everyone thought about nuclear fusion succeeding and infinite energy being right before our eyes, the drive for everyone to work simply couldn't be suppressed!”

Shen Changhe suddenly turned his head, staring fixedly at Lin Yuan, his eyes red, speaking one word at a time.

“According to the current progress, by tonight, all the components will be almost ready!”

“Wait until tomorrow morning...”

“We can officially begin assembly!”