24: Chapter 24 Let's Go All Out

The words of Elder Long carried immense weight.

Lin Jixian knew the weight of them better than anyone else.

That night, when he relayed those exact words verbatim, Chen Jingshan on the other end of the line was silent for nearly ten seconds.

It was a silence Lin Jixian had never felt from this old Dean before.

It was not hesitation, and certainly not deliberation.

It was, rather, the most direct form of shock, something that required time to digest.

Ten seconds later, Chen Jingshan only said four words.

"I understand."

With that, the call ended.

That night, the lights in the main building of the Xia Academy of Sciences remained on until dawn.

...

The next day, at eight in the morning.

Inside the large office of the Third Microelectronics Equipment Research Institute.

When Lin Yuan pushed open the door, more than half of the people were already seated in the room.

Unlike the laboratory that hummed all day long, this was where the researchers handled daily affairs and held briefing meetings.

Dozens of desks were arranged neatly in the spacious, bright room, with all the fluorescent lights overhead turned on, illuminating the entire office as bright as day.

As soon as Lin Yuan entered, dozens of gazes turned toward him simultaneously.

It was completely different from yesterday.

Today, those gazes were filled with a tacit friendliness, and even a certain awe suppressed deep within their eyes.

Some nodded at him in greeting.

Some held up their thermoses from afar, offering a simple, honest smile.

A few young researchers sitting near the door even stood up directly.

"Researcher Lin, morning!"

"Comrade Lin Yuan, you're here!"

Lin Yuan returned each smile and sat down in an empty seat by the window.

He had just put down his backpack and barely settled into his seat when the conference room door was pushed open again, and Wei Jiancheng strode in.

Completely different from the exhaustion he showed yesterday after working non-stop, today he was startlingly energetic.

His Zhongshan suit was buttoned up perfectly, and his stride was vigorous and powerful.

Behind him followed an administrative staff member clutching documents, forced to jog to keep up with his pace.

"Is everyone here?"

Wei Jiancheng's voice boomed down, echoing throughout the spacious office.

Everyone subconsciously sat up straight, and the entire office fell silent in an instant.

Everyone knew that Director Wei had specifically gone to the Xia Academy of Sciences yesterday afternoon to report the major breakthrough in light source theory to Dean Chen in person.

So now, it must be time to announce the results.

Wei Jiancheng did not sit down; he stood directly at the front, hands behind his back, his gaze like a torch as he swept over every face in the room.

"Let's start with the conclusion."

He spoke directly, his voice full of vigor.

"The report to the Xia Academy of Sciences yesterday went very smoothly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an uncontrollable cheer and murmur erupted in the conference room.

"That's great!"

"Director Wei is formidable!"

"I knew it! With the theoretical data we have, how could the Xia Academy of Sciences not take it seriously!"

Simple joy appeared on everyone's faces.

Many were already excitedly rubbing their hands, calculating in their minds which module they would be responsible for once the light source prototype project was officially approved, and how much funding they would need to apply for.

"Quiet, I haven't finished yet."

Wei Jiancheng pressed his hand down, and the noise ceased completely.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for what was next, anticipating Wei Jiancheng to announce the specific support from the Xia Academy of Sciences.

Wei Jiancheng's gaze swept through the crowd, finally landing on Lin Yuan for a second before moving away.

He cleared his throat, each word landing clearly and powerfully.

"The Xia Academy of Sciences is currently planning to establish a special task force."

A special task force?

As soon as those words came out, everyone was stunned by the news.

There were no laymen present; everyone knew what the term "special task force" meant within the system.

It was not just a project team, nor was it a research group.

It was the highest level of task force establishment, one that concentrated resources, broke down departmental barriers, provided manpower upon request, and funding upon request.

They had only come up with a light source theory, yet the Xia Academy of Sciences was giving them this level of support?

This gesture... was simply too grand!

Everyone's eyes were focused on Wei Jiancheng, filled with admiration.

To be able to secure this level of support from the Xia Academy of Sciences, Director Wei had truly gone all out this time.

However, Wei Jiancheng shook his head.

"Don't look at me like that; the credit for this does not belong to me."

The murmurs in the office paused.

Not Director Wei's credit?

Then whose was it?

Wei Jiancheng didn't beat around the bush.

He turned his head, his gaze falling directly on the seat by the window.

"Yesterday in the Dean's office, it was Comrade Lin Yuan who proposed the plan to the Dean in person."

The air in the entire office tightened subtly.

Dozens of gazes shifted from Wei Jiancheng and turned in unison toward the young man sitting quietly by the window.

He proposed it?

And the Dean agreed?

A decision at the level of a special task force was pushed through based solely on the proposal of a newcomer who had been on the job for less than three days?

The researchers exchanged glances, seeing the same indescribable, complex shock in each other's eyes.

Is this the true meaning of "massive resource allocation"?

The extent of this allocation had already exceeded the limits of their imagination!

Under everyone's complex gaze, Wei Jiancheng continued, forcibly dragging everyone's attention back.

"And what is being established this time is not just a light source special task force."

He paused, as if deliberately giving everyone time to digest.

Then, word by word, he said the sentence that was enough to overturn everyone's understanding.

"It is a Photolithography Machine Special Task Force!"

"Covering the light source, objective lens, and dual-stage system—all three major cores are included, and they will be advanced simultaneously!"

As soon as these words came out, the brains of everyone in the office completely shut down.

A Photolithography Machine Special Task Force?

Three major cores advanced simultaneously?

If the word "special task force" just now was a pleasant surprise.

Then this statement was a thunderbolt that overturned everyone's perception.

In the entire office, you could hear a pin drop.

Someone's pen hit the floor with a "clatter," yet they didn't even notice.

Someone had their mouth open, unable to close it for a long time, frozen there, motionless.

What kind of concept was this?

This was equivalent to saying that their institute—no, the entire Xia Academy of Sciences, or even the entire Xia country—was going to stake everything on one throw, to directly climb the steepest Mount Everest in the field of technology!?

This could no longer be described as just ambition!

This was madness!

After the initial shock, countless thoughts rolled through everyone's minds.

"Crazy, it's truly crazy..."

"Three major components advanced simultaneously... how much resources would that require?"

"The objective lens and the dual-stage system... do we have the technical reserves for this? The light source at least had a theoretical breakthrough, but what about those two?"

People looked at each other, the wild joy that had just ignited being covered by confusion about the unknown.

Wei Jiancheng saw their doubts and spoke in a deep voice, his words clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"I know what you are worrying about."

"The objective lens and the dual-stage system, right?"

"But you don't need to worry too much about those two."

He looked around and then cast his gaze toward Lin Yuan again.

"Comrade Lin Yuan has long had research on the theories of the other two major components as well."

"The reason Dean Chen agreed to establish the special task force is precisely because of this."

"And when the time comes, there will naturally be people from other departments to chew on those two tough nuts."

Upon hearing this, everyone's brains were completely stunned!

They subconsciously turned their heads to look at Lin Yuan, their eyes full of shock!

The other two major components... he also had research on them?

So... so what he brought out yesterday wasn't all of it?!

Wei Jiancheng watched them like this and continued.

"Our Third Research Institute is responsible for taking the lead, but the key task for our institute remains only one, and that is—"

"Get the light source done for me! Do you understand!"

"Understood!"

A roar suppressing endless emotions erupted from everyone's throats.

Wei Jiancheng watched this scene with satisfaction, then threw out the final explosive piece of news.

"By the way, just last night, Dean Chen called me personally."

"He said that the plan for the special task force was approved by the higher-ups overnight."

"We need to submit a list of core personnel to be used for the final formation plan."

"I have already submitted all of your names!"

Wei Jiancheng said this, looking around the room, enunciating every word.

"This time, the higher-ups said!"

"Manpower if we need it, funding if we need it, with no upper limit!"

His voice suddenly rose, turning into a roar that echoed through the office, a roar that had been suppressed in the Xia country's scientific research community for decades.

"It is for us to—"

"Going all out!"