251: Chapter 251 Wait... is that all?

Meanwhile.

At the same time the intelligence systems The Other Side of the Ocean sounded a red alert, the bureaus of major global news agencies stationed in Xia Country also completely boiled over.

Reuters, AFP, Kyodo News...

Every duty editor at the Xia Country branches of foreign media, upon seeing the joint announcement pushed simultaneously by the official Xia Country media matrix, rushed to their workstations by reflex.

The sound of keyboards clattered into a single roar, and the entire office area was filled with the anxious tension of facing a formidable enemy.

For major news of this caliber, being late by even a second would be a professional stain that could ruin a career!

Thus, as the early morning sunlight The Other Side of the Ocean filtered through the gaps in the curtains of countless homes, myriad people just waking from their dreams habitually reached for their phones by the bedside, only to be hit head-on by the overwhelming news on their screens.

“Xia Country's Controlled Nuclear Fusion Officially Connected to the Grid! National Basic Livelihood Costs Simultaneously Slashed!”

“The Era of Infinite Energy Arrives: Xia Country Announces a Package of Price Reductions for Electricity, Water, Communications, and Ministry of Transport Fees!”

“From the Lab to Every Household, Xia Country Completes the Commercial Implementation of Nuclear Fusion in Just Over Ten Days!”

...

Every headline used the most blunt and eye-catching way to tell the world a scalp-tingling fact—

Xia Country had done it.

And it was much faster than the "within one month" they had previously promised!

In the comment sections of major social media platforms abroad, countless comments flooded the screens in just ten-odd minutes.

“Wait... they said 'grid connection within a month,' how long has it actually been? Two weeks? Three?”

“I just checked the calendar. From the time they announced the final successful ignition until now, it's been exactly fifteen days. Fifteen days! F*ck, I've been on a waiting list for three months just to get solar panels installed on my house!”

“Is your only focus the grid connection? Look at that price reduction announcement afterward! Did you see it? Electricity, water, internet, and Ministry of Transport fees—all of them down! ALL OF THEM!!!”

“My God... how outrageously low will the cost of living be for Xia Country people from now on?!”

After the initial shock, a more complex and indescribable emotion began to spread through the comment sections like a plague.

It was blatant envy and jealousy that reached into their very bones.

“So, Xia Country people will basically pay nothing to run air conditioning in the summer, take cross-city high-speed rail for the same price we pay for a dilapidated subway, and the cost of making calls and using the internet will be low enough to ignore?”

“And what about us? Gasoline prices went up another five percent yesterday! Electricity bills are getting more ridiculous by the day, and I can barely afford even basic health insurance!”

“I finally understand why Tony wanted to immigrate to Xia Country. Honestly, if I had the chance, I'd want to go too.”

The bitterness welling up in the hearts of the people The Other Side of the Ocean reached an absolute peak.

But this time, no one jumped out to mock Xia Country for "bragging" anymore.

Nor did anyone cynically question if "this was just a propaganda scam used by Xia Country for posturing."

Because over the past six months, Xia Country had used one heavy punch after another to slap the faces of all the doubters until they stung.

The arrogance and sense of superiority that once looked down upon the East from a high horse had long since been shattered into pieces during these continuous critical hits over the past half-year, leaving not even a speck of dust.

So what if they were unwilling to admit it verbally?

They all knew in their hearts.

Xia Country had already left them all behind.

And the gap was only widening.

Amidst this bitterness and silence permeating the entire internet, a post suddenly appeared on the front page of the largest general forum The Other Side of the Ocean.

The content of the post was very short, only two sentences—

“Since Xia Country has achieved grid-connected Controlled Nuclear Fusion, can this infinite energy be exported?”

“Can our leadership go and negotiate with Xia Country so that we can use cheap energy too?”

These words were like striking a match in the dark, igniting the fire of hope for all people abroad.

Countless foreign netizens echoed the sentiment frantically below the post, their emotions running high.

“Exactly! Nuclear fusion energy isn't a weapon; it's something that benefits all of humanity!”

“Please, I don't care about hegemony or whatever anymore. I just want my monthly electricity bill to have one less zero!”

“Online petition! I hope the higher-ups can send someone to Xia Country to negotiate energy imports!”

In just half an hour, the direction of public opinion underwent a drastic shift.

From jealousy to desire.

From bitterness to anticipation.

Countless foreign netizens began to spontaneously organize online petitions, with the number of signatures skyrocketing at a rate of tens of thousands per minute.

They didn't care about national face or the games between great powers.

They only cared about one thing—

Whether they could also follow Xia Country and get a taste of that cheap energy soup.

...

At the level of national leadership, the reaction to this global storm showed an extremely sharp polarization.

Although the decision-makers of various countries had already prepared themselves psychologically since Xia Country announced "grid connection within a month."

But the moment the joint announcement actually landed, the oppressive feeling of "the end of an old era" still struck the hearts of every major power's leadership like a tangible heavy hammer.

In the meeting rooms of some countries, the atmosphere was frozen to the point of absolute zero.

“Their industrial electricity costs are about to plummet, which means our manufacturing industry will completely lose its price competitiveness...”

“We must formulate a response plan as soon as possible, otherwise...”

Silence.

A long silence.

No one dared to speak the words that followed "otherwise."

In the meeting rooms of other countries, the scene was entirely different.

The national leaders who had sent delegations a while ago to rush to Xia Country and pre-coordinate energy export projects were now all beaming, unable to stop smiling.

“Great! Xia Country's grid connection speed is even faster than expected!”

“Our coordination agreement has already signed a letter of intent. When they officially open commercial exports, we will be the first batch of beneficiaries!”

“Back then, some people mocked us for running too fast and having no backbone. And now? Who's laughing now?”

First come, first served.

These four words have always been the simplest and most cruel truth in international games.

Time ticked away second by second under the watchful eyes of the entire world.

Xia Country time, 11:00 PM.

One last hour remained until the midnight grid connection.

On major domestic live-streaming platforms, many streamers directly started "Grid Connection Countdown" special broadcasts.

The density of the bullet comments was so great that the screen was completely obscured.

“It's coming, it's coming! The final hour!”

“Tonight will be a night for the history books!”

“Is anyone like me? Even though I have to wake up early tomorrow to work and I'm tired as hell, I just can't bring myself to sleep?”

“Sleep? Who can sleep! This is the moment to witness the end of an old era and the start of a new one. If you miss it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!”

...

As midnight drew closer, the refresh rate of the bullet comments became faster, and the netizens' emotions grew more excited.

Some sat in front of their computers with instant noodles, some leaned against their headboards wrapped in blankets scrolling through their phones, and some even crawled out of bed specifically to walk to the window and look at the city night view with its thousands of brightly lit homes.

As the time drew nearer and nearer, everyone's hearts rose to their throats.

Countless eyes stared fixedly at the time display in the upper right corner of their screens, watching the second hand jump forward notch by notch.

Finally, the second hand crossed the last mark.

But then—

Nothing happened.

Countless netizens who had stayed up late in front of their screens looked at each other in bewilderment upon seeing this, blinking in unison.

After a brief blank space, the same confusion slowly drifted across the bullet comments—

“Wait... Is that it?”