252: Chapter 252 Assembly complete!

Countless netizens waiting in front of their screens looked at each other in bewilderment.

There was no dramatic footage of a city-wide blackout followed by a restart, no visual impact of lights suddenly brightening after a countdown reached zero, and not a single lamp flickered even once.

The air conditioners at home were still blowing, the refrigerators were still humming, and the livestream on computer screens remained smooth.

Everything was as usual.

It was as if... nothing had happened.

The entire populace fell into a brief state of confusion.

Just as everyone was bewildered, thinking the grid integration had been delayed...

A push notification popped up simultaneously across all major news apps.

The headline was brief, yet carried the weight of a thousand tons—

“Smooth Switch of the National Power Grid Complete; Full Integration of Controlled Nuclear Fusion a Total Success!”

The second they saw this news, everyone was stunned for a moment.

Then, it dawned on them.

A smooth switch.

A seamless transition.

No fluctuations, no perception of change.

The fossil fuels of the old era quietly exited the stage at the stroke of midnight, and in that same second, the infinite energy of the new era perfectly took over the lives of 1.4 billion people.

The entire process was as silent as a gentle spring rain.

This is what a true instrument of a great power should look like!

It wasn't some grand explosion like in a sci-fi movie, but a silent yet unstoppable change of historical eras.

Within three seconds, the tone of the bullet chat underwent a 180-degree shift.

“I get it! The fact that nothing happened is the most badass thing that could have happened!”

“Holy crap! It's already switched? I was wondering why the lightbulbs in my house seemed brighter than before!”

“Not just brighter, my phone is charging faster too! Is this the power of nuclear fusion? It's got some real kick!”

“Brothers, I just took a sip of freshly boiled water and it tastes like pure infinite energy. I’m ready to save the world!”

“The guy above me, that's just you burning your mouth!”

Across the entire internet, countless people laughed and joked, celebrating this night destined for the history books in the most down-to-earth ways.

The new era quietly raised its curtain amidst a wave of laughter.

...

The next morning.

As the sun rose as usual, a notice from the relevant departments appeared on everyone's phone screens right on time.

“National Residential and Industrial Electricity Tiered Adjustment Plan.”

There was no long-winded buildup or indirect officialese.

The core data was even highlighted in bold red:

“Residential Electricity: Within a monthly basic quota of 200 kWh, it is completely free. Any excess will be charged at a flat rate of 0.05 yuan/kWh.”

“Industrial Electricity: Peak and off-peak differences are eliminated; the rate is adjusted to a flat 0.1 yuan/kWh.”

Two lines of numbers.

Like two depth charges, they slammed into the eyes of 1.4 billion people.

“Holy shit, 200 units for free?! My house only uses a bit over a hundred units a month! Does this mean my electricity bill is basically zero from now on?!”

“Five cents a unit for the excess... five cents... I can't even buy a popsicle for five cents!”

“It’s not completely free, but what’s the difference?! The country is giving us everything but the kitchen sink!”

“Maintaining the grid costs money too, brothers. Charging a symbolic amount is completely reasonable. I'm totally sold!”

“Tonight I’m leaving every appliance in the house on! AC at sixteen degrees, electric heater on full blast—I’m wearing short sleeves and eating ice cream inside!”

“Tonight isn't the first of next month yet, big brother! If you turn them on now, it's still the old price!”

“...Then I’ll hold back for a few more days!”

The entire internet was jubilant.

No one complained; no one nitpicked.

Everyone knew that the 200-unit free quota already covered the daily electricity needs of the vast majority of ordinary families.

And compared to the cheers of the general public, the reaction from major industrial parks across the country was ten times more insane.

Industrial electricity at 0.1 yuan/kWh.

What did this number mean?

The industrial electricity prices that used to be sixty or seventy cents or even higher were slashed by over eighty percent!

Countless manufacturing bosses stared at this number, their hands trembling.

Energy costs are one of the largest fixed expenses in manufacturing.

Now, this cost had essentially collapsed.

Profit margins were infinitely expanded.

In the work groups of major enterprises, digital red envelopes were raining down as if they cost nothing.

“Listen up, everyone! Once New Year's Day is over, we expand production across the board!”

“I’ve already listed the equipment procurement list. HR, get ready to hire!”

...

And this was only the beginning.

Following closely behind the electricity prices, the price reduction plans from the telecommunications, water, and Ministry of Transport departments were thrown out like a series of bombs.

First, the three major carriers jointly released an announcement: communication fees were adjusted to a flat 15 yuan/month nationwide.

Unlimited data.

Unlimited talk time.

The second they saw this number, countless people thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. After rubbing their eyes and looking again to confirm they hadn't misread, netizens were overjoyed.

While the whole nation was celebrating, someone went to Lin Yuan's account to leave a comment.

“Academician Lin! The signal in our residential area is really bad. Now that data is unlimited, can you think of a way to improve the signal?”

Beneath this comment, thousands of replies filled with a cheerful atmosphere quickly flooded in.

“Yo, brother, looking at your IP address, isn't your neighborhood the one that made a fuss about tearing down the base station before?”

“Hahaha! Radiation is inversely proportional to IQ. Now you know what 'pain' means, right?”

“You were so high and mighty when you drove the construction team away. Now that your signal is bad, you come to beg God Lin?”

“I suggest special pricing for this kind of neighborhood. They don't deserve the fifteen-yuan package. Make them pay extra!”

Immediately after, price reduction plans for tap water, high-speed rail tickets, subways, buses, and other public transportation were announced, with prices cut by at least fifty percent.

One item after another, one cut after another.

Every cut accurately hit the most painful parts of the public's daily expenses.

Countless migrant workers preparing to head home for the Spring Festival looked at the high-speed rail tickets that were more than half off and couldn't stop smiling.

Throughout the New Year's Day period, Xia Country was immersed in an unprecedented carnival.

“This year is truly going to be a good New Year!”

This sentence echoed at every family's dinner table, from south to north, and east to west.

However...

Human joys and sorrows are not shared. In stark contrast to the nationwide jubilation of Xia Country was the financial center The Other Side of the Ocean.

The moment the opening bell rang, everyone's expressions changed.

The energy sector collapsed as soon as the market opened.

The traditional manufacturing sector flash-crashed to their limit-down prices.

A screen full of miserable green numbers poured down like a waterfall. They had been stuck at the limit-down floor for several consecutive days, with no sign of the decline stopping.

The news of the plummeting industrial electricity prices in Xia Country was like a nuclear bomb dropped into the global capital markets.

The high-level officials and capital tycoons The Other Side of the Ocean looked at the screen full of miserable green data, looking as if they were mourning their own parents.

But the turbulent winds and clouds outside didn't affect the rhythm inside Xia Country's Xishan Base in the slightest.

That afternoon.

Inside the heavy preparation workshop.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the very center of the workshop.

There sat a steel behemoth, its entire body white with lines so sharp they were extreme.

It crouched there quietly, yet it exuded a terrifying sense of pressure that seemed capable of tearing through the heavens at any moment.

“Academician Lin!”

Shen Changhe, wearing a hard hat and clutching a thick test report in his hand, walked toward Lin Yuan with long strides.

This chief engineer, who was over fifty years old, was currently trembling all over with excitement, his eyes rimmed with red.

His voice was completely hoarse from extreme exhilaration.

“The first ‘Mysterious Maiden’ Aerospace Fighter...”

“Assembly complete!”