44: Chapter 44 Comprehensive Technological Breakthrough

The three-day countdown in Research Building No. 7 turned into a frantic, around-the-clock sprint.

The day before the press conference.

It was a sunny morning, yet inside the third-floor laboratory of Research Building No. 7, the curtains were drawn tight, and the air was thick with an atmosphere of intertwined tension and fanaticism.

"Finally... we succeeded!"

A hoarse, cracking roar erupted from the Objective Lens Group laboratory.

Immediately after, the entire laboratory exploded like a lit powder keg.

"It's done! It's really done!"

"Quick, look! Look at the microstructure diagram on the big screen! This curvature, this precision... My god, it's absolutely perfect!"

A researcher with dark circles under his eyes threw his data pad onto the floor in excitement.

He turned around, hugged his colleague tightly, and jumped up and down without any regard for his image.

He Yicheng stood frozen, as if under a paralysis spell.

His gaze was locked onto the screen, staring at the microstructure diagram—a work of art rendered by the ultra-high-magnification electron microscope.

This was it, the metalens microstructure unit prototype!

After days and nights of continuous work and countless burnt-out brain cells, they had finally earned this moment that would change the history of semiconductors for the Xia Academy of Sciences and even humanity!

Yet in this silent race, they weren't even the first to cross the finish line.

Just yesterday afternoon, news of victory had already come from the Automation Control Group.

That ever-defiant Yang Lin, leading his team, had successfully completed the first joint debugging of the magnetic levitation single-degree-of-freedom static levitation and the atomic interferometer static positioning after countless failures!

Determined not to be the only team absent from this feast, the men of the Objective Lens Group had pushed themselves to the limit, managing to deliver this weighty result on the eve of the press conference.

With this, combined with the Light Source System that had already achieved a breakthrough and was undergoing miniaturized integration.

All three core components of the Photolithography Machine had produced substantial, milestone-level results!

This meant that the revolutionary new technological route proposed by Lin Yuan had officially moved from ethereal theory onto the broad road to reality!

Outside the crowd's celebration, Lin Yuan stood alone beside an idle cabinet.

With his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his lab coat, he watched the scientists laughing and crying, a faint smile of "all according to plan" appearing on his face.

Pressure really is humanity's most perfect catalyst.

According to his previous estimates, it would normally take another week of repeated refinement for the Objective Lens and the workpiece stage to produce phased results.

But now, under the bloody whip of the "global press conference," these red-eyed scientists had managed to compress it into just three days.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuan's smile deepened.

...

Just as the Objective Lens Group's laboratory was still immersed in jubilation, the elevator door at the end of the corridor opened with a "ding."

Chen Jingshan and Lin Jixian walked out quickly, side by side.

From far away, the two heard the irrepressible cheers coming from the laboratory.

Chen Jingshan paused, the lines on his steady face instantly smoothing out.

He glanced at Lin Jixian beside him, unable to suppress the corner of his mouth from curling up.

"Judging by the noise, it seems we've arrived just in time."

Lin Jixian's face also betrayed uncontrollable ecstasy.

"Could it be... the Objective Lens Group succeeded too?"

The two quickened their pace into the laboratory, immediately seeing the microstructure diagram projected on the big screen and the researchers cheering and jumping in front of it.

"Dean Chen!"

He Yicheng was the first to react and hurried forward, his weary, aged face filled with irrepressible excitement.

"We have successfully prototyped the metalens microstructure unit!"

"Good!"

Chen Jingshan nodded heavily, reached out to take He Yicheng's hand, and shook it vigorously twice.

"Old He, you've worked hard!"

He let go, turned to face everyone in the laboratory, and raised his voice.

"Everyone!"

The noisy laboratory quickly quieted down, and pairs of bloodshot eyes converged on him.

"The Light Source Group crossed the finish line first, the Workpiece Stage Group followed closely behind, and now the Objective Lens Group has also handed in their results!"

"All three major components have yielded results!"

"You have not let down the country's trust, nor have you failed the people's expectations!"

When these words fell, the eyes of many researchers turned red on the spot.

Standing behind Chen Jingshan, Lin Jixian looked at the microstructure diagram on the big screen and at these researchers trembling with excitement, his own chest burning with emotion.

Is the Xia Country's Photolithography Machine really about to get on the right track?

He also completely understood why Elder Long valued Lin Yuan so highly.

After encouraging everyone, Chen Jingshan's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Lin Yuan, who was standing in the corner.

He walked over, patted Lin Yuan on the shoulder, lowered his voice, and spoke with undisguised amazement.

"I originally intended to coordinate the details of tomorrow's press conference with you."

"I didn't expect you to give me another massive surprise."

Lin Yuan smiled, speaking with nonchalance.

"It was just a coincidence."

Chen Jingshan glanced at him, clearly seeing through it.

This was no coincidence.

This was clearly calculated to perfection.

Lin Jixian also crowded over, his excitement undisguised.

"Brother Lin, the specifications for tomorrow's press conference have been finalized by the higher-ups—it's the highest level!"

He extended a finger and pointed upwards.

"Simultaneous global broadcast, full-channel push across all domestic media matrices, and the major overseas news agencies and financial media have all dispatched their top-tier reporter teams."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over all the researchers in the laboratory, his voice clearly reaching everyone.

"Seniors, everyone has worked hard these past few days."

"Go back tonight, get a good sleep, and recharge your energy."

A meaningful arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Tomorrow, we will go together to put on a good show for the whole world."

...

The next day, 9:00 AM.

Xia Country, National News Center, Press Hall No. 1.

There was exactly one hour left until the press conference officially began.

However, the tiered press hall, which could accommodate nearly a thousand people, was already packed.

Hundreds of media reporters from all over the world had packed the place to the brim.

Cameras with long and short lenses set up a dense, impenetrable forest of steel inside the venue.

"Quick, check the broadcast lines again! There absolutely cannot be any errors!"

"Lighting team, pay attention, brighten the fill light for Camera 3!"

The shouts of the on-site staff, mixed with the buzzing of reporters from various countries talking to each other, caused the atmosphere in the entire press hall to heat up continuously amidst a strange mix of anxiety and anticipation.

Everyone understood that today, this place would be the sole focus of the world.

Time ticked by, second by second.

The atmosphere in the press hall became increasingly heavy, leaving only the sound of suppressed breathing.

Finally, when the clock's hands pointed to 9:59.

On the side of the press hall, the thick, closed wooden door slowly opened to both sides with a slight mechanical sound.

"They're here!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

"Click! Click! Click! Click—"

In an instant, the entire press hall was completely submerged in a sea of white flashes!

The sound of hundreds of camera shutters converged into a deafening torrent, crazily assaulting everyone's eardrums.

At the center of the storm, under the gaze of thousands, a few figures walked out from behind the door with steady, composed strides.

Leading them was the Dean of the Xia Academy of Sciences, Chen Jingshan.

Countless lenses were locked tightly onto him.

However, the next second, countless people's pupils suddenly contracted!

Because, behind Chen Jingshan, an extremely young figure was following slowly and unhurriedly.

That person was—

Lin Yuan!?