50: Chapter 50 You call this Qidian?

This jump came suddenly.

It leapt directly from 16.3% to 20.3%; this magnitude far exceeded any previous slow climb.

Lin Yuan's heart stirred, a thought flashing through his mind, yet his face remained as calm and composed as still water.

The number on the progress bar continued to climb at an extremely faint pace, but that instantaneous surge had been clear enough.

As for the reason… Lin Yuan already had a rough answer in his heart.

But now was not the time to delve into that.

The press conference was still ongoing.

Before the commotion in the press section below the stage had subsided, Chen Jingshan had already pulled the microphone toward himself unhurriedly.

"Regarding the timeline Chief Engineer Lin just mentioned, I would like to add a few words."

As soon as his voice rang out, the buzzing press conference hall quickly quieted down by a third.

"This six-month goal was not a spur-of-the-moment idea from Chief Engineer Lin today, nor was it to grab attention at the press conference."

Chen Jingshan tapped his finger on the table—not too lightly, not too heavily—yet it made everyone's heart skip a beat.

"This is the overall planning cycle jointly formulated by the technical team and management after repeated verification and multiple rounds of deduction at the very beginning of the special task force's establishment."

He turned his head to look at Lin Yuan, his eyes filled with appreciation, then turned back to face the audience.

"Since Chief Engineer Lin has announced this timetable in front of the whole world today, as the general head of the special task force, my attitude is very clear—"

He moved his hand away from the microphone and placed it on the table, palm down, pressing firmly.

"Full support, without any compromises!"

These eight words were spat out from Chen Jingshan's mouth, every syllable landing with solid weight.

In the press section below, the sound of shutters became as dense as rain again.

Immediately after, the host signaled that expert representatives could make supplementary remarks.

Wei Jiancheng was the first to pick up the microphone. His face, slightly haggard from days of staying up late, was now full of energy.

"I am Wei Jiancheng, the person in charge of the Light Source Task Force."

He cleared his throat, his voice so resonant it could have blown the roof off.

"Regarding the six-month timeline, I only want to say that from the official establishment of the special task force to today, all things considered, it has only been a little over half a month."

He raised a finger and tapped it heavily in the air. "A little over half a month!"

"We have already produced the phased results for the three major core components."

"In the past, I wouldn't have dared to dream of this speed."

"But it has happened, truly and solidly."

He turned his head, his burning gaze sweeping over Lin Yuan, then turned back to face the camera.

"Why could it be so fast?"

"Because Chief Engineer Lin pointed us toward an unprecedented path, and the direction of this path is correct, and it is far wider than we imagined."

"Following this momentum, I personally have confidence in the six-month timeline."

After finishing, Wei Jiancheng set the microphone down heavily on the table with a dull thud.

He Yicheng followed closely behind, pulling the microphone toward himself in a measured manner.

"I am He Yicheng, the person in charge of the Objective Lens Task Force."

He had no superfluous embellishments, getting straight to the point.

"I have been involved in precision optics for over thirty years and have seen too many technical routes fail during the engineering stage, so I was also skeptical about the 'six-month' figure at first."

As soon as this sentence was spoken, many reporters below subconsciously straightened their backs, sensing something unusual.

"But after working with Chief Engineer Lin during this period, I have to admit a fact."

He Yicheng paused, his tone solemn.

"His technical accumulation in the field of Photolithography Machine is deeper than the vast majority of peers I have met—not just a little deeper, but much deeper."

His words were restrained, but coming from him, they carried the weight of Mount Tai.

Subsequently, several other experts took turns making supplementary remarks.

Each person's speech was not long, but the weight of their words was something the reporters present could measure.

These were not empty slogans; these were top scientists who had been deeply cultivating their respective fields for decades, using their professional reputations to endorse a twenty-year-old young man.

Inside the press conference hall, those faces that had been hesitant before began to show subtle loosening.

Deep within Lin Yuan's consciousness, the frequency of that progress bar's jumping quietly accelerated.

[ confidence: 20.3% ... 20.6% ... 20.9% ... 21.2% ... ]

The effect of authoritative endorsement was immediate.

The progress bar was still rising. Lin Yuan ignored the numbers that were still climbing and brought his attention back to the scene.

At this moment, another reporter below raised her hand to ask a question.

It was a young female reporter; looking at the media badge on her chest, she was from a leading domestic technology media outlet.

"Hello, Chief Engineer Lin. I have a question that many viewers are very curious about."

"You are only twenty years old this year and still a university student, but the technical attainments you have displayed in the field of Photolithography Machine have already received extremely high praise from the many top scientists present."

"May I ask, how did you achieve this?"

As soon as this question was asked, the atmosphere in the press hall tightened a notch.

Lin Yuan picked up the microphone, not rushing to answer.

He lowered his eyes, his fingers gently stroking the metal casing of the microphone, and then he looked up and smiled.

"How did I achieve this?" He repeated the question, as if seriously considering his wording.

"Perhaps… my talent is just a tiny bit higher than the average person's."

As he spoke, he held out his right thumb and index finger, indicating an extremely tiny gap.

"Many things, I just understood them as I watched, and grasped them as I researched."

"Sometimes when I look back myself, I also feel… it's quite incredible."

This sentence was said extremely understatedly.

Talent a little bit higher? Learned it just by studying?

This ultimate humble-brag, through the camera, precisely struck the whole world.

"A little bit higher? It should be 'a billion bit' higher!"

"Help, I could watch this kind of humble-brag from Chief Engineer Lin forever!"

"Others learn it as they study, why do I fail my advanced mathematics exams as I study?"

A burst of suppressed laughter also rang out at the scene.

Even Chen Jingshan on the podium couldn't help but shake his head, the curve of his mouth impossible to hide.

But, just when everyone thought this was just a lighthearted closing anecdote, Lin Yuan's next sentence made all the laughter come to an abrupt stop.

"But to be honest."

He moved his hand away from the microphone, placed it back on the table, and naturally interlaced his fingers.

"The Photolithography Machine, in everyone's view, might already be a remarkable peak achievement."

He paused and scanned the room.

"But in my plan, it is actually just a starting point."

The air in the press hall froze for a moment.

"A… starting point?"

A reporter in the front row subconsciously muttered, repeating it.

Lin Yuan did not explain, just continued speaking.

"This is also why I plan to build the Photolithography Machine within half a year."

"Because I don't want to spend too much time on a starting point."

"There are still many things to do later, and many fields to break through."

"The road after the Photolithography Machine is much longer, and much more exciting, than the Photolithography Machine itself."