7: Chapter 7 The First Domino

As Lin Yuan's words fell in the office, the atmosphere in the room changed abruptly.

The teacup Lin Jixian held to his lips froze in mid-air, the steam rising from the rim blurring his expression.

Behind the desk, Chen Jingshan's eyes, hidden behind reading glasses, suddenly narrowed into slits.

Two gazes—one from a confidant at the center of power, the other from a titan of the Xia scientific community—focused on Lin Yuan like two invisible searchlights.

In those gazes was a deeper, more complex scrutiny than before.

Lin Yuan took in their reactions completely, his heart filled with understanding.

He naturally knew the weight of those words.

Within the entire research system of the Xia Kingdom, the "Photolithography Machine project" had long since ceased to be a simple technical term.

It was a "bottomless pit."

A "meat grinder."

Even more so, it was a "desert of honor" where countless top geniuses had met their downfall.

This greedy behemoth, entrenched in the technological heart of the Xia Kingdom, had already devoured massive amounts of funding on the scale of trillions and gathered the finest minds in Xia's optics, precision instruments, and materials science.

And the result?

In the most core EUV light sources and optical lens systems, they remained firmly stuck behind an invisible technical barrier, unable to move an inch.

That place was a graveyard for geniuses, the Waterloo of researchers' careers.

For any sufficiently clever young person—especially a genius promoted so exceptionally by the upper echelons with an infinite future—the most rational and correct course of action would be to keep a respectful distance from this project, treating it like a poisonous snake.

The proper path was to first choose a field with quick results, rapidly producing achievements to solidify the value of being the "youngest in history."

Yet Lin Yuan had charged straight into it.

It defied logic.

It defied the instinct of a "smart person" to seek benefit and avoid harm.

Unless... was he truly so young and reckless that he knew no bounds?

Or perhaps, did he really hold a trump card in his hand that none of them could imagine, one capable of flipping the entire table?

The office was terrifyingly quiet.

Only the hands of the old-fashioned mahogany wall clock marched on stubbornly.

Tick.

Tock.

The sound, beat after beat, struck precisely in time with everyone's heartbeat in the office.

Finally, Chen Jingshan's fingers couldn't help but tap lightly on the smooth red sandalwood desktop.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The dull, rhythmic sound broke the stagnant air, signaling that his thoughts were racing at an unprecedented speed.

Facing this mounting pressure like a gathering storm, Lin Yuan smiled.

There wasn't a hint of guilt in that smile; instead, it carried a yearning and sincerity toward the unknown that was unique to youth.

"Dean Chen, Brother Lin, I know what you're thinking."

He took the initiative to speak, his voice clear and bright, instantly locking their attention.

"The Photolithography Machine project is a tough nut to crack; anyone who tries will break their teeth."

"A green kid like me, with no achievements to my name, picking the hardest one right out of the gate... to outsiders, it looks either laughably stupid or despicably arrogant."

His candid self-deprecation caused Chen Jingshan's tapping to skip a beat, and Lin Jixian's tense shoulders relaxed imperceptibly.

Lin Yuan didn't give them much time to think, his voice suddenly rising with an unstoppable edge:

"But the tougher the nut, the more valuable it is when you finally crack it, isn't it?"

"As a researcher of the Xia Kingdom, if I have the chance to stand in this position, I should go to the place where the country hurts the most and try to pull out the deepest thorn."

These words were inspiring and carried weight.

But for these two figures who had seen many grand scenes, it wasn't enough.

Sentiments and slogans alone weighed little more than a piece of scrap paper.

Chen Jingshan nodded noncommittally but did not relax, maintaining his scrutinizing posture as he waited for Lin Yuan to continue.

He believed that a true genius would never possess only hollow passion.

Lin Yuan was waiting for this exact moment. He immediately changed his tone and continued.

"Of course, passion alone isn't enough."

"The reason I dare to make this request is not just because of fervor, but because..."

He paused, meeting their gazes, and calmly threw out his first carefully prepared lie.

"...on some core theories of the Photolithography Machine, I personally have already achieved a small measure of success."

"It is precisely because of this lucky breakthrough that I have the honor of being here."

The second his words fell, Lin Yuan's intent shifted quietly in the depths of his mind.

[lie-to-truth system activated]

[Locking onto current lie... Lock successful!]

[Lie content: Achieved results in the core theories of the Photolithography Machine.]

[Lie level determination: Level 2 (Involves cutting-edge scientific theory, but does not involve physical material transformation)]

[Current Confidence Level: 0%]

[Host, please work hard to make more people believe your lie!]

A series of system prompts flashed through Lin Yuan's mind, while in the real world, only a split second had passed.

When Chen Jingshan and Lin Jixian heard the latter half of Lin Yuan's sentence, their pupils both constricted simultaneously!

Then, they subconsciously exchanged a glance.

In each other's eyes, they saw a flash of realization that said, "So that's it!"

Lin Yuan's explanation was like a key, instantly unlocking the biggest doubt in their hearts—

Why would Elder Long treat an undergraduate who hadn't even graduated with such exceptional regard?

Privilege was not nonexistent in the Xia Kingdom.

But at Elder Long's level, any unconventional exception inevitably had deep significance and considerations far beyond ordinary imagination.

If Lin Yuan had truly shown extraordinary talent in the "dead knot" of the Photolithography Machine—even if it was just a theoretical spark—it would be enough to alarm the higher-ups.

For that one-in-ten-thousand chance of success, never mind exceptionally promoting a special researcher, it would be worth pouring in even more resources!

The logic held up.

Except...

Achieving results in Photolithography Machine theory?

A twenty-year-old undergraduate?

This fact itself was ten thousand times more fantastical than him being exceptionally promoted as the youngest researcher in the history of the Xia Academy of Sciences!

To believe, or not to believe?

Reason screamed "impossible."

But Lin Yuan's candid gaze, along with the indirect confirmation from Elder Long's irrational behavior, forced them to consider that minuscule possibility.

The thoughts of belief and disbelief clashed fiercely within the two big shots.

At that moment, in Lin Yuan's mind, the illusory progress bar representing the confidence level lit up silently!

Then, it began to rise slowly!

[Current total confidence level: 0.1%... 0.5%... 1%!]

It worked!

Seeing this, Lin Yuan felt a surge of wild joy inside, but his face remained calm and composed, as if everything was within his grasp.

He knew very well.

Of this massive lie that was about to sweep the world, the first domino...

...had been personally toppled by him!