Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 24：Meeting

After Long Lao and Qiao Lao returned from Lingzhou City, they made their way to the conference hall of the research institute.
When the group of experts and professors saw the two of them enter, their faces were filled with admiration, and they all stood up to greet them.
The achievements that Long Lao and Qiao Lao had attained in the field of scientific research in Longguo were unparalleled, and their stature in the global scientific community was undeniable.
Many researchers aspired to emulate them, making them lifelong role models.
After Long Lao and Qiao Lao gestured for everyone to sit down, they too took their seats.
Soon, Dean Li handed them both a confidentiality agreement and some data.
Though they were more familiar with the details of the controlled nuclear fusion data than anyone else in the room, the formalities still had to be observed.
Several individuals glanced at Long Lao and Qiao Lao, whispering among themselves.
"Do you think the data on controlled nuclear fusion was developed by Long Lao or Qiao Lao?"
"Now that you mention it, it's entirely possible. Who else in the whole of Longguo has reached their level of expertise?"
"Especially Long Lao—his work with nanomaterials and rocket fuel is unparalleled. I think he may very well be the one behind this breakthrough in controlled nuclear fusion!"
"Long Lao is truly remarkable! I'd be content if I could just match half of his technical prowess one day."
"Keep working hard. We still have a chance!"
As the experts continued to speculate, Dean Li stood and addressed the group.
"Everyone, now that we are all here, let's move on to the main agenda for today's meeting."
"I believe there are many aspects of this controlled nuclear fusion data that you still find unclear. So, without further ado, let us invite the creator of this data to give a presentation!"
The moment Dean Li finished speaking, all eyes turned to Long Lao and Qiao Lao, and the room erupted into applause.
But to their surprise, neither Long Lao nor Qiao Lao seemed to have any intention of standing up.
At first, the applause grew louder, but just then, the door to the conference room opened.
A young man, looking no older than a high school student, walked in. The crowd was momentarily stunned—this was a national-level confidential meeting. How could anyone just walk in unannounced?
The applause tapered off, and everyone's eyes turned toward the young man.
As he approached the podium, no one attempted to stop him or usher him out, which only made the situation even more perplexing.
A shocking thought suddenly crossed their minds: Could this young man really be the one who created the controlled nuclear fusion data?
However, they quickly dismissed the idea.
No way!
This was simply impossible!
The young man could not have been older than 18 or 19.
How could someone of such a young age have possibly developed controlled nuclear fusion?
Everyone knew that a scientist was still in the learning phase until around the age of 28. It was simply unthinkable that anyone under that age could have achieved something so monumental.
The real "golden age" for scientists was between 28 and 35, when energy, experience, and sharp thinking all came together to enable groundbreaking research.
Of course, this was not an absolute rule, but it was the general trend.
While everyone was still trying to process this unusual situation, Dean Li addressed the group once more.
"Allow me to introduce to you all, this is Jiang Fan, the creator of the data you are looking at!"
"What... What? This controlled nuclear fusion data was really created by him?"
"How... How is that possible?"
"How old is he?"
The room was filled with shock and disbelief as everyone stared at Jiang Fan. Long Lao and Qiao Lao exchanged pleased glances at the reactions of the others, unable to suppress their smiles.
When they had first seen Jiang Fan's profile, they had been equally astonished. Though they had mentally prepared themselves, seeing him in person—so young—was still hard to accept.
They hadn't expected someone of such youth to stand before them.
It was truly unbelievable that an 18-year-old had made such a revolutionary breakthrough.
Dean Li observed the stunned expressions of the experts and continued,
"The world is changing rapidly, and we can no longer view young people with the same outdated perspective."
"To see someone so young achieve such extraordinary scientific feats should be a cause for celebration and pride."
"It signifies that Longguo will grow even stronger under the hands of the younger generation..."
Dean Li's words were met with resounding applause.
Yes!
To have someone so young achieve controlled nuclear fusion meant that their future accomplishments would be immeasurable. As senior researchers, they should feel proud.
After seeing the group accept Jiang Fan, Dean Li whispered to him,
"Jiang Fan, it's your turn to speak."
Jiang Fan nodded and stood up.
"Thank you all for your encouragement," he began.
"Today, I will present to you the theoretical principles behind the equations and the future implementation plan for controlled nuclear fusion."
"First, let me explain the plasma equations that are crucial to the study of controlled nuclear fusion.
Plasma plays an essential role in this process.
The reason is simple: once the temperature is high enough, electrons are stripped from atoms, and the fourth state of matter emerges..."
Jiang Fan went on for nearly two hours, explaining everything in great detail.
Initially, some of the experts had doubts, but they were soon swept away by the clarity and depth of his explanations.
Jiang Fan addressed even the most complicated formulas, breaking them down in such a way that everyone could understand.
This left the experts feeling incredibly confident about the future of controlled nuclear fusion.
They were convinced that, under Jiang Fan's leadership, the technology would be realized within 20 years.
Perhaps, in their lifetime, they would even witness Jiang Fan's success.
If that happened, Longguo would undergo profound change, and the global balance of power would shift because of Jiang Fan.
Longguo would no longer be suppressed by the United States!
The thought of it made every expert and professor in the room excited, eager for the future to arrive.
But they all knew that despite Jiang Fan's convincing theories, the practical challenges ahead would still be many.
Nonetheless, with Jiang Fan's guidance, developing controlled nuclear fusion was only a matter of time.
When Jiang Fan finished, the room erupted into thunderous applause!
"Are there any other questions?"
At that moment, an expert stood up and asked the question on everyone's mind,
"According to your plan, how long will it take to realize controlled nuclear fusion?"

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