Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 38：The Liar

The Northern Controlled Fusion Reactor Base!
In the usually bustling laboratory, there was not a soul to be found at this moment.
At the center of the lab stood an elliptical sphere, 3 meters tall and 5 meters wide, its surface a gleaming silver-white. Beneath it was a circular base, and from its appearance, it resembled a lotus bud on the verge of blooming.
Through an observation port on one side, one could peer inside, where a complex array of wires and components were arranged in intricate patterns.
As the gaze followed these wires deeper into the core, a series of concentric yellow metallic rings came into view—these were the core materials of the Tokamak device. Their primary function was to generate an immense magnetic force, to confine the nuclear fusion at the center.
Deeper still, within the heart of the device, was a small, circular space, measuring just 1 meter by 1 meter in diameter.
At the center of this space floated a transparent sphere, intermittently emitting irregular electric currents, as if constrained by an invisible force field, floating steadily in the center of the circle.
This mysterious elliptical sphere was, in fact, the modified Tokamak device designed by Jiang Fan!
In the control room, Jiang Fan sat before the main console, flanked by six research staff members at their individual control panels. Meanwhile, Zhou Huaide and the other researchers watched the screens intently.
Each of them wore an expression of tension and seriousness. They all knew that the success or failure of this experiment would determine the fate of the Northern Base!
If the ignition failed, their decade-long research on controlled nuclear fusion would be put on hold, and all the researchers would be reassigned to other projects!
In the silence of the control room, Jiang Fan's voice rang out with unwavering determination.
"Activate external device power!"
"External device power activated!"
A researcher responded with equal resolve.
Then, a light ring appeared on the Tokamak device, accompanied by a low hum.
Jiang Fan issued the second command:
"Activate primary magnetic ring confinement!"
"Roger!"
"Primary magnetic ring confinement activated!"
Golden light radiated from within the Tokamak.
"Report data!"
"1500 RPM! Power stable!"
"Activate secondary magnetic ring confinement!"
"Roger, secondary magnetic ring confinement activated!"
"Report data!"
"3000 RPM, power stable!"
"..."
With each command issued by Jiang Fan, the yellow light of the Tokamak grew more intense, casting a golden hue across the entire laboratory.
The live feed from the Northern Base was being transmitted via video to the conference room at the Kyoto Scientific Research Bureau.
At that moment, the leader and the other attendees were engaged in a light-hearted conversation.
"Leader, the Northern Base is about to begin the ignition phase!" a staff member reminded him.
"Understood, switch to multi-screen view!"
"Roger!"
The staff member dimmed the lights in the conference room and switched to a multi-screen display on the projector.
This allowed them to monitor the Tokamak device from multiple angles.
On the screens, the Tokamak was fully powered and ready for ignition.
The leader had watched this video countless times over the past ten years, but each time, the result had been failure.
Fusion had never stabilized for more than a second. As he looked at the screen now, his mind instinctively imagined another failure.
For many of the people in the room, it was the first time they had seen the Tokamak device. Upon seeing its sleek, futuristic design, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"So this is the Tokamak device for controlled nuclear fusion. Quite a good design!"
"What use is a nice design if it lacks practicality? It's all show with no substance!"
"Just look at the over 30 billion invested by the country. If this money had been spent on solar energy research, we'd be leading the world in solar technology!"
Professor Li's comment was met with nods of agreement from the others.
"Well, we only have five minutes, so let's enjoy the moment!"
"Ha ha..."
Laughter rippled through the room.
On the projector screen, one of the views was from the Northern Base's control room, with Jiang Fan and the team clearly visible.
Zhou Huaide spoke over the comms to the leader.
"Report, leader, the ignition experiment for controlled fusion at the Northern Base is ready. Please give instructions!"
Upon hearing this, the leader casually spoke into the microphone.
"Proceed with ignition."
"Understood!"
Zhou Huaide nodded at Jiang Fan, signaling the team to begin.
All eyes in the control room were fixed on Jiang Fan, their expressions tense.
"Laser ignition preparation!"
"Laser ignition ready, standing by!"
Jiang Fan took a deep breath, feeling sweat bead on his palms as he clenched his fists. With a low voice, he called out,
"Ignition countdown..."
"3"
"2"
"1"
"Ignite!"
With the command issued, everyone held their breath, their hearts racing with anticipation.
"Click!"
The sound of the button being pressed was followed by a collective tightening of their breath. They silently prayed,
"Success!"
"Success!"
"It has to succeed!"
Their eyes were locked on the screen, watching for any sign of fusion within the Tokamak.
However, as the seconds ticked by, the Tokamak showed no signs of change.
After 10 long seconds, Jiang Fan's heart sank as a troubling thought flashed through his mind.
Had something gone wrong with the Tokamak?
But he had triple-checked everything before ignition, ensuring that all systems were in order. He had even personally confirmed the settings with Zhou Huaide before reporting to the leader.
Yet, here they were, facing an unexpected outcome.
Zhou Huaide, too, became visibly anxious, his voice trembling.
"Jiang Chief Engineer, is there... is there a problem?"
All the researchers in the room looked at Jiang Fan with frantic eyes.
Jiang Fan, too, was beginning to panic. He had followed the system's designs meticulously. There should have been no room for error.
At the Kyoto Scientific Research Bureau's conference room, the attendees were confused. They had been told ignition was about to take place. Why was there no reaction?
Even if it had failed, the Tokamak should have shown some signs of fusion, right?
"Leader, what's going on?"
"What else? It's a failure!"
"More than 30 billion invested, over 100 researchers, ten years of work, all for this?"
The leader's face darkened. While previous ignition experiments had failed, at least there had been some measurable reaction, with temperatures reaching up to 100 million degrees Celsius.
But today, there had been no reaction at all.
Was this an embarrassment in front of so many people?
The leader, enraged, picked up the microphone and scolded Zhou Huaide.
"Zhou Huaide, is this the result of your month's work? You boast about finding an expert in controlled nuclear fusion, claiming you'll achieve it within a year. I think he's just a fraud..."

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