Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 108：Not Qualified

At the temporary review office of Longkan at Longke University:

After Jiang Fan had just finished reviewing a few submissions, Cheng Shu, the head of Longkan, arrived at the office, surrounded by a group of esteemed professors and experts.

The staff members who were reviewing papers were momentarily stunned by the sudden influx of people. As Dragon Lao noticed the unexpected crowd, he stood up, ready to usher everyone out to avoid disturbing the ongoing work. However, before he could act, Cheng Shu firmly grasped Jiang Fan's hand, apologizing profusely.

"Chief Editor Jiang, I sincerely apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Cheng, it's nothing," Jiang Fan replied calmly.

To be honest, Jiang Fan wasn't upset by Cheng Shu having his SCI paper re-reviewed. After all, this was the inaugural issue of Longkan, and it was understandable for the head of the journal to be cautious.

Seeing that Jiang Fan wasn't angry, Cheng Shu breathed a sigh of relief and went on to apologize to both Dragon Lao and Qiao Lao.

"Cheng, this is the review office. What are all these people doing here?" Dragon Lao asked.

"They've read Jiang Fan's SCI papers and are in awe of his work, so they wanted to meet him in person," Cheng Shu explained, before turning to the group of professors.

"Everyone, the authors of these two SCI papers are none other than our Longkan Chief Editor, Jiang Fan!"

Upon hearing Cheng Shu's introduction, the professors were astounded.

"Wait, what? This young man... he can't be more than twenty!" they thought, though they could tell that anyone who could write such profound papers must possess a vast amount of knowledge.

When they first arrived, they had thought they would meet one of the hidden academic giants of Longke University, someone returning to support Longkan. But upon seeing the youthful Jiang Fan, they exchanged glances, wondering if Cheng Shu was playing a prank on them.

However, once they learned that this young Jiang Fan was indeed the Chief Editor of Longkan, they quickly accepted the truth. They all understood that the success or failure of Longkan would directly impact Longguo's academic standing on the international stage. The country would not take this lightly.

It took them a moment to process everything before they finally greeted Jiang Fan, who responded with kindness and respect to each of the professors.

"Chief Editor Jiang, truly a prodigy of youth! Who would've thought such depth could be captured by someone so young!"

"Yes, indeed! These two SCI papers can undoubtedly surpass some of the most renowned international journals."

"Looks like Longkan will surely carve out a place for itself on the global stage, proving all those who underestimate us wrong!"

The praises poured in from all sides, making Jiang Fan feel slightly embarrassed. Meanwhile, Dragon Lao was inwardly pleased—though the compliments weren't directed at him, Jiang Fan was, after all, his student.

Qiao Lao also watched with envy. Some of the professors even expressed interest in joining Jiang Fan's review team, but Dragon Lao promptly declined.

"Firstly, this temporary review office doesn't have enough space for so many people," Dragon Lao explained. "Secondly, the experts reviewing for Longkan are hand-picked by the country, so not just anyone can join."

When one of the experts tried to protest, a colleague discreetly gave him a nudge. Realizing their position, he fell silent. After all, those reviewing the papers were the nation's top talents, far beyond their own reach.

The group continued to chat for a while before tactfully departing.

The next day, as Jiang Fan was reviewing more papers in the office, a staff member came in and informed him that there were people waiting for him outside. Curious about who it might be, Jiang Fan excused himself and stepped out. He was greeted by two middle-aged men in their fifties, whom he didn't recognize.

However, upon seeing Jiang Fan, the two men rushed forward with excitement, cautiously asking, "Are you Chief Editor Jiang Fan?"

"I am," Jiang Fan replied.

The two had prepared themselves mentally for this meeting, but they were still shocked by Jiang Fan's youth. They introduced themselves with eager smiles:

"Hello, I am Zhang Shaohua from Fudan University."

"And I am Wang Deshun from Nankai University," said the other.

It was clear that these were the two professors from the academic group. Jiang Fan, bewildered by their enthusiasm, asked, "What can I do for you?"

Zhang Shaohua, barely containing his excitement, responded, "A few days ago, I submitted a paper, and you rejected it, but you pointed out the issues. I stayed up for an entire day and night revising it, and I've brought it back for your review."

Jiang Fan finally understood: these were the authors of the rejected SCI papers. "There's no need to go through all this trouble. You can submit directly through the website," he said.

Wang Deshun chuckled warmly, "Chief Editor Jiang, submission is just one aspect. What really matters is that we wanted to meet you in person."

Their admiration for Jiang Fan was genuine; it wasn't mere flattery. They had traveled from far away, flying across the country to Longke University just for the chance to meet him.

Not one to excel in such social exchanges, Jiang Fan quickly replied, "Let me take a look at your SCI paper then."

Zhang Shaohua immediately pulled out his laptop and pointed to a nearby chair. "Chief Editor Jiang, there's a seat over there. Let's sit there and review it."

Jiang Fan walked over and began to review the paper, while Zhang Shaohua stood nervously by, feeling as though he were a student awaiting a teacher's correction. His heart raced with anxiety—how well had his revisions turned out?

Five minutes later, Jiang Fan had finished reading the paper. Both Zhang Shaohua and Wang Deshun were astonished—this was a lengthy paper, nearly 50,000 words long, filled with complex technical jargon that could easily confuse anyone not well-versed in the subject.

"Professor Zhang, your paper had a specific academic issue last time, but this revision is much improved. You've addressed the problem directly..." Jiang Fan commented.

Zhang Shaohua, hearing Jiang Fan recall the issue from the previous submission, felt a surge of excitement. It was proof that Jiang Fan had remembered the details of his paper and that his work wasn't without merit. However, Jiang Fan's next words left him reeling.

"Professor Zhang, have you considered that the subject of your research might actually be flawed?"

"Flawed?" Zhang Shaohua was stunned, as though his lifelong belief had just been shattered. It was the kind of moment when everything he thought was true suddenly crumbled, and a deep sense of panic washed over him, as though he had lost something irreplaceable.