Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 119：His Heart Deserves to Be Punished

Director Zhang personally assisted Jiang Fan in obtaining the necessary credentials for access to Research Institute No. 3, ensuring his future entry would be seamless. Furthermore, he graciously provided Jiang Fan with his contact details.
"Jiang Fan, if you ever require anything for the lab, feel free to reach out to me."
"Thank you, Director Zhang," Jiang Fan replied with gratitude.
Shortly thereafter, Professor Qiao led Jiang Fan to the chip research lab.
The lab was divided into two sections: one focused on the research of photolithography machines, and the other on the study of silicon wafers, the core material for chips.
Professor Qiao first guided Jiang Fan to the photolithography machine room.
He gestured toward a massive machine and explained, "Jiang Fan, this is the photolithography machine used for chip production."
"Uncle Qiao, how precise can this machine get?"
"21 nanometers," he answered.
"21 nanometers? That's rather poor," Jiang Fan remarked, his brow furrowing in displeasure.
"This one was bought for a staggering 1 billion USD from the Beautiful Nation, and it's currently the most precise photolithography machine available in the Dragon Nation," Professor Qiao explained, a hint of embarrassment creeping into his expression.
Chip technology was indeed a weak point for the Dragon Nation. For high-performance chips used in smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices, the country was reliant on imports. The Beautiful Nation's economic sanctions had targeted chips precisely because of this vulnerability.
At present, the most advanced chip the Dragon Nation had independently developed was only at a 27-nanometer level, a far cry from the high-performance chips needed for modern technology.
The precision of a chip ultimately depended on the photolithography machine's capabilities. If a machine could only manage 21 nanometers, the chip produced would be similarly limited in its performance.
Jiang Fan studied the old machine closely. It was a far cry from the 7-nanometer photolithography machine rewarded by the system, light-years apart in terms of capabilities. The components were outdated, virtually useless.
The Beautiful Nation had sold its outdated machinery to the Dragon Nation, knowing full well that with such a machine, the Dragon Nation could never produce a more advanced photolithography machine.
The design principles for machines capable of producing chips smaller than 15 nanometers were radically different, a fact that had likely been deliberately concealed. The Beautiful Nation had not only profited from the sale but also misled the Dragon Nation on the direction of its research.
Such deceit was truly unforgivable.
Yet Jiang Fan did not immediately point out the machine's flaws. He decided to first understand the overall situation of the institute before formulating a detailed plan.
As Professor Qiao explained the machine's design theory, Jiang Fan interrupted, "Uncle Qiao, could you take me to see the silicon wafer equipment?"
Professor Qiao, unoffended by the interruption, led Jiang Fan to a nearby lab.
Inside, a researcher in a white lab coat was diligently working. When the researcher turned, Jiang Fan was surprised to see that it was a familiar face—Qiao Yifei, Professor Qiao's niece.
She was a striking woman, with delicate features and slightly upturned eyes that gave her an alluring look. Even in the lab coat, her figure was hard to miss, her curves accentuated.
Upon seeing Professor Qiao, she remarked with mild confusion, "Uncle, didn't you say you were going to rest because of back pain? Why are you here again?"
Jiang Fan immediately recognized her. Qiao Yifei was the same woman who had accompanied Professor Qiao during his visit to Huqing University, a day that had left him with vivid memories.
She was also the reason Jiang Fan had received the system's Night Owl Capsules, enabling him to stay up late for research.
It was through a misunderstanding involving her online pseudonym "Little Wild Cat" that Jiang Fan had mistakenly believed she was his girlfriend, Chu Ruoxi.
In a twist of fate, this misunderstanding had led to their current relationship. In a way, Qiao Yifei had been a blessing to him.
With a polite smile, Jiang Fan greeted her, "Qiao Yifei, what a surprise to see you here!"
Qiao Yifei turned her attention to him, her eyes widening in recognition. "Jiang Fan? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here with Uncle Qiao, helping with chip research," Jiang Fan explained.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yifei's heart skipped a beat. Since seeing Jiang Fan's stellar performance at the Dragon Science Academy's Newcomer Challenge, she had found herself frequently thinking of him.
Though her friend Xia Xiaoyu had informed her that Jiang Fan was already in a relationship, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion that she couldn't quite explain.
She had often wondered why a woman who had been through so many relationships could be so captivated by a young boy of just eighteen.
Despite her efforts to move on, Jiang Fan's sudden reappearance reignited the feelings she thought she had buried.
"Yifei, why are you zoning out? Didn't you hear me calling?"
Professor Qiao scolded lightly.
"Ah! I was... thinking about the experimental data!" Qiao Yifei hastily defended herself, though in reality, she was lost in thoughts about Jiang Fan.
"If you're too tired, you can go rest. The silicon wafer purification process won't be completed overnight," Professor Qiao suggested.
"No, no, I'm not tired at all!" she quickly responded. She had waited so long to see Jiang Fan again that she wasn't about to leave now.
"Well then, since you know Jiang Fan, I won't introduce you. Could you explain the current status of the silicon wafer research to him?"
"Of course!"
Qiao Yifei eagerly agreed, but with her uncle present, she made a conscious effort to control her emotions.
"Jiang Fan, young brother..."
"Just call me Jiang Fan, Qiao Yifei," Jiang Fan interrupted with a wry smile, unable to bear the "young brother" suffix.
Hearing this, Qiao Yifei couldn't help but laugh, her mind racing with playful thoughts.
"Focus on your work!" Professor Qiao chided, noticing her laughter.
With a sudden shift, Qiao Yifei cleared her throat and became more serious.
"Currently, our lab has achieved a silicon purity level of 98.99%, though it remains a bit unstable..."
"The highest purity of silicon wafers on Blue Star is 99.99%, and we are still a step behind, lacking just 1% of the technology."
Jiang Fan understood well that even a 1% difference required extremely high-tech precision, and any breakthrough, especially beyond 0.1%, was a monumental challenge.