Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 122：Today is April Fools' Day

"Congratulations, you are absolutely right!"
As soon as the words left Qiao Lao's mouth, the entire conference room fell into a profound silence, as if a pin could be heard dropping.
"Academician Qiao, are you serious?"
A researcher exclaimed in disbelief.
"When have I ever joked about research?"
Indeed!
Academician Qiao, the chief engineer of their institute, had a reputation for his occasional jokes, but when it came to chip technology, he was always dead serious.
The 21-nanometer lithography machine that had been purchased from the Beautiful Country had been thoroughly studied by them, from the program to the parts and materials. They had mastered its technology over countless iterations.
Three years ago, Academician Qiao had proposed the research plan for the 17-nanometer lithography machine.
Since then, they had worked day and night, experimenting, modifying, experimenting again, and refining...
Up until a month ago, they had made little progress, until they accidentally discovered a new type of material for lithography machine research.
They speculated that Academician Qiao had proven the feasibility of this new material.
If that were the case...
Could it be that they had truly developed the 17-nanometer lithography machine technology?
The realization began to settle in.
They had broken through the lithography machine technology barrier of the Beautiful Country after seven long years of effort, creating their very own lithography machine!
Though it was only at the 17-nanometer level, it held great significance for Longguo.
As the saying goes, the hardest part is always the beginning. Once the lithography machine technology had crossed the 20-nanometer threshold, it would only take them about five years to break through to 11 nanometers!
In the field of lithography technology, the 21-nanometer to 30-nanometer range was considered mid-tier, while the 11-nanometer to 20-nanometer range represented an advanced level of technology.
The most advanced technology on Blue Star, the 7-nanometer lithography machine, was of the highest caliber, currently mastered only by the Beautiful Country.
Thus, Longguo's success with the 17-nanometer lithography machine meant they had reached an advanced level in lithography technology.
The more they thought about it, the more excited they became. Spontaneously, applause thundered through the room.
Every face was alight with excitement and joy!
Some researchers even covered their faces in tears—proof of how deeply they felt this technological breakthrough!
On the stage, Academician Qiao observed the crowd of researchers below, fully understanding their emotions.
After all, when he first saw the lithography machine design drawings that Jiang Fan had presented in the office, his own reaction had been even more fervent than theirs!
Once the applause had subsided, Academician Qiao continued,
"Now, I'd like to invite Jiang Fan, the developer of the lithography machine technology, to explain the principles behind it!"
At these words, confusion spread throughout the room.
What was happening?
Wasn't it Academician Qiao who had developed the lithography machine technology?
Why was Jiang Fan being introduced instead?
Who exactly was Jiang Fan?
Everyone's eyes scanned the room, quickly locking onto the young man walking toward the front of the stage.
A series of question marks flooded their minds.
This...
This young man was Jiang Fan?
The person who had developed the 17-nanometer lithography machine technology?
But he looked no older than 18 or 19—how could that be?
As researchers, they all knew well that the prime age for a researcher was between 28 and 35, the peak stage of life where experience, knowledge, energy, and mental agility all aligned, making it the most fertile ground for breakthroughs.
But someone between 18 and 28 was still in the learning phase, and it was nearly impossible for them to make such a significant scientific breakthrough.
To claim that a teenager of 18 or 19 had succeeded in developing a technology that had eluded them for seven years—the 17-nanometer lithography machine—was simply unthinkable!
It must have been a mistake!
This young man must surely be Jiang Fan's assistant!
While the researchers were lost in their thoughts, the young man took the microphone from Academician Qiao and addressed the crowd.
"Hello, everyone. I am Jiang Fan."
Immediately, the room fell into complete silence.
Moments later, a storm of discussions erupted.
"No way! Could it really be that this kid developed the 17-nanometer lithography machine?"
"He looks barely 17 or 18! I just can't accept this!"
"Yeah, we've been at it for years without success, but this young guy somehow cracked the 17-nanometer lithography?!"
"I'd rather believe today is April Fool's Day!"
"..." The disbelief was palpable on everyone's face!
Meanwhile, the three students sitting in the corner—Xia Xiaoyu, Xu Guangyuan, and Niu Xu—appeared unusually calm.
They had already grown immune to Jiang Fan's remarkable talent.
Xia Xiaoyu, watching the stunned expressions around her, whispered to Xu Guangyuan and Niu Xu with a grin.
"Wow, they're all so stunned over this little thing. If they're this amazed now, I can't imagine what will happen when they see the bigger stuff Jiang Fan does. They'll probably never stop gaping!"
"Xiaoyu, I'll tell you, just now I was literally shaking in my boots because of their energy, but as soon as Jiang Fan walked in, it felt like they were all country bumpkins who'd never seen the world. Heh!" Xu Guangyuan whispered back.
Niu Xu, observing the reactions of the crowd, felt an unexplainable surge of pride on his face.
As for Jiang Fan, facing dozens, even hundreds of researchers, he remained composed, his confidence radiating.
He recalled his early days—when he first presented the controlled nuclear fusion breakthrough to a group of esteemed professors and experts, his heart had been a whirlwind of anxiety.
Then came the presentation of the lithium iron phosphate battery at the northern base, and with each step, he had grown more accustomed to such challenges.
Today, he seemed to possess the calm of a seasoned leader.
"Please quiet down, everyone. I'll first explain the design principles of the lithography machine. Any questions you have, I'll leave time for afterward!"
The room immediately fell silent, all eyes fixed on Jiang Fan.
Though he appeared young, they couldn't help but acknowledge that the poise he exhibited on stage was something none of them could replicate.
"As you all know, the primary performance indicators of a lithography machine are resolution, alignment precision, exposure method, and light source wavelength..."
"..."
"One of the most crucial components of the exposure system in a lithography machine is the ultraviolet light source. The commonly used light sources are visible light, G-line (436 nm), ultraviolet light (UV), I-line..."
Jiang Fan went on to explain for over an hour, detailing the design principles.
By the end of his presentation, everyone was left utterly speechless. His approach to the design was completely different from anything they had previously studied.
As they processed what he had said, they began to realize that the reason they hadn't been able to develop the 17-nanometer lithography machine was because their fundamental research approach had been entirely wrong.
"Now, does anyone have any questions about the 7-nanometer lithography machine?"
"What?"
"7-nanometer lithography machine?"