Chapter 512: Kunpeng? Another Mythical Name?

Within a mere 24 hours, the global balance of power seemed to have been violently shaken by an invisible hand, leaving governments and the Military of various nations in a state of unprecedented panic and re-evaluation.

At Penglai Base, the second day of the tour continued.

Unlike the shock and chaos of the previous day, today the visitors had regained some rationality and began to ask more in-depth questions. In particular, the reporters and experts from the Star-Spangled Country were desperate to understand the origin and principles of this technology.

During the Q&A session at Core No. 1 Factory, Woaerte, a senior technology reporter for The New York Times, asked directly: "Doctor Li, frankly speaking, the global scientific community is questioning the origin of this technology. According to existing technological development paths, integrated circuits require at least ten years of basic research and process accumulation. How did Long Country achieve this leap directly without an obvious Transistor Technology stage?"

The scene went quiet instantly, and everyone stared fixedly at Li Mingyuan, waiting for his answer. This was the very question in everyone's mind—where did this breakthrough, which did not conform to conventional technological evolution paths, actually come from?

Li Mingyuan smiled calmly and took a circular object from his pocket—it was a palm-sized silicon wafer, refracting a strange light under the lamps.

"The answer is right here, gentlemen," he held up the wafer so everyone could see clearly, "The core of Integrated Circuit Technology is miniaturization and integration. On this silicon wafer, we can integrate tens of thousands of transistors, equivalent to condensing a room-sized Computer into a Chip the size of a fingernail."

The cameras in the room flashed wildly, and every reporter scrambled to capture this historic moment—a piece of ordinary silicon wafer, yet it contained a technological revolution capable of changing the world.

"But that does not answer my question," Woaerte insisted, "How did Long Country master this technology? Was it independent research and development, or..." He did not finish, but the implication was already obvious—was there help from external forces?

Li Mingyuan's smile remained calm: "Science has no shortcuts, sir. Our research team chose a different technological path, not the progressive development from vacuum tubes to transistors to integrated circuits, but starting directly from basic theoretical research to explore the essential properties of semiconductor materials."

He looked around at everyone: "Sometimes, the greatest breakthroughs come from thinking outside the box. When Western scientists focused on how to improve transistors, we asked a different question: how to fundamentally rethink the structure of electronic devices?"

This answer was both clever and vague, neither admitting an external source of technology nor fabricating an unbelievable story. But to many scientists, this explanation was still insufficient. Human technological development had almost never seen such a huge leap; there was no transition, no groundwork, as if it had appeared out of thin air.

"There has never been a technological leap of this scale in the history of science," Professor Hansen stood up, his voice trembling slightly, "Even Einstein's theory of relativity was built on the foundation of previous research. Yet your Integrated Circuit Technology seems completely detached from known paths of technological evolution."

Li Mingyuan looked at him quietly: "Professor, history is full of breakthroughs that were considered 'impossible' by people at the time. The Wright brothers' first flight and Marconi's radio transmission were both asserted by authoritative experts to be impossible to achieve. Today, what you are witnessing is just another 'impossible' being broken."

This answer still did not touch upon the core issue, but no one present could pose a sharper challenge. After all, the existence of the technology itself was the most powerful proof, no matter how mysterious its origin might be.

The tour was nearing its end, and the foreign delegations prepared to leave Penglai Base. At the base gate, the visitors boarded the buses, many still immersed in the shock of the past two days, unable to fully digest what they had seen and heard.

Just as Li Mingyuan was about to board the send-off vehicle, Academician Ivanov of Beijixiong Guo suddenly rushed forward, clutching his coat sleeve tightly, with an almost manic expression on his face.

"Tell me!" he roared in a hoarse voice, no longer caring about disguising his identity, "Who gave you the technology?! Which country? Which organization? Or..." He lowered his voice, his eyes flashing with fear and fanaticism, "... some kind of power we don't understand?"

The surrounding guards immediately became tense, preparing to step in, but Li Mingyuan signaled for them to stay calm. He watched Academician Ivanov's face, twisted with agitation, and slowly revealed a mysterious smile.

"Mr. Academician," he said softly, his tone carrying a hint of something elusive, "Sometimes the answer is right before our eyes, but we are just unwilling to believe what we see."

He gently broke free from Ivanov's hand and turned to board the car, leaving the top scientist of Beijixiong Guo standing there, his face ashen, as if the foundations of the world were collapsing beneath his feet.

The motorcade slowly drove out of the base gate, heading into the distance along the coastline. The twilight sun spilled over the sparkling sea, casting a dreamlike golden glow over everything.

Just as the motorcade passed an open area on the outskirts of the base, several foreign reporters noticed a massive shadow near the distant coastline—it was a giant structure with a strange shape, seemingly possessing a certain streamlined silhouette. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on its surface, flickering with the cold light of metal.

"What is that?" asked the reporter from The Times, pointing out the window.

Li Mingyuan looked in the direction of his finger and smiled indifferently: "That is 'Kunpeng'."

"'Kunpeng'? Another mythical name?" the reporter pressed, "What is it? Some kind of building?"

Li Mingyuan did not answer directly, only saying mysteriously: "In ancient Long Country mythology, the Kun is a giant fish that can transform into a Peng and spread its wings to fly ninety thousand miles."

As the motorcade turned, the massive silhouette gradually faded into the twilight, leaving only a blurred hundred-meter wing shadow looming in the sunset, like a portent of some ancient beast about to awaken.

On the return bus, William, the reporter for The Times, could not suppress his curiosity. Taking advantage of the moment the vehicle turned, he raised his camera and pressed the shutter repeatedly, trying to capture the silhouette of the mysterious "Kunpeng". This action was soon noticed by several other reporters on the bus, who followed suit; for a time, the back window of the bus was crowded with long lenses and cameras.

"Big guy, what did you capture?" Mark, the reporter for The New York Times, leaned over to ask.

William shook his head and replied in a low voice: "Not sure, that thing is too big, like a... damn it, I can't say, like a deformed fish back, or like some kind of super hull."