Chapter 586: Starting to Panic

"What did you say?" The First Secretary's voice was surprisingly calm, but everyone could feel the raging waves surging beneath that calm.

Maxim stood up and placed a thick report and several photographs in front of the First Secretary: "Comrade First Secretary, we have verified the theoretical model of Long Country's 'Flame Dragon' project, especially the magnetic field topology and plasma confinement technology they claim to have broken through. These theories are physically self-consistent, and..."

"And what?" Koriakin asked sharply.

"And our satellite monitoring data also confirms," Kravchenko took over, "that there are indeed signs of large-scale energy release at Penglai Base, which matches the characteristics of a nuclear fusion reaction."

Koriakin sat heavily in the chair in front of his desk, his gaze locked on the photograph of the blue-white plasma. The photo had been analyzed repeatedly, and the conclusion reached was: this was not a synthesized or forged image, but a real experimental record.

"How is this possible..." the First Secretary muttered to himself, "How long has it been since Long Country shook off the trauma of civil war? How could they, in such a short time..."

"That is precisely the most unsettling part," Maxim said cautiously, "Their speed of progress far exceeds the normal trajectory of technological development. Our intelligence department has put forward a bold guess—perhaps there is an external force helping Long Country."

"The Star-Spangled Country people?" Koriakin looked up alertly.

"No, Comrade First Secretary, the Star-Spangled Country people are just as shocked as we are," Kravchenko said, "Their experts also cannot explain this abnormal technological leap. In fact, according to our intelligence, the Pentagon is currently plunged into an unprecedented panic."

Koriakin was silent for a moment, then suddenly slammed his fist on the table: "Damn it! How many resources have we invested in nuclear fusion research? Twenty years? Thirty years? And the result is being surpassed by a country that has just found its footing? This is a mockery of our entire scientific system!"

Kravchenko lowered his head, not refuting. As the head of the Academy of Sciences, he could feel this shame and frustration more than anyone else.

"I am calling an emergency meeting immediately," Koriakin stood up, his voice carrying determination, "All relevant department heads, gather at the Kremlin in two hours. Comrade Kravchenko, you are to form a specialized research team immediately, tilt all resources toward nuclear fusion, I want to see substantive progress!"

After the First Secretary left the office, Kravchenko slumped in his chair, as if he had aged ten years all at once.

"You know, Maxim," he said wearily, "I have dedicated my life to science, believing that knowledge has no borders. But at this moment, I feel such deep powerlessness and despair for the first time. We have been surpassed, not just in technology, but in thought."

Maxim nodded, a complex light flickering in his eyes: "And the most ironic thing is that the paper that changed the world was written in a language we cannot understand."

Meanwhile, the Star-Spangled Country on the other side of the ocean was also plunged into unprecedented chaos.

In a highly classified conference room at the Pentagon, the lights were bright. It was nearly dawn, but no one suggested resting. Sitting around the table were the Star-Spangled Country's top military command and top scientific advisors, everyone's expression terrifyingly grave.

"Gentlemen," Secretary of Defense Wilson's voice echoed in the Silence of the conference room, "Repeat it to me again, if Long Country's nuclear fusion technology is real, what does this mean?"

Doctor Robert Stein—one of the Star-Spangled Country's most authoritative nuclear physicists, cleared his throat: "From an energy perspective, nuclear fusion is considered humanity's ultimate energy solution. Once commercialized, the deuterium in a cup of seawater could provide energy equivalent to 300 gallons of gasoline. This means a de facto infinite energy supply."

"On a military level," a general took over, "A country that masters nuclear fusion technology will have the ability to develop brand-new weapon systems, including but not limited to high-energy directed-energy weapons, super electromagnetic railguns, and even theoretical fusion propulsion systems, allowing spacecraft to traverse the Taiyang system at unprecedented speeds."

"More importantly, the influence," the National Security Advisor added, "Energy is the blood of modern civilization. The country that controls energy controls the lifeblood of the world economy. If Long Country becomes the first to master commercialized nuclear fusion, they will reshape the global energy market and gain unprecedented geopolitical influence."

Wilson sighed long and hard: "So, ultimately, if Long Country really has, as they claim, achieved a nuclear fusion reaction with a Q-value greater than 1, then we are facing a complete global power rebalancing."

"Yes, Mr. Secretary," Doctor Stein nodded gravely, "And the most unsettling thing is how far we are from this breakthrough. According to my team's latest assessment, even with the greatest resources invested, we would need at least ten years to catch up to Long Country's current level."

There was a Silence in the conference room, everyone digesting this suffocating reality.

"Damn it," Wilson finally broke the silence, his voice carrying undisguised frustration, "How could we let this happen? What was our intelligence system doing? Why did no one foresee this?"

"Because we were all blinded by our own arrogance," Doctor Stein said calmly, "We could not imagine that a country we viewed as 'backward' could surpass us in such a cutting-edge field of science."

Wilson took a deep breath: "The President has requested that we provide a comprehensive assessment report, including possible response strategies. We must finish within 24 hours."

"Sir," a young Intelligence Officer suddenly spoke up, "Perhaps we should consider a possibility... Long Country's technological breakthrough might not have been achieved through conventional scientific research paths."

"What do you mean?" Wilson frowned.

"Meaning," the Intelligence Officer phrased carefully, "Long Country's technological development trajectory shows an abnormal 'jumpiness,' especially after Li Mingyuan took control of Penglai Base. Our analysts have proposed an... unconventional hypothesis."

"Go on."

"They believe Li Mingyuan might possess some kind of future technological knowledge, or rather, his way of thinking does not belong to this era."

The conference room was in an uproar.

"Are you implying something? Time travel? Aliens?" Wilson asked in disbelief.

"We are not ruling out any possibilities, sir," the Intelligence Officer responded calmly, "But we need more intelligence to verify this hypothesis."

Wilson rubbed his temples: "Fine, no matter how they did it, we must now focus our energy on dealing with this new reality. I want a detailed action plan, including diplomatic, scientific, intelligence, and possible military response measures."