Chapter 593: Small World, Fusion Reactor Core

"I heard the paper in their 'Cangjie' journal is quite creative," an Asian student said cautiously.

"Creative?" the blond boy scoffed, "That's just like science fiction. It sounds beautiful in theory, but it's completely unworkable in reality."

"I bet in ten years, Long Country will quietly forget about this, just like their previous exaggerated technological achievements," another student said, "Remember when they claimed to have invented some 'Life Energy'? It turned out to be a complete scam later."

Everyone burst into laughter, only the Asian student silently lowered his head.

Major global media, academic institutions, and government departments were all discussing Long Country's "Yanlong-II" project, and the tone of the discussion was almost unanimous—it was an impractical fantasy, a political propaganda tool, and a doomed attempt.

The Western world was shrouded in a collective arrogance; they firmly believed that their understanding of science and technology was absolutely correct, and that any breakthrough must follow the path and schedule they had set. This widespread contempt for Long Country formed an almost unshakable consensus.

Li Mingyuan sat in his office at Penglai Base, the desk piled high with satirical reports and commentaries from around the world. Far from being angry, he slowly flipped through these materials as if admiring a work of art.

"Minister Zhang, look," he pointed to a cartoon, "They drew me as Don Quixote riding a rocket. Quite creative, isn't it?"

Minister Zhang was indignant: "Lao Li, how can you be so calm? The whole world is laughing at us!"

Li Mingyuan put down the newspaper, a deep light flashing in his eyes: "Because I know the direction of history. Today's mockery will become the greatest material for a slap in the face tomorrow. Let them laugh; the happier they laugh, the harder they will fall in the future."

He walked to the window and looked at the "Yanlong-II" project base under construction in the distance, a meaningful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "History never repeats itself, but it is always strikingly similar. Back then, people mocked the Wright brothers for not being able to build an airplane and mocked Einstein's theory of relativity as a fantasy; today, they mock Long Country for not being able to build a fusion reactor."

"But this time," he turned around, his eyes flashing with a light that was almost prophetic, "they will pay an unprecedented price for their arrogance."

……

Li Mingyuan stood in front of the giant metal door, looking at the striking words "Small World Laboratory · Top Secret" above the door, a surge of inexplicable emotion rising in his heart.

The access control system identified his iris, and the heavy alloy door slowly opened, revealing a long, narrow passage leading underground.

"Going to work on your mysterious experiment again?" Minister Zhang walked out from around the corner, holding a document in his hand, "The higher-ups are almost driven crazy by the mockery from Western media, and those old men are urging me to ask about the progress again."

Li Mingyuan smiled: "Tell them, it won't be long before they see those mockeries turn into the most wonderful side dish in the world."

"What side dish?"

"A side dish for a slap in the face." Li Mingyuan patted Minister Zhang on the shoulder, "Come, let me show you something truly good."

The two took a special elevator and descended nearly five hundred meters. The elevator door opened to reveal a huge circular control room, where dozens of technicians were nervously operating various instruments, and complex data streams flickered on the central circular display screen.

"This is..." Minister Zhang's eyes widened.

"Small World System," Li Mingyuan said nonchalantly, "A quantum computing environment that can achieve time flow differences and material simulation. Simply put, one day we test in this system is equivalent to one minute in the outside world."

Minister Zhang gasped: "This... how is this possible?"

"At the quantum level, time and space are both relative," Li Mingyuan said, pressing a red button on the central console, "Look over there."

The giant observation curtain on one side of the control room slowly pulled back, revealing a hemispherical space the size of a soccer field. In the center of the space floated a small blue-white "Taiyang," surrounded by complex magnetic field confinement equipment and energy collection devices.

"This is the core simulator for 'Yanlong-II'," Li Mingyuan explained, "We have already simulated the equivalent of three years of outside time in the Small World System, solving the plasma stability problem that would have taken at least twenty years on a conventional path."

Minister Zhang's jaw almost hit the floor: "You mean, we have already..."

"That's right," a flash of pride appeared in Li Mingyuan's eyes, "While Western scientists are still arguing endlessly about the Q-value 1.2 of 'Yanlong-I', the Q-value 5.8 'Yanlong-II' is already running stably in our Small World System."

"My god..." Minister Zhang felt his worldview being completely overturned, "This is simply... magic."

Li Mingyuan chuckled: "Clarke's Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Seeing Minister Zhang's puzzled expression, he added: "Something a future science fiction writer said."

The control room's broadcast suddenly sounded: "Chief Engineer Li, the simulated environment is stable, we can begin the energy transmission test."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "Start it, keep the energy output at 20%, target is Chiyou Tomb."

"Chiyou Tomb? What the hell is that?" Minister Zhang asked.

Li Mingyuan smiled mysteriously: "You'll know when you follow me."

The two passed through a long superconducting energy pipeline tunnel and arrived at an underground facility even deeper than the Small World Laboratory. This was an even more massive space, with the three large characters "Chiyou Tomb" written on the doorplate at the entrance.

"Are you ready?" Li Mingyuan asked, "What you are about to see might overturn all your understanding of technology."

Minister Zhang took a deep breath: "I think it's already been overturned enough today."

Li Mingyuan entered the password, the massive blast door slowly opened, and a scent mixed with metal, ozone, and some unknown energy rushed toward them.

"My goodness..." Minister Zhang stood at the doorway, his body frozen as if struck by lightning.

Before him was a giant workshop ten times larger than a soccer field, where hundreds of workers and engineers were working nervously. In the center of the workshop stood a behemoth—a giant humanoid skeleton under assembly, at least fifty meters tall, made of some unknown black metal, with blue energy pipes densely covering the skeleton, emitting a faint blue light.

"What is this thing?" Minister Zhang's voice became hoarse from shock.

"Chiyou," Li Mingyuan said softly, "A strategic defense system that transcends the era, and also the final carrier for 'Yanlong-II' technology."

They walked into the workshop to observe the skeleton of the steel giant at close range. Workers were installing black armor plates onto the skeleton, each plate weighing several tons, yet being moved easily by some kind of anti-gravity device.

"These materials..." Minister Zhang reached out to touch the black armor, but was stopped by Li Mingyuan.