Chapter 194: Unexpected Breakthrough and the

Chen Guang used thirty seconds to report the situation.

The other end of the phone was silent for five seconds.

"Kaiyuan, how confident are you?" Feng Yan asked directly.

"Based on existing data... only seventy percent." Zhao Kaiyuan spoke the truth.

"But if the new model is correct, the value of this discovery might be far greater than everything we've done in the past three years combined."

Another silence followed.

"Authorization approved." Feng Yan's voice came through.

"But I want to be on-site. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Test preparations can begin, but do not issue the final startup command until I arrive."

"Understood."

After hanging up the phone, the atmosphere in the laboratory suddenly grew tense.

Zhao Kaiyuan began calibrating the test bench's monitoring system, Chen Guang checked the safety fuse devices, and then there was Wang Hao... Wang Hao was actually cooking instant noodles.

"Aren't you guys hungry?" he said righteously.

"In case we really make a big headline, we'll need the energy to celebrate or run away in the middle of the night."

At 1:03 AM, Feng Yan arrived at the laboratory.

He was just wearing a research institute work jacket, and his hair was still a bit messy.

"How is the situation?"

Zhao Kaiyuan projected the latest simulation data onto the large screen and gave a quick explanation.

Feng Yan listened quietly, occasionally asking one or two key questions.

When he heard that the theoretical output limit could potentially increase by more than thirty percent, his eyebrows twitched slightly.

"What about the test plan?"

"Using the No. 3 experimental reactor, we will gradually increase power to 150% of the design value and monitor the actual heat dissipation data." Zhao Kaiyuan pulled up the safety contingency plan.

"Seven-fold fuse protection, including physical flow interruption, emergency magnetic field dissipation, and coolant overpressure injection."

"In the worst-case scenario, the reactor core will stop reacting within 0.3 seconds."

Feng Yan walked to the console and carefully checked every safety parameter.

Then he raised his head and looked at the three of them.

"Do you know what the worst-case result is if we fail?"

"Core meltdown, laboratory destruction, project delay of at least six months," Zhao Kaiyuan said.

"Anything else?"

"..." Zhao Kaiyuan was silent.

"Also, the three of you might have to write self-criticisms for the rest of your lives." Feng Yan suddenly smiled.

"But if we succeed."

He didn't finish, but everyone understood.

If they succeeded, all of Dragon Chant's equipment would undergo a complete energy revolution.

Mechs, missiles, warships, space stations... all equipment relying on the "Xuanming" reactor would see their performance leap by a generation.

"Let's begin." Feng Yan stepped away from the console.

"Kaiyuan on main control, Guangzi monitoring data, Haozi watching the safety system, and I will be watching here too."

At 1:17 AM, the test officially started.

The No. 3 experimental reactor woke from standby mode, and a low humming sound echoed in the laboratory.

On the monitoring screen, the power output curve began to climb slowly.

100%... 110%... 120%...

"Temperature data is normal, with a 0.3% error from the model prediction," Chen Guang reported.

"Coolant flow is stable, heat exchange efficiency... is 8.7% higher than the old model predicted." Zhao Kaiyuan's voice was a bit tight.

130%.

This was the design limit of the reactor type.

Usually, tests would stop here, but today, the curve was still rising.

It was at 140%.

The laboratory lights flickered slightly.

The test bench was drawing more power.

The backup power supply had also automatically cut in.

"The reactor core plasma oscillation amplitude has started to increase," Chen Guang said, staring at the spectrum chart.

"But it's still within the controllable range."

Zhao Kaiyuan's hand was on the control lever, his palms covered in sweat.

He glanced at Feng Yan.

Feng Yan nodded.

"Push to 150%."

The control lever was pushed slowly to the end.

The humming sound suddenly rose an octave, and the laboratory lights flickered a few more times.

On the monitoring screen, the power output curve broke through the red line that had never been crossed before and continued to extend upward.

It was at 150%.

Time seemed to have frozen.

Everyone stared at the data stream.

Temperature, pressure, magnetic field strength, neutron flux... dozens of parameters were jumping wildly on the screen, but all were within the range predicted by the new model.

Ten seconds... twenty seconds... thirty seconds...

"It actually stabilized," Chen Guang said in surprise.

"All parameters have entered a steady state, with an error range within two-thousandths."

Zhao Kaiyuan finally let out a long breath.

"How is the actual efficiency of the cooling system?" Feng Yan asked.

"It's 21.3% higher than the old model predicted," Chen Guang said, pulling up a comparison chart.

"This means the actual heat load of the reactor core is nearly a quarter lower than we previously thought."

Wang Hao leaned over, his eyes wide as copper bells: "So this thing has actually never been using its full power?"

"You could understand it that way," Zhao Kaiyuan said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Based on the incorrect model, the power limits we set for all equipment were likely only... 70% to 80% of their actual capabilities."

The laboratory was silent.

Then Wang Hao was the first to jump up: "Damn! Then if my 'Kuafu-2' runs at full power—"

"Range and trajectory-changing capability would increase by at least thirty percent," Chen Guang had already calculated it.

"What about laser weapons?" Feng Yan asked.

"Continuous firing time doubles, single-shot power increases by forty percent," Chen Guang paused.

"But this would require redesigning the heat dissipation and power supply circuits."

Feng Yan walked to the observation window and looked at the experimental reactor running quietly inside.

The silver-white shell gleamed coldly under the lights, looking no different than usual.

But the energy inside had already surpassed the predictions of all past theoretical models.

"Have you named this new model?" he asked.

Zhao Kaiyuan and Chen Guang looked at each other.

"Not yet," Zhao Kaiyuan said.

"Actually... this doesn't even count as a new model; it's just correcting an erroneous assumption that should have been discovered twenty years ago."

"Then let's call it 'The Corrector'," Feng Yan said, turning around.

"Based on this discovery, completely re-evaluate the actual performance limits of the 'Xuanming' reactor. I want to see the full report within forty-eight hours."

"Then the test..." Wang Hao pointed at the experimental reactor still running.

"Continue," Feng Yan said. "Push it to 200%."

This time, even Wang Hao was stunned.

"If the new model is correct, then 200% is its true design limit," Feng Yan said, looking at the monitoring screen.

"We need to know the truth, even if this truth is a bit scary."

The control lever was pushed again.

The power output curve continued to climb, like a sharp sword piercing toward a height never reached before.

At 2:11 AM, the reactor power stabilized at 190%.

It wasn't that it couldn't reach 200%, but that the test bench's power supply system had reached its limit.

Even so, data showed that the reactor core temperature, pressure, and all key parameters were still within the safe range predicted by the new model.

"What does this mean?" Wang Hao muttered.

"It means that for the past three years, we've been riding a thousand-mile horse with its legs tied," Zhao Kaiyuan said with a bitter smile.

"And now, the tether has been untied."

Feng Yan didn't smile; he stared at the data on the screen, his eyes deep.

"Chen Guang, use the highest 'Torch Dragon' authorization to encrypt all data from this test, and raise the encryption level to 'Xuanhuang' grade.

Except for the four of us present, anyone who wants to access it needs my personal approval."

"Understood."

"Haozi, go back to the missile team and recalculate the performance parameters of the 'Kuafu-2' based on the new energy data."

"I want to know exactly what it can do if it runs at full power."

"Yes, sir!"

"Kaiyuan," Feng Yan looked at him.

"Come with me to the office; we need to plan the next verification steps in detail."

"This discovery is too big, so big that we must be extremely cautious."

As everyone started to pack up, Chen Guang suddenly stared at the monitoring screen and said: "There's another anomaly."

"What?"

"During the test, the neutron radiation flux produced by the reactor core was 0.5% higher than the model predicted," Chen Guang said, pulling up the data.

"Although it's still within the absolute safe range, this deviation never appeared in previous tests."

Zhao Kaiyuan frowned: "Could it be a measurement error?"

"The data from the seven independent detectors is consistent," Chen Guang pointed out the curve.

"Look here, after the power broke through 140%, the neutron flux showed a tiny step-like increase, and then remained stable."

Feng Yan walked over: "What does this mean?"

"It means..." Chen Guang pushed up his glasses.

"At ultra-high power density, the fusion reaction may have produced some kind of secondary process that we don't fully understand yet."

"Maybe it's a new reaction path, maybe it's..."

He didn't finish, but everyone understood.

Maybe it was the precursor to a theoretical breakthrough.

But maybe it was something much more dangerous.

In the laboratory, the experimental reactor had returned to standby mode, but those anomalous data points on the monitoring screen flickered like fireflies in the dark night.

Feng Yan checked the time: 2:40 AM.

"That's all for today," he said.

"Everyone go back and rest immediately. We'll have a meeting in the Number One Emergency Conference Room at 8:00 AM tomorrow. Before then..."

He looked around at the three of them: "Not a single word about tonight is allowed to leak out."

The three nodded solemnly.

When they walked out of the laboratory, the sky was still dark.

Most of the lights in the research institute were off, and only the patrolling mechs had their dim blue indicator lights on, moving slowly through the night.

Zhao Kaiyuan looked back at the windows of the energy laboratory.

The lights inside were still on; the reactor had been shut down, but those data points were still swirling in his mind.

An erroneous assumption that had been ignored for twenty years.

A theoretical correction that could change the rules for all equipment.

And that anomalous neutron signal...

He remembered the paper that had been rejected by his advisor three years ago.

At the time, the advisor had said: "Your idea is too radical and lacks experimental support."

Now, the experimental data was right there.

Maybe the advisor was right; the idea was indeed radical, radical enough to be a little scary.

"Let's go, Kaiyuan," Wang Hao patted his shoulder.

"We have to get up early tomorrow, and I don't want to go recalculate missile trajectories with dark circles under my eyes."

Zhao Kaiyuan smiled and followed.

And behind them, in the monitoring system of the energy laboratory, an automatically generated log was marked as "Pending Analysis":

"Test No. AL-193-001, reactor core power peak 190.37%, operating time 1 hour 24 minutes."

"Detected unexpected neutron flux fluctuation, waveform characteristics inconsistent with known fusion reactions, suspected new reaction path. Recommendation: Further experimental verification."

This log was automatically encrypted by the "Torch Dragon" system and stored in the deepest database.

At the same time, on the electromagnetic monitoring array on the perimeter of the research institute, an almost imperceptible signal peak was recorded.

That was the trace radiation leaked when the experimental reactor was running at ultra-high power.

Although it was so weak that only the most sensitive military-grade detectors could capture it, it did exist.

And three thousand kilometers away, on the screen of a certain underground monitoring station, this signal peak was marked as "Unknown source, abnormal energy characteristics, continuous observation."