[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-focused-on-science-but-you-want-to-trick-me-":3,"chapter-i-m-focused-on-science-but-you-want-to-trick-me--i-m-focused-on-science-but-you-want-to-trick-me--chapter-778":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm Focused on Science, But You Want to Trick Me Into Love?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2333914,4563,"Chapter 778: Xia National Science and Technology Awards Ceremony","i-m-focused-on-science-but-you-want-to-trick-me--chapter-778",778,"\u003Cp>In the office, Xu Qingzhou poured tea for Ji Yunshi and said casually, “Even if they leave, our progress might slow a bit, but it won’t affect the big picture. We’ve already survived the hardest times—why fear this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Yunshi nodded with a smile; even if Shao Yilin and the others departed, the institute’s staff could temporarily fill in—it was just a shift in priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The institute isn’t what it was when it first started.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two discussed recent progress from each project team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I’ll get back to work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finished his tea, didn’t linger, and stood to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Ji Yunshi left, Xu Qingzhou sighed, leaned back against the sofa, and took this moment to relax—he’d been working on a plan to add reverse vortex coils to the filter zone these past few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The institute’s workload was overwhelming right now; everyone was busy. As for the Advanced Academy’s matters, Xu Qingzhou decided to organize his thoughts first, and think deeply once this busy period passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Competition between Xia and the U.S. in controlled nuclear fusion was growing increasingly fierce, with no sign of easing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides issuing a series of measures itself, the U.S. had formed a technological alliance with Japan and Korea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negotiations regarding ITER had also stalled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia contributed 9% of ITER’s funding, yet Xia’s scientists held only 4% of core positions; numerous applications had been rejected under excuses like “insufficient language skills” and “lack of international experience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Professor Li Gang put it:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Previously, ITER’s discrimination against Xia was an open secret internationally. Now, it’s Europe’s countries that should be worried, not us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was technological confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia held a world-leading position in controlled nuclear fusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The U.S. was loud, but still lagged behind Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, back to work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qingzhou shook his head, cleared his thoughts, returned to his seat, and focused on the manuscript before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>November flew by in the midst of busyness, and soon it was the final month of 2021.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>December 3rd, 6:30 a.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qingzhou, dressed in a dark suit, and Song Yao, in a black business skirt suit, got into the car. Today was the day the Xia National Science and Technology Awards Ceremony began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qingzhou represented the academic scientific community; Song Yao represented the industrial tech sector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s driver was Yang Xiaolin, deputy head of the security team. After everything was ready, she started the car and wisely lowered the soundproof partition to avoid disturbing Xu Qingzhou and Song Yao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then drove toward the convention hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall was packed; about 3,300 attendees—including science and technology representatives, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and international awardees—made this one of the largest gatherings in China’s scientific community.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under staff guidance, Xu Qingzhou and Song Yao went to their respective seating areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The industry representatives sat on the right side of the hall; Xu Qingzhou’s seat was in the front row, center, directly facing the podium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Professor Xu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the hall, Xu Qingzhou met many familiar scholars, greeting and exchanging pleasantries with each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He soon spotted Academician Chu Jiangfeng, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe today will be worth waiting for.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Jiangfeng glanced at Xu Qingzhou’s calm expression and chuckled, “You’re as composed as ever—better than us old men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Panicking won’t help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qingzhou said helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Jiangfeng felt a quiet pride; in just a few short years, this young man had become a world-renowned scientist.\u003C\u002Fp>",582,"2026-06-20T21:06:45.888Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ac56e67446943d0287fec426c225a0d4f4921fb8b7fcbeaf50e78728008e349e","i-m-focused-on-science-but-you-want-to-trick-me--chapter-779","i-m-focused-on-science-but-you-want-to-trick-me--chapter-777",790,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-focused-on-science-but-you-want-to-trick-me--cover.jpg"]