But if it’s not referring to that, what other number could be described as "ten trillion"?
Zhao Pei suddenly felt an urgent desire to know what lay ahead, but he still had to help his teacher.
Then he quickly realized.
His teacher, surprisingly, had suddenly sped up, even moving faster than he was!
"Slow down, teacher. Please slow down." Zhao Pei was genuinely worried that his teacher might take a fall.
But he soon had no ti to worry about this.
Because as they passed through several tightly guarded checkpoints, a broad scene ca into view. Under the bright lights, a group of people was gathered around what seed to be a makeshift, simple apparatus.
At a glance, Zhao Pei saw many familiar scholars and experts.
Most were from the field of nuclear physics.
In fact, at the very front of everyone was a middle-aged man in a white lab coat, mostly bald, and quite ordinary-looking.
He recognized him imdiately.
It was Chen Song, the leading figure in the field of nuclear physics in Eastern Country today.
Even he had been invited.
Zhao Pei realized once again that this assembly was beyond imagination, suggesting that sothing major had occurred!
Standing on tiptoe, he found, embarrassingly, that his height prevented him from seeing inside.
It was Chen Song who spotted them.
"Elder Xu is here too. Everyone make room for Elder Xu," Chen Song shouted loudly.
If Chen Song was the leader of the current generation in Eastern Country’s nuclear physics, then the retired Xu Xinghe was the leader of the previous generation. Upon hearing it was Elder Xu, many quickly made way, with quite a few calling out "Teacher Xu," indicating they had either attended Xu Xinghe’s lectures or were simply his students.
Zhao Pei, benefiting from his teacher’s presence, squeezed through as well.
But at first glance, he was entirely dumbfounded!
Because the apparatus before him was completely different from what he’d imagined!
He could easily see that this was a massive temporary assembly of high-voltage, high-current asuring circuits, appearing to form a seemingly enormous device. Yet, the output terminal linked by these circuits appeared to be just a palm-sized, luminous, flat, circular object!
Even using superconducting material as connection points, it still appeared exceptionally comical.
The contrast between large and small was striking!
What on earth was this?!
In Zhao Pei’s mind at this mont, he couldn’t help but voice the sa question he’d heard earlier!
But in front of so many people, he forcibly restrained himself.
However, his teacher was not so concerned and directly asked, "What is this?"
"A fusion reactor," Chen Song replied succinctly.
Suddenly, they were all dumbstruck.
The newcors could hardly believe their ears.
So even looked left and right, wanting to see if there was so prank director or a film crew hiding where they couldn’t be seen.
Even Xu Xinghe coughed several tis, needing Zhao Pei to pat his back a few tis before he composed himself, eyes wide, and asked again, full of breath.
"What did you say?"
"A miniature controllable helium-3 fusion reactor." Chen Song enunciated clearly, adding quite a few prefixes and even stressed the words, "I personally assembled it and witnessed the helium-3 being filled. According to current asurents, its power output has already surpassed the world’s largest nuclear power plant! And this isn’t even its maximum output!"
Everyone understood these words, but precisely because they understood, it felt like a dream.
A miniature controllable nuclear fusion reactor?
This was sothing entirely out of science fiction films!
Few of the physicists present liked to read science fiction novels because real physicists often found such novels filled with technical logical flaws—either impossible to achieve or filled with naive fantasies.
But now.
They couldn’t tell if their knowledge was at fault or if science fiction had beco reality!
Even those who arrived earlier felt equally dazed.
Finally, it was the relatively young Zhao Pei who broke the silence.
He too felt like he was dreaming, only subconsciously asking, "So... our country found a crashed alien ship? Or unearthed relics of an ancient civilization?"
Many people looked over.
No one laughed.
In fact, everyone seed thoughtful.
In such a serious setting, a group of top physicists was seriously contemplating matters like alien ships or ancient civilizations.
"These are things we don’t need to concern ourselves with." Chen Song pointed to the glowing object in the center and said solemnly, "We just need to know that it is here, it will change the world, and we must thoroughly study it, and that’s enough!"
"Dr. Chen is right." The first to regain awareness was surprisingly Xu Xinghe, the oldest person present. He was fully excited, even taking a few steps closer, reaching out to gently wave his hand over it, "No temperature felt—is this cold fusion? It’s round, could it be so super strong miniature Tokamak device? I see the output is directly electrical energy! Hmm—how is it converting it?"
Others also began to react, one by one focusing their gaze on this incredible little gadget.
The more they looked, the more they felt their lifeti of learning was being hugely challenged!
The supposed Tokamak device ring was one thing—even so, there was a hint of speculation. But that miniature, incredible energy conversion, was like dreaming!
Still, it was the most astonishing, completely unrealistic dream!
They needed to understand that present-day top nuclear power plant technology involved the conversion of energy through what?
Nuclear energy → Internal energy of water and steam → chanical energy of the generator rotor → Electrical energy.
Indeed, the entire process was colloquially referred to as "boiling water."
Even if one day an artificial sun was created, to use it efficiently, it would still boil water!
But this gadget in front of them... completely shattered that concept.
That was why everyone had such incredulous reactions—what this thing topped wasn’t just a piece of black technology!
It could not possibly appear randomly; it must have co from a complete, powerful technological system!
As everyone began to exclaim and engage in noisy discussions again, Tao De, who had been standing quietly in the corner, discreetly ca to Chen Song’s side, a bit worried, and asked, "Aren’t Elder Xu’s age and the fact that he’s been retired for so long a concern?"
Initially, when he knew Chen Song wanted to bring Elder Xu, Tao De had actually opposed it.
After all, Elder Xu was indeed old, and he was no longer at the forefront of technology.
Chen Song glanced at him and shook his head.
"You just don’t get it." His gaze was also fixed on that reflective circular item, with a tone of wonder, he said, "With him here, others will cherish this dreamlike opportunity all the more. Besides, even if Elder Xu were to fall right now, I assure you, he’d leave with a smile."
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