The next day.
At the Nova Hall, everyone had gathered.
"Zachary, you were too impulsive yesterday. There was no need for such actions!" Mikhail said sternly to the man sitting beside him.
"I know, the leader already scolded me and told me not to make such mistakes again! But Mikhail, you understand that whenever it comes to something this crucial, I can't help but act. Heavy matter nuclear fusion is incredibly important for Nova. Completing it even one day earlier means we can reach the stars that much sooner!"
"I don't regret my decision yesterday. If faced with the same choice again, I'd probably do the same," Zachary replied resolutely.
Mikhail, hearing Zachary's words, remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "You… Sigh! You need to understand that not every time will end so luckily! Be more cautious in the future!"
Seeing Zachary's indifferent expression, Mikhail felt a surge of frustration. If it weren't for the crowded hall, he would have slapped his old friend twice. Turning away, Mikhail took a sip from his teacup and waited for the meeting to start.
The hall was filled with people, with leaders from all departments of Nova present. Many scientists from the Academy were also invited to the meeting, including Old Zhao and Xing Huo, who had just been sternly dealt with but were still invited due to their crucial roles in the heavy matter nuclear fusion reactor project.
"Teacher, have you ever attended such a high-level meeting before? The scale seems immense!" Xing Huo looked around, noting the presence of nearly all the project leaders from the Academy. He was surprised to see even Deputy Chief Zhang and other senior officials seated at the front.
Old Zhao, equally excited, turned to Xing Huo. "I've attended a few such meetings before. They always decide the future direction of Nova. This time, it's likely related to our recent success with heavy matter nuclear fusion."
Old Zhao, having participated in many meetings, understood the significance of such high-level gatherings. Given the recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology, he speculated that the upper echelons had been waiting for this moment and had plans ready.
"What?" Xing Huo exclaimed, only to have Old Zhao quickly cover his mouth. "Don't shout! At your age, you should be more composed. It's just a guess; we'll know soon enough."
Nodding, Xing Huo calmed down, and both waited quietly.
---
Ethan walked into the hall, noticing it was already packed with people. Nodding in approval, he moved to the front. Someone called out, "Divine Leader…" and the hall erupted in cheers, nearly deafening Ethan.
Mikhail quickly grabbed the microphone. "Quiet!" As his voice echoed, the crowd slowly calmed down. Ethan stepped up to the podium. "Seeing you all here makes me happy, yet it also saddens me because each of you reminds me of the fallen Novans."
He paused, looking at everyone. "Remember, Nova's current state is built on the sacrifices of ninety million Novans. We must not let them down!" The hall fell silent, with some showing guilt on their faces.
Satisfied, Ethan continued, "To honor their memory, we must unite and pool our strength to develop ourselves. Only then can we achieve our goals!"
Switching to a more serious tone, he said, "Let's get to the main topic. But first, I need to introduce someone. Come out, Aiden!"
As Ethan spoke, Aiden's projection appeared beside him. "Greetings, everyone. I am Aiden."
Aiden greeted the crowd calmly, while the people below were filled with questions. Ethan addressed them, "As you can see, this is Aiden, Nova's artificial intelligence lifeform. He has existed for a long time but wasn't revealed due to special circumstances. Now, Aiden is crucial to Nova's scientific development. Many of our technological advancements, including heavy matter nuclear fusion, were derived from his simulations and given to the Academy for refinement and experimentation."
The revelation stunned everyone, especially Old Zhao and Xing Huo. They exchanged shocked glances, realizing why the Academy had suddenly launched the controlled nuclear fusion research right after completing the weaponization study.
Compared to the shock among the scientists and other attendees, the high-ranking officials like Mikhail, William Eaton, Zachary, and Leonard Smith were unsurprised. They had long known about Aiden's existence.
"Aiden's importance to Nova cannot be overstated, and he will explain the next steps," Ethan said, stepping down to give Aiden the podium.
"Thank you, Divine Leader. First, let me address the cost of our recent war. We lost ninety million Novans, but we also gained much. During the war, the Divine Leader had me connect to Angel Yan's flagship, Heavenly Blade Seven. I tracked all the demons and eliminated them using angelic technology, and during this, I copied all the data from the Heavenly Blade Seven's database."
The hall was silent, everyone processing the gravity of Aiden's words.