"No! I object!"
A sharp voice rang out in the conference room.
Jiang Yongxing turned his head toward the source of the voice.
When he saw who was speaking, his pupils contracted slightly.
It was him!
"Mao Jinquan, what do you mean by this?"
Jiang Yongxing frowned and asked.
Mao Jinquan sneered. "What do I mean? Don't you understand?"
"This is clearly a scam! A sophomore undergraduate writing a proposal of this level? My dear Dean, could you please use your brain and think about it—is this even possible?"
"In my opinion, this is just a young man seeking attention!"
"As far as I'm concerned, the most urgent thing to do now isn't reporting this. It's exposing this attention-seeking brat! Sandao University doesn't welcome students who try to cut corners!"
Jiang Yongxing's frown deepened.
"Vice Dean Mao, I'm not here to debate whether this is possible or not. As researchers, we should seek truth from facts."
"Tell me, have you found any flaws in this proposal?"
Mao Jinquan's expression changed slightly. After a moment of thought, he said, "Flaws?"
"Isn't the flaw obvious?"
"Where would a sophomore get this kind of knowledge?"
"Moreover, I've looked at the derivation process for that new material. With just a few strokes of the pen, a new material is created? Give me a break!"
"Where's the experimental data? A proposal without experimental data is no different from a fairy tale!"
Mao Jinquan's words struck a chord with many professors in the room.
Yes, the proposal seemed perfect, but its biggest flaw was the lack of experimental data!
To put it bluntly, this proposal was all talk and no action!
Jiang Yongxing let out a cold laugh. By now, he was getting annoyed!
In his opinion, this was pure nitpicking!
"Vice Dean Mao! Tell me, where is a sophomore supposed to conduct experiments and obtain data?!"
"As a researcher, your response should never be 'impossible'!"
Fang Xu, who had been sitting nearby, couldn't stand it any longer. He stood up and retorted, "Vice Dean Mao, you just said this proposal lacks experimental data?"
Mao Jinquan nodded confidently.
As the vice dean of the Nuclear Physics Institute, he believed he had the authority to question a proposal written by a mere undergraduate!
Fang Xu sneered. "Do you know that this proposal is even more refined than the ones from my nuclear physics lab?!"
"Do you know how many experiments went into the proposals from the physics lab?"
"You know nothing! All you can say is 'impossible'! As a vice dean, I don't see a shred of scientific spirit in you!"
Fang Xu didn't spare Mao Jinquan any courtesy.
After all, as the head of the nuclear physics laboratory, Fang Xu wasn't under Mao Jinquan's jurisdiction!
Mao Jinquan's face darkened as he turned to Jiang Yongxing. "Dean Jiang, you…"
"Enough!"
Jiang Yongxing sighed softly and waved his hand, cutting off Mao Jinquan before he could finish.
"Alright, Vice Dean Mao, I think you're tired. Go home and rest for a while. You don't need to worry about the institute's affairs for now."
Mao Jinquan's pupils contracted sharply.
He stared at Jiang Yongxing in disbelief, then let out a bitter laugh. "Dean Jiang? Are you going to take action against me, a vice dean, for the sake of a sophomore undergraduate?"
Hearing this, the disappointment in Jiang Yongxing's eyes grew even stronger.
He slowly shook his head. "Mao Jinquan, I'm not taking action against you for the sake of a sophomore undergraduate."
"I'm doing this for the sake of scientific research, for the future of our nation!"
"Yes, this proposal lacks experimental data. But tell me, if this proposal turns out to be real, how much would Sandao University—no, our nation—lose if we followed your approach?!"
Mao Jinquan's face grew even uglier. He nodded indignantly, then turned and walked toward the conference room door.
"Hmph! Let's see if you can solve controlled nuclear fusion with this sophomore undergraduate!"
After throwing down this harsh remark, Mao Jinquan pulled open the conference room door and left.
"Bang!"
The door closed with a heavy thud.
Jiang Yongxing shook his head with a bitter smile. "Fang Xu, I'm sorry you had to see that…"
Fang Xu shook his head thoughtfully. "Old Jiang, your Nuclear Physics Institute really needs a thorough overhaul. If even the vice dean isn't focused on research, what kind of example is that?"
Jiang Yongxing fell silent for a moment, then nodded. He turned his gaze to the professors and researchers in the room.
Seeing Jiang Yongxing's meaningful look, all the professors and researchers lowered their heads, pretending to be ostriches.
The more senior professors felt a chill run down their spines.
It seemed that a storm was about to sweep through the Nuclear Physics Institute!
"Alright, I assume everyone has finished reviewing the proposal?"
"If you have any doubts, feel free to voice them."
A few minutes later, when no one responded, Jiang Yongxing chuckled. "Since no one has any doubts, let's proceed to a vote."
"The vote is on whether we should report this proposal to the council."
…
An hour later.
Jiang Yongxing brought Fang Xu to his office.
He walked straight to his desk, picked up the landline phone, and pressed a special button.
A few seconds later, a voice came through the receiver.
"Professor Jiang, hello. How may I assist you?"
"Please connect me to the National Council. I have a matter regarding controlled nuclear fusion to report."
"…Understood. Please hold!"
"…"
The wait wasn't long. A steady male voice came through the receiver.
"Dean Jiang, hello. This is Hong Qiming, Minister of Science and Technology."
Jiang Yongxing's eyes flickered slightly.
It was actually Minister Hong Qiming who answered the call!
It seemed that controlled nuclear fusion was becoming increasingly important in the eyes of the nation's leadership!
"Minister Hong, hello. I need to report something to you…"
Jiang Yongxing explained the entire situation in detail.
"Dean Jiang, are you serious? A sophomore undergraduate wrote a highly feasible controlled nuclear fusion proposal on a blackboard?"
Jiang Yongxing let out a bitter laugh and glanced at Fang Xu beside him.
He had anticipated this reaction, which was why he had brought Fang Xu along!
Fang Xu quickly stepped forward and took the phone from Jiang Yongxing. "Minister Hong, this is Fang Xu."
"…Yes, the situation is true!"
"I can guarantee that this proposal has a high degree of feasibility!"
"Good!"
Fang Xu placed the receiver back on the phone and hung up.
"What did he say?"
Jiang Yongxing looked at Fang Xu anxiously.
Fang Xu's expression was grave. "Minister Hong said this matter is of great importance. He needs to report it to the First Chairman of the Council!"