The top student must be diligent.

Chapter 241 The battle of ideas
After a snowfall, the 2025 Spring Festival is finally half over.

The rework wave has begun again.

Xiao Yi also returned to the Science Island Laboratory on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.

As for EAST-S, there is no rush because it will be busy soon, so he also allows the project staff to rest until after the Lantern Festival and then return to work.

As for the Science Island Laboratory, since the expansion project has been completed, he has to come back to deal with related arrangements. For example, his office will have to be moved to the administrative building first.

His new office is also more spacious and has a lounge exclusively for him, so he can just stay in the office to rest.

In addition, other new test instruments that have been ordered also need to be moved to relevant laboratories.

There are three laboratory buildings: the materials laboratory building, the condensed matter laboratory building, and the mathematical physics laboratory building. Although the construction costs of the first two laboratories are relatively high due to various instruments, Xiao Yi did not treat the mathematical physics laboratory badly.

He specially provided the Mathematics and Physics Laboratory Building with the most pleasant scenery in the entire Science Island laboratory, and also upgraded the interior decoration and configuration of the laboratory. If the most attractive thing about the other two laboratories to researchers may be the advanced and brand-new experimental instruments inside, then the Mathematics and Physics Laboratory Building itself is very attractive, so that researchers will not feel bored even if they sit inside for a whole day.

In addition, the first floor of the Mathematics and Physics Laboratory Building is connected to an exquisite tea room, which provides a variety of drinks, including tea and coffee. The tea room faces the scenery of Chaohu Lake, allowing these researchers to come here to broaden their minds when their thinking is stagnant.

Although this cannot directly help the researchers who study mathematics and theoretical physics in the laboratory, it can always give them some psychological support.

This kind of research cannot be rushed.

In addition to matters related to laboratory expansion, there is naturally another important thing, which is about recruitment.

The relevant recruitment was actually completed before the New Year, and a total of 95 people were recruited, including 35 full and associate researchers, and the rest were assistant researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and intern researchers.

Among the full researchers, four more outstanding young researchers were attracted here, probably because of the three outstanding young researchers who were attracted here initially.

The three young outstanding scientists who first joined the Science Island Laboratory have not wasted their abilities at all. They have basically achieved certain results every year. Xiao Yi has also communicated with them frequently, and their achievements basically have some help from Xiao Yi.

Of course, the most important thing is the freedom they have in the Science Island Laboratory. There are not so many meetings to hold in the Science Island Laboratory, and the funding is sufficient, allowing these outstanding young people to enjoy the experience of having sufficient funding.

Perhaps it was because they happened to talk to others about their experiences in the Science Island laboratory that they attracted the attention of other outstanding young scientists.

Among the four outstanding young scientists this time, one is studying mathematics, and the other three are studying condensed matter and materials, which further strengthens the Science Island Laboratory.

So Xiao Yi returned to the Science Island Laboratory early to make some preparations to welcome these new researchers.

Soon, the Lantern Festival was over, and a simple welcome ceremony was prepared for the nearly 100 new researchers. The new year's work officially began.

……

After staying in the Science Island Laboratory for only a few days and everything was on track, Xiao Yi finally came to the project department of the EAST-S program.

Today, a simple research institute has been built in the northern suburbs of Luyang District, where the EAST-S project department is located. It is simply called the Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research Institute.

When this name was first chosen, there were actually some people who opposed it. Those who opposed it were mainly other domestic research institutes that were studying nuclear fusion, such as the Southwest Institute of Physics under the name of China National Nuclear Corporation.

In fact, the Southwest Institute of Physics was also the first research institute in China to start studying nuclear fusion. However, the EAST developed by the Plasma Institute later made the Plasma Institute the most important nuclear fusion research institute in the country.

However, a few years ago, the new tokamak device developed by the Southwest Institute of Physics, the China Tokamak Experimental Reactor (CTE), has made it once again an important nuclear fusion research institute in China, and the researchers it has also enjoyed considerable status.

Therefore, when Xiao Yi and his team wanted to directly name the EAST-S project department's research institute as the Institute of Controlled Nuclear Fusion, they were opposed by the Southwest Institute of Physics.
After all, we are all researching controlled nuclear fusion, so why do you name your new research institute this?
In addition to the Southwest Institute of Physics, other institutes also expressed opposition.

But in the end, the name was finalized and passed.

Although other research institutes were very dissatisfied with this, they were unable to stop it. They just kept an eye on Xiao Yi and his team, wanting to see what results they could produce. Of course, if they messed up, these research institutes would definitely come out and criticize them.

And so, the time came to February 2nd.

Ten days have passed since the Lantern Festival.

As the chief designer, Xiao Yi also convened the first general meeting of the new year at the Institute of Controlled Nuclear Fusion.

At this conference, he will announce something important.

In the conference room, hundreds of people from the entire project were all looking at Xiao Yi who was standing at the front.

After glancing at the people present, Xiao Yi began to speak.

“Dear fellow researchers, today is the first conference of our EAST-S project in 2025.”

"And it has been several months since the EAST-S program was established."

"According to our original plan, first of all, we need to complete the primary design of our EAST-S."

“Now, I’ve done it.”

As soon as Xiao Yi said this, the whole audience was in an uproar.

There were more than a hundred people, and almost all of them looked confused.

Is this the finished design?
And it’s all Xiao Yi alone?

Is this... a little too fast?

But when everyone thought about it, it was actually understandable.

After all, there is already a lot of experience in the design of tokamak devices. Now it is nothing more than changing the scale and making some minor changes to the details.

But for those researchers who have been recruited as members of the Sun-Creating Project, something is not good.

This design... was put out so quickly?
Is this a bit hasty?

Could it be that their chief engineer Xiao also gave up on the plan to create the sun because of the difficulty?
Only Zhao Zhanyou and Li Jiangan realized something.

Because Xiao Yi had told them at the beginning that he planned to design a completely new device called the UO structure to replace the tokamak device, and now, has Xiao Yi completed the design?
Sure enough, they then heard Xiao Yi say: "However, this device is somewhat different from the Tokamak device that everyone is familiar with. I call it the UO device."

Afterwards, Xiao Yi turned on the multimedia and displayed the UO device in front of everyone.

The researchers below were all stunned as expected.

what?
Why did they suddenly stop working on tokamaks?
Isn’t their project plan still called EAST?

The T in EAST stands for Tokamak!

Even the members of the Sun-Making Project were bewildered. They had no idea about this matter before. Was this a little too sudden?

At this time, Xiao Yi continued, "I know that everyone may have many questions or doubts about this structure."

"However, I have completed the corresponding simulation for the UO structure, and the simulation results show that it has the opportunity to increase the energy conversion rate to 60%!"

Of course, the people present didn't know that the simulation he was talking about was the simulation in "Perfect Engineering" and they just thought of it as a simulation in the computer.

However, the simulation in the computer cannot fully represent the results.

Computer simulation requires almost no cost, but to conduct experiments in reality, you have to build a physical device.

How can this be done?
No one would dare to make such an attempt lightly.

Even the tokamak and stellarator were the devices with the best chance of achieving nuclear fusion that were finally determined after years of iterative screening.

For a moment, although no one questioned it out loud, everyone present began to discuss it in low voices.

The faces of the vast majority of people showed doubt and disbelief.

On the stage, Xiao Yi was not surprised at all when he saw this scene. Most people were conservative and unwilling to make radical changes.

If there are insurance measures, people will definitely choose insurance measures.

For example, even if he did not use a new UO device, but a verified device such as a stellarator, it would most likely be questioned.

After all, there are too many people who are accustomed to tokamaks.

But fortunately, he is the chief designer.

It's nothing more than being responsible for the results.

Then he said, "Okay, it's decided. I will make the design principles and simulation results public later."

“Everyone can learn from it and prepare for the construction later.”

"The meeting is dismissed!"

This conference is now over.

When I returned to the office, as expected, Li Jiangan and Zhao Zhanyou came to me.

Zhao Zhanyou said helplessly: "Old Xiao, Old Xiao, your decision... was made a little too suddenly."

Li Jiangan also said: "You should have told us first. This kind of thing cannot be rushed."

Xiao Yi shook his head and said, "No need. After I tell you, you will still be responsible. Now I am announcing it alone. I will be fully responsible for all the consequences."

As for being in a hurry, he was actually not in a hurry at all.

After all, in the perfect project, he has perfectly simulated controlled nuclear fusion.

All the remaining things can only be done step by step to complete all the plans.

But in the end, Li Jiangan and the others could not understand Xiao Yi's confidence.

After hearing what he said, they could only remain silent for a moment. Then, Li Jiangan said, "If this news gets out, the Southwest Institute of Physics will definitely cause trouble. That old guy Chu Lansheng is not an easy character to deal with."

Chu Lansheng is the former director of the Southwest Institute of Physics and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also an important leader in China's controlled nuclear fusion field. His status is no less than that of Li Jiangan. He has led the construction of many Chinese nuclear fusion devices in the past and can be said to be very experienced.

When they named their new research institute the Institute of Controlled Nuclear Fusion, Chu Lansheng expressed opposition on behalf of the Southwest Institute of Physics.

When they learn the news, they will most likely stand up again to express their opposition.

The point is, his words are generally useful above and there as well.

But Xiao Yi didn't care about it and said, "Try to convince him first. It's nothing more than building a smaller UO device to verify the feasibility. If he still doesn't agree, then show him the MHT-7."

"He shouldn't have any objections by then."

"That's the only way." Li Jiangan nodded: "Since you already have a plan, let's do it as you say."

Xiao Yi nodded, and then said no more. He began to promote the construction of the UO device as the chief designer.

Among the hundreds of people involved in the entire project, many still have doubts, but in the end they still have to listen to the chief designer's requirements.

Just as Xiao Yi said, as long as he is fully responsible for all the results, others will naturally not think too much about it.

This is true in any organization; as long as the leader is willing to take responsibility, the subordinates will dare to take the lead.

……

But obviously, as this matter began to be implemented, the news about the UO device could no longer be hidden.

Soon, scholars in the field of nuclear fusion and nuclear physics, as well as many scholars in other fields of physics, all knew about this matter.

Xiao Yi, the chief designer of the EAST-S project, actually came up with a brand new nuclear fusion structure and planned to promote this new structure in the EAST-S project?
In this case, wouldn't the EAST-S plan have to be renamed the EASUO-S plan?
Scholars in non-nuclear fusion fields all expressed that Professor Xiao Yi was worthy of his name, as he easily accomplished things that others could not do.

When everyone is studying tokamak, a new device comes out. Isn't this equivalent to developing another new ballistics when everyone is using Qian Xuesen ballistics and Sengger ballistics?
This is obviously not easy to convince people, even if your new thing is really good in theory.

As a result, scholars in other fields started to watch and see how big a stir this incident would cause in the nuclear fusion community.

As Li Jiangan had expected, another leading figure in nuclear fusion, Academician Chu Lansheng, former director of the Southwest Institute of Physics, stood up, wrote a letter to the leadership, and made some public criticisms of the issue.

"Regarding the EAST-S project, Chief Engineer Xiao Yi suddenly changed the plan and replaced the original tokamak device with a new device with a so-called UO structure that he redesigned. I think this is a very irresponsible behavior."

"The rationality and scientificity of the Tokamak device have been verified by the scientific community for so many years."

"At present, the vast majority of research institutes in the world that study controlled nuclear fusion, including the ITER International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Organization, use the tokamak device for nuclear fusion. A few research institutes use stellarator technology, such as the W7-X device of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Research in Germany."

"And the UO device was brought into such an important project by Chief Engineer Xiao Yi without any verification."

“I don’t think that’s a reasonable option.”

"Although Chief Architect Xiao Yi expressed his willingness to take full responsibility for this, there are some things that cannot be done just by saying that he is fully responsible."

“I’m totally against that.”

"..."

Academician Chu still has a lot of say in nuclear fusion.

His letter also had a certain impact on relevant leaders.

Finally, Director Liu came to Fei City again and found Xiao Yi.

"Chief Engineer Xiao, this incident has had some impact recently. The leader asked me to ask you, what are your plans now?"

Xiao Yi asked tentatively: "Just ignore him?"

Director Liu showed a helpless expression, "This... is a bit difficult to do, and the pressure will be quite high."

Xiao Yi understood. It was obvious that Academician Chu had a lot of say and the leader he found was also not simple.

In that case, let's proceed according to the original plan.

He said, "Let's build a verification device first. The verification device should be smaller and it is expected to be completed and put into operation in four or five months."

Liu Cong nodded: "Okay, I'll leave it to you then."

Finally, he patted Xiao Yi on the shoulder and said, "Before the conclusion of your debate on scientific concepts comes out, we officials cannot be partial because we know nothing. We either support both sides or neither side."

"But what we can guarantee is that we will 100% meet your funding needs."

Xiao Yi nodded slightly.

"That's enough."

Liu Cong said no more.

……

(End of this chapter)