A genius? I just love studying.

Chapter 332 Taking a Long-Term View

In the courtyard's meeting room, more than a dozen elderly people gathered together.
After returning from Chen Hui's place, Mr. Qian convened this meeting. Although he agreed with Chen Hui's proposal, it was a major decision, and even he could not make it unilaterally. He still had to discuss it with the other elders.

After he shared Chen Hui's suggestions on education reform, there was a long silence in the meeting room.

These elderly people all lived through that era. They were in a daze, their eyes filled with memories, and it was unclear what they were thinking about.

"I support Professor Chen!"

Old Zhao was the first to snap out of his reverie, and his loud voice immediately jolted everyone awake.

"Some kids these days are just outrageous!"

Old Zhao's mouth is like a firecracker; once it starts, it's hard to stop. "It's not just the little guy; some other people have also gone astray. They should be taught a lesson."

"I think not only liberal arts students, but science students should also participate in such practical training activities!"

Surprisingly, no one in the meeting room objected to Zhao Lao's words. Even Lao Li, who had always been at odds with Zhao Lao, nodded slightly.

Although they don't get along, it's just a difference of political views. They still have the ability to judge right and wrong when it comes to major issues. The recent chaos has made them very angry, and it's time to clean things up properly.

Just like the previous crackdown on the news media industry, after a thorough cleanup, the entire industry is now much clearer, and everyone is starting to be pragmatic. The results are quite good.

"The assessment must be strict, and there must be a dedicated person to supervise this matter. Once anyone is found to be cheating, they will be dealt with as cheating."

"If you fail the practical exam, you won't get your graduation certificate."

After a moment of silence, everyone offered their suggestions, and the initial simple suggestion quickly became more comprehensive, even evolving into a feasible plan.

"I don't think one year is enough; it will take at least three to five years, or even ten years!"

Suddenly, Lin Zhengtian spoke, his words truly startling and unforgettable.

Even the most radical Old Zhao was slightly visibly amused and exasperated. "Old Lin, stop causing trouble. Everyone is giving their opinions seriously."

Lin Zhengtian's eyebrows shot up, as if a murderous aura was gathering. "How am I not giving suggestions politely?"

"The clinical results of Immortality No. 1 are quite good. Before long, the average human lifespan will reach two hundred years. Isn't it normal to spend a few more years studying?"

"It can also help alleviate some of the employment pressure."

The crowd, who had initially thought Lin Zhengtian was causing trouble, suddenly realized that their thinking was indeed out of touch with the latest trends.

"There's no need to alleviate the employment pressure; isn't the entire solar system enough to provide jobs for everyone?"

Mr. Qian said with a smile that China is now thriving and is carrying out a major development of the solar system. There are places that need people everywhere, so there is no employment pressure. They are even preparing to open a new K visa to bring in some talents from the West.

China is now extremely rich in resources, so the most urgent task is to improve the spiritual level of the people. Spending three to five years to help young people achieve spiritual elevation is a worthwhile endeavor, and even ten years is not impossible.

Immediately, the group engaged in another heated discussion, and a series of solutions were generated.

From the very beginning, none of them raised any objections to this suggestion.

……

Huaxia Medical Academy, Clinical Trial Intensive Care Unit
The clinical trial of Immortality No. 1 has been under close monitoring and global attention for several months. The first batch of volunteers over eighty years old have become a combination of a walking miracle and a question mark.

Several elderly people who used to rely on wheelchairs due to severe sarcopenia can now walk independently with the help of walking aids. One former veteran, trembling but determined, picked up the dumbbells he hadn't touched for years again, tears streaming down his face. "I feel... the rusty locks in my body have been opened."

Some volunteers reported improved blurred vision, firmer and more elastic skin, and suspicious darkening at the roots of gray hair. An elderly woman looked at herself in the mirror, her fingers tracing the shallower wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her expression dazed, as if she didn't recognize the person in the mirror.

However, experiments are not always smooth sailing, and the most prominent problem is psychological.

“My body feels like I’m sixty, or even fifty, but my memories, my experiences, and my deceased relatives and friends all clearly tell me that I am eighty-four.”

A retired professor confessed that he was in the midst of a profound identity crisis.

And for these participants, beneath the joy lay a huge worry: "How long can this state last? If the effect is temporary, will I have to go through the pain of aging again? Will that be even more despairing than the first time?"

Now Nirvana One is on the right track, and Song Chaoming's team has joined Liu Jishou's team to assist in the clinical trials of Immortality One. In the past few months, the data they have collected is enough to shock the whole world.

The subjects showed significantly prolonged telomere length, reduced inflammatory factor levels to the youth range, and an average reversal of epigenetic age of 15-20 years in specific tissues.

This provides the strongest evidence to date that aging is reversible, prompting numerous biotechnology companies and newly established laboratories to focus their efforts on optimizing delivery systems, reducing potential risks, and finding better reprogramming targets.

At the same time, some hidden dangers have begun to emerge.

Under close monitoring, researchers did indeed find a small number of seemingly young but functionally abnormal cell subpopulations in some volunteers, such as those secreting abnormal signaling molecules. Although these cells have not yet caused clinical disease, this confirms that the risk is not unfounded.

Two volunteers also developed mild autoimmune reactions of unknown cause, which some opponents attributed directly to the younger immune system beginning to attack other parts of the body that are aging.

There were many opponents to Immortality 1, but there were also many supporters, especially the families of the test subjects. They witnessed the elderly people go from decay to regaining their vitality and naturally became the most steadfast supporters. They no longer cared about the distant future, but only about the second life that their loved ones had gained.

Of course, some religious groups among the opponents are protesting more and more loudly, and have even carried out some dangerous activities. They hold up signs that read "Distorting God's Order," believing that this is creating an unnatural existence between life and death, an ominous symbol, and a blasphemy against God.

Fortunately, Immortality No. 1 appeared in China; otherwise, the clinical trials would certainly not have been able to proceed.

This has led many elderly Westerners to flock to China, hoping to become volunteers for the Immortal One mission. When they arrive in China and see the Chinese people, they realize that paradise truly exists!
Overall, the supporters and opponents of Immortality One maintain a delicate balance. With the endorsement of figures like Qian Lao, Immortality One, despite its ongoing controversy, continues to proceed with the next stage of verification in an orderly manner.

Chen Hui would also visit the lab every now and then to check the experimental data from the past period, make sure there were no abnormalities, observe the current state of the samples, and make timely adjustments.

However, he devoted most of his energy to planetary particle colliders and the unification theory of the four fundamental forces.

The particle collider project has already been submitted, and preparations are underway in full swing. Such a large project naturally needs to be divided into many sections for parallel construction, and preliminary exploration and camp construction are already underway at many nodes.

As for the theory of unification, Chen Hui doesn't have much inspiration yet.

...In Baosteel's director's office, He Peng was working on recent documents.

"director."

A young man, around twenty years old, strode into the office, stood at the door, and called out softly.

After finishing the documents in his hand, He Peng looked up and asked, "What is it?"

Although he was only thirty years old, he already possessed a commanding presence that commanded respect without needing to be angry.

The Tsinghua graduate student who used to collect scrap metal with Chen Hui in the factory has now become the chief engineer of Baosteel. He and Lin Hao developed hydrogen-based metallurgy technology based on Chen Hui's achievements, using hydrogen to replace traditional coke as a reducing agent in ironmaking. The direct product of the chemical reaction is water, thus avoiding the generation of carbon dioxide from the source.

There are also near-net-shape continuous casting and rolling technologies, such as thin strip casting and rolling, and endless rolling, which can significantly shorten the process from molten steel to finished steel, and eliminate the traditional billet cooling and reheating steps, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption and costs...

Automated control systems, etc.

Today, under his and Lin Hao's leadership, Baosteel has become a leader in the country, and many Chinese companies come to Baosteel to learn advanced technologies.

"He Peng, big news!"

Before the secretary could answer, Lin Hao burst in.

Now he is also the deputy chief engineer of Baosteel, and he is a good partner with He Peng, so he naturally has fewer concerns.

"Just now, Professor Qian and the others announced the Chaos Ring Project. It's a huge undertaking. I'm planning to go see if there's anything I can do to help. Do you want to come?"

Lin Hao said excitedly.

"?"

"What Chaos Ring Project?"

He Peng was completely bewildered. After becoming the director, he was extremely busy and didn't have much free time to gather information.

Lin Hao didn't say much. He took out his phone, found the replay of the news, and without wasting any time, he scrolled to the most important part and clicked play.

"Today, we are announcing the launch of the Chaos Ring Project."

On the screen, Chen Hui's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power: "We will build a planetary particle collider with a circumference of over 4 kilometers on the Earth's equator."

This is not about war, but about ushering in the singularity era of humanity's understanding of the universe, where we will confront dark matter, antimatter, and even the ultimate structure of spacetime.

He Peng suddenly realized.

Planetary particle collider?

He then became somewhat dazed.

Building a particle collider on the equator might be a concept to others, but someone who has worked on the front lines for a long time knows how massive this project is. Compared to it, the Great Wall pales in comparison, not only in length but also in terms of technological sophistication.

The Great Wall, which began construction in the Western Zhou Dynasty and was built and maintained intermittently through more than ten dynasties including the Qin, Han, and Ming Dynasties, has been a result of more than two thousand years. Even the actual construction time was several decades. So, how long will it take to complete this Chaos Ring Project?

In He Peng's view, the technical difficulty of building a planetary particle collider is even greater than that of building the Great Wall.

"No matter what, as long as it's Professor Chen's project, I'll always go and lend a hand."

Lin Hao interrupted He Peng's thoughts, appearing full of enthusiasm, "I couldn't help with Professor Chen's projects before, but I really can help with this one, so I have to go."

Such a large project would obviously require a lot of manpower. Lin Hao believed that with his resume, he would not be turned away. Just thinking about being able to participate in such a project made Lin Hao tremble with excitement.

After pondering for a long time, He Peng said, "Let's go together!"

He knew that such a project would probably not go smoothly, but Professor Chen needed help, so how could he not go and assist him?

"I knew it!"

Lin Hao patted He Peng on the shoulder, and the two smiled at each other, everything understood without words.

The moment the news of the Chaos Ring project was released, it caused a sensation worldwide. Most Chinese people naturally felt proud and strongly supported it, after all, they had experienced many similar things before, such as the Three Gorges Dam, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project...

Which of these projects wasn't a massive undertaking that would deter most people? But in the end, they were all completed and brought many benefits to everyone's lives. So when this project was announced, everyone was overjoyed.

Of course, there are also dissenting voices. It is obvious that this project will require a lot of resources. Some people have brought up the fact that Mr. Yang Zhenning opposed the construction of a large particle collider, arguing that it would be better to spend so much financial and material resources on such a project and carry out some projects that benefit the country and its people.

At an internal meeting in the capital,

An elderly man stood up and looked at the white-haired old man sitting at the head of the table. “Mr. Qian, I must speak frankly! The Chaos Ring Project has consumed astronomical amounts of resources. We could have used this fusion energy and industrial capacity to completely transform global agriculture within five years, achieving an unlimited supply of food; to build a free global medical network within ten years; and to enable everyone on Earth to live in smart eco-friendly homes within twenty years!”
This is the responsibility that we Chinese people should have, and it is about creating a paradise on earth!
Now, we are mobilizing the entire world's resources to pursue a vague and elusive truth. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse?

The conference room fell silent, and all eyes were on Chen Hui.

"Alright, this matter has been decided through an internal meeting. The reason I called everyone here today is not to solicit your opinions, but to have you come up with a specific implementation plan."

Before Chen Hui could answer, Qian Lao interrupted the questioning.

He then looked at the old man who had asked the question, "When Professor Chen was researching condensed matter physics, everyone thought it was just an ordinary research project, but when the fifth-generation semiconductor came out, did you still think so?"

"Don't you all know how seventh-generation fighters and high-temperature superconductivity came about?"

"When Professor Chen was studying the Navier-Stokes equations, did everyone know what their applications were? Now, with nuclear fusion power plants all over China, do you see the significance of this research?"

"I don't blame you for not being able to see that far ahead with this particle collider, but let's discuss this issue again when that day comes."

(End of this chapter)