Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

Seven hours after the 48-hour technical marathon ended, a top-secret meeting summary was placed on the conference table of the highest level of government in China.

The joint technical evaluation report by 327 top experts, spanning 93 pages, meticulously records Lin Feng's complete explanations of the Nuwa and Heavenly Court projects, all the questions and answers, and the expert group's final conclusions.

The conclusion consists of only three sentences:

[After review and verification by all experts, the Nuwa large-scale controlled nuclear fusion theoretical system is complete, the technical path is clear, and the engineering feasibility is evident. It is recommended that the project be approved immediately.]

The Heavenly Court Missile Interception System boasts an advanced theoretical architecture, comprehensive algorithm design, and satisfactory defensive capabilities; immediate project approval is recommended.

If realized, these two technologies will fundamentally reshape the landscape of national energy and defense security, and their strategic value is immeasurable.

The top-level meeting lasted four hours.

When the meeting room doors opened again, the seven decision-makers all wore a sense of historic solemnity.

Old Chen stood outside the door waiting. The moment he saw the seven people nod, he knew that the two most important strategic projects in the country were about to be launched.

The following morning, two official documents bearing the national seal were issued simultaneously.

The Nuwa project is located in the National Energy Comprehensive Experimental Zone in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing. The area already has mature nuclear industry infrastructure and is under the highest level of security.

The location of the Heavenly Court project was the subject of intense debate.

Initially, some suggested placing it in the central region to cover the east, west, north, and south. However, Lin Feng insisted on one point: the missile defense system must be verified through live-fire testing, which requires a wide airspace, a safe landing zone, and the lowest possible population density.

Ultimately, the project was settled at a test base in Northwest China.

There is a large weapons testing ground there, an uninhabited area of ​​800 kilometers in radius, with a complete no-fly zone in the airspace, and an underground command post that extends 300 meters into the mountain. It is the ideal place to test the Heavenly Court system.

Once the location was determined, personnel appointments became the focus.

At the top-level special meeting, when the selection of chief designers for the two projects was discussed, the seven decision-makers almost unanimously agreed:

"Lin Feng".

When this decision reached Elder Chen, even he felt a bit of pressure. He immediately found Lin Feng, who was organizing technical documents.

"Lin Feng, the top-level appointments have been issued." Old Chen handed over two appointment documents: "Nuwa Large-scale Controlled Nuclear Fusion Demonstration Project, Chief Designer; Heavenly Court All-Domain Missile Defense System, Chief Designer."

Lin Feng took the document, looked at his own name and the two chief engineer titles on it, and frowned slightly.

"Old Chen, am I to be the chief designer for two projects?" He looked up, his tone clearly questioning. "Nuwa is in the capital, and the Heavenly Court is in the northwest, more than two thousand kilometers apart. Even if I were to be in two places at once, I couldn't possibly oversee both projects simultaneously."

Old Chen understood Lin Feng's concerns, but he had to convey the top-level considerations.

"This is the top leadership's decision," the old man said solemnly. "You provided all the theoretical basis for these two projects, and you are the only one who truly understands the core technologies. If someone else is appointed as the chief engineer, they will still have to come back to you when they encounter key problems. In that case, it's better for you to take charge personally from the beginning."

He paused, looking into Lin Feng's eyes: "Of course, this will be very tiring for you. You might need to travel back and forth between Beijing and the Northwest. But the top leadership said—as long as the project progresses smoothly, a longer timeframe is acceptable. We shouldn't be reckless; we want success."

Lin Feng remained silent for a few seconds.

As he looked at the bright red national emblem seal on the appointment document, images of the 100-day simulation in the system space flashed through his mind, as did the scene of more than 300 experts standing up to pay their respects in the underground conference room, and the heavy expectation in Old Chen's eyes.

Then he nodded.

"All right."

There were no grand pronouncements, no haggling, just two simple words.

But Old Chen knew that behind those two words lay the young man's determination to shoulder two great mountains.

"You've worked hard." Old Chen patted Lin Feng's shoulder heavily. "The country will not forget your contributions."

On the day the official appointment was issued, the first thing Lin Feng did was to request the mobilization of a special team.

"Old Chen, I need to transfer the entire original team from the Nuwa small-scale controlled nuclear fusion project to the large-scale project team." Lin Feng handed over a list of forty-seven people. "These people have been working with me on the Nuwa small-scale controlled nuclear fusion project, are familiar with my working methods, and have a deep understanding of fusion technology. With them, the progress of the large-scale project can be saved by at least six months."

Professor Chen glanced at the list—every single person on it was a participant in that small-scale fusion breakthrough back then. Now, they are scattered across the country in scientific research positions, some have become laboratory directors, and some have been awarded senior professional titles.

"Transfer them all?" Old Chen confirmed. "These people are all key personnel in their respective units, and transferring them might affect their original work."

"It must be all of them." Lin Feng's tone was firm. "Although the small and large versions of Nuwa differ by orders of magnitude in scale, their core principles are the same. Their experience is invaluable. Moreover..."

He paused for a moment: "I need a team I can completely trust. These two projects are too important to allow for any internal friction issues."

Old Chen understood.

This isn't a technical issue; it's a matter of trust. In mega-projects that concern the fate of the nation, teamwork and trust are sometimes more important than the technology itself.

"Alright, I'll coordinate it personally." Old Chen put away the list. "Everyone must report to the capital within three days."

The transfer order was issued with the highest priority.

Forty-seven emergency mobilization notices were sent across the country through secure channels. The researchers who received the notices included those leading national-level projects, those who had just secured major grants, and those who were preparing to travel abroad to attend academic conferences.

But no one hesitated.

Within 24 hours of receiving the notification, everyone must complete the handover of their work; within 48 hours, everyone must arrive at the Beijing National Energy Experimental Zone to report for duty.

When Lin Feng walked into the temporary command center of the Nuwa project team, forty-seven familiar faces stood up in unison.

Leading the group was still Academician Li, with his gray hair—the deputy chief engineer of the small-scale fusion project, now an absolute authority in the domestic fusion field. The old man looked at Lin Feng, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Chief Engineer Lin, we're back."

Lin Feng surveyed the room and nodded: "This time, we're not building an experimental device, but an energy heart that can supply power to millions of people. The task is heavier, and the pressure is greater."

"But we've already walked this path once," Academician Li said firmly. "With you here, we have confidence."

With the team assembled, the project has entered its substantive phase.

But Lin Feng still faces a serious practical problem – how can he, as an individual, simultaneously be in charge of two mega-projects that are 2,000 kilometers apart?

He made a decision that surprised everyone: first the Northwest, then the capital.

"The Heavenly Court project needs to establish its basic framework as soon as possible." At the first video coordination meeting between the two locations, Lin Feng explained to the core members of the two project teams, "The hardware deployment cycle of the missile defense system is long, especially the fixed facilities such as quantum radar stations and laser interception sites, which must be started first."

"As for the Nuwa project," he said, pulling up the project schedule, "the first six months mainly involve theoretical refinement, engineering design, and material preparation. With Academician Li leading the team, these tasks can proceed entirely according to plan. I only need to return to Beijing once a month to conduct reviews of key milestones."

This arrangement was accepted by both sides.

Three days later, Lin Feng arrived at the Northwest Test Base.

The scene before him was awe-inspiring—on the Gobi Desert, spanning fifty square kilometers, engineering vehicles scurried about like ants. A thirty-meter-deep foundation pit was being excavated, the main site for the future quantum radar array; on the distant mountainside, the installation platform for the laser interceptor was taking shape; at the entrance to the underground command center, a heavy tunnel boring machine was advancing deep into the mountain.

The three hundred core members of the Heavenly Court project team are all top experts in the fields of aerospace, military industry, and electronics. Many of them were among those who asked the most pointed questions at the 48-hour meeting.

But at this moment, their attitude towards Lin Feng was completely different.

At the project launch meeting, Academician Li, who was in charge of the radar system, was the first to speak: "Chief Engineer Lin, we have thoroughly understood the principles of quantum radar, but in actual construction, the interference of atmospheric turbulence on the quantum state far exceeds expectations. What do you think of this compensation algorithm…?"

Lin Feng retrieved the solution he had simulated countless times in the system space: "Add an active turbulence detection network around the radar array to monitor atmospheric disturbances in real time and perform pre-compensation through an adaptive optics system. This is the specific algorithm and hardware design diagram."

He transmitted a 300-page technical document live.

Academician Li's eyes lit up after flipping through just a few pages: "This idea... is entirely feasible!"

Such scenes repeated themselves in the days that followed.

For every challenge, such as the heat dissipation of laser interceptors, the real-time performance of multi-target decision-making systems, and the data synchronization between subsystems, Lin Feng can provide a system-verified solution.

Sometimes, he doesn't need to give a complete answer; he only needs to point out the key direction, and the project team's experts can find a way out by following the line of thought.

In three months, the Gobi Desert in Northwest China has been transformed.

Twelve quantum radar towers rose from the ground, each 87 meters high and topped with a 15-meter diameter spherical antenna dome. The laser interception site completed the installation of sixteen transmission units, each equipped with an independent power system and cooling system. The main structure of the underground command center was completed, with three basement levels extending into the mountainside, capable of withstanding the impact of a megaton-level nuclear blast.

Most importantly, the software framework of the Heavenly Court system has been fully built.

In the simulation test, the system successfully tracked 1,200 simulated targets simultaneously, with an identification accuracy of 99.8% and an interception decision generation time of 0.07 seconds, all of which met the design specifications.

The project's deputy chief engineer, a veteran general with forty years of military service, said to Lin Feng after the third system-wide joint testing: "Chief Engineer Lin, I now believe—the Heavenly Court can truly protect this land."

After three months, Lin Feng handed over the daily management of the Heavenly Court project to the old general.

"Hardware construction is progressing as planned, and the software system undergoes iterative testing every two weeks." Before leaving, Lin Feng instructed, "If you encounter any problems you can't solve, contact me anytime. I will come back once a month."

Then, he boarded a private plane bound for Beijing.

Three hours later, the plane landed in Beijing.