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

Twenty-four hours—this is the terrifying efficiency that the Chinese state apparatus has demonstrated for the Hou Tu project.

With Elder Chen at the helm, coordinating efforts from all directions, top-priority orders traversed mountains and rivers to reach relevant units. A geological bureau in a southwestern province received a top-secret order to assist in exploration; several national-level heavy machinery factories received tasks for the trial production of special components; and academicians, chief engineers, and chief scientists from major related fields across the country received urgent mobilization notices.

Accompanied by Zhao Weiguo, Lin Feng flew to the southwest immediately. Several elite teams composed of top geologists and geophysicists from across the country were already on standby with state-of-the-art exploration equipment. Based on the energy enrichment-geological stability dual screening model provided by Lin Feng, they had to determine the final project start point from several preliminary selection areas in the shortest possible time.

The following days were filled with intense and efficient fieldwork and data analysis. Drilling and sampling, seismic wave scanning, precise measurements of the geomagnetic and gravity fields... massive amounts of data were continuously collected at the makeshift on-site command center.

Lin Feng personally oversaw and guided the data analysis. His theoretical model was cross-referenced and revised with the actual exploration results. Ultimately, all the data pointed to a remote and desolate mountainous region deep within the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Here, the crust is ancient and thick, the structure is relatively stable, and seismic activity is minimal. More importantly, the data showed that a unique low-velocity zone exists beneath the mantle structure, which theoretically could imply a relatively gentle deep energy gradient, highly favorable for the initial drilling and subsequent stabilization of the Tongtian Well.

"This is it." Lin Feng drew the final red circle on the map. "Code name: 'Heart of Kunlun'."

With the location chosen, national resources were instantly focused. Just one week later, a dedicated, high-security highway stretched from the nearest major transportation artery towards the "Heart of Kunlun" area. Heavy engineering vehicles, modular barracks, and large generator sets poured into this silent mountain wilderness like a steel torrent.

A comprehensive base codenamed "Abyss Outpost" rose from the ground at a visible speed. The base was surrounded by a tight military perimeter, and the interior was divided into a living support area, a scientific research and analysis area, an engineering command center, and the most crucial area—the giant operating platform area where the future "Sky Well" would be located.

Meanwhile, related factories and laboratories across the country have already been operating at full capacity.

The Tongtianjing (通天井) is not a traditional drilling rig. It is an intelligent, modular, mega-engineering system integrating ultra-deep drilling, real-time geological sensing, dynamic support and reinforcement, high-temperature and high-pressure cooling, and energy fluctuation monitoring. Its core drill bit adopts the phase oscillation thermal drill designed in Lin Feng's theory, which combines extremely high-frequency physical vibration with directional energy beams to efficiently melt and push away the rock in front, rather than simply relying on mechanical force to break it. The specially made pressure-resistant alloy casing, with embedded superconducting cooling pipe network and energy sensing array, is lowered and welded synchronously with the drilling depth to form a solid blood vessel leading to the Earth's core.

The research, development, and manufacturing of the Xirang engineering vessel and its complete set of supporting equipment were carried out simultaneously in a top-secret workshop at the Northwest Base. Every piece of material, every weld, and every system of this ark capable of venturing into the abyss underwent the most rigorous testing. Inside the extreme test chamber simulating the Earth's core environment, the prototype sections of the Xirang vessel were repeatedly subjected to temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius and pressures tens of thousands of times atmospheric pressure, with final details continuously being optimized.

Lin Feng frequently shuttled between the "Heart of Kunlun" and the Northwest Base. He reviewed the design drawings of every subsystem of the Tongtianjing, conducted human-machine interaction tests at the simulated control console of the Xirang Ship, and coordinated the seamless connection of the two core parts. The entire Houtu Project, like a super machine with a perfect program written by him, operated precisely, at high speed, and in a coordinated manner under the drive of the nation's resources.

Time flew by amidst the roar of machinery and the flashing stream of data.

Three months later, at the "Heart of Kunlun" base.

On the massive work platform, a colossal steel tower, over a hundred meters tall, stood majestically—this was the surface section of the Tongtian Well. Inside the tower, a giant drill pipe, ten meters in diameter, was ready. As Lin Feng pressed the start button in the command center, a deep, rumbling sound, seemingly emanating from the depths of the earth, resounded.

The first phase of the Tongtianjing project has officially begun drilling!

The drill pipe begins to rotate and press down, and the phase oscillation thermal drill bit at the top glows with a dark red light. The hard bedrock softens like butter in its presence and is expelled by the vacuum suction system at the center of the drill pipe. The specially designed casing follows closely behind, and the hydraulic robotic arm precisely connects and welds it, while the cooling system on the inner wall immediately starts working to dissipate the initial heat from underground.

The project was not without its challenges. The drill bit encountered unexpectedly hard crystalline rock layers, requiring an emergency adjustment to the phase oscillation frequency; when the casing was lowered to a certain depth, abnormal lateral stress was detected, necessitating a halt and the activation of a temporary support robot for reinforcement before resuming operations. However, each unexpected event remained within the scope of Lin Feng's theoretical contingency plan, and the team was always able to quickly find a solution.

Drilling continued day and night. The numbers on the depth recorder kept jumping: 1000 meters, 3000 meters, 10000 meters, 30000 meters... Each breakthrough in depth brought a small cheer in the base, but more importantly, it brought caution and focus on the unknown journey ahead.

Just as the Tongtianjing was steadily being excavated toward the Earth's core, good news came from the Northwest Base: the Xirang Engineering Ship and all its supporting equipment had completed the final ground testing and acceptance, and all systems had met or even exceeded the design specifications!

Six months have passed in the blink of an eye in this profound dialogue between humanity and the Earth.

The "Heart of Kunlun" command center. On the enormous screen, the real-time status of the drill bit is displayed: Depth—the boundary between the mantle and the core! Temperature and pressure readings have entered the typical range of the outer core! The last set of data transmitted back by the drill bit clearly shows that what lies ahead is no longer solid or plastic mantle material, but a surging, high-density flow of liquid metal!

"Report to the Commander-in-Chief! The Sky Well has successfully penetrated the Mohorovičić discontinuity at the bottom of the mantle and reached the predetermined coordinates at the edge of the outer core! All sensors are working normally, and the energy field readings are unusually active! We...we really made it through!" The Commander-in-Chief's voice trembled with excitement.

Success! A man-made tunnel to the Earth's core, ten meters in diameter and equipped with complete protection and monitoring functions, was miraculously created by China's engineering prowess in just six months!

At almost the same time, at the Northwest Base, the Xirang Engineering Ship and all its equipment had been disassembled and packaged, and transported to the "Heart of Kunlun" base by several specially made super-heavy transport aircraft. They were reassembled and tested in a dedicated assembly plant.

The streamlined, dark gold-hulled ship, adorned with runes designed to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures, rested silently on the giant track, its bow aligned with the bottomless, dark opening of the Tongtianjing (Heavenly Well). Beside it stood neatly arranged deep-sea operating platforms, arrays of exploration robots, and various specialized equipment.

An epic tension and anticipation permeated the entire Abyss Outpost. Everyone understood that they were about to witness humanity's first proactive and prepared entry into the Earth's core! This wasn't science fiction; it was reality about to unfold!

Lin Feng stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the command center, gazing intently at the massive steel tower pointing towards the Earth's core and the fully equipped and ready-to-go Xirang ship.