The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

Ji Bai is actually going to work on superconductivity!

Old Wang sighed, leaned back in his chair, and said with a tone full of helplessness, "I'm already on your pirate ship, so I'll go crazy with you to the end."

As one of the top academicians in China, Professor Wang's connections were even more terrifying than Ji Bai had imagined.

Although he has dedicated himself to the field of mathematics for decades, his students are spread across various disciplines.

Some are working on superconductivity at the Institute of Physics, some at the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and some are chief engineers at the Aerospace Materials Group.

Most of the equipment Ji Bai mentioned could be obtained through his students and colleagues, and at prices significantly lower than the market price.

"The standard laboratory equipment is fine. I'll ask someone to help you through special supply channels, and it can be delivered to Fucheng in as little as a week."

After a pause, Old Wang added, "As for those high-purity controlled raw materials, we need to talk to the higher-ups. By the way, I heard that the State Council has approved a special project for you, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

Clearly, Mr. Wang had also received news about the allocation of funds from higher authorities.

Upon hearing this, Ji Bai immediately seized the opportunity, showering the sect with flattery, one after another, without repeating himself: "I knew it! The Supreme Elder is the pillar of our sect!"

"Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure"—this saying is absolutely true!

"With your connections and skills, you'd be a powerful sect patriarch in ancient times, capable of changing the course of events with a mere wave of your hand!"

"Don't even mention developing superconductivity; if I ever wanted to try controlled nuclear fusion, you could gather all the materials for me!"

"Hahaha, stop messing with me, kid!"

Old Wang was cursing, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up high; he was practically being coaxed into becoming an embryo.

This is like a rare, exceptional genius from a cultivation sect who appears only once every thousand years. He goes out and challenges everyone and everything, then returns to the sect and presents the immortal artifact he just snatched from a secret realm to the sect's patriarch.

He said sweetly, "This magical artifact is just scrap metal in other people's hands, but it's only rightfully yours in yours."

The old patriarch knew perfectly well that the boy was flattering him, but he was still so pleased that he couldn't stop smiling. He stroked his beard and thought to himself: Although this child causes trouble outside, he still cares about me, his old patriarch. I haven't spoiled him for nothing.

Old Wang is now the ancestor who has been completely subdued by His Highness the Holy Son.

Even though she knew Ji Bai was a smooth talker, she couldn't help but laugh, and even chimed in, "You can even do controlled nuclear fusion? If you really manage to achieve controlled nuclear fusion, I'll call you dad!"

"It's a deal!"

……

Online, the public opinion, after fermenting overnight, not only did not subside, but instead became even more heated.

Especially after the news that the State Council and the State Administration of Science, Technology and Education had approved funds for Ji Bai was leaked online, netizens were completely outraged.

"No, why? Why should the Senate give Ji Bai 50 million?"

"I can't control how Liaoning Province spoils its children, but why should the government give them money whenever it wants?"

"And what about the Education Bureau? How come they only approved 60 million?"

"I don't deny Ji Bai's achievements in mathematics, but mathematics and materials science are two different things!"

"Does proving a hundred conjectures have anything to do with whether you can develop new materials?"

"Don't the State Council and the State Administration of Education understand the principle that 'every profession has its own secrets'?"

"Aren't you afraid of wasting 50 million yuan by giving it to a freshman who hasn't even taken a basic materials science course?"

"We strongly demand the release of Ji Bai's project application! It's a massive project worth hundreds of millions of yuan; the public has the right to know what this money will be used for research!"

"If you don't even dare to disclose your research direction, then don't blame people for suspecting there's something fishy going on!"

"That's right, go public!"

Just when everyone was clamoring for the public release of the Ji Bai project, another rumor was leaked.

[Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Ji Bai's research is likely related to high-temperature superconductors.]

The so-called high-temperature superconductivity refers to a temperature relative to absolute zero.

Absolute zero is 273 degrees Celsius, while the highest superconducting critical temperature that humans can currently achieve is only a little over 100 degrees Celsius below zero.

It's still a long way from being truly "high temperature," or even normal temperature.

No one dared to imagine that Ji Bai was going to develop room-temperature superconductivity. The mere mention of "high-temperature superconductivity" was enough to send everyone into a frenzy.

The news caused a public uproar.

"Holy crap! High-temperature superconductivity?"

"Am I seeing things? He's a mathematician working on superconductivity? That's a really outrageous career change!"

"Does anyone know what high-temperature superconductivity is?"

"A generous gift of crabs! This stuff is a bottomless pit!"

"The world has poured decades and hundreds of billions of dollars into this, and there's not even a trace of it becoming practical!"

"So they chose the most expensive and least productive direction? And if they fail, they just say 'technical bottleneck' and call it a day, spend all the money, and walk away?"

"Isn't this a complete waste of money?"

"A scam to get funding! Absolutely a scam to get funding!"

"No wonder he's a mathematician, his mind works really fast!"

"I've seen this trick before. A certain associate professor at a university did just that, swindling 100 million yuan to do quantum computing, and after five years he hadn't produced anything, and he's still living a carefree life abroad!"

"A thorough investigation is recommended!"

……

at the same time.

Wuhan University.

After hanging up a phone call, Academician Zhou leaned back in his leather swivel chair and slowly smiled.

"So it's superconductivity... I thought this kid had some groundbreaking innovation up his sleeve. He gave me quite a scare."

Yesterday, he and a group of old colleagues were having a cricket-catching session at Tsinghua University when they suddenly received news that the State Council had approved 50 million yuan. Everyone was stunned on the spot.

The significance of the Senate donating money is far greater than the publication of "A Young China's Manifesto" in the People's Daily!

They're not even in the same league!

This terrified the old Dengs.

The group of old men looked at each other in bewilderment, unable to even drink their tea. They broke up the meeting that very night and went home to their respective mothers.

I didn't even sleep well at night.

Everyone was wondering if the higher-ups had received some inside information, and if Ji Bai had really done something extraordinary.

But today, Academician Zhou received news that Ji Bai is actually going to work on superconductivity?

Is this a joke?

Academician Zhou shook his head, feeling that he had been worrying unnecessarily all night and had spent the whole night in fear.

Even someone like him who works in mathematics knows this very well; superconductivity is a bottomless pit that is widely recognized in the scientific research community.

The world's top laboratories, the brightest physicists, and materials scientists have spent more than half a century trying to raise the critical temperature to just over minus 130 degrees Celsius.

It requires extreme high pressure to achieve, and has absolutely no practical value.

Even if Ji Bai raises it by another ten or eight degrees, what's the point?

There are even pessimistic theories in the industry that suggest that superconductivity at room temperature and pressure is simply an impossible proposition!

Ji Bai is so headlong into this. Even if he throws in a billion or more, let alone a hundred million, it'll only make a splash.

Thinking of this, Academician Zhou felt completely relieved.

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, was finally at ease.

That's it?

A kid who hasn't even grown up yet dares to touch superconductivity, a bottomless pit of money, is simply ruining his future.

Perhaps before long, he will become just another ordinary person!