"Let go of her!"
With Jiang Fan's loud command, both Mayor Deng and Minister Zhou Huai De immediately sensed that something was wrong over in that direction!
Minister Zhou raised his hand, signaling his security personnel. More than ten guards armed with assault rifles rushed forward, their guns aimed at everyone but Jiang Fan. Liu Zhi, who had never witnessed such a display of force, was paralyzed with fear. The sight of the dark, menacing barrels, as if black holes ready to swallow him whole, made his entire body tremble.
Without thinking, he released Chu Ruoxi's wrist, raised both his hands in surrender, and stammered, "No... please don't kill me... I... I surrender!"
Sweat, as small as peas, began to bead on his forehead, and his legs trembled uncontrollably. Soon, a yellowish liquid began to leak from his body, filling the air with an unbearable stench.
The students behind Liu Zhi were equally terrified, their teeth chattering as they cowered, too afraid to speak a word.
Chu Ruoxi's face turned pale with fear; she looked like a helpless little rabbit surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves, trembling in terror.
In the midst of her panic and confusion, a warm hand gently grasped hers, dispelling the chill that had gripped her. A surge of safety and reassurance washed over her, as if a ray of light had pierced through the darkness. It was like a lost ship finally sighting the shore, or a lost child finding their way home.
"Don't be afraid, Ruoxi. I'm here," came a deep, comforting voice in her ear. Without thinking, Chu Ruoxi instinctively moved closer to the person offering her this unexpected sense of security.
Mayor Deng and Minister Zhou rushed over at the same time.
Mayor Deng, his expression stern, scolded Principal Ma, "How are you educating your students? Letting them bully Jiang Fan like this? If this continues, you won't be Principal for long!"
Mayor Deng himself was also startled. Jiang Fan was a person personally chosen by Minister Zhou—someone of immense importance, second only to the president of the country. If anything were to happen to Jiang Fan, especially in front of Minister Zhou, Mayor Deng's career would be over.
Principal Ma quickly apologized and turned to scold Teacher Wang.
"Wang, what kind of teacher are you? If Jiang Fan is scared, can you take responsibility for that?"
Teacher Wang stood frozen, completely confused. What was going on?
In the office, Principal Ma had been so harsh, saying that someone like Jiang Fan, a "trash student," deserved to be treated with cruelty. He had even said that one bad apple could ruin the whole batch.
But now, listening to Principal Ma's words, Jiang Fan seemed to be treated like a precious gem!
Teacher Wang wanted to explain but was struck mute by the overwhelming pressure of the armed SWAT team. His throat felt dry as if he were choking on glue, and despite trying to speak, no words came out.
Minister Zhou, who had remained silent until now, turned to Jiang Fan.
"Jiang Fan?"
"Yes?" Jiang Fan nodded slightly in response.
"Let's talk."
"Mm."
Without further words, Minister Zhou walked toward the helicopter, and Jiang Fan followed closely behind.
When they reached the side of the helicopter, Minister Zhou stopped, and Jiang Fan stood a meter away, waiting for his question.
It took over ten seconds before Minister Zhou finally spoke.
"How certain are you that the information in your files is correct?"
"100%," Jiang Fan replied flatly.
For a brief moment, a flicker of emotion passed across Minister Zhou's otherwise impassive face. From the determined look in Jiang Fan's eyes, it was clear he wasn't lying.
"The most easily controllable fusion reaction is the deuterium-tritium reaction. However, tritium's half-life is short. How do you solve that problem?" Minister Zhou asked directly, presenting one of the unresolved issues in their research.
"In nuclear fusion, tritium acts as a kind of catalyst. Currently, the consumption-to-proliferation ratio of tritium is low, so it is crucial to strictly control its dissipation at every stage. The first barrier, which directly contacts the plasma, has the longest tritium retention time and must be tightly controlled. If we don't manage this, the tritium will deplete, and the plasma will extinguish, leading to a shutdown. Solving this problem requires..."
Jiang Fan spoke for over ten minutes, explaining the intricacies of the issue, while Minister Zhou grew more and more excited, as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes.
After the explanation, Minister Zhou immediately took out a small notebook and began frantically jotting down key points.
The concepts Jiang Fan discussed were part of the controlled fusion system that the system had awarded him just a few days earlier. When the system provided him with the knowledge, it felt as though it had merged with his mind, almost as if he had been born with it.
As Minister Zhou asked questions, solutions immediately sprang to Jiang Fan's mind.
When Jiang Fan finished speaking, Minister Zhou continued to scribble in his notebook.
Two minutes later, he finally stopped writing, looked up at Jiang Fan with admiration, and grasped his hand tightly.
"You're a genius! Truly a genius!"
"Jiang Fan, would you be willing to join the country's controlled nuclear fusion research project?"
In his previous life, Jiang Fan had been a researcher, and being invited to join such a grand national project would have been a tremendous honor. However, his current mission was to get admitted to Dragon University.
"Researching controlled nuclear fusion isn't something that can be done overnight. I want to focus on my studies first," Jiang Fan replied.
Minister Zhou laughed heartily. "Joining our project won't interfere with your studies."
"Actually, I do have one request regarding the controlled fusion project. Since I only scored 300 points on the college entrance exam, I..."
Minister Zhou cut him off, "That's not an issue. You can choose any university in Dragon Country."
"Thank you," Jiang Fan said, feeling a sense of relief.
"No, thank you! The information you submitted could save the country a decade's worth of work on controlled nuclear fusion research," Minister Zhou replied.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Zhou Huai De, the Chief Engineer of the Northern Controlled Fusion Research Base."
"Hello, Uncle Zhou!"
"Alright, let's go. We'll head back to your home now. The old guys can't wait to meet you!" Minister Zhou smiled widely, his joy evident. This was probably the happiest moment of his last decade.
Without another word, he grabbed Jiang Fan's arm and led him toward the helicopter.
"Uncle Zhou, can I make a small request?" Jiang Fan asked.
"Of course, what is it?"
"My classmate would like to ride in the helicopter too."
Minister Zhou pointed at Chu Ruoxi. "You mean your little girlfriend?"
"She... she's not my... girlfriend, just a classmate," Jiang Fan stammered, his face flushing slightly.
Minister Zhou, noticing Jiang Fan's reddening face, chuckled knowingly and said, "Alright."
"Thank you, Uncle Zhou!" Jiang Fan said, his face lighting up with joy.
Chu Ruoxi, who had been anxiously watching the situation, was both fearful and regretful. If she hadn't mentioned wanting to ride the helicopter, Jiang Fan wouldn't have angered Mayor Deng and the others.
As she continued to worry, she suddenly heard a deep voice call out, "Let Chu Ruoxi come here."
Confused, but obedient, she walked toward them. When she reached Minister Zhou's side, she anxiously pleaded, "Uncle, Jiang Fan didn't mean to offend anyone. Can you please not arrest him?"
Minister Zhou paused, then nearly laughed. It seemed the little girl had misunderstood his intentions. He didn't offer any explanation but simply said, "Get on the helicopter."