The defence committee meeting was scheduled for 2 PM on November 15th, 2026, in the conference room adjacent to Professor Zhang's office. For an undergraduate senior thesis, the defence was typically straightforward—present research, answer questions, and receive approval to graduate.
Chen Wei's senior thesis was not straightforward.
The 120-page document was titled "Design of Experiments Optimisation of Perovskite Superconductor Transition Temperature: From Theory to Manufacturing-Constrained Implementation." It represented the synthesis of his superconductor research (which had already been published in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter), his battery materials research (currently in review at Advanced Energy Materials), and his broader philosophical transition toward manufacturing-constrained materials design.
The committee consisted of Professor Zhang (his advisor), Professor Liu (his polymer science collaborator), and Professor Chen Jing from the physics department—a theorist who had apparently been selected to challenge his experimental methodology from first principles.
"Your approach is interesting," Professor Chen Jing said, reviewing the thesis abstract. "You're arguing that traditional optimisation in materials science treats manufacturing constraints as afterthoughts rather than design inputs. But manufacturing constraints are often arbitrary—they depend on what equipment is available, what suppliers provide, and what happens to be economically feasible. How do you decide which constraints to design around?"
It was an excellent question. Chen Wei had wrestled with exactly this problem throughout his battery materials work.
"You prioritise based on scale," Chen Wei explained. "At the laboratory scale, constraints are whatever your particular equipment and protocols create. But manufacturing at scale creates different constraints. So you identify the constraints that will persist across the widest range of realistic manufacturing environments, then design materials that are robust to those constraints. That turns arbitrary limitations into design specifications."
"Give me an example," Professor Chen Jing pressed.
"Thermal gradients during cooling," Chen Wei said. "In laboratory furnaces, you can cycle the temperature rapidly. In industrial furnaces, thermal mass creates inevitable temperature gradients. That's not arbitrary—that's fundamental to how large thermal systems work. So if you design materials that are robust to ±50°C cooling-phase temperature variation, you've designed for something that will always matter at scale."
The professor nodded slowly, considering. "That's actually a sophisticated framework for materials engineering. You're essentially embedding systems thinking into materials design rather than treating materials and processing as separate domains."
The defence proceeded for two hours. The questions were rigorous but not hostile. The committee was clearly impressed by the intellectual coherence of the thesis while also grappling with the unusual nature of a work that synthesised academic research with active commercial development.
By 4:30 PM, the verdict was clear: "We approve the thesis with distinction. This is a genuinely novel contribution to how we think about materials optimisation and manufacturing integration."
Chen Wei graduated from Tsinghua University on December 20th, 2026.
The ceremony was formal, held in the main auditorium with thousands of graduates, families, and faculty present. He wore the ceremonial robes, walked across the stage to receive his diploma from the university president, and experienced the strange sensation of official completion of an undergraduate degree that had been simultaneously consuming and increasingly peripheral to his actual work over the past year.
His mother attended, his sister was present as an auditor (she was barely two months into her own Tsinghua career), and his friends from the physics program seemed genuinely happy to celebrate together. Jian Hao organised a reunion dinner that evening with about twenty people from Chen Wei's undergraduate cohort.
But the milestone felt less significant than it might have under different circumstances. Chen Wei had long since graduated mentally from being an undergraduate—he was already functioning as a PhD candidate and startup CTO. The formal diploma was bureaucratic recognition of what had already been operationally true for months.
What mattered more was what happened the next day.
On December 21st, Chen Wei became Qiming Battery Materials' first full-time Chief Technology Officer.
The transition was simultaneously momentous and anticlimactic. He'd been working full-time as CTO for the previous eight months anyway—attending business meetings, managing technical strategy, hiring synthesis staff, and defending technology to investors. The only difference was that his stipend increased from a part-time consultant rate to a full-time executive salary: ¥700,000 annually plus benefits.
"Welcome to the company," Mr Wang said, somewhat mockingly, as Chen Wei arrived at the Qiming office that morning.
"I've been here the entire time," Chen Wei said.
"Yes, but now officially," Mr Wang replied. "Also, we have news."
The manufacturing trials at CATL had continued through November and early December. The water-quenching protocol modification had been fully validated across 50-kilogram and 100-kilogram scale batches. Ionic conductivity was consistent: 0.91-0.93 mS/cm across all large-scale trials.
More importantly, the material had passed preliminary safety testing. The composite was stable at elevated temperature, showed no signs of lithium dendrite formation, and maintained performance across 50 thermal cycles.
"CATL has offered to begin pilot production," Mr Wang announced. "They want to manufacture 500-kilogram batches starting January, with a target of 1 megawatt-hour equivalent battery packs produced by the end of Q1 2027."
It was the inflexion point—the moment when the technology transitioned from "validated in CATL's pilot facility" to "actual production at commercial scale."
"What's the timeline?" Chen Wei asked.
"Three weeks," Mr Wang said. "They want us to provide final manufacturing protocol, train their production team, and conduct quality assurance on the first batch."
The final manufacturing protocol documentation took two weeks of intensive work.
Chen Wei and Dr Chen from CATL worked together to transform Qiming's optimised procedures into manufacturing specifications that CATL's production team could execute reliably. This meant:
Detailed standard operating procedures with exact measurements and tolerances
Contingency procedures for when things inevitably diverge from specification
Quality control checkpoints and acceptance criteria at each step
Troubleshooting guides for common failure modes
Training materials for production technicians
What surprised Chen Wei was how much of the documentation was about human factors rather than chemistry. Yes, the synthesis chemistry mattered. But equally important was: How do you train someone to recognise when a parameter is drifting out of specification? How do you build redundancy so that human error doesn't cascade into batch failure? How do you structure the process so that quality control is built in rather than checked at the end?
These were manufacturing engineering questions, not materials science questions. And Chen Wei discovered that he had significant gaps in his understanding of how to make processes both robust and scalable.
The system provided tactical support:
SYSTEM ANALYSIS: You are encountering the gap between research optimisation and manufacturing engineering. Research asks: "What's the best possible outcome?" Engineering asks: "What's the most robust outcome at scale with real humans executing the process?" These are different optimisation problems with different tradeoffs.
Recommendation: Partner with Dr Chen more explicitly. His eight years at CATL provide manufacturing intuition that you lack. Allow him to lead process architecture decisions. Your role is to ensure chemistry remains optimised within manufacturing constraints.
By early January 2027, the final protocol was complete and transmitted to CATL's production facility.
The first 500-kilogram production batch began synthesis on January 15th.
Chen Wei and Dr Chen were physically present at CATL's facility for the entire process—24 hours of continuous monitoring and data collection. The production team followed the protocol meticulously. Temperatures were logged. Mixing ratios were verified. Cooling curves were tracked.
The product emerged after 32 hours of processing. The composite powder looked identical to laboratory samples—no visible differences, same appearance, same particle size distribution.
The characterisation data would tell the real story.
Ionic conductivity: 0.92 mS/cm (expected range 0.91-0.93 mS/cm). Crystalline phase composition: 98% target phases, 2% impurity (within tolerance). Thermal stability: maintained performance across 50 thermal cycles.
It worked.
The realisation struck Chen Wei with unexpected force. The technology that had existed as research data, published papers, and investor pitches was now real, manufactured material. CATL could produce it reliably at scale. It met specifications. It could be integrated into battery prototypes.
"Congratulations," Dr Chen said, extending his hand. "You've officially moved from research to manufacturing."
The first Qiming battery packs were assembled by Li Auto in late January 2027.
The demonstration was not a product—it was a prototype for validation testing. Ten battery packs, each containing Qiming's composite electrolyte, were installed in Li Auto prototype vehicles. The purpose was durability testing: could the batteries withstand real driving conditions, thermal cycling, and the electrical abuse of actual vehicle operation?
The validation timeline was four months. Results would inform whether Li Auto would commit to larger orders and a potential commercial partnership.
Chen Wei attended the Li Auto facility for the prototype installation. Dr Shen Wei met him personally, clearly pleased that the technology had progressed from research discussion to actual prototype despite Qiming's choice of an independent startup path rather than a Li Auto partnership.
"Even without a formal partnership, your technology is valuable to us," Dr Shen Wei said, reviewing the battery specifications. "If validation testing succeeds, we'll be interested in discussing long-term supply agreements. Whether exclusive or non-exclusive would be negotiable."
It was a significant statement. One of China's most successful EV manufacturers was planning to potentially integrate Qiming's technology into its production vehicles.
The battery materials publication was accepted in February 2027.
After the requested revisions and a three-month review process, Advanced Energy Materials sent an acceptance notification: "Your manuscript on manufacturing-constrained design of ceramic-polymer electrolytes has been accepted for publication. Expected publication in April 2027."
It meant Chen Wei would have two peer-reviewed publications by spring 2027—superconductor work from his early research, and battery materials work representing the core of Qiming's technical innovation.
For someone who had graduated from high school three years earlier with no clear research direction, this publication record was substantial. It positioned him as a legitimate researcher in materials science despite his young age and ongoing startup commitments.
More importantly, it meant his work was now part of the global scientific record. Other researchers would read his papers, cite his methodology, and potentially build on his frameworks. The knowledge contribution would persist regardless of whether Qiming succeeded commercially.
Qiming's Series B funding round began in March 2027.
With successful manufacturing validation and Li Auto validation testing underway, the startup was in a strong position to raise additional capital. The Series A investors were looking to participate in follow-on funding. New investors were expressing interest based on the company's apparent trajectory toward commercialisation.
Mr Wang brought in a more sophisticated investor relations consultant—someone who had managed venture funding rounds for multiple hard-tech startups. The consultant's immediate feedback was clear:
"Your current valuation is ¥100 million based on Series A. For Series B, you should be targeting a ¥400-600 million valuation. You have validated technology, manufacturing partnerships, and early customer interest. The value has increased substantially."
A ¥400-600 million post-money valuation meant that Chen Wei's 2% equity stake—after Series A dilution—was now worth ¥8-12 million rather than ¥2 million. Theoretical wealth, certainly, is dependent on eventual exit. But the number was substantial enough to begin feeling real.
The Series B round was targeting ¥50-75 million to fund manufacturing scale-up, hiring of senior team members, international expansion, and first commercialised battery pack sales.
"With successful Li Auto validation," Mr Wang explained to the core team, "we can credibly claim ¥1 billion annual revenue by 2030. That creates venture investors' target return profiles."
Chen Wei was still learning to think in venture capital frameworks. Early-stage funding wasn't about raising enough money to execute a plan. It was about raising capital at valuations that would generate sufficient returns if the company succeeded. A ¥50 million investment at ¥500 million valuation would be worth ¥500 million if the company reached a ¥5 billion valuation at exit—a 10x return that justified the venture capital's risk.
His PhD research formally began with an official proposal defence in April 2027.
Professor Zhang had structured Chen Wei's doctoral research around the manufacturing-constrained battery materials work. The dissertation proposal outlined a three-year research timeline that would integrate:
Fundamental studies of ceramic-polymer interface chemistry under manufacturing conditions (Years 1-2)
Process engineering optimisation for different manufacturing modalities (Year 2)
Long-term cycling validation and failure mechanism analysis (Year 3)
The proposal defence committee included Professor Zhang, Professor Liu, and Professor Chen Jing, the same people who had approved his undergraduate thesis. They were familiar with his approach and seemed genuinely interested in seeing how the framework evolved through doctoral research.
"Your work bridges materials science, manufacturing engineering, and commercialisation," Professor Chen Jing observed. "That's unusual for a PhD dissertation. Most are narrowly focused on specific phenomena. You're taking a systems approach."
"The phenomenon is inseparable from the system," Chen Wei explained. "You can't understand ceramic-polymer interface chemistry without understanding how manufacturing creates different interface conditions at different scales. Pure fundamental research on the interface would be valid but incomplete from a manufacturing perspective."
The committee approved the proposal. Chen Wei was officially a doctoral candidate with a research direction, advisor, and timeline.
By May 2027, Chen Wei's life had stabilised into a complex but sustainable rhythm.
Mornings and most afternoons were consumed by Qiming technical leadership: production quality assurance, manufacturing process optimisation, technical hiring decisions, and investor relations. This was his primary commitment—the work that was generating revenue (in theory, once customer orders materialised) and building equity value.
Evenings three days per week were dedicated to PhD research: literature review, experimental design, and synthesis work conducted at Tsinghua's facilities. This was work that contributed to his dissertation while also informing Qiming's technical strategy. The boundary between "company research" and "academic research" was intentionally blurred.
Weekends were protected for family, exercise, and the occasional social commitment. His mother visited Beijing monthly now, staying with Chen Wei in the apartment he'd rented (funded by his startup salary). His sister was thriving at Tsinghua, already showing signs of becoming a stronger physicist than Chen Wei had been as an undergraduate.
His financial situation had dramatically changed. His monthly salary of ¥58,000 (¥700,000 annually) meant he was consistently contributing ¥30,000 monthly to his family's debt service—more than enough to address immediate cash flow needs. The accumulated family debt of ¥3 million would take a decade to fully resolve through his contributions, but the immediate financial pressure had eased substantially.
The startup equity represented theoretical long-term wealth. His ¥2 million post-Series A stake would grow if the company succeeded in raising Series B at an increased valuation. But wealth from equity was conditionally dependent on the eventual exit event and conversion of theoretical value to actual cash.
The Li Auto validation results came in June 2027.
After six months of durability testing—thermal cycling, electrical stress, accelerated ageing protocols—the ten prototype battery packs had performed at specification.
Thermal cycling performance: 95% capacity retention after 200 cycles (targeting requirement was 90%). Electrical performance: consistent voltage characteristics, no unexpected degradation. Safety: no thermal runaway events, no structural failures.
It was the validation data Li Auto needed to move forward with production partnership discussions.
Dr Shen Wei called Chen Wei directly: "The validation results are excellent. Your technology performed reliably under demanding conditions. Li Auto's engineering team recommends proceeding with supply agreements. We're prepared to discuss exclusivity and volume commitments for our EV platforms."
An exclusive supply agreement with Li Auto—one of China's largest EV manufacturers—would mean guaranteed revenue, access to capital for manufacturing scale-up, and market validation that other OEMs would notice.
But exclusivity also meant strategic constraint. Qiming would be committing to serve Li Auto's specifications and timelines, potentially limiting its ability to serve other customers.
The negotiation would be complex. Mr Wang was bringing in external counsel to structure the agreement. But the fundamental reality was clear: Qiming had achieved technical validation from a major OEM. The company was transitioning from a pre-revenue startup to a company with genuine customer interest and imminent commercial potential.
On June 30th, 2027—exactly eighteen months after Chen Wei had first signed the Qiming CTO agreement—the Series B funding round closed.
Final terms: ¥60 million in new investment at ¥500 million post-money valuation. Qiming's equity structure after Series B:
Founders (Li Na, Mr Wang, Chen Wei): 52% combined
Series A investors: 23%
Series B investors: 25%
Chen Wei's personal equity stake had been diluted from 2% post-Series A to approximately 1.4% post-Series B, but his paper value had increased from ¥2 million to ¥7 million due to the increased valuation.
More importantly, the capital influx meant Qiming was now a genuinely scaled operation. The team had expanded to 25 people. The equipment budget was sufficient for dedicated pilot manufacturing facilities. International business development was now viable.
"We're no longer a startup," Mr Wang said at the Series B celebration, "we're a scale-up. That's a different company entirely."
Chen Wei's performance assessment from the system on July 1st, 2027, was notably different in tone from earlier evaluations:
SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT: 18-MONTH CHECKPOINT
Startup Progress:
Funding raised: ¥85M (Series A + Series B)
Team size: 25 employees
Manufacturing partnerships: CATL (production), Li Auto (validation + potential supply)
Publications: 2 peer-reviewed (superconductor, battery materials)
Patents filed: 3 provisional (January 2026)
Revenue status: Pre-revenue (customer validation complete, commercial orders expected Q3-Q4 2027)
Equity value (MC personal): ¥7M (theoretical, subject to exit event)
Academic Progress:
PhD enrollment: Active
Dissertation research: On track for 3-year timeline
Coursework: 2/4 completed; 2 in progress
Research publications: 2 published + 1 submitted
Family Financial:
Monthly contributions: ¥30,000 (consistent)
18-month cumulative: ¥540,000
Projected annual: ¥360,000
Debt service trajectory: ~8-9 years to ¥3M (significant acceleration)
Psychological/Professional Evolution:
Technical confidence: Very high
Business acumen: Developing (from novice to competent)
Leadership capability: Demonstrated (managing 25-person technical team)
Stress management: Improved (exercise, family support, structured schedule)
Integration of academic/commercial identity: Mature (no longer conflict; complementary)
System Assessment: You have successfully executed the hybrid path you designed 18 months ago. Qiming is positioned for commercial success. Your PhD research is progressing. Your family's financial situation has improved materially. You have demonstrated the capacity for managing complexity across academic, commercial, and personal domains simultaneously.
Critical observation: You are no longer operating under system guidance. You are operating under system support. The distinction is important. 18 months ago, you were making decisions and asking the system to analyse. Now you are making decisions and asking the system to provide specific technical support on specific problems. This represents genuine leadership development.
Success probability: 75% (increased from 68% at Series B round due to successful customer validation and demonstrated manufacturing capability)