Did the world end today?

Chapter 313 Opportunity
12 month.

A month has passed from determining to use the zero-action measurement scheme to eliminate the risks of the singularity experiment, to the formal completion of the equipment, and then to the start of the first test.

The bleak autumn air of Nanjing had completely transformed into a biting cold wind, but compared to the knife-like winds of the Northwest, Joanne, who had just stepped out of the plane, still felt that she would rather stay here for the rest of her life than go back to Lanzhou.

What does it mean that the North is dry and cold while the South is damp and cold?

That's a complete lie.

The cold wind in Lanzhou reminded him of his days in Massachusetts. He had thought that once he left the United States and MIT, he would never have to suffer like that again, but he never expected that what was meant to happen would happen, no matter what.
-
But thankfully, the painful days are over.

The zero-action measurement experiment has been a complete success, and even the CKC crystal material itself has entered the final sprint stage.

He finally left Lanzhou and flew back to Nanjing.

Joanne raised her hand to turn up her collar and stepped down the gangway.

Ahead, the shuttle bus was already waiting, and he spotted Zhang Liming outside the door at a glance.

"dawn!"

He cheerfully stretched out his hand and strode down the path, his demeanor not that of a "Westerner," but rather that of a seasoned veteran who had long been immersed in the culture of this country.

The only thing that made him stand out was his pronunciation.

Although he practices simple Chinese every day, when he says "黎明" (dawn), it still sounds like "Lemon".

"Hello, thank you for your help."

Zhang Liming also extended his hand to Joanne, and the two hands clasped tightly. Joanne continued to ask:

"How's it going? Is everything alright?"

"very smooth."

Zhang Liming nodded and gestured for Joanne to get in the car.

The car's heater was forced out by the cold air from outside, hitting Joanne's face and giving her a tingling, hair-raising sensation.

He took off his trench coat as was his habit, handed it to the waiter, plopped down in his seat, and asked:
"According to current information, there has been a breakthrough in CKC crystal materials, right?"

"Yes."

A smug smile appeared on Zhang Liming's face.

"Of course, I can't talk about the specific progress right now."

"However, you'll find out soon enough."

As soon as she finished speaking, Joanne's eyes lit up instantly.

You'll find out soon?
So, the "discussion" this afternoon was not actually that simple?
hiss.
Could it be that.
Has this material already been manufactured?

But how is this possible?

Although I've always known that these Chinese are incredibly efficient when it comes to major projects.

But the "bomb measurement experiment" only ended two weeks ago. Isn't that a bit too short a time?

Perhaps they have simply completed some kind of "ultimate verification" and are about to enter the actual manufacturing stage?

That sounds reasonable.

Joanne looked at Zhang Liming thoughtfully, then suddenly her eyes lit up and she asked:
"You can't announce the progress in advance, but the attendees can at least say something, right?"

Will Yifan participate? Will Xu Gong'ou participate?

"I can't say."

Zhang Liming still shook his head.

This reaction only confused Joanne more.

The content cannot be disclosed, and neither can the attendees?

It seems like the security level of this meeting is higher than I thought.
Was this really just an ordinary discussion?

Or did they discover something new during the experiment?
Joanne's anticipation for the meeting instantly reached its peak; she couldn't wait to fly to the conference room and start the meeting immediately.

However, this is indeed not something he can control.

I glanced at my watch; it was 10:4 a.m., a full four hours before the scheduled start time of the meeting.

Since there was no use in being anxious, Joanne simply stopped asking.

The car drove towards the coordination group office, with buildings flashing past the window. Half an hour later, the car passed through several access control gates and finally stopped in front of a building.

"Let's go, we've arrived."

Zhang Liming stood up and got out of the car with Joanne. The security personnel, who were already prepared, conducted a thorough check on the two of them before waving them away.

Joanne, now back in her trench coat, frowned deeply. She looked at Zhang Liming, puzzled, and asked:
"So, what exactly is the situation now?"

"The security level here has been raised significantly. I've never seen so many security personnel here before when I was last here."

"At least they won't be in the public eye."

"What happened? Is it related to CKC materials, or something else?"

"Related to butterflies?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Liming paused in his movements.

But he still didn't answer, and instead led Joanne into the office that had been prepared beforehand.

Also entering were two armed security personnel and an intelligence officer in a suit, whose menacing aura was immediately apparent.

This scene gave Joanne a strange sense of foreboding.

Am I being held under house arrest?

But why?
I have not done anything that would affect the overall interests, and the Chinese government has no reason to target me under the current circumstances.

Things were getting more and more complicated, and he even felt a surge of anger.

But just then, Zhang Liming finally spoke. "Your intuition is very sharp."

He let out a soft breath, and then said:

"What happened today is indeed related to butterflies."

"He's in trouble??"

Joanne stood up instinctively, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.

But in an instant, he immediately realized the absurdity of this judgment.

How could there be a problem with a butterfly?
The Chinese side would not allow anything to happen to him, and if something were to happen to him, Zhang Liming would not be able to maintain his current mysterious yet calm demeanor.

Then, there is only one answer.

His panicked expression immediately turned into surprise.

Joanne asked:
"Are you going to reveal Butterfly's identity to me??"

Zhang Liming nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"During the development of CKC crystals, we discovered that overly closed information hindered the progress of top-level scientific research."

"Prior to this, we had always maintained information isolation from scholars from other countries."

"But now we've found that such isolation may not necessarily bring positive benefits."

“Butterflies need to connect with more top scholars, and you are on that list.”

"So, didn't you say before that you wanted to see a butterfly?"

"You will be able to see him today."

"MY GOD!"

Joanne clenched her fists.

"Finally! Finally!"

"You've finally figured it out!"

"I've said it before: butterflies shouldn't be strictly isolated; they need more communication!"

He paced quickly around the office, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke:
"That's right, your current scientific research capabilities are indeed very strong, and your technology is also far ahead."

"However, scientific research is never a simple task, nor is it a building block that can be assembled simply by piling up information."

"The edifice of physics requires experienced workers to build. If you completely isolate the butterfly, it's like giving up many opportunities for collision and resonance."

“I have always said that, at least for truly top-tier scholars, you should open up channels for them to communicate with the ‘butterfly’—like me!”

"Wait, wait, when can I see him?"

Zhang Liming raised his hand and gestured to the intelligence officer next to him. The next second, a confidentiality agreement was placed in front of Joanne.

"Once you sign this agreement, you'll be able to see him at the meeting this afternoon."

"Furthermore, you will also have the opportunity to communicate with him directly afterward."

"no problem!"

Joanne didn't hesitate at all. She didn't even look at the details of the agreement. Instead, she grabbed a pen and signed her name in one swift motion.

"Can I meet him beforehand?"

I mean, me.

He originally wanted to say that, given my status in academia, there shouldn't be any problem with me meeting him in advance, right?

But then I thought, let alone myself, even in front of the Chinese government, my past achievements are not enough at this stage.

So, he ultimately didn't say those words.

But Zhang Liming seemed to have seen through his thoughts.

"You wait here."

He opened his mouth and said:
"The butterfly will be here in 10 minutes."

"You have half an hour to talk."

These ten minutes were arguably the most agonizing ten minutes of Joanne's life.

His eyes were practically glued to the office door. Every time he heard footsteps outside, he would immediately stand up and wait, afraid of missing the moment the door opened.

He didn't know why he was so nervous—in fact, rationally speaking, butterflies aren't that "magical".

He is not a superhuman with special abilities, nor a savior in the traditional sense.

His abilities are not fundamentally different from those of many "high-ranking individuals," and compared to Zhou Yue, whom he had met before, this butterfly's "legendary attributes" are even weaker.

But Joanne just couldn't control herself.

Because he knew that what he was about to meet was not an ordinary "person," but the future of all humanity.

Time ticked by, and Joanne's heart pounded faster and faster. When the office door finally opened with a soft click, her heart skipped a beat.

The next second, a young face appeared in front of him.

Joanne's expression changed.

This face... why does it look so familiar?
Before he could speak, Lin Xu, who had just walked in, had already reached out his hand to him.

"Hello, Professor Joanne."

“I am Lin Xu, also known as ‘Butterfly’.”

Joanne looked at Lin Xu in astonishment, and stammered:
"I know you!"

(End of this chapter)