94: From Technological Warfare to Space Empire

At 9:55, after the last five minutes of edited footage were played, Lin Yu, dressed in work clothes, went on stage precisely at 10:00.

Lin Yu was still a little unaccustomed to the stage when he went on stage; the studio lights were so bright that he could hardly see the audience.

But he knew there were at least several hundred audience members sitting there.

Hundreds of millions of Chinese families are watching on television.

He steadied himself, looked straight ahead, and was about to speak when he picked up the microphone.

First, the bigwigs in the first row took the lead in standing up, and then countless people throughout the venue stood up one after another at different times without any warning.

These are all journalists from various places or employees of state-owned enterprises.

Before he could even open his mouth, thunderous applause erupted!

Even Lin Yu was startled.

He never expected that so many people would support him.

Fortunately, everyone sitting here knows the rules.

It didn't overshadow the main subject.

The applause lasted for a few seconds before stopping; it didn't continue.

Lin Yu also breathed a sigh of relief; he really didn't know how to handle such a situation.

He paused for a moment, then picked up the microphone and began to speak.

"Hello everyone, I'm Lin Yu."

The unique voices of young people were broadcast across the country via live stream.

Confident and full of energy.

"Today, I want to talk to you about gasoline."

"When you're refueling your car, you've probably heard the term ethyl gasoline."

"Many gas station attendants will tell you, 'This is good fuel, it's potent, and it lasts a long time!'"

"That's good, that's true."

"This gasoline has been popular for a whole century since its invention."

"Because it is really easy to use, almost no one studies its competitors."

At this point, the studio fell silent.

Everyone knew this was the calm before the storm.

If it were to praise this gasoline, Lin Yu wouldn't be standing here today.

His arrival here is destined to change something!

Behind the television screen, many industry insiders also sat up straight with tension.

These people stared nervously at Lin Yu on the television screen, barely daring to breathe, their hearts pounding with tension.

"But few people know that the full name of ethyl gasoline is tetraethyl lead gasoline, a truth that its American inventor deliberately concealed."

"Adding this to gasoline can increase the octane rating and prevent engine knocking. However, after combustion, it is released into the air with the exhaust, generating lead dust."

Lin Yu turned around, picked up a piece of chalk, and drew a simple diagram on the blackboard.

This was specially prepared for him by the production team to make it easier for him to explain.

"Lead does not metabolize out of the body; it accumulates in the blood and bones, affecting the nervous system."

The large screen switched, displaying a set of data.

"Those whose nervous systems have not yet fully developed are the most severely affected."

"For every 10 micrograms increase in blood lead levels, the average IQ will drop by 1 to 2 points."

Frankly speaking, under the simplest form of pollution, these costs are not actually that serious.

But some people want the pollution to get worse.

At this point, some people in the audience started whispering among themselves.

They had all read the newspaper articles written by Lin Yu, but the articles were not written so clearly.

"And those people who are right in the breathing zone where car exhaust is most concentrated, less than a meter away."

"Every breath they took was filled with lead dust."

"Day after day, year after year."

Upon hearing this, some emotional audience members immediately began wiping away tears.

"What's even more hateful is—"

"The dangers of lead can be controlled as long as it's added according to the prescribed dosage. We clearly have safer alternatives. The government has clearly set standards for lead content in gasoline!"

"But some people, in pursuit of so-called high-quality oil, simply ignore the standards set by the state."

Lin Yu put down the chalk, turned around, and looked directly at the camera with bright eyes, saying:

"The problem has arisen, so we must find a solution! I'm here today to find a solution."

Lin Yu knew that Wu Xiangrong and his gang were finished, but the public should also know who should be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

"If anyone is wrong, it can only be Thomas Midgley of America!"

"During the research and development process, more than a dozen designers were poisoned to death."

"Many American workers have died from poisoning during production in American factories."

"But he insisted on keeping it a secret from the whole world, saying it was non-toxic and harmless."

"This directly caused the whole world to use this kind of gasoline for almost a century."

"This has forced a global standstill in research on unleaded gasoline."

At this point, Lin Yu took a deep breath.

He made a decision, which he didn't tell anyone.

But he thought now was the best opportunity.

Lin Yu changed his tone and began to speak:

"What I want to tell everyone is that lead poisoning is not a terminal illness; it can be completely treated if detected early."

"If you or your family members experience persistent headaches, insomnia, or memory loss, please have your blood lead levels tested at your local health and epidemic prevention station."

"Free test".

"I'll pay for it!"

The previous whispers instantly turned into a commotion!

Free blood lead testing? How much would that cost?

Backstage, Chief Hou looked at the screen, shook his head with a wry smile. That kid had taken it upon himself again.

But Lin Yu hadn't finished speaking.

He raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

"There's one more thing."

Some say that without leaded gasoline, cars would break down. Others say that's just how our industry is, there's nothing we can do about it.

"But I'm here today to tell you all something."

"We have a way!"

After saying that, he took out a transparent glass bottle from his pocket, which contained a pale yellow liquid.

"This is ethanol gasoline."

"Ethanol fermented from grains can be mixed into gasoline in a certain proportion to increase the octane rating. It contains no lead, is non-toxic, and produces cleaner exhaust emissions."

"The Sinopec team has verified this solution. It is technically feasible to produce ethanol from old grains and straw."

The somewhat noisy scene fell silent for a second, and then erupted into thunderous applause.

But what Lin Yu said next surprised everyone even more.

"I know some people will ask: Is ethanol gasoline expensive? Can it be produced on a large scale?"

"I will answer this question today in front of a national audience."

"Sources of ethanol: corn, wheat, sweet potatoes, sugarcane... even straw."

"Our country has plenty of these things. Every year, there are stockpiles of old grain in the granaries, and the straw in the fields can't be burned all the time."

"Using these raw materials to produce ethanol can solve the gasoline problem, utilize old grains, and reduce pollution from straw burning. It can be said to be a win-win-win situation."

"The cost... is three cents per liter more expensive than tetraethyl lead gasoline."

"I will cover the three cents."

The applause from the audience grew even louder.

Finally, he took a deep breath.

"As for the technology..."

"I'm releasing the formula for ethanol gasoline for free!"

"Any factory willing to undergo restructuring can obtain this technology for free!"

"You can even get more unleaded gasoline manufacturing designs from me."

This unexpected announcement sent the entire audience into a frenzy!

People even forgot to applaud, staring blankly at Lin Yu on the stage, somewhat dazed.

In the backstage control room, the chief director, Director Chen, almost jumped off his chair, and the walkie-talkie in the hands of the assistant director next to him also fell to the ground.

This kid has guts!

They're just going to give away this patent that could make you the richest person for free?!?