Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

The chandeliers in the lobby of the Beijing Hotel were all on, casting a blinding white light that illuminated every face in the audience. He Yuzhu stood behind the side stage curtain, parted the curtain with his finger, and peeked out. A sea of ​​heads—those carrying video cameras were crouched at the front, those holding cameras were crowded in the aisles, and those in the back, clutching notebooks, stood on tiptoe, craning their necks. In the front row sat several middle-aged men in Zhongshan suits; one of them glanced at his watch, the dial reflecting light briefly before going dark again.

Chief Engineer Qian stood next to He Yuzhu, one button undone at his collar, his Adam's apple bobbing. He clutched the speech draft in his hand, the edges of the paper damp with sweat and rolled up.

"Director He, I have never faced so many reporters in my life."

He Yuzhu didn't look at him. He snatched the speech from Chief Engineer Qian's hand, folded it twice, and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. "You don't need to say anything. Just stand there."

Chief Engineer Qian opened his mouth, but then remained silent.

The host took the stage. He tapped the microphone, its buzzing sound echoing through the hall, and the audience fell silent. He read his opening remarks, and when he reached the line, "my country has taken the lead in achieving controlled nuclear fusion power generation," several foreign journalists in the front row exchanged glances. The host turned and nodded towards the side stage.

He Yuzhu walked onto the stage. The lights were so bright that he squinted. He stood in front of the microphone, took the page out of his pocket, unfolded it, and the edges were heavily creased. He looked up and glanced at the audience.

"Friends from the press, China has taken the lead in achieving controlled nuclear fusion power generation."

He didn't read the manuscript.

"The fusion device was successfully ignited in November this year. The Q value reached 5.2, it operated stably for 300 seconds, and the output power exceeded the input power by more than five times."

There was a moment of silence in the audience. Then the flashbulbs went off, a continuous barrage of clicks, the white light casting flickering shadows on the stage. He Yuzhu blinked, but didn't flinch.

A blonde, blue-eyed female reporter in the front row raised her hand. He Yuzhu nodded to her. She stood up, speaking fluent Mandarin with a slight southern accent.

"Dean He, the US, the Soviet Union, and Europe have been working on this for decades, and the highest Q value they've achieved is only 0.8. You've jumped to 5.2 all of a sudden. Is the data accurate? Has it been verified by a third party?"

He Yuzhu looked into her eyes. Her eyebrows twitched slightly, as if waiting for him to reveal a weakness.

"The data has been submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency," he said, his voice low but each word clear. "Experts from any country are welcome to verify it."

The female reporter wanted to ask more questions, but a male reporter wearing glasses next to her raised his hand first. He Yuzhu shifted his gaze to him.

"Dean He, is this technology intended for military use? Can nuclear fusion be used to create hydrogen bombs?"

The audience fell silent. The men in Zhongshan suits in the front row sat up straight. Chief Engineer Qian stood on the side stage, his hand unconsciously gripping the curtain.

He Yuzhu paused for a moment. He folded the page and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Fusion only solves the energy problem. We are developing fusion to generate electricity, to provide affordable electricity for ordinary people, and to power future spacecraft. We do not intend to use it for military purposes."

The male reporter adjusted his glasses, wanting to ask more questions. He Yuzhu didn't give him the chance, turning his gaze to a Japanese reporter in the back row who had raised his hand.

The press conference lasted nearly two hours. Reporters bombarded him with questions, some tricky, some strange, and some clearly designed to trap him. He Yuzhu answered them one by one, unhurriedly. He didn't look at his notes, nor did he drink any water. Chief Engineer Qian stood on the side platform, not saying a word, his palms sweaty, but his back ramrod straight.

After the event ended, the corridor was noisy. He Yuzhu leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette. Chief Engineer Qian followed him out, stood beside him, and buttoned up his collar.

"Would Americans believe that I am the Minister of Justice?"

He Yuzhu exhaled a puff of smoke, watching the wisps of smoke slowly dissipate beneath the ceiling. "Believe it or not, it's up to them. The device is there, the data is there. If you don't believe me, come and see for yourself."

Chief Engineer Qian didn't say anything more, turned around and left. He Yuzhu stubbed out his cigarette and threw it in the trash can. The corridor was empty except for him. The lights were still on, humming.

Back in his office, it was already dark. He Yuzhu sat in his chair, leaning back, without turning on the light. The list lay open on the desk, taken out of the drawer and not yet put back. The moon outside the window was bright, casting a dull gray light on the courtyard wall. He reached out and turned on the desk lamp; the light was weak, illuminating only a small area of ​​the desk.

The phone rang. He answered it, and there was a two-second silence on the other end.

"Dean, it's me." Lin Jianguo's voice was lower than usual, as if he were speaking while covering his mouth.

He Yuzhu switched the microphone to his other hand. "Speak."

"The warp drive... might be stuck."

He Yuzhu pressed his hand on the table. There was no ashtray, so he pressed it onto the list, leaving an imprint on the page.

"Where is it stuck?"

"A superconducting ring. Theoretical deduction requires a special coil, but existing materials don't meet the requirements." Lin Jianguo paused, then continued, "Director Qian's carbon nanotubes can be used, but..."

"But what?"

"It's not enough. Production is too low and costs are too high. We need to expand production lines, which requires money, land, and equipment."

He Yuzhu didn't speak. He stood up and walked to the window. The moonlight made the courtyard look white, and the shadow of the jujube tree was cast on the ground, its branches bare.

"There's one more thing," Lin Jianguo said, lowering his voice even further. "I suspect someone tampered with the design blueprints for the superconducting ring."

He Yuzhu gripped the window frame tightly. "What do you mean?"

"The blueprints that were locked in the safe last month had a few parameters altered. The changes were very subtle; you wouldn't notice them unless you checked carefully." The sound of pages turning came from the other end of the phone. "I checked the borrowing records; they're not there."

He Yuzhu turned around, walked back to the table, picked up the list from the table, put it back in the drawer, and locked it.

"Does anyone have the safe key?"

Lin Jianguo remained silent for a long time.

"Besides me, only the security department has backups."

He Yuzhu didn't ask any more questions. He hung up the phone and stood by the window. The moon was bright, shining on the courtyard wall, making the plaster look dusty and gray. He stood there for a long time before drawing the curtains.