Chapter 49: Pack It Up and Take It Away

Jiang Xu and several scholars from the Institute of Plasma Physics were warmly received by Elder Zhu.

After the group had lunch at a restaurant, the motorcade gradually drove away.

"Elder Zhu, about this matter..."

Inside the car, Jiang Xu sighed, preparing to express his apologies.

After all, the state had sent him to France precisely so he could closely follow the international frontiers of controllable nuclear fusion research.

And now, things had been completely messed up!

No matter what, he felt he bore some of the responsibility.

"Alright, Professor Jiang, say no more. This matter is not your fault."

Sensing what he wanted to say, Elder Zhu pressed his hand down, signaling that he understood everything and no further explanation was needed.

With a smile at him, Elder Zhu gave Wu Youde a subtle look.

"Oh, oh! Old Jiang, let me show you something good to cheer you up!"

Wu Youde chuckled, pulled out his phone from his pocket, unlocked the screen, and handed it to Jiang Xu.

"What is it?"

Jiang Xu cast a grateful look at Elder Zhu, then took the phone with a puzzled expression.

The moment he looked down at the screen, his eyes widened sharply, and a look of joy immediately surfaced on his face.

"Serves them right!"

"Blown up brilliantly!"

Seeing that the ITER components had been blown up, Jiang Xu felt like applauding in utter admiration, and his mood instantly cleared up.

How dare they frame me, kick China out of the game, and burn bridges after crossing the river?

In their dreams!

"Hahaha, we knew you'd be happy to see this!"

Elder Zhu threw his head back and laughed heartily.

At the same time, looking at the dense woods outside the window and Jiang Xu, who was absorbed in studying the news, he smiled inexplicably.

Then, citing his old age and the need for rest, he took a short nap.

He left Wu Youde to continue entertaining the van full of scholars.

The vehicles continued to move forward.

The scholars and scientists in the car were still in high spirits, chatting with one another and pouring out their yearning for home.

However, as they drove further and further, they gradually snapped back to reality.

Wait...

Why was the scenery getting more and more desolate?

Jiang Xu suddenly woke up, checked the time on his phone, and his brow furrowed deeply.

They had been driving for four hours already?

"This isn't the road to the Academy of Sciences?!"

Noticing the armored vehicles leisurely driving past on the road, Jiang Xu abruptly regained his senses.

This car had long since driven out of Beijing!

"Old Wu, where is this vehicle heading? Aren't we going back to the Academy of Sciences to report on our work?"

Realizing something was amiss, Jiang Xu narrowed his eyes and immediately turned to stare at Wu Youde.

Elder Zhu was taking a nap right now, and they mustn't disturb him.

...

"… Uh."

Wu Youde glanced left and right.

Finding that the other scholars in the car had also realized the situation and were staring at him with bewildered expressions, he couldn't help feeling a bit helpless.

Damn it, I thought my small talk would keep them distracted, but I got caught!

"Old Wu, stop beating around the bush. Confess honestly and tell the truth!"

Nearby, Professor Shi adjusted his glasses.

He made a rough calculation: four hours of driving meant they were practically entering Inner Mongolia by now!

What the hell were they being carted off into the desert for?

What on earth was going on?

In an instant, the scholars inside the car turned their sharp gazes on him like sharks smelling blood.

One nuclear physicist was the first to react, his excitement visible to the naked eye.

Inner Mongolia!

The earliest secret nuclear weapons research institute was located right here!

No way, could it be? The whole van full of them!

Jiang Xu, sitting inside, also came to his senses, his gaze shifting from suspicion to excitement.

"Well, actually I don't know either..."

Wu Youde waved his hands helplessly.

"You old rascal, asking for a death wish, aren't you?!"

Professor Shi's eyes widened, and he immediately stood up, rolling up his sleeves to give Wu Youde a piece of his mind.

I'm a nuclear physicist, using physics to deal with you is totally reasonable, right?

Of course, it was just a joke; the two were old classmates and actually had a very good relationship.

"That's right, Wu Youde, confess honestly, or else we'll expose all your dirt from when you were under Mentor Cheng!"

Beside him, the nuclear physicist who first noticed the anomaly also lowered his voice, afraid of disturbing Elder Zhu.

However, his tone carried unmistakable teasing.

"Don't, don't, don't! I really don't know anything. I was roped into this by Elder Zhu just like you!"

Wu Youde felt like he wanted to die.

This carload of people included his college classmates and his doctoral senior fellow apprentices—it was a one-stop shop for blackmail material. If things went sideways and he didn't yield, he'd be waiting for social death!

"You really don't know?"

Professor Shi narrowed his eyes.

"You really don't know?"

Another professor's gaze also sharpened.

"Really! Why would I lie to you?"

Seeing the skeptical looks from his good friends, Wu Youde felt his heart ache.

You guys don't even believe me?

He truly knew nothing; he had been roped in while completely clueless!

"Look outside!"

Just at that moment, a scholar sitting by the window suddenly pointed outside and cried out in alarm.

Everyone inside the van immediately cast their gazes out the window.

...

"That is..."

Jiang Xu slowly stood up from his seat, staring at the distant end of the highway, his pupils contracting violently.

The vehicle had arrived at a military installation.

Outside the base, a company of soldiers returning from training was marching back.

If it were just an ordinary company, it wouldn't have shocked the people in the car to this extent.

The crucial point was that this entire company was wearing Type 23 exoskeleton armor!

Over a hundred men, fully armed, marched mightily along the highway, the pitch-black armor reflecting a chilling, piercing cold light.

The sight was truly magnificent.

Jiang Xu even discovered that his cell phone had completely lost signal.

Not only that, the screen had even started flickering!

"We have arrived, everyone. Get off the car!"

Elder Zhu woke up at some unknown point.

Jiang Xu and the others turned back to look. He was already standing near the van's door, looking at everyone inside with a curved smile as he said,

"Welcome to the Xishan Base!"

...

"Elder Zhu, does the Xishan Base house a controllable nuclear fusion device secretly researched by the military?!"

Following closely behind Elder Zhu, Jiang Xu and all the accompanying scholars were brimming with intense excitement.

They didn't even bother to observe the massive military base around them.

Instead, they relentlessly pelted Elder Zhu with questions about the veracity of this news.

"That's right, and that's also the purpose of me bringing you here."

Elder Zhu smiled faintly and replied, "The Xishan Base has three sets of devices: a tokamak, a stellarator, and a laser fusion reactor."

"The slots for the domestic tokamak reactors are already full. You will conduct your research here from now on."

"This is simply wonderful!"

Jiang Xu and the others were wild with joy.

They didn't care about confidentiality agreements or anything of the sort.

They had been willing to travel all the way to France; what did burying themselves in work at this Xishan Base matter?

As long as there was something for them to research!

Moreover, they were determined to produce results and ruthlessly slap the faces of those bastards who had slandered them!

Jiang Xu clenched his fists, his gaze resolute.

"As expected of the scholars we specially selected to be sent to France. Alright, follow me!"

Elder Zhu nodded in satisfaction and led the group into the military research institute of the Xishan Base.

On this day, a large group of scholars related to controllable nuclear fusion technology arrived at the Xishan Base.

Although they had not yet been informed of the detailed information regarding Project 237,

Zhu Chengjin bringing them in at this moment was precisely preparation for that very endeavor!