In the end, Lu Zhou paid for the two cups of coffee.
After thanking Lu Zhou, Professor Keriber left the coffee shop and boarded a flight back to China.
Because Lu Zhou wasn't feeling well, Lu Zhou didn't go to the airport to see him off. Instead, he asked Wang Peng to send him to the airport.
As for what choice he would make, and what choice Europe would make, these things could only be known in the future.
On the ninth day of the Chinese New Year, in Beijing's Great Hall, the commendation conference for the successful ignition of the controllable fusion demonstration reactor kicked off with a speech by the host and a warm round of applause.
At the commendation conference, the president personally awarded twenty-six golden 585 commemorative medals and bright red certificates to the researchers who made outstanding contributions to the demonstration reactor project. He also expressed his deep gratitude to these researchers who fought on the front lines of scientific research and made outstanding contributions.
In the spring of 1958, the second department of the Institute of Atomic Energy of the China Academy of Sciences (now the Institute of Atomic Energy) officially established a research project on magnetic confinement fusion, which opened the prelude to controllable fusion research.
Now, controllable fusion research had been going on for more than sixty years.
After almost three generations, this century-old project was finally completed.
This commendation conference was also a perfect ending to this vigorous scientific research project.
Academician Li Jiangang looked down at the shiny golden medal on his chest. He wiped the corners of his eyes and spoke in a voice that only he could hear.
"Teacher, we did it …"
He still remembered that it was 1982 New Year's. He graduated from the Harbin Institute of Technology majoring in naval nuclear power. His original dream was to become an aircraft carrier designer. However, one sentence from his supervisor completely changed his fate, and he devoted himself to the cause of controllable fusion research.
Twenty years later, another twenty years passed. Lu Zhou was on this road that seemed to always be full of hope. He regretted it and was confused. However, in the end, he persevered without hesitation. When his motherland needed him the most, he gave up his position at the Oxford Culham Laboratory and returned to China to carry the banner of controllable fusion research.
Perhaps his teacher was no longer able to see what was happening at this moment.
However, he believed that if his teacher was watching from the heavens, he would definitely be proud of what he had done today and the choices he had made …
Academician Wang Zengguang sat next to him and touched the medal on his chest.
"I've been involved in nuclear power for half my life, but I didn't witness the dawn of fourth-generation nuclear power before I retired. Instead, I witnessed the masterpiece of third-generation nuclear power."
Fission reactors were expensive energy sources to begin with, and the on-grid price was many percentage points higher than that of thermal power, not to mention the nuclear waste that would be difficult to dispose of.
After the final debugging of the Pangu fusion reactor was completed and connected to the grid, there would probably be no more plans to build a new fission reactor in China.
"Speaking of which, Chief Designer Lu isn't an academician, right?"
Li Jiangang paused for a second, then smiled and said, "He's so busy in 2019, he doesn't have time to be an academician."
The academicians of the two academies were elected once every two years, and they had to go through a round of evaluation and two rounds of voting. The energy involved in this process was quite astonishing.
Lu Zhou had been busy with the controllable fusion project for the entire 2019 year, so he obviously didn't have time to become an academician.
Thinking of this, Academician Wang had an idea.
"I plan to vote for him in next year's by-election."
"An academician in his twenties?" Academician Li paused for a second and said, "Isn't he a bit too young …"
Halfway through his sentence, he saw that the old man was looking at him unkindly, so he quickly coughed and said, "Don't look at me like that, I'm just asking casually. If he runs, I'll definitely vote for him. "
Academician Wang Zengguang smiled and said, "At least you have a conscience, old man."
Academician Li was suddenly unhappy. "What are you talking about? When have I ever had a conscience? But speaking of which, it's fine for me to vote for him, I'm from the Mathematical Physics Department. You're from the Academy of Engineering, how are you going to vote for him? "
Academician Wang paused for a second and frowned. "Why does he have to apply to the Mathematical Physics Department? Can't he apply to the Academy of Engineering's Energy Department? "
"You old man, you have to be reasonable." Li Jiangang said, "He's a Nobel Prize winner in Fields, why would he apply to the Academy of Engineering!"
"Oh, are you looking down on the Academy of Engineering? I think the controllable fusion reactor is way better than the Nobel Prize in Fields! "
"They're not even the same thing! How can you compare them like that? "
The argument seemed to have developed into a strange place.
The two of them almost started to fight over whether Lu Zhou should be an academician of the Academy of Engineering or the Academy of Sciences.
On the other hand, Zhou Chengfu was sitting in the front row of the conference hall. He had a complicated expression on his face as he touched the medal on his chest.
Even though he was one of the heroes of controllable fusion research, he always felt like an outsider sitting here. He didn't even feel the slightest bit of joy from this honor. Instead, he felt a bit ironic.
Wearing an honor that didn't belong to him felt like he was being roasted on a fire.
Academician Pan, who was sitting next to him, glanced at him and smiled.
"What? The president put it on for you, do you want to take it off? "
Zhou Chengfu didn't say anything. His face was expressionless, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
However, Pan Changhong knew his old friend too well.
Pan Changhong sighed and looked at the award stage.
"Regardless of what you did, it's been almost fifty years. You've worked hard, so you deserve a share of this honor. No one can always make the right choice. You've been loyal to your research.
"Also, I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Professor Lu, who nominated you, also thinks this way."
The moment Lu Zhou heard this, his expressionless face couldn't hold back anymore …
In addition to the 26 585 medals, 120 advanced individual awards, and five advanced group awards, there was also a special medal.
It was about 8 centimeters in diameter, made of 99.9% pure gold, and weighed 527 grams. It was equipped with a red and black ribbon, which could be worn in front of the chest. The main pattern of the medal was composed of five stars, stars, olive branches, and light lines.
Its name was "Ling Yun".
Perhaps no one had ever thought that this seemingly crazy idea would one day be reborn in the hands of a new generation of scholars. One day, it would give birth to energy comparable to a star.
Lu Zhou didn't fully understand the intention of the designer of this medal.
After all, he wasn't from that era, and his research on controllable fusion was more or less half-baked.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
