Chapter 330: Golden Age
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ling Jundong embarked on a journey to Russia bringing along Chen Jin’s quest for him.
About one week later, after several rounds of talks and negotiations that were bestrewn in twists and turns.
On the 20th of November.
Ling Jundong called back, “Mr. Chen, I’ve fulfilled your orders. I’ve princ.i.p.ally come to a done deal with the Russian leaders. They will provide us with water supplies at 10 cents per ton while we provide them our services to upgrade the Tree of Knowledge to the university level, sell them our Virtual Factory with simulation degrees of 99.99% and gift them 0.1 in game credits for each ton of water they sell us. The agreement has already been signed. The terms agreed on is not over the bottom line that you have drawn.”
In the call, Ling Jundong sounded awfully tired, frail, and unenergetic. Most certainly that, for him, the negotiations these few days was not easy, it could be described as immensely difficult!
The Russians were not easy people to deal with, especially on the negotiating table. Unless they were driven to a state of extreme distress, there was no possibility of them making concessions.
The negotiations this time around were as so. Ling Jundong took out various a.n.a.lyses, comparisons, stated various interests, and made all kinds of good promises, suggesting them to comply with the price of 10 cents per ton of water and that it would bring to them far more benefits than the water-selling itself.
“The water in Lake Baikal is the best water in the world. Its price cannot be lower than three dollars per ton. We will not sell any to them below this price,” said a Russian official.
Negotiations continued for another few days. The price went down to two dollars per ton, one dollar per ton, then it was stuck. They would not yield no matter what he said. The Russians firm att.i.tude even wavered Ling Jundong, striking him with a sense of despair.
So how did Ling Jundong make things work in the end?
Bam! He slammed the table, stood up looking infuriated and said, “It is fine if you still refuse! You will lose your friends.h.i.+p with Xing Hai Technologies, enter our blacklist, and lose the opportunity to work with us in-depth! If you can bear with these consequences, I will return to the Z nation tomorrow.” Upon finis.h.i.+ng, he stormed away tucking his sleeves, leaving behind a bunch of Russian officials looking at each other.
Subsequently, on the following day, while Ling Jundong was driving on the way to the airport, a Russian official halted him and said that matters could still be negotiated. At last, Ling Jundong got what he came for, attaining the partners.h.i.+p corresponding to his boss’s wish.
Via these negotiations, the truth came to light for Ling Jundong—negotiating with the others while bearing the att.i.tude of a gentleman would only make negotiations difficult. If he were to show a ruffian face and threaten them right away, he would contrarily be able to save a lot of mouth work and time and attain the most desired purpose.
After all, Xing Hai Technologies could bear the consequences of not cooperating with them, could the Russians?
“I don’t have to be so polite towards wretched people! Instead of torturing myself, why not torture them. Being a despicable person is sometimes more fun and comfortable than being a gentleman!” And it was from this day onwards, Ling Jundong had changed, becoming a little sullen and no longer looking like some kind of “good guy.”
…
Merely a few days later.
26th of November, around 10 o’clock in the morning.
In Dong Guang Province located in the Z nation’s southern region, the interior of a large piece of scientific equipment by the name of “EAST 3.0” was illuminated! The light in the device lasted for more than half an hour without any signs of fading. It emitted more than 1000 megawatts of electricity, enough for a city with a one million population. The “fuel” that was burning in this device was the two isotopes of hydrogen: deuterium and tritium. They continued to “burn” at a high-temperature environment of more than 100 million degrees.
The “light of fusion” was ignited!
The arrival of the era of unlimited energy was declared.
11 o’clock in the morning.
The reactor test run was over.
The official media released a report with the t.i.tle “Large scientific equipment “EAST 3.0″ has attained an experimental breakthrough. The Z nation has entered a new era of energy.”
Because the t.i.tle was too boring and dull, the report did not immediately trigger a sensational outbreak.
More than 10 minutes later.
“The artificial sun is successfully ignited. Controllable nuclear fusion becomes a reality”
“Hot! Our nation’s artificial sun has just succeeded!”
“The sun of the Z nation! We now have infinite energy”
“Awesome! Scientists from Z have successfully ignited the light of fusion!”
It was only after the reprint by writers of sensational headlines that the netizens’ eyes were eyes lit up, instantly triggering a sensational ebullience!
“H-how is this possible?”
“Light of fusion, we’ve lit up the light of fusion so early on and has realized controllable nuclear fusion, am I dreaming?”
“Impossible, at our current technological level, I highly doubt that it’s possible!”
“The news release has said very clearly: achieved steady-state operation for more than half an hour, power generation is stable at 1000 MW, reactor is shut down under controlled conditions… If this can’t be considered a success, then what could?
“A scientist said in the official report: if the ‘East 3.0’ is used as a power generation device, the cost of ‘fuel’ for a day will be about 500 thousand dollars, but the maximum power generated in a day can reach 240 million degrees, which means that the cost of generating one kilowatt-hour of electricity is only 0.0021 dollars, and the cost per kilowatt-hour will only be two cents. The investment in power transmission and transformation facilities and the wages of electricians will, on the other hand, become the main expenditure.”
“Even so, the price of electricity that will eventually be used by households will be greatly reduced, possibly to 20 or 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. ”
“The era of low-cost energy has arrived. We are lifted from our dependence on coal resources. Carbon emissions can be greatly reduced. Driving electric vehicles will be far more cost-effective than fuel vehicles. Oil imports will be reduced by at least half, tr.i.m.m.i.n.g down our cost of living immensely. The ecological environment and air quality will be better than before!”
“We are now entering a new, wonderful age!”
“Hahaha, this is great, this is so great!”
“My eyes are a bit teary. Over the years, what we Z’s buy will become expensive and what we sell will become cheap. Even just iron ore from the Australians can reap away hundreds of billions from us. As long as the buyer is a Z, the others will always want to charge us extra . Especially since last year, under the instigation of the M nation, the prices of various raw materials have skyrocketed, oil prices have doubled, and food prices have risen by 50%. What they were doing is that they do not want us to live a good life!
“Now, we will suffice with just one-third of our previous oil imports. We can now engage in indoor stereoscopic agriculture or hasten up the development of desert areas in the west, opening up large areas of fertile farmland… the oil crisis, food crisis, all of them are solved in an instant.
“From now on, n.o.body can stop us from advancing in the path towards a wonderful life!
“We must live a great life which they will envy and hate us until the roots of their teeth itches.
“All of this is made possible by our hardworking hands and clever minds. We did not steal, we did not rob, we struggled with our feet down the floor! We must enjoy our blissful days to come and take it for granted!”
“…”
Anyways, on this day, the 26th, in the whole Z nation, in every corner of the Great Divine Land, there was joy, excitement, pride, and exuberance. The whole of the Hua Xia Peoples’ sense of self-confidence, self-reliance, and pride had heightened unprecedentedly. Hence, aside from igniting the artificial sun, the light of fusion had also flared up the country’s golden age.